Students from two Mansfield academies showed off their artistic and performing talents at the inaugural Arts Beat event at Queen Elizabeth’s Academy, Mansfield.

More than 200 guests over two showings saw the celebration of students’ work in creative subjects such as music, drama, art, dance and photography.

Students involved in the performances were from Queen Elizabeth’s Academy and Wainwright Primary Academy in Mansfield, together with their peers from The Holgate Academy, Hucknall.

The academies are members of the Diverse Academies Learning Partnership.

Visitors saw an exhibition of artwork and imaginative photography pieces before an hour of song, dance and drama, including a performance by the Samba Band.

Other students showcased their talents with a variety of musical numbers from films such as Aladdin, to more contemporary pieces by Ed Sheeran, and vocal arrangements by choirs from both Queen Elizabeth’s and Wainwright academies.

Claire Backhouse, lead practitioner for curriculum enrichment, said: “Within Diverse Academies, we wanted to do something really positive to highlight the brilliant work that our students do in the creative arts, both within their normal academy day and during enrichment sessions.

“The result was Arts Beat – a festival of sound, music, movement and colour. I am proud the students embraced the event and performed to the best of their abilities, and the reaction from audiences was very pleasing.”

Arts Beat was also a key event in the push for all academies within Diverse Academies to be accredited to Artsmark.

The academies currently within the partnership have started their two-year journey towards the accreditation, which recognises education settings that achieve a high level of arts provision, and enables academies and schools to access a wide range of support for the benefit of all students.