Fostering holistic development through performing arts

In this ever-changing world, holistic learning is now more important than ever. Children need a balanced set of physical, cognitive and emotional skills that will enable them to meet new challenges and grow to become effective global citizens.

At Wellington College China, our holistic education offering is a point of pride. We constantly seek new ways to engage, inspire and empower our pupils. One way to do this is through the performing arts.

As a leading education provider in China, we provide our pupils with a wealth of opportunities to participate in the peforming arts. It fosters creativity and self-exploration while also enhancing valuable soft skills such as collaboration and problem-solving.

Exploring and expressing through drama

This year, Wellington College Tianjin became a registered examination centre for The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), one of the UK’s oldest drama schools. Over 100,000 people take LAMDA's annual examination as a way of developing their language and public speaking skills. It is remarkable that two of our year 9 pupils, William and Masa, passed this examination with distinction and merit.

This June, our Tianjin pupils treated audiences to wonderful performances of the Shakespearan comedy Twelfth Night and the classic Chinese play Thunderstorm. Through these performances, our Tianjin pupils demonstrated a keen talent for bridging language and culture gaps. This endeavour to explore Chinese culture identity through the performing arts was echoed by Huili School Shanghai, with a stirring performance of the play The Age of Awakening.

Musical theatre: a truly holistic medium

Whether it is acting, instrumentation or lighting and set design, musical theatre is a way for any Wellingtonian to channel their natural talents and create something spectacular.

In the Summer term, Wellington College International Shanghai's  pupils took to the stage with a dazzling performance of Chicago. The performers, musicians and stage technicians gave it their all to put on a memorable performance that truly amazed audiences.

Huili School Shanghai finished its arts events scheduled for the 2020–2021 academic year off with a production of Oliver! Jr. Donning the costumes and taking on the personas of classic Dickensian characters, our pupils showcased their talents for interpreting arts across genres, cultures and history.

After a year of preparation, our Wellington and Huili schools in Hangzhou put on their first end-of-year production of Madagascar A Musical Adventure Jr. The play was an opportunity for them to   collaborate, discover new passions and develop many new skills.

Music and dance: the mind-body connection

All Wellington College China schools offer a wide selection of music and dance-related co-curricular activities such as ballet or violin classes. Huili School Shanghai also offers a selection of CCA programmes exploring traditional Chinese performing arts such as Beijing and Kunqu Opera.

All the schools are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to develop their talents, and there are opportunities to perform in the school band, orchestra, choir, radio club and more. Our performing arts teachers are experienced and passionate about their craft, inspiring the pupils to sing, act, dance and play.

These classes present our pupils with the opportunity to build confidence and cultivate a growth mindset by developing and performing it before an audience.   

A holistic education takes pupils beyond the standard academic subjects and teaches them more than just the subject matter of facts and figures. They learn life skills, interpersonsal skills, communication and collaboration skills, skills that will help them to thrive beyond their time in school as globally-minded citizens of the world. As such, Wellington performing arts education is one of the many ways we help pupils become Inspired, Intellectual, Independent, Individual and Inclusive. By cultivating these essential soft skills, they will face all of life's challenges with confidence.

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