A feast of arts on campus

From the 18th to the 21st of February, ArtsFest returned for Imperial’s annual showcase of music, dance, drama and everything in between. The South Kensington campus came alive for four days of the best arts events that our student groups have to offer, showing the vast array of talent hidden amongst our scientists, engineers and medics.

The week kicked off in style, with Big Band playing a superb set from the balcony of the Queen’s Tower. Much to the surprise and delight of passers-by, the sheer volume of their upbeat jazz sound kept everyone entertained over their lunch, with “Mercy, mercy, mercy” and other classic charts bringing many students out of the Library and out into the glorious sunshine.

Monday evening saw a new and incredibly popular event on the ArtsFest calendar: a dance showcase and ceilidh. Belly Dancing opened the evening with a variety of routines, before a pair from the Dance Society wowed the crowds with their slick display. Dance Company were up next, and showed just why they have won so many awards of late, with stunning routines from contemporary and tap right through to ballet. The night wasn’t just about watching the grace and poise of our dancers’ talent however; Caledonian Society, with help from String Ensemble, led the audience participation in a raucous ceilidh well into the night.

There’s no rest in ArtsFest week, and Tuesday saw another packed schedule of events. Wind Band held an open rehearsal inviting everyone to hear preparations for their upcoming American themed concert whilst LeoSoc and Photosoc launched their exhibit in the Blyth Gallery with a drinks reception. Back in the Union building, Imperial Cinema held a well attended and hilarious film quiz night, capably won by “Les Quizerables” (though DramSoc beating Cinema at their own quiz was undoubtedly also a highlight!).

Wednesday brought another open rehearsal, this time from two of our biggest societies, Symphony Orchestra and Choir. In preparation for their upcoming concert at Cadogan Hall (2nd March, tickets on sale now at cadoganhall.com!) the clubs opened their doors for listeners to get a sneak preview of their collaboration on Rachmaninov’s “The Bells”, and the sheer strength and power of their performance was incredible. Meanwhile in the Union Concert Hall, two of our finest vocal societies, A Cappella and Musical Theatre, presented A Very Vocal Evening. The Scopes kicked off proceedings with a slick dance routine to match their huge talent, before the Imperielles presented a great cover of “Take Me or Leave Me”. The stage was set for Imperial favourites The Techtonics to deliver another flawless performance, followed by Musical Theatre giving a sneak preview of their next show Parade. A selection of dazzling solos from members of all societies built up to some huge joint numbers – having heard so many voices on stage with “Do You Hear the People Sing” from Les Mis you would never have guessed it was two separate societies with little joint rehearsal time!

The week was leading up to the showpiece, which was a collaboration between the Imperial Festival Fringe and ArtsFest centring around the interplay between science and arts. An eclectic collection of societies and Imperial researchers worked together for a public outreach event celebrating the science behind a variety of creative media. Dancing robots clothed in spray-on fabric costumes designed by the Fashion Society sat alongside a display from Juggling showing the neuroscience behind multi-tasking. Music Technology displayed the “Reactable” from Electronic Engineering and drew the biggest crowds of the evening, allowing visitors to generate electronic music from visual blocks. Chamber Music demonstrated the spatial patterns that sound waves make whilst String Ensemble explained the physics behind their instruments. Through the middle of all of this, Dance Society and Caledonian Society lead guests in more dance displays, this time with input from the Faculty of Medicine on how balance affects dancers and a curious link to insect behaviour.

At the end of the night, the Fringe Afterparty in Metric featured another excellent set from Big Band (in more comfortable surroundings on the ground this time) and the evening closed with superb DJ sets from members of Music Technology. Performers and participants from throughout the week joined the ArtsFest team for a well-deserved drink as they reflected upon the most successful ArtsFest in recent memory.

There are more pictures from the weekat facebook.com/icartsfest – like our page now to be first to hear about next year’s ArtsFest events!