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 , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills ( Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_cha ...

. Over 200 student clubs and organisations run within Durham Students' Union.

Sports

General

* College Varsity, a sporting competition between college teams from

and the

University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for post-nominals) is a collegiate research university, located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, co ...

held alternately at York and Durham in the Lent term since 2014. * 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 , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

and (since 2011) the

. * 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 A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to ...

, rather than a part of Durham Students' Union, the primary student representative body at Durham University. * Palatinate, Durham's equivalent of the

University Sporting Blue A blue is an award of sporting colours earned by athletes at some universities and schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of blues began at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England. They are now awarded at a number of othe ...

. A Full Palatinate is notoriously difficult to achieve and not just awarded for representing the university. Recipients of Honorary Palatinates, given to recognise the success of former students, have included

Nasser Hussain Nasser Hussain (born 28 March 1968) is a British cricket commentator and former cricketer who captained the England cricket team between 1999 and 2003, with his overall international career extending from 1990 to 2004. A pugnacious right-h ...

, Jonathan Edwards and

Hawk-Eye Hawk-Eye is a computer vision system used in numerous sports such as cricket, tennis, Gaelic football, badminton, hurling, rugby union, association football and volleyball, to visually track the trajectory of the ball and display a profile of ...

founder Paul Hawkins. * 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 The Durham University Rugby Football Club (Durham University RFC or DURFC) is the rugby union club of the University of Durham. They play in BUCS Super Rugby, the highest level student rugby competition in the UK, and have produced a number of no ...

, previous members have included England captains

Phil de Glanville Philip Ranulph de Glanville (born 1 October 1968 in Loughborough) is a former English rugby union player who played at centre for Bath and England. Rugby career de Glanville played for Durham University while an Economics and Politics stude ...

and

Will Carling William David Charles Carling (born 12 December 1965) is an English former rugby union player. He was England's youngest captain, aged 22, and won 72 caps from 1988 to 1996, captaining England 59 times. Under his captaincy, England won Five ...

. *

Quidditch Quidditch is a fictional sport invented by author J.K. Rowling for her fantasy book series ''Harry Potter''. It first appeared in the novel '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (1997). It is a dangerous but popular sport played by wi ...

: ** Durhamstrang

Rowing

Durham University Boat Club Durham University Boat Club (DUBC) is the rowing club of Durham University. In recent years, DUBC has cemented itself as one of the strongest university boat clubs in Great Britain. Under the leader ...

Boat Race of the North The Boat Race of the North is an annual rowing event between the boat clubs of Durham and Newcastle universities in England. The event is usually staged on the River Tyne in Newcastle, although the 2018 race was held on the River Wear in Durham. ...

Durham Regatta Durham Regatta is a rowing regatta held annually on the second weekend in June on the River Wear in Durham, North East of England; It is known as the Henley of the North, but began several years before the more prestigious Henley Royal Regatta. ...

*Novice Cup This was known as the Hatfield cup until 2003 when Durham College Rowing took over the organising of the event. *Senate Cup *Pennant Series *Admirals Regatta

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

The Durham Union Society (DUS), commonly referred to as the Durham Union, is a

debating Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soc ...

, founded in 1842, by the students of the University of Durham, which then comprised only University College, and Hatfield Hall. 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./>

History

The Union was founded in 1842. It was the last student debating union founded along the lines of those that had been established at Cambridge in 1815 and at Oxford in 1823. Intended both as clubs and debating societies, they provided additional comforts like reading rooms, dining facilities, billiards, and libraries. The first debates were held in the reading rooms of Hatfield Hall and

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

. In 1872 the Society moved to what is now the Palace Green library, where the University's first purpose-built debating chamber was established. The Union predates the 1899 founding of the Students' Representatives Council (SRC). Consequently, there exists in Durham, like that of Oxford and Cambridge, the anomaly of both a union society and a students' union. Because Durham University did not enjoy the wealth or the influence of the alumni of its southern counterparts, its Union Society did not flourish in the same way as the Union Societies of Oxford and Cambridge. So poor were the facilities of the Durham Union that by Easter 1896 no debates could be held. That same year the University offered the Union a financial lifeline, by which the latter would be reconstituted as a centrally funded students' union like those being established at the newer

Red brick universities A red brick university (or redbrick university) was originally one of the nine civic universities founded in the major industrial cities of England in the 19th century. However, with the 1960s proliferation of plate glass universities and t ...

. This was rejected by the members however, who opted to stick with the Cambridge model and embarked on a 'precarious path of independence' that has often led it to be 'marginalised' within the wider priorities of Durham University. The university authorities pressed on with the formation of a SRC regardless, and ignored calls from the Union to be given additional facilities, which would not be received until 1936. Independence ensured a state of relative poverty that did not work to the advantage of the DUS. Bertie Dockerill, an academic who has written on the history of student debating societies, emphasises that continued use of Union facilities: :''has remained dependent upon the University believing that they were necessary, a system of landlordism that has not served the DUS well. The Union has been forcibly removed from its original home upon the library side of Palace Green that it had been gifted by the Warden of the University in 1873 (it now houses a lavatory complex), had its artwork appropriated, its coffee shop and dining room confiscated, and enjoys neither a library nor sole usage of its debating chamber, the latter commandeered daily by the University for lectures'' In the final years of the nineteenth century debates often revolved around ecclesiastical matters, a reflection not just of the student intake (which included high numbers of young men preparing for holy orders) but Durham's traditional curriculum of the university and the 'stranglehold' that the Dean and Chapter of Durham exercised over the university – with the few political debates tending to concern the then contentious issue of

Irish Home Rule The Irish Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1870 to the ...

. A few of the debate subjects were

tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scot ...

, such as an 1887 motion 'That in the opinion of this House the Fair Sex is the root of all evil' – a proposal eventually defeated by a large majority. The first 'Ladies night', where female students were able to participate, was held in 1895. In 1900, as the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

raged, members sent a telegram congratulating Messrs. Tuckey and Macpherson – both former Durham Union men who had been trapped in the city of

Ladysmith Ladysmith may refer to: * Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa * Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada * Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States * Ladysmith, New South Wales, Australia * Ladysmith, Virginia, United States * Ladysmith Island, Queenslan ...

as it came under siege from Boer forces – on finally being relieved, and soon received a reply from the pair of them. The turn of the century saw more political debates, with society members almost invariably siding with the positions of the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

, while those of the Liberals were roundly rejected by majorities in excess of 70% at each of three debates in 1905, 1907, and 1911. The third administration of Lord Salisbury attained a vote of confidence in excess of 90%. Opinions on immigration were not consistent. While members applauded the robust views of Hatfield student and future

Bishop of Bangor The Bishop of Bangor is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor. The see is based in the city of Bangor where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Cathedral Church of Saint Deiniol. The ''Report of the Commissioners appointed ...

D.E. Davies, who suggested immigrants were predominantly 'disease-ridden criminals' that would 'have to be supported by public money', they rejected in the following term the motion that ‘the introduction of

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In th ...

and black races into western lands removes white man’s comforts’ by a ratio of around five to one. To mark the 70th anniversary of the Durham Union, an inter-varsity debate chaired by then President J. E. T. Philipps, was held on Saturday 16 March 1912 at the Great Hall of

, and featured visiting teams from

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, and

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted ...

– with the burning issue of Irish Home Rule as the subject of discussion. This was something of a reunion for three of the participants: Philipps, F. K. Griffith (President of the

Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...

), and H. Grose–Hodge (from the

Cambridge Union The Cambridge Union Society, also known as the Cambridge Union, is a debating and free speech society in Cambridge, England, and the largest society in the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1815, it is the oldest continuously running debati ...

) were all schoolmates in the same form at

Marlborough College ( 1 Corinthians 3:6: God gives the increase) , established = , type = Public SchoolIndependent day and boarding , religion = Church of England , president = Nicholas Holtam , head_label = Master , head = Louis ...

. To get around the limitations of its premises, the society traded its ownership of 44 North Bailey opposite Hatfield College for the old site of St Aidan's Society at 24 North Bailey, which allowed the creation of a social club (named the 'North Bailey Club' or, more informally '24'). This contains a

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar ( ...

which is open to all Durham Union members; a

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sport played on a rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six pockets, one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. First played by British Army officers stationed in ...

room; a reading room that the Durham Union uses for functions, such as post debate entertaining, and an en-suite guest room that can be hired out by members. Student members also have the opportunity to rent bedrooms as student accommodation. In 1977 the Union was obliged to move across Palace Green to a purpose-built debating chamber in the Pemberton Buildings, which sit in the shadow of

Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...

The Union today

The Durham Union still maintains its offices and debating chamber on the Palace Green

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

, as well as 24 North Bailey. It hosts weekly debates featuring prominent external speakers, as well as inviting address speakers and holding social events. The Union also excelled at competitive debating, until its debating branch disaffiliated in 2021. Having won the

European Universities Debating Championship __NOTOC__ The European Universities Debating Championships (EUDC) is an annual debating tournament for teams from universities in Europe. The competition uses the British Parliamentary Debate format (the same debate format used at the World U ...

in 2005, and more recently having teams reaching the final of the European Championship, Oxford IV, Cambridge IV and

John Smith Memorial Mace The John Smith Memorial Mace (known as the Observer Mace from 1954 to 1995) is an annual debating tournament ( British Parliamentary format) contested by universities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The equivalent competition for second ...

and the quarter-final of the

World Universities Debating Championship The World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) is the world's largest debating tournament and one of the largest annual international student events in the world. WUDC is held in the British Parliamentary Debate format (involving four team ...

. It also hosted the prestigiou
Durham Intervarsity
competition, the Durham Open and Durham Schools; the world's largest residential school's debating competition. The social highlight of the year is the annual Ball held in

Michaelmas term Michaelmas term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St Micha ...

. The programme for the evening varies, but usually consists of a champagne reception, dinner, music, and after dinner dancing. The Union also holds members only socials, with recent events including a 'Halloween Social', 'American Election Social', 'Chinese New Year Social' and 'Valentines Social'.

Lord Adonis Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis, (born Andreas Adonis; 22 February 1963) is a British Labour Party politician and journalist who served in HM Government for five years in the Blair ministry and the Brown ministry. He served as Secretary of State ...

has cited his and

Anna Soubry Anna Mary Soubry (; born 7 December 1956) is a British barrister, journalist and former politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Broxtowe from 2010 to 2019. Known for her support of pro-European policies, she was originally elected ...

's 105-82 victory at a Durham Union Brexit debate as evidence that students are turning against Britain's decision to leave the European Union. Upon winning a debate at the Durham Union, Spectator columnist James Delingpole wrote that "For a real Oxbridge education, you now have to go to Durham"

NUS incident

In 2010, the Union was forced to cancel a debate on multiculturalism on safety grounds, after the National Union of Students' Black Students Officer Bellavia Ribeiro-Addy and LGBT Officer Daf Adley sent a letter to the Union, Durham University and

Durham Students Union Durham Students' Union, operating as Durham SU, is the students' union of Durham University in Durham, England. It is an organisation, originally set up as the Durham Colleges Students’ Representative Council in 1899 and renamed in 1969, with ...

. The letter opposed the invitation of then BNP MEP Andrew Brons, and warned of a “colossal demonstration” if the debate went ahead. It went on to say “If any students are hurt in and around this event, responsibility will lie with you.” The cancellation of the debate by Union President Anna Birley on safety grounds was met with fierce backlash. NUS President Wes Streeting was prompted to personally appear before the Durham Union to apologise for the actions of the officers concerned, though outrage among Durham students was sufficient that a significant number protested outside the debating chamber at the time. An anti-censorship protest group on Facebook quickly amassed over 2,500 members. An official petition was lodged with Durham Students' Union to call for a referendum on disaffiliation from NUS. On 12 March 2010, the referendum concluded with a majority of voting students choosing to disaffiliate. In 2011 the Durham Students' Union held a further referendum, whereby students taking part in the referendum voted to reaffiliate with the NUS.

Chinese Embassy incident

In 2017, the Chinese Embassy attempted to block supermodel and activist

Anastasia Lin Anastasia Lin (born January 1, 1990) is a Chinese-Canadian actress, model, beauty pageant titleholder, human rights advocate, and Falun Gong practitioner. Lin won the Miss World Canada title in 2015 and was to represent Canada at Miss World ...

from speaking in a debate. An official at the embassy warned the Union that the debate, which also featured former Foreign Secretary

Sir Malcolm Rifkind Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind (born 21 June 1946) is a British politician who served in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1986 to 1997, and most recently as chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament from ...

, could damage relations between the UK and China. Union President

Tom Harwood Thomas Hedley Fairfax Harwood (born 26 August 1996) is a British journalist and political commentator. He is the political correspondent for GB News. He worked for the right-wing political news website Guido Fawkes between 2018 and 2021, and was ...

insisted that "Everyone has been very polite," and the debate went ahead as planned.

Tommy Robinson incident

In 2015, the Union cancelled a speech from Tommy Robinson, reportedly after pressure from the University.

Durham Debating Split and Reaffiliation

As a result of a December 2020 members' referendum, Durham Union Debating, the student competitive debate wing of the Durham Union, voted to leave the wider Durham Union Society, and affiliate with the Durham Students' Union as the now-independent Durham Debating Society. In June 2022, the Durham Debating Society voted to reaffiliate with the Durham Union Society, and as a result left the Durham Students' Union, reversing the decision made a year and half before.

Reciprocal relations

The Union's members enjoy reciprocal relations with, and use of facilities at, the

The Hist The College Historical Society (CHS) – popularly referred to as The Hist – is a debating society at Trinity College Dublin. It was established within the college in 1770 and was inspired by the club formed by the philosopher Edmund ...

Olivaint Conference of Belgium The Royal Olivaint Conference of Belgium NPO is a Belgian independent, multilingual leadership organisation and debating union for students founded in 1954. It is the only student organisation in Belgium operating in both official languages ...

and

The Phil The University Philosophical Society (UPS; ), commonly known as The Phil, is a student paper-reading and debating society in Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1683 it is the oldest student, collegial and paper-reading society in t ...

, both of

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

.Why Get Involved
Durham Union Society, Accessed October 2006

Notable members

Mo Mowlam Dr Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam (18 September 1949 – 19 August 2005) was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mini ...

MP (Past Secretary, Labour Minister of State, most famous for her work on the

Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement (GFA), or Belfast Agreement ( ga, Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta or ; Ulster-Scots: or ), is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April 1998 that ended most of the violence of The Troubles, a political conflict in No ...

) *

Crispin Blunt Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt (born 15 July 1960) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Reigate since 1997. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and ...

MP (Past President, Conservative MP for Reigate & Minister of State) *General Sir

Richard Dannatt General Francis Richard Dannatt, Baron Dannatt, (born 23 December 1950) is a retired senior British Army officer and member of the House of Lords. He was Chief of the General Staff (head of the Army) from 2006 to 2009. Dannatt was commissioned ...

(Past President, former

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Af ...

) * Mark Elliott (Past President, author of several books on Azerbaijan and travel in Asia) *

Edward Leigh Sir Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (born 20 July 1950) is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1983. Leigh has represented Gainsborough, Lincolnshire in the House of Commons since 1983 (re ...

MP (Past President, Conservative MP for Gainsborough and former Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee) * Gabby Logan (Past Assistant Sponsorship Secretary, BBC sports presenter & contestant on BBC1's ''Strictly Come Dancing'' 2007) * Giles Ramsay (Past President, Founding Artistic Director of the Trident Theatre) *

Dianne Hayter Dianne Hayter, Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (born 7 September 1949) is a British politician serving as a Member of the House of Lords since 2010. A member of the Labour and Co-operative Party, she was Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lor ...

(Past Member, Former General Secretary of the Fabian Society) *The Rt Revd

Richard Blackburn Sir Richard Arthur Blackburn, (26 July 1918 – 1 October 1987) was an Australian judge, prominent legal academic and military officer. He became a judge of three courts in Australia, and eventually became chief justice of the Australian Capit ...

(Former President; currently

Bishop of Warrington __NOTOC__ The Bishop of Warrington is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool, in the Province of York, England. The title takes its name after the town of Warrington in Cheshire; the current b ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

) * Robert Buckland (Past President, Conservative MP for Swindon South &

Solicitor General for England and Wales His Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, known informally as the Solicitor General, is one of the law officers of the Crown in the government of the United Kingdom. They are the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to ad ...

) *

Tracy Philipps James Erasmus Tracy Philipps (20 November 1888 – 21 July 1959) was a British public servant. Philipps was, in various guises, a soldier, colonial administrator, traveller, journalist, propagandist, conservationist, and secret agent. He served ...

(Past President, Commissioner in

Colonial Service The Colonial Service, also known as His/Her Majesty's Colonial Service and replaced in 1954 by Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS), was the British government service that administered most of Britain's overseas possessions, under the aut ...

and conservationist) *

(Past President, Journalist for ''

Guido Fawkes Guido Fawkes is a right-wing political website published by British-Irish political blogger Paul Staines. History In September 2004, Staines began writing an anonymous blog about British politics under the name of Guido Fawkes, an alternative ...

'' and

GB News GB News is a British free-to-air television and radio news channel. The channel is available on Freeview, Freesat, Sky, YouView, Virgin Media and via the internet. Since 4 January 2022, an audio simulcast of the station is available on DAB+ ...

)

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 * 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. DST acts as an umbrella organisation for the many theatre companies based at the university, such as Durham University Light Opera Group (DULOG). 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 Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...

group. In 1974, four students founded 'DUST' (Durham University Sensible Thespians), which initially produced comedy revue shows exclusively for

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

student audiences. However, in 1977, under the presidency of

Arthur Bostrom Arthur Bostrom FRGS (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, best known for his role as Officer Crabtree in the long-running BBC TV sitcom Allo 'Allo!''. Biography Early life Bostrom was born in Rugby, Warwickshire and attended Lawrence ...

, DUST took their first show to the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

. This inaugural Fringe show included

John Inge John Geoffrey Inge ( ; born 26 February 1955) is a bishop in the Church of England. He is currently the Bishop of Worcester in the Diocese of Worcester. From 2003 to 2007, he was Bishop of Huntingdon, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Ely. ...

(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 Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University. History Footlights' inaugural ...

and the

Oxford Revue The Oxford Revue is a comedy group primarily featuring students from Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, England. Founded in the early 1950s, The Oxford Revue has produced many prominent comedians, actors and satirists. The Revue wr ...

. 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 Jeremy Guy Vine (born 17 May 1965) is an English television and radio personality, presenter, broadcaster and journalist. He is best known as the host of his BBC Radio 2 lunchtime programme which presents news, views, interviews with live guest ...

Nish Kumar Nishant Kumar (born 1985) is a British stand-up comedian and television presenter. He became known as the host of satirical comedy ''The Mash Report'', now known as ''Late Night Mash''. He has also presented BBC Radio 4 Extra's topical comedy ...

Ed Gamble Edward Stephenson Jamison Gamble (born 11 March 1986) is an English comedian, known for co-presenting '' The Peacock and Gamble Podcast'' and his regular appearances on ''Mock the Week''. He studied at Durham University, where he began his come ...

, and

Alex Macqueen Alexander Tulloch Macqueen (born 30 November 1973) is an English actor. He has appeared on television, film and radio in the UK in productions such as ''Holby City'', ''Doctor Who,'' ''Hut 33'', ''Peep Show'', '' The Thick of It'', ''Keeping M ...

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 Durham Castle is a Norman castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been occupied since 1837 by University College, Durham after its previous role as the residence of the Bishops of Durham. Designated since 1986 as a cultural World Heri ...

, the Mark Hillery Arts Centre in Collingwood College and the

Margot Fonteyn Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells ...

ballroom in Durham Students' Union, as well as external venues such as

, Durham Town Hall, the Gala Theatre and

Sage Gateshead Sage Gateshead is a concert venue and musical education centre in Gateshead on the south side of the River Tyne in North East England. Opened in 2004 and occupied by North Music Trust it is part of the Gateshead Quays development which include ...

. 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. There are also many college music groups, including chapel choirs, chamber ensembles and function bands which perform at college events.

Miscellaneous societies

* ''

Purple Radio Purple Radio is Durham University's Official Student Radio Station. Purple broadcasts online 24 hours a day during term time, from October until June each year. History Purple FM (1996 - 2005) Purple Radio was previously known as Purple FM ...

'', 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 Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county *Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in No ...

'', the university's most prominent student Christian organisation, founded in 1931

Leisure activities

* Formal Hall, a formal dinner in a college

Notes

References

External links

Durham University Students Union

Durham Union Society
{{University of Durham Student debating societies 1842 establishments in England Social activities *List of social activities