YOUNGSTERS from across the North-East took part in a performing arts festival at the weekend.

Children and young people competed in more than 50 classes, ranging from acting classes to poetry recitation, bible reading and public speaking at the Darlington Festival of Performing Arts.

Wendy Acres, secretary of the speech and drama part of the festival, said adjudicators had praised the high standard in all classes, which were held at Heathfield and Eastbourne schools, in Darlington.

Sixth form pupil Tom Secretan, from Tynemouth, received 89 marks, the highest in the festival, for a solo poetry recitation.

He went on to win the Open Championship, with a speech in the final class taken from Christopher Marlowe's play Doctor Faustus.

The junior championship, for children aged from 13 to 16, was won by Rachel Raw, from Eaglescliffe, near Stockton.

The festival concludes this weekend when the music and song section takes place at Haughton School, in Darlington.

Results Solo poetry recitation: Six and under, Elizabeth Chadbourne; six and under (Class A), Olivia Hewison; seven years, Danielle Ripon; seven years (Class A), Lois Langstone; eight years, Jonathon Ainsley; eight years (Class A), Caitlin Hepworth; nine years, Amanda Hodgson; nine years (Class A) Amber Lawrence; ten years, Harriet Endersby; ten years (Class A), Rebecca Pearson; 11 years, Georgina Jarnell-Jones; 11 years (Class A) Isaac Harrison-Louth; 12 years, Kate Pounder; 13 years, Ross Sayers; 15 and 16 years, Samantha Stockton; 16 and under, Rosemary Hughes. Prose speaking: eight and under, Lucy Thompson; eight and under (Class X), Natasha Tompkinson; ten and under, Stephanie Edwards; ten and under (Class AB), Ahmed Saeed Maiter; 13 and under, Sophie Dowson; 17 and under, Emma Reeder. Sight reading: nine and under, Vidya Shyam-Sundar; 12 and under, Kate Pounder; 15 and under, Rosemary Hughes. Bible reading: nine and under, Vidya Shyam-Sundar; 11 and under, Daniel Miller; 16 and under, Rachel Raw. Public speaking: 15 and under, Heather Tosley. Solo acting (Shakespeare): 13 and under, Anusha Jeyarajan; 17 and under, Philip Harker. Solo acting: nine and under, Alice Stacey; nine and under (Class A), Lara Tysseling; 12 and under, Connor Drinkle; 12 and under (Class A), Sophie Bainbridge; 16 and under, Samantha Stockton. Mime: 11 and under, Rebecca McKay; 16 and under, Michael Daynes. Choric speech: 11 and under, Bow School, Durham. Duologue: 13 and under, Cheryl Lunn and Rebecca Baker; 16 and under, Linzi Ford and Philip Harker.

results (OPEN CLASSES) Solo recitation: Tom Secretan; Sight reading: Lawrence Morris; Solo acting (Shakespeare): Andrew Calvert; Solo acting: Andrew Calvert; Sonnet recitation: Tom Secretan; Bible reading: Emma Reeder; Public speaking: Vanessa Oo; Duologue: Tom Secretan and Andrew Calvert. 2003 Festival Junior Speech Championship: Rachel Raw.

2003 Festival Speech Championship (Open): Tom Secretan