Drama Society: Freshers Representative

Hi everyone! I am a first year History, Politics, and Economics student, and I just moved to London from Jordan. Theatre and Drama have always been one of my main interests in all their forms; films, small plays, and musicals. I was heavily involved in the theatre program at my high school and I acted in multiple musicals and plays as well as helped direct 2 of musicals and directed one short play. 

Drama Soc offers a bunch of ways to get involved to people at all levels of theatre experience, which is something that is great for first-year students that are just starting out in drama or have a bit of experience and want to take it to the next level (like me). The theatre is where I made the best friendships, and being in a production always creates a camaraderie that cannot be found anywhere else. As Freshers Rep, I would hope to make sure that first-year students know when something is happening and that there is someone within the society that is there for them. Often times, people that have an interest in drama but have not done it before get overwhelmed with the prospect of trying out, especially at a place like UCL where many students have had lots of professional experience. As someone who did feel that when I first joined, I know how easy it is to be scared away and as freshers rep, I hope to show that anyone can be involved.

I hope I am selected as Freshers Rep. and I look forward to being involved in this society in any capacity I can throughout my time at UCL. 

Having fallen in love with the performing arts, I was excited to join UCL drama for its range of productions this year. However, I have found information, specifically for freshers or those with less theatrical experience, difficult to acquire. I have come across fresher friends who were excited to get involved, but don't know the difference in roles between a director and a producer. They have sadly ended up being intimidated by the existing expertise, deciding against applying for an interview. By taking up the post of freshers rep, I aim to disseminate information tailored to less experienced freshers. 

Being one of the very few freshers who participated in the Reclamation BAME showcase in October, I am also keen on promoting drama to the rest of the year to attract new blood into our society. In Reclamation, I have gained a basic understanding of the functioning of DramaSoc, including the process of putting up small shows, and cooperating with stage crew. 

I am also a POC in the LGBT+ community, therefore I am keen on reaching out, especially to other POC freshers who don't have English as their first language for encouragement.

On top of my experience in drama, I was the captain of the dragon boat team in my high school, responsible for organising training sessions and communicating with external coaches. I therefore have substantial leadership experience in organising group events, as well as reaching out to different people. 

I'm Nicole, thank you for voting!

Drama is my true passion - some may even say more than my current degree! And when I applied to UCL one of the factors that really drew me in was the amazing drama society. I always promised myself that no matter where life takes me I will always keep alive my passion for drama, and as a fresher uni can feel very overwhelming. New people, new surroundings, new schedule, the list goes on; however I want to pull in as many of my peers as I can to unite within the arts!