FAD STUDENT TOP ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS CELEBRATED

The Faculty of Arts and Design celebrated the excellence of our Class of 2024 during our Student Academic Excellence Awards on 23 April. Forty-one of our top students with an average above 75% were recognised. To ensure the best were awarded, there were stringent measures in place such as ensuring that none of these candidates repeated any of their subjects during their years of study.  These 41 students were acknowledged for their excellence in their academic journey, their talent, their resilience and their unwavering commitment to the arts.

During her address, Prof Nalini Moodley, highlighted the important role that artists play, especially now in our fractured world. She said, “…when fear silences people, the stage, canvas, lens and screens must resist, and artist must rise”. As Artivists, she reminded students that they carry more than creative skills, they carry cultural memory, offer social commentary, and have the power to provoke and realise change. “Your work can create hope. In this global creative economy, with instant communication, your work can travel far and fast, but let it travel with purpose. Represent our country, our continent, and this Faculty with vision and courage. Let the TUT brand be present in every exhibition, every campaign, every moment you step into the world as an artist and a meaning-maker.” She closed off with Henri Matisse’s quote saying “Creativity takes courage”, thereby encouraging students to be courageous recognising that their purpose must always be greater than their applause.