FRESH from entertaining crowds at Oxford’s biggest fireworks display, talented children from Oxfordshire are gearing up to sparkle at their Christmas concert.

Twenty-four acts from Talent Oxford, the county’s biggest talent contest, will take the stage at the North Wall Arts Centre, in Summertown, for a special show.

On Saturday, 25,000 people at the South Park firework display enjoyed the acts when they performed in a warm-up event ahead of the concert.

Strong contenders who did not make the finals are also being given the opportunity to take the stage on Saturday, December 4.

The talent competition was founded last year by performing arts enthusiast Lydiah Igweh, to give five to 18-year-olds a chance to shine and improve their stage skills.

The 2010 winners were picked last month and include singers, dancers, impressionists and martial arts experts.

Miss Igweh said: “The concert in December will be a display of young talent across Oxfordshire.

“It will be a combination of singing, a little bit of acting and lots of dancing. There are a lot who do impressions and some do martial arts too.”

Miss Igweh said all the contestants had grown in confidence.

She added: “Before, they would walk on stage and stand there and perform, but now they can interact with the audience and introduce themselves.”

“Saturday was a chance for them to perform live in front of a large crowd. It was a warm-up to the Christmas concert.

The acts will also perform at the Clarendon Shopping Centre in the city centre on Thursday, December 2.

Among the performers will be the Talent Oxford 2010 best group award winners Taurus, from Oxford School of Martial Arts. The 16-strong troupe were also winners of BBC’s Jump Nation programme.

And Olivia Frazer-Smith, 15, a pupil at D’Overbroecks College, will bring some soul to the event by singing James Brown’s I Feel Good.

Tickets for Talent Oxford’s Christmas Concert are £17.50 and include a drink and mince pies. They are available by calling 01865 263184.

Registration for the Talent Oxford 2011 auditions has begun. See talentoxford.co.uk