Arts Society Events Officer, Cian Bubendorfer, speaks on the history and intricacies of what once was one of UCD's largest groups!
On rainy Tuesday mornings, in the basement of the Newman building, it’s said that you can hear the sounds of laughter, cheer and merriment amidst the smell of instant coffee and Barry’s tea. If you journey into the basement to have a look you’ll find a unique mix of people of all kinds of cultural persuasion: film buffs discussing the latest in the awards race, music enthusiasts debating the best of the Beatles’ works, hungover party animals recovering with the complimentary coffee before class, and much more. This is the coveted Arts Society Coffee Morning, held every Tuesday from 11am to 2pm, just outside the Arts office, and it’s one of the most frequented weekly events among the arts and humanities students populating Newman.
UCD’s Arts Society has had a rocky history. Though it’s ostensibly in its 36th session, the records on file present a muddled timeline; it seems to have been founded in 1990 or 1991 but also appears to have stopped existing for a few years at indeterminate dates. At one point in the mid-90s it was the third biggest society in all of UCD, before suffering a sudden collapse in the 2000s where it vanished into obscurity. It was revived on and off for a few years, once as a quasi-religious society (for a while the society’s constitution mandated that the auditor also serve as the official Chaplain of UCD, though the legal power of this mandate is questionable at best).
Renowned actor Andrew Scott once came into UCD to receive a lifetime ArtsSoc membership. After a tumultuous last few years, with a recent string of successes and failures, committee shakeups and massive blowout parties, there’s one thing that’s on every attendee’s lips: the Arts Society is back. With nearly 850 members, up massively from previous years, and coming strong off a series of smash success events including the newly returned Arts and Humanities Ball, the committee’s efforts to bring the society back from the brink have been declared a resounding success. First among these was last year’s ‘Reeling in the Years’ night at the Grand Social, which reached up to nearly 600 attendees and reignited interest in the society among the student
body. This was followed by the ‘Performative Male Contest’, which was a smash success and attracted an enormous crowd by the O’Reilly centre (the exact number of attendees is unclear, but 75 contestants were registered and some estimates go up to 1000-1500 in the crowd). Following these events, membership signups increased exponentially, and the society gained a cult following of sorts among the Arts students of Newman, with a circle of devoted attendees quickly forming.
The society’s second wind is chiefly thanks to the current auditor Leon Dunne, a fourth year History and Politics student who spent a great deal of time working on a plan to revive the society from near obscurity. Dunne previously served as the society's treasurer in its 35th session, apparently having decided to run on the day of the AGM due to a spur-of-the-moment decision. After a rocky year marred by absent committee members and declining event attendance, Dunne rebooted the society with a fresh slate and a mostly new committee with some carryovers from previous years. When asked about his decision to join, Dunne had this to say:
“Joining the Arts Society was the best choice I made during my time (so far) at UCD. I found the transition to college life quite challenging - the freedom of creating your own schedule was more of a curse than it was a blessing. I also found it difficult to adapt to social life at third level, at points I was admittedly quite lonely. It sounds silly but the Society gave me a reason to stay on campus later than I needed to. It gave me a structure, something to work on, and some people to talk to.”
Though the name “Arts Society” carries a vague connotation of pretentiousness, as if it should be dedicated to the fine arts, in reality it’s rarely stuck to this doctrine. There is little regularity in the society’s schedule, as each week offers something radically different, from competitions to film screenings to pub crawls and visits to galleries & museums. It’s this irregularity that gives the society its unique flavour – the only consistent event is the aforementioned weekly coffee morning. The true appeal of the Arts Society lies not in its event programming but rather the sense of community it provides to its members. Without being too schmaltzy, the society has a Breakfast Club-esque quality to it, as a gathering of people from all different backgrounds and types.
Whereas other societies with more specific theming will attract similar kinds of people, the broadness of the “arts” label grants it a non-specific demographic, attracting a wide range of personalities and backgrounds. This atmosphere makes it easy for new members to simply walk on up to events and join in the conversation without feeling like outsiders to an established group. The society’s circle does their best to ensure that the events never feel too cliquey – new attendees are welcomed with open arms and brought into the conversation with grace. One such attendee, first year international student Amrei Kling said of her joining: “the first time I joined for an event I felt instantly welcomed, which proves what a great sense of community we have.” The Arts Society’s community values itself on fostering a welcoming environment for all students, whether they’re first or final year, international or Irish.
In the post-COVID era, where many new students struggle with breaking into the college social scene, one of the best ways to make a start is by joining a society. In the words of Tobie Steenson, a recently elected Arts Society OCM, “artssoc and societies in general are the lifeblood of the campus. They have been integral to my college career and allowed me to become engaged in ways I never thought I could when I was a budding first year.” Even simply showing up at the coffee morning for a free cup or tagging along for a pint on one of the society’s many pub crawls is a fantastic way for anxious new students to make friends and form new social circles. If you’re a new student looking for a way to integrate into UCD’s social scene, or even a seasoned student interested in joining one of the campus’ most burgeoning groups, consider joining ArtsSoc – you just might find yourself a new home away from home.