A university celebration of media teen talent

Nearly 150 teenagers from across the North-East are to gather at Teesside University this week to see their creative efforts in media recognised in an official ceremony.

The Royal Television Society (RTS) North East & The Border Centre will host its Young People’s Media Festival on Thursday 12 May from 7.00pm at the University’s Students’ Union, Southfield Road, Middlesbrough. The RTS Festival’s partners are Teesside University, Sunderland University and Gateshead College.

Entries were judged in the following categories: entertainment, factual, drama and professionally supported. BBC children’s TV presenter Kirsten O’Brien, who is originally from Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, will present certificates which recognise the achievement of RTS standards.

The teenagers, aged 14 to 19, are from the Tees Valley, Tyne and Wear, North Yorkshire and Cumbria, and have submitted entries for judging at the Festival. A show reel of each category’s entries will be screened on the night. They were judged by Tony Edwards from the RTS, the Event’s Chair, and Matt Dennis, Creative Director in the University’s School of Arts & Media.

Tony Edwards said: 'The RTS North East and the Border Centre are committed to a number of initiatives to further opportunities for young people to have their impact in the media industry. Our Young People’s Media Festival event which has been running for some 20 years is now developed to provide even further opportunities for the creative talents of young people in our region to be recognised by the RTS.'

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