Isleworth & Syon hosted its annual Summer Arts & Technology Evening on Friday 4th July, co-compered by two students: Louis Kelly (Year 11) and Madeleine Williams (Deputy Head Girl; Year 13). This event is a fixture of the school’s calendar, celebrating student achievements in Performing Arts (drama and music), art and design & technology through a variety of performances and displays. The evening used a promenade format, as the audience was split into two groups: one began in the new Cucina restaurant, the other in the School Hall; the groups then swapped over.
Those in the canteen began with a 25-minute video presentation from the Key Stage 3 Drama Club in the form of a silent film which was very well received from the audience. Then the Year 7 students, who make up the Elite Acting Workshop, performed a segment from the play ‘Haroun and the Sea of Stories’.
A musical section followed, with a huge variety of vastly different styles on display, including the Glee Club, Rock School, the String Group, and the Guitar Group, amongst others. There were several students who were included in several different groups, demonstrating the breadth of outstanding talent on display at Isleworth & Syon.
Everyone was given the opportunity to walk through the Art and Technology Departments and see the breathtaking work on display, while the Piano Group performed. Several parents of our more senior students commented that this was the best display they had ever seen at the school, a testament to the hard work from Mr Carpenter and the Art Department, and Mr Scanlon and the Design & Technology team.
The School Hall performances included the Year 7 ukelele group, led expertly by Mr Giannotta. They performed ‘Ho Hey!’ by the Lumineers, and stunned the audience with their confidence and technical skill. These students had only been playing the instrument for four weeks, but gave a great performance.
There was also a ‘super-group’, which combined some of the best talent in the school, including Max Mills, who is joining the Royal College of Music in September. This piece, entitled ‘Jam Hot’, was composed by Louis Rugg (11D) as part of his GCSE Music coursework. The performers added their own touches to make it an extra-special moment in the evening!
The evening ended with a medley of Pharrell Williams and 1970s disco which brought the house down. This account refers to just a small selection of the sort of talent on offer at Summer Arts & Technology. The entire evening demonstrated not only the talent on offer at the school, but also the hard work and determination from every single student and staff member involved.
Special thanks to Miss Andrews and the entire performing Aarts department (Mrs Davies-Jones, Miss Durber, Mr McDonnell and Miss Powell); Mr Carpenter and Miss Pacwa in the art department; and Mr Scanlon and the entire design & technology team. Thanks also go to the other staff who offered their assistance: Mr Chryssides, Miss Hannon, Mr McKeown, Mr Giannotta, Mr Samuel and Miss Tighe. This event would not have been possible without the help of the peripatetic staff: Stuart Ashton, Alan Goodall, Dudley Joseph, Glen Rayner and Emma Stoffer.
Finally, congratulations should be given to all of the students involved, without whom there would not have been such a magical evening.
Tags: Art, Design & Technology, Drama, Music, School, Summer Arts, Year 10, Year 11, Year 12, Year 13, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9
