Children from Medway attended a glittering party held in London’s theatre land to celebrate their success at winning a prestigious scholarship held in association with The Stage newspaper.

The talented children all attend classes at Razzamataz Theatre Schools, a part-time performing arts school, and were awarded the year-long scholarships after presenting a short film showing them performing either a musical theatre song and dance, commercial dance, pop song, drama improvisation or scripted drama piece.

The Stage New Year Party, staged in the Grand Saloon of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, is one of the social highlights of the British performing arts scene. It began in 1995 and has been held annually ever since.

In 2011 The Stage scheme provided a total of 32 scholarships donated by 15 schools and worth an estimated value of £355,000. Numerically, the largest single sponsorship was made by Razzamataz, which funded 10 scholars.

“It wasn’t just about raw talent, the applicants had to show a really strong dedication to the performing arts” says Hayley Limpkin, Principal of Razzamataz Medway. “We looked for those that demonstrated a maturity and a real desire to learn and we were delighted to offer Robson Broad, aged 12 years the scholarship. The Stage is a very respected newspaper for the performing arts industry and it will be an enormous benefit for Robson to be able to put on his CV that he was a winner of a Razzamataz Scholarship in association with The Stage.

Robson from Gillingham, joined the other Razzamataz scholarship winners to attend The Stage 100 Awards held at The Stage New Year Party where they could mingle with the movers and shakers in the industry.

Razzamataz Theatre Schools offer exceptional training in dance, drama and singing together with exciting opportunities to perform. Classes are for children from age 4 to 18 and allow students to experience a range of performance styles from classic West End musical theatre to funky street dance. Razzamataz believes that every student should have the opportunity to be energetic, to gain confidence and to make friends whilst having lots of fun.

To find out if places are available at Razzamataz Medway or Maidstone, call 01634 893524 or email hayley@razzamataz.co.uk. To find out where your nearest Razzamataz Theatre School is located visit the website on www.razzamataztheatreschools.co.uk

Anchorians Soccer School at Anchorians Sports Ground, Darland Avenue, Gillingham. £2 per child ages 5-10 years. Visit www.anchoriansfc.co.uk for more info.

Medway parents and students are being asked if they want Medway to have one of the country's first University Technical Colleges (UTC).

These are being set up by the government to provide a mixture of vocational and academic training for 14-18 year-olds.

The proposed UTC in Medway would specialise in construction and engineering, and would be sponsored by the University of Greenwich, MidKent College, Medway Council and local employers.

If the plan gets the go ahead it would open in September 2013 and provide up to 600 places for students.

They would sit GCSEs followed by A levels and vocational qualifications, such as BTECs.

Local employers would provide practical training with the funding for the UTC coming from central government.

The typical school day of a UTC runs from 8.30am to 5.00pm to prepare students for the working week and to allow for extra teaching and practical time.

There is no homework; all work is done within school hours. Extra curricula activities all happen within the school day.

They allow students to study subjects they are really interested in, which are taught in industry standard facilities by teachers with real life practical experience.

Medway Council is working in partnership with the University of Greenwich, Mid Kent College and the Royal School of Military Engineering together with local employers including BAE Systems, engineering specialists Delphi, construction firm BAM and commercial property company Land Securities.

A number of sites in Medway are being considered for the new UTC including an unused block at Brompton Barracks.

Residents can say what they think about this proposal by filling in a simple survey on Medway Council's website at www.medway.gov.uk/medwayutc.

When applying to the Department For Education to start a UTC you need to be able to demonstrate it is wanted by local parents and pupils. The council hopes to use answers from this survey in its application.

Event Date(s): Every Saturday

Event Title: Maidstone Show Choir Dynamics

Timings: 10am-11:30am

Description: A fun children's choir local to Maidstone that combines choral singing with dancing to create a fun and entertaining performance. We also perform popular hits and songs from musicals. This is a great place to meet new friends, gain confidence and have fun! All abilities are welcome. Age 16 and below.

Booking Details: Price to attend is £10 for 4 weeks, or £3 per session - the first session is free. We can be contacted and booked before hand but you can also drop in.

Event Address: St Philip's Church, Waterloo Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 7UH

Contact Number: 01622 673645

Gravesend’s Christmas lights switch on - 19th November

Festive lights and a sparkling Father Christmas grotto arrive in Gravesend town centre on Saturday, 19 November, 2011 alongside an exciting new “Snow Globe Experience” for all the family.

Taking place on King Street at 4.30pm, the Mayor of Gravesham, Cllr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi with a host of celebrities and the Woodville Halls pantomime stars will switch on the Christmas lights.

Before that, an afternoon of FREE Entertainment starts at 12noon when children from Centre Stage Theatre Academy - run by former Eastenders actor Frankie Fitzgerald, sing in St George’s Shopping Centre to launch their Christmas activities, including Santa’s Grotto and the unveiling of the amazing Snow Globe.

Then from 1pm the main stage will be set up at King Street/New Road junction and the music continues with the Stan Lee King Roadshow; former X factor contestant Kim Southwick - once mentored by Sharon Osborne, and Hollyoaks star Tom Vaughan; each performing for an hour of classic pop, rock and Christmas favourites.

Gravesend’s lights have been created by international designers Blachere Illumination and cover the main shopping areas as well as Queen Street and the High Street - where in the Old Town Hall there is also a Vintage Fair taking place between 11am and 4pm on Saturday 19th with music from the Swingtime Sweethearts.

Parking remains FREE in Gravesham Council town centre car parks each evening from 6pm and on Saturdays and Sundays

For more information visit www.gogravesham.co.uk

Is your child starting secondary school in September 2012? Online applications for secondary school places starting open on Monday, 5 September and can be made by filling in the online form on Medway Council’s website at www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions.

Parents have until 4pm on Monday, 31 October to name up to six secondary school choices for 2012. All paper application forms also need to be submitted by this date.

By applying online, parents who provide an email address will receive an email confirming their application has been received. An email will also be sent after 4pm on National Offer Day, 1 March 2012, letting parents know what school place their child has been offered.

Parents and carers who live in Medway should submit their applications to Medway Council, even if they include any schools outside of the Medway area.

Primary school admissions for 2012 will also open in November 2011.

For those taking the 11+ (Medway Test) this September, the results will be out on Friday 7th October 2011.

For more information, visit the admissions pages on Medway Council's website - www.medway.gov.uk or phone the phone the Student Services Admissions Team on 01634 331110.

East meets west at Will Adams celebration.

Japanese culture and traditions will mix with a taste of life in Tudor England at this year’s Will Adams Festival, taking place at Gillingham Park on Saturday 10 September.

Now in its 11th year, the free festival is a celebration of the Gillingham born sailor, who left England in Tudor times and voyaged to Asia, ending up in to Japan where the Shogun made him a Samurai.

With an array of colourful sights and interactive events for all the family, the event reflects both the world Adams discovered and the one he left behind.

Themed activities and demonstrations will take visitors through Tudor times in England when Adams was a boy, Tudor maritime history and sea adventure, Japanese traditions and customs around the time that Adams would have arrived, and a look at how far eastern culture influences life in the UK today.

Among the activities and events on offer are breathtaking martial arts demonstrations, taiko drumming demonstrations, traditional children’s games from Tudor times, costumed falconry displays, Manga artists and Tudor cooking demonstrations. There’s even a chance to find out how you would have fared at navgating a Tudor ship.

Japan holds its own Will Adams festival each year, releasing doves as a symbol of peace. Medway is twinned with the cities of Ito and Yokosuka, where Adams spent a lot of his time.

The Will Adams Festival runs from 11am to 4.30pm at Gillingham Park, off Catnerbury Street, Gillingham. Admission and all activities are free.

For more info visit: http://www.whatsonmedway.co.uk/site/whats-on-search/will-adams-festival-p454571

Mote Park will once again host the Maidstone Mela on September 10 and 11, 2011 with three internationally recognised acts headlining the stage!

On Mela night, September 10, from 6.30pm Banghra superstar Sukshinder Shinda winner of numerous UK Asian Music Awards including in 2006 ‘Best Album’ and ‘Best Video’, ‘Best Act’ and ‘Best Album’ in 2008, ‘Best Producer’ in 2010 and 2011, will take to the stage.

Following him will be The Counterfeit Beatles, one of the leading tribute acts in the UK. The Counterfeit Beatles have also established themselves as one of the UK’s most sought after international acts with some of the highest profile performances ever undertaken by any Beatles tribute band including headlining the main stage at Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival, performing alongside Coldplay and Elvis Costello in front of an audience of over 80,000.

Sunday, September 11 brings us Mela day where we will again see an exciting day full of culturally diverse entertainment including music and dance from the Caribbean, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Indian Sub-continent.

Artists performing at the Mela include Phase 5 Steel Band, Merenkurkut, Raqsonic, K College, Jai Khan, Four by Four, Cultural Beats and will be headlined by ‘The World’s No.1 Michael Jackson Impersonator’ Navi, who performed at Michael Jackson’s very own 45th birthday day party in Los Angeles and has performed in 54 countries across 5 continents.

Not only is there an enormously eclectic variety of entertainment over the weekend, but the array of food on offer is astounding! Food from China, India, Great Britain, Thailand, and even Finland will all be available for you to try and enjoy!

http://www.maidstonemela.com/