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Freshers’ Fair 2017 – a Tale of Beginnings and Freebies, with a guest appearance from Banksy

Banksy Artwork - photo by Mahashweta Chakravorti

Last Friday and Saturday, King’s College London’s Student Union hosted its annual Freshers’ Fair at the Barbican Centre.

Roar pitched up at Freshers Fair with our latest print edition

Over 300 student societies, sports clubs and external organisations competed in vanity and fairness to attract the buzzing first years on a quest for free pens, chocolate and life-changing experiences – or just looking for a chat.

The fair was divided into eleven areas, with something to suit every interest: Academic, Business and Entrepreneurial, Campaign and Political, Common Interest, Culture, Faith and Spirituality, Exhibitors and Freebies, King’s, Medical, Music, Performance and Creative, Sports, Student Media and Volunteering and Fundraising. The main stage saw some exciting performances from various societies, such as the The Rolling Tones – the College’ female a cappella group and additionally the Rap Society.

And of course, Roar put in an appearance too, highlighting our latest print edition which you can find around campus.

This year’s Freshers’ Fair welcomed its first guerrilla exhibitor – none other than the infamous Banksy, who painted two artworks earlier this week on the walls of the Barbican. This was ahead of the Centre’s Basquiat exhibition.

Banksy Artwork – photo by Mahashweta Chakravorti

The first illustrates a man being arrested by the police, and the second shows people waiting in line for a ferris wheels whose cars are replaced with Basquiat inspired crowns.

The two pieces are captioned “Portrait of Basquiat being welcomed by the Metropolitan Police – an (unofficial) collaboration with the new Basquiat show.” and, respectively, “Major new Basquiat show opens at the Barbican – a place that is normally very keen to clean any graffiti from its walls.”.

Photo Credit: Irina Anghel

We advise Banksy to mention King’s as well next time, should he desire a stall at the Freshers’ Fair. 

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