Children’s author, Pippa Goodhart, visited Kimbolton Prep School on Tuesday, 17 June as part of the school’s KimFest festival – a biennial celebration of the Arts. Pippa, best known for her beloved ‘You Choose’ series, spoke to pupils about life as a writer and hosted an engaging drama workshop delivered in collaboration with the Shakespeare Schools’ Festival.
Her visit was one of many creative highlights during KimFest, a two-week celebration designed to showcase the imagination and flair of pupils across subjects including Art, Music, Drama and English. The festival saw pupils in both the Kimbolton Prep School and Senior School immerse themselves in a variety of enriching experiences that promoted expression, collaboration, and fun.
At the Prep School, pupils from the Upper Prep participated in an exhilarating African drumming session featuring 100 drums. Other hands-on workshops included teddy bear making, mural painting of the Tree of Life, creative writing, and Shakespeare-inspired activities. The two-week event concluded with a celebratory summer concert for the Prep School and an art exhibition showcasing the outstanding work created by pupils throughout KimFest.
The Senior School was equally alive with creativity. Pupils enjoyed Shakespeare acting masterclasses, a themed picnic, impressive art exhibitions, and a dazzling summer concert. The festivities culminated in a captivating production of ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, drawing enthusiastic applause from the school community. Meanwhile, Sixth Form pupils displayed their comic timing and physical theatre skills in a fast-paced, imaginative staging of ‘The 39 Steps’.
Kimbolton School Headmaster, Will Chuter, praised the festival’s role in supporting pupils’ holistic development. Commenting, he said: “I believe that the Arts are more important for young people today than ever. They nurture creativity, confidence, and emotional expression in a fast-shifting world that requires empathy, teamwork and critical thinking. In an education system dominated by exams – and a world dominated by technology – the Arts provide space for joy, risk-taking, resilience, and fun; things that provide fulfilment and build emotionally healthy young people. We’d like to thank Pippa Goodhart for taking part in KimFest and inspiring our pupils with her wisdom and warmth. It was a truly memorable experience for all involved.”
