College clubs and societies are a big part of life at Oxford. Here's what's on offer at Teddy Hall! Remember - if we don't have your favourite activity, you can always start a club, and the Teddy JCR can provide funding for new clubs and societies!
DRAMA SOCIETY
Teddy Hall is unusual in that we have our own drama society! We put on termly productions offering students of any experience level the chance to get involved in writing, directing, producing, acting, marketing, props and costumes and much much more.
We're also unusual in that we don't usually cast students from other colleges in our productions, something which can be common practice in other college level productions. The Hall also offers a £300 award to two students who had the biggest role in drama at Teddy, and the JCR provides funding for student productions both by the college society and for productions involving Teddy Hall students at a university level, making it an incredibly supportive environment for students wanting to be involved in drama at university!
Reviews of our production of Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest' (shown in the image above), which raised money for Stonewall:
"I think, if he could have seen this production, Mr. Wilde would be proud."
Oxford Opening Night
"The wonderful appeal of this performance arguably rests with the brilliant rapport between the members of the cast, and the directors. They did Wilde proud."
Cherwell
CREATIVE WRITING SOCIETY
Teddy Hall is also well known for its creative writing scene - our creative writing society meets on Wednesday nights in the bar to share poetry and prose in a relaxed environment. If you don't feel like sharing your writing, or just want to hear a poetry reading, you're welcome to go along and just listen too! Our society has produced a number of well known poets in the past, including Caleb Klaces, Charlotte Geater and Amy Blakemore.
We also have a magazine called 'A Gallery', which is released annually and showcases Teddy Hall artwork and writing on a theme: this year's was 'BLOOM'.
MUSIC SOCIETY
Although we don't offer music as a degree, Teddy Hall has a huge music scene with something for everyone. Our music society is very active and puts on events like open mic nights, folk sessions in the bar, weekly lunchtime chamber music and solo concerts and even an annual Teddy Hall Ceilidh. The society provides a starting point for lots of students looking to form their own group too, whether it's a band or a string quartet!
Teddy Hall also has a lot of funding available for students wanting to continue playing music at university. You can audition for an instrumental award of £100, as well as use our Masterclass fund to pay to carry on your music lessons at university.
TEDDY HALL CHAPEL CHOIR
Teddy Hall is one of the only colleges with a non-auditioning choir! We sing evensong every Sunday, followed by a free three course formal meal. The Teddy Hall Chapel Choir is a hugely supportive environment! Our choral and organ scholars often run rehearsals and help other students learn their music.
You can audition for three main awards in Teddy Hall Choir:
Choral scholarship
An award aimed at students who have past singing experience and are skilled in sight reading. These scholars are expected to support the choir by learning their music in advance of rehearsals; the scholars also get free singing lessons from college. You audition for this award in September - more details are here.
Organ scholarship
An award aimed at students who play the organ and want to be involved in running the choir. These scholars may run rehearsals, as well as accompanying the choir and playing voluntaries in services. Organ scholars get free organ, singing and conducting lessons. You audition for this award in September - more details are here.
Choral exhibition
An award aimed at students who show musical potential in an audition who want to develop their singing further. This award gives free singing lessons to singers in the choir who might not have had access to them in the past, helping them to improve technique! You audition for this award once you've arrived at Teddy Hall.
STUDENT AMBASSADORS
Teddy Hall has a huge team of student ambassadors! We help the access officers run our blog and instagram, @sehaccess. We also give school students tours of the college during term time, and visit schools on our annual Access Roadshow. We have regular socials like drinks and lunches, as well as access workshops to help us help you find out more about what it's like to study at Oxford!
TEDDY HALL BAME
The BAME society is growing every year and while we aren't the biggest society in college, our presence and community is unparalleled. We come together for socials, to celebrate with events such as our Equality and Diversity week and to act as a support system for one another.
TEDDY HALL LGBTQ+
Teddy Hall has a great LGBTQ scene! LGBTQsoc meets every Tuesday for drinks in the bar before heading out to the University LGBTQsoc Tuesday socials. We also have regular movie nights and brunches like the one in the photo with tonnes of food.
The society is really supportive, anyone can join and it's a really great way to get to know and support other LGBTQ+ students at Teddy Hall!
SPORTS
RUBGY
Teddy Hall rugby is both one of the most successful and most welcoming sides of any of the colleges at Oxford.
"We're one of two colleges with a second rugby team. In my opinion one of the best things about Teddy Hall is that we have so many teams, so we accept all standards. Personally one of the reasons I applied was because of the two rugby teams - I hadn't played in three years, so knowing that there were a couple of sides for someone who wasn't as experienced to get involved in was quite a plus!"
James
We also have a women's side, which is joint with Brasenose, and won the inter-college women's rugby cuppers this year, with a team made up of players of all abilities, from university level to complete beginners!
FOOTBALL
Our men's side has 3 teams varying from a high standard competing at a winning level against other colleges, all the way down to the 3rd team, where anyone and everyone is welcome (our record defeat was 16-0, but by some miracle we also won the league this year!). The club also has a busy social side, where all are welcome whether football players or not! We have weekly drinks (where drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome) and an annual tour to Cambridge.
Teddy Hall is also one of the only colleges with its own women's side - we're not joined with another college! Our women's club is growing bigger every year and plays matches nearly every weekend. This year we got to the semi-finals of the inter-collegiate competition. There is a mixture of undergrads and postgrads on the team - it's very fun and friendly! We have a huge range of abilities too so everyone is welcome. We also has a thriving social side with regular drinks in the college bar and an annual tour to Cambridge.
HOCKEY
Teddy Hall Hockey (SEHHC) has something for everyone. We enter two teams at cuppers (inter-college competitions) so there are opportunities for university level hockey players, those who have played a little hockey before and those who haven’t: anyone who might want to pick up a stick! There are intercollegiate leagues and knockout competitions for men, women and mixed and Teddy Hall has a great record in these over the last few years winning leagues and cups. Going for a drink (non-alcoholic or alcoholic!) together at the nearest establishment after a game is also a key part of the club.
NETBALL
Teddy has two netball teams! Anyone can get involved no matter their past experience and the teams are mixed gender too. We have been very successful in inter-college competitions in the past and have an excellent club social side too, holding regular events with the other women's sports clubs.
ROWING
Oxford is probably one of the most accessible places to start rowing. As the largest sporting society at Teddy Hall, we value participation just as much as performance. The majority of Teddy Hall rowers and coxes learnt as freshers and all play their part in making up an incredibly welcoming club! We thrive on those who arrive at university keen to try a new sport, and we cater for those joining purely for the fun of it as well as those aiming to out-perform other colleges and universities in races across the country.
Through joining SEHBC you can try your hand at coxing as well as rowing. The cox is the person in the boat who takes charge of steering and issuing commands; it's a lot of fun, especially in Oxford's bumps style regattas!
We have a large women’s and men’s side of the boat club, and we pride ourselves on being an incredibly integrated club; be that in both training and social aspects. Teddy Hall boat club has a fantastic social scene, and we regularly hold games nights, crewdates (where you have dinner and play games with other boat clubs from different colleges), as well as boat club dinners once a term. So whether you’re rowing through Oxford in glorious weather with your friends, winning big races, or celebrating at end of term dinners, rowing is a very unique and hugely rewarding sport!
DARTS
Our highly successful darts team usually win all their competitions!
GYMNASTICS
Our gymnastics team won the inter-collegiate gymnastics competition this year!
ULTIMATE FRISBEE
Ultimate Frisbee is a newly set-up squad and hopes to increase in number over the upcoming year. In our first ever league participation we were combined with University and Hertford colleges, but we are hoping to be a stand-alone team next year!
"I would encourage everyone to take part in Ultimate Frisbee whether sporty or not, it's a lovely game and not too competitive, a well-spirited sport which I only started at uni, hence it's pretty easy to pick up!"
Davidson, Captain
SWIMMING
Teddy hall usually enters swimming cuppers and often wins on turnout alone! All abilities are welcome and the number of swimmers who turn up to competitions is a good example of our hall spirit - everyone is keen to get involved to support the Hall!
SQUASH
Teddy Hall also has a squash side which competes against other colleges in inter-collegiate matches.
YOGA
Teddy Hall also has regular free yoga classes in the evenings, which are open to all abilities! In the summer term they're often held in our beautiful graveyard.