International Night (I-Night): Beyond Barriers 2014 organised by the Overseas Societies Committee (OSC) took place whho weeks ago in the Great Hall. Bringing together 10 different Imperial College student societies in a nail-biting competition, it involved colourful acts from Thai Society, Hellenic Society, Irish Society, Belly Dancing, Malaysian Society, Funkology, Japanese Society, Dance Company, Bangladeshi Society, Cypriot Society and a catwalk by Fashion Society!

Four esteemed judges, including Yas Edwards (DPCS), Sharon Bolton (Head of International Student Support), Anne Barrett (College Archivist) and Anthony Crowther (Students Activities Manager) were invited to judge which act deserved to win the I-Night Award of £200. Each member of the audience was also automatically entered into a raffle to win a £100 travel voucher, kindly provided by STA Travel – talk about a good deal!

Directed by Yiting Low and the OSC team led by Charmain Li, the show featured stunning performances ranged from the Malaysian Society’s impressive traditional Dikir Barat composed of a troupe of over 40 students and Funkology’s fierce street dancing, to the Irish Society’s performance dancing and the Fashion Society’s combination of original creations and traditional dress. Together, it was an eclectic and culturally educational evening!

However, there could only be one winner… which was rightly claimed by the Japanese Society, who adapted the traditional Japanese folk tale Momotarō, and filled it with lots of laughter, including cameos from Pikachu and Pac-Man!

All in all, it was a diverse and entertaining affair this year, with reviews raving about performances that were better than ever! Keep your eyes peeled for next year’s competition which promises to be a spectacular show of Imperial’s multicultural diversity!