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Month: October 2010

Eat Pray Love

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Books.

As sceptical as I was about this, like many novels come- Hollywood blockbusters, this book pleasantly delighted me. Eat Pray Love is a word-of-mouth bestseller, and a celebrated account of one woman diving head first into indulgence, enlightenment and spirituality – it’s a grown up gap year.
At 34, writer Elizabeth Gilbert found herself in a life that she never expected to see herself living; an outwardly perfect scenario including a suburban home, loving husband and successful writing career. But instead of embracing this, Gilbert finds herself lost, consumed with confusion and questioning herself and the world that she is now a part of. After leaving her husband, Gilbert tells of her bitter divorce, a failed attempt at rebounding love and a bout of depression, before finding herself with a choice to make. The reader is then taken on Gilbert’s soul-searching journey, as she packs up with the advance for this novel, and heads for the rest of the world.
A year spilt between; the pursuit of pleasure in Italy, devotion and self-reflection in India, and the balance of everything in between in Indonesia. From native spiritual gurus and gelato, to an elderly medicine man and unexpected love, this eloquent and irresistible tale is self discovery at its best. Not a clichéd gap year of enthusiastic teenagers, which you may have come to expect, but a candid account of a woman who for the first time in her life is going at her own pace. Beautifully written by an author that you instinctively like, she writes of herself ‘my one mighty travel talent is I can make friends with anybody’. You believe her, and you believe in her, you want her to be your friend or your ‘tandem language exchange partner’.
Her honesty and ability to poke fun at herself, enables her to captivate even the most disbelieving of audiences. Gilbert ultimately goes through a place in her life, where many people may find themselves in one form or another. Hopefully not clouded with divorce and depression as hers is, but of finding out about themselves and what they put their belief in. For budding writers it is worth reading for the writing alone.

Terry Pratchett- I Shall Wear Midnight

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Books.

Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett is a man of many thousands of words, hundreds of which are wittily twisted into the nonsensical phrases that make up the fictional Discworld series, and fifty-plus other collaborations that span across a 30 year career as a novelist. The apparent rambling that is about to commence, is to entice those who have yet to discover the Discworld into doing so, and those who have already been seduced will learn some interesting facts about one of their favourite authors.
Born 28th April 1948 in Buckinghamshire, Pratchett’s first published story was ‘The Hades Business’ for his school magazine ‘Technical Cygnet’ at the ripe young age of thirteen, the story was re-published commercially two years later in ‘Science Fantasy’ magazine. Pratchett left school in 1965 to pursue journalism at ‘Bucks Free Press’, whilst there he took the two year National Council for the Training of Journalists proficiency course and passed A-level English; both on day release.
In 1968 Pratchett married Lyn Purves, and was writing the novel ‘The Carpet People’ which was published and launched by Colin Smythe Limited in 1971. Pratchett left ‘Bucks Free Press’ in 1970 to work for the ‘Western Daily Press’, before returning to ‘Bucks Free Press’ as sub-editor in 1972. In 1973 he joined the ‘Bath Evening Chronicle’, and by this time was producing a series of cartoons describing the goings-on at the government’s fictional paranormal research establishment.
In 1980 Pratchett became publicity officer for Central Electricity Generating Board, now known as PowerGen. Whilst at CEGB, he wrote ‘Strata’ in 1981, and the first of the Discworld books, ‘The Colour of Magic’ in 1983 which was originally presented as a series of four tales. However, it was not until the publishing house ‘Corgi’ took over the reins in 1985 that Pratchett’s career really turned into the phenomenon we see today.
It may seem strange to have presented you with all that information for the sake of discussing his most recent novel ‘I Shall Wear Midnight’, but just as Pratchett draws parallels of real life into his work, it makes sense to have an understanding of the roots of the man before looking at the book. Especially when all of the above hasn’t even made headway in discussing his achievements, did you know he was knighted earlier this year?
In 1998, Pratchett was awarded an OBE for his outstanding achievements in literature; the same day Radio One veteran John Peel received his. This was followed by an honorary Doctorate of Literature from the University of Warwick in July 1999, the University of Portsmouth in 2001, the University of Bath in 2003, the University of Bristol in 2004 and Trinity College Dublin in 2008.
In the summer of 2007 whilst on tour in America, Terry Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease; posterior cortical atrophy. Since then Pratchett has donated money and heralded for more research to be done into the controlling of, and curing of the disease. How many books do you think he has produced since his diagnosis? One, maybe two? Wrong, it’s five!
The most recently released, as previously mentioned, ‘I Shall Wear Midnight’. Featuring some of Discworld’s favourite characters; Tiffany Aching, Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax. The tale unravels around Tiffany’s on-going friendship and conflicts with the ‘Nac Mac Feegles’. They stalk her every move, including bath times when a screen is required for the sake of modesty, yet are there to encourage a fire to a light, using their kilts, in the face of Tiffany’s enemy; the man with no-eyes, the wreaking ghost of the infamous witch-hunter, the Cunning Man. Tiffany must defeat the ghost she herself awoke, and who if she does not will pollute the minds of every human, or more specifically anyone who is not a witch, into thinking evil prejudice thoughts. Yet, alongside dealing with the Cunning Man, Tiffany must conquer her hormones to the point that she almost ignores them until questions such as “Do you have any passionate parts, miss?” are asked of her from inquisitive eight year olds, and later from a bride-to-be duchess on what may be required of her on her wedding night.
The Discworld is fantasy at its best, all of it, not just the odd novel. It’s not full of orcs and elves, but witches, wizards and sometimes Cohen the Barbarian.

Reclaim the night

Written by Features on . Posted in Features.

It was with great sadness and anger that I learned of the horrific rape a female student was subjected to in the Fallowfield area a few weeks ago.  And it was with similar emotions that I observed the responses to it, both official and unofficial, within this University and beyond.

Advice was immediately issued to female students on how to protect themselves from similar attacks, from tips such as carrying personal alarms to never walking alone after dark.  I carry a personal alarm; doing so makes me feel safer and far from infringing on my liberties it actually increases them by enabling me to sometimes do things or go places with or in which I otherwise wouldn’t be comfortable.  The alarm is a tiny key ring and was free from the Women’s Office in the SU; the obtaining and use of it requiring virtually no effort on my part.

If someone were to ask me whether I thought attack alarms were beneficial, I would say yes.  However, if someone were to ask me whether I thought all women should carry them, I would say only if they want to, and if they don’t want to then that must be respected.  The key issue here is choice.  A woman must make her own choices with regards to this matter and furthermore she must not be judged for those choices.  Feeling safe is entirely subjective and can be dependent on a number of factors – past experience and environment being two that spring to mind – but is often random, and always personal.  I have female friends who have grown up in large cities who would never leave the house without an attack alarm, ones who have grown up in the countryside who would, and vice versa.

It is imperative that self-defense classes be widely offered in spaces used by women, such as community centres, workplaces and educative environments.  Having taken these classes in my second year I can say that I found them to be a largely positive and empowering experience that like the personal alarm increased rather than infringed on my liberties.  But again, attendance must be down to a matter of personal choice.

Removing this choice, by stating that these are steps women ‘should’ take, facilitates a situation where if women haven’t taken them then they become, in the eyes of society, partly responsible if something does happen to them.  This is dangerous and damaging in so many ways; it contributes to self-blame amongst victims and the shockingly low conviction rate for rape in the UK (estimated at around 6.5% compared to 74% for murder).

A woman never has a responsibility to ‘protect’ herself from rape.

A man always has a responsibility not to rape in the first place.

We don’t teach people who live in areas with high instances of gun crime to dodge bullets.  Why are emails not being sent out, posters put up, reminding men that no means no?

The matter of walking alone after dark (or not) is of particular importance.  I consider carrying an attack alarm and taking self-defense classes to be positive actions that enhance my life; they’re things I do rather than don’t do.

Not walking alone after dark however is a negative action, something I’m not doing.  It is an infringement of my liberties.  The fact is that personally I would not feel comfortable walking home alone in the early hours of the morning (I’m usually on my bike, but if not I would get a taxi).  But my housemates do not necessarily feel the same, and may enjoy walking more than I do.  And although I might not walk all the way back to my house on a quiet street in Victoria Park at 3am, I would walk a short distance from a bus stop or a long distance down Oxford Road after dark, and I will not be made to feel guilty for doing so.  Taxis are exceedingly expensive and unaffordable for some women – should they be denied a social life?

People often forget that in the vast majority of rape cases, the perpetrator is someone the victim knows, and will not attack her in a public place anyway.

I’m not actively advising women to walk the streets alone at night, or not carry an attack alarm, I’m merely stating that they should do whatever makes them feel comfortable, and if that is the aforementioned then they should not be made to feel like they are committing some sort of crime.

There is only ever one criminal in rape – the perpetrator.  I carry an attack alarm in the same way I use a burglar alarm.  But living in constant fear and planning your life around crime is no way to live.  Sadly it is inevitable that fear will seep into women’s lives from time to time, but when institutions start feeding this fear, what hope is there of keeping it in perspective and thus enabling women to enjoy their lives?

The chemists are winning

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Features.

Sarah McCulloch investigates our relationship with Mephodrone, until recently the drug du jour among many students, and asks whether our entire debate on the use of legal and illegal drug use needs to change.

In April 2010, after a media storm, the British government passed legislation to classify Mephedrone as a Class B drug. Mephedrone is a stimulant somewhat similar in effects to MDMA and cocaine. It is chemically based on substances found in the African stimulant Khat, but it was sufficiently chemically different to not have been previously included under the Misuse of Drugs Act, which regulated drugs in the UK. The drug was actually first synthesised in 1929, but rediscovered in 2003 by chemists looking to manufacture a “designer drug” that could get round existing drug legislation.

Mephedrone first started hitting the news in late 2009, but as the scaremongering grew so did the coverage. By early 2010, the papers were full of tales of people who had allegedly become addicted to the drug. A particular highlight was a story in The Sun, detailing how a man had ripped off his own scrotum under the influence of Mephedrone (which later turned out to have been an internet hoax taken seriously). The General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers called for a ban after two teenagers in Scunthorpe died after allegedly taking the drug.

After the ban, the coroners’ report for the two discovered that neither had taken Mephedrone and they had, in fact, been out drinking alcohol the night they died. Subsequent studies have determined that, of the dozens of deaths linked to Mephedrone worldwide, only two have ever been conclusively proven to have actually involved that drug as a cause of death – but the media wasn’t going to let facts get in the way of a campaign against this ‘deadly killer’.

Mephedrone was available at every house party and ‘headshop’ and accessible from just about any house with an internet connection. You could buy anything up to 20 grams at a time from online sellers, giving you a bulk buy price of £4 a gram. Purity was high, and dosage cheap. However in April 2010, despite the misgivings of several
advisors of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, including its former chair, Professor David Nutt, who protested that Mephedrone and its effects were as yet not researched, with a much longer timeframe needed to investigate it.

Alan Johnson, the former Home Secretary, made Mephedrone illegal, claiming, “Mephedrone and its related substances have been shown to be dangerous and harmful”.

You can, of course, still buy Mephedrone in Manchester, though the price has gone up to £20 a gram from £10 when it was legal. However, purity has dropped significantly since control of the supply has shifted from people buying it off wholesalers on the internet and into the hands of people who have a financial incentive to cut it with
anything from talcum powder to concrete dust. So you can still take the drug if you have the cash, but now it is not just illegal, but also much more dangerous.

People also forget why Mephedrone suddenly became popular so quickly; more than the price, its perceived purity was much higher than other available street drugs and that appealed to users – no one would choose to take worming powder, after all.

Cocaine purity had fallen from 60% in 1999 to 22% in 2009; people were literally getting less bang for their buck. More significantly, 33 tonnes of Sassafras oil, the precursor to MDMA and a vital ingredient, was seized in Cambodia in June 2008. It has been estimated that it could have been used to make 245 million doses of MDMA. Such tightening of controls on Sassafras oil and other substances meant that purity tests in mid 2010 have revealed that virtually all the pills seized by the police didn’t contain any MDMA at all – and 20% of pills seized since 2009 contain Mephedrone. Market forces drove people to Mephedrone, and when the cost and the convenience became too high, people just moved onto something else.

Cat and Mouse

Other drugs have been in the pipeline since the banning of Mephedrone. NRG-1, or Naphyrone, a stimulant chemically similar to Mephedrone, was banned two months after Mephedrone on the same grounds. ‘Ivory Wave’ was the latest legal high to hit the headlines in August, though it seems no-one is really sure what it is. Producing intense euphoria but with a vicious comedown, some test samples have discovered it contains MDPV, or methylenedioxypyrovalerone, a cathinone which was banned at the same time as Mephedrone. Mephedrone itself was banned shortly after the well-publicised criminalization of GBL, BZP and Spice last December. So with those out the way, we can just wait for the next legal high, and the next one, and the cycle of discovery-use-popularity-ban can continue.

Of course, in the excitement of talking about the dangers of Mephedrone, Ivory Wave and the next deadly designer drug that will come along, people forget about the most lethal legal highs, simply because they are embedded into our culture: alcohol and tobacco.

Tim Hollis, the serving Chief Constable of Humberside Police and chair of
the Association of Chief Police Officers’ drugs committee is currently the most senior police officer to call for the decriminalisation of possession of drugs for personal use.

His greatest concern, however, was not illegal drugs. Hollis stated, “My personal belief in terms of sheer scale of harm is that one of the most dangerous drugs in this country is alcohol. Alcohol is a lawful drug. Likewise, nicotine is a lawful drug, but cigarettes can kill.

“There is a wider debate on the impacts to our community about all aspects of drugs, of which illicit drugs are one modest part.”

The facts bear Hollis out – 25,000 people are killed a year by alcohol-related illnesses, and 106,000 people from smoking. By contrast 3000 people a year die as a result of all illegal drugs combined, including 10 from ecstasy every year, and precisely none whatsoever from Mephedrone, LSD, or even Cannabis, the most widely used illegal drug in the UK. Despite strictly regulating advertising, taxation and labelling, no government has sought to ban either alcohol or tobacco.

It seems likely that the endless government attempts to ban every drug under the sun sold for recreational use will continue to push users into more and more unknown, and therefore more dangerous, drugs. The research done on the more conventional street drugs, such as ecstasy and LSD, now fills whole libraries – more recent research is even starting to turn up medicinal uses for drugs that have previously been the exclusive remit of trippers. LSD, for example, was discovered in 2006 to be unexpectedly effective at curing cluster headaches, a condition where sufferers can have headaches so painful and debilitating that some have committed suicide. It seems unlikely that LSD will be available on prescription anytime soon, however, through long study and, yes, usage, scientists have determined that LSD is safe and in
some cases, useful. The same cannot be said about Mephedrone or any of the legal highs.

The race between amateur chemists developing new designer drugs that exist just outside the law and the government to try to ban them without any understanding of their long-term effects has now been running for forty years – and the chemists are winning. But as recreational users are pushed more and more onto drugs about which we know less and less, a better question than “Who are the winners?” might be “Who are the losers?”

The Manchester student experience

Written by Nick Renaud-Komiya on . Posted in Features.

Right, I’m going to go ahead and just say it. It’s cheesy and perhaps toe-curlingly cringing but I don’t care; by choosing to embark on a degree you have begun a life changing experience. The opportunities available to you here as a student at the UK’s largest university are vast.

Around this time of year thousands upon thousands of students go through exactly the same experience. Whether you’ve parachuted here straight from sixth form, or you’ve decided it’s time for a change and have chosen to return to education, you’ll want to know what to expect from your student experience here. Welcome Week can be a little nerve-wracking if you are a first year but don’t worry; being new is just something all students go through.

As one of the most bustling, student-friendly cities in the country and one with a rich cultural heritage going back a few hundred years, you’re bound to find something that excites you here.

Opportunity knocks

This might not come as any great surprise but your experience here is whatever you choose to make of it. Student activities play a great part in student life and are guaranteed to enrich any student experience, no matter what age you are. Whether you fancy volunteering in the community, trying student media or simply meeting people who share your interest in all things Estonian, with over 200 societies you can decide to get involved as much or as little as you want. You’ll soon learn what works and doesn’t work for you.

I’m speaking from experience here. I will never forget walking into Academy 1 to explore the Students’ Fair during my Welcome Week and feeling like a rabbit trapped in the inviting headlights of a truck. It was an intoxicating experience. It seemed like thousands of different student societies, charities and campaign groups had set up their stalls waiting for the throng of newcomers to sign up to what they had to offer. I must have signed my name on about thirty outstretched clipboards without necessary realising what I was signing up to. Fatefully, one of the first stalls that attracted my attention was that of the student newspaper, which is how I found myself here.

United we stand

All of these activities and societies are made possible by the work of the students union, which has two buildings, one on North campus and the one on Oxford Road. The students union, of which we are all automatically members, does a great deal of work in ensuring students have the best time possible while they are here. So, if you thought that all that the union comprises is a building with a bar and a shop in it, think again folks. Our Union is a body completely independent of the University and is led by representatives that are elected every year by you lot. You may be completely oblivious of this fact now but you won’t be come March, when every morsel of free space along Oxford Road will be covered in election posters. Every hopeful will have to fight for wall and pavement space to display campaign slogans. By the end of voting the campus will resemble a manic jumble sale.

A fourteen member body called the Executive are in charge of the day-to-day running of the union. The Executive is made up of four current students, each of whom represents a university faculty, and ten people in sabbatical positions. Those in sabbatical positions, have either graduated from their courses or have taken a year out from study to do their job. This means that they can dedicate all their time to their year long (minimum wage) paid role.

But don’t fret, having student elections once a year does not mean that the Union’s decision-making process ends there. We regularly take decisions as a union by holding general meetings and voting on motions, or policy on what we want as students. This is the democratic way of putting across students’ views about how the Union should be run. From determining what the Union’s official attitude towards important current affairs to whether we should install more water fountains in the building, these decisions are taken at general meetings, meaning that every student has a say. Any student can submit a motion to be voted on, so if you are unhappy with, say, the quality of feedback you receive from your course tutors you can act to change this.

Challenges ahead

Unless you’ve been living under a hulking great rock for the last two years, you’ll know that the country’s economy is currently undergoing a shaky recovery after nose-diving spectacularly. Add this to the government’s mammoth spending deficit and it would be one of the most epic understatements to say that for many people times are going to be somewhat harder. This has meant that with employment prospects more scarce than at anytime in the past few years, higher education is seen by many as a way of remedying this problem. Since the introduction of top-up fees by the last Labour government in 2006, the issue of how to finance university degrees has been a highly contentious one. Next month sees the publication of the results of a big review on higher education funding and student finance. The review is being led by the former BP head honcho Lord Browne. This has come after many universities, particularly those in the Russell Group, have made clear that the current fees paid and means of funding higher education is not sustainable.

What will all of this mean for students now? Whether you study on full or part-time courses, undergraduate or post-graduate, the financial landscape is set to change. While the Browne Review hasn’t officially reported its findings yet, it has been suggested that there could be two possible outcomes.

The first possibility is that students may have to pay higher fees, some figures suggesting around £7,000 a year. This policy is favoured by many in government and by scores of universities, our own included, as they have been waxing lyrical about the fact that public funding to universities has dropped significantly over the last 20 years.

Another possibility is the often-debated and controversial ‘graduate tax’ that we could all pay after completing our education.

The Browne review has invoked strong feeling on all sides of the student funding debate. Our union’s own Academic Affairs Officer, Kate Little, has particularly harsh words about it, describing the review itself as a ‘stitch-up’. According to Little, “Labour and the Tories selected a panel largely comprised of businessmen so that they could ensure the outcome they both wanted – higher tuition fees. The two major parties have been trying their hardest to keep tuition fees off the general election agenda until the National Union of Students forced them to acknowledge it, and neither committed to a position on the issue before May 6th came along. The stage was set for an easy win for those who want students to pay more.”

Unsurprisingly, student finance is one of the biggest issues on campus. With looming spending cuts on public services, universities are set to make tough decisions over the coming years. I know this better than most. At the beginning of the summer I received a letter from my course’s department, the School of Combined Studies, telling me that in a couple of years time my course would no longer exist.

The future may be uncertain but there’s no way you can let that stop you enjoying your time here.

Accommodation Outrage

Written by Lily Howes on . Posted in Opinion.

Over three months has passed since I moved out of Halls of Residence but the nuisance of accommodation charges still hangs over my head and many other students.

Returning from a holiday in mid-August I switched on my Blackberry to be greeted by an unexpected e-mail from the accommodation office informing me that I had been issued with a £30 fine to carry out required repairs – ‘settee drawn on’.

This I assume is a charge that had been issued to all eight of the residents of my flat equalling a grand total of £240, enough to buy a brand new sofa? But surely a bit of pen on a settee doesn’t necessarily result in the need for a brand new piece of furniture?

Friends of mine in the same Halls of Residence were also issued with fines to cover repainting of the corridor – a whole £12.50! The need for repainting was in fact due to damp caused by a leaking shower that the maintenance department failed to repair on multiple occasions. Residents issued with fines were invited to appeal within 15 days which I and many others were keen to do. A month or so passed without any contact from the accommodation office and suddenly September was upon us with the need to register.

However, unbeknown to any of my friends, flatmates or myself this simple task proved impossible due to the above charges. Leaving us unable to register, select course units, take out items from the library, receive bursaries or scholarships or ultimately graduate. Some continued to appeal the charges and others simply gave up and paid in order to register; one justified this “it seemed like the only thing to do in the end”.

On the other hand another (the victim of the £12.50 hallway charges) continued her appeal and with some commendable badgering managed to get her and her flat’s charges alleviated.

One of her e-mails to the accommodation office stated; “The somewhat highhanded approach here seems to be a deliberate attempt to discourage students from appealing charges, as there is a need to pay the charge in order to commence with the following year”.

The way in which these charges and fines are applied to student accounts strikes me as unfair as staff are not concerned with how the damage occurred or who specifically is responsible for it.

Within the Terms and Conditions of Residence in University Accommodation 2009-10 it states that staff  “will use reasonable endeavours” to identify who has caused the damage. Yet, as someone who spent very little time in my lounge area or using the supposedly damaged settees I feel that staff have not done this adequately. Nor have they endeavoured to repair the damage to the settee instead it seems they are just choosing to replace it.

Understandably it is not always possible to establish the cause of damage, however the instances that I have encountered strike me as an opportunity for staff to swindle money out of students to cover due refurbishment or general wear and tear that is not the responsibility of the students but rather the accommodation and maintenance services of the university.

Don’t judge me

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

Psychiatrists have a terrible time at parties as when they tell people what they do for a living the other guests will be struck down in fear that their every move is being analyzing by the shrink.

Another example of this kind of job hazard is being an etiquette consultant, like I am. When people get told this they somehow seemed to seize up and panic about how they are behaving. When I started teaching etiquette and manners at my school about five years ago I was accosted by a parent (whom I had known for years) who said ‘ever since you started teaching manners I am scared of you’. Scared of me? Have you met me?! I couldn’t hurt a fly!

The condition gets worse when I find myself at a dinner table. People will instantly assume I am going to be waiting to pounce on them if they butter their bread the wrong way. In truth, I may occasionally pick up the odd faux pas, but I would not dare pass comment: I would lose a lot of friends that way. The reality is that when I am not working I switch off and any misdemeanors will oft pass me by. I go to great lengths to explain this to people, but sadly they do not believe me.

It gets worse when it comes to dating. People soon find out what I do (if they have not already heard about me or seen me in a newspaper, magazine or on television) and will presume I am a pompous windbag and ignore me. This means it has become very difficult to meet people. Of course, this is not helped by the fact I do not drink and thus rarely set foot in nightclubs and the like. By eleven o’clock on a Monday most people my age are footloose and legless; at eleven o’clock I’m in bed, watching Newsnight.

My ‘fame’, and I use that word very loosely indeed, also prevents internet dating. My friend one evening suggested that he put me on such a website. Reluctantly I agreed to go along with it. Within 36 hours I had a message from someone asking me if I was ‘that guy who does the etiquette’. I swiftly removed myself from said website. It gets worse: the guy that recognized me wasn’t even fit!

People that know me will tell you that I am not judgmental, snobbish, or indeed prudish (quite the opposite!), so if you know of any potential boyfriends for me, do please do come and find me. And if we ever find ourselves breaking bread at the same table, please do not worry that I am critiquing your every move. I’m really not. I am actually one of the nicest people I know.

A Tory take on ‘Red Ed’

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

Yes, you read correctly – a Tory writing about Labour; more specifically, the Labour leadership election. For those of you not yet up to speed, allow me to fill you in – Ed Miliband is now the leader of the Labour Party. This is implicit of a few things; new policy will follow, a new dimension is going to be spun onto British politics and the next Christmas dinner at the Miliband household is going to be very, very awkward.

Truth be told I’ve not been following the leadership election, feeling about as much need to keep track of who will next be leading Labour as, well, a Tory keeping track of who will be the next Labour leader. Contrary to what many people might have thought about what my slant on the Labour leadership election might be, I’m going to try my damnedest not to berate Red Ed too much and try and focus on speculative niceties of what this might mean in the near future.

First, it is evident that the Labour party doesn’t care about having a good-looking leader. Ed is, to be fair to him, gormless. Not that it matters how one looks when it comes to politics (neither John Major nor Gordon Brown could particularly be described as ‘lookers’ and David Cameron, despite what my politics might suggest, isn’t going to win too many beauty pageants) but I thought that I’d get petty personal insults out at the start. Second, the son of a Marxist theorist, Ed may well have his sights set on the left. Only this Sunday he declared New Labour ‘dead’ and has been supported by the biggest trade unions (Unite and UNISON) in his leadership campaigns.

This lattermost point needs some further consideration – by Parliamentary and Constituency votes alone, David should have won the election in the final round of voting, achieving 140 votes amongst MPs to Ed’s 122 and 67,000 votes to Ed’s 56,000. Ed, however, swept along almost 120,000 of the Trade Union and socialist society votes; almost a third more than his brother. The implications of this may be profound – although Ed has declared that he will be ‘his own man’, one wonders if the Unions will remind him when embarking on policy not supportive of their interests that it was they who put him there. Whilst this may not equal a lurch to the left, it may result in Labour losing a little support from middle England who had originally joined up under the auspices of New Labour.

Another dimension that might be quite difficult to predict will be the first PMQ duel between Ed and Dave. Having viewed how Ed reacts to goading and teasing that seems to be a staple of Commons procedure these days (read: badly) there is the potential for things to, over the course of a debate, go from bad to worse for the opposition. Conversely, Labour can now be bolstered by their having a legitimately elected leader behind whom they can unite and who can now start to issue policy statements. Personally, I’m not sure policy will be too forthcoming in the first few months – many may want him to whet his teeth with a few bilious (and yet ultimately hollow) rants concerning coalition policy, though I am genuinely interested to see how he lines himself up with regard the deficit.

Two questions therefore remain. First; am I, as a Tory, concerned? No. It still remains to be seen whether or not Red Ed will make good his election pledges and provide and adequate challenge to the coalition. It also remains to be seen if the public will warm to him as a politician.

Also; will Labour win the next election with Ed at the helm? I don’t know. If a week is a long time in politics, then 2015 (and the next general election) is an ice age away.

Culture Shock

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

You know something’s bad when Boris Johnson says it’s gone too far. This is a man who seems to blunder into situations like a verbal Frank Spencer, muttering about ‘wiff waff’ and ‘chicken feed’ in situations important enough that everyone else keeps their mouth shut. But yes, even Boris Johnson says that the cuts have gone too far.
In the midst of a deluge of cuts following the General Election, labelled the ‘100 cuts in 100 days’, it is easy to shout about cuts to the NHS and the BBC, and all the things that will make such an obvious change to the way we live our everyday lives, and rightly so. But there is one part of Britain that is really beginning to suffer in the wake of all the cuts, the arts and culture industry, but it’s being bypassed in the main body of outrage. The world of culture has no protest groups, no politically active collectives, and it is this that will inevitably cause its decline in Britain, and indeed across the world.
So far, there has been £19m worth of cuts across the board from Arts Council England, with more certainly to come. Smaller theatres and theatre companies having to sacrifice around £2000 from their annual budgets, something that can hit a small group harder than people may think, especially one with limited funding. The bigger groups are being hit too, with the Royal Shakespeare Company taking £80,000 cuts and The National Theatre taking £100,000 worth. Alongside this, public programmes are being postponed and cut left, right and centre.
This isn’t the first time that this has happened though. Whenever cuts are needed, it’s always the arts that take the brunt of the bill first, and the last to be repaired at the end. Cuts to culture and the arts are the often forgotten cut, and without all the protests and pressure groups, they don’t stand to be one of the first things that are returned to full funding.
While David Cote in a recent article about the cuts to the arts urges artists to fight, and to be prepared by what the cuts will do to their programmes, but nothing can really prepare Britain for the detrimental effect of the arts cuts. While a theatre production may not change a life, a painting might not make someone change course in their life, the importance of culture and the arts should only be ignored at the jeopardy of the country and the citizens.

Tolerance is paramount, but sanity is a pre-requisite

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

As an American citizen, I was dismayed when my summer was agonisingly torn apart by the news that a terrorist-worshiping super-mosque was being ungracefully plonked on to Ground Zero, as a big “Hey America!” to the victims of the 9/11 attacks on New York. As I struggled to come to terms with what was happening to my once great nation, I read further into the debate, and was shocked to learn that Ground Zero is soon to become an Al-Qaeda stronghold, with secret nuclear weapons capabilities, and an elite underground training facility for would-be terrorists which include bomb-making lessons, a Hercules-esque gauntlet, and a rather fun “pin the nuke on the Obama” game in the crèche for the kiddies.
And before you ask, no of course I haven’t actually read or heard any interviews with Imam Rauf, the man behind the controversial plans. Everything I need to know about the project and about Islam I learn from Glenn Beck, or by listening to the ramblings of Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker who described the ‘mosque’ as an “intolerable act of triumphalism” for Islam. Furthermore, I wouldn’t want to run the risk of being subjected to his Islamic propaganda, for fear that similar mosques will start sprouting on British shores on the top decks of buses, in a direct celebration of the 7/7 bombings.
The reality of the matter is that campaigners with such views are champion peddlers of make-believe, on a monumental scale. And their tales have become so loud and so angry that the world has taken notice. This is damaging, not only as it promotes the rise of Islamophobia across the western world, but also to the Ground zero debate. The outrage is forcing the debate to change from one about the practical role of Islam in America, to one about rage and intolerance. This is shameful because once we strip away the anger the necessity to have a calm debate becomes clear. Even recognising that Park51 (the organisation behind the ‘Ground Zero mosque’) will be promoting interfaith relations with a prayer room, restaurant and swimming pool, the point remains that building the faith centre is still a sensitive issue for many Americans, even the moderate ones we don’t see on Fox News.
Unfortunately, the distortion of truth seems to have spiralled far out of control, and reached the God-fearing irate population who don’t seem willing or reasonable enough to listen to the truth about Park51 or about Islam. This was most infamously displayed two weeks ago when Pastor Jones really pulled the crazy out of the bag and decided burning the Qur’an might be a good idea. But if people like Jones were more reasonable, then perhaps they might grasp the concept of tolerance, see the positives to an Islamic community centre and realise that despite religious and cultural differences, the overwhelmingly large majority of Muslims don’t want to harm the west. Truth be told, it sounds like Jones, Gingrich and others could really do with a nice relaxing building where they can have some down time, a delicious meal and a bit of a swim.

Enjoy the party

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

I go to a party, you offer me a toke, what do you want me to say? I say “No, thanks”, even though from the look on your face I suspect that’s not the etiquette. The truth is, I feel uncomfortable with drugs. But I feel like a bit of a kill-joy, saying no. You’re persistent “Go on, just a toke, it won’t do you any harm, help you relax.” You’re probably right, and most people are having some, but I don’t fancy it. Obviously, the fact that I don’t know you very well is part of the reason, but my main concern is that I don’t even know what’s in it.

That’s the only valid reason I can see for legalising drugs, proper labels would mean that you would know what’s in them and there would be trading standards.

It’s not all black and white, why do I have to be either for drugs or against them? We wouldn’t have a pro-life pro-choice debate at a party, so why this one? I wouldn’t class myself as anti all drugs; they just make me feel uneasy. Yet drugs have become such a staple of the student partying lifestyle that it’s become a taboo to say that. People look at you like you’ve reached middle age 20 years too early; they assume that you don’t know how to have fun. What a lot of people miss is that you’re having fun already and you don’t need drugs to do it. Friends that do take drugs may start to see them as an essential part of a night out, and begin relying on them, or worse, they take something and have a bad reaction. It could be that I’m wary of drugs because I have never tried them, and if they were legal I probably would. After all, I drink alcohol-, which some doctors argue is worse than cannabis.

There are many people that don’t drink though, and again there’s that silence in the room, people find abstinence a strange concept to grasp: If you drink, smoke, snort, pop, inject be in legal or illegal, there may well be some people in the room that might not want too, be it for health, social or personal reasons.  If they’re ok with you putting stuff in your body, be ok with them not.  And enjoy the party.

Reality Television: The Modern Form of Torturous Theatre?

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

As a classics student, I have always been fascinated with the ancient way of things. If it’s old and dusty, well, I’m basically interested. Studying the way things used to be has always intrigued me, and none more so than ancient entertainment. What the ancients got up to to entertain themselves would make even the strongest stomach turn squeamish. The Romans enjoyed some of the most perverted cruelties in the name of entertainment, from watching gladiators hack each other to death to gambling on vicious fights between exotic animals. Ancient Greeks delighted in gruesome tragedies, often encompassing the themes of sex, jealousy and murder, topped off with a grisly suicide to boot. Ancient comedies were stuffed with sexually explicit references, politically insulting jokes and costumes of the lewd and rude variety. It is easy to dismiss ancient theatrical entertainment as just plain bizarre, and perhaps a little abnormal. But one question has been bugging me: has the human appetite really changed? The newest and most successful form of modern amusement has to be reality television. My good friend, who will remain nameless, is a closet lover of Jeremy Kyle. When I probed her as to why she likes to watch the show, her honest answer was: “Well its just pure theatre isn’t it? If I’m honest, it brings an odd feeling of satisfaction to watch other people being humiliated. You feel a bit sorry for them, don’t you? But you also feel good about yourself as well”. The blood, the guts and the gore may have disappeared, but it seems that the human inclination to indulge in the misfortune of others is still around today, yet is hidden behind the glitz and glamour of reality television. I had to ask myself, is watching some poor sod getting walloped by a blunt axe in the Colosseum so different from watching some unfortunate X factor contestant getting emotionally hacked to death by Simon Cowell? But why is this kind of entertainment so addictive? In his Art of Rhetoric, Greek philosopher Aristotle discusses the logic of an audience’s reaction to human suffering. He stated “all that men fear in regard to themselves excites their pity when others are the victims”, in other words, the audience pity the fate of the victim, yet are relieved that they have not suffered the same fate. Who ever said Aristotle is out of date?

If you fancy experiencing some ancient theatre, then you’re in luck, since Manchester will be host to two Greek plays this winter. Mike Poulton’s uniquely adapted version of Euripides’ tragedy The Bacchae is showing at the Royal Exchange from 10th November to 4th December; or, for some genuine Greek comedy, you might be interested in Actors of Dionysus’ Lysistrata at The Lowry on Tuesday 16th November.

Edinburgh Fringe – Elitist, or for Everyone?

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

Every August, thousands of people head to Scotland’s capital for an intense three week period, all united by one common interest – the theatre. This Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is the largest of its kind in the world, has been established for over 60 years and attracts every kind of theatre aficionado, from the performer, to the designer, to the humble audience member. The festival makes a great cultural city break during the summer holidays, but that is not its only purpose. It is a great way for budding actors, designers, directors and production managers to get a taste of life within the theatre industry, and despite seeming to be professionally managed and competitive, the festival can provide a platform for anyone’s talents to be showcased.

The festival began in 1947 as eight theatre groups arrived to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival, which was created to celebrate culture in the aftermath of World War II. In 1959 the Festival Fringe Society was formed, to formalise the trend for theatrical performances at the festival. Over 60 years later, and the Edinburgh Fringe has grown to its current size. In 2009, the festival presented a total of around 2000 productions, encompassing a multiplicity of genres – theatre, comedy, dance, musicals, opera, and physical theatre to name just a few. The Fringe Society still exists, and now organises the whole event, selling tickets, publishing the programme, and offering advice to performers.

The Fringe takes over almost every possible performance venue in the city over the three week period. There is a huge variety of venues to suit all production styles and budgets. The festival makes use of purpose-built theatres such as the Traverse or the Bedlam Theatres, castles and historic buildings, lecture theatres, conference rooms, church halls, schools – the list is endless! Some venues are commercial, and others operate only for the Fringe as the city is taken over by performance. If you fancy visiting the Fringe and browsing the talent on offer, tickets can be bought online, by phone, or in the Box Office in the city centre.

There are hundreds of shows on offer at the Fringe, and every show competes for audience members. Some will be sold out, and others not so successful. However, the festival has a policy for inclusion at all times, and is proud to provide a facility for drama enthusiasts to present their work. As the Fringe website says, “We’re proud to include in our programme anyone with a story to tell and a venue willing to host them”. The Fringe Society does not monitor or edit the performance material, and it does not employ an Artistic Director; instead, the festival’s ambiance is created by the directors and performers themselves, and every year there is a different atmosphere with a different and diverse programme of events on offer. This principle ensures that anyone at all can apply to take a production to the festival. The website, www.edfringe.com, provides very thorough guides on how to produce a piece of theatre for the Fringe, and you simply have to complete an online registration form and then do the rest of the organising yourself!

The University of Manchester’s very own second-year Drama student, Anna Forsyth, decided to seize the day this year and took her very own production, The Gay Geese, to the Fringe. It is about two male, 17 year old best friends Matt and Sam whose friendship becomes slightly strained when Matt comes out as gay. The play examines Sam’s feelings and how he deals with the fact that his best friend is gay, and so is focussed on a different perspective of the ‘coming out story’. Anna directed and wrote it, and won a BBC Playtime award for the radio adaptation – a success before it even arrived at the Fringe!

To apply, Anna explained that it was a relatively simple process. “I only applied to one venue, which was C Venues. You have to fill out a huge application form and send them your script. Then they consider all the applications and make you a few offers of different spaces and prices.” Once she had completed all the administration, Anna used an experienced cast to perform her play, including professional actors from RADA and Goldsmiths, and her producer was fellow Manchester Drama student Natalie Crisp. After three weeks’ rehearsal and a sell-out preview period in London, the group took their production up to the Fringe, proving that anyone at all can perform at the Fringe with a little organisation.

Anna said of her time in Edinburgh, “It was a really enjoyable and incredibly rewarding experience to direct the production and have my work performed at such a prestigious Arts festival. It was definitely hard work, and the administration that we had to do before we even started rehearsing was a bit disheartening! I’m definitely planning on doing it again, although I’ve learnt lessons on the way. I’ll just have to write something else now!”

For more information on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, visit www.edfringe.com

Preview – Rent

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

RNCM Studio

Tuesday 19th – Saturday 23rd October

If you’re looking for a piece of theatre with a quirky, down-to-earth and emotive edge, then you may be interested in Jonathon Larson’s acclaimed musical, Rent, when South Manchester Amateur Operatic Society perform it at the RNCM Studio on Tuesday 19th October.

Inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, Rent modernises the issues explored within the opera and tells the tale of struggling bohemian artists living in New York in the ‘90s. Not only do the artists struggle to be accepted professionally, but they also have to battle against fractured relationships, drug addiction, an insensitive landlord, and the effects of HIV infection upon the community. As well as being light-hearted and fun in places, Rent also tackles very sensitive matters and brings to light issues which are controversial and frequently brushed under the carpet.

SMAOS have been performing since 1955 and are keen to continue expanding their repertoire. They also extend their welcome to anyone who is keen to get involved, no matter what their background.

Rent is performing from Tuesday 19th to Saturday 23rd October at 7.30pm in the RNCM Studio Theatre. Tickets are priced at £11 each. To book visit www.rncm.ac.uk or call 0161 907 5555.

A New Year, A New Chair

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

Interview with Sophie Read, Chair of the Drama Society 2010-2011


What is the drama society?

It is one of the biggest societies in the Manchester Student Union which offers everyone a chance to be involved in theatre. If you like to act, direct, stage manage, or even just watch, this is the society for you! We put on between 10 and 15 shows a year which are all proposed by our members, as well as holding fundraisers and other events. Each year we put on the Manchester In-Fringe Theatre Festival as well as this year’s Autumn Showcase which will comprise of three shows in October and November. Watch out for auditions coming soon.

What is the drama society and what are the roles of its members?

The committee and I run the society. We select the shows to be performed and help the production teams to put on the best shows possible.  Our responsibilities include anything from running the box office to helping backstage. We also organise all the venues and the hire of technical equipment for the shows, as well as providing the budgets for them to go ahead.

The Secretary of the society sends emails to everyone on the mailing list giving out all the information of show dates, audition times, events and opportunities for students. Our social secretary organises all drama society social activities from the Welcome Party to the MIFTAs (Manchester In-Fringe Theatre Festival Awards) Ceremony just before Easter.  The society’s Publicity Officer will be making sure you all hear about everything that is going on, whilst the Treasurer will be handling all our expenses.

What main events are happening this new student year? Who can be involved in them?

This year we have the Autumn Showcase, taking place in November. It will feature three productions, one of which will be located in the University’s own John Thaw Studio Theatre. We’ll then move on to the Manchester In-Fringe Theatre Festival, which will be a month long event featuring some of the best of Manchester’s theatrical talent in around 10 different shows.  There is also the Summer Musical, in which the Drama and Music societies collaborate to produce one huge musical.  Anyone can get involved in all our productions, just watch out for auditions and calls for technicians and Stage Managers in the weekly emails. You can even direct as well. You don’t have to know what you are doing – we can always help out, so why not try and learn a new skill! Even if you only want to watch you can still join. Your membership card guarantees inclusion on our mailing list, and also entitles you to ticket discounts.

What would you advise any budding actors/actresses/producers/directors who have just arrived at Manchester and want to get involved in drama at MU?

We have a stall at the Welcome fair – come and say hi! A membership card costs £5, but lasts all year round.  There is also a welcome party for new members.  If you miss us at the Welcome fair, you can email [email protected] or [email protected] to join.  Check out our new website at http://www.umdramasoc.co.uk/.  We’re open to anyone who wants to have a go. Any members from the society can put forward a proposal for a show and any members can audition for it or get involved in the production team. This year we are hoping to put together a fantastic programme of workshops for our society members. Even if you don’t want to be on the stage, there is something for you!

Finally, how have you found your experiences in the drama society?

This will be my third year with the Drama Society and I have loved every minute of it. It is made up of such an amazing bunch of people and is a great way to make new friends. It can be a bit scary at first, but come along to our welcome party and meet some of our members – they’re so welcoming and friendly! Everyone pulls together to create some fantastic pieces of theatre.  Please get in touch if you have any questions – we want to hear from you!  Keep checking the Arts section for more information about upcoming events within the Drama Society.

Release Your Inhibitions at AND Festival

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

Where else can you expect to see Drag artists and Marxist philosophers at the same event?  ‘Abandon Normal Devices’ (AND) is the place, a series of visual experiments of digital cinema, performance and media art.

After AND’s smash hit conception last year in Liverpool, this year Manchester takes centre stage, with its headquarters at the Cornerhouse mixed arts venue on Oxford Road.  From there AND will spread out across Manchester, appearing in nearly every cultural centre in the city. The focus this year is on ‘Identity, Behaviours and Systems’. With brand new commissions from internationally renowned artists, filmmakers and cultural provocateurs, we can expect our perception of who we are, what art is and its relationship to science to be deconstructed and redefined. The title, ‘Abandon Normal Devices’, is a reference to the musician Brian Eno’s ‘Oblique Strategies’; a set of cards devised to break the monotony of working life and create new ways of thinking. AND is a festival of contemporary enlightenment with an aim to dissolve the overbearing borders of art, science and technology, to produce a cacophony of visual delight and mental stimulation.

Highlights of this year’s festival include, ‘Midnight Mass’, by contemporary drag artist Peaches Christ aka Joshua Grannell. He invites us to don trashy  ‘Gore couture’, costumes we can create and  therefore celebrate all that is ‘bad’ in cinema for the international premiere of his horror comedy, All About Evil. Here the audience is the focus for this 4D floorshow extravaganza, as you go wild in the aisles in the cinema that demands devilish behavior. Expect sex, scandal and Rocky Horror Show glamour.

Or, for an intellectual feast, try one of the AND Salons, where top academics will be challenging our attitudes and rousing new approaches. Generated from Ben Goldacre’s book, Bad Science, science as a whole will be scrutinized following recent controversies from within the field, from stem cell research to climate change. Our sexual identities, how we are inscribed by social norms and how sexuality is commodified will also be debated. Famous bioethicist Professor John Harris and artist Heath Bunting go identity shopping, exploring how we define our individuality via digital avatars and biological alterations.  Other topics of debate include the relevance of socialism today, stemming from a renewed interest in communism, pioneered by current key philosophers including Slavoj Zizek. Leave your preconceptions at the door.

Not to be missed will be the artist Lawrence Malstaff’s award winning performance, Shrink. A fusion of art, science and technology, Malstaff invites us to contemplate the human form, as volunteers are shrink wrapped in clear PVC sandwiched together and vertically suspended in the Freemasons’ Hall for periods of 20 minutes. Disturbing and delightful, this is performance art at its most exciting.

Abandon Normal Devices runs from 1st-7th October. Unlike any other festival previously seen, AND is anything and everything you want it to be.  If, “normality is the gravity that holds us together,” AND will allow you to fly. A paean to abnormal reality, expect to drink whisky made form urine in Cube gallery and experience a Soviet carnival ride in Whitworth Park. Why not Abandon your Normal Devices – you will not be disappointed.

Review – Parade

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

Parade, The Lowry, 27th – 28

Any members of the audience taking their seats as the cast broke into ‘The Old Red Hills of Home’ would have thought that they had arrived two hours late for the evening’s performance. The opening chorus of Parade possessed all the qualities of a number preceding a curtain call – emotionally-charged lyrics,  spine-tingling vocals and a resolute unity amongst the cast members. It set a precedent from the outset which was equaled and surpassed throughout the rest of the performance.

Parade, written by Alfred Uhry and scored by Jason Robert Brown, dramatises the true story of Jewish factory manager Leo Frank, who was convicted of raping and murdering thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan in Georgia, 1913. The story highlights the racial tensions that were rampant during the American Civil War, and covers themes of anti-Semitism, miscarriage of justice, and the prevalence of love in the face of adversity. Tackling these sensitive themes was an ambitious undertaking for a cast with an average age of 18.

Whilst at times the dialogue lacked conviction and pace, the story was successfully brought to life by mature and convincing performances from University of Manchester alumni Jamie Taylor (drunk journalist Britt Craig), Alex Wilson (defence attorney Luther Z. Rosser), and Andrew Bateup (Judge Roan), whose poignant solo lamenting Leo’s fate was executed with note-perfect precision. Some performances were disappointingly undynamic, but were compensated by unexpected twists in the plot keeping the audience’s attention.

Overall, it was a highly commendable performance from a cast whose musical talent was matched only by enthusiasm and professionalism. The storyline is a famous one, which parallels To Kill A Mockingbird. However, under the supervision of director Ben Occhipinti, it was brought to life in a fresh and imaginative way. A touching reprise of ‘The Old Red Hills of Home’ closed a performance that hardly appeared to be a youth production at all.

The Company is a youth music theatre foundation, open to 13-21-year-olds. A different musical is put on at a top theatre each year and is performed following two weeks of intense rehearsals at a residential course. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Review – Doctor Faustus

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

Doctor Faustus, Royal Exchange, 10th September 2010

When Robert Johnson went to the crossroads to sell his soul to the devil, he did so in exchange for an awesome mastery of the guitar and revolutionised the blues forever more. The tale of Faust recounts how he did the same thing in his quest for knowledge when academia and religion could not provide the answers he sought. But what would it take for you to sell your immortal soul to the devil?

England in the 16th century: Christopher Marlowe, fast living, rock and roll contemporary of our dearly beloved Shakespeare, sets down the legend of Faust in his play Doctor Faustus. Needless to say, tales of trucking with demons and outwardly renouncing God in order to obtain power, wealth and infamy cause more than a little controversy. A warrant is put out for Marlowe’s arrest under charges of heresy but he is killed in a pub brawl before he can be tried.

England in the 21st century: whilst pub brawling is no less common, expressing heretical ideas will no longer get you burnt at the stake. Indeed, the devil’s power to shock is now so underwhelming that it is not unusual to see one inked onto the bodies of women sunning themselves on the beaches of Benidorm.

And yet, at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, the power of the devil is undergoing a dramatic overhaul in the ambient, bold and inventive adaptation of Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. Director Toby Frow has created an engaging and provocative production that bursts with atmosphere and energy from the first haunting seconds to the fiery closing scene.

The strength of Patrick O’Kane’s performance as Faustus comes primarily from his powerful physical presence on the stage and, whilst his voice could stand to be a little louder at times, he portrayed Faustus’ psychological unravelling with tenacious realism.

Ian Redford gave a solid performance as Mephistopheles and both Rory Murphy as Robin and Stephen Hudson as Wagner were incredibly entertaining. The real strength of this production however comes from its incredibly imaginative use of theatrical techniques. Students from the Manchester Metropolitan University of Theatre make up the ensemble that is put to excellent use in impressive sequences of physical theatre. Acrobatics, singing, stage combat and mask theatre are all employed throughout a show which never loses pace and succeeds in captivating and titillating its 21st century audience from start to finish.

Showing until 9th October 2010.

A scene for everyone

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

Manchester is the thriving centre of culture in the North-West, and is home to many fantastic theatres, galleries and other performance venues – it’s essential to discover what the city has on offer. As many of you will be completely new to the area, we thought it would be a great idea to give you the ultimate guide to culture and the Arts in Manchester – the main venues, where to get the cheapest deals, and the best places to see musicals, ballets, operas, or new writing, and more.

Firstly, you can always count on the Royal Exchange for fantastic theatre. Formerly the Victorian centre of commerce and business, the Royal Exchange is now home to the ‘theatre module’, a futuristic glass bubble, suspended in the Great Hall, enclosing a stage and in-the-round seating. As well as producing high-quality professional theatre, the Exchange is also committed to providing a platform for new writing. Thankfully, the theatre also supports us poor students, with a number of great offers. Under 25s get £4 tickets on Mondays, and for every Friday performance from 12pm you can reserve two free tickets – but it’s first come first served, so be sure to phone up straight away!

Another of the city’s main theatres is the Palace. Situated on Oxford Street, you will soon recognise it as you go past on the Magic Bus into town! It first opened in 1891 and still retains many of its original features. The theatre is mainly home to touring musicals, opera, and ballet. Coming to the Palace in October is the English National Ballet’s version of Romeo and Juliet, followed in December by the second national tour of We Will Rock You. Tickets are not generally too student-friendly, but prices start at around £15 depending on the production, so if you book early enough you can get a decent deal.

If you are looking to experience some raw theatre, you cannot go wrong with the Lowry.  It is definitely worth the short tram ride from St. Peter’s Square to Salford Quays.  Comprising of the impressive Lyric Theatre and many smaller studio spaces, the Lowry has a prestigious reputation for presenting some of the most entertaining and diverse theatrical material in Manchester, placing much emphasis on diversity and learning.  If that is not enticing enough, it also offers generous student discounts.

If you are looking to see a production a little closer to home, The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) never fails to impress.  Situated on Oxford Road, it is only a 5 minute walk from the Manchester Student Union.  As well as offering a wide range of theatrical productions at a reduced student rate, there are also numerous concerts and musical events performed by both pupils of the RNCM, Manchester University students, and visiting musicians.

The quirky Contact Theatre includes three ultra modern theatre spaces and several smaller rooms, which are used for workshops.  Ideal for students and situated on Oxford Road minutes from the Union, the Contact is primarily focused on young adults, giving opportunities to showcase unique up-coming artists – there are many opportunities for learning, development and education within the Arts.

If art is your passion, the Manchester and Whitworth art galleries are worth a visit. You can experience six different centuries as you wander around the Manchester gallery on Mosley Street, and best of all it’s all absolutely free, though donations are welcomed. If you fancy supporting our very own university, then the Whitworth gallery may be a good choice. It is situated on Oxford Road and is part of the university itself. It houses a wide variety of art which aims to remain “accessible and relevant, interesting and provocative for the diverse communities of Manchester and beyond” (Maria Balshaw, Director, from www.whitworth.manchester,ac,uk). Equally, the Cornerhouse Cinema and Gallery on Oxford Street is also a great place to explore contemporary art, arthouse films and world cinema. There are three floors of art galleries, three cinema screens, a cafe, a bar, and a bookshop offering their own distribution service, ‘Cornerhouse Publications’, especially for visual arts resources. Student matinee films are priced at £3.50 and evenings at £5, and the art exhibitions are totally free.

Manchester really is a diverse and cosmopolitan city, a buzzing core of cultural, artistic and dramatic activity. As you arrive in Manchester this week, we urge you to make your way into the city and to begin to enjoy the cultural scene. It’s a great way to start your time here in the city, and we hope you have a fantastic year!

Vocation, vocation, vocation

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Features.

Why are so few international students studying humanities subjects? Daniel Zuidijk investigates.

For three days now, I have been sitting at my desk attempting to find a way to write about this subject without either sounding racist or as if I am plagiarising an equal opportunities leaflet. As a small disclaimer, I’d just like to say now that I am neither racist nor a hand-wringing pseudo-racist (you know, those ones that are so anxious about being perceived as prejudiced that they’re generally the most offensive of the lot). However, a recent survey by the Society for International Student Affairs found that the number of students studying humanities subjects was so small that they didn’t even figure in the top 15.

There is no denying that Manchester is one of more diverse universities in the United Kingdom, taking in more international students than any other in the country (close to a third of students here are international). But the survey found that out of the 8,290 or so international students studying at the University this year, the majority would be studying Business, with Engineering coming a close second.
With such an obvious bias towards the more scientific and mathematical subjects, we should ask why this is the case. Not least, because fees for international students studying humanities in the UK are significantly lower than their more scientific and clinical counterparts. Bearing in mind that international fees are already eye-wateringly expensive, at the University of Manchester Arts subjects are a mere £11,300, compared to £14,200 for Sciences and a terrifying £25,900 for Clinical subjects.
Faculty Officer for Humanities, Mo Saqib, thinks the answer has to do with employability. “It’s common in many cultures to pursue a vocational degree, such as medicine or engineering, which are seen as more likely to get you a job. My own dad questioned whether me studying subjects like politics or philosophy would take me anywhere. Here in the UK we place a lot of emphasis on transferable skills, and this contributes to a greater proportion of home students studying humanities degrees such as history, philosophy and languages.”

Indeed, it could be argued that if you’re paying over £10,000 per year to do a certain course, you want the guarantee of a job at the end of it. It’s no secret that Humanities graduates from the UK struggle far more to find employment after university; at the recent Liberal Democrat party conference, Vince Cable was controversially dismissive of Humanities students’ prospects, pointing out the rising levels of unemployment amongst graduates whilst there is a chronic shortage of workers for the science and engineering fields. Given these factors, it is hardly surprising that those coming from places like India and China are reluctant to pay more than three times that of a domestic or EU student for a course that offers seemingly rather dire prospects.

Whilst British education places an emphasis on transferable skills, which greatly contributes to the popularity of the arts amongst domestic students, this idea is not necessarily echoed in education systems in other countries. Venus Wong, a third year History of Art student from Hong Kong, makes the point that often, the demand for Humanities subjects simply does not exist in other countries, “There is only one university in Hong Kong that has an Art History department […] Art History is not popular in Hong Kong or in China generally. If students don’t want to do an Art History course in their home town, it doesn’t make sense to come to England and do it”.

Regardless of the reasons, there exists the very real risk that a kind of ‘Knowledge Hierarchy’ could develop as a result of this growing trend. This would mean that subjects such as Law and Business would be given a privileged position above subjects such as Art History, that are perceived as less vocational and less likely to get you a job. Therefore, the more vocational subjects would be better funded and perceived as more relevant to the ‘real’ world, resulting in a specific career as opposed to a more open-ended future. Mo Saqib agrees that this could happen, “While this mentality isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as we all want to get somewhere in life, it doesn’t mean that Humanities subjects have no value either”.

To some extent this way of thinking already exists, as certain subjects, such as those relating to media, are already often perceived as a bit ‘Micky Mouse’. In these tough economic times, who’s to know if the less in-demand subjects will survive the impact of the coalition government’s cutting addiction? This especially applies to international students, who pay more and tend to take more scientific/clinical courses.

It’s not all doom and gloom; English is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, meaning that international students wishing to study in Europe are most likely to choose a university in Britain. Venus agrees, also stating that, “It’s always better to study Western Art History in the west. And I can’t study in other western countries since I don’t know their languages as well.”

When I moved back to this country to study Art History after having spent more than half my life abroad, I brought the combined experiences of my times in both Spain and India to a course that was very much international in its focus. It is a shame that those subjects which come under the banner of the Arts, which could benefit from the fresh ideas of a more cosmopolitan student body, are the same ones that are so widely rejected by the wider international community when they apply to study abroad every year.

It is worth noting that, were a perspective student from Mumbai or Beijing to apply to one of the fabled liberal arts colleges in America or even a university in Scotland, then they would not be faced with this ‘Sophie’s choice’ when they were deciding on their future. Particularly in the States, students are encouraged to study as broad a curriculum as possible and look at ideas from a number of perspectives. It is only in a few places like England where you are almost forced to define your whole future before you have arrived. Therefore, the debate on Humanities subjects and international students only really applies to you if you find yourself studying in Britain.

With the current state of the economy, and more and more reliance being placed on the higher tuition fees of international students, it seems Manchester needs to do something to attract international students to less scientific areas of study. Otherwise, we run the risk of depriving future students of a broad choice of courses and a wide spectrum of knowledge from which to learn.