Culture Fox Trip to Milan and Vienna
This year trip to Italy and Austria was curated especially keeping in mind the interests of the participating students from all three campuses of Shiv Nadar School.
The 8-day long trip covered the cities of Milan in Italy and Vienna in Austria. A total number of 16 students and 4 teachers went on the tour guided by Culture Fox leaders.
MILAN
The days were divided into Architecture Day, Fashion Day & Visual Art day at Milan.
Architecture Day
Our students learnt about perspectives and gained tangible skills in drawing 3D on 2D. The experience was special as they sat in front of iconic monuments on a beautiful, sunny day and attempted sketching what they were seeing on paper while being told about the historic significance of the sites. They were taken to the Arco Della Pace and Castello Sforzesco.
It was a great beginning. The students enjoyed the first activity at the Arco Della Pace immensely. The activity became a little long and repetitive at the second location. Castello Sforzesco houses a museum, which had an exhibition of works by Leonardo da Vinci. The day concluded with a walk through the College of Art, Botanical Gardens and some shopping in the city centre.
Fashion Day
Most students were looking forward to exploring fashion in Milan and the day began with the much-awaited visit to Armani/Silos Museum. The students learnt a lot about the famous designer as they walked through the museum with expert cultural influences in fashion designing.
Visual Arts Day
The workshop on this day was led by Ms Silvia Fiani, a Milanese artist, at her quaint, little studio. The students learnt various watercolour techniques and were encouraged telling them about the significance of weaves, fabrics, colours, lights and diverse to express their inner emotions using this medium on paper.
VIENNA
The days in Vienna were divided into Theatre Day, Photography Day & Music Day
Theatre Day 
The students were introduced to ‘Theatre of the Youth’, the largest theatre for children in Europe. At the Renaissance, Theatre students were given a guided tour of the stage specially designed for their ongoing production of Robin Hood. They learnt about stagecraft, projections, props, music, costumes, make-up, wigs and all that goes into making a musical theatre production. The stage tour was followed by a brief description of the storyline of the play. They then watched the entire three-hour-long production in German with a house full of children of all ages. Even though they did not understand the language, it was easy to follow the story and was very exciting to see all the tricks unravel on stage.
Photography Day
On photography Day in Vienna students went to Metro Kinokulturhaus to see an exhibition of Polaroids taken by German filmmaker and photographer Wim Wenders curated by Filarchiv Austria. Here the students attended a workshop on Polaroid cameras. This was followed by an outdoor mobile photography workshop led by Mr Rafael Haider. Despite the fact that it was raining and dark outside, the students enjoyed learning about photography from their mentor and walking through the city, taking pictures of beautiful buildings and of each other. On photography Day in Vienna students went to Metro Kinokulturhaus to see an exhibition of Polaroids taken by German filmmaker and photographer Wim Wenders curated by Filarchiv Austria. Here the students attended a workshop on Polaroid cameras. This was followed by an outdoor mobile photography workshop led by Mr Rafael Haider. Despite the fact that it was raining and dark outside, the students enjoyed learning about photography from their mentor and walking through the city, taking pictures of beautiful buildings and of each other
Music Day.
The students went to the House of Music, where they were given a guided tour by the museum representative. Each floor of the museum had a different theme and presented knowledge about the history, science and art of music in a very interactive manner. The students were introduced to the great composers of Austria and they playfully learnt scientific facts about sound and music.
The House of Music was followed by attending an Organ concert in Baroque St. Peter’s church. This was a unique and very calming experience. The tall, intricately decorated walls of the church resonated with the sound of the Organ and everyone consumed by the mesmerizing music. The day ended with a visit to the Summer Palace. The rain finally stopped and we could enjoy the breathtaking view of the city of Vienna and take a walk in the royal gardens of this beautiful historical site.
Visual Arts Day
On Visual art day, the students visited Kunst Haus Wien designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. A unique and colourful building showcasing the works of this artist and environmental activist was a window to understand the need for immediate attention to our environment. The guided tour familiarized students with the life and journey of this important Austrian artist and thinker, which was culminated with a brief drawing activity.
