12 Post Festival Student Relfections
When asked to reflect on their experiences right after the festival, some of their responses were:
“It was a really good experience to have to create a festival, though stressful at times. I used to do a lot of dance performances over the years and the feeling of stress and worry was very familiar, and the feeling of gratitude and accomplishment after it is all done makes all the work worth it.”
“This festival as a whole completely shifted my idea of what teamwork usually consists of, especially during our downfalls that had most of us stressed out with confusion. I have learned that it is always helpful to ask each other whatever comes to mind, since being able to comprehend the information more effectively is what usually leads to more success. I had an amazing and memorable time working with everyone in our group, and most importantly Pravah as a whole. I appreciate all of those who have given me this opportunity since it truly changed my mindset on teams/groups in general, which will definitely help me become even more successful and feel accomplished in the coming times of my career.”
This project helped me realize that communication can really do wonders for a group project. Of course, I knew that communication was indeed key, but I never really realized how it can really do wonders. “
“I think one of the biggest lessons I learned through the creation of the project is that the creative process takes time. For example, I thought we would meet for the first time, then more or less agree on what the final version of the project would be. However, this was not the case. As we researched more and continued to work on the project, it continually changed form and was different from what I had in mind at the start. I think that if I am ever working on a collaborative art or creative piece, I will take more time to do research and be less eager to jump to a finished project at the start.”
“Although the occurrence and implications of the pandemic have changed our way of connecting with each other, the process of the creation of this festival and its ultimate success felt like a door opening into many more cross-cultural collaborations and opportunities in the future. I’m very appreciative and grateful to be a part of something like this at UW Bothell!”
“ Through this experience, I learned how important communication is when working on a group project. I also learned how important it is for everyone to sacrifice something for the project to succeed.”
“I thought our arts festival was empowering and inspiring! It brings me joy that I had the opportunity to participate and help with such an inspirational arts festival! I thought all of our socially engaged art projects were very meaningful, as I learned so much and feel empowered. Knowing UWB students have a voice and the power to impact the future of the world for the better!”
“I enjoyed working with my art group on a project that had a topic that we were all interested in.Being a part of this group was a rewarding experience and I have learned a lot about the socially engaged arts and the importance of collaboration during a time of virtual learning.”
“With collaborative art projects that take a lot of creativity, it can be difficult to simply start or find the direction to head in. It takes time and effort to brainstorm ideas or settle/narrow down ideas. But the lesson I learned is that even though it may be intimidating to approach a project as big as the festival was, it just takes a push to actually start. Then from there, teamwork is put into play to gain momentum towards the end goal. This idea of brain dumping and freely posing all of your wildest ideas to your team members in the beginning of the project is something that I will continue to work on to make a more productive collaboration on future projects.”
“Upon reflection, the lessons I have learned through the creation of this project I will take with me all throughout life. These lessons will lead me to be a more productive collaborator on my future projects because now I was exposed to how much of a change a project can have on society. Because of these projects, I was able to see many thoughts and opinions on certain topics which allowed me to see how different we all are. And for my future projects, I will continue to be a productive collaborator to hear many people’s thoughts on topics that I might not have seen that way until I hear their explanations on why they think that way.”
“Some lessons I have learned is that communication is key in group project as well as time management which will help lead a productive collaboration in future groups by having a more cohesive project. “
“Something that I learned throughout this process was that the projects can be unpredictable as well as having no structure. This meant that we had to create our own structure and do this all on our own.”
“Through this experience, I learned how important communication is when working on a group project. I also learned how important it is for everyone to sacrifice something for the project to succeed.”
“Lessons that I have learned through the creation of this project were social responsibility, accountability, leadership, teamwork, and communication. These lessons might be able to lead to a more productive collaboration by bringing the skills that I learned from these lessons onto future projects. I believe that communication is a crucial part of teamwork and without it, the project would fall apart. I also believe that it is important to hold everyone in the group accountable and make sure that no one falls behind and is aligned with our group work progress so that they are actively always engaged throughout the project.”