Ballycastle student awarded arts bursary
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Hollyoaks actor Gerard McCarthy presents Ciaran Butler with his bursary from the Thomas Devlin Fund.
A Ballycastle student with a talent for performing arts has received a bursary from the Thomas Devlin Fund.
Ciaran Butler, a 17-year-old pupil at Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle, is one of eight young people from across Northern Ireland who received the financial boost.
He received his award from Hollyoaks star, Gerard McCarthy at a gala fundraising dinner on Saturday night (October 4) in the Europa Hotel in Belfast.
Ciaran is involved in musical theatre and was awarded the Choral and Dramatic Society Cup for music and drama at Cross and Passion College's recent prizegiving ceremony.
His music teacher, Mrs Palmer, encouraged him to apply to the bursary fund, which required him to fill out an application form detailing his performing arts experience.
He is a member of the Youth Music Theatre UK organisation, which he has to audition for annually.
Last summer, he played the lead role in the Marie Jones' production, The Chosen Room.
Ciaran said: "It was performed in Stranmillis College in Belfast and I was pleased to get the role. The play has the best songs in it but it was really hard as we would be rehearsing all day. But I love to sing, and I do it every chance I can get."
Ciaran was accompanied to the awards ceremony by his mother, auntie, and one of his friends.
“I was a bit star struck when I met Gerard McCarthy but he was a really nice man. The event was very posh and I think I could get used to the lifestyle," he said.
As a member of the YMT UK organisation, Ciaran has worked with Mark Dougherty, musical director of Riverdance and On Eagles Wing, freelance director Syd Ralph, and Gail Davis, a choreographer who has worked with Disney and co-directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 paralympics winter games.
The Thomas Devlin Fund was set up by family and friends following the murder of Thomas, who was 15 when he was stabbed to death near his north Belfast home in August 2005.
The aim of the fund is to promote public awareness about the effects and impact of gratuitous violence against young people in Northern Ireland.
It dispenses bursaries to young people and supports initiatives which reflect and involve raising awareness of the issues with young people.
The fund is managed by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.
Thomas's mother, Penny Holloway, said: "We are delighted that the fund is able to offer this financial assistance to these talented young people. We hope that as a result they will be able to achieve their aspirations and we will be following their futures with interest.
“We are grateful to the individuals, companies and trade unions who have donated so generously to the fund since it was established in 2006. Their contribution has made these awards possible."
The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland is an independent grant-making organisation.
It was established in 1979, and manages a broad portfolio of funds and programmes that address social exclusion, poverty and social injustice.
The aim of the foundation is to drive social change by tackling social exclusion, poverty, and social injustice through funding and supporting community based action and influencing policy development.
