By Megan Chan

For the fifth consecutive year, the annual Renaissance College International Evening was held on October 28th. A celebration of multicultural diversity across students in Hong Kong, the event featured nearly fifty performances from students and teachers across eight different schools. 

Streamed live online,the two-hour fundraising event was watched by around 200 attendees and featured performances ranging from cultural music and dance to displays of martial art prowess from students and teachers of all ages and cultural backgrounds.

A core leadership team, which included Year 12 students Ronny Lo, Cedric Poon, Yanna Ng, Shawn Shum, Winnie Pau, and Cyrus Ho, organised the event.

The idea behind International Evening was very simple.

 “The main purpose of International Evening was to celebrate ESF's international mindedness and raise awareness about the issue of cultural inequality,” explained Lo, the project manager. “We mainly did this by making International Evening an event to spread some joy as well as a fundraiser towards Hong Kong Unison, a non profit organization aimed to help ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.”

Planning began in August, but the origin of this annual tradition can be traced back to 2016, when it was hosted for the first time. A new cohort of students, under the supervision of Mathematics teacher Shobha Sanker, led the event each year, making International Evening one of RCHK’s stand-out and staple legacy projects. 

Although a long-standing tradition, this year’s International Evening saw notable changes. For one, COVID-19 restrictions prevented the event from being hosted live. The team instead opted for a livestream for the second year, using Vimeo to broadcast the performances. The event also extended beyond ESF and involved students from other schools such as Diocesan Boys’ School and Li Po Chun College. 

The lead-up to the event was busy. “There was a lot of organisation and planning that went into this,” noted Lo. “We had to figure out how long the event was going to be, how many performers we would include, and most importantly, whether we would emcee online or in person. I think that the main challenge we faced when handling this event was towards the end, when we had to film the emcee sections of the event just one day before the livestream was actually happening. However, I think that after all the hard-work, the outcome was extremely worthwhile.”

Reception to the event was incredibly warm. “It was really fun and enjoyable to watch students and teachers come together to share parts of their culture,” remarked an anonymous audience member. “It brought about a sense of community and cultural appreciation.”

Involvement was vast, indicated by the range of performances, ages, and cultures showcased that evening. However, in a time where in-person gatherings and performances remain largely absent, International Evening 2021 brought about a comforting sense of familiarity. Whether that be the reappearance of the iconic Wheeler father-daughter musical duo, the return of the ever-beloved Wilson and the Wonderboys teacher band, or the delightful teachers dance as the finale for the event, The night was a reminder that no matter where you are or where you’re from, there’s always a place for everyone in International Evening. 

By the end of the event, International Evening 2021 was able to raise 15,690 HKD for Hong Kong Unison. The link remains open to anyone who is interested in donating.

Rewatch the livestream here.