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Whittington's got GREAT talent!
March 2010 saw the return of the annual Whittington's Got Talent competition, organised by one of the action committees set up as part of the Youth Foundations Victoria program.
The lead-up to the big night
The action committee, better known as TRICKY ("Together with Respect we can Improve Community Knowledge of Youth") were the brains, decision-makers, organisers and facilitators of the event.
Things kicked off with a sensational day of auditions on Sunday 28 February. Five performances were selected to compete for the title in the final. To pick only five was a tough gig for the judges, as every one of the 14 auditioning acts were of such a fantastic caliber.
The final was held on Friday 19 March at Whittington's Flamefest, a community festival celebrating Whittington. The final showcased some great local talent, including singing, keyboard, calisthenics/acrobatics and a rock band, as well as a performance by Shani Clarke, last year's winner.
Hosts Jhube Veradio and Elyce Vaihu, both 15 and members of TRICKY, were engaging and enthusiastic, doing a great job running the show. Other TRICKY members helped it all come together, playing roles such as judge, photographer, videographer and roadie.
Meet the finalists
The show kicked off with the raw energy and power of rock band Earthquake Season, with the additional surprise of an improvised but nonetheless awesome drumming solo to entertain the audience during some technical hitches.
Sisters Lisa and Nicole Mitrov, 12 and 14, sang their hearts out, impressing the judges and audience.
The crowd was shown something different by Tiffany Kriss, 15, who did a very flexible calisthenics/acrobatics performance to the opening song from The Lion King. Tiffany placed third in the final.
Runner up was taken out by Rachael Brennan and Claire Whitaker, both 16, who did a great rendition of Lady GaGa's "Bad Romance", providing their own keyboard backing music.
The winner of the final, Tammy Lincoln, 18, braved the large audience by performing a capella when her backing track wouldn't play. This didn't detract from her unique and beautiful voice.
All performances really were fantastic and appreciated by the audience. Guest judge Matt Bern, from K-Rock's Brekky Show, together with the TRICKY members, awarded each participant with a prize.
Thanks to some fantastic sponsorship by Whittington Community Renewal, Geelong Community Telco and the Bendigo Bank, the prize pool was really impressive. This year's Whittington's Got Talent was also made possible by The City of Greater Geelong via a grant awarded through the Arts and Culture Department.
Congratulations to everyone who took part, both behind the scenes and on stage!
About Youth Foundations Victoria
Youth Foundations Victoria is a joint initiative between the State Government of Victoria and the Bendigo Bank, with Geelong Community Telco being the local supporters of the TRICKY 3219 Young People's Action Committee.
If you would like to become part of the group of young people who organize Whittington's Got Talent and award grants for youth-led projects in the 3219 community, please contact Leanne Micallef on 0430 211 423 or leanne.micallef@mentorhr.com.au for more information.
For further information about YFV, check out our Youth Foundations Victoria page.
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