List of social activities at Durham University explained

This is a list of social activities at the University of Durham, including details of clubs, societies and other common leisure activities associated with Durham University. Over 200 student clubs and organisations run within Durham Students' Union.^[1]

Sports

General

• College Varsity, a sporting competition between college teams from Durham University and the University of York held alternately at York and Durham in the Lent term since 2014.^[2]
• Doxbridge Tournament, an unofficial sporting competition held annually since 1999 at the start of the Easter holiday between college teams from Durham University, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and (since 2011) the University of York.^{[3] [4]}
• Durham University Athletic Union, a student-run organisation responsible for sport at Durham University. In 2006, the Athletic Union was rebranded "Team Durham" to signify a more modern approach to sport at Durham. In contrast to most British universities, it is a separate organisation with the status of a students' union, rather than a part of Durham Students' Union, the primary student representative body at Durham University.
• There are many college sports teams which allow for participation in sport at a less intense level than the university sports teams. There are leagues or tournaments between colleges in most major sports, with many colleges having multiple teams covering a wide range of ability levels. This is a contributing factor to the high participation in sport at the university.

Clubs

• Association football:
  • DUAFC
• Rugby union:
  • Durham University Rugby Football Club, previous members have included England captains Phil de Glanville and Will Carling.
• Quidditch:
  • Durhamstrang^[5]

Rowing

• • Durham University Boat Club Boat Race of the North
• Durham Regatta
• Novice Cup^[6] This was known as the Hatfield cup until 2003 when Durham College Rowing took over the organising of the event.^[7]
• Senate Cup^[8]
• Pennant Series^[9]
• Admirals Regatta^[10]

College boat clubs

Student unions

Durham has a central students' union as well as junior common rooms (or equivalent) in each college.

• Durham Students' Union, the Durham-wide federal union

Durham Union Society

See main article: Durham Union.

The Durham Union Society (DUS), commonly referred to as the Durham Union, is a debating society, founded in 1842, by the students of the University of Durham, which then comprised only Hatfield Hall and University College. Commonly referred to as the Union, or the DUS, it is the University's largest society, with over 3,000 members in residence, and 24,000 worldwide. Until 1899, when the Durham Students' Union's ancestor was founded, the society acted as the University's students' union.

Academic societies

• Arthur Holmes Geological Society
• Durham Astronomical Society
• Durham Spaceflight
• Durham University Accounting and Finance Society
• Durham University Anthropology Society
• Durham University Archaeology Society
• Durham University Biological Society
• Durham University Business Society
• Durham University Business Psychology Society
• Durham University Chemistry Society
• Durham University Classics Society
• Durham University Combined Honours Social Society
• Durham University Computing Society
• Durham University Economics Society
• Durham University Education Society
• Durham University Engineering Society
• Durham University English Literature Society
• Durham University Finance Society
• Durham University French Society
• Durham University Geographical Society
• Durham University German Language and Cultures Society
• Durham University History Society
• Durham University Law Society
• Durham University Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) Society
• Durham University Marketing Society
• Durham University Mathematical Society
• Durham University Medical Society
• Durham University Natural Science Society
• Durham University Women in STEM
• Durham University Philosophy Society
• Durham University Psychology Society
• Durham University Palaeontological Society
• Durham Physics Society
• Durham University Politics and International Relations Society
• Durham ELSA
• Durham University Society of Applied Social Science
• Durham University Sustainable Finance Society
• Durham University Theology Society
• Durham University Chemical Society^[11]
• Geology for Global Development (Durham Group)

Drama societies

Durham Student Theatre

Durham Student Theatre (DST, formerly Durham University Student Theatre, DUST) is a student-run organisation responsible for theatre at Durham University, with performances put on every week of term at the Assembly Rooms Theatre.^[12]

DST acts as an umbrella organisation for the many theatre companies based at the university, such as Durham University Light Opera Group (DULOG).^[13] There are also numerous college based theatre groups, run by the Junior Common Room of the individual colleges, some of which are college members only, with others being open to all.

Durham Revue

The Durham Revue is an established sketch comedy group. In 1974, four students founded 'DUST' (Durham University Sensible Thespians), which initially produced comedy revue shows exclusively for Durham student audiences.^[14] However, in 1977, under the presidency of Arthur Bostrom, DUST took their first show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This inaugural Fringe show included John Inge (Bishop of Worcester) and Jennie Campbell (former BBC comedy producer). The group changed its name to the 'Durham Revue' in 1988.

Its members write and perform all material themselves and shows are put on annually at the Assembly Rooms Theatre, and the professional Gala Theatre where they perform alongside the Cambridge Footlights and the Oxford Revue.^[15] The Durham Revue also travels yearly to Cambridge, Oxford, and the Edinburgh Fringe where they perform for the full run of the festival.

The Durham Revue membership generally consists of six writers and performers. Membership is based upon audition and interview, and these take place just once a year during Michaelmas Term. Former members include Jeremy Vine, Nish Kumar, Ed Gamble, and Alex Macqueen.^[16]

Music Durham

Music Durham (formerly Durham University Music Society, DUMS) is a student-run organisation responsible for the majority of student music activities at Durham University. Performances take place in university venues such as the Great Hall of Durham Castle, the Mark Hillery Arts Centre in Collingwood College and the Margot Fonteyn ballroom in Durham Students' Union, as well as external venues such as Durham Cathedral, Durham Town Hall, the Gala Theatre and Sage Gateshead.

Music Durham is an umbrella organisation for the many ensembles based at the university. It currently consists of 28 university ensembles, including the Orchestral Society (DUOS), Palatinate Orchestra (DUPO), Choral Society, Big Band, Chamber Choir, concert band, brass band and gamelan.^[17] There are also many college music groups, including chapel choirs, chamber ensembles and function bands which perform at college events.

Miscellaneous societies

• Purple Radio, the student radio station
• Palatinate, Durham's independent student-run fortnightly newspaper, has been continually published since 1948
• Mostly Harmless, student satirical publication
• The Grove, student literary publication
• Durham Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, the university's most prominent student Christian organisation, founded in 1931
• Durham University Conservative and Unionist Association (DUCUA), the university's Conservative society

Leisure activities

• Formal Hall, a formal dinner in a college

External links

• Durham University Students Union
• Durham Union Society

Notes and References

1. Web site: Societies at Durham University. 11 November 2021. Durham University.
2. News: Palatinate. York College Varsity Announced. Maddy. Sears. 30 January 2014. 7 October 2015.
3. Web site: Doxbridge. Sports Party. 7 October 2015.
4. News: The Tab. Cambridge Companion To: Doxbridge. 22 October 2011. 29 October 2015.
5. News: Meet Durhamstrang – the university quidditch team hoping to become European champs. 11 April 2016. Hannah Graham. Chronicle Live. 19 April 2016.
6. Web site: Durham College Rowing . Novice Cup Regatta . 28 December 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090129110342/http://www.dur.ac.uk/college.rowing/?p=events%2Fnovice . 29 January 2009 . dead .
7. Web site: HEADS OF HOUSE COMMITTEE . Minutes AoB (d)(i) . 21 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121013071124/http://www.dur.ac.uk/committees/Committee-of-Heads-of-House/2002-12-18m.pdf . 13 October 2012 .
8. Web site: Durham College Rowing . Senate Cup . 28 December 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090129110407/http://www.dur.ac.uk/college.rowing/?p=events%2Fsenate . 29 January 2009 . dead .
9. Web site: Durham College Rowing . Pennant Series . 28 December 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090129110225/http://www.dur.ac.uk/college.rowing/?p=events%2Fpennant . 29 January 2009 . dead .
10. Web site: Durham College Rowing . Admirals Regatta . 28 December 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090129110720/http://www.dur.ac.uk/college.rowing/?p=events%2Fadmirals . 29 January 2009 . dead .
11. Web site: Durham University Chemical Society . 13 February 2016 .
12. Web site: What's On : Theatre Performance . Durham University . 18 March 2020 . 18 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200318194224/https://www.dur.ac.uk/whatson/dance_drama/ . dead .
13. Web site: Durham Student Theatre . Our Theatre Companies . 18 March 2020.
14. Spotlight on the Durham Revue . Durham First . 2013 . 34 . 25 . 18 March 2020.
15. Web site: The Durham Revue . Durham Student Theatre . 18 March 2020.
16. Web site: Percival . Becky . In conversation with: The Durham Revue (Part One) . The Bubble . 18 March 2020 . 18 February 2018.
17. Web site: Music Durham Ensembles . 4 July 2021.