You are a great singer, dancer actor or have other skills? Then you should go to Poland and participate in AEGEE-Katowice’s European-wide competition “AEGEE’s Got Talent”. The event will take place on 5th of October – and if you go there, you can also celebrate the 22nd birthday of the Sileasian antenna. “Everybody is welcome from our organization”, says Asia Mamoń, main coordinator of the talent show. “The more original and exotic the talents are, the better!”
Golden Times: Asia, you are the main coordinator of “AEGEE’s got talent”. Is it an event like the famous casting show? With candidates, jury and voting?
Asia Mamoń: Exactly, the idea is to create the event similar to this famous casting show “America’s Got Talent” or “Britain’s Got Talent”, but instead of gathering people from one specific country, we want to do this show for the members of AEGEE. Everybody is welcome from our organization! And indeed, we also have candidates, jury and voting. The only difference is that we want to get the public to vote and choose the winners – we believe it is going to be fairer.
Golden Times: What kind of talents can people show? How serious does that skill or performance have to be?
Asia: Well, to be honest they can show any talents! They can sing, dance, play some instrument, do gymnastics, imitate or parodise some famous people and many, many others. I would even say that the more original and exotic the talents are, the better! We, AEGEE-Katowice, prepared a video with some of us participating and some of us commenting just to give the people idea how it may look like. As you can see everybody can do something! What is most important for us is seeing people having fun. Here’s the link to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcFjcRljYpE#t=19. Well, our antenna is not very talented but we at least tried!
Golden Times: How many contestants do you already have? Can you give us examples what they want to do?
Asia: We don’t have many contestants so far, but we are still waiting for people to apply. Right now we know about people who want to sing, one guy with a cabaret and, what’s interesting, I’ve just heard somebody wants to do some competitive eating show – I’m so excited about it!
Golden Times: How many people from outside Katowice did already apply?
Asia: Right now there are only two applications besides Katowice but we are obviously hoping for much more. Come on people! Show what you’ve got!
Golden Times: The event is pretty soon: 5th of October. What’s the application deadline?
Asia: There is no deadline. We just expect people to let us know soon enough to find some accommodation for everybody.
Golden Times: I remember that in the past years your antenna was organising the Absurdalia event, the Festival of Absurd, for your anniversary. What’s the idea behind change the topic and open the event to the network?
Asia: Indeed, it is one of the most famous projects done by my antenna. The funny thing is that a long time ago I was once a contestant in Absurdalia. Back then, I had no idea what AEGEE is. The truth is that this is just coincidence that this is going to be an anniversary of this project. It is, however, the anniversary of AEGEE-Katowice’s birthday and we just decided to combine these two events. Absurdalia and “AEGEE’s Got Talent” are two separate things, not connected at all. Absurdalia was a serious festival which seeks for real talents, “AEGEE’s Got Talent” is supposed to make AEGEE people to have fun, get more confident and maybe get to know each other better.
Golden Times: Do you have some prominent people for the jury? And what’s the prize?
Asia: Well, I do have some prominent people from my antenna for jury – I hope it counts? I tried to choose the people who can formulate their opinions well, be objective and make the show more interesting.
Golden Times: Some words about you: how old are you, where are you from, what do you study?
Asia: I’m a 23-year-old Polish student of the language department at the Silesian University.
Golden Times: How and when did you join AEGEE-Katowice?
Asia: I joined AEGEE in May 2012, so I have been in AEGEE for over a year now. The funny thing is that I knew about AEGEE much longer, because my best friend is member of AEGEE, too.
Golden Times: You are secretary in the board, right? How do you like that task?
Asia: That’s right. I am the secretary in our board. I do like it – I enjoy writing reports and I think I learned quite a lot. But to be honest I would rather do something which gives me the opportunity to meet more people.
Golden Times: What’s your greatest AEGEE memory so far?
Asia: The moment my first project started, which I coordinated in AEGEE: Polyglot Café. I was so excited and nervous at the same time.
Golden Times: What kind of hobbies or interests do you have aside from AEGEE?
Asia: I like acting, contemporary and ballet dancing and travelling. I also enjoy rollerblading, watching musicals and I do like opera!
Golden Times: Is it true that you have a perfect American accent, like AEGEE-Katowice members say?
Asia: No, this is definitely not true. The only thing is that I just came back from the States. I spent three of my summers working there so far, but I highly doubt it made me to get any American accent at all. It’s just how my friends here think.
Golden Times: What are your future plans in AEGEE? Will we see you on European level of AEGEE?
Asia: I don’t like talking about my future plans. I am more of the person, who lives the moment. I don’t think you will see me on European level of AEGEE, but you will definitely see me active in my local.
Golden Times: Now please complete this sentence: “AEGEE for me is…
Asia: … a place where I can both learn and enjoy myself. “
Golden Times: Anything you would like to add?
Asia: Nope. Just to encourage everyone to come to Katowice on the 5th of October!
