The University of Warwick kicks off ‘DeStresstival’ with May Day celebrations

To help students unwind, the University launched ‘DeStresstival’: a series of events running throughout the term, including a campus-wide May Day celebration that took place last Friday.

Term 3 is a particularly stressful time for students, with exams, essay deadlines, and dissertation submissions piling up at once.

The programme featured a wide range of events, several of which were organised in collaboration with Folk Society. One of these was a zine-making workshop in the Nook, run with the Modern Records Centre, which also marked the release of Folk Soc’s Green Man zine.

Over on the Piazza, Morris dancing and live folk music brought a lively atmosphere to campus and drew in passers-by. As one performer put it, it was “a little bit strange – I hadn’t performed with folk before – but it was a lot of fun.”

The Piazza was also home to a helter-skelter, as well as free face painting and ice cream for the first 300 attendees.

Students were quick to praise the event. One attendee shared that it was “my first time celebrating May Day, and it’s been such an enjoyable event”

Face painting was just one way people got into the spirit of the day, with many also taking part in a dress-up competition for the most creative outfits (including, admittedly, this writer).

Attendees showed up dressed as figures from folklore, like the Green Man, who made an appearance in the crowd, as elements of nature, or in bright, spring-inspired outfits. The Green Man himself summed it up nicely, saying: “wonderful atmosphere, the event [was] well thought out and organised and the enthusiasm of the students for events of this kind and their participation has been exemplary”.

The fun didn’t stop there. A series of races took place near the Piazza, including an egg-and-spoon race and a sack race, both of which saw enthusiastic (and slightly chaotic) participation.

The day wrapped up with a traditional Maypole dance, followed by a panel discussion in the Faculty of Arts Building that explored circularity and how we can reduce waste and better use resources.

Students were quick to praise the event. One attendee shared that it was “my first time celebrating May Day, and it’s been such an enjoyable event,” while another described it as “a chance to indulge your inner child and engage with folklore in a really friendly and inclusive way”.

All in all, the DeStresstival is set to be a great way to take a break from academic pressures and bring people together. At a time when stress levels were high, it offered a chance to relax, have fun, and enjoy campus life.