Cultural Studies B.A.: Silang Mera - A Super-Match

The story begins with a drag queen: "Not the most talented make it in the art scene. The successful ones are the ones who write the best applications," she said after her lecture in the art room at Leuphana. Silang Mera listened carefully. He understood that sound theoretical knowledge can actually be helpful. Born in Mainz, he had just completed his A-levels and has been drawing comics since his youth. That evening, he heard for the first time about the new study programme "Cultural Studies: Organisation, Society, and the Arts" at Leuphana College. "I'm particularly impressed by the combination of culture, organisation and political aspects. For me, the programme is a super-match," says Silang Mera.

The student himself works in the cultural scene and in catering: "The evening in the art space was about working conditions in art, among other things. A relevant topic," says Silang Mera. He is interested in taking a critical look at the cultural sector. In the study programme "Cultural Studies: Organisation, Society, and the Arts", students learn about research methods as early as their Bachelor's degree. Silang Mera has conducted interviews on changes in music consumption and is currently planning a visit to a festival in Hamburg, including field research. "We read and discuss a lot of texts. Combined with the research tasks, I develop a new perspective on the cultural scene and understand many processes better," says the student. He sees the fact that the programme is offered in English as an advantage: ‘I could also go abroad in my career, but being bilingual also helps me for the German business: the scene is becoming more and more international.’

Later on, Silang Mera would like to work at alternative festivals that also focus on queer life, for example. That is why he is completing the Gender Diversity Certificate as part of his complementary studies. It is a voluntary, study-integrated programme for all Bachelor's and Master's students at Leuphana. The certificate demonstrates the acquisition of gender diversity skills that enable students to reflect on and critically analyse gender relations, access opportunities, social inequality and social heterogeneity. ‘I would like to make a positive contribution to our society,’ says Silang Mera.