Calling all creative children in Glossopdale

Creative youngsters across Glossopdale are being encouraged to enter a virtual exhibition, which will be judged by a local celebrity! 

This year should have been the 10th anniversary of the Hadfield Open Art Show and the third Children's Art Exhibition at the Wall in the Barn - a gallery space upstairs in the community arts and crafts venue The Craft Barn, off Station Road. 

However, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic meant the annual event had to be postponed but the Wall in the Barn has still found a way to celebrate children's creativity in the community. 

Youngsters aged 16 and under are being invited to submit their pictures to the virtual exhibition. 

To help with the judging, The Craft Barn manager Julia Norton says she's incredibly grateful to Julie Hesmondhalgh for getting involved. 

The actress, who lives in Tameside, is perhaps best known for her role as Hayley Cropper on ITV soap Coronation Street and her BAFTA nominated performance in ITV drama Broadchurch. 

Mother-of-two Julie (pictured below) has also most recently appeared in the title role in Mother Courage at the Royal Exchange and on screen in The Trouble with Maggie Cole (ITV) and The A Word (BBC1).

She's also a founder member of Take Back, a Manchester theatre collective, and fundraising group 500 Acts of Kindness, as well as being a proud supporter of many organisations including Reuben’s Retreat, Willow Wood Hospice, the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and Believe and Achieve Trust Tameside.

For the exhibition, there is no particular theme so you can unleash your imaginations and choose a subject of your choice. 

There will be prizes awarded in four different age categories - plus a People's Choice prize. 

The first 100 entrants will also receive a set of limited edition paintbrushes. 

Entries must be received by 6pm on Friday 22 May. 

For more information and to submit your entries, visit https://www.wallinthebarn.org.uk/2020/05/hadfield-childrens-virtual-art.html.