GET ready to make a song and dance about Dunfermline Children’s Gala this year – it’s all about musicals.

Schoolkids have got into the spirit by designing artwork for the gala’s brochure competition, with more than 1500 entries from 19 schools submitted.

Gala chairwoman Ruth Young, provost Jim Leishman and Iain Robertson, of gala sponsors FMC Technologies, presented the winners and runners-up with their prizes last week.

Matthew Johnston, nine, from Commercial Primary, was presented with a voucher for the gala and a framed picture of his winning artwork, which features Mary Poppins and the Lion King over the bandstand in Dunfermline Public Park.

Runners-up Aayan Sharif, eight, from Pitreavie Primary; Harry Mitchell, six, from Masterton Primary; Hana Kerbalai, eight, from Bellyeoman Primary; Tara Copeland, nine, from Carnegie Primary; and Ethan Gordon, five, from Canmore Primary, also received framed pictures of their work.

Ruth said: “The particular attention to detail was incredible and the judges said it was really difficult to pick a winner.

“We were thrilled with the winners and the brochures are getting printed now and we’re hoping they’ll be available at the end of May. We’ll be handing them out in the Kingsgate and around the schools ahead of the gala.”

Ruth said preparations for the gala on June 25 were going “smoothly and ahead of schedule”.

It costs £35,000-£40,000 to put on the gala each year, with FMC continuing its sponsorship by awarding £8,500 and Fife Council £7,500. Funds also came in through the gala concert last year and a bucket collection by comedian Adam Hills at his recent Alhambra show raised £1,500.

Ruth continued: “We’re not as pressured at this point as we were last year.

“We’re getting quite a lot of match-funding from various banks through our committee members who are also staff there and we’ve had a lot of support from local businesses.

“We’ve about broken even at the moment but we do need a balance in the bank to carry forward to keep it going, so we’re working towards getting that done.

“We would like to try and attract more sponsors and businesses to make sure things are secure for the next few years rather than year on year.”