by John Prince
The Hornsea and East Riding Speech and Drama Festival has been revived this year, attracting more than 50 entrants from up and down the east coast.
Last held in 2011, the festival is to encourage young people and adults to perform in public and in front of an audience, and get feedback and tuition from professionals who work in the arts.
It has been resurrected for 2026 by a team including lead organiser Victoria Wilkinson from the Studio Victoriana School of Performing Arts (The V.I.Ps) in Withernsea, and Ruby Seager from Hornsea Music Society.
Judging the competitors this year was theatre director, playwright, author and drama tutor Debbie Wastling who grew up in Holderness but is now based in Los Angeles in the USA.
Individuals and groups from Scarborough to Hull took to the stage at Hornsea United Reformed Church, and walked away with certificates and medals for their performances.
Victoria Wilkinson who was instrumental in bringing back the festival after its long absence said: “This year was the year. I did it for many, many years and I used to love doing the festival here.
“I did Harrogate. I did Grimsby. I did Cleethorpes. I did Hull Festival. Then slowly, one by one, they disappeared. They all need to be brought back, because without all that I would never have had the confidence to have done anything of what I’m doing now.
“I’m glad it’s ended with all my hard work. It’s taken a lot of organising. My school’s just come back from performing in Disneyland Paris so I had all that to sort out.
“With this being integrated into each of those days, I’ve managed to pull it all off.
“We’ll make sure we can do it again next year, bigger and better.”
Ruby Seager said: “The previous person was Molly Weeks, the drama teacher from Hornsea school. I worked with her at that time teaching PE so it couldn’t continue, but we have always said it should begin again.
“It was always successful. It was set up to give young people – and all ages – opportunities in each of the classes to read poetry, write poetry and read texts.
“Over the last few years, as you well know, people don’t read as well. They don’t pick up a book and there are lots of books in Hornsea.
“I’m delighted that the right time has arrived because the right people are in place, and by next year we’ll have more people involved.
“Volunteers are what we need. The last and greatest thing I would ask is that we seek sponsorship, offers of trophies and for people to get in touch with Vicki.”
Debbie Wastling who was the adjudicator on the day said: “I was coming in to do a book tour, and I was supporting Vicki on all her planning.
“They said we have to bring it back. Molly Weeks, who passed away, is a Hornsea legend. It was about finding the trophies, getting Ruby involved because she’s very much a Holderness person, and opening it up to whoever wants to come.
“I know it will build because the musical festival here is huge. Now we’ve got to build the speech and drama for the kids who want to perform.
“If we can start them young, we’ll have them all the way through because they’ll have those memories of performing in this beautiful church.
“Schools, individuals, everybody – they’re all welcome. It could be an individual parent, home-schooled children, a schoolteacher who is writing poetry with the kids, or a performing arts teacher. We want everybody to come together.”
As well as the older children who had been recognised on Saturday morning, three-year-old Matilda Lewis from Withernsea went home with a big smile after winning first place and a gold medal for her performance of ‘Little Miss Muffet’.
Grandma Linda Tweddell said: “She was so good they asked her to do it again!
“It’s the first time she’s ever done it. She can’t read yet so she learned it. She’s so clever.
“Vicki has taught her so much. I’m very proud.”
You can contact the school through its Facebook page.
