As our new cohort of students begin their new lives in Sheffield, and as Freshers week gets into full swing, many will be beginning to consider how they want to spend their time outside of the lecture theatre. With the Activities Fair tomorrow set to see hundreds of societies making their pitches to potential members, two of our performance societies have told Forge Press what their groups are like, and what new members can expect for the upcoming year.

Swing Dance Society

Image Credit: Swing Dance Society

“Looking for a fun new way to express yourself, keep fit or simply make friends and have a good time? Join us and give swing dancing a try! Our society meets every Tuesday for professionally-taught, beginner-friendly lessons, alongside frequent opportunities to socialise and enjoy a shared love of this relaxed dance style: from chill game sessions to our Wednesday nights out grooving to live jazz music at the Big Swing at Cubana Tapas Bar. Once a year, we host a weekend-long event of dancing workshops and socials with attendees from across the country. We also travel as a group to attend swing dance events hosted at other universities such as York and Nottingham, which is a great chance to experience the wider swing dance community. If any of this sounds like your thing, check out our socials for more details (@sheffuniswing) and come along to a Give It A Go or one of our classes—we always love to welcome newcomers!” ~ Emma, Secretary of Swing Dance Society

University of Sheffield Light Entertainment Society (USLES)

Image Credit: USLES

“Hello, and welcome to Sheffield! We’re USLES, pronounced “useless”, short for the University of Sheffield Light Entertainment Society. As the smallest and strangest of the three theatre societies at the university, we’re a group of theatre buffs, people who just enjoy silly theatre games, and everyone in between, who come together once a semester to put on a light-hearted comedy play written and directed by our members. While we’re close with the other societies, we pride ourselves on our unique brand; shoestring productions with a healthy dose of heart and pantomime humour, where everybody who comes along can get involved regardless of ability! If you’re interested in what we do, we’ve got plenty of opportunities to get involved either as cast or crew. We have a stall at the Activities Fair,  performances of our summer show on September 28th and 30th, and a Give-It-A-Go session on October 3rd – or, if you’re already convinced, auditions for our Semester 1 show on October 2nd and 4th. Details for all of these can be found via the linktree on our society Instagram, @usles_. Good luck, and stay silly!” ~ Mason Lugh, Secretary of USLES

Swing Dance Society & USLES can be found at stalls 353 & 327, respectively, of the Activities Fair on September 24th, both located in Foundry on Level 2 of the Students’ Union

Image Credit: USLES