This Saturday 20th May, Walhampton hosted a special Arts Festival which celebrated a theme of a ‘Journey’ as part of the School’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
A showcase of all Walhampton’s creative arts, the 2023 Arts Festival marked the journey that Walhampton has taken over 75 years since it was founded on this site.
We welcomed over 400 people including Walhampton families, friends and alumni to come and watch pupils perform and celebrate the School’s historic birthday milestone, which was kindly supported by Knight Frank in Lymington.
Children from Year 4 to Year 8 performed drama pieces in costume as part of a ‘Loop’ around the grounds, taking our visitors on a journey of the ‘75 seasons of Walhampton’ featuring pieces re-enacted from plays performed across the years. There was a scene from Romeo and Juliet delivered on the balcony, ‘The Wind in the Willows’ and ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ were staged in front of our gypsy caravan and the Faraway Tree, ‘The Hobbit’ was performed in front of our very own Hobbit House and there were even Shakespearean insults delivered in character at the bottom of The Glade!
There was a huge array of talent and passion displayed on the Main Stage. The audience were treated to a variety of performances - from our orchestra to the School’s rock band, Pre-Pep Choir to Chapel Choir; drama excerpts from the Jungle Book to Pride and Prejudice, comedy sketches to an eco-themed dance, and a beautiful solo from ‘The Sound of Music'. Pupils proudly performed in their individually designed 75th anniversary T-shirts, which they’d personalised during art lessons with Mrs Pickance leading up to the event.
As part of the festivities, Walhampton alumni took part in the re-imagined Heritage Trail for the 75th year. This was delivered by former mathematics teacher and Estates Manager, David Hill, in celebration of the School’s rich history to commemorate the special anniversary of the founding of Walhampton School in 1948.
The School’s charity, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, attended with their brand new helicopter simulator and Walhampton’s summer camp provider, Oxford Active, ran a popular archery activity throughout the afternoon. There was also a poetry trail and the day closed with some audience participation line dancing and the aptly titled whole school song ‘Seasons of Love.’
Our Head, Jonny Timms, said: “Thanks to all our wonderful children who put on an amazing arts festival showcase and for our whole community who came to support this event. I am bursting with pride after such a fantastic afternoon filled with joy, magic and colour, with every pupil playing a part in this special event. While we had a lot of fun celebrating all things arts related, balance is important, and so alongside the festivities there was also a more serious message with the public launch of the Walhampton School Foundation Trust. We celebrate the past, present and the future, and as such, we are working hard to help increase access to a Walhampton education so more children can experience being part of events like this through our transformational bursaries.”
