Art represents an indispensable part of our lives, whether we are its creators, its performers or merely its astounded and fascinated observers. Art is like the cosmic web that flourishes the blackness of the night, a perpetual never-ending glistening of hope, dreams and aspirations, of enthusiasm, faith and dedication towards giving our existence the meaning of love, excitement, joy, peace and harmony. It is what transforms darkness into an electrifying glow; a ray of sunshine flowing through the gloom of time; a concealed horizon, shrouded by what seems so tough, so burdensome at times, suddenly open to ourselves, like a ravishing, beautiful sunset, revealing to our souls, to our intricate and ever-questioning minds, the dawn of a new day.

As a means to celebrate the glorious and sublime expression of art, the prestige of immortality that propels it into greatness, this year, on the 27th of April, in the honor of William Shakespeare and the artistic work that he has left behind, a literature that still manages to inspire, to transform and educate our generations – and surely generations yet to come – even after hundreds of years after his death, Mark Twain International School is proud to present, as part of an annual cultural experience, the 6th Edition of the Shakespeare Alive Festival.

The Shakespeare Alive Festival from 2023 was comprised of a series of magical representations pertaining to our beloved “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, “The Tempest”, “Hamlet” and more, entertaining and inspiring our souls and minds with delightful acting demonstrations, poetry recitals and, naturally, a wonderful immersive experience about the world of William Shakespeare and the socio-cultural and political unfolding of civilization from that time. The festival brought together IB, MYP and DP students in a transdisciplinary event, interweaving language and literature, music and theatre, graphics and costume design and, on top of it all, a set of electric performances for our delightful Secondary Campus audience. It was a perfect demonstration of talent and creativity, of passion, determination and hard work, blended all together by a unanimous sense of curiosity and thirst for knowledge that motivated our young students to explore the literature of William Shakespeare and then bring it to life in their own personal ways.

We were reminded once again that in an everlasting battle between light and dark, where many a time our experiences might be shrouded by the turbulence and restlessness of hardship, it is through art and its expressions that we find a spiritual guide towards discovering peace and harmony within ourselves. For there is nothing purer, nothing as powerful as love, hope and, above all, the faith in a better world. Just as Professor Dumbledore once said: “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).

Florin Ionescu
Advancement Officer
Mark Twain International School