23 June 2026
For many, including boys and teachers, the last week of the second term is a time to twiddle fingers, to watch the days slowly pass until, at last, school breaks up. At Clifton School, though, that last week of the term has become an annual highlight, with the school hosting the Clifton Arts Festival over four days.
The event incorporates performing and visual arts, with both the Prep and College schoolboys performing, and interactive workshops being hosted that bring together the entire Clifton community: boys, parents, past learners, and supporters.
It’s a feel-good time – invigorating, exciting, expressive, and, above all, fun.
While the spotlight in the second term falls hard on winter sports derbies, Clifton College’s Executive Headmaster, Adam Rogers, detailed why the Clifton Arts Festival is so important in his speech to open the four-day event on Monday evening.
“In a world increasingly driven by technology, data, and measurable outcomes, it is tempting to regard the arts as an optional extra, a pleasant addition to a boy’s education, rather than an essential part of it, and nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.
“The arts matter because they speak to what makes us human.
“Music teaches boys to listen: to themselves and to others.
“Drama teaches empathy, confidence, and the ability to see the world through another person’s eyes.
“Visual art nurtures imagination and the courage to create something that has never existed before.
“Writing and speech teach, in our case, boys to find their voice and to communicate with clarity and conviction.”
“At their best, the arts teach boys that excellence requires practice, perseverance, and vulnerability.
“Not every boy will score the winning try, captain the 1st XI, or become a top mathematician, but every boy deserves the opportunity to discover where his gifts lie, and to experience the joy that comes with pursuing something beautiful and meaningful.”
“As educators, we are not simply raising successful young men. We are raising thoughtful young men, compassionate and cultured.
“The world does not need more men who can merely calculate and compete. It also needs men who can imagine, collaborate, communicate, and inspire.”
At Clifton, Rogers explained, the arts are “not on the fringe of school life. They are at its very heart.
“They enrich our community, strengthen friendships, build confidence, and create memories that endure long after school days are past.”
Shaun Oakley (see feature photo), AKA That Damn Vandal, an acclaimed graffiti artist, illustrator, and designer, and the father of a boy who attends Clifton Prep, was the guest speaker at the opening function.
As Clifton learner, Michael Howden, remarked: “We can all agree that what he has created is a long way from vandalism, although I am sure the College House walls were slightly nervous when they first heard he was coming.
“Vincent van Gogh said, ‘Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.’ Your work reminds us that creativity is built in exactly that way: one idea, one sketch, and, perhaps in your case, one wall at a time.”
Talking about his work, Oakley said: “It’s all about inspiration, inspiring the youth, changing their mindsets, adding colour to their lives, and wanting to make a difference in the world, making it bright and beautiful.
“I’m super excited to be part of the art festival this year. Last year, I painted a piece and noticed the Clifton Art Gallery. What? There’s a gallery here! I need some art in this place.
“Hopefully, it will inspire the boys and get them talking… It’s such an important thing, especially for the youth.”
It was appropriate that Michael Howden quoted Vincent van Gogh in his welcome message to That Damn Vandal, because Daniel Anderson then performed “Vincent – His Quest to Love and be Loved” in the Sutfcliffe Theatre.
With outstanding accompaniment from Paul Ferreira on the piano, Anderson detailed Van Gogh’s life, which was defined by his love affairs, most of which brought him heartache and heartbreak.
The story unfolded to music, including numbers from, among others, Queen, Jacques Brel, The Police, Nat King Cole, and, of course, the touching “Vincent” by Don McLean.
In an absorbing performance, Anderson revealed the story of Van Gogh, whose art was celebrated only after his passing. He struggled in relationships, with poverty, and with mental illness, which was exacerbated by the failures of his relationships.
Anderson’s range was outstanding, his performance passionate, and his stamina remarkable as he delved into the life of the artist most celebrated for Starry Night.
Among the audience members were a group of boys from Bishops Diocesan College, on a cultural exchange with Clifton.
From Tuesday to Thursday, besides performances, workshops for the Prep boys will include Little Musos, Expression Session, Gumboot Dance, Drumming, Drama, Beatboxing, “Imagination – Your Superpower“, and Hip-Hop Dance.
The College’s offerings include the Grade 8 boys doing movement, threatre sports, and gumboot dancing; the Grade 9s putting together an art installation and comedy games with students from the International Peace College South Africa (IPSA); Grade 10 boys will work with motivational speaker, Cherrie Downham, doing a vision board on a pillow case, which they will use on a mountain camp; the Grade 11s will investigate creative writing with local children’s author, Ros Toerien.
On Tuesday evening, the Musical Mosaics Concert takes place in the Ken Mackenzie Hall, while the College Library hosts the Spoken Word Festival.
The very popular Food Court makes its bow on Wednesday and will also bring the College Quad to life on Thursday.
Wednesday evening’s fare in the Ken Mackenzie Hall is the College Music Competition, while Terry Angelos will host “Sip ‘n Paint” in the Sutcliffe Theatre for parents.
On Thursday morning, the winners of the College Music Competition will perform a concert from 11:00 in the Ken MacKenzie Hall.
The Night Market and Art Fair open from 16:00 in the Ken Mackenzie Hall and Foyer, respectively, and the “Concert on the Lawns“, in front of Founders House, brings the entire Clifton community together on Thursday evening to bring the curtain down on the Arts Festival.