Day One

Let the hitching commence! #raghitches yfrog.com/h0buxphcj

— Samantha Kelly (@Sami_Kelly) February 2, 2012

Forgot my toothbrush #RAGhitches

— Oliver Craig Roberts (@OliverCraigRob) February 2, 2012

Just finished our first hitch to the ferry port in hull and met the best people! #raghitches

— Jessica McCready (@JessMcCready) February 2, 2012

We’re really excited to announce the launch of our Official Fashion Show 2012 website. The award-winning show is coming to Leeds University Union on the 23rd February 2012.


Head to the page to know more about the show, the Fashion Show Committee, exclusive backstage pictures and more. The website is designed and created by our talented Website Developer Jonathon Block.


You can also like the Fashion Show on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the latest as it happens.

Soundwave Festival, the culmination of our event ‘Race to Soundwave: Hitchhike to Croatia‘, is changing this year. Here’s what you need to know.

Location

The biggest change this year will see Soundwave moving to a new home in Croatia – The Garden, Tisno – keeping all the things we love about Soundwave, but bringing some changes too:


- The Beach Stage: remains for dancing in the glistening adriatic listening to your favourite DJ’s,


- The Main Stage: (slightly bigger in capacity than previously) is now set in a beautiful tree lined area of parkland in the centre of the site just moments from the seafront,


- Boat Parties: The Garden Tisno has its very own dock so if you’ve taken our advice and grabbed tickets for the twice daily boat parties, you can walk from Main Stage to boat in seconds. The Kornati Islands are only a short distance away so expect stunning scenery and sunsets on your voyage!


- Barbarellas Discotheque: is perhaps the biggest change. Last year, due to capacity, people had to be turned away from the nightclub but the new and improved Barbarellas has room for everyone to dance in the warm moonlit night until the early hours.


The new location doesn’t affect accommodation availability – there’s an onsite apartment village and camping for those who want to be as close to the action as possible, whilst a short walk around the bay there is an abundance of beds in the stunning setting of Tisno.

First Line-Up Announcement

The first of the headline acts will be announced in the New Year to join this first wave of confirmed artists:

Anchorsong // Craig Charles // Dele Sossimi – A Tribute To Fela // DJ Yoda // Ghostpoet // Gilla // Hidden Orchestra // Mr Thing // Matthew Halsall // Olugbenga (Metronomy) // Tanya Auclair

Line-up announcements will continue to be made in the run up to the festival.

What Now?

If this sounds good to you (it definitely sounds good to us!), and you’re interested in traveling to this unforgettable festival for free by hitchhiking across Europe, look out for our Intro Meetings in January by liking the hitch on Facebook below, and head over to our dedicated page here.

We want you to help us run one of the most memorable night in the Union’s calendar – The 2012 Fashion Show. We’re recruiting for our Support Team which will be made up of a number of roles that are listed below.

If you’re interested in any of the roles and would like to apply, please email Darcy at rfs2012productionteam@hotmail.co.uk by 2nd December. Please state clearly in the subject of the email which position/positions you are applying for (really important!).

About the Support Team

This team will consist of 5 Production Executives, 2 Junior Production Executives, 2 Technical Production Executives, 2 Lighting Assistants and 20 Production Assistants and 30 Dressers. These roles are varied in both time commitment and responsibility but they will all be great fun. Technical Experience is compulsory for the technical roles and events experience is preferred though not compulsory for all other roles.

Roles

Production Executives

The Production Executive role will be spent working closely with the Production Manager and other members of the committee, liaising with external production companies and continually working to keep our expenditure as low as possible through research and innovative approaches. The Production Executives are responsible for the organising and overseeing of rehearsals.


On the night itself, Production Executives will be responsible for managing certain areas of the event; you will be in charge of a small team with specific timings and objectives. You will be logical, reliable and organised with excellent time management and commitment to delivering a great show. You will be professional and approachable, good at getting the best out of people and available to commit to regular meetings. You will ideally have events experience (preferably at a senior level) though this is not compulsory.

Junior Production Executives

The chief role of the Junior Production Executive will be to run the backstage area on the night. This role requires the ability to clearly understand a brief and to deliver, logical thinking, excellent people skills and, most importantly, a calm nature under pressure.


In the run up to the event, you will work closely with the team at all production meetings to ensure a full understanding of the workings of the show, you may be required to help production research and to assist with rehearsals. You will be logical, reliable and organised with excellent time management and commitment to delivering a great show.


This role is slightly less demanding of your time than the role of Production Executive but it is no less important and requires the same level of dedication.

Technical Production Executives

We are looking for two people with experience in sound and lighting to join our team. In the run up to the show, you will be required at various production meetings and you will then act as production team representatives on the night working with our external technical team. It goes without saying therefore that teamwork is an essential skill and technical experience is compulsory.


You will be excellent at communicating with others, at following a brief and available for all rehearsals as well as the show. You may be called on to lend technical support at various fundraisers leading up to the show depending on the event itself, you should be available for this too.

Lighting Assistants

You must have experience with lighting to apply for this position. We need two people to run manually operated spotlights during the show itself. You will be working closely with the Technical Production Executives as well as the external technical team and, likewise, will need to be available for various fundraisers, final rehearsals and of course the show itself. You will have high levels of concentration and be committed to delivering a good show, you will be organised and good at following instructions.

Production Assistants

Production assistants need to be motivated, efficient under pressure, logical and creative. You will be required to assist at all fundraising events in the lead up to the show as well as the set up of the show itself. You will be required to assist at final rehearsals and during the show.
It is vital that you are able to commit to the time demands of this role, they will be very small initially but it is highly likely that we will need a full or nearly full team of Production Assistants all day on Wednesday 22nd February 2012 and all day on Thursday 23rd February 2012, we can of course make some timetabling allowances.


During the show itself, some Production Assistants will remain in their role while others will be chosen as VIP hostesses, ushers and vendors though this will be arranged nearer the time. It is imperative that the importance of this role is not underestimated; you will be responsible for everything that the guest sees on the night and it will be a hugely rewarding experience. We will work as a close-knit team and we will have a lot of fun together.

Dressers

Dressers are responsible for ensuring that the models arrive on the catwalk fully clothed- an important job. In the run up to the event you may be required to assist at the larger fundraising events and you will be expected at final rehearsals. You will work closely with the Stylists and the Model Managers as well as the Models so good teamwork is a must as well as excellent levels of communication, a calm head under pressure and good efficiency- the model area on the night is guaranteed to be hectic and it is the dressers who need to remain focussed.

Social

Come and have a chat about anything to do with the climb at the Pack Horse pub on Tuesday 15th November from 7pm . Hope to see you there!


Email leeds1@kilimanjaro.childreach.org.uk if you have any questions or want to find out more.


Don’t miss out on this amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

Leeds RAG are changing the face of men’s health at the University of Leeds this Movember.


Click the pic for more!

There was unprecedented demand for our first Speed Dating of the academic year as we sold out within two days.


If you got a ticket, RSVP as attending on the event here. If you were out of luck this time, look out for our next Speed Dating coming up in the new year!


Check back next week for all the news, gossip, love and pictures from the big night. x

1. Join RAG:

All the sign-ups for events will be done through the Leeds University Union website this year, so you’ll have to be a member to join any event! But being a member is great for other things too – money behind the bar at socials, discounts on general event tickets and maybe even some local perks too!

2. If you signed up to an event at the Intro Pary:

Keep an eye on your emails and the ‘Upcoming Events’ on this site! All Intro Meetings will be detailed. See our Facebook Directory for the specific Facebook page for your event. Our main Facebook Page is a good place to start too.

3. If you couldn’t make the Intro Party but want to sign-up:

No problem! Check here and/or www.facebook.com/leedsrag to find out when the Intro Meetings are for the event you’re interested in. Or come and see us in the RAG Office in Leeds University Union during the week.


If you want to get on the mailing list for an event, find the appropriate page using the top bar of our site, or by searching, and emailing the address on the page.

If you’ve got any questions at all about any event, write on our wall, tweet us, come and chat to us in the office or email us on rag@luu.leeds.ac.uk!

Help us make 2011 and 2012 years to remember – we have events that are looking for event organisers! We one of our life-changing challenges – Climb Kilimanjaro, the Tour To France, the hitch-hike to Morocco and, one of the best nights of the year, the RAG Fashion Show.

If you’re confident, motivated, up for a laugh and, of course, organised, then you’re exactly the type of people we’re looking for. This is your chance to make a mark on the University calendar and spice up that CV of yours – all whilst meeting likeminded people and raising thousands of pounds for charity!

We also make sure you’re fully supported and always have someone to answer your questions and give you guidance if you ever need help from us. And if being an organiser isn’t your thing you can still help out by joining one of our Support Teams – head to our dedicated page to find out more!

More on Climb Kili

Interested climbing to the Roof of Africa? Fancy taking out a team of students to climb the highest free standing mountain in the world whilst playing a crucial role in making a significant difference to the lives of children in the developing world?

We’re looking for six motivated, outgoing, and enthusiastic individuals to be Team Leaders for 3 Climb Kilimanjaro for Kids trips next Summer, raising money for Childreach International.

If you’re up for it, head to the Childreach International site, then click ‘Get Involved’ and ‘Team Leading’. There’s a link to apply to be a Team Leader on the right hand side.

We’ll get back to you as soon as possible and you may receive a phone call from Tim, one of Childreach International’s Student Fundraising Managers, for a short and informal phone interview.