The Grade 10 Drama performances Grade 12 Art Exhibition are important milestones and experiences in the High School calendar. The former took place on Tuesday and the latter opened on Wednesday. We’re delighted to honour and celebrate our students’ effort, passion and achievement. Paul Gauguin once said All Art is either plagiarism or revolution – I sincerely hope he was wrong! But many of the concepts are based around social commentary with the aim of making a difference. The drama pieces focused on the theme of Contrast; and I was struck by imaginative observations and interpretations about the gap between our private and public lives. The Art work, full of bold ideas, with confident use of media and a personalised approach, dealt with issues such as the role of women in different cultures; the politics of beauty; war; the cultural importance of beards; how technology is changing us, and loss of innocence. So at one level, both these events involved students grappling with their own identities and places in the world – as we all do, especially in High School.
And so if not revolution, there is certainly a great deal of critical reflection in both these areas – a necessary first step if we are to leave the world a better place than we find it. The Arts are about a good deal more than just Art appreciation – though there is plenty of room for that – it’s also about using the Arts art as a mirror, to see the things that we cannot see without help – our own values, the values of our time, perhaps some of the things we take for granted, and perhaps our own prejudices.
It is for this reason that the Art and Drama provide an important chance for us to look, ponder, and learn. Our UWCSEA Educational Goal is to educate individuals to embrace challenge and to take responsibility for shaping a better world; the Arts show one of the many ways in which the students have risen to this challenge, and as we look around and engage with the ideas they present, it’s now our turn. The drama performances have come and gone – but the Art exhibition is open until Wednesday 30th April on the 5th and 6th floors of A block. Please do come and admire. But no revolution please.
