“I transferred to Brighton at the start of second year which was a very daunting experience but I was made to feel so welcomed and instantly felt as though my voice was heard.”
Please tell us a bit about your dissertation work and your influences
My dissertation is about the concept of Alter Egos within performance, taking a specific focus on the ever changing concept of masculinity. I went through a lot of different ideas for this piece of work from the end of second year onwards but it was whilst watching an interview with Matty Healy, the front man of the 1975 that the idea really struck me. I have always known a bit about alter egos but hearing someone talk so passionately about using them in a more subversive way really inspired me. The research from the work all came from there and in the end, my three case studies had all inspired the others so I ended up working back wards from Healy, to Andy Kaufman who he had cited in an interview to Marcel Duchamp who has been cited as an inspiration for Kaufman.
What made you choose your course?
I transferred to Brighton at the start of second year which was a very daunting experience but I was made to feel so welcomed and instantly felt as though my voice was heard. Highlights have included Eliza Tan’s module on Spaces and Bodies and conversations with Ceren Ozpinar during the development of my dissertation. I was also really lucky to take part in a placement at the now defunct Brighton CCA which was an incredible experience. My time at Brighton will always hold dear memories to me as a place where I found my ‘niche’ within the Art History world which I look forward to studying more in a masters degree next year!
If you could give your 17 year old self any advice about going to university what would it be?
If I could give my 17 year old self any advice about going to university it would be to expect the unexpected! I rerouted a few times and took a few years out to work out what I actually wanted to do and I’m so grateful that I did. My life looks nothing like what I thought it would do at 17 but I’m so grateful for my experience at university as it has opened my eyes to so many things I never thought I would ever be interested in!
Find out about studying History of art and design degrees at Brighton.
Published by