On Friday 11 November, Townley Grammar hosted a cultural day where students could wear traditional clothes. In courtesy of the annual event, the school hosted a brightly welcomed cultural fashion show. The spectacularly dressed models, who were met with throat-burning cheers and ear-tearing whoops, took to the runway with a balance of jazz, power and elegance.
The half an hour event was full of colour and filled with the beauty of hundreds of traditions varying from exquisitely detailed kentes, to majestic lehengas and eye-catching şalvars. The hall filled up to the brim within 10 minutes just before the show began and even so many others intrigued by the musical elation flowing into the corridors joined the crowds. The two presenters themselves were beautifully clad in beautiful golden shades and presented the show wonderfully, although barely audible above the electric enthusiasm of the audience. The energy in the room was fantastic as it fluctuated between excited buzzing, relatable chattering and even the occasional chanting to popular songs amongst the many ethnic groups of people in the school. The variety of upbeat songs from a number of languages, definitely emphasised the power of the atmosphere in the room as it eased any nervousness that the models experienced and had many dancing either from the sitting audience or the runway.
It definitely brought everyone from all year groups and cultures together as we clapped rhythmically to songs that we might not even know. Alba Methoxha, a student at Townley and a great admirer of the show, said: “I was clapping and screaming so much I thought I was going to have a sore throat. My hands started to go numb. When Albania came on, I whipped out my flag so hard, you could hear it, I’m pretty sure I got a papercut from that!” The sore hands were empathised with by multiple other students. Sukhjit Kaur, another student at Townley Grammar stated: “It was magnificent. One of the few times in the year, everyone could come together and celebrate their culture.”
The students weren’t the only participants of the cultural day. Quite a few teachers and members of staff were seen in traditional attire or jewellery. This is often one of the most popular events at this school as people don’t usually have the opportunity to come together and experience different cultures and traditions. This spontaneous day encourages members of the school to be proud of their background, where they come from, and who they are.
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