Awards

Each year, our Theatre School Awards celebrate the incredible talent, dedication, and creativity of our students. These awards honour standout performers and behind-the-scenes stars who have brought energy and excellence to the stage.

STUDENT OF THE YEAR

Every year we honour a student who has shown outstanding all-round talent, enthusiasm and team spirit. As well as the kudos, they win a year’s scholarship to the school. In 2024, we split the award to include Junior Student of the Year (age 5-10) and Senior Student of the Year (age 11-18)

Winners

Gorey
2025 Junior:
Jay Swinburne
2025 Senior: Keelin Kinsella
2024 Junior:
J.J. Molloy
2024 Senior: Louis O’Driscoll
2023
Belle Flavin
2022
Jack McDermott
2020 Naoise Henderson Lacey &
CiarĂĄn Smith
2019 K-Lou Murray
2018 Bronwyn Campbell Carty
2017 Padraig O’Leary
2016 Madison Colemen
2015 Al Lambert
2014 Katie-May Byrne
2013 Jordi Wortmann
2012 Cara O’Connor
2011 Melissa Larkin
2010 Ciara Hughes
2009 Rosie Byrne
2008 Maeve O’Keefe
2007 CaolĂĄn Kelly
2006 Sara Jane Mangan

Arklow/Avoca
2020 Jack McDermott
2019 Áine Byrne
2018 Ioana Bosneaga
2017 Caylin Walsh & Eimear Wolohan
2016 Clodagh O’Sullivan
2015 Seamus Macken
2014 Katie Davis
2013 Liam Prendergast
2012 Karla Tracey
2011 Rose Pollard
2010 Jessica Davis
2009 Mark McGann
2008 Diewerke de Zwarte
2007 Shauna Crooke
2006 Peter McGann

ITS Film-Making School
2019 Qadeer Hussain

Deirdre Short Memorial Award
for Most Promising Student

This perpetual trophy commemorates a talented student from our original Avoca school who passed away in her teens. It is given to a student we feel has the most potential to pursue performance as a course of study or profession.

Winners

2025 Lauren Croke
2024
Shauna Mulhall
2023
x

2022
Genevieve Fleming

2020
K-Lou Murray

2019 Bronwyn Campbell Carty

2018 Jordi Wortmann

2017 Leila Mulhall

2016 Elizabeth Gahan

2015 Lily Henrich Doyle

2014 Seán O’Keeffe

2013 Cara O’Connor

2012 Erika Copeland

2011 Laura Doyle

2010 Karla Tracey

2009 Jonny Holden

2008 Emma Foster

2007 Conal O’Shiel

2006 Tanis Tonge

PACE Award

Performing
Arts
Certificate of
Excellence

This occasional award is given to a student who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to their skills, to performance and to making a positive contribution to the school.

Winners

2025 Sadie Nolan
2024
Caitlin Connor
2023 xx
2022
Nessa Last
2014
Lily Henrich Doyle

2011 Áine Collier

2007 Sarah Morris

EPIC Award

Extraordinary
Performer of
Imagination and
Creativity

Awarded to a student who shows remarkable creativity and imagination in their performances.

Winners

2025 Danielle Mulhall
2024
Dylan Byrne

The Anne Shumate Aurora Award

This perpetual award, introduced in 2022 in honour of ITS founder Anne Shumate, recognises a student who radiates positivity and excellence in performance, much like the aurora.

Winners

2025 RoisĂ­n Healey
2024 Kristian Urdis
2023 Danielle Mulhall

Men in Black Award

It doesn’t all happen in the glare of the spotlights… without dedicated backstage crew (including, but not limited to: set/lighting/costume/props/makeup) the shows wouldn’t run as smoothly. Every now and again, one of our volunteers gets plucked out of the shadows to celebrate their usually unsung efforts.

Winners

2025 Aleksandra Bujak
2023 Belle Staunton
2011 Jessica Davis

2008 Rachel Bothwell

2007 Eoin O’Grady

Innovations
Bursary

Innovations Theatre School has long had the mission of nurturing young performers. We also want to encourage and support those who wish to pursue further training in performance and production.

The Bursary is available to any student who has been with the school for at least two years and left the school no more than five years before the time of application. The award is open to anyone undertaking a full-time professional training course in a performance-related field. As well as the disciplines of dance, acting or singing, this may include (but not be restricted to) design or direction for stage or screen, stage management, radio, film or television production.

We awarded our first Bursary in May 2017 to Lily Henrich Doyle, a student who won every award available in Innovations and who worked as a student teacher with us in her final two years. She studied at Liberties College in Performance – Drama and has made a few guest appearances as a drama or dance teacher since we waved her off on her adventures. You may now recognise Lily Henrich Doyle as Innovations Theatre School’s drama teacher and Creative Director.

Jordi Wortmann became our second beneficiary in September 2019 as he started a course in Acting for Film, TV and Theatre at Bray Institute of Further Education. Jordi was both a Student of the Year and recipient of the Deirdre Shortt Award, as well as taking a number of leading roles in our productions and in the 2018 Disneyland Time to Shine trip.

Contact us
Class Location: Gorey Educate Together Secondary School, Fort Rd, Ballowen Or Ramsfortpark, Gorey, Co. Wexford, Y25 A7V7
Rehearsals/Performance: Gorey Little Theatre, Pearse Street, Gorey, Co. Wexford