Isle of Man Students Prize 2024

Adrienne Burnett is the former Head of Ballakermeen High School. She has a strong background in the arts, having trained in drama and education. She taught drama in a range of schools, as well as regularly contributing to trainee teacher undergraduate courses.

A former member of the North West Arts Council and the Education Panel of the Duke’s Theatre, Lancaster, Adrienne’s responsibilities in England included developing community arts and children’s theatre in education programmes. She continued to promote theatre for young people when she moved to the Isle of Man, helping to create and promote the Studio Theatre at Ballakermeen as a community venue, including introducing live streaming of arts events to the island. She also served for two terms on the Isle of Man Arts Council.

Anna Clucas, is a freelance artist with a BA (Hons) degree in ceramics and printmaking from the University of Wolverhampton. Anna is mostly known for her large contemporary oil paintings that use vivid colours and energetic brush strokes to integrate landscape and abstraction. Using her Synesthesia, Anna completed four large oil paintings inspired by her favourite four Manx bands, which were displayed on the new boat, the Manxman. Anna also works in clay and is trying to find time in her busy schedule to get a new collection together for the Manx Potters Fair this November. Her work can be viewed athttp://www.annaclucasfineart.com/.

Carola Rush has enjoyed a lifelong career involved with the visual arts, working within the fields of: professional photography; art and media education (in both the formal education sector and less formal gallery arenas); exhibition curation, organisation and design; support and promotion of artists, and art venue management. She has had a passion for visual art from an early age and loves to see a similar passion emerging in young people today. Carola has been involved with the Sovereign Art Prize since its first year on the Isle of Man and feels privileged to have seen some of the best artworks produced by young people during that time. Although now semi-retired, Carola remains voluntarily active within the arts on the Isle of Man through the Creative Network, a collective of nearly 70 artists living and working on the Island. Through the Network, Carola jointly organises the IOM Art Festival and other arts initiatives, most recently she has been involved in the organisation of the developing Silverburn Art Trail, a public amenity running from Castletown to Silverdale Glen.

Chris Brooks is a Senior Manx Advocate who has built up over twenty years of experience and established his own legal consultancy that can provide additional support to local firms. He specialises in dispute resolution, particularly international and local commercial disputes, but also readily advises on employment law and any contentious situation out of the ordinary. Chris is Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution at one of the most prestigious law firms on the Isle of Man, Simcocks Advocates.  Simcocks was established over 70 years ago and is recognised by the Legal 500 as being one of the leading firms on the Island, providing skilled advice across most areas of law.  Find out more about Chris and Simcocks at www.simcocks.com. 

Jade Boylan is a Manx artist and designer. She currently works full time as the Arts Engagement Officer for the Isle of Man Arts Council as well as running her online brand the Candy Doll Club where she sells products featuring her designs to customers all over the world. While much of her contemporary work is predominantly digital, her preferred mediums are acrylic and spray paint, painting large scale pieces and murals reminiscent of Pop Art or Superflat art. Her work often embodies themes of nostalgia and feminism, incorporating characters from 80s and 90s pop culture along with a strong ‘girl power’ and ‘girl gang’ aesthetic evident in most of her pieces. Find out more about Jade at https://www.candydollclub.com/ and the Arts Council at https://www.iomarts.com/