Wilamena Dyer wins BBC Young Reporter award for her film 'Tourettes, music and me'

Posted on 24 March 2021 by Pippa McClounan

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More than 2,500 young people aged 11-18 submitted story ideas to the competition, and Wilamena's was chosen as one of only two regional winners!

Wilamena's report investigates how musicians with Tourette Syndrome find their tics disappear when playing and performing. It also challenges the stereotype of TS and raises awareness. In the report, Wilamena interviews several musicians with Tourette’s from around the world, including percussionist and teacher Joe Rumming, drummer Matt Giordano, pianist Yusuke Osado and composer Charlotte MacGregor-Graham and compares their experiences with her own.

Following a tough round of shortlisting and judging, 30 winners from across the UK were chosen to produce their reports with the help of some of the BBC’s programme-makers and producers.

Judges included editors from across the BBC as well as presenters and reporters, including Huw Edwards, Laura Kuenssberg, and Nikki Fox from BBC News, Radio 1’s Greg James and Katie Thistleton, The One Show’s Alex Jones, BBC Newsbeat’s Roisin Hastie and Ben Mundy, Newsround’s Ricky Boleto and BBC Three reporter Ellie Flynn.

The video was aired on BBC Spotlight and BBC Points West as well as the national BBC News channel.

Watch the award winning film here

You can find out more about Wilamena on her own website 'TicTastic', with more insight about growing up with Tourette Syndrome.

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