Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi Winter Ball Makes a Difference

Jan 11, 2022

United World Schools: Veal Reyoung School
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The College has committed to annually funding the £8,000GBP running costs of Veal Reyoung school in rural Cambodia through our partnership with United World Schools. As a school community, we successfully funded our commitment last academic year through a range of fundraising events, including the Winter Ball. As a result of this, the students of Veal Reyoung School were able to receive a life-changing education. Once again this year, proceeds from the Winter Ball will make a significant positive impact on the lives of the children and families in the Veal Reyoung community.

Shanghai Roots and Shoots, Million Tree Project: Bangliang Gibbon National Nature Reserve
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A portion of the proceeds raised through this years’ Winter Ball will also be donated to the Shanghai Roots and Shoots Million Tree Project initiative to save the Cao Vit Gibbon. The Million Tree Project will collaborate with Bangliang Gibbon National Nature Reserve to plant trees for habitat restoration. Also known as the Eastern Black Crested Gibbon, the Cao Vit gibbon was considered extinct for over half a century, but was rediscovered in Vietnam and China in early 2000s. As one of the most endangered primates, these gibbons rely on trees as their food source, sleeping spaces and territory. Due to deforestation, their habitat is fragmented. Planting trees and ensuring their ongoing health and growth is crucial to the survival and revival of this precious species.

An additional benefit to this portion of the donation is that it will partially offset the carbon footprint of the event.

Fundraising as a Community Effort
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The fundraising for this years’ Winter Ball came from two activities; a raffle for prizes donated by our generous event sponsors, and a silent auction of artwork created by Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi students.

The thought provoking and inspiring student artwork captured the hearts of those in attendance, and the bidding war was fierce. Below are some excerpts from the artwork descriptions:

The Toddler children worked together to create their masterpiece, in the theme of ‘black, gold and silver.’ A range of painting techniques and materials were involved in the production of this work… This artwork is toddler-approved and ready to be hung on the wall of one lucky bidder’s home tonight!

The Nursery children have been reading stories about nighttime and nighttime animals. This has led to lots of discussions about day and night and the differences between them. We studied pictures and photos of both daytime and nighttime and the children talked about the colours they could see in each picture. This inspired the children to create two artworks. One depicting the colours of night and the other depicting the colours of day. The finished canvases look spectacular [we hope you agree?]. The creativeness of the children and the skills and learning they acquired have been something they can now carry forward to other creative experiences.

The Reception children, were exploring patterns and found them everywhere! They noticed shapes within the patterns, which led them to find out about artists who also used patterns and shapes in their work. There was a huge interest in Kandinsky and his work, which inspired their winter art pieces.

The Year 1 children were inspired by the Winter Ball’s theme of black, white and silver to create their works of art. The background of the pictures is an acrylic wash of black to silver. On top of this the children created a wintery scene. They first used the technique of marbling white paper with black dye. The Kiwi Class then chose to make snowflakes with this paper by folding and cutting circles. Owl Class decorated ginkgo leaves, adding detail using line and texture to create unique leaves and Puffin Class depicted a starry Winter’s night on their canvas.

Year 2 chose to represent the changing seasons in a piece of artwork inspired by the Austrian painter, Gustav Klimt. Their artwork is based on one of his most revered works, a mural entitled 'The Tree of Life' and depicts a tree which has lost its leaves, just like the trees in Shanghai at this current time. Although the branches are bare, they are still beautiful, so the Geckos decorated the swirly branches with jewels representing rain drops and eyes to represent the creatures that call the trees their home regardless of the season.

Year 3 Kestrel class have been exploring using art therapy to support their mental wellbeing. During lessons, they have used art therapy to relax their minds between learning tasks or as a strategy to regulate their emotions. Kestrel class decided they wanted to create a larger version of this to share with you all… Kestrel class discussed that each section of the art piece is unique, just like us.

Year 4 Panther class chose to create and celebrate the amazing city that we live in, Shanghai. Producing sensational sketches of iconic buildings along the Bund, paired with precise Mandala dot paintings, the students portrayed the atmospheric perspective of the vibrant city’s skyline.

In Year 5 Dragon Class, the students chose to represent their learning about space by creating a ‘solar system canvas’, packed with colourful, vibrant space phenomena. The dark background of space contrasts pleasingly with the array of colours the students chose to incorporate into their compositions. Each student created a gas giant, rocky planet, comet, star, or galaxy, with the aim of showcasing the beauty and majesty of space. They use painting and layering techniques to create a three-dimensional effect. Year 5 Dragon Class hope that any viewer of our artwork will feel becalmed by the mixture of colours, while inspired to explore and learn more about space themselves.

Using typographical art for inspiration, Year 6 Chimeras wished to convey the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development in a global context. After discussion and planning sessions, the concept of highlighting the continents of the world using the goals was born. Through carefully cutting out stencils and applying spray paint, our students managed to create a stunning design which reflects the College's commitments to these vital goals.

Fun, fun, fun!
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Of course, the Winter Ball is also an important opportunity for parents and staff to let their hair down and socialise: building community bonds in a fantastic environment. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, we feel it is critical to provide opportunities for the community to interact and socialise face-to-face, and the Winter Ball is a perfect example. Fun was in abundance on Saturday, as a mix of games, activities, live music and entertainment kept the guests on their feet and dancing all night long.

Thank you to everyone who supported and participated in the Winter Ball. We have raised a record amount for two important causes. Your contributions will have a lasting impact, and truly embody our College value of Making a Difference!