YFCU Arts Gala showcases talent and creativity

YOUNG Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster were delighted to return to the Millennium Forum on Saturday, April 16, for the 2022 YFCU Arts Gala, sponsored by NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.

YFCU welcomed Mayor of Derry City & Strabane, Councillor Graham Warke, special guests, members and supporters for a long-awaited night of drama, laughs and entertainment.

The evening was compered by the sharp-witted Sean Hegarty and showcased performances from Arts Festival Finalists – Glarryford YFC, Mountnorris YFC, Randalstown YFC, Kilrea & Garvagh YFC and Kilraughts YFC – which kept the laughter flowing, toes tapping and audience engaged throughout.

Special thanks to Chestnutt Animal Feeds Ltd for sponsoring the YFCU Arts Gala VIP reception and interval refreshments.

Following performances, while adjudicators Aodh McCay and Ellen Hasson deliberated the ‘Outstanding Performance of the Night’, special guest speaker David Wright, NI Editor, Irish Farmers’ Journal, continued the comical theme of the evening in his address to the audience, encouraging YFCU members to take advantage of life opportunities in order to create and plan for the future they want to achieve.

The results of the 2022 Arts Festival and Gala Awards were then announced by YFCU President Peter Alexander and kindly presented by Martin Malone, Regional Director of NFU Mutual Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Most Amusing Moment and Best Choreography was awarded to Glarryford YFC for its performance of Fish & Ships; Randalstown took the award for Best Choral Piece for ‘Under the Sea’; while Kilraughts

YFC won Most Imaginative Theme and Most Innovative Musical

Moment.

The final presentation of the evening and most prestigious honour of the competition, ‘Outstanding Performance of the Night’, was awarded to Kilraughts YFC for its production of The Magic in Me.

Special thanks to all the producers and stage crew for their hard work and commitment to making each performance run smoothly; the adjudicators of the Arts Festival and Gala, Ita McVeigh and John Trueman; Aodh McCay and Ellen Hasson for their feedback to members and expertise; and to the Millennium Forum for hosting the evening.

The organisation would like to again extend its sincere thanks to NFU Mutual Charitable Trust for the continued sponsorship of the YFCU Arts Festival and Gala.