Millfield School – Diverse Creativity at Arts Week

16 Aug 2017

Arts Week brought the school year to an energetic close with a mixture of music, dance and drama from pupils throughout the school.

Our Poetry Festival welcomed back guest presenter Zata Banks, founder of PoetryFilm, who introduced the concept of film poems earlier this year. Pupils in Years 9, 10 and Lower Sixth made their own individual and group films for the festival using IPads to film, edit and present their work. Submissions included delightful stop-motion animations, time-lapse mood pieces, striking text-on-screen films and filmed performances of original poetry. Zata Banks selected winners from each year group. Well done to Jack Vickers (Year 9), Alistair Atkinson, Charlie Powell and Sam Wardell (Year 10) and Laura Woodward, Charlie Mullins, Rosie Smith, Glynn Jenkins, Oliver Lawrence and Freddie Mehigan (Lower Sixth). In addition, the Millfield Muse Maverick Award went to Elodie Jolliffe, Saphia Soualah, Alice Nanton and Tierney Ruhan.

Music for a Summer’s Evening rounded off the music concerts with a light-hearted repertoire from ensembles and chamber groups alike, including ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, ‘Steal Away’ and ‘Moon River’.

The Let’s Dance Showcase was themed around dance fusion this year, bringing together cultural dance styles with modern styles. The dancers were joined by professional dance company ‘Chhaya Collective’ who have been working with a group dance pupils this term, with the evening ending with an performing an extract of their own work. Pupils demonstrated their ballet skills through a selection of dances from the Nutcracker (2nd Act) as well as a fusion of Spanish, Indian, jazz and street styles. Pupils from Year 5 at Millfield Prep also joined the performance with an upbeat dance fusing African and street styles.

This year’s Junior House Plays were rehearsed and performed in only one day. Year 9 pupils joined their new houses for the day and performed alongside Year 10 drama pupils. Lower Sixth drama pupils directed the seven group performances with each exploring different scenes from Roald Dahl, including lively, inventive interpretations of ‘Matilda’, ‘The Witches’ and ‘Charlie & the Chocolate Factory’. OM Alec Poore joined as a guest judge and awarded prizes for Best Acting, Best Direction and Best Play.

Congratulations to Year 9 pupils Kitty Chapple, Pia Lewis, Henry O’Sullivan and Jami Schluetter, who received acting awards.

Awards for Best Lower Sixth Directors went to pupils Verity Harrison-Allan, Beth Lewis and Lucas Wilson. Best Lower Sixth Writer’s awards went to Asha Colmar and Wen Tso-Kuang, and the award for Best Lower Sixth Theatre Maker went to Lena Gildam-Clark.

The Junior House Play cup for Best Play went to ‘Charlie & the Chocolate Factory’ (St Anne’s, Joan’s Kitchen and Kernick, directed by Lower Sixth pupils Georgia Webb and Tommy Norman).

See photos here.