Ever wonder what lies in store for the dormant talents and creativity at UTM? Creatives for a Change is an initiative started by co-presidents Tala Alkhaldi, a second-year DEM specialist, and Maryam Radwan, a third-year CCIT and art history student. Alkhaldi explained that the purpose of the club is to motivate a creative movement on campus.
“There’s something missing on campus—this passion for art, for music, this creative part, you know? I feel like once people come to university, they lose touch of this inner child that they have because they’re studying and stuff. So our club is all about reigniting the passion people have for art, and poetry, innovative thinking, and we also added a humanitarian purpose to it,”
Radwan expounded on the humanitarian purpose.
She explained that by breaking social taboos, art has the ability to change the world perhaps in a more positive way. Artists tend to confront social norms and attempt to push down the wall that society puts up.
Radwan also observed a political message behind controversial works of art, “Artists are there to make people think differently. It’s all about thinking outside the box,” she said.
The initiative’s basic goal is to provide an escape for students. Alkhadi noticed that students on campus required a creative solace, since university life can be stressful.
“We really want to see people smiling,” said Alkhaldi.
Starting with the lives of students, Creatives for a Change wants to make a difference outside of the university, as well. The club pans to donate to Syrian refugees by tailoring events during mental awareness month to certain charities. Later, the club aims to support causes as they become relevant in the school year.
Last year, Caribbean Connections hosted an art gallery event at UTM where they featured student artwork and allowed artists to speak about their work on stage. Inspired by these sort of events, Radwan expressed an interest in collaborating with other clubs.
The club also seeks to provide opportunities for students to share their artwork and creativity, and to establish connections.
“We can give the opportunity to people like this, to give you a connection to a gallery, to expose what you do—we want that,” said Radwan.
This year, the club plans to host photography contests, creative videos, art-related events, and more.
