by Khyati Ashutosh Mehta, BA(Hons) Fine Arts Level 2 (2019)
“Passion and love for the arts can be turned into a passport for entry into a promising career in the growing creative industries.”
The LASALLE Open House 2019 was a much anticipated event that showed how 'passion and love for the arts can be turned into a passport for entry into a promising career
in the growing creative industries'. It was an affair during which the vibrant campus green in McNally campus teemed with activity from both the high-spirited students and visitors alike, as they mingle among the various forms of creative expression. Showcases, performances, complementary workshops and hands-on demonstrations were some of the on-campus activities.
For the first time, programme-specific tours of the McNally campus were conducted alongside the full-fledged ones. This newly introduced tour must have been a great opportunity for those short on time, because the full-fledged ones, as interesting and exciting as they were, could take as long as two hours. Guided by student ambassadors, visitors got to see the studios and classrooms with all their facilities. Students who were at work inside and were happy to share details of what they were doing with visitors. The ambassadors also added fun facts about the different courses, along with information about notable alumni. Visitors seemed especially impressed when they were told that Lady Gaga bought one of the outfits from alumnus Josiah Chua’s graduate collection.
There were programme talks by lecturers, students and alumni, and more talks that provided insights about making the right choices, employment opportunities, latest industry trends and case studies of recent graduates, as well as local and international student experiences. Lecturers and students were available for consultation all day and also dished out tips on how to stand out in your College application.
Both days were brimming with different kinds of performances. Music students flaunted their skills in the diverse genres of electronic, pop and jazz on the campus green, and classical in the more intimate setting of the recording studios.
The exhibitions put up by the different disciplines included award-winning works by students from animation and broadcast media.
The myriad workshops also injected interactivity into the event. Among them, hands-on activities from fine arts included screen printing, embossing and other craft making
techniques, while those from acting and musical theatre dabbled in theatre lighting and scenic painting. Visitors also had the opportunity to paint still life postcards and use their ‘extended arms’ to draw charcoal portraits.
The LASALLE Open House truly embodied the open concept in which the architecture of the campus is based; everyone was free to roam and explore the grounds to witness the creation of art.
