#arts active
I cannot believe a year has gone past already! It has been a privilege and honour to be your Activities Officer of the 2018/2019 Academic year.
My manifesto in 2018 focused on four main areas:
1. Improving the accessibility of sports and societies for students
2. Ensuring parity across sites and lobbying the university to extend opening hours at Wimbledon
3. Helping students understand how to create opportunities for themselves whilst at UAL and once they leave
4. Supporting students who run sports and societies
It has been an incredible yet challenging experience to see all of this and more come into fruition. Here are some of the projects I embarked on:
CURATING THE BIGGEST BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAMME and BEYOND BLACK HISTORY MONTH
During what felt like a few minutes in my sabbatical role, one of the first projects I took on together with my incredible team was curating a series of events during Black History Month. This programme included a major exhibition at the Copeland gallery, several talks relating to fine art and fashion practice, Afrobeat dance classes, film screenings and self-care workshops.
This was very much possible with the support of the Dean of Students Mark Crawley!
After the Black History Month was over, we continued to curate other talks and events. Such included ‘’Elevating Our POC Voices’’ organised by Shannon Bono, the Women’s’ officer.
At LCF, we hosted Tolu Coker (Alumni) and Mariam Tijani (student at the time) to have a conversation about their fashion practices. It was well attended by current students and external foundation students who wanted to know about what it was like to study fashion at LCF and CSM.
The exhibition at Copeland Gallery was well attended and saw over 300 guests throughout its duration. Students were able to sell work through the show and establish new networks.
WIMBLEDON COLLEGE OF ART OPENING HOURS MADE EQUAL TO CHELSEA AND CAMBERWELL: LOBBYING FOR PARITY
As a Wimbledon Alumni, I was very aware of the frustrations students feel about the luck of consistency in areas such as opening hours and CLS in CCW. It was my mission to change the opening hours at Wimbledon. With your help, through statements and focus groups we were able to have conversations with the head of college at CCW to address this inconsistency.
The parity in opening hours across CCW does not end there! We seek for parity across all 6 colleges now! I have written a report which expresses the demand for equal opening hours across all 6 colleges. This will be used to lobby the university and implement the change we want to see.
BEHIND THE SCENES STUDIO VISITS: PARTNERSHIP WITH CREATIVE SHIFT AT CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY
Our courses do very well to invite external speakers and practicing artists throughout the year, which is beneficial to the student experience. However, we understand that these opportunities can create a space for artists to talk about the polished side of things and to delve into the difficulties and strategical ways to get around any obstacles, especially after graduation.
We partnered up with the Creative Shift team at Careers and Employability to organise a programme of visits to artists’ studios and companies. These small intimate groups created a space for an alternative way of learning and observing what goes on in the real art world.
We visited PR Agencies, sculptors, film makers, painters etc.
These visits have now been compiled with podcasts and other interviews to create a publication which will serve as a tool/guidance for recent graduates.
YOGA AND FOOD: A SERIES OF YOGA AND CREATIVE EVENTS AIMED AT BUILDING COMMUNITIES AND IMPROVING ENGAGEMENT AT CCW
Earlier during the first term we received a call to apply for funding to run a series of events relating to health and wellbeing. After a couple of brainstorming activities led by Claire Flannery, the Creative Activities team were able to secure the grant for the programme titled “Yoga and Food’’. This programme focused on community building in Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon. Brilliantly delivered by the Arts Active Coordinator, Camille Koosyial, the Yoga and Food event engaged over 70 students and saw several collaborations happen between Arts Active, societies and MiAL artists. The Latino X society delivered a brilliant clay workshop, Lizzie Reid and Ella Banard delivered a watercolour pattern workshop and ArtsFems society delivered a homemade face masks workshop. These are only a few of the collaborations that happened.
The Yoga and Food events evidently made more students aware of not only Arts Active but other opportunities that Arts SU provided. Some students went on to attend the Behind the Scenes visits in June!
SUCCESS’ & BYE LAWS AND CONSTITUTION REVIEW FOR SPORTS AND SOCIETIES
Throughout the year, I have seen and approved several applications from students wanting to create new spaces and communities. There is literally something for everyone! If there isn’t, I challenge you to start a new society or sport next academic year. Some of the new societies we have had this year include Fail Better Society, Lingerie Society, UAL for All and Fashion Psychology.
This year, I introduced a Creative Activities newsletter which goes out to all students. It contains match results, events and other happenings within sports, societies and Arts Active. This was to help committees spot opportunities for collaboration with other societies but also celebrate achievements on a regular basis. We also introduced an equality, diversity and inclusion training for committee training attended by presidents, treasurers and other members of sports and societies.
I reviewed our Bye Laws and Constitution for Sports and Societies and approved them through Student Council. The changes are not weighty but were important for us to ensure a continuous and successful running of sports and societies at Arts SU.
Last but not the least, I had the opportunity to wear the UAL Women’s Basketball jersey one last time in a victorious varsity win. Go Arts!
PREPARATION FOR THE SECOND EDITION OF THE DECOLONISING THE CURRICULUM ZINE
The impact and distance the decolonising the curriculum zine has travelled so far is incredible and I believe it is only the beginning. My predecessor on this project, Hansika Jethnani, did an impeccable job to begin this work and it has been an important decision for me to play a part in not just helping people understand its purpose and message, but also using it as a tool to educate and lobby change. The Zine has toured all the colleges with the great work of Rahul Patel, Lucy Panesar, Gustavo Grandal Montero and many others. We are in the process of creating the next Zine!
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE CREATIVE ACTIVITIES TEAM
With all that said, I will like to make it clear that this work could not have been done without the support of students, Sophie Greaves, Vinesh Kurup, Camille Koosyial, Claire Flannery, Lotte Dawson, Katie Hughes, Sophie Risner, Sarah Choudhary Grant and the entire team at the Student Union. These people have supported me in ways you cannot imagine.
It has been an incredible and eye-opening journey and I am thankful for all of you!
