Brussels MS festival

Area of Learning
Celebrating artistic waves: How art and theatre can act as catalysts for social and personal transformation will be the artistic lens through which students explore turning points in the lives of characters, brought to life through the expressive power of musical theatre—song, movement, and dramatic storytelling. Students will explore a song from a musical and incorporate this into their devised work.

Festival Story
The festival story is the central idea that inspires exploration and creative work throughout an ISTA festival.

Cultural Experience
At the Domaine de la Bataille de Waterloo, students will step onto the very battlefield that marked a turning point in European history, experiencing an immersive, multi-sensory journey that reveals the human stories, pivotal decisions, and lasting consequences of this historic event—offering rich inspiration for their own creative exploration of turning points through music, dance, theatre, and song.

ISTA Global Challenge
This event is part of ISTA’s season-wide theme: Waves of Change. The challenge invites young people to explore how change—personal, social, cultural, environmental, and historical—shapes our world. Through theatre, students reflect on their role in creating, responding to, and riding the waves of change in their own communities and beyond.

Festival Schedule

• Start: 4:00 pm Wednesday 22 April 2026
• End: 1:30pm Saturday 25 April 2026

Educator Workshops

• One theatre-focused workshop for teacher chaperones
• Collaborative resource-sharing sessions

Booking secures your place at an ISTA festival by providing estimated participant numbers and paying a deposit. Registration finalises all participant details to support accurate planning for workshops, catering, and logistics.

Booking

• Opens: 9:00am (UK time), Monday 5 May 2025
• Before booking, ensure your school can attend by confirming:
  
  • Travel restrictions and visa requirements
  • Parental approval
  • School authorisation
• At the time of booking, you must provide:
  
  • Estimated number of students
  • Estimated number of educators
  • Lead educator contact details

Deposit & Confirmation

• Once booked, you’ll receive an invoice for a 50% deposit based on student numbers. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. Booking is only confirmed once the deposit is received (within 30 days).
• Please only book spaces you are confident you can fill.

Registration

• Opens: 9:00 am (UK time), Monday 5 May 2025
• Closes: 11:59 pm (UK time), Wednesday 11 February 2026
• Once registration opens, schools with confirmed places should complete participant registration as soon as possible. You’ll need to provide final student and educator details along with confirmed travel information.

Changes in Student Numbers

• Fewer students than booked? Deposits for those students are forfeited.
• Need more students? Additional spaces may be requested. A 50% deposit per added student will apply.

Waitlist

• If the event reaches capacity, it will be marked Waitlist.
• To be added to the waitlist, email the Event Manager with your requested number of students and educators. Spaces will be offered in the order requests are received.

ISTA festivals follow a two-step automated payment process:

Step 1: 50% Deposit at Booking

• Upon booking, a 50% deposit is required to secure your place. This deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable.
• Bookings are only confirmed once the deposit has been successfully paid.

Step 2: Final Balance After Registration Closes

• After registration closes, schools will be automatically invoiced for the remaining 50% of fees, based on the final number of students registered, plus any applicable surcharges.

Changes in Student Numbers

• Fewer students than booked: Deposits for non-attending students will be forfeited. (e.g. If 15 students are booked but only 10 attend, the deposit for 5 students is not refunded.)
• Additional students: A 50% deposit per added student will be invoiced at the time of the increase.

Arrival & Departure

• Arrival: Before 3:00pm Wednesday 22 April 2026
• Departure: After 4:30 pm Saturday, 25 April 2026
  

Transport

• Nearest Airport: Brussels National Airport (BRU)
• Nearest Train Station Gare de Bruxelles-Midi (Brussels-South railway station)
• Participants will be picked up on arrival and transferred to the host school.
• Participants will be returned to the Airport/Train station immediately following the close of the event on Saturday afternoon 25 April 2025.
• Travel time between the host school and the Airport/Train station is approximately 30 minutes. Please arrange arrival and departure times to allow for local travel.
• Participants choosing to arrive a day early or stay in Brussels for an extra night will be responsible for arranging their own airport transfers.

Visas

• It is the responsibility of the schools/participants to ensure they have the appropriate visas, as required.
• Please ensure that you start looking into visa requirements sooner rather than later as the process can take a significant amount of time.
• If you require assistance or additional documentation to support your visa applications please ensure to contact the event manager well in advance.

Accommodation

• This is a hotel stay event.
• Participating schools are responsible for arranging their own accommodation.

Hotel Name & Location

IBIS Brussels Waterloo
Boulevard Henri Rolin 5A, B-1410 Waterloo, Belgium
Telephone: +32 2 351 00 30

Website: Click here.

Hotel is a 20 minute walk from the school campus.

Room Rates as of 1 July 2025 *

Breakfast is included in all rates

Single: EUR €95 (approx GBP £82)
Double: EUR €110 (approx GBP £95)
Triple: EUR €135 (approx GBP £117)

*IMPORTANT BOOKING INFORMATION:
These are the codes to book the hotel : Booking reference: 946731Group reference: 2604STJOHN

🍏 3 evening meals, 2 lunches and daily snacks will be provided by the host school. Breakfasts should be booked at the hotel.

Appropriate attire

• All participants must bring clothing that is suitable for physically active workshops during the day (athletic wear, PE kit, performance blacks, etc.)

Please note

• Participants not dressed appropriately for physically active workshops may be asked to sit out.
• Participants may be asked to remove footwear, jewellery etc. for some workshops.
• Chewing gum is not permitted in any of the workshop spaces.

Materials

• Pens, pencils, highlighters etc. for notetaking.
• Refillable water bottle

📄 E-Programmes containing detailed schedules, artist bios, and key event information will be sent to participating organisations two weeks before the event.