Students of Colour Collective presents lineup of events to celebrate cultural identity and creativity
Photo by the Martlet.
The Students of Colour Collective (SOCC), supported by the UVSS, is bringing its very first “Global Village” to UVic. This two-day cultural exhibition on Feb. 6 and 7 will take place in the SUB, and aims to celebrate the diversity of UVic’s student body through food, music, art, and performance.
For racialized and international students at UVic, Global Village will be a little taste of home. For local students, the event will bring an opportunity to “travel” and try new cultures outside of Canada.
“We need [Global Village] today because we’ve needed it for a hot minute,” said Taha Qureshi, SOCC’s coordinator.
“We need to be able to come together and celebrate each other, and learn from each other, and experience the love and the joy and the community that comes from our cultures.”
SOCC’s Global Village was inspired by Qureshi’s personal experience with Dubai’s Global Village when he was growing up. At Dubai’s Global Village, people can experience over 90 cultures and see different entertainment each night from October through April.
SOCC took inspiration from the Gender Empowerment Centre’s annual SEXPO event, too, which includes panels and workshops, a market and community fair, night entertainment, and more.
Student voices were another factor for SOCC in dreaming up their Global Village event. In an Instagram reel published in March 2024, SOCC asked students, “What events would you want SOCC to host if we got more funding?” In the video, students asked for “cultural food nights,” “Afrobeats,” and “cultural events for the students.”
Day one of the event will include a cultural fair and vendor market, known as the “Pavilions,” in the Michèle Pujol Room from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. This space is not reserved for racialized students — SOCC is encouraging participants of all backgrounds to apply as vendors and community organizations, cultural ambassadors, or visual artists.
“If you’re from Switzerland and you have something you want to share … we want to experience that. If you are from Kazakhstan and have something from your culture you want to share, we want to create space for you here,” Qureshi said.
The second part of day one is the “Global Kitchen,” which will take place in the SUB Upper Lounge from 12–2 p.m., or until supplies last. SOCC has partnered up with the Multifaith Centre’s Belonging Dinners to provide “a free lunch from [their] one-of-a-kind Global Kitchen.” The food will be prepared by a student chef, and paired with a short presentation on the history of the dish.
Day two of Global Village will focus on Pulse, a signature SOCC zine program that has been running for more than a decade. This time, Pulse will bring artists together in the form of a cultural showcase, hosted in Vertigo from 6–8 p.m. This event is open to all ages and will be free, but ticketed.
To end the night and the event, Global Village will host an after-hours party with three DJs, each playing an hour-long set. Qureshi said that the DJs have not been revealed yet, but the music we can expect at Pulse: After Hours includes Bollywood, Latin music, and Afrobeats. This event is licensed and will be 19+. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through the UVSS website.
SOCC wants to bring something unique, diverse, and community-based to connect the student body through a celebration of cultural diversity.
“I hope we can truly all come together to champion the cultural diversity that exists on this campus,” said Qureshi, “and I hope it gets people hyped to see it come back next year.”
