Sutton residents who have contributed to the cultural life of the borough have been honoured at a special awards ceremony in Carshalton.

The Mayor of Sutton, Muhammad Sadiq, awarded the deserving winners with prizes and gift certificates at the Sutton Cultural Awards 2016 at Honeywood Museum on Wednesday 20 April.

Cllr Jill Whitehead, Chair of the Environments & Neighbourhoods Committee at Sutton Council, said:

“There’s no better place to celebrate the achievements of some of our most talented residents than here at the wonderful Honeywood Museum. Everyone honoured tonight has put in so much effort to make the borough a thriving, dynamic place where artists and creatives can truly express themselves. I heartily congratulate them all – keep up the good work.”

Eight awards were presented at the event. These were:

Andy and Thea Brook, from The Brook
Andy and Thea run The Brook, an independent arts bar, venue and recording studio in Wallington.

Robin Vaughan-Williams and Rachel Sambrooks
For their work during Imagine Festival of the Arts 2015, and ongoing community projects. Rachel runs the popular Words Aloud spoken-word events at Sutton Central Library alongside a number of other exciting projects.

Play of Light Theatre Company
With special thanks to Karin Jashapara for her contribution to the arts in Sutton. Play of Light specialises in innovative shadow puppetry and live music.

Equally Diverse Group
The Equally Diverse Group have shown tremendous skill and given us fantastic performances over the past year, including the excellent Hedgehog Protest during Imagine Festival of the Arts 2015.

Christine Lindsay
Honoured for her continued commitment to the London New Year’s Day Parade float and ongoing contribution to the arts across the borough. Sutton’s entry came a very respectable sixth in 2016’s New Year Day Parade.

Andrew Candy
Owner of the [mine] Gallery in Carshalton, who has helped to redefine the identity of the village and put art on the map in Sutton.

Adrienne Roberts
Recognised for her work during the Imagine Festival of the Arts 2015 and her outstanding ability to provide opportunities to a variety of people, from all backgrounds and of any level.

Jane Howard
For her dedication in going above and beyond to put heritage at the heart of the local community. Jane is the curator of Honeywood Museum.

The Sutton Cultural Awards have been awarded annually by Sutton Council since 2012, when the Cultural Medal programme was established as part of the Olympic and Paralympic legacy. Each winner is recognised for their hard work and commitment to opening up culture for all Sutton residents.

Rachel Sambrooks, organiser of the Words Aloud open mic events, said:

“I’m so pleased to have the wonderful event Tea and Cake with John Hegley that Robin and I worked on recognised. From that event during 2015’s Imagine Festival I’ve formed the ‘Words Aloud collective’ of poets who are performing with me at Sutton Libraries in Eve and All Our Grandmothers, as well as running the Words Aloud open mic events at Sutton Central Library. This kind of recognition makes Sutton a very attractive place to be, with a strong, vibrant, creative hub enriching the community.”