Beautifully different, Wonderfully the same” by Joseph Coelho.
當一個笑話搵到佢嘅笑聲嗰陣，就會爆發出同樣嘅笑聲。
Yr un whoop, yr un gymeradwyaeth
gwên wahanol.
Samma rytm gungar oss när en dans får oss att vicka. Samma händer, samma fötter olika stilar.
იგივე სითბო ჩვენს მუცელში,
როდესაც ვირჩევთ ვიყოთ კეთილები.
उही अँगालो, उही हाई-फाइभ
फरक शरीर।
Lo même sourire pou nou
Quand nou sorte dalon
i vé pareil i gagne pareil
Mem su un autre terrain
Sama kurbus meis, kui pimedus hiilib ligi.
Samad silmad, samad nuuksatused, erinevad pisarad.
La misma tristeza dentro de nosotros cuando la oscuridad se acerca.
Mismos ojos, mismos sollozos, diferentes lágrimas.
Freya: Good morning.
This week marks Cultures Week. The poem you just heard, “Beautifully Different, Wonderfully the Same” reflects the diversity of our community while also reminding us of what we share. This perfectly aligns with what the values of Cultures week are. Cultures week is all about coming together to recognise and celebrate the 75 different nationalities that make up our school community. And that matters, because culture is part of everyone in this room, no matter how local your roots are, or how far away they may be. To kick things off, let’s ask ourselves. What does culture really mean?
Nicky: Culture is a shared way of life between a group or region of people. This includes their beliefs, values, traditions and everyday habits that shape how they as people live. Culture can be seen in many ways; through the language that people speak, the food they eat, the clothes they wear, the music they enjoy, and their celebrations throughout the year. Culture gives people an identity and impacts the way we interact with the world. It gives people a sense of belonging, and at the same time, culture is everchanging. As people move around the world and share ideas, cultures evolve, and the world becomes more diverse. Culture is not just history and tradition, but about people’s lives – the way people think, feel, and express themselves. And so, by understanding and appreciating culture, we can connect with others, respect differences, and celebrate the uniqueness of every community. Now, for a more personal view of culture, I will pass over to Sophia.
Sophia: To me, culture is all about the 17th of May, watching the parade and seeing the streets filled with people wearing their different bunads. It means making flower crowns with my friends for Midsummer, and picking the perfect dress for the occasion, every year. To me, culture also means the unspoken rules - like never sitting next to someone on the bus if you don’t have to. In Scandinavian culture, there’s a concept called samhold, which means togetherness - and that’s exactly what Cultures Week represents. And this idea of togetherness is why the poem you just heard is so perfect.
Culture is not only about traditions or celebrations.
It’s about identity.
It’s about belonging.
And often, it’s the things we don’t really notice until someone asks us to explain them.
That’s why the question of the week is: What does culture mean to you?
Culture has a slightly different meaning for everyone. Whether your culture is about week-long celebrations or maybe the smaller, more discrete things that are embedded into your lifestyle, culture is something that is important to all of us, one way or another. This week is all about learning something new about another cultures, and appreciating the diverse community that Bromsgrove has to offer. I will now hand over to Freya and Nicky, who will tell you more about the ways to get involved.
Freya: Throughout the week, there are many ways to get involved: In the dining hall, Food Around the Globe will let you try food from a different country each day, accompanied by music from that culture. On Monday lunchtime from 1:20-2:00 in the Orchard Centre, we will be hosting the Culture Games, giving students the chance to learn how to play Mah Jong, a cultural board game that the elites in China would play to strengthen family ties.
Nicky: On Tuesday during lunchtime, there will be a world map in the dining hall where students and staff are encouraged to place a pin on where they’re from - a visual reminder of the diversity in our community. Also on Tuesday lunchtime, Miss Perez will be running a Flamenco dance masterclass in the dance studio between 1:20-2:00. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to take part, no matter their experience or skill level in dance. However, the centrepiece of Cultures Week - and the event we especially want to highlight - is Cultures Connect 2026.
Sophia: Cultures Connect will take place on Friday evening at 7pm in Routh Hall.
If you didn’t manage to get your hands on tickets, there will be reserved seats for those coming without a pre-booking on the night. We encourage everyone to come along and support your peers taking on the stage this Friday. It is a great way to showcase the diversity that Bromsgrove has to offer, and on the behalf of the whole committee, we hope to see as many of you as possible on Friday. And finally, one last way to engage this week: the first person in here to correctly identify all the eight languages you just heard in the poem, in order, and email their answers to Mrs Parveen, will receive a prize.
So take part, get involved, and experience something new. And as we begin this week-long celebration, we would like to say:
Velkommen til kulturuken 2026
Or, in English, welcome to Cultures Week 2026.