Antonia Shaw
A year ago, I nervously stood up in front of a room full of students. I promised them I would overhaul the arts pages of Nouse, shifting the focus of coverage from our campus bubble to national culture. For better or for worse my pledge paid off and I was elected Arts Editor. It is with a surreal realisation that I am penning my last column because my tenure has flown by. The days of scampering around for writers or pestering press offices are gone. No longer will I be up until the early hours of the morning during production week, with a can of Relentless in one hand and a fag in the other – lit by the bluish ethereal light of my computer screen.
Over the past year interviews with Tate curators, leading playwrights, international artists, authors and contemporary dancers have graced the arts pages of Nouse. Aided by contributing writers, the formidable L.O’B, the beautiful Beki, and the patience and support of a certain someone, I believe I have accomplished the agenda I set out for the art section.
However, others have been less than impressed with my coup. Many students appear to believe that these two pages should only be concerned with the artistic activities at the University of York and surrounding area. And I must say, I am not unsympathetic to their grievances. After all, local rags focus their attention on local happenings – logically then a student newspaper should be completely concentrated on its demographic and their activities. Should I have maintained the old format of interviewing directors of Drama Barn productions and PantSoc? Perhaps I should have, it would advertise their productions, massage their egos, and it certainly would have lightened my workload over the past year.
The decision to shift the focus of the arts pages was not made to snub campus arts. I believe that as a university, we produce a prolific number of diverse plays and exhibitions: from Fusion’s extravaganza to the award winning theatre company Belt-Up and the Society of Art and Architectural Scholarship in York’s (SAASY) lecture series. Indeed, I have made every effort to ensure reviews of campus productions are posted on our website.
But surely, there are only so many production previews and interviews with campus directors that one paper can take? It is all too easy to become entrenched in the bubble of our university. Our three years in York should be about broadening our minds – not restricting them to student activities. I would hope that realigning the focus of the arts section has introduced students to different contemporary artists, playwrights and dancers.
Now it is time for me to hand the editorial reigns to someone else. I must confess I am intrigued to see how the future of the arts pages unfolds under new hands. Will they revert to their previous format and refocus on campus arts or will they embrace an international coverage? I for one hope they take the latter approach. After all, aren’t easy journalism and out-of-date reviews Vision’s prerogative?
Loading ...