STUDENTS from South East Cornwall are among those receiving grants from a Cornish fund which helps the county’s budding dancers, musicians, arts performers and sportspeople to fulfil their potential.

The Duchy has been revealed as a hotbed of dance and performing arts talent by the latest grants awarded by Young & Talented Cornwall, The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund, which has awarded sums totalling £14,000 to the county’s next generation of superstar performers.

Set up in 2005, Young & Talented Cornwall seeks to provide grants to the county’s brightest prospects who otherwise lack the means to pursue their dreams fully. Amongst the most recent awards, almost half of the recipients are dancers – with ballet shining through as a particular strength.

Three of the fund’s recipients - Aiden Drew (age 16 from Par), Sophia Clarke (age 17 from Truro) and Megan Blamey (age 17 from St Austell) - are students at the Jason Thomas Performing Arts School in Truro. Based on their exceptional potential, the grant will support their studies at the specialist dance studio and help them to fulfil their ambitions.

Aiden, from Par, is passionate about dancing – jazz and ballet - and also acting. His life was transformed by 18 months’ study and performance with Kick Back Street Kids. He received a scholarship for one year to Jason Thomas performing arts club and the grant awarded by Young & Talented Cornwall will help him to complete a pre-vocational course at the school.

Other recipients of the fund are using their grants to access training opportunities offered by some the country’s most prestigious dance schools. Gracie Giles and Alec West, both gifted 12-year-olds from Looe and Devoran respectively, have been selected to study at The Royal Ballet School in London.

Gracie, from Looe, is an exceptionally talented young ballerina. She was selected at the age of 11 to be a residential boarder at The Royal Ballet School at White Lodge, Richmond Park. The grant will be used towards travelling costs.

Fellow aspiring professional ballet dancer Aston Purnell (age 17 from St Austell) is one of only nine boys in his class at the English National Ballet School, along with Jamie Constance (age 18 from Padstow) who is on the school’s Professional Training Programme. Ruby Yule (age 18) completes the dance-inspired line-up, having moved from her home in Carnon Downs to join the Performers College in Essex.

In the performing arts sector, the talents of young performer Jenny McKniff, from St Austell, have sparked international attention. With the support of a Young & Talented Cornwall grant, Jenny has gone from Mid Cornwall to Barcelona, where she has taken up a place at the prestigious Institute of the Arts to study musical theatre on a three-year undergraduate programme. Her grant will help with the costs of the necessary equipment and medical insurance.

Colonel Edward Bolitho OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, who heads up Young & Talented Cornwall, said: “With every round of funding we are overwhelmed by the calibre of very worthy applications; the talent that we have on our doorstep in Cornwall is incredible. Never before, though, have we seen such concentrated talent for dance and performance arts.

“These youngsters are the next generation of dance – they have the drive to succeed and are ultimate role models for young people. We are really pleased to be able to support them on their journey to stardom and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.”

Alongside budding dancers, the latest round of Young & Talented Cornwall funding also supports young Cornish sportspeople, musicians, and actors.