MADFest 2025: A "Timeless" Celebration of Middle School Creativity 

On June 11, WAB's Middle School transformed into an energetic arts hub for MADFest 2025, the annual month-long festival celebrating student creativity in music, art, dance, and theater (MAD). This year's theme, "Timeless," invited exploration of enduring artistic expressions across generations and cultures, culminating in a dynamic showcase day filled with performances, exhibitions, and workshops. 

A Day Packed with Artistic Expression 

MADFest's showcase unfolded across multiple venues on campus, including the Founders Theater, Outside of the Box (OOB) Theater, Blu Theater, and the Visual Art Corridor. The day began at 8:40am with the Opening Show in the Founders Theater, featuring orchestra, dance, and band performances. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, students showcased their learning in a variety of arts: 

• Music Shows in the OOB and Blu Theaters highlighted instrumental and vocal skills developed over the month.  
• Theatre Shows and Films in the Blu Theater showcased original performances, acting, and technical theater skills.  
• Dance Shows in the Founders Theater featured choreography and expressive movement sequences.  
• Visual Art Exhibitions and Craft Workshops ran all day in the MS Gallery and the Visual Art Corridor, offering both artwork displays and interactive hands-on experiences.  

Developing Skills and Creative Thinking 

MADFest is a celebration and a comprehensive learning experience. 

• Music students refined their instrumental and vocal techniques, whether in orchestra or rock bands, while interpreting the “Timeless” theme. 
• Visual artists experimented with different materials, artistic techniques, and conceptual thinking to connect their artwork to the theme. 
• Theatre students developed acting and technical skills to craft original performances, while the backstage crew gained experience in lighting, sound, set, and costume design. 
• Dancers explored movement styles, choreographic patterns, and how to convey meaning through physical storytelling. 

 Jessica Chang, WAB's Middle School music teacher, shared her favorite part of hosting MADFest: "Seeing students express themselves creatively through different art forms." She added that the celebration day showcased a month's worth of creative exploration, and it's inspiring to see the community come together to celebrate their work. 

Learning Beyond the Arts 

As the school community gathered to celebrate creativity under the timeless theme, MADFest became a platform for cross-disciplinary learning through arts integration. Students developed technical skills and creative thinking while exploring personal interests and building confidence through live public presentations.  

Jessica emphasized that the process of preparing for MADFest also nurtured important life skills, including project management and collaboration, as students worked toward producing their final artistic works.