Your SU Team

On this page, you can find:

  • A brief explanation of how the SU Team functions

  • A list of the SU Officers along with a short bio and description of each role

  • An overview of what we do

  • Information about Student Reps, and who they are for 2023-2024

  • The SU Constitution

Who’s in the SU Team? How does it work?

The SU Team is made up of:

  • 2 sabbatical Officers: the President and the Vice President. These roles are full-time, and undertaken by students either right after they graduate, or as an interruption of their studies.

  • 4 non-sabbatical Officers: the Student Health Officer, Events Officer, Societies Officer, and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Officer. These roles are undertaken by students concurrently with their studies.

  • 9 SU Reps, one for each of the following disciplines: Dance, Drama, Production, Film, Music Performance & Composition, Teaching & Education, and Research. These roles are also undertaken by students.

All members of the SU Team are elected by students during SU General Elections, which take place every year in April or May.

  • President

    Umut Mert (he/him)

    Hello! My name is Umut. (it’s read like "oo-MOOT", but I wouldn't worry about it!)

    I took a break from my Piano Performance degree to join the SU, and love listening to music. Outside of that, I also like to play chess, watch TV series, and get lost in cat memes.

    You can contact me at SUPresident@rcs.ac.uk.

  • Vice President

    Tabitha Dearie (she/they)

    Hello everyone ! I am Tabitha and I’m a 2025 graduate of the BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice course here at RCS. I’m a performance maker who works collaboratively! Outside of being the SU VP, I’m a member of the Next Generation at YTAS. I’m also an avid cinema-goer, and I love reading and travelling. I’m really excited to be taking over from Dale as VP, and I’m always up for a chat—so if you see me around campus or in the office, please do say hello!

    You can contact me at SUVicePresident@rcs.ac.uk.

  • Events Officer

    Lia Johnston (she/her)

    Hi everyone! I'm Lia, a third-year set and costume design student. I'm excited to be part of the Student Union this year as the Events Officer, and I'm dedicated to making our university experience unforgettable. I'm passionate about planning awesome events that cater to everyone's interests. If you have any ideas or want to get involved, I'm here to help make it happen. When I'm not at RCS, I'm a massive music nerd, and I love going to the cinema, hiking and camping, reading, going to the theatre, and traveling. I'm looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!

    You can contact me at: SUEvents@rcs.ac.uk.

  • Student Health Officer

    Kate Szumowski (she/her)

    Hi everyone! I’m Kate, a BMus 4th year French hornist! I also have a passion for singing, music therapy, and teaching! Outside of music, I am an avid weightlifter, hiker, and jiu jitsu grappler. I love to read, travel, cook, and especially love meeting new people. Never be afraid to reach out with ideas/concerns; your thoughts are always welcomed!

    You can contact me at: SUHealth@rcs.ac.uk.

  • Societies Officer

    Tyr Anger

    Hi everyone! I’m Tyr (“Teer”) and I’m in my 3rd year of the BMus program studying French horn. Outside music, I like to go for walks in nature and hikes with friends, find the best bargains on food, and say hello to every dog I pass. If you have any questions about creating or joining societies, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

    You can contact me at SUSocieties@rcs.ac.uk.

  • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Officer

    Sanjay Lago

    You can contact me at SUedi@rcs.ac.uk.

What do we do?

Overall, our role is to make your student life as great as possible.

We do this in a variety of different ways, the main ones being:

  • Always being here for you so you can talk to us and we can work with staff to make your education as good as can be, address the issues you might be facing, and support you at all times

  • Organising events during Freshers’ Week and throughout the year

  • Helping you join and create Societies so you can meet people like you (and different from you!)

  • And so much more! If you want to learn more about some of the things we’ve been up to recently, check out our Latest News section here

Who are the SU Reps?

SU reps attend the monthly SU Council Meetings, where they hear an update from the SU Executive (comprised of the President, Vice President and four SU Officers). The SU Reps then give their own update around the discipline they represent (what has been going well, not so well, issues that may have arisen, etc.). SU Council members take decisions together on important matters, such as Conservatoire-wide changes, constitutional updates (the Constitution is the text which describes how the SU functions, you can find it below), Summer Ball, etc. 

SU Reps are in place for each of the below disciplines. For 2025-26, they are: 

So who are the Programme Reps?

On top of SU Reps, there is one (or two in some cases) Programme Rep for each year group in each programme across the Conservatoire. They attend the termly Programme Committee meetings along with their Head of Programme and other staff members to raise issues, give feedback, propose improvements, and participate in discussions relevant to their programmes. A list of our student Programme Reps for 2023-2024 can be found here. 

SU Constitution