EVENTS – Cultural events


Throw a Spanish fiesta


We’re an English/Spanish bilingual school, and eight years ago the PTA decided to create a summer fiesta to celebrate Spanish and Latin culture. Since we’re right next to one of the biggest parks in Brighton, we decided to hold it there and make it a whole community event. Over the years it’s got bigger and bigger and now attracts around 3,000 people, most of whom don’t even realise it’s connected with the school. We hire a big stage and have flamenco dancing, samba, Zumba, modern dance and Brazilian drumming – all performed by parents at the school or people connected to it in some way. One of our after-school clubs comes and does a big dance show for everyone, which is great because the kids get to perform in front of a big crowd. We don’t charge for entry, but stallholders pay a fee to come to the event, as do all the food trucks – we have everything from paella to fish and chips and candy floss. We also have a bar and a barbecue in the ‘festival zone’, and in the ‘fun zone’ there are activities for the kids, such as hair braiding, eco slime, reptiles, a bouncy castle and a circus. We need hundreds of volunteers for the day, so we have sign-up sheets and everyone gives us an hour or two of their time so they can still enjoy the fiesta with their kids. It’s like organising a professional event, but it’s a lot of fun, and last year we raised £13,000. Laura Cameron, PTA chair, The Bilingual Primary School PTA, Brighton & Hove (613 pupils)


Host an outdoor opera


Rather than constantly targeting parents for money, we were keen to hold an event that appealed to the wider community and felt as professional as possible. Two parents at the school are professional opera singers and kindly offered to give a performance for us, bringing in other musician friends to accompany them. We’re in quite a rural area, so there are some pretty spots, and one mum with a lovely garden offered to host the event. Another mum, who is a former graphic designer, put together a professional- looking flyer. The singers performed operatic arias and duets by Lehár, Puccini and Delibes, as well as excerpts from musicals by Lloyd Webber, Sondheim and Gershwin. People could bring picnics, and we served summery drinks. We had lots of positive feedback and will do it again. Charlotte Ward, PTA chair, Leigh Primary School PTA, Tonbridge (160 pupils)


Everyone gives us an hour or two of their time so they can still enjoy the fiesta


36 SPRING 2024 pta.co.uk


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