On November 8^th, 2025, over 75 students filled The John at Sadleir House for the Trent University Alternative Arts Collective (TUAAC)’s Prom—a night of dancing, music, and connection. The pay-what-you-can event ran from 7 to 9 p.m., featuring a student art gallery and catering by Bridgenorth Deli.

TUAAC was established in 2023 by Ziggy Allin with the goal of creating an accessible arts community for Trent students. Since then, the group has provided artists with opportunities to “connect and create” through “TUAACtivities” on the second Thursday of each month, bimonthly zines, and social events. 

The art gallery featured 25 student-submitted pieces, ranging from visual art like photography and printing, to textile work like tufting and crochet.

“I think that having an artistic outlet is really important for a lot of students,” Drew Freemantle, TUAAC’s events coordinator explained. 

“I was worried [about] coming to university after having such structured art experiences, with actual art and drama classes and things like that. We wanted to make sure that people were still able to have that and it be really inclusive. Having people be able to come in and make art or even just talk to other artists and be able to express their passions with each other is really important,” Drew told Arthur.

This community-based approach to the arts is at the heart of TUAAC, according to the collective’s bookkeeper Ainsley Eppel.

“[It’s] a safe space for people to come and be themselves, we’re very welcoming,” Ainsley explained. 

“We try to let people be creative, whatever that means to them. It’s like finding your authentic self and letting that exist here where it’s safe to do so.”

Co-Chair Thom Parry agreed and emphasized the importance of the collective events as a social space for students, saying “it is handy to have that spot where we can all be together, ready to connect.”

“Unless we’re going to the club or something, there’s not really events like this so it kind of offers an alternative space. This is a bit less stressful than a club, a bit more casual, and it’s fun to have an excuse to dress up.”

The night was soundtracked by alternative dance music and queer pop classics, as well as an energized rendition of “Man or Muppet”, which was a crowd favourite. Bridgenorth Deli’s catering was also a hit amongst attendees, with a few groups leaving Sadleir House with plates of leftover sandwiches after the event.

The dance floor was packed with formally-dressed students, many of whom praised the prom’s inclusive and accepting environment. Rooney, an attendee, said that they “found it to be more fun than [their] actual prom,” a sentiment that Arthur heard echoed on multiple occasions throughout the event.

“A lot of people who grew up in like queer and alternative spaces probably didn’t have a good experience at their prom,” Em Legate, the group’s co-chair, explained. “So I thought it would be important for them to have a safe space where they would be able to celebrate without any worries.”

“It was a really good space for queer people, there’s a lot [of welcoming spaces] in Peterborough but there’s not too many with easy access for students,” said Cass, an attendee.

“I think that when people feel free to be themselves and to engage in alternative art, it builds community and it makes people more comfortable to be themselves—not just at the event but also afterwards,” Lillian Hutton, TUAAC’s social media coordinator, told Arthur.

Visit TUAAC’s Instagram for information on upcoming events like their Town Hall (Nov. 18th), sketch show (Nov. 22nd), and two-day music festival in February of 2026.