Culture Week
Each year, we shine a light on the different heritages within and beyond our community with a series of student-organised events.
Deputy Head Girl for Diversity & Inclusion, Axelle, describes the aims of this year’s Culture Week: “We wanted to focus on different aspects of creativity within cultures to educate and inspire our school community. From photography to cooking and dance, we showcased the numerous ways that different cultures utilise creative forms as a mode of expression and celebration.”
Amber in the Upper Sixth chose to explore the diversity of British culture through photography: “Curating an analogue and digital photography exhibition, I selected photographs from the 1940s to the 2010s that presented the journey of British culture. From Bill Brandt’s image of one of the first Sikh immigrant families, sheltering in a Spitalfields crypt (1940), to Charlie Phillips’ celebration of Caribbean culture during the Notting Hill Carnival (1968), British culture has been enrichingly diverse. The exhibition, which was up all week in the atrium, provided a stark reminder of the pivotal role that immigration and ethnic diasporas played, and continue to play, upon British culture.”
Ayaana and Valentina in the Lower Sixth orchestrated a lunchtime salsa dancing session: “We thought it would be a fun way to help celebrate different cultures… lots of students and staff embraced the opportunity, even Mrs Paul got involved! It was great to see everyone come together as part of our Culture Week celebrations.”
The canteen served a range of special themed lunches throughout the week, from Sri Lankan curries and Vietnamese pho, to Ecuadorian bean stew and Portuguese pataniscas. Riya in the Upper Sixth also helped to organise a popular food fair, with students and staff encouraged to bring in traditional dishes representing their culture. “The event featured an array of delicious dishes, each representing different cultures. Everyone enjoyed the food while learning about the rich traditions behind each dish – a wonderful celebration of diversity and collaboration.”