Culture Day - Moreton Hall

Culture & Events

Culture Day

Thursday 23 November saw pupils don their cultural attire in preparation for Moreton’s inaugural Culture Day – a thrilling day immersed in an eclectic range of cultural activities to acknowledge and celebrate the cultural diversity within our school community.

After a healthy breakfast of torrijas, the senior school assembled in the Musgrave Centre for an inspiring introduction by Mr Brewer, Principal, before being handed over to the International Committee who put on a cultural fashion show and introduced the day’s events. Members of the committee represented numerous nationalities including: Spain, Ukraine, Ghana, Nigeria, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and the UK.

In the morning, Remove and Lower Four pupils joined Mrs Peel and the Biology department to discover Biology Around the World, Upper Four visited Mrs Sheffield and the Food and Technology department for a delicious cultural taste test followed by a sculptural workshop creating an installation of favelas in the Art department with Mr Tomkinson, Mr Humphries and Mrs Foster, while Lower Five headed to the pitches for a spot of Welly Wanging with Mr Penrose and the Games department!

After an international lunch, it was the turn of Upper Five to Upper Sixth students to get involved. They tried their hand at Chinese brush calligraphy with Mrs Townson, got competitive with Mancala and Mahjong under the guidance of Mr Inge and Miss Randle, and tackled the challenge of the MFL Escape Room designed by Miss Sanchez, Mrs Baker and Mrs Beech.

Throughout the day, all pupils had the opportunity to partake in Objects of Interest and Indian Dance workshops. Staff very kindly loaned cultural artefacts which Mr Reynolds, Dr Haughton and the English department used to transform the Library into what can only be described as Moreton’s very own British Museum! Pupils perused the artefacts, choosing one that inspired them before creating a piece of ekphrastic poetry – some of the literary works were truly remarkable!

The highlight of the day for many was the Indian Dance workshop delivered by classically-trained Barathanatyam artist Manasa Ravish (from Gejje Dance Chester). Pupils had the opportunity to learn about both Classical and Bollywood dances and then put their dancing shoes on to have a go! The finale of each session was a year group dance-off, which enthused all.

Naana (Lower Five), who had the original idea for the day, said: “Culture day was a huge success and it was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and warmth with which people embraced each other’s culture!”

Mariia (Upper Sixth), Head of the International Committee, added: “I’m happy that we had such a wonderful Cultural Day. The result was worthy of all the efforts and I hope that Culture Day will become a new tradition at Moreton Hall!”

The day not only provided our pupils with valuable opportunities to experience aspects of different cultures but also to appreciate and understand the importance of inclusion in our diverse community. Moreton Hall’s International Director, Miss Conlon, commented: “It was wonderful to see the Moreton spirit in full swing with a fantastic array of diverse and immersive activities to celebrate Culture Day; a fantastic testament to the wonderful inclusive community that is Moreton Hall.”

Ian Morris (Head of EAL)