From February 19 to 23, 2018, selected students from our school, along with us teachers, traveled to the long-awaited mobility of the Erasmus+/Notes of Europe project in the United Kingdom, directly to the capital, London. This time, the prestigious host role was taken on by The BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon, about fifteen kilometers from central London.
We departed from Prague on Sunday, February 18, with a selection of students from the Dixiland jazz ensemble, consisting of Jan Čáp (drums), Jan Vodstrčil (trombone), Eva Komárková (saxophone), Lukáš Daněk (bass guitar), Matěj Novák (trumpet), Filip Peška (guitar), and Barbora Kopišťová (vocals and guitar). The entire mobility had a swift and clear momentum right from the start. The main goal of the organizers was to create an international orchestra composed of musicians from all nine European countries involved in this project. This was achieved, but I won’t spoil the surprise.
At the beginning, local students satisfied our initial curiosity and guided us around the school. We were amazed by the facilities in the classrooms
as we moved through the regular operational flow of the school. Neither the students nor the teachers at The BRIT School seemed to mind our presence; no one was surprised, almost as if we belonged there. We caught glimpses of multimedia and arts classes for design studies, dance studios, rehearsal spaces for music ensembles, and the school theatre (a venue for various performances) equipped with professional sound and lighting technology, operated by students learning this field. During the tour, we understood how comprehensive the local education is. Students engage in subjects like Arts Practice, Dance, Film and Media Production, Interactive Digital Design, Music, Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre, Drama, Visual Arts, and Design. The school supports creativity, all innovations, and prepares its students for real artistic life. The effectiveness of the teaching at The BRIT School is evidenced by the many posters featuring significant alumni like Adele, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J, Ella Eyre, and others. Students truly live for art, which is evident not only in the classrooms during lessons but also in the hallways and even in the cafeteria, where we met daily.
One of the main highlights of the mobility was the concert of the delegations from all nine countries in the project. Our students again proved that the Czech artistic education system in Vysoké Mýto is also of very high quality, and in healthy competition with the foreign delegations, the Czech artists once again excelled. Barbora Kopišťová played guitar and sang her own song with professional confidence, making us fear that she might be taken by The BRIT School. The Dixiland ensemble delighted the audience with jazz standards played with their characteristic enthusiasm and humor. The director of the Vysoké Mýto ZUŠ, Iva Vrátilová, also joined the band on piano. The well-deserved applause and subsequent congratulations followed immediately after their performance.
However, the main event was the concert of the already mentioned international orchestra composed of artists from all participating countries. After a week of preparation and rehearsals, in which our students also took part, we witnessed a magnificent performance. The pop band was literally surrounded by a multinational symphony orchestra, complemented by a singer or singers, as the hall resonated with songs from world-renowned artists. The concert was hosted by British students and even streamed live on the internet.
Two unique cultural experiences prepared for us by our British hosts became significant bonuses during our stay in London. The first was a visit to the Apollo Victoria Theatre on Wilton Road, where we saw the musical Wicked—the story of the witches from the Land of Oz. The soundtrack to this musical was previously awarded a Grammy. The second surprise was attending the BRIT Awards—the annual awards ceremony for British popular music, held at the O2 Arena on the Greenwich Peninsula, broadcast live around the world. To our astonishment, we found ourselves among a twenty-thousand-strong audience, right under the main stage, allowing us to see the stars of today's music world up close.
The last day of mobility was marked by exploring British culture. We had the opportunity to visit the most significant landmarks of London and also to taste typical dishes. The next day, we took off from London Stansted Airport and safely landed at Pardubice Airport on Saturday, February 24. The enthusiasm from the experiences was soon replaced by the joy of returning home, with the song "Sláva nazdar výletu" (Hooray for the trip) on our lips!
