LSE maybe does not have the best reputation as a university for artists, but there are many opportunities to develop your creative potential. One is of course the monthly photography competition. The lucky winners then have the ultimate privilege to see their photographs on the same wall as the Nobel Price winners’ pictures in the Atrium, so taking part is worth considering. Then there is the termly Clare Market review, where you can publish novels, poems or drawings. Of course, some of the public events also deal with arts, and artists or novelists are usually invited at this time of year (look out for the Philosophy Department events and the last of the Islam week event). Another event not to be missed is the TEDxLSE conference, where the speakers, even if there are not always artists (which there may be), will definitely inspire you to be creative!
The events I attended last term included the weekly Equality Film series, where engaged films with a specific message about diversity were projected. My personal favourite were White Material, which is a piece of art, rather than a film, and Boys Don’t Cry, whose topic is dealt with from an original external point of view, and is very powerful albeit not being very informative about transgender. Definitely worth going to if the initiative is renewed next year (and if you’re still around, of course!).
Equality artistic films were projected in the Underground for the MENA festival. It is great that LSE hosted some of the viewing of this film series about life in the Middle East. I attend these events as much for the films as for the audience, where there are always very interesting people from diverse fields and origins who often make the discussion after the film very interesting and informative. The same goes for films projected by the Middle East Centre here at LSE, which I cannot recommend enough. The last projection of short films, in cooperation with Future Shorts, was highly entertaining.
Other artistic events you should attend at least once are the Thursday lunch concerts in the Shaw library, which are often well attended and where the musician and singers never disappoint. You should also spare one of you Friday evening to go to LSE Chill in the 4th Floor Café the last Friday of each month, where LSE students and staff perform in a relaxed atmosphere. You may even bump into someone from you Department or engage in a casual chat with one of your lecturers, and discover they love jazz or blues too!
And last but not least, punctual events include Timeless, featuring many LSE undergraduates, and the Dance and Music societies’ respective shows. And remember to also take a look at the programme of the Peacock Theatre on your way to an Econ or LSE100 lectures, they always have amazing shows as well.
Have a highly creative term!
