DMU students fly to Kentucky to support arts festival

Students have jetted off to America to put their skills into practice working on a project to transform derelict land into vibrant, community spaces.

ReSurfaced is a pioneering programme in Louisville, Kentucky which has gained a reputation for pop-up installations that combine music, art, food and performance, attracting new audiences and revitalising communities.



Interior Design and Arts and Festival Management students from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) are working behind the scenes at the event, which is run by not-for-profit City Collaborative.

Last year, City Collaborative came to DMU to meet students and staff and discuss collaborations through the university’s #DMULocal programme, lending advice to help stage a similar ReSurfaced event in Leicester.

The name of this year’s ReSurfaced is The Liberty Build which will transform a huge derelict lot.

Huge shipping containers will be used as ‘studios’ becoming shop fronts and event spaces and a five a side soccer pitch will also be built.  DMU will have one of the studios to be used and the students have been given a theme of innovation.

Rosemarie Fitton is senior lecturer in Interior Design, flew out this week with six students to work on the first stage of the project.

She said: “We hope to encourage people from the community to get involved and to highlight entrepreneurship. They will have to create a design and manage the project.”

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Interior Design students said they were looking forward to the experience. Rovan El-Daya said: “I’m looking forward to being immersed in a completely different culture, even if it’s just for a week, and seeing how something like this works.”

Sophie Darmanin added: “I think it’ll inspire us to really work hard and it’s something that we would not get to be part of in the UK.”

Sophie Whittaker said: “I’m looking forward to being part of something that helps the community.”

Next week Tony Graves heads out with Arts and Festivals management students. Natalie Harvey-Howes will be one of them.

She said: “I’ve worked on Cultural Exchanges and I’ve volunteered on events but when I saw this opportunity I thought it was too good to miss. I’ll be getting a completely different experience and it will be fantastic to put on my CV.”