A Festival of the Arts

Last week, 24 high school students took the fast train to Tianjin where they participated in the annual LifePlus Fine Arts Festival. We had eight students join the choir, five present their visual art, three join the combined drama performance and eight students in the band. Grade 11 Elim performed a beautiful solo during one of the choral pieces.

This opportunity to collaborate with other LifePlus students rather than compete against them (as happens in sporting tournaments), was welcomed by our high schoolers. They each had a chance to learn from the guest artists and conductors, gaining valuable experience in the arts.

iSC events like this have always provided a chance to build into a larger community.

A highlight of the trip was a student organized "rap battle" between schools. Students came up with promo videos and celebrity names for their groups before the weekend and then came together for a little friendly competition at the Festival. International School of Qingdao's own Grade 11 Eli came away from the battle with a victory in the first round, saying, "The freestyle rap battle seemed very primitive, and I loved it. The atmosphere at the rap battle, and at the Fine Arts Festival in general, was incredible."