BMW 2021: A New Creation
Explore how KC's Book and Music Week 2021 brought students together through art, music, and live performances, all centred on the theme of renewal and creation.
Book and Music Week is a signature programme of KC and has four key objectives:
To introduce new genres, art forms, and concepts to students.
To provide a platform for the enactment of the Arts and Culture (A&C) programme’s arts advocacy and leadership.
Continue KC’s tradition of a signature event to nurture student traits laid out in the KC Graduate Profile.
To encourage all students and staff to be actively involved in promoting the love for books and the arts as part of KC’s niche in Communicative, Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA).
To introduce new genres, art forms, and concepts to students:
This year's theme of ‘A New Creation’ introduces students to mythic regeneration in the arts, and the familiar narrative threads in different cultures: adventure, guidance, bravery, wit. The theme was selected also as a means for students to understand how to change with the VUCA environment especially with how COVID-19 has forced innovation. Furthermore, it allowed for students to learn about three different art forms: Ekphrasis (art from art), Intermedia (art to art), and Environment / Green Art.
To provide a platform for the enactment of A&C arts advocacy and leadership:
BMW 2021 experienced two iterations: a July presentation where Arts Advocates worked with BMW reps to plan class activities, and a second tweaked version where BMW reps led in class activities (under guidance by FTs) on a virtual platform.
Participation & Hybrid Experiences:
With the ever-changing SMM restrictions, the BMW team had to replan performances and viewing experiences to ensure adherence to SMMs, the Streaming/ ICT capabilities of the school and crucially, students' experience of Passive (screen time) vs Active (movement & activity). The team also aimed to provide performances that were live streamed rather than prerecorded in an attempt to maintain the liveness and immediacy of the arts despite the mediation. We were also mindful of the sustainability element in our items; hence the need to infuse elements of green art into the programme. All these were achieved despite the shortened duration of BMW from 3 full days to 2 half days!
Arts Presentations:
With so many programmes having been compromised, it was imperative that space for the arts were created. The A&C conceptualised a hybrid arts and culture experience, part of which was situated in the foyer as a physical art exhibition throughout BMW, which contributed to the arts atmosphere of the event as well as celebrated student work. Technical affordances were also made so that the annual DEP and SYF pieces could be live streamed as well.
A new component, staged readings, was initiated, where classes were introduced to the concept of staged readings and given scripts written by students from the Library Writing programme to perform, such that students gain from the experience of each other’s art and creation.
Despite the restrictions of SMM, BMW was nonetheless able to provide KC’s base platform for arts experience in a meaningful and intentional manner, providing opportunities for students and teachers to enjoy CHIJ Katong Convent’s CPVA niche!
