The Griffin Arts Festival (GAF) kicked off with a brilliant, high energy celebration of Windrush Day! The excitement started building the previous week, when children took part in an incredible singing assembly and Q&A session delivered by CB Carnival where children were able to learn from real life stories. The week then kickstarted with a spectacular Riverley tradition as Mbilla Arts brought their incredible energy to launch the festival. The whole school experienced the vibrant power of West African drumming and learned songs in Mandinka: a language spoken by over two million people across West Africa. Year 4 then took part in an exclusive, hands on workshop to master the rhythms themselves.
The creativity kept flowing with school wide art projects linked to Windrush Day. It was a fantastic learning opportunity that beautifully built upon what the children have already been learning about the Windrush generation across the curriculum throughout the year.
To round off the launch, the day ended with our first school wide Windrush Day food sale. Extended from a beloved annual Nursery tradition, the event was a fantastic success, raising over £200 for the Representation 365 Fund!
Children dove straight into the festival spirit with curiosity and collaboration, setting a fantastic energy that will carry on over the next fortnight. Let the creativity flow!
