Rio Carnival Arrives at Sussex Prep School as Pupils Banish Winter Blues

Pupils at Windlesham House, an independent day and boarding prep school in West Sussex, have banished the winter blues this week as the colour and flamboyancy of the Rio Carnival came to the Malden Family Theatre (the school’s state-of-the-art performance studio). Part of an exhilarating creative arts day, the whole school was off-timetable working together in their respective houses to bring together a show-stopping carnival.

A day of warmth, colour, creativity and energy permeated the school community as the pupil’s interpretation of Rio Carnival melted the last of the snow drifts from the previous week. The pupils worked diligently in their groups throughout the day, rotating between sessions in the music, art and drama departments. They learned dances, practiced instrumental ensembles and rhythm before coming together for one big street party style performance in the theatre.

The Malden Family Theatre, which was decorated with large scale collaborative artworks from each house, made for a bright and dazzling spectacle. Pupils from Reception up to Year 8 worked side by side as they acquired newfound skills and shared ideas with one another in what was a spirited collaboration across the school.

Ben Evans, Headmaster at Windlesham House School commented, “Rio Carnival really did come to Windlesham this January. It was wonderful to see our Year 8 children leading and inspiring their peers, in fact the house spirit on display was infectious. The day was all about creativity and the children achieved that in leaps and bounds with the spectacle of a whole school procession where pupils carried large three-dimensional models of their house mascots, while wearing face masks and waving banners.”

 The final performance of the carnival was testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff and the enthusiasm and energy of the children.