“I enjoyed everything about the trip, truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. To be able to network and discuss arts-related topics with people at the event, some I know as authors and practitioners, was amazing.”
Emese Allen, Edge Hill University Dance Company
So said dancer Emese Allen, a member of Edge Hill’s student dance company. Along with eight other members of the group, Emese performed So Love…choreographed by renowned dance artist, Mathieu Geffré, at the US launch of the Oxford Handbook of Dance and Wellbeing, co-edited by Professor Vicky Karkhou, Chair of Dance, Art and Wellbeing at Edge Hill University. Yes, we forgot to mention that they also happened to be performing in New York.
A global hub for performing arts, dancing in the Big Apple is no small achievement for our students. It can only be a positive for both their confidence and their careers. And when it comes to careers, most of us, including Emese and her fellow dancers, need a helping hand. Edge Hill’s Student Opportunity Fund (SOF) is designed to do just that.
The SOF provides financial support to enable our students to take part in activities which enhance their employability, develop transferable skills, and enrich their student experience. All our undergraduates are entitled to apply for up to £2,000 to realise fantastic CV-bolstering opportunities. That could be anything from assisting students attend interviews, work experience placements and conferences, to helping student dance and drama companies perform at the Edinburgh Festival.
“The Student Opportunity Fund completely made this possible for us,” says Emese, and that’s really the whole point of the SOF, ensuring our students don’t miss out on these great career-enhancing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Experiences such as these can only improve our students’ life chances, and if the only obstacle is a little money, the University is here to help.
Emese Allen, Edge Hill University Dance Company
July 13, 2022
