Cirrus@Austlit

'This collaborative paper argues that on-campus open mic events enrich university culture, which in turn enriches holistic learning and wellbeing. To demonstrate, we present four accounts of Showpony, our university’s monthly creative performance and pop up bar night. Originally held in a pub near campus, Showpony shifted into a student lounge space in early 2018. The move followed queerphobic and ableist discrimination against Showpony participants making continued use of the public venue untenable. Initially, we went to campus out of necessity: there is no other nearby venue with a suitably-sized, fully-accessible performance space. However, since moving, we recognise that operating on campus provides other benefits. Showpony nights intervene in and to degrees, cuts through the institutional space. Or, in Deleuze and Guattari’s terms, Showpony introduces something smooth into an otherwise striated territory. This prompts different ways of being in and working through the space, fostering styles of learning and interaction that don’t necessarily occur in lectures or tutorials. Our paper’s four accounts of Showpony encompass staff and student perspectives, including participant as well as organiser viewpoints. We aim to elucidate how Showpony has enriched our university culture, and to provide insights for those interested in running similar events.' (Publication abstract)