A Harrogate boy – whose parents withdrew him from mainstream education – has wowed the judges at two Performing Arts festivals with his poetry rendition.
Oliver Teasdale, who is taught at home by his mother, Jenna, won first place in both the Harrogate Competitive Festival and at the Wharfedale Festival of Performing Arts.
This led the eight-year-old being invited to perform in the Wharfedale Celebration Concert along with nineteen other performers. Here he was awarded with the Edith Atkinson Trophy for the Most Promising Performer.
Oliver – who attends Speech and Drama lessons with Harrogate Theatrebox Director, Lesley Goakes, is currently awaiting the results of his Grade 1 LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) exams.
Mum Jenna said: “We are very proud of Oliver and what he has achieved in these two competitions. He struggled at school and his dad, Andrew, and I took the very difficult decision to educate him at home.
“However, these two first places, plus being named as the Most Promising Performer, are proof that we made the right choice as far as Oliver’s education was concerned.”
Jenna added: “I think Oliver has found his vocation with the performing arts. This is something he is extremely good at and something he enjoys. It is a niche he is extremely good at!”
