Students are represented in the Academy authorities through the University Students’ Self-Governing Council. It acts as an intermediary between the Rector and the students, and it also deals with students’ welfare and well-being. The council organizes many cultural events throughout the academic year, from concerts to carnival balls. The Academy also cherishes the tradition of the initiation ceremony prepared at the beginning of each year for first-year students by students of other years.
Students of particular specialties act within scientific or artistic groups. Exceptional activity has been shown by the Music Therapy Scientific Group, which organizes national conferences devoted to music therapy for students, stages therapeutic performances, arranges meetings with music therapy experts and maintains regular contacts with music therapists from London and Enschede. It is also worth mentioning the Artistic and Scientific Group of Harpsichordists, which has organized several series of artistic and scientific projects, and the Artistic and Scientific Group of Students of Composition and Theory of Music, which, among other things, organizes concerts presenting works of composition students.
An important aspect of student life is the integration of youth from various universities. Every May the Academy’s students participate in Juvenalia, which are traditionally launched in Wrocław’s Rynek Square by the ceremonial handover of the keys to the city by the President of the City of Wrocław to universtiy students. An event aimed at integrating young people from art universities is called Art Piknik, which is held in May each year in the Academy of Fine Arts courtyard. Its rich programme includes exhibitions, fashion and dance shows, auctions of works of visual arts and concerts of various music groups. However, above all, it is an opportunity to meet and establish contacts with young artists, who will eventually shape modern culture as professional actors, musicians or visual artists.
Academy students also spend their time on things other than work. In the Academy’s building they have constant access to computers and wireless broadband Internet. During breaks they are more than welcome to a well-stocked café, which offers tasty snacks at any time of the day. In the warmer months students like to make full use of the building’s charming internal courtyard, where the hubbub of voices mingle with the chirping of birds sitting on branches of the mighty chestnut tree, ivy and luxuriant bushes overlooking the Academy edifice’s windows.
