The third annual Music and Cultural Festival will celebrate different cultures and communities with performances and art on March 27 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium.
Hosted annually by the Coalition for Equity and Multilingual Learner Department of Northborough and Southborough, the festival showcases students across the Northboro-Southboro community.
“[It is] an event to share cultures and strengthen connections between all students and families within our school community. We do this through art, music and dance from different backgrounds,” Director of Multilingual Learners and Equity Selvi Oyola said.
The festival was first proposed by the Coalition for Equity group. Oyola believes the idea is very important for the Algonquin community and the Multilingual Learner Department.
“[The festival is] not just to celebrate but also to unite art, music and culture and highlight the diversity we have [in our community],” Oyola said.
Students in the Coalition for Equity and Multilingual Learner Departments are producing, preparing and running the festival. Some of the hardest challenges during preparations have included contacting and arranging multicultural artists as well as increasing community participation.
“We would like to see an increase from our students to be a part of this event,” Oyola said. “We have a wonderful student body to organize this event and volunteers help run this event. We would also like to see an increase in performance from our students.”
Students involved in preparation help with tasks such as setting up lights and sounds, working on details or being a part of management and conducting the show.
“Everybody always brings something to the plate,” English Language Development (ELD) teacher Suzanne Stimson said. “Watching [the students] is impressive.”
Various Algonquin clubs including National Art Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Asian Culture Club and Triumph will also share their cultures and participate in the festival. Some participating organizations in the district include the Story Bridge and the newly formed ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) community, which is the multilingual parent advisory group in Northborough and Southborough.
“They’re all bringing a part of the culture to share with us,” Oyola said. “Everybody has something interactive to share.”
The club is also encouraging participation throughout the Northborough and Southborough community this year, inviting schools outside of Algonquin.
“This year Melican [Middle School] will be bringing an art exhibit to share,” Oyola said.
Stimson encourages the community and ARHS students to come and support the performers who are participating in the festival, supporting and unifying cultures.
“[They should come] to learn more about diverse communities here in Northborough and Southborough,” Stimpson said. “It’s fun, engaging and free.”
