I've just recently relocated to Cardiff after 17 years in London. I've lived in Cardiff before - as a 21 yr old student at the then Welsh College of Music and Drama where I was on the 3 year acting course. I only lasted 2 terms - got ejected you see. Quite an achievement really. They said that I 'over-intellectualised' and that's why I had to go. I asked for clarification and they said, "This is a college about doing, not thinking, and you think too much.' I have my own theory: I had the wrong sort of accent - posh (I was much plummier back then) and I was just way to scurvy for them...
So this is 19 years ago, back in the days when students got grants. I thought myself extremely lucky to be getting a grant at all - given that honing my performing arts skills was hardly as useful to society as training to be a doctor, a teacher, an engineer etc. I'd been fortunate enough to have a private secondary education too, so the concept of spending 3 years doing what I loved and being supported through it was just wonderful.
I was quite a political animal, Tory raised, but essentially a socialist liberal. A series of meetings were called by the Student Union in the Common Room; student grants were under threat and the union were proposing - get this - 'strike action' in protest. Now I'm sorry, but... and maybe I was missing something... but, I just could not see how a student 'going on strike' was going to have any impact whatsoever on the issue - except from compounding the growing view that all students were a bunch of wasters who didn't deserve their grants anyway. I could see and hear around me that those about to agree to the action were more motivated by a lie-in and a break from our (seriously) testing schedule. (As drama students, we did a 10hr day, everyday - and 90% of that was challenging physical work.)
So as a 1st year drama student, in my first term, I stood up in front of the room full of drama and music students and said so. I suggested that a more worthwhile proposition would surely be to take our skills onto the streets of Cardiff. We could stage theatre, dance and music displays. Give the people a taste of what their (the taxpayers) money was paying for by offering free comedy, stage-fighting demonstrations, music making workshops etc. We could invite the TV and press crews down and get loads of coverage thus raising awareness, swaying opinion in our favour and hopefully holding back the threat of losing our grants. I thought it was a great idea. I certainly didn't expect it to land me in trouble, but it did.
I no longer remember the details, but I do remember some kind of threat by the head of the Students' Union. Something to the effect of, 'was I aware that if I wasn't a member of the Union, I would not be able to enter the common room or the canteen.' "Fine" I said, "I won't go there - I'll just turn up for classes and eat in the corridors." Ah - but the main staircase and foyer area are also union territory I was told. So I would have had to scale the walls of the block and enter through the windows.
I piped down. We got the 'lie-in'. I got my first official warning at the end of the first term amd was given the boot at the end of the next term. By that stage - it was a relief to be out.
There are more stories from my time at WCMD and its culture of bullying. I lost a very dear friend less than a year after I went. I can't help thinking the college may have played a part in his unexplained and unexpected suicide. At 21, I was as idealistic and passionate about my beliefs as I am today. What I have much more of is confidence, wisdom and experience. I don't think I could have done anything differently back then - nor would I want to have. It's all part of the journey, the life-long learning. But I guess it was my first negative scurvy elephant experience. On the more postive side. The college has undoubtedly changed now. It's gone 'Royal' for a start, but it also appears to be a far happier place.
If you are an SES Member and have a scurvy story to share - email it to the address at the top of the page.
Comments