From the 12th - 16th of February, Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College (QE) in Darlington celebrated the ethnic diversity of its 2000+ student body with Culture Week. 

 

Organised by the college’s diversity group ‘DARE’, a variety of participatory activities took place throughout the week - including a Bollywood dancing competition, a West African drumming workshop, a bubble tea stall, and a saree wearing workshop. Amongst all of the festivities was a Valentine’s Day cake sale on the 14th to raise money for the college’s ‘QE Explore’ trip to Vietnam that will be taking place later this year. I think it is safe to say that the schedule was jam-packed, with something on offer to students and staff members every day of the week from Monday all the way through to Friday!

 

To bring the celebrations to a close, the week ended with Culture Day; an in-establishment festival of food, drink, and other cultural staples of over 30 countries represented by QE’s students. Each country had its own stall showcasing the most important elements of its cultural heritage, and the hundreds of young adults and staff members in attendance were more than eager to learn about each place and try the plethora of delicious cultural cuisine. 

 

Whilst this was ongoing, a small group of students performed a fantastic Bollywood dance in traditional Indian garments that was enjoyed by a largely supportive audience. Similarly, many other students chose to wear their own cultural clothing throughout the day - creating a celebration of diversity and fashion.

 

Reflecting on the week’s success, QE took to their social media page to comment on Culture Day - saying “We can’t wait for next year!”, a sentiment that I’m certain is also felt by the students and everyone else in attendance.