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Day: 2 December 2015

Katie Hopkins left red-faced by Brunel students

Brunel University recently hosted a debate on the welfare state featuring Katie Hopkins as a speaker. Just as Hopkins began to speak, around 50 of the students stood up and silently walked out of the lecture theatre, refusing to listen to her provocative views.

Hopkins had been asked to speak during the university’s 50th birthday celebrations, as a member of a panel debating the motion “Does the Welfare State Have a Place in 2015?” Given that Hopkins has previously compared refugees to “cockroaches” and has suggested using “gunships” to prevent mass migration into the UK, she was always going to be a very contentious and potentially unpopular choice.

In fact, several months ago, a petition was started on Change.org to swap Katie for 50,000 migrants—a request that now has over 60,000 signatures on it. Before the debate even began, the controversy was evident. The president of the Brunel Students’ Union, Ali Milani, said “the inclusion of Ms Hopkins has been met with widespread outcry from the student body and the Students’ Union.” Social media sites were full of Brunel students voicing their disapproval of the choice, with Twitter user Conor Sheehan, @ConorNotColin, writing “[I am] genuinely ashamed that my university would consider bringing such a vile woman here.”

As Ms Hopkins began to speak, the students stood up and faced away from her silently, some checking their phones, some simply declining to look at her. After being invited to return to their seats after around a minute, the students walked straight out of the lecture theatre, emptying it significantly and leaving the chairman of the debate understandably flustered.

Hopkins predictably believes that the students were in the wrong, stating “To those who debated openly – thank you. You give me hope our future is not entirely populated by closed minds.” What may be surprising however is that she did have some resounding supporters, such as Harry Dawes, who argued “These Brunel students are shameful, cannot handle a debate and an alternative opinion! I’m fearful for my generation!”

Nevertheless, the majority of people were busy stating their approval of the students’ actions. Hundreds of Twitter users weighed in on the debate, with Niall Breslin, an Irish musician and sportsman, saying “You can always trust the students to get the job done. Simple, effective.” In slightly less polite terms, user Rebecca Crow, suggested  “this is how you should deal with any troll-like creatures.”

After being involved in intense televised debates and fierce arguments with celebrities, from Lily Allen to Philip Schofield, neither the media storm nor the overt dislike from the public will be new to Hopkins.

You can watch the moment students walk out here

Review: English National Ballet’s Lest We Forget

2014 was a year of widespread commemoration to mark the centenary of the First World War. This memorial extended to the stage with the English National Ballet’s triptych of pieces under the phrase synonymous with remembrance, Lest We Forget, which made a return this autumn for a nationwide tour. Whilst intending to diffuse public preconceptions on ballet with its innovative style, the collaborative work simultaneously challenges the way we reflect on the Great War, one century on.

Liam Scarlett’s opener to the evening, ‘No Man’s Land’ played on the significance behind his chosen title. There was a surprising absence of khaki and helmets as the ornate velvet curtains rose to reveal a row of women, not tutu- and tiara-clad, but in soot-stained aprons and bonnets. Bent double with hacking coughs, the women sent dust clouds flying as they worked in a munitions factory assembly line with hands yellowed by gunpowder.

Once the ‘Canary girls’ in the factories had bade the men farewell as they set off for the trenches, Scarlett was not afraid of maintaining a simplicity in his choreography. The stillness of slouched soldiers waiting at the Front was more powerful than any possible interpretation of a glorious military push towards enemy lines.

The sombre and reflective piano composition by Liszt mournfully accompanied the pas de deux between a woman and her soldier returned from the Front. It impressed on me how minute changes in eye contact and body language can collapse or transform the mood of the performance; the soldier’s dropped gaze—hunched soldiers and limp movements effectively depicted the psychological impact of the war beyond physical injury.

Russell Maliphant incorporated recorded sound with the live orchestral accompaniment in ‘Second Breath’ to announce the transition into a more contemporary interpretation of the War after the interval. A series of numbers were read out in English, German and in French, which increased as the dancers’ movements gradually became more frenetic, to culminate in millions, denoting the conflict’s astronomical worldwide death toll.

The pitch black, empty set was stark, focusing all attention on the movement onstage. In a particularly poignant moment incorporating Michael Hulls’ stunningly simple lighting design, the bottom half of the space was plunged in darkness, lighting the emptiness above the heads of dancers. Intricate aerial work saw some dancers lifted into the light, before falling helplessly into darkness… and death. This symbolic and physical representation of going ‘over the top’ was deeply moving and engaging, without the need for an elaborate set.

To conclude the trio was ‘Dust’, the most dynamic and least ‘balletic’ piece of the evening. The dancers were strong and warrior-like, in contrast to the stillness of ‘No Man’s Land’, moving powerfully as one in some extremely impressive ensemble sequences. The electronic percussion in the soundtrack reverberated around the space like artillery fire, and choreographer Akram Khan pushed the art form to its breaking point as the dancers writhed and twitched in pain. The devastating effects of war felt uncomfortably familiar in this more transcendent interpretation of the century-old war.

As depressing and inaccessible as a ballet about the Great War may sound, Lest We Forget was highly compelling, and it captivated the audience until the curtain fell. The horror of the subject was approached in three very separate and interesting ways. The outstanding quality of the dancers’ performances effectively communicated the various memories of War to its modern audience—unforgettable.

History of students going to university ‘beginning to erode’

The ‘long history’ of British students going to university is “beginning to erode,” due to rising fees and poor university business models, say leading education figures.

In an interview with Times Higher Education, the president of the Association of Colleges, John Widdowson, and its higher education policy manager, Nick Davy, claimed that Britain has made a mistake in not investing in professional and technical education, and now universities have gone ‘too far’ into higher education, and cannot ‘adapt’to using a different model.

Davy stated a need for a shift to colleges, saying that ‘if we’re going to develop a technical and professional stream, it’s the colleges that have got the expertise and the links with local employers and labour markets.’

Whilst university applications are rising consistently, with 2015 seeing a record breaking 590,000 applicants, Davy says it will not be until April 2016, when the first students to be paying £9000 a year “get the bill through the door,” that people will realise the cost of university.

He continued to say that there has been no reaction yet because “young people don’t understand debt the way older people perhaps do.” Once this debt hits, Davy claims that “that long history of going away to university in England, I think that will begin to erode,” although “not completely, because it’s still very much a part of our culture.”

When asked for comment, Students’ Union Education Secretary Michael Spence expressed concern for all areas of higher education, saying that “as fees begin to rise, I fear that prospective students will be put off attending university. However, unlike Mr Davy, I fear that many will not find alternatives in Further Education because the sector is severely underfunded and many colleges are likely to close in the next few years.”

Recent research by House of Commons library staff showed that £1.6 billion could be cut from college budgets next year if the government continues its aim of a 25 per cent cut to the services. This would be the equivalent of closing four in every ten higher education colleges. However, in the Autumn Statement, it was announced that school and college funding would be protected this year, and that colleges could choose to become academies, saving on average £317,000 a year on VAT.

Yoga and 1920s themes are the latest targets in ‘cultural appropriation’ disputes

After ‘culturally insensitive’ Native American attire was prohibited at this year’s Neverland Pangaea, and ‘racist’ Mexican sombrero hats were banned at a freshers’ event at the University of East Anglia, it seems that cultural appropriation is a recurring dispute at many universities across the globe.

Two colleges at the University of Oxford have sparked a race row over plans to hold New Orleans and 1920s-themed end-of-year balls. Students have claimed that the plans outlined by the two colleges may cause offence to female and ethnic minority students. The balls have been branded “problematic” for commemorating “an era of history steeped in racism.”

Law student Arushi Garg, originally from India, expressed her disappointment of the 1926 theme planned for the Magdalen ball, stating that “if we’re reliving the past, the corridors of institutional spaces like Magdalen/Oxford is definitely not where you would find people of my gender, race and nationality.”

Lincoln College has also faced criticism for the marketing of its New Orleans-themed ball, being accused of mimicking the Mexican holiday ‘Dia de los Muertos’ (‘Day of the Dead’). The Lincoln ball committee has denied using material based on the holiday, or any other aspect of the Mexican culture, insisting critics have “misinterpreted” the advertising.

Continuing the series of recent cultural appropriation allegations, the University of Ottawa in Canada have suspended free yoga classes after complaints that the lessons were unacceptable “cultural appropriation” of a non-Western practice.

Yoga practitioner, Jennifer Scharf, has held free weekly classes to students at the university since 2008. At the beginning of this semester she received an email from the Centre for Students with Disabilities informing her of issues surrounding a formal complaint.

Staff from the centre wrote in the email: “While yoga is a really great idea and accessible and great for students… there are cultural issues of implication involved in the practice. Yoga has been under a lot of controversy lately due to how it is being practiced”, and which cultures those practices “are being taken from.”

The email continued to state that many of those cultures “have experienced oppression, cultural genocide, and Diasporas due to colonialism and Western supremacy… we need to be mindful of this and how we express ourselves whilst practicing yoga.”

The Ottawa Student Federation, the university’s independent student body, made the decision to cancel the classes, despite Ms Scharf’s suggestion to change the name of the classes to “mindful stretching.”

Miracle on 34th Street: Christmas spirit on Quay Street

Wrapping up warm, shelling out a tenner for a sausage muffin at the Christmas markets, and racist grandparents sitting around the dinner table… (alas)… Yes, Christmas is coming! As we swiftly move into December, the world is swept with Christmas fever, and nothing will get you more in the mood for this festive period than Miracle on 34th Street at the Manchester Opera House this December.

Taking my mum to this performance made me forget the terrible attempts for Christmas presents down the years she has given me, and made me remember the great Christmas dinners she has provided, as we both fell hook, line, and sinker for this Christmas extravaganza of a performance, singing along by the end!

Despite a slow beginning to the show, with the first half of the performance lacking in some humour and seeming to just be the lead up to the second half, part two did not disappoint! With the roles of Marvin Shellhammer (played by the wonderfully camp Brendan Matthew) and Michael Adams as the stern Mr Macy being given more of a spotlight in the second half, the show became more light-hearted and the festivities began!

You can always expect in these kind of shows a certain amount of songs, and this show was no stranger to a song. The first half’s inferiority to the second half is somewhat accountable to the volume of songs that were placed in the performance, since there were many more, and a few tended to make you lose interest, due to them being a bit slow.

Despite the odd questionable American accent from time to time, the small group of actors and actresses overall created a great, fun performance, with nobody standing out as a bad performer. A note must be made for the fantastic recovery from one actress during the performance. After accidentally walking into a prop, she came back onto the stage later in the scene dramatically steering clear of this prop to be met with laughter from the crowd.

It’s difficult to set a particular audience in stone for this performance, because there was a variety of people in attendance. There were children, the elderly, people on romantic dates, and of course me and my mum; as long as you are open to being entertained with Christmas festivities, then you are the audience for this show!

SU confronts student alcoholism as campus drinking problems rise

The University of Manchester Students’ Union is looking to create a support group in partnership with Alcoholics Anonymous to help troubled students and tackle a dangerous drinking culture, as the number of drink-related issues is on the rise.

Binge drinking, ‘lad culture’ and sports team initiations have become as familiar on university campuses as academia, and have garnered much criticism for British universities from the media.

Drink-related instances across Britain’s university campuses are on the increase and there is mounting concern for student welfare as young people barely of drinking age are consuming dangerous levels of alcohol on a regular basis.

Statistics from the past few years show that as many as 40 per cent of students are classified as alcoholics under the formal medical definition.

The Union are responding to this concerning trend by potentially adding another dimension to the several support services offered to students.

A third year student who characterised his own experience as “typical” said of university drinking: “Obviously it’s very intense at the start of first year with Freshers’ Week and the constant expectation to be going out.

“I think at that stage everyone knows how ridiculous it is when you see guys being sick everywhere or trashing up their halls, but at the same time people find it funny and probably what they think is normal for uni.”

The normalisation of this kind of behaviour and mounting data pointing to a student drinking problem is what has prompted the Students’ Union to consider setting up the AA group on campus.

Although the initiative has yet to be rolled out, the Union encourage students who feel they need support surrounding the issue to make use of “the wellbeing services that we already offer to our students.”

However, as with many support services, many students are unaware and unsure of the procedures or hesitant to ask for help.

Another third year student said of the AA group idea: “If I ever had an issue with alcohol I don’t really know what I’d do, would that qualify me for counselling? At least with an AA group there’s an obvious place for people to turn.”

The group will look to provide such a place for students and to confront what appears to be an endemic problem across British universities. For most, drinking is an enjoyable part of student life, but excessive drinking should, many argue, be more widely viewed not as an inevitable part of the university experience.

For those who experience the potentially serious and dangerous consequences of regular drinking, the Union-Alcoholics Anonymous partnership will represent much needed support network and progress on an issue that has largely been neglected.

If you or anyone you know needs help with alcohol-related issues, contact the University’s Counselling Service, at manchester.ac.uk/counselling, or search for a local meeting of Manchester Alcoholics Anonymous.

Review: Through No. 3 by Liz West

2015 has been a great year for Liz West, having been one of the stars of Castlefield Gallery’s ‘New Art Spaces’ at Federation House, she is now beginning to gain national and international attention. Fighting off five other candidates for this new collaboration between CG and Allied London, West has been embraced by the agency style approach that CG operate within the city, and hopefully this will be the first in a series of new public artworks in a city with a flourishing art scene.

Through No. 3 is best enjoyed as an interactive experience. It is one thing to see it or to take a photograph, but another thing entirely to walk through it. In fact, walking through it is so completely different, it is staggering. This is why it has such a mesmerising effect; it allows the viewer to reset all expectations and engage with a completely uncontaminated experience. The light shines through the colour blocks in playful ways, offering patterns on the floor, on the walls and on myself. The choice of colours hints at an almost primitive playfulness, and I’m reminded of a toy I had as a child: A bunch of chunky semi-translucent rings on a hoop with, if my memory recalls, the same colours that are at play here. There’s something fundamentally exciting about the primitive enjoyment of an interactive experience of colour and light—your inner child will love it!

The brief for this commission called for a work that was bold, innovative and reflective of the environment of modern architecture in Spinningfields. Through No. 3 definitely provides this and more. It will be a shame when it is removed because it adds character, energy and artistic vibrancy to an area known for concrete, glass towers and finance. Let’s just hope this is the start of some new collaborations between the city’s thriving businesses and growing contemporary art community. Multi-million pound Northern Powerhouse venues are one thing, grass roots collaborative societies are another thing entirely.

Open Daily: 25th of November 2015 to Wednesday the 6th of January 2016

Located: Crown Square, Spinningfields, Manchester.

Read more here: castlefieldgallery.co.uk/news/through-no-3-by-liz-west/

Dispute over Parrs Wood’s proposed academy conversion

Governors at Parrs Wood high school, one of Manchester’s leading secondary schools, have developed plans to transform the school into an independent academy. The proposal sparked outrage in the unions at Parrs Wood, who eventually sought help from their local council. Shadow education secretary, Lucy Powell, has angered union bosses in Manchester by refusing to support their anti-academy campaign at the school in East Didsbury.

The unions at Parrs Wood high formulated a letter to local councillors and MPs, stating that at a meeting attended by 85 staff members, the vote was unanimous to protest the school’s conversion into an academy. The proposal is part of an ongoing debate about a government initiative to turn the majority of secondary schools into academies. This means that Parrs Wood high school, which is one of the most oversubscribed secondary schools in Manchester, will break away from their local education authority. The logic behind the government initiative is that schools will have access to more funding and a free, high-quality education that is available to all. Unions, however, are concerned about education powers being taken away local authorities and concentrated back to Whitehall.

Withington’s MP, Jeff Smith, commented on the recent proposal:  “Having recently been a governor for several years at Parrs Wood, I know that the governing body will act in the best interests of the school pupils and community. Parrs Wood is consulting on a proposal to become an academy on their own terms, and I welcome the commitment to maintain the ethos of Parrs Wood as a school committed to serving the local community if it decides to become an academy.”

Powell commends the governors at Parrs Wood High school for their decision, adding that they have made a smart move by choosing to convert now instead of being forced to in the future. She says it is “clear that the government is determined that the majority of secondary schools will be academies by the end of the parliament.”

Commenting on Labour policy, a union member says: “The unions are surprised and deeply disappointed as when Jeremy Corbyn, and indeed Lucy Powell, came in, their opposition to the academies policy seemed clear. This school is doing well, so we can’t understand why anyone would want to change the model.”

Secretary for the National Union of Teachers in Manchester, John Morgan, states: “As a union we are totally against academisation. We see it as an ideological move rather an educational one. We do not see the benefit of converting a good school like Parrs Wood into an academy. There is very little to suggest it will make it a better school.”

Since the decision to convert was made public, Powell’s office has stated that “things have moved on” since the union disputes and that a higher number off staff now back the school’s plans. It is one of Powell’s goals to keep all types of schools under some form of local oversight in the future.

Cambridge remove fundraising video containing “aggressive racist” alumnus

Cambridge University has recently been forced to remove a fundraising video containing David Starkey, a Cambridge alumnus who has been described as problematic in the past for his allegedly racist comments.

Starkey was featured at the beginning of a video introducing the Dear World, Yours Cambridge campaign. The fundraising project was set to raise £2 billion and is being used to highlight the contributions that Cambridge alumni have made to the world.

Starkey’s presence in the video has resulted in an uproar in the Cambridge community. Anti-Starkey campaigners cite several examples in the past where the alumnus has made blatantly racist remarks as grounds for the video’s removal from the public domain.

First and foremost was his comment after the 2011 England riots, when he stated that “a substantial amount of the chavs have become black. The whites have become black; a particular sort of violent destructive, nihilistic gangster culture has become the fashion.”

In response to concerns, Helena Blair, Access Officer at Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU), tells The Guardian that she “had not heard about his racist views, and it was not until after the video was released that I learned of his deeply problematic opinions.”

It was Malachi McIntosh, director of English studies at King’s College, who originally raised the issue in an open letter to the university. McIntosh was backed by hundreds of students, staff, and alumni.

In the letter, McIntosh states that, “in our eyes, Starkey’s presence both undermines and taints our daily efforts to function as a united community, one open to the very best and brightest regardless of anything except their academic potential.”

In response to the protest, the university has suspended the video on YouTube, but protesters are encouraging the school to go further by removing the video completely.

A statement has also been released by the University stating that the video is currently being edited. They have yet to issue an apology, which the protesters are demanding.

“In due course,” Starkey has told The Independent, “the university will decide what is right, proper and expedient. I shall be happy to accept that decision. Of course, if it raises any question about the nature of academic inquiry and academic freedom, I shall reserve the right to comment freely but without recrimination.”

The Art of Sexting

As with a lot of things that involve sexual exploration, there seems to be somewhat of a taboo around sexting—but why should there be? As long as the participants are two consenting adults, then exchanging sexy messages can actually be really rather exhilarating. When done correctly, the best sexts can act as a new spicy injection to your foreplay repertoire and all you really need to pull it off is trust, confidence and a little bit of imagination. To truly get the best out of it however, you probably don’t want to jump straight into exchanging erotica with someone you barely know—especially if they’re a bad Tinder match whose opening line is to ask for a picture of your junk. But when you’ve found someone who makes you feel comfortable, to engage in a cheeky sexting session can allow you to communicate exactly what you want and desire in the bedroom without having to face any awkwardness in saying it out loud.

Lets face it, exchanging sexual messages with your partner isn’t exactly a revolutionary idea—it’s just that back in the day it was done via long-winded letters with far more elaborate vocabulary and plot lines, but that’s not to say sexting isn’t just as good—and a hell of a lot more concise! And for those of you who don’t have an other half, why don’t you utilise your saucy writing skills in other ways? For example, there is a huge online community of erotica writers who are always looking for new stories, and you don’t even have to put your name to them if you’re too shy!

So whether you’re looking to add a bit more excitement to your romance, or are a singleton looking to branch out into more erotic circles, why not give sexting a go? It’s more common—and definitely more rewarding—than you think!

American university offers three day “retreat” to discuss “white privilege”

Last weekend, the University of Vermont in the US held a three-day retreat exclusively for white students to discuss “white privilege” with the aim that they “engage in building a stronger and inclusive campus community.”

The perhaps misleadingly named “white retreat” was organised by the African, Latino, Asian, and Native American Student Centre (ALANA) within the university, a group that aims to promote the rights and development of students from these racial backgrounds.

The event, which was only open to those who “self-identify as white,” was designed to make students aware of and recognise the privileges largely experienced through being white.

Organisers ALANA reportedly created the event to better involve the white demographic in their efforts to promote equality and “interrupt racism” across university.

Over the free three-day course, University of Vermont undergraduates were given “the opportunity to conceptualize and articulate whiteness,” according to the university’s website.

The retreat was met with positive feedback from students, one saying it “provided a safe space to learn about yourself and others, and how we experience and understand privilege and systems of oppression.”

Conservative US media corporation Fox News viewed the event slightly differently, criticising it as essentially being a ‘Blame the White Guy 2015’ gathering that unfairly shamed white students with guilt.

Racial tensions have recently escalated in the US, with growing scrutiny on police conduct and brutality. In recent months several high profile cases of unarmed black men and youths being killed by white policemen have caused national outrage.

On Tuesday the 24th of November campaigners took the streets in Chicago following the release of a video showing a law enforcement officer shooting a black teenager 16 times. Also on Tuesday a Black Lives Matter march, held in protest at the killing of an unarmed black man last year, was shot at by neo-Nazi members in Minneapolis, injuring five demonstrators.

This comes alongside Presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s Republican candidacy campaign that has been riddled with controversial racial comments and slurs. The business tycoon-turned-politician has sparked outcry after multiple false statistics and politically incorrect blunders, recently suggesting that a black man who was beaten at a Trump rally “maybe… should have been roughed up.”

The wider national context may point towards the increasing number of racial incidents enveloping American university campuses, and the University of Vermont will argue that despite dividing opinion, the “white retreat” event is a proactive measure to tackle these racial issues tainting universities across America.

Review: Paul Foot

It is necessary to begin this review by immediately stating that, as soon as we hit the intermission, we decided to get on the first bus away from Salford Quays, and drown our sorrows in The Old Monkey pub on Portland Street.

Neither of us had hitherto left partway through a performance, but it felt almost essential to do so during the intermission of Paul Foot’s gig.

That Paul Foot is a weird guy should not come as much of a shock—his appearances on panel shows firmly disabused us of the notion that he was “normal.” The results of our interview with him a few weeks ago confirmed the peculiarity of the character we were dealing with here.

To call Foot a surreal character—as he was labelled during our interview with him—is to do a disservice to those surrealists who harness their talents in a far better way. (Apologies to Franz Kafka, Haruki Murakami, et al.)

Foot makes a big deal about how, when he goes from town to town, no two shows are the same, which is something of a mercy—the number of people who were subjected to this particular showing was minimised.

We knew that we were in for a long, bumpy ride when Foot contrived to make his off-stage announcement—which would traditionally involve the performer briefly introducing themselves to the audience off-stage—last 35 minutes, and include a “dress rehearsal.”

Fundamentally, Foot’s gig was an uncomfortable one. He has issues with personal space (he gets very close to his audience) and, during one incredibly uncomfortable skit he dons a cowl and transforms himself into “Penny”: A highly-strung, shrieky and sexually deviant femme fatale.

Despite these myriad issues, he is a talented performer (infrequently). For instance, he affects grievance incredibly well: The audience from the previous night (one member of which had inexplicably decided to make a return appearance), and the technical staff at the Lowry were just two sources of his opprobrium.

One of the less unenjoyable portions of the show featured Foot using a horse’s head toy to change the “language” he used. The head pointing downwards meant Foot spoke in (and the audience understood) English; upwards meant the language reverted to “nonsense”; in between was a weird pidgin blend of the two.

The ease with which Foot was able to switch between these languages at speed (and, when the head was given to an audience member, without his input) was genuinely impressive, and demonstrates the potential he has. Unfortunately, it was not enough to salvage this gig.

It is rather disheartening that the highlight of the show featured the performer literally speaking gibberish.

The beauty of Chai

With skincare gaining more and more prominence, it’s a wonder that we’re able to keep up with all the products that are stacking the shelves. Skincare doesn’t have to be a regimented routine. In fact, such a routine can actually result in a damaging effect. When it comes to you skin, sometimes less really is more, and what better way to start your skincare regime than from within.

The beauty of living in such a diverse city is that we have access to a fabulous collection of food and drink. Why not use this to our advantage? With herbal teas taking over the market, why not use them to give your skin the boost it needs. Here are our top super teas to keep your youthful glow.

Matcha

Matcha is the fine ground powder made from green tea leaves. It is stored away from oxygen and sunlight to retain its fabulous green colour. This green gem can be drank simply by adding warm water. Uji, Japan, is the heart of matcha production, so if you manage to get your hands on some from Uji consider it gold for the skin. Matcha contains antioxidants and vitamins that have been consumed for over a millennium. This wonder contains catechins which is the most potent in matcha. Not only is matcha packed full of vital minerals, but is renowned for cancer fighting properties. Drinking matcha can improve the condition of your skin and keep it that way. People will be green with envy.

TIP: Replace your morning caffeine boost with matcha to boost you skin with daily minerals and keep you energised until the evening.

Hojicha

Hojicha is a roasted tea and because of the low caffeine content, can be a fantastic way to hydrate the skin. Hydration is important for skin and results in a fresh glow that skincare products just can’t give you. As well as being a natural boost, hojicha can be drank before bed and it won’t keep you awake. This ruby jewel contains vitamins that will help fight bacteria and detoxify your body, resulting in a light detox for the skin. Just like matcha, hojicha is also known to have anti-cancerous properties. Hojicha can be enjoyed as a drink, but can also be made into face masks and rubbed directly onto to the skin. This is a great way to get rid of those pesky eye bags.

TIP: If you choose Hojicha as a bedtime drink, the vitamins can get to work whilst you dream.

Yujacha

Yujacha tea is Korean tea, which is made from the yuzu fruit. This herbal delight is a sweet tea that is a great source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is vital for your skin as it is key for collagen production and helps your skin remain strong and firm. Not only can it keep the bounce in your skin, but is essential to help your skin repair. Yujacha tea is fantastic for tissue repair, so can help speed up the healing process and even help reduce the look of scars.

TIP: Replace your fizzy drinks with chilled Yujacha tea, for a healthy sweet boost.

These teas are just a few herbal teas that can help your skin get the boost it needs, so ditch all the fancy stuff, and stick with tea.

Winter Scents

I have a question for you. What makes you feel sexy? Is it putting on a nice pair of heels? A tight LBD? A dash of your favourite lipstick? Well, for me it’s all about the perfume. If I’m wearing a scent that covers me in a cloud of sensuality then I feel sexier than ever. I’m sure most of you have already found your signature scent, but here are a few of the hottest scents available to stimulate your senses this winter.

Gucci Premèire Eau de Toilette.

This fragrance reeks of elegance and sophistication. Looking for the perfect date scent? This is most definitely it. With top notes of white flowers, orange blossom, freesia and jasmine, it’s sure to bring some heat to your cold, frosty night.

GUCCI Première Eau de Parfum
75ml – £66.66
Photo: Debenhams

Stella by Stella McCartney

I know this particular scent has been around for sometime now; however, I just couldn’t keep it off the winter must-have list. With its amber and rose top notes, this perfume is just perfect to the feminine woman who enjoys playing sport as much as she does putting on make up.

Stella by Stella McCartney Eau de Parfum
30ml – £35.95 
Photo: Fragrance Direct

Library of Fragrance Gingerbread Eau de Toilette

Who else likes the smell of freshly baked gingerbread? Well, if you do, this perfume is the perfect one for you. If you permanently want to smell like a gingerbread house, then get to Boots and buy yourself some of this perfume. It’s cheap, as well as delicious.

Library of Fragrance Gingerbread Eau de Toilette
30ml – £15
Photo: Boots

The One by Dolce & Gabbana

This perfume is one that never goes out of style, or out of mind. This alluring scent is one that no one forgets, and this is no surprise with top notes of vanilla, mandarin and citrus. With its fruity extracts, you’ll feel as if you’re diving into a Christmas pudding.

Dolce and Gabbanna The One Eau de Parfum
50ml – £52.49
Photo: Debenhams

Live: Kurt Vile and the Violators

Wednesday 18th November

The Ritz

6/10

Kurt Vile and the Violators played in front of a sell-out audience at the Ritz on the 18th November. Unsurprisingly, the set largely consisted of new material from his recent sixth studio album b’lieve i’m goin down… but there was still a place for a song or two from his previous three albums.

Wearing a denim jacket and tight skinny jeans, Kurt and his band opened with a succession of songs from his latest record, including the lead single ‘Pretty Pimpin’—a twangy, catchy song with a harmonious melody. The song already looks like it will be one of his most popular, with raucous applause arriving at its climax. A brief return to 2013’s Walkin on a Pretty Daze followed with ‘Walkin on a Pretty Day’ and ‘KV Crimes’ being met with a warm response.

Unfortunately there was no place for the dreamy, and, arguably, Vile’s best song, ‘Goldtone’ on the setlist. The Violators then left Kurt to go it alone as he breezed through the beautifully stripped back song ‘Stand Inside’ from the latest LP. He was soon rejoined by the rest of the band as they delved into some older stuff from his third and fourth albums, Childish Prodigy and Smoke Rings for My Halo respectively, including his best-known song ‘Jesus Fever’.

Intervals between songs were short, with the self-described Constant Hitmaker choosing to keep his mysterious, hairy facade by limiting his interaction with the audience, although at one point he declared his love for “Manchesterrr” in that Boston drawl his fans have grown to love him for.

Closing with an encore consisting of two songs, finishing with the psych-rock ‘Hunchback’, Vile and the Violators left the stage leaving the audience completely satisfied after nearly two hours of music.

HOME Pick of the Week: The Dressmaker

Myrtle ‘Tilly’ Dunnage (Kate Winslet) walks down her dusty hometown—Dungatar’s main strip—as if it were a catwalk in Milan. Dressed head to toe in lavish 50s designer outfits, she is a binary opposition to her rural surroundings and even more so, her female counterparts. Myrtle has returned from Paris to her native home in Australia in a quest of revenge towards those who had expelled her for seemingly unknown reasons. Accused of murdering a fellow school pupil at an early age, Tilly is armed and dangerous—with the power of fashion to ridicule sweetened grievances upon those who stripped her away from her mother.

One could mistake its beginning as a spaghetti western rather than a black comedy. Equipped with needles, a sewing machine and mannequin corsets, Winslet’s Tilly Dunnage is our Clint Eastwood and lone rider. The actress’ effortless ability to captivate an authentic Australian accent accentuates her position as still one of the best female actresses in the business—even after all these years. Accompanied by Hugo Weaving, Liam Hemsworth and Judy Davis, a true championing of indigenous talent is fundamental to Jocelyn Moorhouse’s film.

The comedic values of The Dressmaker are down to those of Aussie Rebel Wilson. Judy Davis and other supporting roles are loud, boisterous and over the top. Thankfully, Wilson’s ruckus of homosexual and weight-orientated jokes is not so prevalent as they are in her performances in the Pitch Perfect franchise. Aligned to an exploration of darkened humour, and an ability to surpass Mark Kermode’s infamous six-laugh test is achieved within the first half hour—the latter cannot be said in regards to modern comedies like Vacation. The basis of this film’s humour is rotated around a transvestic police officer, an alcoholic mother and other small town caricatures—as well as Winslet’s Dunnage. This embroidery of characters tailors itself into a fine weaving of well-known archetypes and plays upon pre-existing tropes of cinema’s portrayal of small towns.

Although Moorhouse’s latest release is sporadic in tone—shifting from comedy, to romance, to tragedy—a fundamental narrative is withheld. A slight weakness derives from its constant movement from one genre to another—in particular, its melancholia. Undeniably, this hybrid element is to be rejoiced and praised, but does have its problematic consequences. One or two generic plot devices are installed too, the father of Tilly being one in particular—the identity of whom can be seen a million miles off, just like any car travelling towards the Australian outback.

The Dressmaker’s adaptation from literature is evident in Tilly’s lavish fashion sense, though Moorhouse’s script and direction conceal this factor for the most part. However, one can identify its origins through the assortment of its variation in thematic values. Winslet is in impeccable form, as continued from Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs—but its design towards the big screen doesn’t quite cut to shape.

3/5

Farage’s confusion is our confusion

Nigel Farage stands up, head held high, rising above the Eurocrats that fill the room he so dreads. The short speech he delivers is typical of his many such speeches made in the European Parliament: He damns the institution’s authoritarian nature, points to recent examples, and then makes his case for Britain’s exit.

In this speech specifically, he made the following case. In 2011, Alexis Tsipras was elected in Greece on a socialist platform. On arrival to the European Parliament, he was told that his manifesto was unworkable. This kind of disagreement was continued throughout the recent Greek crisis. Some voices (such as the Financial Times, and Marketwatch.com) in the aftermath of the Greek crisis, were saying that Portugal would face the next crisis.

Well, over a month after the Portuguese election, and largely uncovered by the mainstream media, power has still not transitioned from the minority conservative coalition to the majority socialist coalition. President Silva denied the socialists power on the grounds that they did not represent pro-EU ideals, and in fear of the financial and monetary implications of a reversal of the previous government’s austerity policies. If we look at the Greek experience, he may—rightly or wrongly—have a point.

In the same defiant speech, Farage even made the claim that the EU’s policies of controlling member states was similar to that of the USSR’s Brezhnev Doctrine. He suggested that EU states have had democratic rights taken away if they have disagreed with the European project.

Yet, to the people of Britain, UKIP is still talking about immigration. They are still using scare tactics to win the rural or semi-urban, conservative, often working class vote. He is still dividing populations into ‘us’ and ‘them’. As the group currently leading the anti-EU campaign, they have a responsibility to broaden their arguments. This would help to draw in supporters of other parties, and help to extinguish some of UKIP’s negative connotations.

David Cameron recently confirmed Britain’s longstanding support for Turkey’s inclusion into the EU. UKIP’s campaign against this policy stinks of this failure to discuss a broader set of issues—such as geopolitics. Particularly in the wake of the Ukraine crisis (arguably an event of attempted EU expansionism) we should be more aware of how crucial the inclusion of Turkey would be. Already a strong US ally, it would provide another excellent foothold in the Middle East for the West, and further secure the key pipeline, trade, and migration routes that run through the country. Despite this, the campaign remains firmly fixed on tapping into fear of a new wave of ‘poor people’ landing on Britain’s shores.

Admittedly, furthering the economic inequality between states of the Union is dangerous. Farage also makes an interesting argument that Union has a business-driven agenda for importing cheap labour.

The left is to blame for this too. Although the problem of immigration is largely an imagined one—as seen by the negative spatial correlation between immigrant numbers and UKIP supporters—it is still top on Britons’ policy concerns. This needs to be dealt with. Corbyn’s complete lack of concern for the issue does not help.

The immigration debate needs to be opened up on the left so that we can properly discuss the practicalities of how to better integrate immigrants into our society. We need to further the debates on issues such as education programs, faith schools, transport policies, de facto segregation, and labour rights of immigrants. These are the policies that will help to ease tensions, and thus help to remove the largely imagined concerns about immigration.

Furthering the confusion of Farage and UKIP is the news that the party has been struggling with finances since the election. Here is a wonderful contradiction: Party donors—millionaire lawyer Andrew Reid, for example—often donate because of the party’s libertarian leanings. Yet, many voters are from areas that the policies of Mrs Thatcher hit the hardest. The confusion goes beyond the leader himself; it is clearly visible between donors and regular supporters.

The country still faces hard times. Economic downturn and then austerity made as all vulnerable for the creation of a scapegoat. This time round it was immigrants, and particularly Muslim immigrants. The reason public services are struggling is partially due to the effects of years of high net migration; but austerity economics is a far more significant factor.

The confusion of Farage and UKIP between criticising the great power of the EU and scapegoating immigrants reflects the confusion of us all. We live in societies that, with the help of much of the media, too often blame regular fellow citizens as the causes of our woes. It has become a modern day version of divide and rule, and has successfully reduced the scrutiny of those with power and wealth.

Just another indie banned name

What’s in a name? Viet Cong, the Canadian post-punk quartet, recently announced that they were changing their name after accusations that it was an example of cultural insensitivity, trivialising the atrocities during the Vietnam War. The band issued a statement stating they “never intended for [it] to be provocative or hurtful,” but it did little to endear them to the people indignantly posting their anger on social media or taking to e-petition sites. It didn’t help either that the band are comprised of four white men, with many bloggers lambasting them for ostensibly indulging in smug “white privilege.”

It is a strange state of affairs: forty years ago, a post-punk band with a provocative name would be positively quotidian. Joy Division were named after the prostitution wing of Nazi concentration camps. Andy Gill of Gang of Four (another band with a subversive name) defended Viet Cong on the grounds the internet outrage was “illiberal, undemocratic and anti-progressive”.

Controversial band names weren’t limited to punk. Soft-rock heroes Steely Dan were named after a strap-on dildo in Burroughs’ novel Naked Lunch. 80s pop doyens Spandau Ballet took their moniker from the common slang for the twitching “dance” of hanged Nazi war criminals. Lest we forget, Kasabian are named after Linda Kasabian, a member of Charles Manson’s infamous cult and his getaway driver. Slaves have also come under fire, their name accused of racial insensitivity. But that objection is itself problematic: It suggests that “slaves” can only ever be associated with the plight of subjugated African slaves in the 18th century, rather than slavery in and of itself.

It is also an aggravating state of affairs. While it is true that Viet Cong may be a naïve choice for a band name, one that has caused many people significant pain and offence, its censorship would be a tremendous shame. Censorship only leads to a paranoid culture that cossets our sensibilities and self-righteousness. However indirectly, band names that evoke violent and uncompromising imagery ultimately force us to confront difficult subjects. It, to some degree, erases taboos—even if it might well be distressing, shocking and in poor taste.

Censorship closes down any sort of debate or dialogue in art; it prohibits people from engaging with questionable material or coming to a conclusion of their own. Censorship is didactic and refuses to treat consumers like adults. That said, we must be careful not to ignore the concerns of the offended people who dismiss Viet Cong. As a Guardian article that was critical of Tyler the Creator’s ban from performing in the UK makes clear, “free speech absolutism is as much the province of idiots and headbangers as is kneejerk censorship, and often has a pernicious and prejudiced agenda of its own.” Such is the need for taboo-smashing debate.

Furthermore, some of the most offensive band names in music often invite baffled amusement or even laughter, which was my immediate response after Googling a list of genuinely terrible names. They were in very bad taste, but also absurd and ridiculous. You can’t take many of them very seriously: AIDS Wolf and Gay Witch Abortion just sound silly. They make Viet Cong look a little quaint.

Moreover, it could be possible that Viet Cong is open to multiple interpretations. Maybe it represents a Dadaist impulse for being intentionally offensive and provocative? Perhaps it continues Dada’s insurrectionary commitment to destroying bourgeois contentment. Who’s to say that Viet Cong doesn’t express an agitated and mischievous post-colonial ideology? Maybe it represents the skewering of liberal sensibilities? Maybe its purpose is to make uncomfortable the very people calling for the name-change, the privileged western folk on their laptops typing with anger about it? To remind them of the horrors of that conflict? If Tyler the Creator’s ban tells us anything, it is that censorship only lends an attractive enigmatic aura to the group being censored—more people will actually gravitate to them. For the sake of ‘the group formerly known as Viet Cong’, let’s hope so: their music is what we should all be really talking about.

Review: Carrie Brownstein’s discussion of ‘Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl’

Never have I ever attended a talk by an author at a literature festival by myself. So, it was with slight trepidation that I embarked upon my first experience of this precise scenario. On the 12th of November, I attended a talk by Carrie Brownstein on her new memoir, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, as part of the Manchester Literature Festival 2015. For those who perhaps don’t know, Carrie Brownstein is one-third of the seminal post-riot grrl punk band, Sleater-Kinney. With her unique guitar-playing and strident, highly politicised lyrics, she arduously carved out a path for future female musicians to follow. Sleater-Kinney’s sudden decision to go on a ‘indefinite hiatus’ in 2005 left a legion of loyal fans bewildered and heartbroken. Fortunately, after ten years apart, they reformed and earlier this year released their newest album, No Cities to Love.

This month, Carrie Brownstein released a memoir, which chronicles her life as a member of Sleater-Kinney—from its humble beginnings to its inevitable demise. As this effusive preamble demonstrates, I am a big fan. And needless to say, I was extremely excited, despite some initial awkwardness due to me being by myself (fortunately, this awkwardness was assuaged through implementation of the tried-and-tested method for situations such as these—taking out my phone and pretending to text someone).
As I took my seat in the third row, I marvelled at how close I was to the stage. “I could definitely reach out and touch her from here” was the (creepy) thought that was running through my head. When she walked onto the stage, I spent the first two minutes trying to rearrange my face so that it didn’t reflect the childlike glee bubbling inside me. Unfortunately, I don’t think I succeeded.

The format of the talk was that of a conversation, which was led by Manchester Literature Festival’s Kate Feld. The conversation had covered a variety of topics—from how Carrie had approached the writing process (with a lot of procrastination apparently), to the books that she had enjoyed quite recently (Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara). A particular highlight was when Carrie had described Sleater-Kinney’s music as “not easy listening.” She recounted a time when she was at the hairdresser’s and ‘Dig Me Out’ (one of Sleater-Kinney’s more energetic songs, shall we say) started to play on the radio—she immediately exclaimed, “what’s that racket?!” before realising it was, in fact, her own band that was the cause of the din.

Admittedly, I am probably biased in my assessment, but I found Carrie to be very eloquent and entertaining throughout the talk. She is obviously very well read (as demonstrated by her casually dropping in such words as ‘monolithic’ and ‘highfalutin’ throughout the conversation), and it was interesting to hear her discuss her favourite writers, too. At one point, she described the time when she had met short story writer Lorrie Moore in an elevator and proceeded to bombard her with a multitude of questions and proclamations of adoration. It was comforting to hear a person whom I admired myself, describe their own participation in the culture of fandom.

Once the talk had concluded, the audience was welcomed to ask questions. “This is my chance!” I thought as the microphones made their way through the crowd. I mustered up the courage to raise my hand and, with a voice more unsteady than I would have liked, I asked Carrie about the musical influences behind Sleater-Kinney’s most recent album. Her reply referenced musicians as disparate as the topics discussed in the talk itself—from The B-52’s to Kanye West. When the last question had been answered, a final enthusiastic applause rattled throughout the venue. As I stood up to leave, I caught Carrie’s gaze—she smiled and nodded at me politely. Buoyed by this small interaction, I glided out of the theatre. My first solo venture into the world of literature festivals was an unequivocal success.

The Alexandria Library – Curry Mile’s new bookshop

Walking home from university along the infamous Curry Mile, you may have noticed that a new player in the Manchester literature scene has arrived. The Alexandria Library, having opened only on July 14th this year, is a specialist secondhand and new bookshop which is making an impact on the Manchester literature scene already. One afternoon walking home, a slither of gold Arabic script was glistening in the window and I knew that I had to find out what this new addition to the Curry Mile was all about. I was kindly given an interview by the owner of the shop, Josh, and the overseer, John, to discover more about what their thoughts behind the Alexandria Library were.

When asked about the concept behind the shop, Josh said that it’s simply “something different—there is no place in that you can get this variety of literature in Arabic and Urdu anywhere else in Manchester.” John further highlighted how the shop was funded by the local Arabic church and a number of South Asian Churches, too, who wanted to showcase their significance in Arabic and Asian cultural heritage. John had said that the input from the churches were “essential to creating the blend of the shop” and that it was a space which allowed Arabic Christians from Syria and Iraq, along with South Asian Christians to have a voice. The location for both of them is key as “people had told us to open in Didsbury, saying that the Curry Mile was no place for a bookshop like this,” but they were determined to be situated on the famous strip anyway.

The Alexandria Library stocks both secondhand books—including poetry collections, language books, and novels—as well as new contemporary literature which is often brought back directly from Egypt or taken from suggestions from interested readers who come into the shop. John highlighted the struggle of competing with Amazon but say that their secondhand collection often has trumped against Amazon’s—especially in such a niche market. A lot of students who are currently working on their dissertations or researching into Arabic or South Asian culture have been found to come in seeking language books and tips about learning Arabic—John himself has done an Urdu Leap course at the University of Manchester, as well as being fluent in Arabic after living in Sudan for many years.

The shop also facilitates a lot of cultural activities and connections between people. Both Josh and John emphasised how the churches run groups such as free English conversation classes for local people who want to better their English. There is also a Kurdish Book Club, too, who meet upstairs in the shop. Even though it has only opened in July, the Alexandria Library is rapidly becoming a pillar in the local community. John told me how he has had people coming in, asking him how to “crack English society,” as well as having local artists coming in to ask if they could exhibit their work. Josh and John are both keen to attract writers to do poetry readings which fit in with the shop’s ethos.

People at the shop are very willing to help students who wish to learn Arabic or want to learn more about Arabic and South Asian culture. It seems to attract a very diverse range of people such as Syrian refugees who volunteer there, representatives from the church, and also people like myself who are generally interested in literature and suffer vaguely from a cultural identity crisis which they express in writing. As someone whose Pakistani parents had never taught me Urdu but enjoys writing in many forms, I was automatically drawn to the what the Alexandria Library is doing and the space it is creating for anyone interested in the literature and culture of that region—especially during this time of having a sharpened international political climate, misinformation and demonization stemming from some strands of the mainstream media. Cultural spaces like the Alexandria Library are multilayered in the roles they play in society. I would definitely recommend popping in.