On October 25, Choate will host its second annual Arts Fest. The event is one of a kind because it encourages and endorses cross-collaboration within the arts.
The Arts Fest, started last year by Theater Arts Concentration student Medina Purefoy-Craig ’20, was motivated by Purefoy-Craig’s own lack of interaction with students in other arts disciplines. “Arts Fest, at its core, is a showcase of all the different types of art and a chance for artists to be collaborative with other artists that they aren’t usually in contact with,” she said.
This lack of partnership within the arts is one reason that Purefoy-Craig’s idea of Arts Fest was well-received. “I went to [Ms.] Kalya [Yannatos, Director of the Arts], and I said, ‘I have this idea; I think it’d be cool,’ and Kalya said, ‘I’ve been wanting something like this for a long time — I [just] didn’t have anyone to do it with me,’” said Purefoy-Craig. The connection of many arts in one show successfully completed part of her vision, but not all of it — for Purefoy-Craig, there was more to be done.
Max Brown ’21 described the show as a “cabaret, night showcase, and arts coffeehouse all in one.” Arts Fest is not concerned with an artist’s level of experience or what they want to perform. To perform in the showcase, a performer does not have to be in Arts Con or even participate actively in the arts at Choate. “There’s no hierarchy and no right way to be an artist,” said Brown. This is exemplified by the vetting process of Arts Fest’s board. The most that the board will do is critique an artist or give advice on an act. No specific type of performance is being sought out. “It’s about what you want to showcase,” said Brown.
Due to the pre-show rehearsal process, there is no set theme or vision for the showcase. Once an act is submitted, auditions are held, and there is a dress rehearsal held a few days before the real show. As a result, the show does not take form until right before it goes on.
Purefoy-Craig was surprised by the cohesive tone of last year’s inaugural show. “Because we live in such a tightly knit community … I think [this sense of community] is an underlying theme in what goes on.” There is no way to foresee if this will happen this year, because that is one of the virtues of the show — it is directed solely by the art and the artists. There is a layer of spontaneity that is reflected in the one-show run; it is a moment for the Choate community to gather around the work of classmates that would not have been seen otherwise.
For everyone involved, the excitement of finally creating a space for art that incorporates many specialties and artists is what makes this endeavor worthwhile. What was most exciting for Brown was the way that the showcase shaped itself: “We don’t know what to expect from the Choate community,” he said.
When reflecting on Choate’s Arts Festival and its purpose, Purefoy-Craig said, “If you have an art that you don’t end up sharing, the community is at a disadvantage. That’s one less perspective we get to experience. It’s just sharing your art that makes the community an infinitely and instantly better place.”
