When it comes to talent Huddersfield New College has bucketfuls of it.
It has been told that it’s got not one, but two acts, through the first two rounds of auditions for Britain’s Got Talent, (BGT). And there is now a nail-biting, three-month wait until they find out if they’ll be going onwards to the next stage.
Assistant principal Zoe Shackleton, better known until now for her commitment to equality and diversity issues, is a talented solo singer famed for her ability to perform Mary Poppins classic numbers including A Spoonful of Sugar.
Singing has been a life-long passion and she said: “It was a nerve-wracking yet exciting experience. It’s never too late to follow your dreams.”
Equally talented are the Makatones, a group put together by the college’s Health and Social Care Department. Watch them practising in the video below.
The group are hoping to raise awareness of Makaton, a language programme that uses signs and symbols to help and encourage people who are unable to speak, or whose speech is unclear, to communicate.
Head of department Chris Madej sang You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban, with staff members Anna Butterfield and Theresa Mellor while students Lucy, Megan, Katie, Beth, Corran, Aimee and Grace, signed the lyrics.
Over 100,000 adults and children worldwide use the language.
The auditions took place on December 8 at Manchester Central Convention Complex.
BGT started on ITV in 2007 and will be back in 2015. The current judges are Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon.
