69th Kyudai-sai (Kyushu University Festival) and 13th Geiko-sai (Design Festival) Take Place

 The 69th Kyudai-sai took place at the Ito Campus on Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, 2016. The event was a rousing success, attracting 25,000 visitors, and has become a festival enjoyed not only by the students of Kyushu University, but also by many others from the community.

 This year’s Kyudai-sai featured a tie-up with a local festival, making it an event that helped to forge bonds with a large number of people.

 Among the many attractions were special lectures by academic staff from the university, a stamp rally (a contest in which people visit a range of locations to collect stamps, to be in with the chance of winning a prize), stalls selling specially designed items, and classes taught by the students themselves. The weekend was topped off by a magnificent firework display.

 The 13th Geiko-sai was held at the Ohashi Campus.
 Students from the School of Design undertook every part of the organization of this event, from planning to execution, drawing upon what they have learned from their classes and their independent creative endeavors.

 The festival featured a wide variety of attractions and entertainment, including displays providing an introduction to the School of Design through profiles of the laboratories and students’ work; a refreshment tent; a fashion and entertainment show with both costumes and stage production devised and executed by the students themselves; a theatrical performance on a stage built over a fountain; an interactive installation in which objets d'art and an array of decorations were used to turn a space into a work of art in its own right; and a dance event featuring not only music, but also video, lighting, and stage performances.

 The Fire Festival, a traditional part of the Geiko-sai, was held on the evening of Sunday 20th. This marked the grand finale of the Geiko-sai, with students, faculty members, and even members of the public gathering around a massive bonfire to perform traditional dances to the sound of taiko drums.