Yesterday, the international university choir presented a painting they had created themselves to the university management as a token of their gratitude. After several performances, the students wanted to express their special thanks to the University of Schmalkalden.
“Thanks to the university's support, we have now had the opportunity to meet regularly for three years, rehearse together, discover new songs, try them out, and arrange them creatively,” reports Chawki Khefifi from Tunisia. The choir currently consists of 44 students and staff from 21 different countries. Under the direction of Uta Pesavento, the choir performed a total of nine times in front of around 1,500 people. “For some of us, it was the first time we had ever been on stage. But in this community, we find the courage to do so, we discover new sides to ourselves, and we gain experiences that we will never forget,” says Rihab Sahl from Morocco. It means a lot to the students to bring joy to other people with their music and to pass on something positive. “With our performances, we want to make the world a better place for a moment,” said Anastasiia Dzham from Ukraine. And, of course, the students also sang a few songs from their repertoire yesterday.
The picture consists of a 2 x 2 meter canvas and 120 small 10 x 10 cm canvases. The large canvas shows the globe with the outlines of the continents from which the students come. The deliberately blue background symbolizes calm, trust, stability, and peace. “Our hands are depicted in silver and gold; they are similar to each other and represent community,” says Giuliana Moreira from Brazil. The students designed the small canvases individually for themselves. No two pictures are alike – just like people.