Some incredible things that happened in our halls this year!

With the end of term fast approaching, we are taking a trip down memory lane to show case some of the incredible things that happened in our halls this year!   

From electing a new halls committee, to hosting many student events, it’s been another huge year! Read on for a look at some of the best moments in halls from 2023/24. 🎊

1. New faces on our Halls Committee 🥰 

As we welcomed new and returning students back into halls in September, we also onboarded a new cohort of committee members.They are students living in our halls and we really value them as they always bring fresh ideas to the table, plus host various events in the Halls (as well as a few outside of Halls) to make sure you enjoy your stay! 

2. Promoted Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance (SHAG) in halls 💟

At halls, we believe sexual wellbeing is an important pillar of health, which is why we hosted SHAG week during September so our students can dive into all topics related to sex, sexual health, and sexuality. It’s an opportunity for them to understand what’s best for them and how they can access services for their sexual health needs while living in London.

3. Celebrated Black History Month 📚

Black History Month is always a great opportunity to recognise, celebrate and share the outstanding contributions of the Black community. In October, we hosted a variety of events in halls, such as a Sip and Paint evening (with a special guest model), danced the night away at an Afro fusion dance class and hosted Black Pound Day, which encouraged our students to buy from Black businesses and spend money on the community.

4. Brought the Diwali spirit to halls ✨

For most of our students, living in halls becomes a 'home away from home', so celebrating cultural diversity is an essential factor to create a stronger community feel. On 1st November, we hosted the annual Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, with traditional food and lantern lighting. Our students also got creative in a Taylor Swift friendship bracelet making session and attended a Dress as Your Type Party, an event centred around Men’s Mental Health and Flower Arranging. 

5. Jingle’ Hall the way home 🎅🏽🎄

As the calendar rolled over to 1st December, our students got into a festive mood and decorated their common rooms, known as ‘Dec the Halls.’

When you’re living in London, it’s hard not to get into the Christmas spirit and embrace all the different activities happening around the city. As an end of year event, our students threw on their skates and went ice skating at the Tobacco Docks – which is Europe’s only rooftop ice skating rink! 

And for those students who couldn’t travel home to be with their loved ones during the holidays, each hall hosted a small event to bring them together on Christmas Day to spread some Christmas cheer!

6. Kicking off 2024 with a bang! 💥

Everyone knows that January in London means plenty of indoor events to cater for the colder (and wetter) weather! To survive the gloomy wintery months, we hosted a variety of events for students such as a Taskmaster night, a Bollywood movie night and pub quiz competitions. Our personal favourite events were the wii party and the clay making session where our students' creativity flourished.  

7. Recognising diversity in halls  🌏

During LGBTQ+ History month in February, we hosted whole range of events to celebrate the month, culminating in our  Queer Illuminations evening where we lit up the Chelsea UAL Building in the name of acceptance and LBGTQ+ celebration! We also participated in Lantern Making to celebrate the Chinese New Year and hosted some calmer and creative events such as a Bob Ross painting night, Slime Making Stress Relief and a Henna Workshop. 

8. Day trip out of London 🌊

As the weather warmed up in March, our students travelled to the vibrant seaside town of Brighton. Being only an hour trip on the train from London, it makes for the perfect escape out of the city for a day. We also celebrated two iconic cultural events, St Patrick’s Day and the colourful Hindu Festival of Holi with events across our halls.

9. Spring time in the UK 🌸🌿

During the springtime in April, we embraced the change of season and took some students to the iconic Hampstead Heath park. Our students took advantage of the warm weather and explored the grounds of this iconic London landmark. For students who prefer a cosy night in, we hosted a Studio Ghibli, a Dune Part 1 and a Tim Burton movie night. We also hosted a cooking class where students made cinnamon rolls and put on our popular Grab & Go Breakfast events.

10. End of Term Celebrations 💃🏽🪩🕺🏽

As our students prepare to move out shortly, we still managed to organise some fun end of term activities throughout May, such as Self Defence Classes and World Goth Day celebrations. We also hosted an afternoon tea event and movie nights with films such as Parasite and Encanto.

And that's a wrap of just a number of events we hosted in our halls this year. 🤩🌟

Want to see more of what we got up to this year? Watch our reel below and don't forget to follow us on Instagram as we post what's coming up at each halls for the following month.

We look forward to seeing where 2024/25 takes us! 🤝🏽

Want to know more about this event? Get in touch: 

E: hallslife@arts.ac.uk

T: +44 (0)20 4586 3219

Instagram: UAL_HallsLife