The Dulwich College MADD Festival goes Online!

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The Annual Dulwich MADD Festival is an opportunity for our Year 5 and 6 students from across the Dulwich family of schools to engage creatively with the disciplines of Music, Art, Drama and Dance.  While we have had to take the festival online this year, students were still able to work collaboratively on a range of projects over the three days.  All students had the opportunity to work with a range of specialist practitioners from the theatre companies, music studios and our very own specialist Music, Art and Dance teachers from across the Dulwich College family of schools.  Students also got to engage with Australian composer and musician Paul Jarman, who was commissioned to create a song especially for our students around the theme of the festival, ‘The Continuum of Space’.

Each morning started with a Wake-Up Shake-Up session led by Spotlight Theatre Company, and then the students went into their specialist areas for a day-long workshop in the different disciplines. 

DCSPX MADD Festival

During the drama and dance sessions, students collaborated using a wide range of stimuli to explore outer space, inner space, personal and social space, positive and negative space, the virtual space and the natural space that surrounds us. Through physical theatre exercises, choreographic projects, poetry, scripted and devised tasks, students had the opportunity to produce a range of work linked to the theme.

DCSPX MADD Festival

In art workshops, led by Musika Studio, students were introduced to a range of artwork from famous artists, and they then discussed the techniques used.  Students learned about the use of light and shadow, yin and yang, negative and positive spaces, and how contrasts both complement and affect each other.  They then created their own original artwork using a range of techniques, taking inspiration from master practitioners all around one of the aspects of space. 

DCSPX MADD Festival

Angela, Year 5

DCSPX MADD Festival

Easi=on, Year 6

DCSPX MADD Festival

Emily, Year 5

DCSPX MADD Festival

Mikki, Year 6

DCSPX MADD Festival

Tiger, Year 5

DCSPX MADD Festival

Torres, Year 5

 

In the music sessions, Mr Sinclair and the students worked on creating a ‘Deep Space Soundscape’. The students worked in small groups, and each were assigned a short film about space with a story. Students had to discuss their ideas and imagine what sounds might be heard in the movie and find sounds for the project from around their home.  They then recorded and edited the sounds using special audio tools to create effects such as chop, loop, reverse and splice, before collating the sounds into Soundtrap DAW to produce their soundscape.  The students really enjoyed mixing and producing their work and sharing their ideas with each other. 

DCSPX MADD Festival

While we were not able to get together in person for the MADD festival this year, it did not stop our students engaging in the disciplines of the Creative Arts.  It was quite amazing to see the collaboration of students and the high quality of work produced in each of the subject areas.  The students had a great time engaging with all our special guests and leaders at the festival and we are looking forward to sharing the students work as soon as possible!