BGS at its Best!
Saturday 2nd July saw our first ever Culture Festival!! Our amazing community came together to brilliantly execute a student led initiative. The day consisted of a multitude of activities, including food demonstrations of West Bengal, Nigerian, Thai, Pakistani Punjabi and Japanese cultures; dance performances showcasing an array of styles from Indian Bharatanatyam to Ballet; a Cultural Parade representing 22 cultures and multiple stalls displaying different games and customs as well as beautiful homemade gift and jewellery items.
To see a more in-depth outline of the day view the itinerary here.
BGS 2017 Alumnae and Marketing Intern, Miss English, who project managed the celebratory event reflected: “The day turned out to be a massive success! I have worked for months on the Culture Festival with the help and expertise of a variety of students, staff, and parents to ensure the whole community was included and the authenticity of everyone's voices were maintained. This truly was a collaborative effort and I am extremely proud of all those involved. Not only has the feedback from our community been really positive, but we managed to raise over £600 for our school charity, United World Schools, including a group of Year 10 students who raised over £100 from their Henna stall.’
A selection of parents, staff and students who attended the Culture Festival have given their reflections on the day:
Jenna (Year 5): “It was one of the best things I have ever attended. I loved seeing other traditional clothes, singing, dances … and trying other foods. I had a great time.”
Naryani (Year 8): “I really enjoyed the Culture Festival. There was a variety of performances, food, stalls and activities which were all really fun. I loved dancing alongside my best friend. We both had an amazing time!”
BGS parent Mrs Mehmood. “It was an absolute pleasure to represent my Pakistani Punjabi culture. I cannot thank BGS enough for providing support and help for my food demonstration. I thoroughly enjoyed answering all the questions people asked about my culture and the food I prepared. Meeting people on other stalls and finding out about their culture was an experience which I will always remember (and I made some new friends too). I am already looking forward to the next BGS event.”
Polly (Year 10): “It was an amazing experience, seeing all the different cultures within BGS in an involved and exciting way, where everyone can collaborate with each other - I really enjoyed it.”
Aleena (Year 8): “My dance partner and I were so eager to teach and inspire others in the hopes of our peers learning more about our heritage. It has been lovely to share my passion and interest in South Asian dance.”
BGS parent Mrs Okuzu: “I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and was extremely happy with the way my Nigerian cuisines were received... We ran out of food very quickly! The feedback about my food was great, and so was the organisational effort by the school. The setup allowed me to talk to people about my food whilst preparing it. My family came all the way from London to attend the event… we are already looking forward to the next Culture Festival!”
BGS parent Mrs Krobpetch, whose beautiful carved fruit stunned everyone, said: “Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to show an insight of our culture. Thai carvings mainly represent the religion of Buddhism, and are used as embellishments of dishes. Many wonderful comments were made about our carvings which made us feel proud to be able to share a part of our culture with everyone.”
Sanvi (Year 9): “I really enjoyed walking up on the stage and being proud of my cultural background. I also found out new things about a lot of my friends and the different cultures.”
Miss Higginson (Head of Year 9): The day was such a phenomenal success, just extremely fun, relaxed, and the positive buzz/atmosphere was amazing! It was nice to see people bring their families and friends and it brought the community together more than any other BGS event I have ever attended! I hope the Culture Festival can continue in the future.”
Penny (Year 8): “I really enjoyed it with all of the music, dancing and food demos from different cultures, even more people were there than I expected.”
Jessie & Anna (Year 7): “We loved watching the culture walk and selling our handmade crafts. We thought it was a great opportunity to represent our small business to the school. We took lots of photos and sold most of our stock! We really enjoyed the Culture Festival and would love to do it again next year.”
View photos from the Cultural Festival here.
