Celebrating hidden talents on Res

Earlier this year over 200 Geelong residents gathered in the newly refurbished venue the Palais to celebrate the hidden talents of their fellow students, in the triumphant return of 'Res Factor' after a two year break due to COVID restrictions.

'Res Factor' is one of the highlights in the annual Res event program in Geelong, and this year was no exception, with performances ranging from circus acts to comedy, acoustic duos to metal and classical musical performances, there was a wide range of talent on display.

With special guest judges Reece Mastin (X Factor), singer-songwriter Rach Brennan and Toby Prendergast from the Campus Life team, performers were competing for college pride as well as a range of prizes, but the most important thing for this event was to showcase the talent among our residents, and to provide a chance for those with musical and performance interests to shine.

As part of our continued efforts to provide exciting new opportunities for our other campuses, this year we also delivered the inaugural 'Res Got Talent' event in Burwood, similarly celebrating the many wonderful talents of our Melbourne-based residents. Fittingly our judge for this event was DRS CEO Marion Bayley, who has a strong background in the performing arts and continues that connection as President of community arts organisation, the Bluebird Foundation.

Reflecting on the Burwood event, Marion Bayley said,

It was an absolute pleasure to be a judge at the inaugural Res has Got Talent in Burwood. Although I have always been a big believer that our residents are all very talented, the diversity and standard was above expectation making our judging role extremely difficult. Apart from the success of the individual acts and their personal sense of accomplishment, there was just such a buzz in the room full of support, respect and joy as we shared in what was a wonderful evening that will be on the schedule for many years to come I am sure!

These events are part of the Arts and Culture pillar of our Student Experience Framework, which informs all of our programming and ensures that residents have opportunities to learn and grow across five key areas: Leadership, Arts and Culture, Health and Wellbeing, Academic and Social and Community.

One of the wonderful performances in Geelong was by acoustic duo Milla and James, who performed the song 'On Fire' by Passenger. When asked what events like this mean to residents, Milla said,

Having the trimester punctuated with events is a fantastic way to break up the study/work life. Where fun times and getting out there is prioritised. I truly believe a university that organises events aimed to benefit the well-being and social connections of their residents have fantastic priorities and a balanced view of what success looks like for a student. Deakin is so lucky to have so many talented members of their community and nights like that, where everyone is together to celebrate really are pivotal in creating a sense of belonging and a drive to get involved in a community.

James agreed about the importance of events like this, saying,

The atmosphere was unreal, was a great night and loved getting up and having some fun, everyone was involved and all acts put on a great show.

With the strong success of both these events, it’s safe to say they will remain important elements of our engagement program for years to come. We look forward to encouraging the hidden talents of future students at Deakin Res!