The Crafty Ones: DCU’s fastest growing student society

Creative Buzz

There’s a buzz of creativity in the air as the Arts and Crafts Society meets downstairs in the Polaris building for their regular meet-up. Around the room, clusters of students are working with pastels to create artworks. Whether the result is a modern masterpiece or a simple doodle doesn’t seem to matter, because the main aim here is simply turning up and being creative.

“It's not just for artists, it's for everybody,” explains Arts and Crafts Soc chair Irina Grigorescu, who says the standard of the art you make isn’t important. “It's about the enjoyment that you have while creating.” 

The Society’s committee organises a different activity for each session, which has included everything from embroidery to rug tufting, from photography to creative make-up, from jewellery-making to pottery. The promise is that the organisers will bring the equipment, and the members just have to show up and be willing to try their hand at a new artistic pursuit.

The hands-on nature of the workshops appears to be a big draw, with up to 120 people attending some events. “Definitely, we've had a lot of people tell us how much they enjoy using their hands and for once not typing an essay on a laptop,” says Irina, a third-year Engineering student. 

Physics student Rohit Nagaraja, who is attending one of the Society’s workshops for the first time, is carefully creating an Irish landscape in pastels. He agrees that being creative is a great stress-buster. “It just helps to calm the mind a little bit, that’s how I find it.” 

“I've been to basically every event that we've done this year,” says Computer Science student Ava Hegarty, who is also the Society’s Digital Design Officer. For her, one of the big attractions is the end product. “What I've always liked about arts and crafts is the tangible, physical thing that you get at the end of it. That's sort of been the appeal, at least for me.”

Crafty and Chill

The atmosphere in the room is undeniably “chill”. Committee member Rachel O’Connor, an Economics, Politics and Law student, says their events are known for their easygoing atmosphere. “It's a really great place to make friends because everybody's sitting down, chatting, doing crafts, and it's really easy to walk up to someone and say hello. It's just a very nice, happy environment.”

Events Officer Bhavya Pandey says their Valentine’s Day event was a great example of this. The Computer Science student says their event had “a very nice and calm” atmosphere compared to the typical speed-dating session, which is “just too much pressure.”

The atmosphere in the room this evening is very much one of easy conversation and creative distraction from the events of the day. The task of maintaining the positive vibes falls to committee member Alex Abramov. “So my job is basically just making sure everyone's in a good mood.”

“I'm the only one that drives, so I get all the snacks,” says Alex, who incidentally also transports the art supplies.

Making Room for Arts and Crafts

As the Society grows, it has hopes for bigger things in the future. Society chair Irina says they have been lobbying the University authorities to provide a dedicated arts and crafts room where students can access art equipment under supervision. “You wouldn't have to wait for that one day a week when an art Society holds a specific event, but you’d have an opportunity to do art, relax and unwind on campus at any time you want.”

Irina points out that providing equipment like sewing machines could also have a sustainability benefit, allowing students to mend or upcycle old clothes. For now, the dream of a dedicated room is on hold, as the University already has a shortage of available spaces, but the Arts and Crafts Society continues to thrive based on the idea that “art should be an integral part of everybody's lives.”