Winter 2019: Molly Fulop

With the support of the Art and Art History Department, I was able to attend the Lively Arts of London Field Study (INT283F) over the winter break and had the opportunity to visit five world-class museums and see seven incredible theater productions, including Shakespeare’s Richard III by candlelight in The Globe itself! Before we left, Dr. and Professor Boles tasked us with completing a scavenger hunt they devised for the trip, and I used it as a guideline for what I should try and see or do during our free time while also adding a few stops of my own.

One of those stops was going to Bletchley Park to see first-hand the machines used to crack encrypted Nazi intelligence during World War 2. The highlight of this visit was being able to stand in the preserved office of Alan Turing, one of my most favorite historical figures and a personal role model since high school. I also enjoyed our group-visit to Tate Britain, so much so that I returned on my own later that day. I was most drawn to their huge collection of JMW Turner paintings and their Pre-Raphaelite gallery space where all of the paintings were hung salon-style and there were multiple easels, paper, and pencils available to the public to sketch whatever work caught their eye. 

The last full day of the trip was the best of them all, though, because we were free all day until we made our way to an immersive production of The Great Gatsby in which the actors interacted with the audience both one-on-one and as a group, even pulling groups off to separate rooms to play truth or dare, help Daisy pick out the best dress to impress Gatsby, etc. That performance in and of itself was a blast, but it was made even better because it marked the end of a beautifully sunny day spent at the stunning Kew Gardens. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience and I am forever grateful to the Art and Art History Department for providing me with the financial aid so I could attend!