Introducing our End of Degree Showcase Committee!
Our End of Degree Showcase Committee are pulling out all the stops to curate and showcase the best of SOWJ from the past three years.
You have chosen to accept a mission – what is it exactly?
The End of Degree Showcase is pretty self explanatory - it's a chance to showcase Third Year work, before we all leave and go our separate ways. As for what we, the committee, do - that's a little more complicated. We are commissioning Third Year students, our peers and friends, to write or perform or discuss something they have done in their writing and university career. Part of the process is figuring out what spaces are available for us to showcase the work, communicating with other departments and students, calculating costs, and marketing the event itself. It sounds serious and stressful but really the meetings are often fun and positive. And it's a chance to work as part of a university team one last time, before graduation rolls around!
WHY would you take this on during dissertation season?
I asked myself the same thing when I signed up! I thought about how it will feel in May when we've finished and realised that this was the best way to celebrate the three years that I've spent in Falmouth with the School of Writing and Journalism. I didn't want to regret missing out on this final opportunity to showcase everything that we've managed to achieve: all of the remarkable projects, collaborative and individual, that are the culmination of our time here. It's an exhibit of our university work, a recognition of our development as students - but it's also a celebration of our growth as individuals, the relationships that we've formed, and the part that the School had to play in helping us recognise our potential. It's cheesy, but it's true! And when you feel so strongly about something, I feel like you have to get involved. It's a way to say thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey, and to share the parts of this year that we've loved most with each other.
How long will the End of Degree Showcase last?
The actual ‘show’ (or conference, or presentation, or performance) will be on Wednesday 22nd May from 10am to 4pm. The exhibition will be in the Lighthouse from the 22nd for a whole week. This will hopefully give more people an opportunity to come and see our work.
Sounds fab! Can we have a sneak peek into what you’ve got planned?
Oh, we don’t want to give too much away, ruins the element of surprise! However, we can reveal that you can shape it! Your work is what we are showcasing and so really, you can make it what you like. This is the third-years’ time to show the world how amazing we are! However, what we can say is that there will be poems, prose, screenings, tea and coffee (very important, obviously) and a very special game of University Challenge. We will be pitting Journalism students against English students against Creative Writing students- so our lovely English AND Creative Writing students…pick a side! Also…this will be hosted by our very own Jerome Fletcher as Jeremy Paxman, so that is definitely one not to be missed!
Have you worked on anything like this before?
Not at all! But that's all part of the fun. Besides, we're just the women behind the curtain to keep the show running smoothly, it's all of you who are important. In some way, shape or form we've all contributed something to each others' time at university: I've been a rep for nearly three years, Gabby has for two, and I know for a fact that Melody, Amy and Adriana have put a lot into everyone's experiences. That's what makes this showcase so special. Yes, every member of this committee has done something special, but we want to showcase what all of you have done to make SOWJ as wonderful as it is. And yes, this means lecturers too! We can't forget about them, can we? The committee can't wait to show you all what we've created, and hope to see lots of your submissions come in as we get closer to the showcase date.
What can students do if they are interested in participating?
Funny you should ask that! We have sent out a call for submissions and have asked that anyone who would like to put their work forward to be exhibited send their ideas to this email address: sowj.showcase@gmail.com before the 12th of April – which is tomorrow! But…in order to encourage maximum participation, we have added a mini-extension until next Wednesday 17th April. Don’t be shy, get in touch with your ideas.
by Melody Gillett, Gabby Willcocks, Adriana Ciontea, Alexandra Guy, Lucy Welsh, Amy Hardman and Meah Howlett.