Asia's Young Artists Shine at the 2025 MADD Festival
Dulwich College traces its roots back to 1619, when Edward Alleyn—an accomplished actor in Elizabethan theatre—founded the College of God's Gift in London, which would later evolve into today's Dulwich College. Over four centuries later, his legacy continues today as Dulwich College International students across Asia are encouraged to explore their own creativity and artistic passions.
This year's MADD (Music, Art, Drama, and Dance) Arts Festival was successfully held at Dulwich College Suzhou from April 23 to 26, 2025. More than 250 Junior School students from nine Dulwich College International and Dehong schools across Asia—including Dulwich College Beijing, Dulwich College (Singapore), Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong, Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, Dulwich College Seoul, Dulwich College Suzhou, Dehong Beijing, Dehong Shanghai, and Dehong Xi'an — gathered in Suzhou. Over four dynamic days, they exchanged ideas, learned from one another, and sparked creativity, forging special bonds through art and music.
The theme of this year's MADD Arts Festival was "It's Time!". Junior School students explored this timeless concept through various art forms including music, visual arts, drama, and dance - interpreting themes of past, present and future, as well as sustainability, a universal issue vital to our human community.
Edgar Zillmann, Head of Events and Educational Partnerships at Education in Motion (EiM), who participated in the entire event from the opening ceremony and Tongli old town excursion to rehearsals, performances and closing ceremony, commented: 'It was a fantastic experience, students from each art field showcased their extraordinary talent. I was especially amazed by the music concert - if you closed your eyes, you would have guessed these were professional musicians, not Junior School students. Well done all!'
Such achievements are made possible through the dedication of visionary organisers, talented students, and a supportive community of educators and parents. This cross-school collaboration has gifted us not just with connection and strength, but with the shared love for art that fuels our journey forward.
Looking ahead, Dulwich College Suzhou is proud to be hosting the 10th anniversary celebration of our collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the next academic year.
We look forward to welcoming even more young artists, musicians, and athletes at future Worldwise Events across our schools.
Worldwise Events Programme
The Worldwise Events programme was launched more than a decade ago to bring students from Dulwich College International schools together to collaborate, rehearse, and perform. This vision led to the creation of some of the network's most iconic events, including the Dulwich Olympiad, the Worldwise Festival of Music, the Diversity Art Series, ISCMS, and the beloved MADD Festival.
MADD is open to all Junior School students with a passion for the arts—there are no auditions, only enthusiasm and curiosity. Students self-select the artistic discipline they are most drawn to and work closely with peers and professional artists throughout the festival. It's not about perfection—it's about discovery, expression, and joy.
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