The Warsaw High School Times

Graphic by Rita Pasiewicz

What is SOFA?

A bit more than two weeks ago, one of the best high school festivals took place in Warsaw. SOFA (Sceniczny Otwarty Festiwal Artystyczny) is held annually for two days in the Witkacy High School and unites all types of teenage artists who would like to show their work to other high school students. This year, anybody interested in fashion, music, fotography, dance, theater, film, and painting (or literature, which was added this year) could participate in the festival and display their masterpieces to the public and the jury.

The first thing any individual noticed while coming in through the doors of the school was the amazing artwork of the students of the Witkacy High School. Every corridor of the first floor of the school was decorated with shining lights, colorful drapes, and other decorations that perfectly visualized this year’s theme: the fantasy world. Walking around the school, it was impossible not to notice the photographs, fashion pieces, and pieces of literature that were put on display for everybody to see. The gymnasium, where the stage was located, was decorated with a disco ball, garlands, and drawings of different plants, such as a huge red mushroom drawing next to the stage. Personally, when walking through the corridors, I felt as if I was like Alice from “Alice in Wonderland”.

During the first, “theatrical” day, the audience could watch short musicals, theatrical pieces, and dances. The performances were very diverse – some hilarious, while others very mature and serious – something which made the festival a great place both for people who wanted to rest after a tough week and those who wanted to watch the performances for their artistic craftsmanship. After the live performances, the audience got to watch some short films directed by young, talented people. The second, “musical” day, focused mainly on musical performances of solo artists and bands who wanted to share their passion with the audience.

What came with the organization of SOFA?

If anybody ever wanted to organize this type of festival, there is a very important message you have to remember. Organizing a High School Festival is not a “piece of cake”. It requires a lot of time, energy, and numerous responsible and helpful people, who will help with anything you need. 

The organization of SOFA took approximately six months and required help from almost all people in 10th grade, and even some teachers. The students had to decorate the whole school, buy all the necessary products, and prepare the registration process and many documents that later had to be signed by the participants. They had to organize prizes and promote the festival on social media, which also took a lot of time and energy. However, the toughest part of the coordination was finding and convincing the judges to come and determine the winners of the festival. As the summer came, there were many issues with communication with the judges, as not only were they on holidays, but so were the students. 

Reflections of the attendees

After speaking with the coordinators, the audience, and having performed there myself, I would be lying if I said that SOFA was not a success. Everything was very well organized, and the audience had a lot of fun. Everything was arranged to “the last button”. Everyone was amazed by the look of the venue and the diversity of the performances. The spectators I talked to all can not wait for next year’s festival, which again will most probably be hosted around October and take up two days. 

Quick Guide on Creating an Amazing Festival

1. Get your group together: Remember to choose people who will be able to put a lot of time, effort, and energy into the organization of a festival. They have to be responsible and able to help you at any stage of the process.

2. Choose the theme: It can be practically anything – you just have to use your imagination. Once you have come up with the theme try not to change it too often, as it may cause a mess. If you suddenly have a great idea that you would like to incorporate into the festival, think how you could possibly mix it with what you already have rather than change the whole theme.

3. Agreement with the principal: This may seem like the toughest part, however principals in many schools are more than happy to provide their students with possibilities for their personal growth. You just have to make the first move, as the principal may be unaware that the students would like to host a festival in their school.

4. Promotion of the festival: Make sure that your festival is getting recognition on social media, so that students from other schools will also know about the festival and will have an opportunity to visit it. 

5. Start writing necessary documents, such as the GDPR/RODO for all participants. 

6. The performances: One of the most common types of registration is via Google Forms, and it is usually the easiest to navigate. If you know any specific young performers, for example a theatrical group from a different school, or a teenage band who you think would make a great show, text or email them. Many groups are waiting for the opportunity to take part in a festival.

7. Just have fun with it. It does not have to be perfect. As long as you, the other organizers, the performers, and the audience are having fun, one small issue like wrong lighting or a microphone not working is not important. The most crucial part in all of this is for the teenagers to be able to relax, make new friends, and (for some) to show their talents.