As Performance Directors for the Threads and Legends fashion event with Fenwick, their passion and creativity helped to bring ideas to life and make it a truly legendary event! Hear from Esme, Fin and Caitlin about their experience:
Esme – “Hello! My name is Esme, and I’m a third-year Drama student. I’m passionate about all things creative, with particular interests in physical theatre, acting, and community-focused arts practice. I’ve previously been a member of the Musical Theatre Society, where I co-directed and co-wrote their summer showcase at the Gulbenkian. Alongside this, I’m currently part of the Yoga and Pilates Society, embracing mindfulness and balance as I move through my final year.”
Fin – “Hey! I’m Fin, a 3rd year Drama and Theatre student who loves all things creative. I have a passion for creating, developing and directing performances as well as acting in them, finding particular interest in the rehearsal process of shows and how facilitation can impact the performers and their work. I also love to delve into research surrounding the arts and media, always taking mental notes on pop culture and understanding its perception by society (nerdy, I know!).”
Caitlin – “Hello! My name is Caitlin and I am currently a third year Drama, Theatre and Performing Arts student. My key interests are acting and directing, where I have lots of opportunities in both my course and T24 drama society where I directed two shows. I was also born in Australia, lived in Singapore when I was younger and have been performing onstage in 50+ shows since 2009.”
Tell us all about the ‘Threads and Legends: Past Icons, Future Designers’ event with Fenwick.
Fin – “Threads and Legends was a fabulous project to be a part of! Esme, Caitlin and I felt so supported throughout the whole journey and it all paid off as the show went amazingly. We recruited the societies, liaised with them and directed their iconic catwalks. We picked the music to provide atmospheric moments that highlighted their incredible outfits and makeup, supplied by Fenwick! Fenwick were super throughout the process and on the day. They made sure all our models felt amazing in what they were wearing and made this event truly special with their hard work.
Throughout the process we had weekly meetings that helped us to stay on track with certain tasks like catching up with presidents of societies and organising who would be walking for what decade. There were so many different areas of this show that had dedicated people involved, which is why I think it turned out so brilliantly. Everyone on the team was committed to making the pilot event, Threads and Legends, live up to its legendary name – and we did just that!”
Esme – “Being a Performance Director on this show was nothing short of inspirational. Raising funds for the University’s Sanctuary Fund and the Kent Opportunity Fund was so wonderful, enabling me to learn about what a difference it has made for students lives and how important these funds are.
In this role, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a wide range of societies. Every group brought their own distinctive flair to their era, and some even incorporated live performances after their catwalks. The level of talent within our student body is truly unimaginable – each and every participant was phenomenal. One of my favourite moments was arriving at Fenwick at 7am with the models, ready for hair and makeup by incredible in-store brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Dior, and Chanel. There was a real buzz of anticipation throughout the store; you could feel the excitement building as the models prepared to step onstage and give their all.
The rehearsal process was equally rewarding. Being able to articulate our creative vision for the runway, guide the models in bringing it to life, and see our ideas so warmly received was both humbling and deeply fulfilling. I was also incredibly impressed by the ASPIRE brands from Kent Business School, who showcased remarkable outfits and artistic flair and truly showcased their talents as future designers.”
Caitlin – “I’m so fortunate to have been involved in Threads and Legends. The experience has been incredible. We managed to get Musical Theatre Society, POCAS, K-Pop, DJ society and Unleash your Talent to model and perform for us! This gave us a great opportunity to get to know other students across campus. An example of this was during the fittings in Fenwick, where I helped assist and view fittings for the models from POCAS. It was really exciting to see the outfits on the models whist getting to know the students and help get them excited for show day. This event also allowed me to connect with an old school friend who was in model for the fashion show, who I hadn’t seen in over a year, which made this experience even more special.
Whilst organising this event we got the opportunity to be involved in main meetings once or twice a week with all the teams, including from the Gulbenkian tech team, to help make this show come to life. Getting to be involved in these meetings allowed me to realise how to organise campus events like Threads and Legends, and to experience the rewarding feeling once everything comes together on show day. We were especially lucky to work with Sam Scott and Sarah Boswell, who helped guide us and encouraged us while helping us organise this event.”
Who helps make the Kent community special for you?
Esme – “For me, being part of the School of Arts and Architecture is what truly makes the Kent community so special. Studying Drama within this school has continually challenged me to trust my creative instincts, refine my ideas, and bring them to life on stage. Throughout this process, I’ve not only grown as an artist but also formed incredibly close bonds with the students on my course. The Arts have always felt like a welcoming, collaborative, and deeply supportive environment for both myself and my peers. That sense of community is nurtured so thoughtfully by our lecturers, whose encouragement and belief in our potential have shaped my university experience in the most meaningful way.”
Caitlin – “I’ve been very lucky in the fact that my course and the School of Arts and Architecture has made me feel like a part of the University of Kent community. From my very first week in 2023, we had a quiz night with all the first-year School of Arts students, and I immediately felt at home. Other events such as open days, drama festivals and Deck the Jarman have helped me feel like a part of not only my course, but the community of all drama students at Kent. Furthermore, I have been very fortunate to be involved in both T24 Drama society and Salsa society during my time at uni. Students and lectures are all friendly and opening to welcome everyone into our big community and I’m always excited to return to uni every term!”
What advice would you give to Kent students?
Esme – “My biggest piece of advice for other students would be to get involved. Get involved in societies! There’s so many to choose from, it’s highly likely that you will find something that you’re interested in where you can find like-minded people and create friendships which will last a lifetime! Also, get involved with events that run on campus. Go and watch things at the Gulbenkian, there’s always great films on and pieces of theatre – feed the creative part of your mind! And, most importantly, make time for yourself. University can be an overwhelming experience for anyone, particularly at the start, but there’s always people you can talk to and activities on campus that you can participate in to look after your wellbeing!”
Fin – “Just go for it! Apply to that thing, fill in that form and turn up to that event. It may seem silly or useless at a first glance but it’s those little events that will really get you where you want to be. Definitely make use of the resources that are at your fingertips, whether it’s an extra optional seminar or a meeting with a lecturer because the connections and opportunities are endless.”
What are your plans for next year?
Esme – “My plans for next year are to continue my journey within the Arts and Theatre world. I’m very interested in getting involved with community work through the arts, working with different communities and running workshops. On the other hand, I may continue my training within drama and theatre and discover what I would truly like to specialise in, either way I will be doing something within the realm of theatre!”
Fin – “I have just accepted a job offer for a cruise ship, facilitating sessions for children and working in entertainment. I will hopefully then get some more training afterwards to specialise into a movement-focussed area of drama. And then in a few years I can develop my own practice of drama and theatre and create a business or join a company that reflects my values as a drama practitioner.”
Caitlin – “My plan for next year is to hopefully be working in London! I’m considering working in a theatre company whether that’s onstage acting or behind the scenes, for example as a producer or director. I am also considering looking for a job in marketing or sales, by using my skills I have gained in in my course and organising events. I also want to travel, exploring more of Europe and potentially go back to Australia to visit my family.”
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