艺术嘉年华--Xiwai Festival of the Arts
2016-05-31 Michael Rutland
The first annual Xiwai Festival of the Arts will be held in May of 2016. It promises to be an exciting and fresh display of talent and creativity, with some of the school’s best students and leading staff putting on memorable performances.
GOALS OF THE FESTIVAL
1.To stimulate Xiwai’s teachers into greater creativity and artistic expression
2.To support teachers in presenting forms of art that they personally enjoy and have some expertise in, while broadening the knowledge of their students - and colleagues - in these same forms
3.To encourage student excellence in performance-based events, which can help them in all forms of public speaking and displays
4.To showcase variety in the festival’s artistic subjects, and diversity in the people who perform and witness them. This is due to not every activity being of interest to all people, and also to expose new forms of personal expression to an audience that might be unfamiliar with them
5.To lay the groundwork for an annual festival which will promote the reputation of the school for years to come, with each successive year being a standalone sequence of performances (and yet an expansion and improvement over the previous year)
PARTICIPATING TEACHERS AND PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTIONS
1. Sean - Traditional Chinese shadow puppet show
2. Gary - Humorous spoof play about the battle of Troy
3. Emilia - Visual art displays of painting and fans
4. Carlos - Radio play performance of classic The Lone Ranger story
5. Michael - “Walking Narrative” adventure featuring custom-made characters
6. Yens - Orchestra performance
7. Ruby - Creative writing/high school band performance
SPECIAL GUEST
Grace Lin, New York Times bestselling author and Newberry Honor award winner for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, will conduct two 25-minute lessons for specially-selected Xiwai students. Ms. Lin will describe her writing process and explain how she creates the characters for her stories. The students will have read her book and will engage in an activity connected with it. Ms. Lin will also answer questions about writing and provide feedback for select works of the students. A review of her work:
“With beautiful language, Lin creates a strong, memorable heroine and a mystical land. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot. Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude. Lin’s own full-color drawings open each chapter.” ~ Booklist, Starred Review
The performances are being recorded and portions will be featured on the school’s website. Many of the students performing for this year’s Art Festival will be able to participate at next year’s event, so the festival will encourage long-term improvement in many academic and personal character areas. It promises to be an entertaining and meaningful showcase of talent and artistic dedication, establishing a high standard that reflects Xiwai’s special place in the schools of Shanghai and beyond.
Michael Rutland
Program Founder
中文：第一届西外艺术节在2016年5月17号举行。届时西外国际部最优秀的学生和指导老师将联合为大家呈现精彩的表演和丰富的教学成果。
此次艺术节的主旨是为了激发教师教学的创造力和艺术性，同时拓展学生的知识面，鼓励学生充分展现自己各方面的才能和创造力如戏剧表演，绘画，乐队表演及创意写作等。
参与此次艺术节的老师名单和节目列表如下：
Sean—中国传统皮影戏展示（小学国际部）
Gary—英语幽默讽刺剧表演 The Battle of Tory （初中国际部）
Emilia—现场绘画展示之中国扇子画（初中国际部）
Yens—管弦乐队表演（初中国际部）
Carlos—经典剧目表演之独行侠的故事（高中国际部）
Michael—人物角色扮演之“行走的叙述”冒险故事（高中国际部）
本次艺术节还有幸有请到美籍华裔女作家 Grace Lin,凭借Where the Mountain Meets the Moon一书荣获纽伯瑞荣誉奖（美国儿童文学奖）与国际部学生互动，届时林女士将分享自己的写作历程以及如何创作故事中的人物角色。同时，林女士也会解答 学生任何有关写作的问题并对部分学生的写作作品给与反馈。
