PR and the Blue Wall Drawing #1

What does surf life saving, contemporary art and YouTube have to do with studying commerce? Plenty if you are one of 104 students at the University of Wollongong who were enrolled in a radically different course offered for the first time in 2008 by the Faculty of Commerce.

As part of their coursework, the students oversaw the installation of a major contemporary artwork inside the Commerce building, planning the officially opening event, generating media interest, hosting the artist and creating a buzz about it all on YouTube. They even organised a group of surf life savers to help install the artwork.

Inspiring socially innovative commerce, the new Public Relations course includes a subject where the students have control of the class and decide how to apply their knowledge of media relations, event management and public relations campaigns.

This year the students chose an artwork, Blue Wall Drawing #1, 2007, by contemporary Australian artist Kerrie Poliness. The subject was focused entirely around the installation of the artwork and the associated launch event, which aimed to raise awareness and funding for Surf Life Saving Illawarra.

“The students decided on their own goals, one of which was to raise awareness of Surf Life Saving Illawarra,” said Dr Lois Burgess, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Commerce. “They’re serious about strengthening the links between the University and our community, about practical learning.”

And the feedback is that students loved the experience. Representing a broad range of disciplines – informatics, arts, commerce and creative arts – the students enjoyed the practical nature of this subject.

“It’s a subject that makes the theory come alive,” said Nick Bennett, who is studying a Bachelor of Commerce (Dean’s Scholar). “We're accountable for managing and organising a major event, and we’re learning practical skills that we could apply in real life situations.”

In an interesting parallel between life and art, the completed artwork revealed the pattern of a large wave on the walls of the Commerce building.