Second year BA Music student Molly Ellis shares her experiences in the arts at Southampton so far, and what it means to her to become an Arts Ambassador!
Whether itās with a camera in hand, or sitting behind the piano – Iāve been involved with the arts for as long as I can remember. In high school, you could find me in one of two places – jamming with bizarre instruments in a music room, or editing Star Wars special effects in the media suite, so naturally I wanted to continue this as much as possible in Southampton!
From the minute I started University in 2017 I knew I wanted to be involved with SUSUtv. I was lucky enough to jump onto the committee right away as Union Exec. Since then Iāve been able to work on everything from graphic design to short films, to writing and directing our annual Christmas A Capella videos.
With this experience, my main goal at SUSUtv became clear- I wanted to unite my love of music and film-making. I managed to exercise this not only by performing in the Music Department’s ‘Shifts’ concertĀ in January, but also creating a promotional video for the event too. During the production process, I had members of SUSUtv ask me how to buy tickets, as theyād enjoyed the rehearsal so much they wanted to come. They never would have heard about the concert, were it not for the video! I quickly released that sharing my passion for music through other artistic mediums could be a huge part of my future.
Recently however, itās not only in the Music Department where I can be seen behind a keyboard. After chatting with Showstoppers Musical Director (and fellow Arts Ambassador) Ben McQuigg, I found myself on the team of āSweeney Toddā as an Assistant Musical Director (MD). Flash forward four months and weāre now preparing for opening night. Iāve loved being involved with the society and becoming part of this yearās Edinburgh Fringe production team – something Iām insanely excited about!
For me, becoming an Arts Ambassador is about sharing whatās on offer with my fellow students, university staff and the wider community. Thereās such a wealth of opportunities to see, experience and get involved with all kinds of arts endeavours across our campus, in Southampton and Winchester and beyond. It also offers me the chance to learn about all these amazing things myself! Whether thatās through societies or experiencing the local arts scene, thereās something for absolutely everyone to enjoy and get involved with!
Arts Ambassadors is a paid opportunity, supported by theĀ Careers and EmployabilityĀ Serviceās Excel Southampton Internship programme, University of Southampton.
