Why SUISS Matters: making the best of a difficult year

Due to the pandemic, the cancellation of the Edinburgh Festivals as a result, and the ongoing government restrictions, it was no great surprise that we followed suit and cancelled the 2020 summer school. It was the first time this had happened in our 74 year history, and as you can imagine, we were all terribly saddened. However, it was the right decision for the school, and all those involved, and we were optimistic that we would once again welcome students back to SUISS in 2021.

Despite all the obstacles, we managed to have a small cohort of students. Though it was by no means a normal year for us, the SUISS spirit prevailed, thanks to our wonderful students and committed staff. There were hikes up Arthur’s Seat, author readings, cinepoem competitions, late-night conversations about literature at our ‘virtual pub’,  and so much more.

We also introduced an online course that ran parallel to the residential course option, which was incredibly successful. So much so, that we have decided to continue offering both online and residential course options for 2022. Not only have we found that the online course appeals to people who would not normally be able to travel to Edinburgh, it also allows us some flexibility in the face of all the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

Above all else, SUISS strives to connect students of all backgrounds and beliefs through literature (and a robust social/ cultural programme!), so the creation of an online course presented a new challenge. Read these powerful accounts from Juliana Del Rosso (Brazil) and Debjani Chakrabarty (India), and what they have to say about their online experience:

 

Juliana’s Story:

I came from Campo Grande, an almost rural neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. Even
though Rio is a big city, it would take me at least two hours to get to the places where art was being created and shared: museums, theatres and galleries were not only expensive, but far, far away from my place. I am an actress, as I previously said, but I went to the theatre for the first time when I was 13. Then, when I was 15. Then, when I was 18. Only after that I was able to actually take part in what I had been dreaming about for years.

Theatre was, when I was very young, my impossible dream. Life and support brought me where I am, but it has never been easy. I currently live in São Paulo – this time, in a big neighborhood. I am a bachelor of dramatic arts trying to make a living in a country that doesn’t care about art and doesn’t give us enough money, time or attention. I have to work on things that I don’t like in order to keep on working on what I really love – theatre and cinema. All the rest, to be quite honest, is just something I have to deal with.

Since Bolsonaro became our president – a sad, sad situation -, things became harder for all of us. Part of the country is struggling to get something to eat; meanwhile, politicians are giving themselves more money. Theatres are closing their doors. Artists that I know went back to their parents’ houses or gave up on art forever. I can understand that, for I was almost one of them.

A few months ago, I was unsure I should keep on trying. I was having a hard time convincing myself there was something left for me in art. At the same time, I was telling myself I didn’t have what it takes to be a good actress, an interesting person, or a good story-teller.

Then SUISS came along and offered me a scholarship. And I remembered myself, being
13 years old and having the dream of going abroad. Suddenly I was back to the days when I would wake up really early, take a shot of burning coffee and live the experience of being in love with art for hours and hours. I felt alive, breathing and capable of finally giving my heart what it needs: the possibility of expressing itself.

I do not mean to sound silly; I mean to sound honest. I have been letting myself talk of love, of all kinds of love, since Jo Clifford’s play and speech. I cried for hours after meeting her, even though we were an ocean away from each other. This is one of the things I would never be able to do if SUISS had not offered me such an opportunity. For this and much more, I am truly grateful.

After SUISS – and after all the experiences that have been happening in my life since the summer school believed in me -, I feel that I am able to do something great. Time to change the
world, I guess. Finally.

 

Debjani’s Story:

These past two years have been challenging for everyone the world over, to say the least. In India, especially, things had taken a particularly morbid turn earlier in 2021, when the second wave of the dreaded coronavirus thrashed against our flimsy defences and claimed several hundred lives with singular brutality. Needless to say, it was a difficult time for me personally as well. In the midst of this, I was able to attend the SUISS Creative Writing Course in the University of Edinburgh due to the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship. Although it seems slightly frivolous, if not downright insensitive, to highlight school and scholarship in the face of such devastation and tragedy, it is incumbent upon me to assert, in no uncertain terms, how important this experience has been for my strength as well as my growth. Unsurprisingly, this scholarship ensures that aspiring writers from India have access to valuable training in the SUISS CW course who would, perhaps, be unable to access it otherwise. More importantly, however, they are able to form communities of writers from all over the world. Writing is an isolating exercise, painfully and inevitably so. Therefore, when we are able to forge bonds over shared alienation, it makes our alienation that much more bearable. This is particularly true of the last couple of years when each of us had to go through unthinkable and often ruthless separation from our loved ones as well as from the larger human community. Consequently, although I was unable to attend the course in person and bask in the beauty of Edinburgh, connecting with people from the confines of my own home, provided me with comfort and perhaps more importantly, with knowledge and skills. Somewhere, while discussing Rabindranath Tagore with the Grecian girl, while debating Feminist theory with the Chinese scholar and while listening to my American instructor assert the importance of an exciting opening line, I learned the nuances and discipline involved in writing, I learned how to critique a piece of work and accept criticism gracefully and most significantly, I learned that no matter how palpably I feel it, I am never quite alone. Additionally, I also believe that writing constitutes a social responsibility:  to bring to the fore that which should never be forgotten. While I was grappling with the impossibility and relentlessness of the death and destruction around me, I resolved that I would write to ensure nobody forgets that which we have survived and the course has provided me with important tools to undertake this resolution.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *