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HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN INSPIRED BY OPERA
In its centenary year , Benenden School has partnered with the English National Opera to inspire a new generation of opera lovers across Kent . Musicians , singers and directors from the world-renowned ENO visited Benenden School across three weeks to hold a series of Opera Takeover workshops for local schools , culminating in a spectacular closing concert .
The workshops saw students having fun exploring vocal techniques , expressive choreography and some of the elaborate and eccentric costumes the ENO had brought along – helping to make opera more engaging and accessible to pupils . In the third week of the workshop series , 340 pupils in total were led by the ENO in a concert that was open to more than 200 parents , performing the pieces they had learned while also enjoying demonstrations from the ENO ’ s singers in Benenden ’ s stateof-the-art Centenary Hall concert venue .
“ It was a joy to see students from Benenden and beyond getting wrapped up in their performances and really engaging with classical music ,” said Benenden headmistress , Samantha Price . “ It was equally wonderful to see the pride on their parents ’ faces at the final concert .”
BLOSSOMING SUCCESS : HADLOW COLLEGE WINS BRONZE AT RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW
Kent ’ s only rural and land-based college shone at what is often called ‘ the greatest flower show on earth ’, winning a bronze medal in the Discovery Zone at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show .
Hadlow College took its place amongst world-renowned garden designers , plant specialists , florists , and nurseries at the event , which ran from 21 May - 25 May .
Its innovative Grow Your Mind exhibit highlighted the importance of modern horticultural practices in food production , biodiversity conservation and landscape design , exploring how horticulture affects and influences the modern world .
Divided into three sections , the design included a modern vertical orchard , tomato glasshouse and a public garden , all centred around a large , upturned tree stump incorporating a bonsai tree , which is symbolic of the vital work of horticulturists within the fields of landscape and amenity design .
Dr Ros Fisher , course manager for Horticulture , said : “ Being at the Chelsea Flower Show has been such a fantastic experience and opportunity for our students and raises the profile and recognition of our efforts at Hadlow college .” The college has a rich history at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show . Members of its alumni have won gold , silver gilt and Best Show Garden awards , while the college itself was named the Floristry College of the Year in 2015 .
JASMIN VARDIMON MBE ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCTION IN CELEBRATION OF 25TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR – ‘ NOW ’
On Thursday 19 September 2024 , Jasmin Vardimon MBE will premiere her new production , NOW , at the Gulbenkian in Canterbury before the company embarks on their UK tour .
Created by award-winning choreographer Jasmin Vardimon , NOW is set to be an enticing and gripping production where Vardimon uses her distinctive dance theatre and creative approach to tell a story of our time . Renowned for her uniquely theatrical choreography , interest in contemporary lives and our ever-changing socio-political dynamics , Vardimon has built a body of critically-acclaimed work across the world .
NOW is co-commissioned by Sadler ’ s Wells London , Kent County Council and the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries at University of Kent , where Vardimon has been an associate artist for many years . The 25th-anniversary year of the Jasmin Vardimon Company has already been momentous , with the UK tour of ALiCE in January , the launch of their Youth Company , JVyoU , and the creation and premiere of NOW . The company is also set to tour internationally with a first visit to China in August .
With a remarkable international cast of performers , thought-provoking choreography and iconic moments from the company repertoire , NOW will celebrate the beauty of imagination and art , reflecting the current moment , the present and the continuous movement of time .
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