Now that a whole week has flown by since the campus came to life through art, it is time to sit back, review and take stock of the fabulous three days that were the MIS ArtsFest 2024! In this article, we have tried to capture just a snapshot of the amazing variety of activities that took place and to share the experiences that MIS students enjoyed throughout the festival.
The foundations were laid for the ArtsFest way back in June 2023 when Ms. Kerry Lightfoot, Arts Coordinator, first met with the MIS Foundation to share her initial ideas for the festival. She also began to approach artists in our local community and prepare applications for the Foundation’s generous financial support, which enabled many of the projects to take place.
We always wanted the ArtsFest to be built on the fundamental pillars of belonging and community. This led to the establishment of the two main whole school projects: the Flashmob and the Path of Belonging.
Over the last few months, our PHE teachers have engaged every student in learning the dance, which was itself choreographed by the SLP Hip Hop students in both Junior School and Middle & Senior school activity sessions. It was fabulous to unite the whole school community on the school field last Thursday where we all performed the dance together.
Likewise, during the ArtsFest days themselves, every student had the chance to design their own Belonging Stone and then visited the Art room to paint their design into reality onto the stone they chose. The outcome is the Path of Belonging – currently in front of the FAB, but soon to be permanently installed at the entrance to the NeXus - where every student can find the stone they painted as well as admire those painted by fellow MIS members.
This element of student choice was also important from the project’s conception right through to its reality. The aim to build in student choice led us to plan the Middle & Senior School Workshop Programme, for which 18 external artists and several of our own MIS teachers and parents created and delivered engaging learning experiences. During the three days, students could breakdance, Zumba dance, Irish dance, knit with their fingers, paint on glass, paint on windows, paint with gold, paint miniature Sci-Fi models, paint their faces and paint on canvas, drum together, learn to podcast, learn to write song lyrics, learn to tie-dye, learn to make jewelry, learn to perform stunts like you see in a movie, create with clay, sing karaoke, dance in a silent disco or even ‘just dance’....Mr Thomas commented that ‘there really was something for everyone’!
There was something for MIS parents, too: as well as those of you who ran workshops, a group of parents inspired by the ArtsFest came together and created the Crochet Tree. This group crocheted together or individually, constantly or in bursts, with experience or as newbies to the hobby, and between them created the beautiful decoration for the tree you can see in front of the Senior School. Whilst engaging in a spot of tree-hugging at the end of ArtsFest day 1, Kerry Lightfoot said, ‘The tree is inspiring many people. It is beautiful. I looked up and saw all the flowers too. The more you look, the more you see. What a stunning piece of work. Well done to all the crocheters, the volunteers, and most importantly to the leader of this wonderful project.’
As well as learning the Flashmob dance and creating their own stones for the Path of Belonging, the Junior School tried taster sessions in drumming, breakdancing, and Irish dancing. Several Junior School classes came to visit the LADC Art Gallery, where they could view their own work on display as well as see some of the artwork produced by the older students in their curricular art lessons throughout the school year. Grades 1-4 also enjoyed their own concert in the FAB where the SLP activity groups performed for them – future Hip Hoppers, ballet dancers, and musicians were inspired, as well as reportedly having enjoyed sitting on the Bleachers, a privilege usually only afforded to the oldest students! Grades 5-11 then had their own concert where we heard from the Symphonic Orchestra, student piano and saxophone soloists, and the MIS Band, with a new highlight being the performance of some spoken-word poems written by the students in their SLP Creative Writing activity. Additionally, several music recitals took place throughout the week for all school sections to showcase the learning of students who have taken private instrumental lessons throughout the year.
After the whole-school finale out on the field drew to a triumphant finish, there were still two more important ArtsFest projects to conclude. Firstly, the final performance of this year’s SLP Middle School show took place last Thursday evening, where Mr Blampied’s MS Choir delighted an audience with a cabaret performance of beautiful, uplifting song. And, yet to be unveiled but now almost complete, is of course the lasting legacy of the ArtsFest – the mural in the NeXus, designed by our students in collaboration with Phillip Adams, our visiting artist, and created by students under Phillip’s expert tuition and guidance. At time of writing, Phillip is still in the NeXus adding the finishing touches! The mural is representative of our unique location so close to the mountains, and contains a few identifiable Bavarian touches to highlight the culture that brings us together. We can’t wait to open the NeXus doors and show it to the world.
It just remains for us to congratulate Kerry Lightfoot for leading this special MIS event, and to thank all artists, parents, colleagues and friends who helped Kerry to create the ArtsFest and to make it happen for our students. Special thanks go to the MIS Foundation for their generous financial support of many elements of the ArtsFest. And, of course, thanks go to our wonderful students for expressing their creative selves and finding their sense of belonging and community through the arts at MIS.
#ArtsFest2026 is coming!
Sarah Ford, Director of Student Life