After spending a year working with the students at Vidyaloka and funding the construction of their library, we at Room to Read felt it was high time we devise a creative new way of raising funds for our cause. After some brainstorming and referencing the fundraisers we have hosted in previous years (literary festivals, karaoke nights, etc.), we came up with the idea of hosting a joint concert with the Vidyaloka school. In OSC, we are given countless opportunities to show off our talents in all kinds of public avenues, whether it be through music galas, school productions, or even just lunchtime Books n Cookies. However, at times, we forget how uncommon opportunities as such are for other schools, Vidyaloka being one of them. As a result, we felt it would be a wonderful idea to invite interested students from the Vidyaloka School to come and perform dances or songs alongside performances from our very own OSC students, teachers, and even a few parents.

Organising the Concert

In terms of organisation, we had been supported greatly by our service supervisor Mrs Lockwood, who recommended we host the concert in the library to create a more personal environment and avoid intimidating the students so that they could enjoy their time. As for fundraising, we service leaders decided it was best to keep the entrance by donation rather than charging for a ticket. Instead, we chose to raise funds through food sold at the concert, which was brought in by all the members of Room to Read. We felt this was the most effective way to ensure a good turnout, as high ticket prices often deter students from attending after-school events like this one.

Tasks for the day of the concert were split up and divided amongst the members of our service group, with each person pulling their weight to make this night a memorable one for everyone. The grade 6-7 students were in charge of food distribution and sales, other members had tasks like manning the door and collecting donations, and the service leaders were in charge of emceeing the event as well as being stage managers. Overall, I feel we were all able to work collaboratively to put on a show smoothly with no faults in its execution. Another precaution we took to ensure everything ran smoothly was having a rehearsal the day before. This gave us a chance to map out how much space we needed or account for if we needed any time in between acts. All these considerations eventually helped us pull off a very successful event that everyone could enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Motivation and Aim

The reason we wanted to host this kind of event was far deeper than just to raise funds. Being able to use our own privilege and facilities to give the Vidyaloka students experiences and opportunities they would not regularly have is the essence of everything we hope to achieve in Room to Read. The joint concert is one of its kind due to the interactive way we have been able to integrate the students from our partner school into the OSC environment, building a very necessary bridge between our two worlds and exposing the rest of the OSC community to the work we do. This kind of experience encourages the students from Vidyaloka to put the skills we teach them to use in an interactive way, pushing them out of their comfort zones while providing a platform for them to showcase their talents.

The reception for an event like this was exceptional, with students, teachers, and parents coming to the library to support all the performers, giving them a warm and welcoming audience to perform to. The support from the community was not only appreciated by all of us and Room to Read, but I am sure the students from Vidyaloka were delighted to have such an opportunity. All the kids were elated to be there, and it was great seeing them excited to get dressed up and ready to perform for all of us.

The entire experience, from planning to executing this concert, was incredibly rewarding as the students seemed so happy after their performances, basking in the congratulations and cheers they were getting from the audience. Being part of such a transformative experience for the kids was a great way to bring the year to an end and bring us closer to the students that we teach, giving us a chance to get to know them beyond just their reading level or handwriting. 🙂