‘Fantastic’ gala concert with almost 100 performers brings festival to a close

The 2026 Eskdale Festival of the Arts was a huge success and ended with a fantastic gala concert featuring almost 100 performers who had won classes through the competition.

Organisers said the standard was “incredibly high” and they were thrilled to see so many young people competing through the week and attending the gala.

Performers included 12-year-old drummer Nancy, from Scarborough, who shone on TV’s Britain’s Got Talent recently.

Major awards were presented on the night too and the winners were:

Rotary Young Instrumentalist: Brandon Young

Rotary Young Pianist: Maggie Tindall

Rotary Young Vocalist: Fern Foster

Lewis Carroll Prize: Aubree Coates

Dance Trophy: St Hedda's Dance Group

Vicky Bradley Award for Writing: Missy Coates

Frances Quantrill Award (Effort): Christine Zhang

Albert Hicks Memorial Trophy (Instrumentalist of the Year): Nancy Buxton-Tilley

Festival organisers thank the Lewis Carroll Society, Rotary Club, David Bradley and Whitby Young Musicians for their support in the awards.

Established in 1903, The Eskdale Festival of the Arts takes place in Whitby every March to help inspire and create opportunities for young people in music, drama, dance, art and speech.

More recently an annual Choir Day and Jazz Lunch were added which, over the last few years, has been quite popular.

Adding dance and art competitions and working alongside local teachers to bring in a wider audience of young people has been a huge strength of the last few years too.

Although held up by Covid in 2020-21, organisers are working on building up the Eskdale Festival to its original strength.