Hull in print

Fourteen-year-old Liam Mower will be one of thousands of Hull school children going back to school this month to begin studying for GCSEs. But he's no ordinary pupil.

He's Hull's latest star of the stage, famous for playing the lead role in Billy Elliot the Musical in London's West End.
For more than a year, he appeared in over 100 shows - many of them sell-outs.
And the physical fitness required for some of his dance routines could have put premiership footballers to shame.
Liam has now received a string of top awards and has made TV appearances on Blue Peter, Children in Need, and the Sound of Musicals. He also met Liz Hurley and Elton John.
But he's not let all that go to his head.
Now the 14-year-old has left the glitzy lights of London's West End behind - for the time being at least - and has returned to his home city to begin studying for his GCSEs at the Northern Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), on Anlaby Road.
But unlike most 14-year-olds Liam will be studying extra subjects on top of his GCSEs - and that includes classes in a range of disciplines from classical ballet to tap dance.
This will help him to take on diverse roles in the future, because he will soon be considered too old to play Billy again - especially when his singing voice deepens.
Julie Lovewell, head of dance at NAPA, says: "We are very proud of what Liam has achieved and it's great to have him back studying with us.
"He has helped to make more local boys interested in dance, it's considered cool now, and we hope more of them will come forward for study just like Liam did."

Musical mirrors real life

Many people have been quick to point out the remarkable parallel between Liam's life and the story of the musical, which tells the tale of a 12-year-old northern lad who fulfils his dream by making it as a dancer.
Liam's story began at Archbishop Thurston School, where his talent for dance and singing was quickly recognised.
"I've always loved Michael Jackson's dance routines and songs, and I would try to learn them myself at home from scratch," says Liam, of Greatfield.
"My teachers saw what I wanted to do, and they were always supportive and told me to go for it."
From the age of eleven, Liam had already been receiving intensive dance training at NAPA to help his talent grow.
And when Julie Lovewell heard that a casting director was travelling from London to Leeds to look for boys to play Billy Elliot, she encouraged Liam to go for the auditions.
The rest, as they say, is history.

A credit to the city

"Nothing has been handed to him on a plate - Liam has earned everything that has come his way," says Lord Mayor of Hull Cllr Trevor Larsen, who invited Liam to tea earlier this year.
"Liam's story is inspirational and he is a credit to our city. His success has been down to his willingness to combine natural ability with hard work and commitment. And the support and encouragement of good people around him have all played a part.
"Now we want more young people to succeed in the arts just like Liam. And in Hull, we have many talented boys and girls who can achieve great things. Hull City Council will do all it can to help them on their way."

Following in the dance steps

Liam's former school Archbishop Thurstan, in east Hull, is continuing to achieve the very best in dance and drama from its pupils - by recently beating other secondary schools from across the north of Britain in winning the 2006 Lifestyle Rock Challenge event.
Meanwhile, Hull City Council has pledged to help more young people find success in the arts.
And that's just one of the promises made in the Children and Young People's Plan 2006-2008, a document which sets out a strategy for improving the lives of Hull's 57,000 children and young people. The plan's pledges for young people include:

Enabling them to take part in activities, such as drama, music and sport, near their home
Giving all children the chance to do their best in the arts and succeed

And these promises are already being acted upon. For example an extra 2,750 city children now receive weekly tuition in a musical instrument.

See Liam next month

And you can see Liam on stage next month at Hull New Theatre.
He has a role in Thoroughly Modern Millie, a romantic musical comedy set in the roaring 1920s.
See the Out and About section in the back pages of next month's magazine for more information on the show.


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