Get to know the lovely people behind your 'Halls Life' team
What we do and who we are! 🏡🤩
Carley Owen
She/Her
Student Experience Manager
With over 15 years of impactful experience across the higher education and charity sectors, Carley is a multi award-winning events manager known for bringing energy, creativity, and purpose to everything she does. Her experience has enabled her to have the skills of combining academic insight with a deep understanding of people and communities.
Our 6 award wins for event delivery and support we have given to our residents in halls with particular focus on LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse students. Being queer and neurodiverse myself this has been a huge personal and professional achievement, I am super proud of my brilliant team.
Our annual events calendar and delivering this across our portfolio with the help of our student committees. We deliver over 600 events a year internal and external to halls and I love working with some top-quality venues external to UAL to provide memorable experiences for our students. Keep an eye out this year for job opportunities with our team and if you ever want to deliver and event or submit an idea for an event please do reach out to me and the team , we want to make your time in halls the best it can be.
Try something new each week, whether that is attending one of our many events from September and making new friends, chatting to new people in your hall including the excellent reception and site teams that there to support you or cooking up new recipes provided by UAL caterers Baxterstorey. Involve yourself in everything halls as to offer and you will make the most of your time here.
Kirsty Stanton
She/Her
Events Coordinator
I studied Fine Art at Chelsea College and still keep up my practice in my spare time and participate in exhibitions when I can. 👩🎨 I love experimenting with new events and am very lucky to be part of such a fun team who are always up for new challenges.
If you want an event to happen inside or outside your hall let me know and lets make it happen with your committees!
I am a Fine Art grad with a special interest in monster films and love spending too much time and effort decorating when it comes to Halloween ✨👽🦇
I’ve been working in some capacity for Halls Life since 2018 so I am the team's ancient relic even at the ripe old age of 25. If you have any questions or ideas about events, I'm your girl.
For me its got to be the Big Queer Bus Tour culminating in the Queer Icons Ball at the Vauxhall tavern. It was a real treat to host an event in such an iconic venue, see some incredible costumes and spread some queer joy across campuses.
We really loved showing our support for Trans and Non- binary students across London- particularly driving our Trans Liberation banners passed Parliament at such a crucial time. Of course it was also especially nice for the team to be recognized as community team of the year at the CUBO awards because of these activities and other like them across the year.
Having worked here a while now i know that my highlight of the year will not necessarily be on the cards at the beginning! I would say in the meantime I'm most excited to meet this year's crop of students and find out what they like and enjoy and do my best at helping to curate a calendar of events that appeals to them.
Make the first move. I met some of my best friends in halls and they all thought I was super weird... jokes on them because they have been my close friends ever since. The worst thing that you can do is leave uni regretting that you didn’t through yourself in, go to the events, try new things – try to squeeze everything you can out of the experience by simply showing up and giving it a try.
Marco Bodi
He/Him
Student Wellbeing Coordinator
🇮🇹 Originally from Italy and a proud LCF graduate in Fashion Branding and Visual Merchandising, I now look after the Here 4 U wellbeing program in UAL Halls.
My role is all about supporting students living in halls — whether it’s offering cost of living support, hosting relaxing events, or just being a friendly face around. You’ll often find me popping up in halls with freebies and good vibes, so if you see me, come say hi! 😊
One of my favorite moments was bringing animal farms and puppies to halls! Being around animals brings so much joy and puts everyone in a good mood. Seeing students and staff light up with smiles is unbeatable! 🐑🐶
From puppies to City Farm visits and Cat Café trips 🐱, to meditation classes, drag transformation workshops 🎭, and the Wellbeing Bus in partnership with Zen Project! 🧘🏻 There’s so much to look forward to so get ready for what’s coming next! 🐾
Enjoy every single moment! It flies by faster than you think. Take every opportunity, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, meet new people, try new things, and most of all, embrace the journey. It’s all part of making unforgettable memories. 🎓✨
Alicia Blake
She/Her
Events and Project Administrator
I’ve been part of the Halls Life team since September 2022 and have loved every moment. It’s incredibly rewarding to work alongside such a fun, dynamic group of people who are truly passionate about enhancing the student experience - no two days are ever the same!
I graduated from Canterbury Christ Church University in 2018 with First Class Honours in Performing Arts, and my creative background continues to be a big part of who I am. Outside of work, I enjoy performing in amateur musical theatre productions. My most recent show was ‘Crazy for You’, a high-energy tap-dancing musical, which I performed in this past May. 🎭
One of the highlights of my year was definitely the visits from the Shiba Inu puppies, but equally memorable was watching the incredible journey of the students who took part in the Art of Drag course. Seeing their confidence and enthusiasm grow week by week through their videos truly showcased how much the experience meant to them ✨
What I’m most excited about is working with this amazing team again - now seven strong, with each member bringing their own passion and energy. I’m also really looking forward to diving even deeper into Events Marketing and finding new ways to get even more students involved in and inspired by the incredible events we offer. 🙌
Make the most of every moment at uni! Embrace every opportunity that comes your way and truly live in the present. Work hard but also prioritise your mental and physical wellbeing. Enjoy the freedom, independence and all the unforgettable adventures along the way 🫶🏼
Toby Robertshaw
He/Him
Halls Committee Administrator
I studied Acting and Performance at Wimbledon College of Arts, graduating in July 2023—and just days later, I had the pleasure of joining the Halls Life team! For the past two years, I’ve loved being part of such a passionate and tight-knit group. We’re a wonderfully mixed bunch who support each other through hard work and always manage to share a laugh along the way. When I’m not in the office, you’ll usually find me on stage, touring my comedy show Gurt Haunted.
One of the most rewarding parts of the role has been watching our committee members grow in confidence and ability—from day one of training, right through to delivering their final event. We start the year right by their side, ready to offer support and guidance and It's genuinely fulfilling to see how they respond to feedback and gradually take ownership of their events—planning, marketing, and delivering them independently. By the end of the year, you can really see how much they’ve developed both personally and professionally.
At the start of each year, I’m always excited to see the new event ideas our committee members come up with. With hundreds of events happening across halls each year, there’s always something fresh and original. It’s a real testament to how enthusiastic and committed our committee members are to making a positive impact in their halls.
Take creative risks! Try things you’re unsure about, make mistakes, and learn from them—it’s all part of the process. Outside of your studies, explore as much of London as you can, especially its beautiful green spaces like Richmond Park, Dulwich Woods, and everything in between. And don’t miss out on the many events across halls—you’ll meet some incredible people and make the most of your time at UAL.
Madhurima Kumar
She/Her
Halls Committee Administrator
I have an MA in Art Direction from ual and I get slightly obsessed with making props or any kind of craft-y project I can get my hands on! I come from a background in Architecture and worked in Production design for films and advertisements for a year before moving to London! I also have a very complicated Sim4 save file with a lot of different story lines and dramatic lore.
I have been working with Halls Life since Pride in 2023 🌈. Since then, my role in the team has evolved, and as of now I work as the committee administrator. This role allows me to play a pastoral role for the committee members which is always so interesting and a unique experience every year ✨
The Dachshund puppies and the Big Queer Bus!
I am most excited about meeting new students and seeing familiar faces again! I am looking forward to all the fresh and new ideas for events that the new committees will bring forward :)
I would tell my freshly-moved-to-London self that I should just get out of the house and walk around (safely) London more! London has something for everyone, even for your niche interests 😊
James Stevens
He/Him
Halls Committee Administrator
I’m originally from Somerset and moved to London in 2018 to study at UAL. I graduated from CSM’s Fine Art Sculpture course focusing on virtual sculpture. I used to volunteer on a city farm so if you see me around, ask me about my farm TikTok to see all the cute baby animals I used to take care of. 😄
A real highlight of the past year for me must be the Art of Drag course and showcase. Seeing students who have never done drag before transform into fully fledged and confident drag queens in one of the greyest months of the year really added some colour to everybody's February! 🌈👩🎤
I’m excited to see what’s next with our new team of committee members and all their fresh ideas for events around all our halls. 🪩✨
Make sure to get yourself out of your comfort zone! Everyone is in the same boat, so don’t feel silly or scared asking questions or approaching new people. 🙋♂️
✍🏽 Take the survey ✍🏽
We are already planning for next term...Tell us what events you would like to see in halls this year in our survey to win a special prize. 🏆
The first student to complete the survey will win a 'Standard Kit' from Unikitout, worth £150. Once you have completed the survey, please send a screenshot of the completed survey to hallslife@arts.ac.uk.
