As Semester 1 draws to a close, residents Ben and Erin give us the rundown on what the Arts Reps have been up to.
What inspired you to run for Arts Rep?
After seeing and getting to be a part of the already thriving arts community at Burg, we felt we could bring our own experiences to the role and further contribute to work done by last year's amazing reps. We wanted to continue promoting and supporting arts within Burg to make the arts community even more vibrant and inclusive.
What is your favourite thing about being an Arts Rep at Burgmann?
The opportunity to organise events such as Big Night In, Paint & Sips and Speakeasies has been extremely rewarding —the effort that is put into facilitating these is worth it tenfold when we see everyone's artistic talents showcased. Also, as art is such a broad medium, we're able to see the diversity and individuality in everyone's artistic expressions and be inspired by what people are able to show the rest of the college.
What qualities do you think are most important for an Arts Rep to possess?
Nothing's better than a genuine passion for the arts: having a genuine interest and enthusiasm for all artistic forms means you’re able to naturally drive initiatives and work with others. It also means that all the hard work you put in during the term doesn't feel like hard work!
What has been the highlight so far?
We’ve loved working with students to provide engaging arts opportunities which allow everyone at Burg to have a go, including Paint & Sips and Speakeasy’s in collaboration with the Chat Noir, and Big Night In, which was headlined by the college Big Night Out (BNO) band. The highlight would one hundred percent be BNO, the Interhall Arts Committee’s biggest event this semester. Speaking to many of our friends, it wasn’t only a good chance to support the Burg Band, but also a great opportunity to listen to live music in an engaging setting.
And the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge of this year has been balancing student life and Arts Rep responsibilities. Having only two Arts Reps requires constant communication and engagement, and coming to the end of semester one it feels like it’s all been worth it. Obviously, this is a struggle that all students feel, so we were able to embrace the flexibility of our roles while working hard—we felt like we owed it to the college to provide super exciting events.
What do you hope to achieve this year?
Following on this year we have a few goals we would like to achieve. These include continuing the initiative for music in the d-hall, starting a womens* music group with fellow student Nikki Ballinger, and giving students the opportunity to use the art equipment in small groups at any time. By doing this, we hope to bring arts to the forefront of Burg’s culture and give students the opportunity to be creative and explore their artistic desires.
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?
Please continue to learn more about arts at Burgmann and get involved in whatever way you can! One of our Arts Reps, Erin as Vice President of IAC, would also like to encourage students to keep on the lookout for new and exciting IAC events coming this term. You can always find a place in the Burgmann arts community, and we want nothing more than to give you the opportunity to do what brings you joy.
*After discussions with our GSEAs, Sports Reps and Cultural Change, we are changing from male-identifying and non-male identifying to Mens* and Womens*.
Mens* refers to mens, masc-aligned and non-binary
Womens* refers to women, femme-aligned and non-binary
