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9 Mar 2011 09:44:17
The University celebrated its Diversity and Community Week with a packed programme of events.
As part of the Students’ Union’s overall diversity campaign, a week called Embracing Diversity, Engaging Communities was planned, organised and run by a mixed group of staff and students from the University, the Students’ Union and Treehouse chaplaincy.
The cross-campus week was packed with different events and attracted staff, students and those from the local community.
Monday kicked off the week with ‘Taste the World’, where more than 150 people tried foods from nine different countries. Wednesday saw a ‘Kick it out’ football match. Luton’s first football team played Bedford seconds at Vauxhall Recreation Ground to raise awareness of racism.
The highlight of the week was Friday night’s ‘World on One Stage’. The event emphasised cultural difference and more than 70 performers took part in ten acts. Held in the UK Centre for Carnival Arts in Luton, the full-to-capacity event was sponsored by the University’s Welfare Department.
Some 280 students and staff attended, including the Vice Chancellor, Professor Les Ebdon CBE, and acts included Afro-Caribbean dance, poetry, music therapy for the elderly, traditional Chinese flute playing, choirs and Indian dance. The night concluded with a Mexican ‘rampage’ – a dance in traditional clothing – which had everyone on their feet.
Organiser Dishon Arivanandham, Vice President (Democracy and Diversity) of the Students’ Union, said: “The week was a huge success. Everyone was really keen to get involved and we had even more visitors than last year. There was a diverse mix of people who took the time to embrace and appreciate difference.”
On the Saturday, student parents had the opportunity to meet. Throughout the week, various stalls were displayed with information on different faiths, the Students’ Union Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) group, Fairtrade and disability.
There was also a diversity quiz on Tuesday, a film night on Wednesday and an exhibition on diversity within volunteering and a conference on women in SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) on Thursday.
Dishon said: “The success of the week is down to the fact that staff, students and the local community all came together.”
The event was organised by students and student officers from various backgrounds including Indian, British, Polish, Afro-Caribbean and Pakistani.
The following week saw four performances of a joint project between the Students’ Union and different academic programmes called Straightforward?
The piece, performed twice in both Luton and Bedford in social space areas, was created by Theatre and Professional Practice students as well as English and Theatre students at Bedford with support from level three Project Management students in Luton.
It dealt with lesbian and gay experiences and explored these questions through the use of text, image and movement.
Latest news» 2011» March» Food for thought as Uni celebrates diversity
