A celebration of cultural diversity: the British School Manila celebrates International Evening

On Friday 24th February, the British School Manila held its biggest community event of the year, International Evening. The event is a celebration of the diverse nations and cultures represented at BSM and helps raise funds for the school's Service and Sustainability projects and partners. This year is the first time the event has been held in person since the pandemic and drew crowds of around 3000 people to the school's BGC campus.

Taking place on the school's sports field, the evening aims to have the different cultures of the families who attend the school come together through a showcase of traditional outfits, an exchange of culinary flavours, exhibitions and performances. International families manned food stalls serving food from around the world while performers, including many BSM staff and students, provided vocal, dance and musical entertainment on stage.

The event began with a Parade of Nations which saw more than 300 representatives from the 43 different nationalities of families enrolled at the school display their flags and national dress as they completed the parade route, led by a marching band.

After arriving at the venue, students sang the national anthems of the Philippines and United Kingdom before the main event began, an evening of student and community performances reflecting the different countries represented at the school.

There were also Service and Sustainability exhibits on display created by the students to celebrate and inform guests about Make A Difference Week which took place earlier in the year. Year 7 to 10 students took part in trips and activities, designed in partnership with eco-tourism platform MAD travel to enable them to connect with communities and environments in and around Metro Manila. Their focus was not only to help and improve these areas but also to improve themselves. Students participated in a wide range of activities from scientific data collection and organic farming to developing small business models and upcycled fashion. They then used the information they gathered, as well as what they learned, to create displays to share with the community at the event in order to raise awareness of these important issues.

International Evening attendees were also able to enjoy food from around the world thanks to the efforts of parent volunteers, the school and the event's sponsors.

Ira Calayan, Events Manager at the British School Manila noted "The real magic of the event is the great sense of community and collaborative efforts that go in the background from planning to the moment of the actual event, binding members of our community through common identity, sense of belonging and shared interests."

Bea Gabuya
The British School Manila
36th Street, University Park,
Bonifacio Global City, 1634
Taguig City, Metro Manila,
Philippines
Website: https://www.britishschoolmanila.org
+63 (2) 8860 4800

Scott Justice
The British School Manila
36th Street, University Park,
Bonifacio Global City, 1634
Taguig City, Metro Manila,
Philippines
Website: https://www.britishschoolmanila.org
+63 (2) 8860 4800

About the British School Manila

The British School Manila (BSM) is a co-educational, private, not-for-profit British international school. Founded in 1976, the school has grown from 2 classrooms and 32 students in its first year to the present day where BSM welcomes 940+ students aged 3-18, representing 41 nationalities.
The school is a fully accredited member of the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a founding member of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) and a member of the East Asian Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS). Teaching staff come from a range of backgrounds with experience of the British and other highly regarded curricula. The school offers classes from Nursery to Year 13.
The school's 2021-22 annual report is available at: https://issuu.com/britishschoolmanila/docs/annual_report_2021-2022
For more details on the BSM Taguig Scholarship Programme visit: https://www.britishschoolmanila.org/life-at-bsm/bsm-taguig-scholarship-programme

This release was published on openPR.