societies
The Courtauldian | Issue 1 | November-December 2012
The Courtauld Film Discussion Group
By SIMON PARKIN, The Composite Order President The Composite Order (a.k.a. The Lads’ Society) was formed upon the idea that something of the pub crawls of Leeds and the smashed windows of the Bullingdon might be breathed into the dwindling male population at the Courtauld, providing the occasional welcome distraction from the danse macabre of student life. The levity of curry nights, pub golf and printed t-shirts gently buffing out the creases left by 13hour library shifts and the cafe still not serving bacon sandwiches. Despite our ambition to promote inter-year camaraderie amongst the University's most marginalised demographic, the lads, our events are open to all. If you interested in drinking, socialising, and generally upping the quality of Courtauld banter then look no further. As many of you will have noticed, the Courtauld lads are currently grooming glorious moustaches for the Movember charity. At the time of writing, we have raised £794 to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer. I would like to thank everyone who has donated so far and I hope that we will continue to receive great support. Upcoming Events: THE COMPOSITE ORDER CURRY CLUB MONDAY 26TH NOVEMBER THE PUB GOLF TAVERN CRAWL FRIDAY 7TH DECEMBER
MOVEMBER
The Courtauld Film Discussion Group aims to provide a casual environment for watching and talking about any and all types of moving images; 35mm, digital, and even .gif. In the new year we'll start bi-weekly screenings and discussions in the Courtauld Cafe. We'll also be tying in events with the literature society. We're also planning to make more of the fantastic movie theatres in London. The ICA, BFI, and the Prince Charles Cinema (One of London's best independent cinemas, and a personal favourite of Tom, Jake, and Quentin Tarantino)
are all within 10 minutes of The Courtauld. They showcase the rarer and more unusual films that you might not have seen before. We'll see some good, some bad, and some ugly films, but hopefully they'll be films that you've never seen before. We don't know everything there is to know, so suggestions of cinemas to visit, films to see, and subjects to talk about are highly welcomed. Join the Facebook Group 'Courtauld Film Soc' - or email jacob.wilson@courtauld.ac.uk or thomas.mehigan@courtauld.ac.uk for more info.
The Courtauld Literature Society For a second year the Courtauld Literature society returns to offer new and current students a forum for literary appreciation. Our aim to be an inclusive forum for discussion is coupled with refreshing material, with the provision of leisure time reading being the prerogative of the society, that in no way hinders students already committed to heavy workloads. So far this term we have enjoyed the company of many great authors, enjoyably recognisable to some and excitingly new to others; works by Virginia Woolfe, Sam Selvon, Edgar Allan Poe, Wilfred Owen and the War Poets, Dylan Thomas and even some Dickens. We read extracts from larger novels due to time constraints, short stories and poetry, often showing short films of adaptations and recorded poetry recitations.
To aid discussion we provide overarching theme; there can only be limited material by an author offered as reading, so it is encouraged that members of the society feel to can incorporate into discussion, works of interest that correlate to the weekly leitmotif. A Christmas reading list will be issued, with recommendations for books that students may like to review for the Courtauldian Literary Supplement in 2013. The reviews can be categorised into either our classic or contemporary segments, contact Roisin O’Connor for more details. If you have not attended the Courtauld Literature Society previously, and cannot make the meetings, you can still write a review for a book of your choice and send it to literaturesociety@courtauld.ac. uk
Business of Art Society
By DANIELLE CLARK BRYAN, Business of Art Society Chair
This term the Business of Art Society has had a great response from the whole student body, from curious first year BAs to Postgraduates with a wealth of “real world” experience to share! At BoAS we emphasise the importance of exploring current contacts and forming new ones. This provides a great opportunity for students to start networking, with the security of the Society’s reputation to support any invitations. As a result, this term our members have made exciting progress inviting speakers and arranging events in many areas of art business. On Tuesday 4th December at 6pm, Ezra Konvitz, Courtauld alumna and co-founder of the art-sharing social website ArtStack, will be coming to give a talk on his career. He will lead a discussion on how social media and online networking has affected the traditional structures of the art world and the way we, on a personal level, come into contact with and connect through art. This dynamic
and insightful talk will be open to all students and we hope to continue the online art business theme throughout the year. In January, contemporary fine art dealer Emily Tsingou will be giving a presentation on her experience in art dealership. We will also be hosting a discussion between two lawyers who work in different areas of art law, following the success of last year’s popular talk by art lawyer Anna O’Connell. Other areas of interest being explored are tours around an auction house, art and investment and marketing and a long term project involving interviewing a series of collectors is being organised by members of BoAS. This term has also been crucial for deciding on the organisation, structure and running of the society. Key positions have been appointed: Eleanor Rees is Deputy Chair, Chloe Ashby is Secretary, Yoojin Choi is Postgraduate Representative and Hannah Wood is Treasurer. Furthermore, this year the first BoAS website was launched and we expect to increase our online presence throughout the year.
The Courtauld Theatre Society
Theatre society is a brand new society set up this year by BA3 students Joanna Thomas and Izzy Morris. We organise trips to various theatres across London, making the most of the many cheap student tickets. Everybody is welcome to come along; and we always meet for a drink before the play starts – so it’s also a great chance to socialise and meet other students. Our first event was Taming of the Shrew at the Globe, we all got £5 standing tickets (our legs got a bit sore but it was the best view of the stage! ) Next we went to see Taboo (a musical written by Boy George) in an off-west end venue in Brixton. It was very funny, although perhaps a bit too much audience participation for some of us… Upcoming events: A Christmas Carol at the Arts Theatre – 6th December (£12.50) – get your tickets soon (info on the facebook group) We also have another December event in the pipeline, and lots of ideas for next term. Our aim is to choose a wide range of plays and theatres. We’re also open to suggestions! Email: theatresoc@courtauld.ac.uk
The Courtauld Ski Society
Let’s get Piste!
This year is the first year that the Courtauld Institute has its very own Ski Society. The Courtauld Institute's Ski Society is excited to present "Let's Get Piste" the Courtauld's first ever multi-year trip. Hosted by the British University's Snowsports Council, the ski trip will be going to Alpe d'Huez on the 22 March to the 30 March 2013. Even the firsttime skier can enjoy the glistening white slopes, either by participating on the slopes or off them. Apres-ski is an inaugural part of the skiing experience! Early bird bookings end on the 25th December, and you can book online at www.buscevents.com. If you have any questions, please email skisociety@courtauld.ac.uk.