The first in a series of blogs introducing our inaugural group of Arts Ambassadors, BA Politics and International Relations student Shanelle Webb shares her early passions for the arts, her discovery of politics and how in her new role she intends to raise awareness of the arts to her fellow students in 2018.
My interest in the Arts began when I was a toddler. My dad would take me and my siblings to the library regularly, pushing us to read books and express ourselves through art, design and writing. When I got to secondary school I would go to see plays at the Young Vic with my older sister, and would especially grow to like Drama, English Literature, Art and History.
It’s not surprising then, that I took part in the Guardian Young Writers competition and aspired to be an English teacher. This dream was almost-realised when I began to do private tuition near to my home; and it appeared that my path in the world had been forged. However, much to my shock, I discovered a newfound love for Politics and Sociology, discovered whilst revising for an A Level History exam I had that covered British Politics.
This newfound interest in Politics pushed me to apply to study Politics and International Relations at the University of Southampton on deferred entry, while I went on a Gap Year; where I worked, travelled, did work placements and volunteered with ICS in Zimbabwe as well as with my local youth club.
This sudden turn away from the Arts saw me get deeply immersed with all Politics once I arrived at university, be it local, nationwide or international. The way that Politics covers every aspect of our lives was always very appealing to me, as well as Sociology and its intersections, so I dived straight in with getting involved with Societies such as the Afro-Caribbean Society, UpReach the Debating Society and the respective Politics Societies’.
Now, I am a Second Year student and President of the Afro-Caribbean Society, as well as Events Co-ordinator for UpReach. My interest in being an Arts Ambassador is to raise awareness for the Arts in Southampton in all student groups, through creating visual and written content. As a result of this, I hope to gain valuable skills in journalism, research and marketing, as well as raise awareness for the Arts venues in Southampton and what they have to offer.
Arts Ambassadors is a paid opportunity, supported by the Careers and Employability Service’s Excel Southampton Internship programme, University of Southampton.
