A student-led week of drama, dance and music will bring colour to Imperial College London next week

ArtsFest 2009 invites staff and students to experience the diverse range of activities on offer at the College - News

Thursday 12 February 2009
By Naomi Weston

Students and staff at Imperial College London are invited to take part in a colourful feast of art, music, drama and dance next week as ArtsFest 2009 kicks off.

The festival, held annually, aims to highlight the diverse range of arts on offer to members of the College community with free concerts, workshops, exhibitions and cinema screenings. The week is student-led and organisers hope that the events will encourage people to try a new activity.

ArtsFest will open with a display by student societies including, capoiera, free running, Filipino martial arts and percussion on the South Kensington Campus, giving a flavour of what is coming up over the week.

Dancing fever hits the College this year, as staff and students from the Imperial College Union Dance Club pair up for a dazzling dance competition. Five sets of couples, including four lecturers, are taking part and are learning the cha cha, samba, jive and waltz. The final takes place at the Grand Finale concert on Friday 20 February.

The Imperial College Union Dramatic Society will host a performance workshop for people of all standards to encourage more people to get involved and try out their acting skills.

There is a lunchtime concert series featuring four of the College’s ensembles and a free film screening of ‘Wonder Boys’, featuring Michael Douglas.

The festival highlights the diverse range of arts on offer at the College with free concerts

There will be an exhibition of fine arts and photography by students and staff from the College centred around the theme of chaos. It will open on Tuesday 17 February and is showing in the Blyth Gallery, level 5, Sherfield building.

New events this year include a barn dance and village fete in which students will showcase many of the Imperial College Union’s clubs and societies including the tea, cheese and the wine and fine drinks society offering free tastings and demonstrations.

Lauren Lior-Liechtenstein, final year biology undergraduate and Chair of ArtsFest 2009, says: “This year’s festival is a great opportunity for staff and students to get involved in the arts at the College and enjoy the wealth of talent that we have here, as well as to have fun. We want more people to join up to the diverse range of clubs and societies at Imperial and we hope people will be inspired to try a new activity such as drama or capoiera, which they may have never tried before.”

The programme includes:

Monday:

• 13.00 - Grand Opening Display, Upper Dalby Court
• 20.30 – Music Technology DJ night, dBs, Imperial College Union

Tuesday:

• 13.00 - Lunchtime concert featuring the Imperial College String Ensemble and Classical Guitar, College main entrance
• 18.00 - Blythe Gallery Opening, Level 5 Sherfield Building
• 20.00 - Band night, dBs, Imperial College Union

Wednesday:

• 13.00 - Lunchtime concert featuring the Imperial College Symphony Orchestra, College main entrance
• 15.00 - DramSoc performance workshop, dBs, Imperial College Union
• 17.00 - Barn dance and Village fete, Union dining hall and Union concert hall

Thursday:

• 13.00 - Lunchtime concert featuring Onyx Brass, College main entrance
• 19.30 - Free cinema screening, Union concert hall

Friday:

• 13.00 – Lunchtime concert featuring the Imperial College Choir and Wind Band, College main entrance
• 19.30 – Grand Finale, Great Hall Sherfield building

All of the events are free, except the Grand Finale concert on Friday 20 February, and open to the College community. Tickets for the Finale can be bought on the door for £6 or £4 for students.

Throughout the week the organisers will collect money for the charity, Hospices of Hope, which helps terminally ill children and adults in South Eastern Europe.

For more information and a full timetable of events please visit: www.icartsfest.com/