What is the project: |
What have we achieved: |
What is in the pipeline: |
Giving students the training, tools and platform to further the issues they care most about, with focusses in both Liberation & Activism.
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In Term 1, Our Sabbatical Officer team ran a safe-space crits alongside our Black History Month Exhibition, which one student described as the 'first place she has been able to openly discuss race' at UAL.? In Term 2, we built a full events programme around our LGBTQ+ History Month Exhibition, alongside signposting to both UAL and external events/initiatives as part of Campaigns & Activism Week.
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Our Term 3 focus will be on Student Sex Worker Support. Our Advice & Policy Team are producing a toolkit for students, which signposts to support services both internal and external to UAL. We are organising a kick-off event in collaboration with ICA, with a tour of their Decriminalising Futures exhibition.
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UCU-UAL Strike Action & Arts SU Response
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At our Annual Members Meeting, we held a referendum on whether Arts SU formally supported UCU-UAL Strike Action.??
In Term 1, Syahadah (Campaigns) organised two Q&A events to educate students on the strikes. Arts SU also put together a website hub and social media project to educate students on the strike, and inform them on how they could get involved, if they so wished.
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We have continued this work during the Term 2 strikes, with our focus on both supporting students with any difficulties caused by the strikes, and also letting them know how they can get involved if they wish [specifically focussing on Postgraduate Students who teach].
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Implementing a new system for Democracy & Representation at Arts SU, ensuring that our systems, priorities and direction are led by our members.
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During the 2020/21 Academic Year, we undertook a Democracy Review, where our student members told us how they wanted to be represented. We have just had our election, where we elected 6x Sabbatical Officers and 22x School Reps, into the newly created roles.
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We will be implementing the new system from July 2022 when the new Officers assume their roles. The next step will be to recruit 12 x paid community organiser roles, alongside introducing termly student forums and feedback mechanism. |
NUS National Student Strike: Teach In / Walk Out |
We co-badged NUS’ National Student Walkout, which was a full day of events, campaigning and workshops, attended by Unions & Students from Nationwide.? Syahadah Shahril (Campaigns Officer) ran a session on fostering supportive communities in HE, which over 60 students attended.
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Arts SU have built strong connections with NUS, UCU-UAL and other London-based Students Unions, which we will continue to work with over the academic year.?
We will be publishing a follow-up article on the Arts SU website, including producing an online zine.
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Working to build relationships and/or signpost to partner organisations, to ensure students feel supported and foster local networks both during and beyond their time at UAL.
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During Campaigns & Activism Week, we signposted to events and initiatives by Decolonising Projects, the Africa Centre and Shades of Noir. We have also worked with BHM-UK.Org to and the ICA. |
We will be working with the ICA to organise a curator tour of their Decriminalising Futures exhibition, which ties in with our Student Sex Worker Support Advice & Policy project. |
Focus on Mental Health & Wellbeing, tying in with national campaigns: Time ?to Talk and University Mental Health ?Day.
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We held two Wellbeing Pop-ups, offering free treatments (hand massages, manicures, nail painting) and free hot chocolates to students, to encourage them to take 5 minutes out for themselves – to rave reviews!? We also organised two Materials & Resource Giveaways at CSM, to offset the high cost of living and studying in London.
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We received very positive feedback from students and staff alike on our Pop-ups/Giveaways, and UAL have reached out to say they would like to sponsor further events. |