ABOUT THE CATEGORY: This award recognises young people or a group of young people who have made an outstanding impact on the local arts and culture community, who have excelled in their creativity and artistic talent through dance, drama or visual arts. From filmmaking to fashion design, pottery to poetry or even puppetry, young people can win the Arts and Culture Award through any art, craft or cultural activity. The award embraces traditional and emerging art forms, as well as support roles in lighting, sound, marketing and more.
Find out more about our 2026 winners below
Winner: Monica Maven
From the moment Monica joined Sunderland Ballet at just three years old, her love and natural talent for dance were clear. Those around her have watched with pride as her determination grew, leading to her being selected from hundreds of dancers to perform in live shows and progress to a new dance school.
In 2024, Monica moved to Art of Dance, where her passion has only strengthened. She now studies Royal Academy of Dance, Royal Ballet and Rambert syllabuses, alongside jazz, commercial and musical theatre. This is around ten hours of classes each week, not including rehearsals, competitions and performances. Despite the demanding schedule and her schoolwork, she never misses a lesson.
Through every challenge - including anxiety and debilitating migraines - Monica has remained humble, compassionate and resilient. Her kindness, strong work ethic, commitment to her family and love for dance make her an inspirational young woman.
Highly Commended: Anna Summerill
Anna is a determined, talented young woman building the foundations of her dream acting career with infectious enthusiasm. Her passion for television inspires everything she does, and her recent week at the prestigious Italia Conti Academy in London gave her a thrilling glimpse into professional training. Living independently in the city, she embraced the freedom, responsibility and discipline of life in the arts - coming home more confident, capable and motivated than ever.
Back home, Anna balances her full time A Levels with part time work, proving her drive and maturity. She still finds time each week to support a local dance school, where she encourages younger performers and brings her warm, uplifting energy to every class. Her love for storytelling shines through and watching actors on screen only strengthens her determination to one day join them.
What makes Anna truly remarkable is not just her ambition, but her resilience. As a care experienced young person, she has overcome family separation, emotional challenges and moments of deep uncertainty. Instead of letting hardship define her, she has used it as fuel - growing into a grounded, hopeful and fiercely motivated individual.
Every challenge she tackles brings her closer to her dream. With her talent, courage and compassion, Anna is absolutely one to watch.
This award is sponsored by Culture House
Culture House will sit at the heart of Riverside Sunderland, providing a vibrant, dynamic and engaging space for residents and visitors. It will be your living room, free and open for everyone across Sunderland - whether you are a young family, a growing business, a young person, student or anyone of any age.
Culture House will be more than a landmark building, it will recognise the city's rich history and heritage, while inspiring a passion for learning and knowledge. It will be a place of ambition, making and creativity, stimulating a love of reading for all ages and offering you incredible opportunities to try new technologies, meet authors and artists and find out more about what's going on in Sunderland. It will be a 21st century library, a changing creative space with a warm welcome, great coffee and inspiring spaces both inside and outside for relaxing, meeting and getting involved in a whole range of events and activities.
