Artsfest to hit Imperial next week

“ArtsFest? What’s that?” I hear you chorus, “There are scientists, engineers and medics at Imperial who like arts?” I may be totally biased, but I really believe the answer is yes, and ArtsFest is one of the many times during the year to show it.

The successes of Arts clubs at Imperial are far reaching. A few years ago, in a competition that only ran once, Imperial College Symphony Orchestra (ICSO) was awarded the title of “Best University Orchestra in the UK”. That’s quite an achievement against universities in which most orchestras have at least some music students!

Just a couple of weeks ago, the International Championships of Collegiate A Cappella came to the UK for the first time and held their semi-final at Imperial. With more teams competing than any other University, and an award for best soloist, the event was a sure sign of Imperial’s talents.

We have five orchestras, one of the best university cinemas in the country, fantastic choirs and ambitious art and dance groups. Each one has a number of fantastic events coming up for you this term – such as more ambitious shows than ever before in the recently redeveloped Union Concert Hall, ICSO performing at Cadogan Hall, home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the IC Choir performing Carmina Burana in the Great Hall. And on top of all this, they all take part in ArtsFest!

ArtsFest is a weeklong celebration of Art, Drama, Music, Dance and everything in between that Imperial has to offer. This year it takes place from 16th –20th February and has more events and more collaborations than ever before. And crucially, every single event is free.

There are events every evening. Some highlights include Imperial College Sinfonietta on Monday 16th performing the music to Fantasia live in the Union Concert Hall, in collaboration with Imperial Cinema, FilmSoc and ICTV. On Wednesday 18th there’s another chance to hear our A Cappella groups, this time performing a variety of pieces with the fantastic Musical Theatre Society in the Union Concert Hall – surely not to be missed!

If Jazz and Rock are more your thing, then don’t miss the Tribute Night on Thursday 19th in Metric, or Big Band playing up the Queen’s Tower on Monday lunchtime (I’m praying for good weather...). Or maybe it’s Dance? On Friday 20th, our ArtsFest spectacular finale will take place in the Union Concert Hall with a variety of performances from Dance societies such as Funkology, Latin and Belly Dancing, musical societies, international societies such as ChineseSoc, all hosted by ComedySoc.

“I have too much work, I can’t come”, you say. Well firstly these events are all free. Almost all of these societies would (rightly!) normally charge for tickets, so it’s an amazing opportunity open to everyone. Two societies will also be holding “Concert Teasers” for you: the IC Choir on Thursday lunchtime in Sherfield, and ICSO’s Open Rehearsal in the Great Hall on Wednesday evening – a concert which will eventually feature the BBC Young Musician 2014 on the 28th February!

There are also events at lunch-time every day! From performances in the Business school entrance, to juggling on Dalby Court, there’s something for you there too. You can get involved on Monday by doing your own chalk drawing outside the Queen’s Tower Rooms, and participate in (or observe) a piano masterclass from the Chamber Music Society on Wednesday afternoon.

Finally, there are the Art Exhibitions from PhotoSoc and LeoSoc. Not only will they be presenting right under your nose in the Sherfield Main Entrance, but head up to the 5th floor in Sherfield where you will find the Blyth Gallery. There you will find a secret garden where you can sit on a bench and admire the work of these fantastic artists.

And there are more events than these – a full timetable can be found below or on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/icartsfest.

You don’t always hear about the arts at Imperial – can Art and Science really interact? I strongly believe so; there are over 1600 members of arts related clubs at Imperial – and over 10,000 people attend events every year. The Imperial Fringe on Thursday 19th at 17:00 in the Business School Main Entrance is a great example of scientists collaborating with a wide range of societies, with the theme of Light: to celebrate the International Year of Light.

People come to Imperial because of the arts – having a strong musical scene can be seen has a huge differentiator between universities, especially for those who weren’t sure whether to study science or music, like me. Promoting the arts scene will give a further example of the fantastic Clubs and Societies at this University, and collaborations between clubs provide the perfect place to meet new people while continuing with a passion, and taking a well-earned break from the library.

ArtsFest is a chance to do just that. You might not think you know anything about music, or care for art, but I’d urge you to give it a try this year. Come to one of the many events that will be going on; try something new and you may be surprised just what a good time you have!

A full timetable of the events next week can be found here.