PIONEERING Leeds music school LS18 Rocks has been shortlisted in the national Fantastic for Families Awards 2021 for those who have made an outstanding contribution to family-friendly arts and culture during the pandemic year.

The Family Arts Campaign announced the shortlist of arts activities, initiatives and organisations that have delighted families in their Fantastic for Families Awards 2021 and the Horsforth-based project has been shortlisted for its Virtual Hugs campaign.

The awards celebrate the wealth of outstanding creative provision for families across the UK.

Now in its eighth year, this year’s awards will celebrate the extraordinary creativity and resilience that the cultural sector has shown during the global pandemic.

Virtual Hugs saw children and grandparents working together to produce a song, video and fundraising campaign last Christmas that made headlines around the world – and raised over £1,000 for charity.

The project, which topped the West Yorkshire streaming charts, resulted in appearances on BBC Breakfast, Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch and BBC Look North. It also appeared across numerous national and local newspapers while reports of the song spread as far afield as Slovakia, Japan and even an appearance on Channel 9 in Australia.

LS18 Rocks Musical Director Jonnie Khan said: “Virtual Hugs really did capture a moment in time last Christmas. At a time of huge sadness and worry for so many it was absolutely wonderful to witness the positive impact it had, not just on our musicians and their families, but across our whole local community. We have carried this forward and used some of the money raised to support an initiative in Horsforth which is helping isolated older people meet up again and regain their confidence.”

LS18 Rocks Head of Campaigns Paul Jeeves added: “The past 18 months have had a devastating impact across the arts and being forced to close down our rehearsal studios during the lockdowns was absolutely heart-breaking.

“But as history tells us, the darkest of days can also lead to some incredible creativity and that has definitely been the case right across the UK during the pandemic. To be shortlisted for our work against such stiff competition really is a huge honour.”

Anna Dever, Head of Family Arts Campaign said: “After such a challenging year, the Fantastic for Families Awards are a brilliant opportunity to celebrate the creativity, innovation and resilience that the arts and cultural sector has shown during the pandemic.

“The organisations nominated, and all those who applied, are wonderful examples of how creativity and cultural engagement can bring joyful moments of collaboration and connectivity in difficult times.”

Tonya Nelson, Area Director, London, Arts Council England, said: “Culture and creativity have helped uplift, entertain and unite families of all backgrounds and ages over the course of the pandemic. This is largely thanks to our country’s great cultural organisations and individual creatives who, during this challenging time, have embraced new opportunities to innovate and adapt their activities to safely reach audiences. Many with support from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

“We’re so pleased that this year’s Fantastic for Families Awards are able to recognise some of this brilliant work and we’d like to congratulate all organisations recognised on the shortlist.”

All shortlisted organisations will now have their nominations reviewed by a panel of expert judges from the creative sector, with winners being announced in a virtual ceremony on 16 November 2021.