THE time is nearly here to show that Hitchin has got talent.

Young people in the town are being invited to take part in a talent contest where the winner will be given the chance to take the stage for 20 minutes at this year’s Rhythms of the World festival.

The contest, organised by The Voice of Hitchin Youth, who are supported by North Herts District Council (NHDC), will take place on Saturday, June 25, from 1pm to 4pm at Hitchin Town Hall.

People entering the competition should be aged from 11 to 18 years old and their talent or act can be anything from mime artistry to acoustic guitarists, dancers to magicians. Performances can be either as a solo artist, or as part of a group. Competition entrants will be asked to perform their special talent or act in front of a panel of judges which will be made up of representatives from Hitchin Initiative and Rhythms of the World.

Cllr Tricia Cowley, NHDC’s portfolio holder for community engagement and rural affairs, said: “The youth talent competition is a fantastic and fun way to bring the Hitchin community together and get young people more involved in the arts. We are pleased to be supporting this worthwhile initiative.“

Cllr Judi Billing, chairman of Hitchin area committee, said: “Performing at Rhythms of the World is a great prize for a talented individual or group looking for a platform to showcase their work.

“Rhythms has an audience of around 30,000 people over the two days, so it will be a huge achievement to perform there. You never know, we may even discover the next George Sampson or Diversity.”

To enter the competition or for more information, email lewis@econnekt.com or josh@econnekt.com Deadline for entries is June 17.

The entrance fee to be part of the audience of the talent competition at the town hall is �1 with 50p concessions for children, students and the over 60s.