UNSW Art and Design Wasn’t Just My Art School; It Made Me More Passionate About Inclusivity.

 


It took me a long time to find the right art school and feel a sense of belonging in this world. Initially when I applied for art schools in NSW, I didn’t get into University of New South Wales. I started at Sydney College of the Arts but I never felt like I fully belonged there. I was in contact with a lot of my toxic relatives back then and although I was able to intellectually connect with others, enjoyed lectures and engaged well in tutorials, I still felt like it must of been a fluke that I got into University and that I was a weirdo trying very hard not to be an outcast. I loved majoring in film those days but I also felt like I tried to belong everywhere because I couldn’t restrict myself to one art form (still can’t).

When I started at UNSW I was just starting to find my feet in life. By the end of my first year I was in a healthy stable relationship and I started making art that pushed the boundaries and repulsed my grandmother. I started to realise that grossing out my grandmother by my art was where I wanted to be at with my practise. This experience made me realise that my art could have a powerful message and evoke more feelings in people. It made me realise that my art could be more than beautiful and/or didn’t need to be beautiful to be good.

UNSW Art and Design, I feel is a very inclusive environment. It isn’t just inclusive of the queer community but it is also inclusive of disabilities, feminism, gender diverse people and name changers + more. Being a part of this different environment opened my mind more and helped me realise more of my identity that relatives tried to convince me I was not.

By the end of my degree I found my groove as an artist. I had cut out my toxic relatives and had a solo exhibition exploring my experience being a victim of family violence. It was a powerful exhibition and I had a lot of support from the University with this exhibition. This was still leading up to more and by the time I started my internship I was finding out more about my capabilities.

During my degree I tried out running an online gallery. I always thought that that’s where I was headed, towards owning my own gallery but my internship showed me other options. I spoke with Kieran Butler who wasn’t advertising internships at Arc Art and Design at the time but I was such a go getter that they decided to take me on as an intern. During my time at Arc I learnt how to contribute more to online content, work as a team, work independently, run a podcast and manage admin for events. I was so inspired by the possibilities of event management that I came up with another idea.

Most of my internship had to be remote as we were in another lockdown in NSW but this is what gave me my idea. I had lost weight due to walking everyday and walking was a big part of what occupied me during the lockdown. I walked 20,000 steps a day and I felt great and healthy. Unfortunately I got more triggered by my childhood wounds and relapsed by making contact with my dad again. This interaction did give me closure on my relationship with my father as I realised that keeping no contact with him was doing me more good than harm in the long run. This is what inspired my event.

 I learnt so much about being in an inclusive environment but I also learnt from UNSW that I can help create inclusivity by what I do with my activism. This drove me to create an event that made me feel more included in society and would help me heal. I am forever grateful to UNSW, not just for giving me a great education and a degree but because I was empowered by others to make a difference in this world that not only would heal and include me in a society that needs to expand more, but also because I am determined to make the event make a difference in other peoples lives.

Thank you UNSW, all my teachers, all my fellow students and everyone who gave me a shot in the art industry. You have touched my life forever and I am eternally grateful.


❤️At Walk Everyday May’s Launch event this year I will be playing music from a band I met at UNSW. They are called Bay Of Malaise and I studied with both of them. Tune in to our Facebook Live event on the 6th of May at 1:30pm and share why you are an ally to victims of family violence. It’s a bit of a different set up but if you join in and comment on the live I will share your thoughts. ❤️








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