Drama dinner and awards night recognises members' creativity and artistic flair

On Friday 29th May 2026, the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) hosted their annual Drama Dinner alongside the final of their One Act competition in Ballymena Academy.

The evening recognised and celebrated the imagination, commitment and comic genius of YFCU clubs that competed in the One Act and Three Act Drama festivals, kindly supported by NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. Lauren Finlay attended the event on behalf of NFU Mutual and commented: “NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is delighted to continue its’ support of Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster One Act and Three Act Drama Festival. From the farmyard to the stage this event continues to showcase the incredible talent, energy and spirit of the rural youth within Northern Ireland. To all involved from initial concept to getting the productions to the stage you should all be immensely proud. It was a fantastic array of talent throughout the heats and finals. I want to congratulate to all who took part and those that were awarded prizes on the night  and for those that didn’t there is always next year so break a leg!.”

The YFCU drama competitions require clubs to produce and perform either one or three acts of a play, which are then independently adjudicated across four key areas: acting, production, stage presentation, endeavour, originality & attainment. Nine clubs entered across the two competitions this year, offering evenings of entertainment and laughter, captivating and engaging audiences throughout. They were: Newtownstewart YFC, Cappagh YFC, Kilrea YFC, Moneymore YFC, Coleraine YFC, Moycraig YFC, Lisnamurrican YFC, Seskinore YFC and Trillick & District YFC.

YFCU would like to thank expert adjudicator Sheelagh Greer for attending the competitions and providing clubs with valuable feedback. The support from the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust and the presence of Lauren Finlay at the event furthered the collaborative spirit and partnership within the agricultural and rural community. This partnership highlights the importance of nurturing talent and providing opportunities for young farmers to showcase their skills beyond the farm, demonstrating that creativity and artistry are valued elements within the YFCU.

The One Act Competition once again highlighted the outstanding acting and production talent within YFCU clubs. Certificates of Merit for Acting were awarded to Luke McCormick (Moycraig YFC), Rachel Crawford (Lisnamurrican YFC), Cara Millar (Coleraine YFC) and Ellen Bates (Moneymore YFC) in recognition of their impressive performances. Lisnamurrican YFC received a Certificate of Merit for Production, while Seskinore YFC was named Best Producer. Individual honours went to Jack Hunter (Moneymore YFC) who was awarded Most Promising Actor, and Katie Hammond (Moneymore YFC), who received the Most Promising Actress title. Kilrea YFC was recognised for its stage design, taking home the award for Best Set. In the overall competition results, Lisnamurrican YFC secured third place, with Seskinore YFC finishing in second place. Moneymore YFC was awarded Outstanding Performance of the Night for their exceptional production and performance.

The Three Act competition showcased an exceptional standard of talent, creativity and production. Moycraig YFC were the only club participating in the Three Act competition this year, and so prizes were distributed amongst members. Lois McCurdy was named Most Promising Actress, while Matthew McLean received the award for Most Promising Actor. Certificates of Merit for Acting were awarded to Megan Creith, James Orr, Chloe Jamison and Will Christie in recognition of their outstanding performances. The award for Best Moment of Theatre went to Andy and Ingrid for their memorable performance of “The Twist”, which delighted audiences and judges alike.