Crowds gathering at the entrance to the venue on Open Day. Image courtesy of Stephen Heath.
On 9 August, ECU City Campus opened its doors for its Open Day. Among many firsts, this was the first time ECU City has been opened on this scale, and there was a real sense of excitement around the campus. Up to 6,000 prospective students, families and the wider community flocked through the doors of Western Australia's only vertical campus.
For many people, this was their first time inside ECU City, with visitors exploring the campus, meeting staff, super hosts and student volunteers, and experiencing the vibrant atmosphere of this exciting venue.
Highlights of the day included the Apple Foundation Program, where prospective students were given the chance to turn fledgeling ideas into app prototypes using design thinking, creativity and Apple technology. Also for the tech-minded, the CreatorsLAB hosted tours and activities to showcase ECU's newest creative innovation studio. Interactive sessions with the Screen and Media team from the School of Arts and Humanities explored some of the key tools screenwriters use to create engaging characters and compelling visual stories. The Visual Arts team from the same School gave an immersive spatial and bodily drawing session with real-time image capture, while the School of Nursing and Midwifery offered a virtual reality tour of a hospital ward.
Huge display boards lit up the vertical campus. Image courtesy of Stephen Heath.
For those more oriented towards business, the School of Business and Law was on hand to discuss their industry-connected programs. Hands-on activities at the Arts and Design team encouraged prospective students to discover how designers think and create. The School of Engineering showed off its robot dog and its award-winning hybrid car, designed, engineered and built entirely by ECU students.
ECU is evolving, and our city is evolving with us
The ever-popular Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) wowed the crowds with a huge selection of events, including inviting prospective students to attend back-of-house production tours, an opera rehearsal, dance performances, contemporary art demonstrations, and much more.
With free fairy floss and popcorn to keep the energy levels high, the day was full of action, fun and learning.
One of the drawcards of ECU City is its location right in the heart of Perth, and at the Open Day visitors were able to experience firsthand the connection between the campus and the city coming to life. Visitors were impressed by the state-of-the art facilities, with many commenting that ECU City is simply like no other campus.
Ultimately, the day was about giving future students a genuine feel for what it would be like to study at ECU. The success of the day was a testament to the hard work of the organising team, whose careful planning ensured that everyone had a safe and enjoyable experience. At ECU's first City Campus Open Day, the sun shone, the crowds moved smoothly, and the award-winning vertical campus showcased ECU's trademark innovation and courage to push boundaries.
