The University of Otago honoured its cultural high achievers with the presentation of its gold awards at a ceremony in the university council chambers last night.
Emma Shaw, a third-year theatre student, received the University of Otago Graduates' Association's award for contribution to the arts and culture.
Ms Shaw has immersed herself in theatre-related activities during her time at Otago.
Since 2009, she has been a member of the performance group Highly Flammable and has also been a prominent dancer and performer for amateur dance troupes the Foxy Rocketts and Exotic Burlesque.
She established the Free Shop community project last year and has been a volunteer for the Globe Theatre, taking acting roles in Frequency and My First Attempt.
She directed a piece at the Young, Wild and Fortunate theatre festival and also wrote and directed the play The Road has No Name as part of the university's lunchtime theatre programme.
The Sri Lankan Students' Association was named the OUSA Society of the Year.
The university's sporting blue awards ceremony is being held at the council chambers at 7pm today.
