Overture Awards Launch BILLY ELLIOT Dream Award

In partnership with the Cincinnati Arts Association's Overture Awards and Local 12 WKRC, and in celebration of the upcoming local engagement of Billy Elliot the Musical, Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati is proud to announce the Billy Elliot Dream Award. This award and scholarship will be presented to a Tri-State student in grades 6 through 12 who is pursuing an artistic dream. The prize will consist of a $500 scholarship provided by Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati's Education Fund.

Billy Elliot the Musical tells the inspirational story of a boy who stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, and how his family and his community come together to support his dream of auditioning for London's Royal Ballet. The Dream Award was created in celebration of the show's visit to Cincinnati and in partnership with Local 12 WKRC and the Cincinnati Arts Association's annual Overture Awards, the region's largest solo arts competition for high school students. Billy Elliot the Musical plays the Aronoff Center January 17 – 29.

Applications for the Billy Elliot Dream Award may be submitted by any student in grades 6 through 12 who is pursuing a dream as an artist in dance, visual art, performance art, creative writing, acting, singing or music. Any interested applicant should submit an essay of three double spaced pages or less describing his or her artistic dream, the challenges and obstacles they may have faced along the way, and how they have (or hope to) overcome these challenges. In addition, a performance video of under two-minutes is required exhibiting the talent of the entrant. Visual artists may submit images of their work. Students who are not able to record their performance on video may contact Steve Finn at the Cincinnati Arts Association (sfinn@cincinnatiarts.org) for assistance creating that portion of the application. No essay is required if the student can tell his or her story through the video in addition to the two minute performance or demonstration.

The application deadline for the entrants to the Billy Elliot Dream Award is Monday, January 23rd at 5pm.
Essay applications will be accepted by email, mail or drop off to the attention of Steve Finn (sfinn@cincinnatiarts.org) at the Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Video applications will need to be uploaded to YouTube or Facebook. Please include the link to your video on your essay so that the judges are able to identify your entry online.

Application submission guidelines and rules can be found in their entirety at the bottom of this release.

Applications will be judged by a panel of arts professionals including Dee Anne Bryll (actor, director, choreographer, and theater instructor), Steve Finn (Director of Education and Community Relations, Cincinnati Arts Association), and Robert Lomax (classical / gospel vocalist). Three finalists will be chosen on Thursday, January 26 and will each be invited along with a guest to the final performance of Billy Elliot the Musical on Sunday, January 29 at 6:30pm. In addition, the three finalists and their guests will be invited to the Overture Awards Ceremony on Saturday, March 3 at 1:00pm at the Aronoff Center where the winner will be announced and awarded their prize. The winner will receive a $500 scholarship provided by Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati's Education Fund.

Billy Elliot the Musical will play the Aronoff Center from January 17 – 29 as part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati 11/12 Season. Based on the international smash-hit film and featuring music from Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot the Musical has earned critical acclaim on Broadway including 10 Tony Awards. The musical has also earned 81 national and international awards including ten Tony Awards, Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle.

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