A Celebration of Culture at Abbey College Manchester
7th February 23
On Wednesday 1st February, the College was awash with celebration as the college hosted its inaugural Culture Day, initiated by the student council’s diversity sub-committee.
Offering an authentic experience, the leading independent college was adorned with decorations to represent as much of the staff and student population as possible, including knick-knacks, handicrafts and other pieces of artwork. Members of the college community were invited to come dressed in clothing which represents their culture, with a colourful array of attire seen on the day including pin badges, festival dress, meaningful jewellery and sports tops.
Throughout the day, the students and staff shared stories of their culture and gave an insight into some of the traditions. Musical instruments were available for students to showcase their skills, and they were encouraged to bring in any musical items of interest or share song suggestions for the playlist.
There were different board games available as well. Mah-jong was taught by Chinese mainland and Hong Kong students to many willing volunteers, and takhte, a version of backgammon, was enthusiastically demonstrated by students from Iran.
Students and staff members also indulged in tasty treats from across the world as traditional food was cooked up. Examples on the delectable and diverse menu included Iranian khoresh badamjan, Irish brack, Uzbeki fruits and nuts, Turkish tea, baghlava, Welsh cakes, Danish salted liquorice and Pakistani biryani.
Principal Chris Randell commented: “There was a strong sense of celebration and community in their air throughout our Culture Day, with high levels of engagement and enthusiasm seen by all. Our community at Abbey College Manchester is made up of people from many different countries, as well as from a variety of backgrounds, faiths and cultures. The Culture Day very much emphasised the values and respect that our students have for one another and we look forward to providing many other opportunities to celebrate the diversity within our college community.”
