The spring solstice brings the blossoming of flowers, weaving together to create a blanket across the ground as they bloom together. This upcoming season is full of vitality and creativity, heard in the shared laughter of students dancing together while creating colourful artworks inspired by the blooming flowers. Today, gathered outside on the green sports field, students and teachers welcomed the Opening Ceremony of SUIS Qingpu Primary School’s 3rd Annual Art Festival. With the theme of “All things come alive, and childlike hearts are set ablaze” on full display, this grand event ignited our inspiration for creativity and innovation for the upcoming activities!
The Opening Ceremony
As we all walked to the sports field, bathed in the early morning sun, a light, fragrant breeze of summer danced over our faces, and we began to hear the chords and sounds of folk songs.
With the welcoming speeches of Co-Principals Sunny and Adam, the Art Festival officially began. Their heartfelt appreciation was expressed for the dedication and the hard work and preparations undertaken by all the teachers, students, and parents, enabling the 3rd Annual Art Festival to commence. They eagerly wished for all the students to embrace this month-long journey with self-confidence and curiosity for innovation, and to learn and improve their talents through exploring and embracing all new experiences that may come their way. They concluded with one final wish, that all will devote themselves to the vibrancy of art, feel the harmony of each song, experience the passion in every movement and find the beauty in discovering new memories. With these expectations in mind, the students could not contain their excitement any longer, as the creative fire within them was set ablaze.
The students were greatly surprised by the unexpected and wonderful performances of all their bilingual teachers. The life-giving air around us was magically showcased through the use of colorful air cannons and bubbles by the STEAM teachers. The peaceful and nourishing nature of water was then brought to life through the organic movements of the Music teachers, after which blooming flowers and plants were brought to full bloom through the carefully crafted garments showcased by the Sports team. Lastly, the high-spirited energy of the Art team was felt through their rabbit dance, a dance filled with much exuberance.
The dance paved the way for a final message from the Assistant Principal and Head of the Primary, Ms. Helen. To finalize the opening of the Art Festival, Ms. Helen thoroughly encouraged all students to shine brightly and light up the stage with their newly-found creativity, and to hone their talents to the best they possibly can by the end of this festival. Confetti fireworks were let off by Ms. Helen and fellow teachers, concluding the opening ceremony and signifying the start of the 3rd Annual Art Festival.
Students were given the chance to appreciate the wide variety of skills showcased by their teachers and fellow students from the STEAM team, the Costume and Fashion Show team, as well as the Dance team. The Music team put on a performance of flowing water and the re-birth of plants, perfectly capturing the movements of nature, and the Physical Education team strutted down the stage, one after another, each demonstrating their talent for fashion. These were just two of the many spectacular demonstrations from the teachers which ignited the flame of the Art Festival.
Every piece worn by the Costume and Fashion Show team was innovative and ingenious! The amateur designers spent two months carefully designing, meticulously cutting, and stitching together the pieces of fabric to complete their costumes. Their dedication and hard work reflected their strength as a team, bringing alive the spirit and unity of the fashion industry. Without any further introduction to these talented students, let’s take a look at their costume designs!
Art exhibition
Grade 1 students traveled through time: from the “Sanxingdui” relics of the past to a “Future City and vehicles.” Through this learning process, they acquired new skills and methods of creation, such as carefully adding colour markers to their artwork using a combination of light and dark colors. The young artists also advanced their cutting and collage techniques through the creation of a series of works such as bronze masks, future buildings, high-technology cars and traffic signs, showcasing their creativity and vivid imaginations.
Grade 2 students demonstrated a willingness to experiment and be innovative through their various artworks. This was observed through their thoughtful use of oil pastels when depicting ‘weather’ scenes in nature, the use of weaving to create three-dimensional hot air balloons, and paper collage pieces involving the association of circles, bringing alive rumbunctious clouds. Others exhibited the production process of traditional tie-dye craftsmanship and screen-printing, inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s use of lines.
Grade 3 students took a different approach to their creative process by exploring new themes from “retro punk art” to the “insect world.” The doorway installation work on the 1st floor, entitled, “Green Fairy”, showcased creations using the leftover pieces of paper from previous screen-prints, metamorphosing them into three-dimensional insects. The pair of small transparent wings appeared lifelike in the sun, as if they were about to fly off, starting their long journey.
The Grade 4 students explored elements of the whimsical world versus the real world. Through the study of texture, they experimented with a variety of recyclable materials such as paper, sponge, and plastic, testing to see what outcomes they could create. The end result of these comprehensive paintings closely showcased and brought to life the theme of marine-life conservation.
Upcoming events
The students’ works of art were unique and wonderful! Now, let us look forward to other related events this month: costume design, a school drawing competition, traditional Chinese shadow puppetry, a Grade 5 graduation exhibition, and many more exciting events!
During our month-long Art Festival, children will be encouraged to explore the mysteries of nature, discover the beauty of life, and show the power of childlike imagination and creativity through artistic expression. May our campus always float with the happy singing of our students, exude the fragrance of art everywhere, and always be full of vitality! Stay tuned for a different kind of Children’s Day celebration!