Hi, my name is Sophie-Louise Pywell (she/her) and I am running to be your Student Union President. I am a painter and textile artist on MA Contemporary Art Practice and I completed my undergraduate degree at the Edinburgh College of Art.
I moved to London to attend the RCA, but the move to such a prestigious college in such an overwhelming city was not easy for me. This encouraged me to find communities within the RCA, and has given me the experience to advocate for better mental health support and advice for new students.
I have organised and curated many exhibitions in the past, most recently ‘Rites and Rituals’, with students from both inside and outside of the RCA taking part. Creating a platform and opportunities for artists to share their work in a collaborative environment was at the heart of my plan for the exhibition.
One of my best experiences at the RCA was working at the Student Union bar, fuelling my love for the communal space but also encouraging me to think of ways that the student union can grow both physically and online. At times I found it hard to navigate the union and to find societies that I wanted to be a part of. However, it is important for students to have communities within the college to connect with to tackle loneliness in London.
I have a very strong work ethic, always working at least one job alongside my degree, to fund my studies and afford to live in London. I am keen to find other ways that the college can support students moving to London and support them financially with the cost-of-living crisis.
I have previously worked for a sexual health charity in Scotland, CERT, and for the Trussell Trust food bank, and am eager to find ways that the RCA can be more involved in charities, alongside my primary mission of reaching out to people of lower socio-economic backgrounds to enter the arts.
If elected as your Student President I aim to:
- Make the RCA, and the arts generally, more accessible for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and reach out to schools to give talks to the young, encouragement from an early age will make a difference.
- Build better mental health support spaces within the college. I know from personal experience that there are issues with the current system, with waitlists and a need for easier access.
- Creating a safe and inclusive environment.