Twelfth Night History
The purpose of the Twelfth Night project is to increase public awareness and appreciation for the arts as they existed during the Renaissance period of English History. Students participate in interdisciplinary educational experiences through a collaborative venture involving variods organizations, educational departments, and area artists, directors, and scholars. The students are involved in immersion experiences related to several arts disciplines: drama/theatrical history, Renaissance language, vocal music, instrumental music, dance, swordplay, various art forms, and the culinary arts.
The project culminates in the re-creation of a traditional Twelfth Night festival, celebrated during the holiday season with sixteenth-century England. The festival, held at Blair's Central Court in the first week of January yearly, will feature a grand feast incorporating delicious late Medieval and Renaissance recipes, madrigal choir presentations, instrumental performances, Renaissance dances, and fun for all participants. The 2009 season features the theme of piracy on the high seas during the British Age of Exploration. Guests will be regaled with songs of the sea, pirate swordplay, dancing, and dramatic scenes, from the enchanted isle of Shakespeare's The Tempest.
