MADE Magazine Summer 2023

Artsmark Success Creativity and the arts are positively blooming. After two years of gathering evidence on all that we do at RGS, our application for Artsmark to celebrate our creative prowess was submitted last May. Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools and education settings, accredited by the Arts Council. A panel of esteemed judges assess the engagement and impact of the arts at schools across the UK and award Silver, Gold or Platinum. Our submission highlighted the success, variety and inclusiveness of the arts at RGS, including sell out performances, exhibitions, the launch of the new Arts Page on the school website and increased uptake in our co- curricular Arts Award programme (more information on the school website). I am delighted to announce that on the 14th July 2023 we were awarded the top award of Artsmark Platinum . This is a credit to all the staff, pupils and parents who have run, attended or supported arts at RGS. We can proudly say that our school nurtures creativity and ensures that “ there is more than one side of an RGS boy ” . Artsfest On Saturday the 1st of July the school was taken over by staff, students, parents, affiliated local businesses came together to celebrate all things We even had Ed Gamester, Old Wycombiansian, bring his award- winning theatre group, who specialise in melding the world of Drama, physical theatre, and wrestling into a high octane extravaganza, that has to be seen to be believed, offer his skills to these proceedings. This spectacular event was the long-anticipated brain- child of RGS ’ s Resident Artist, Chris Bowen. Months, possibly years, of plotting, scheming, and unashamed social schmoozing had gone into bringing this idea to fruition. Despite some loss of sleep, as well as energetic and feisty beard pulling, he carried this off with a total sense of organisation, generous collaboration, and an air of carefree sophistication. When flipping burgers he was distinctly heard declaring he had finally found his “ comfy place ” , and I for one was very happy he had. So much work, with such a great outcome. Despite threatening rain and several other similar events taking place in High Wycombe that day, a respectful number of people turned up to peruse the crafts on sale, eat at the BBQ, enjoy a drink from the bar supplied by the local brewery, add their own touch to the graffiti wall, or to have a very convincing injury applied, using stage makeup, to their face, hand, or arm at our own Zombie Factory. The Art Exhibition once again proved the immeasurable talent of our students. Many people were still talking about how blown away they were with the imaginative and creative standard of the work. Phenomenal vision, congratulation to everyone involved. If watching live performances was more your thing, live music was supplied, alongside the open mike, throughout the event. We were treated to Mr Macdonald-Smith ’ s dulcet tones as well as some beautiful and engaging performance poetry by the RGS Live Poets ’ Society. The Drama Studio was set up for a performance by the Mythos: Ragnarok physical theatre group. Ed Gamester and his colleagues demonstrated what happens when Norse Mythology professional actors, wrestlers and stunt people get together. It was an incredible spectacle, and demonstrated once more the diverse Alumni that RGS has. A particular high point was when a broadsword went through a studio ceiling tile and Ed managed to incorporate the sudden snow flurry of polystyrene into the narrative, without the tiniest flicker of an eyelash, he warned his fellow performer not to impale the projector, and the battle continued. What a total pro! This was a wonderful, warm, and enjoyable community event. It served on several levels, bringing people into the school to see what RGS does everyday in terms of the Arts, both the shouty ‘ I ’ m here ’ subjects, like Music and Drama, but also the quieter aspects, like Art where the process can be more subtle. The audience don ’ t witness this until it is over, then the finished product is presented. and the experience can be immensely moving, spellbinding and impactful. Artsmark and Artsfest