On Saturday 12 June, Kingswood Theatre hosted the Seventh Annual KATS Awards (Kingswood's Artistically Talented Students).  This is most definitely one of the most glamorous highlights of the school calendar, and almost 140 pupils, staff, governors and guests graced the venue in their best dinner jackets and posh frocks. The usual red carpet was laid for the pupils' entrance, and the whole evening commenced with a fantastic meal provided by Kingswood's caterers, served by Friends of Kingswood volunteers.

Click on this link to view KATS 2010 video

Our guest of honour this year was ex-student Alistair Barrie, a first-class professional comedian and actor who works on shows such as Green Wing and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, and was literally in between gigs at the Lyceum in London and Jesters in Bristol! His speech was both funny and inspiring, two of the most important ingredients for any KATS speech.

For KATS 2010, our new hosts were Mary Telford and David Hughes. Both were superb, and delivered the nominations and winning names with great aplomb. This year's performances came from Principal Musician Laura Cross, with her violin solo Meditation by Massenet. Oscar Batterham, Hannah Bishay and Charlie O'Connor delivered the eternally funny Crossword Sketch, and Alex Bevan and Hannah Bishay (Head Choristers) performed the most beautiful duet, The Prayer by Carole Bayer Sager. Charlie O'Connor rounded off the entertainment with his comic slant on the Jocelyn Brown song Somebody Else's Guy, ably assisted by Olivia Dellow, Tash Brand, Hannah and Jess Bishay.

As ever, the evening was about more than merely awarding prizes. KATS is a celebration of all of the amazing creative work that goes on, day-in-day-out in the Art, Design, Drama and Music Departments. It is a chance for all of the staff and pupils to reflect upon the frenetic activity and inspiring levels of imagination, creativity and passion that happen at GCSE and A Level throughout the year.

However, this year's KATS was tinged with a little sadness. Mr John Allison, said farewell to his last KATS Awards with a touching speech, following the presentation of his Top KAT Award. We will all miss him next year, but perhaps not his white tuxedo!

KATS Winners
Art
Best Painter – Naomi Stella
Best Mixed Media – Harriet Brooker
GCSE Artist of the Year – Eleanor Richardson
Artists' Artist – Nina Fini

DT
Top CAD – Henry Adams
Innovation Challenge – Sarah Blackburn
Light Fantastic – Niamh Courtaux
Designers' Designer – April Kwok

Drama
Best Performance in a Production – Charlie O'Connor
Most Essential Contribution to Drama – Gordon Hu
Best Performance in an Assessed Piece – Natasha Brand
Actors' Actor – Charlie O'Connor

Music
Best Sixth Form Composition – Ellie Hobbs
Best Sixth Form Performer – Laura Cross
Best GCSE Composition – Max Thulin
Musos' Muso – Ralph Eliot

Many thanks to all who came to support the event, but special thanks must go to Neil Francis and his technical team for their incredible support (and fireworks!), Mr Knights for his accompanying, Katy Proctor for filming the event, and to Mrs Hayley Collins whose tireless work behind the scenes made everything possible. Here's to KATS 2011!