Malone Integrated College Celebrates Creativity and Innovation at the Annual Carson Awards Showcase

The Carson Awards Showcase is an annual event which celebrates the creative talent of Integrated pupils by exhibiting the amazing projects they have been working on over the past year.  This year it the annual Showcase was held at Malone Integrated College (IC), a school which is has participated in the Carson Awards for many years.  Many distinguished guests and supporters attended the event, including the Lord Mayor of Belfast Róis-Máire Donnelly.

As a school which seeks to encourage their students to be creative and express themselves, Malone IC not only hosted the Showcase but also celebrates winning first prize in Key Stage Three for their impressive group art project entitled ‘A piece of us.’

The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) was delighted to have Belfast's own renowned actor, director, and playwright, Dan Gordon, host this very special celebration event.  Dan wrote and performed the acclaimed one-man show ‘A Rebel without a Pause’, which told the story of late comedian and Carson Awards-founder Frank Carson.  It is particularly fitting that this year would have been the year that Frank Carson turned 100.  His legacy and support for Integrated Education lives on within the students who have been recipients of Carson bursaries and awards over the past nearly two decades.  

Host Dan Gordon said:

“I am delighted to be returning to host the annual Carson Awards Showcase at Malone IC this year.  Congratulations to everyone at Malone IC for giving us all such a warm welcome and for showing their incredible musical talents today.

The Carson Awards Showcase offers a fantastic opportunity for young people to express themselves creatively.  As an actor, director and playwright, I have been so impressed by the wide variety of innovative projects on display.  The pupils have used many different mediums, everything from video, poetry, music and dance, to express what Integrated Education means to them, demonstrating how they have benefitted from being educated side by side, every day, together in the same classrooms.  The Carson Awards Showcase shows the potential and offers a glimpse into a very bright future for the next generation.”   

Through the Carson Bursaries, schools can apply to receive funding to help pupils develop and deliver creative projects that encourage artistic expression and collaboration.  All Integrated schools are then offered the opportunity to enter for a Carson Award.  The Carson Bursary grant programme and Carson Awards were generously started by late comedian and Integrated Education supporter Frank Carson, along with his son Tony Carson in 2008.  The awards are delivered through the IEF.

Tony Carson, business entrepreneur and co-founder of the Carson awards, commented:

“I am extremely proud to have founded the Carson Awards along with my late father, Frank, and that the Awards continue to help support the creative arts in Integrated  schools.  Every year the impressive entries , amazingly, seem to surpass the quality of the previous year.  They are a testimony to the creativity shining through in the young people involved.  The arts make an enormous contribution to society and it is crucial that schools nurture the next generation of talented artists across all mediums. Pops would be very proud!”

The Showcase event gives those who have received a Carson Bursary or won a Carson Award the opportunity to show their creative projects.  The annual Carson Showcase travels around Northern Ireland, to different schools each year, so that they are inclusive and accessible to all Integrated schools. 

Malone IC was a fitting choice to host the Showcase this year and it provided a good opportunity to celebrate the many creative projects that the Carson bursaries have funded.  One such bursary funded a creative ceramic mural project called ‘Wildlife Without Borders’ creating clay animals and shapes.  A year 11 student explained why this project was important, saying:

“In Malone there are over 37 cultures and more than 40 languages. We come from many different places, but we all share the same classrooms, and the same hope for a better, more connected world.

This year, we are working with ceramic artist Jakki Trainor on a special project called Wildlife Without Borders. It’s about more than just art, it’s about belonging, nature, and celebrating our differences while discovering what connects us all….

Every tile will tell a piece of our story. who we are, where we’re from, and how we are connected by the natural world.

When it’s finished, the artwork will stay in Malone Integrated College as a reminder that we belong together, and that our diversity is something to be proud of.”

Furthermore, the College received First Prize in Key Stage Three for another special creative project called ‘A piece of us.’  This project involved the students learning about Pysanky egg art and how the patterns can tell stories and show identity.  Using ceramics and felt the students came together to make some special creative artwork which is a testimony to how they feel Integrated Education brings them together, as individuals and as one school community.

Aine Leslie, Principal of Malone IC, commented:

“Malone IC is absolutely delighted to host this year’s Carson Awards Showcase.  Each year, students are encouraged to collaborate creatively and explore what Integrated Education means to them.  We are incredibly proud of the inspiring work they have produced, and hosting the Showcase provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and share their artistic achievements with the wider community and other Integrated schools.

Carson bursaries have enabled us to deliver a range of exciting and innovative projects that have engaged, challenged and inspired our students, helping them to develop their confidence, creativity and teamwork skills.

Today, we celebrate not only the artistic accomplishments of our own students, but also the remarkable creativity and talent demonstrated across Integrated schools throughout Northern Ireland. We look forward to continuing to nurture and support the creative potential of all our students for many years to come.”

Paul Caskey OBE, Chief Executive of the IEF, said:

“The IEF is delighted to be celebrating the Carson Awards at Malone IC this year.  It is so important that young people have the opportunity to express ‘What an Integrated Education Means to Me’ and the Carson Awards provides such a platform to do just that, whilst supporting their creative skills. The quality of the work never ceases to astound.  We are so impressed by the quality and innovation of the Integrated pupils’ work on display here today.  The medley of projects is a testament to the variety of interests and skills being fostered within Integrated schools today.  We congratulate all the worthy winners here today. 

One such winner is Malone IC themselves who won First Prize for Key Stage Three.  Malone IC not only won an award, but they kindly offered to host this Showcase event, bringing together schools from all across Northern Ireland.  We thank them for their hospitality and applaud their commitment to fostering and developing creative talents in their students.    

The IEF also wants to thank Tony Carson for his continued support for the Carson Awards Showcase, which is a fitting tribute to the legacy of our late friend and supporter Frank Carson.  Tony not only supports the Carson Awards, but he is valuable supporter and member of IEF’s Campaign Council, we very much appreciate all the time he dedicates and support he gives to Integrated Education.

This year marks what would have been Frank Carson’s 100th birthday. As we reflect on his generosity and vision, we honour the lasting impact Frank has made through the establishment of the Carson Awards.”

For more information on the Carson bursary programme and Carson Awards please see our website here:  https://www.ief.org.uk/our-work/grants/carson-awards/