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Day: 14 March 2018

Photo: WhitePaperGames

Interview: The Occupation

Written by Jeremy Bijl on . Posted in Games.

White Paper Games started their lives as a studio with their debut game Ether One, a narrative-driven puzzle exploration game exploring the mind of a patient with dementia.

My time with Ether One was always fascinating: it was sometimes perplexing, but at its core was a game which encouraged complete immersion into not just the life of an individual, but their whole community, in order to restore clarity to their fading memories.

Ether One received plenty of critical acclaim, drawing praise for its intelligent blending of game design and narrative, and was nominated for Destructoid’s ‘Best Narrative Design 2014’ award. It was also a finalist at Indiecade 2014 and Developer’s conference 2014, and arrived on Playstation consoles in 2015.

White Paper’s next project, The Occupation, is shaping up to be just as intriguing, as described on their website:

“The Occupation is a first person, fixed time, investigative thriller sim set in North-West England on 24th October, 1987. The game begins at 3:27PM. An attack has left 23 dead and has become a catalyst for the creation of The Union Act, a controversial act which threatens the civil liberties of the British population.

“The next 4 hours will determine the outcome of the act and the future of the country. Events happen in real-time and you must make decisions based on the evidence surrounding you. Is the cost of an extreme action outweighed by the cause of the greater good? You are the reporter. You decide the narrative.”

I sat down with technical artist James Burton and programmer Martin Cosens in White Paper’s Manchester studio to find out more about it.

We know the game is set in Manchester. I know the game is set 30 years ago, but are we going to see a Manchester that we recognise?

James: I’ll think you’ll definitely see architecture that’s inspired by Manchester quite strongly.

Martin: If you’re familiar with some of the iconic buildings, then there’s definitely areas that will stand out in the game. We’ve definitely drawn inspiration from a lot of the big civic buildings around, like Manchester city hall.

James: Yeah, I’ll think you’ll definitely recognise things around like the John Rylands library, for example – they’re the two central pillars.

Martin: It’s not meant to explicitly be Manchester.

photo:WhitePaperGames

It’s called Turing, isn’t it?

Martin: Yeah, which just gives us a little more freedom. It’s one of the nice things we’re able to do: game development, for the longest time, has been much bigger in the U.S., so it’s nice to have English developers just touching on slightly more English themes.

That was something I liked about Ether One: It was set in Pinwheel, looking at what was initially an idyllic seaside town that fell into a post-industrial slump. Do you think you’ll engage similarly with Manchester’s political history, maybe Margaret Thatcher’s influence?

Martin: it’s definitely a really rich resource, isn’t it? You can’t have that setting without an element of that coming through, even if it was subconscious. There are definitely political themes in it, and as soon as there are political themes and it’s set in the ‘80s – even if you didn’t put it there, people would see it.

James: I think at the same time, we’re taking a historical approach in the way that we look at things – even when we’re designing our own political problems within the world of Turing, we’re looking at historical problems.

One Parallel I noticed between Manchester and Turing is the premise: a terrorist attack that killed 23 people, which obviously evokes the Manchester Arena attack. Is that intentional?

Martin: No, that was really unfortunately timed, actually. Obviously, the event itself was incredibly unfortunate. I mean, I think we put out a trailer a couple of hours before the attack, so some people online thought it was in poor taste: it was just really, really unfortunate.

James: Some outlets handled it really nicely – they said they’d respectfully wait a week or two before we talk about this, because it was too fresh. The London Bridge attack happened right after that as well. It was all kind of around that time. It’s horrible, but those aren’t the parallels we were trying to draw.

Martin: It’s one of those things that come up quite a lot at shows. A lot of people have asked how much we’re playing up current events. And obviously, with games, we’re developing them for years (The Occupation began development in late 2015). Games take too long for us to be like, ‘oh this is happening this week.’ It’s just very strange they happened at the same time. It’s like life imitating art.

I was listening to N.J. (Apostol) at EDX speaking to Prettygoodgaming’s Mike Williams, and he implied some parallels between the union act, and the political tensions in America, and the patriot act.  Is it fair to say, then, that the game takes a broader political perspective?

James: The important thing for us is that we’re not trying to imbue a particular political view. We’re not trying to say ‘this a view you should have’ or ‘this is our view; listen to us.’ It’s all about putting a story and a situation, and giving you both the ability to find all the facts and figure it out, but also giving you limited facts so that you make your own mind up. You don’t know what you don’t know, and that’s key.

Martin: Even if you 100%ed everything and found out all the facts, you hopefully wouldn’t come out like, ‘oh so this is clearly right, and this is what the developer thought the right thing to do was is.’ One of the great things about a game is that you have a choice, unlike in films or books. We don’t want to beat anyone over the head with our morality.

So is that why you chose the ‘80s? To give it a bit of distance? Or was it something else?

James: Not particularly. It’s a cool era to explore, and it gave us license to play with the technology and things like that.

Martin: One issue was, and I think films have this too, that you spend so long just trying to explain away, ‘why couldn’t I just text them?’ Some of it was just down to the themes we wanted to go with. If you just had instant messenger, a lot of this would be pointless. But also, Ether was set a lot earlier, at the beginning of the 20th century, so this felt like the natural progression. It gives you a natural aesthetic to work with, too.

James: That’s another thing; we’ve always had this idea that our games would co-exist, so yeah it felt like the natural step.

I’d heard elsewhere that they might exist in the same universe; will you be paying lip service to Ether then?

James: Yeah, games like Bioshock and System Shock, they all kind of co-exist. We wanted to have this universe that was persistent across our games, even for the sake of making our body of work as a studio be relatable.

Obviously, it’s quite a narrative driven game. In terms of gameplay, what kind of thing will we generally be doing?

Martin: It’s really down to what you think is important. The initial inspiration was from a more systemic kind of gameplay. Games like Dishonored and Deus Ex were a big inspiration. A lot of them work in the sense that they give you a set of tools, and you have objectives, but how you achieve those is up to you. You could spend the entire time being a goodie two shoes, doing exactly what you’re told, and that’s not the wrong way to play; that’ll just give you a certain conclusion. If you’re more interested in X narrative that you think ‘oh well maybe I’ll have to get into this person’s office, then you would have to sneak into that.

James: We have a thread: you come in as a journalist, you’ve got meetings with certain people and certain times, so you have be ready to meet them around their offices around then. You can miss the meeting though. We have somewhat of a directive path, but it’s up to you really.

Martin: Something else we’ve got going on in the world is not exactly redundant narrative, but narrative that doesn’t necessarily feed through back into the main plot. Not everything is about the [union] act. People have their own lives going on: someone might be really concerned because their child’s sick at home, and you can follow that narrative all the way through.

It’s like a slice of space and time then, isn’t it? Does that mean the game is quite reactionary to you? If you play this slice twice in a row and do nothing, hypothetically, it would play out in the same way. You’re the variable, so it’s based on how you can change things?

Martin: We’re hoping you’re going to have a good amount of agency to dictate your way through in terms of the information you choose to find out, what you do with this information, that’s quite important to how things unfold.

Something else Ether did quite a lot was a lot of environmental storytelling. Is environmental storytelling something you’ve still tried to integrate into the game?

James: Yeah I think that’s always going to be a big part of any of our games. For us, it’s so important to have a world that feels alive and that feels like its got history to it, and it’s not just a game level; it’s a place where these people have lived, where they have aspirations and a future. For us, we can’t tell you this giving you a cinematic or telling you, ‘this is exactly what you need to know’ – so much of it is just building a world that is interesting,

Martin: The thing about environment storytelling is that it kind of gives you the freedom to come back to it when you’re interested, but also, if you’re not you can just walk away. That can make it more engaging: it’s your choice to participate in that.

We know it’s a fixed length game, so obviously the size matters. Too small, and you risk having not enough to do in that time, too large, and you become lost. Put crudely, what kind of map size are we looking at?

Martin: When I first joined the studio, the ethos was like Ether but way smaller and way denser. It’s definitely denser, but I think it’s bigger too. It’s not small. It’s a big design concern: are you going to be able to fill the space with enough content to make it constantly engaging?

James: I think we’re trying to figure out right now a way of pacing it in such a way that allows you to explore the different parts of this environment. It’s all one environment really, but one part of the map or story that’s connected to the kind of emotional beat we’re trying to hit at the time.

Martin: It’s a bit of a balance. The idea of complete freedom all the time seems like the coolest thing, but sometimes it’s better to direct people a little bit, and give them a bit of push. If left to their own devices, they might not see some of the coolest stuff.

I’ve heard VR is an option for this game; is that still something you might be doing?

James: From day one, we always had VR in mind in terms of how things would work. We’re trying to be as optimised as possible in everything so that it’s possible. It’s not going to be something that comes on straight away, but its something we’ve always kept in mind when designing the game.

Martin: It sets a certain bar in terms of how you optimise things as well. It’s a good standard to uphold. With a normal game, people would want 60fps, maybe, but with VR you have to hit 90 because otherwise people start vomiting. In a way, it’s just nice to hold yourself to that standard, and the outcome of that is that it’ll work nicely on VR.

James: We’ve done tests, and it’s really cool the sense of scale you get. Manchester’s architecture is pretty vertical, it feels very cool.

Last question: the hardest question and the one developers hate most – is there a release date yet?

James: Definitely this year, and I think soon. I don’t think it’d slip to the end of the year by any means.

Apart from the above, I think what stood out to me most about this studio was how the staff balanced artistic ambition with consumer awareness. At every juncture, their passion and excitement was evident, but it was also refrained by a deft awareness of the unseen customer: ‘will this be fun to play?’ ‘Will this feature make the game unwieldy?’ ‘How do we make sure our game balances freedom and direction?’

Photo: Johan Persson

Review: Frankenstein

Written by Saira Baksh on . Posted in Theatre.

April De Angelis’ new adaption of Frankenstein marks the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic story about ambition and a scientifically created monster.

Director Matthew Xia reinvents the classical story through an unsettling journey that presents modern complex issues, like those of identity, responsibility, ambition, society and superiority.

The play invites the audience to step into Victor Frankenstein’s feverish nightmare.

It begins as Mary Shelley intended, set on a boat as Captain Walton writes to his sister Margaret. Alone and friendless, when the Captain comes across Victor Frankenstein he is more than delighted to have a friend.

Wretched and barely alive, Victor recounts the tale of his young ambition for life and knowledge thus revealing himself to be a murderer, and a creator.

The movement of the play was like that of a roller coaster, at the times the play fell a little flat, only to jump back – by literally making you jump.

Lighting designer Johanna Stone did great with the composition of posing the effect of the strobing lights against the use of natural light derived from a fire.

Frankenstein’s Creature was brought alive with vivid lightning bolts and eerie blackouts, and this only made the performance more captivating.

The presentation of the dream sequences during Frankenstein’s fever and the double action on stage heightened the audience’s reaction and constantly kept their attention on stage.

The use of sound and music was spectacular and had a main role in making the audience jump.

The Creature, covered in a dark cloak till the ending revelation, is made up of gruesome stitched flesh and white eyes.

The revelation of the monster’s body emphasises the broken creation of the being and his anguished recollections horrify the audience, thus making it easier to empathise with this tormented creature than with Frankenstein throughout the play.

Shane Zaza as Victor Frankenstein was wonderfully played, he truly captured the manic and madness of Frankenstein’s guilt, his thirst for knowledge in all his expressions and movements.

His performance was truly one to be commended. However, Harry Atwell stole the show. His characterisation of a broken man, with no knowledge of the world, was both horrifying and humanising.

Ryan Gage as Captain Walton was amazing, especially with the comic touch which kept his character relatable and often mirrored what one would expect to be the audience’s reaction.

Overall, Xia’s production was a visually stunning and captivating play. The sense a thriller was being played out hit the audience due to the use of lighting, colour and music.

The play surely invites you to step inside Frankenstein’s nightmare, but it makes you question and decide as to whom the real monster of this nightmare is. Is there more than one monster?  How do we define a monster?

Frankenstein runs at the Royal Exchange 9 March – 14 April. Tickets can be purchased from here.

Photo: The Mancunion

Editors’ style file

Written by Talia Lee-Skudder on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

How would you describe your own personal style?

I feel like now that I am at the ripe old age of 21 I can finally start to wear more womanly clothes, without looking like I’ve raided my mum’s wardrobe. So recently, I’ve been wearing more fitted clothes and midi skirts.

When I was younger I was desperate to wear heels all the time but since I started uni I have realised the benefits of comfort, and so now I am a fully converted trainer gal, but they usually have to be flatforms. Supergas are my favourite. I still throw on my heels on at any chance I get, especially for the evening, but somehow even my modest black heeled boots don’t seem to have a place in the main library.

I tend to always wear something with leopard print on and it’s usually never an accident. From trainers, to jackets to shoes and shirts, I literally have every item of clothing in leopard print — except trousers. I like to think that my love for leopard print is less Scary Spice and more chic… As you can see from the photo, this is my dressed down look with sensible footwear and my leopard coat stops the outfit from being completely boring. I am currently coveting the perfect blue jean and I am still on the hunt for the ideal pair.

When it comes to jewellery, I definitely do not go for the simple look. I am usually draped in bangles, necklaces and rings by my favourite jewellery designer Daniella Draper, a brand started by a local girl from Cleethorpes. A battered silver aesthetic complete with stunning stones from citrine to amethyst and rose quartz, the jewellery is completely different to styles you would ordinarily find on the high street. These accessories complete my look and give me, along with most of the female population of Cleethorpes, a signature jingle-jangle with every movement. Not quite appropriate for the lecture theatre.

Most of the time I don’t tend to follow the rule ‘less is more’; instead I live by the motto that more is absolutely fabulous.

Who is your biggest style and fashion icon and why?

I don’t know if I could choose just one fashion icon because I take inspiration from so many different women.  But I have loved Blake Lively since her Gossip Girl days and of course the icon that is Victoria Beckham.

What are your favourite luxury and high-street brands?

I don’t have one specific favourite high-street brand. I am willing to look everywhere and anywhere to find cool pieces. I never tend to shop in River Island for example, but last year I found an amazing pair of leopard print heeled mules that are such a staple in my wardrobe.

Of course I love Zara, who doesn’t? I also absolutely adore Never Fully Dressed; it’s a small boutique that is based in Essex and designs the most gorgeous silk pieces. Their wrap skirts are my go-to item, they’re so versatile for day and night.

If at some point in my life I can afford Dolce and Gabbana then I hope that I will also lead the type of life that requires me to wear their extravagant clothes. I also love Tom Ford’s clothes; so simple, yet stunning.

What are the beauty essentials you cannot live without?

My ultimate beauty essential has got to be Batiste’s dry shampoo. I am a big believer in the natural benefits of not washing your hair and letting the natural oils just work their magic. My mum encouraged me to train my hair so that it would not get as greasy in between washes, therefore meaning I have to wash my hair less frequently. On this one occasion I took my mum’s advice on board, and at the age of about 14 I trained my hair to not get greasy.

By ‘train’ I mean I had to leave my hair until looked like I’d dipped my head in a pan of grease before washing it. It was a long, difficult and at times smelly process but if you persevere it really is worth it. You save a fortune on shampoo, your colour lasts so much longer and your hair is in an overall healthier condition.  To tide me through my greasier hair days, batiste is my life saver. It revitalises my hair, allows it to go a little longer without a wash and adds a bit of volume.

I couldn’t talk about my beauty essentials without mentioning fake tan. I have managed to trick people for about four years now that I am naturally tanned  and whilst admittedly I have been fortunate enough to be able to top up my natural tan yearly, I mostly owe this reputation to my trusty fakes. Garnier gradual tan is my go-to product when I need a light coverage, but Thursday night it’s game on and the extra dark mousse gets lathered on ready for the weekend. Not only do I wake up glowing (the good kind of glowing, not the orange kind), I also, with just one application, lose a few pounds. What’s not to love?

Which fashion trend would you like to see burn and die?

I absolutely despise leggings. Unless they’re activewear leggings in which case I am guilty of throwing on a pair to run to the shops. Plain black leggings are just my worst nightmare, as they are so unforgiving and unflattering. They are so scruffy and nearly always see-through, and they never make an outfit look finished. Yes, I know they’re comfortable and yes, I know they’re practical, but they are definitely a look that should be left in 2008. There is no place for them in 2018. Girls, I urge you to scrap the leggings and put on some proper trousers.

Another, more recent trend that I just cannot get on board with are the cut-out swimming costumes that frequent my Instagram feed and every online retailer I browse. There is so much body, so little material to cover it. A bit of material is used for the top that is so small it reveals both underboob and cleavage and the super high-cut bottoms also leave little to the imagination.

My main issue with these swimming suits is that the design really is just revolting and again often very see-through. My wish is that these style of swim suits don’t make it any further than summer 2018.

If you could be transported in time to one fashion era, when would it be and why?

The 1950s would definitely be my go-to decade. The fabulous dresses with cinched in waists and the cigarette trousers were definitely created with a curvier girl in mind and were oh so chic. Beautiful women like Diana Dors, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe are the epitome of the 50s aesthetic and some of the most iconic faces in fashion history, who wouldn’t want to look like these ladies? There is something so glamorous about the decade and the women always looked impeccably dressed. It truly was a great decade for fashion.

Photo: Amy Nguyen

Editors’ farewell – style notes

Written by Amy Nguyen on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

How would you describe your own personal style?

Although hard to pin point in a single sentence, I would summarise my own dress code as quite classic chic, with a slight edge and twist, whether that be in shoe choice or materials.

For example, my staple go to pieces are usually boucle skirts in bright and bold colours and I love to pair these with colour popping boots and flats.  Last year I purchased a velvet pink pair of flats which are like slippers which I always receive compliments on (surprisingly from Next) and also a more outlandish pair of red studded boots from Topshop.

I am a huge leather disciple and admittedly have about ten of the same style leather skirts in all colours of the rainbow to suit any mood.

On the flipside, I never underestimate the all-important power of black, whether it’s a baggy dress, oversized knit, or beautiful black leather trousers. I definitely favour timeless pieces and am less attracted to logos on items, I still wear clothes I bought in sixth form (I’m 24 now). I’ve recently been inspired by my semester abroad in Milan where the students look immaculate and rock up in flares and high boots, they are incredibly effortlessly stylish and I aim to integrate this into my future purchases.

Who is your biggest style and fashion icon and why?

Olivia Palermo. An Audrey Hephurn-esque beauty, she originally was cast into the spotlight as a New York Socialist who featured on a few episodes of a spinoff from The Hills.

In all the years I have followed her, close to a decade, I’ve never seen a photograph of a bad outfit. She manages to pair unexpected patterns and textures of fabrics, for instance leopard with emerald feathers in a totally classy and elegant way. She often mixes high street with designer labels and has been the root cause of many a sold out item in Zara. Olivia adorns her outfits with fabulous large sunglasses and the most beautiful clutches.

Needless to say I would sell my own brother for her wardrobe contents.

What are your favourite luxury and high-street brands?

& Other Stories never fails to make my bank balance cry! The dresses are perfect for the day time and can easily be turned into evening attire with a quick change of earring and shoe. Their patterns and garments differ from Topshop and other more commonly turned to brands, as they are no means tacky and represent a welcome change on the high street.

I also love Cos for classic pieces like white shirts and they have really cute bikinis. Uniqlo is underrated and has saved my skin from Manchester and Northern climates; their heat tech is undeniably good quality for a disproportionately small price. Zara was ruined for me by a business project and research into their supply chain so I try not to shop there anymore.

On the luxury scale of things, I’m a huge fan of The Row (aspirational looking only) by Mary Kate and Ashely, and Tom Ford as it oozes sophistication. French iconic brand Chanel is a given, as well as contemporary minimalist Isabel Marant for elegant chic. Aquazurra is my dream shoe retailer of choice; Meghan Markle wore a pair for her engagement announcement to prince Haz and they are playful yet classic.

What are the beauty essentials you cannot live without?

I spent two years working for a luxury beauty company, so beauty has become almost a religion as well as a science. I’m an authoritarian when it comes to my skincare routine and follow a strict ritual of cleansing, using a serum, oil and then moisturiser. Eye cream is a given if its revision season! I like using organic vegan brands like Tata Harper, Sunday Riley and REN and SPF is an added bonus. A flawless skincare regime acts as the worlds best primer.

Make up wise, I prefer a look that has a natural glow as opposed to caked on TOWIE esque.

I’m extremely into vegan beauty. Hourglass do the most amazing mineral veil primer and hourglass vanish foundation stick. Although they are more on the high end price spectrum, they really are worth it. The best cult highlighter is the BECCA Champagne Pop and lasts a true lifetime.

I own about 58000 shades of lipstick, some my mother would argue are the same colour but they are not. Daytime requires a nice pinkey nude from Laura Mercier called Desert Rose and night time calls for dark reds from Kevyn Aucoin, the creator of contour, who has a fabulous Blood Roses collection.

Rimmel eyebrow and kohl liners are fool proof at a great price and allow you to save your money for the good stuff! As for mascara, I use Eyeko which is cruelty free and has caffeine in to perk your lashes up!

For bath and showering I’ve found SuperDrug do an incredible vegan salted caramel bubble bath, which sounds more like a desert than a toiletry, but I  couldn’t recommend it more!

Which fashion trend would you like to see burn and die?

All as a matter of opinion and whilst I appreciate the renaissance of classic items, these three items belong in their grave.

The bum bag — truly atrocious accessory, revived by Bella and Kendall who wear them around their chests as what I would describe as ‘skater chic’.  Gucci can’t even make a bum bag look good, they must die.

Big trainers. I’m looking at you, Balenciaga and Nike. BURN THEM.

I’ve also been hugely disappointed in recent times to witness crocs on the runway! Featured by Balenciaga and Christopher Kane, it’s just– not normal.

If you could be transported in time to one fashion era, when would it be and why?

The 1920’s holds ultimate appeal in terms of glamour, when we think of Gatsby, sequins, feathers, bold statement beauty looks and of course the flapper dress.

That being said, the 1960’s makes all other eras obsolete.  The swinging 60’s in London which was a pivotal city in the urban fashion revolution brought us the PVC, leather, miniskirts, A line tunic dresses and bold eye-popping colours.

Scotland’s Lions

Written by Jake Dunn on . Posted in Opinion.

Just two years ago, the Scottish National Party seemed unstoppable and unbeatable. How things have changed. While the SNP is still governing Scotland and remains its largest political party, it faces challenges on every front.

Nicola Sturgeon’s push for a second independence referendum in the aftermath of the UK’s decision to leave the EU backfired, as shown in the 2017 General Election. The SNP lost a third of its seats to resurgent unionist parties, notably the Scottish Conservatives, despite the Conservatives losing their overall majority in Westminster.

The SNP, like the Conservative government in Westminster, is a government incapable of governing. After being in power in Scotland for so long, we should prepare ourselves for a Scotland without an SNP government — it is something we should look forward to.

Since coming to power in 2007, the Scottish Nationalists have pushed their pro-independence stance at every opportunity rather than actually governing Scotland properly. After 11 years in power, Scotland’s education system is falling in standards, and the SNP’s reliance on North Sea oil has led to poor economic performance compared to other parts of the United Kingdom.

To put this into perspective, if Scotland were to become independent, it would be in a worse financial position than Greece and would therefore be barred from entering the Eurozone. With a budget deficit three times higher than that of the UK average, the SNP has hardly painted a great picture of its record in government. If anything, the SNP have shot themselves in the foot, by managing Scotland’s economy so poorly that it makes the prospect of independence even more difficult to achieve and increasingly unlikely to happen.

The SNP however has been extremely successful at covering up these facts using populist and nationalist rhetoric. To maintain support amongst the Scottish electorate, they blame Westminster and the UK national government for the vast bulk of Scotland’s social and economic issues.

The scapegoat is disingenuous — in Scotland, the SNP have cut funding to certain social welfare programmes and certain sectors of the economy in order to reduce Scotland’s deficit and invest in other sectors of the economy and society. Unlike other separatist and independence movements in Catalonia and Padania, Scotland’s independence movements lacks a successful economic base to launch an independent functioning state.

Perhaps, the most ironic and significant legacy of the SNP’s governing of Scotland is the resurrection of the once extinct Scottish Conservative Party. After decades in the political wildness, they have returned with a spring in their step. While the Tories faced losses in England and Wales last year, in Scotland they gained 12 seats (up from one seat in the 2015 election).

The SNP decision to try and push through another independence referendum backfired and unleashed the wrath of Ruth Davidson upon them. In the Tory surge, both former SNP leader Alex Salmond and the SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson lost their seats as the Scottish Conservatives made an unlikely political comeback. The people of Scotland have put up a clear resistance to a proposed second independence referendum.

If recent polls in Scotland are to be believed, Scotland is no longer a democratic one-party state —  it has become a three-party state. The Tories, Labour, and SNP are now vying for first place. The SNP’s poor record in government after such a long period of time could potentially be the factor that brings it down. After nearly 12 years in power, time is running out for them.

While Brexit at first provided Scottish Nationalists with an opportunity, it now seems to have provided them with a dilemma: it has made their government seem incapable. While attempting to try and protect Scotland’s interests, Nicola Sturgeon has made herself appear weak by being difficult during the Brexit negotiations. She has in fact been seen as an opportunist pushing through her own nationalist agenda and making the situation facing the UK even more difficult and stressful.

The fact that Sturgeon and the SNP have backed down from a second independence referendum shows how that support for the party has plummeted. This is particularly incredible when one considers the first independence referendum in 2014. Four years ago, the SNP gained both traction and momentum and were hugely supported by the Scottish public. Now they face losses on all fronts.

It is clear that either Labour or the Conservatives will soon replace the SNP in governing Scotland. This is not a bad thing. Change, after almost a decade of one party rule, is necessary for any thriving democracy. With Brexit on the horizon, the UK must be united in the face of the many difficult challenges facing us, and not in the interests of the SNP, who see Brexit as an opportunity for Scotland to break away. The decline of the SNP is not insignificant. As a result, Scotland faces a very uncertain political future.

Photo: UoM Rugby League Club

University of Manchester v University of Salford Varsity 2018 preview

Written by Oli Hobin on . Posted in Sport.

After a hard fought season, local rivals Manchester and Salford Rugby League finished on level points at the top of the league. The clubs have shared this season’s top honours so far, Salford earning promotion but Manchester winning the BUCS cup just last week, defeating Salford in the final.

All this means that there could not be more at stake this coming Friday, for what will be the biggest Varsity match in recent memory.

Head coach Matt Valentine understands the task ahead of his team, but has confidence in his players, “the lads deserved to win the cup final last week but we are expecting Salford to come back this week even stronger and looking for revenge. We will match fire with fire on Friday, it’s going to be a great game. It’s a local derby and bragging rights are up for grabs.”

Having played each other twice already this year, Salford and Manchester have claimed one win apiece, Varsity is the decider. Captain Adam Heal reflected on the deciding match, “we want to prove we are the best team in our league, the only way to do that is to beat Salford again this Friday. With your support, we’re confident we can make the University of Manchester proud.”

Manchester regional arena, part of the Etihad campus, is the new venue for the match. One of the biggest crowds ever is expected for this year’s varsity, but your Rugby team needs all the support from the university it can get to help them defeat Salford.

Tickets are still available, and includes coach travel to and from the match from the Armitage Centre, as well as free entry to the official varsity after party at 256 Fallowfield! 256 will have drinks offers all night.

Coaches leave the Armitage at 6pm and return at 9.30pm for the after party.

Tickets can be bought here.

University of Manchester vs University of Salford Varsity 2018
Friday, 16th March, 19.30 kick-0ff
Manchester Regional Arena

Photo: lift-off-festivals.com

Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival 2018

Written by Eloïse Wright on . Posted in Film.

Coming back to Manchester for the second time, Lift-Off Film Festival will take place on the 28th and 29th of March, at Texture — an original event space and bar located in the Northern Quarter.

Lift-Off is a community which promotes high-quality independent film from around the globe, and Manchester is the second of their annual eleven-city-wide cycle of festivals. Their goal is to connect and promote independent artists around the world, giving them a platform to exhibit their work and interact with their audience.

Audiences will be treated to an incredibly broad range of films from equally diverse filmmakers, each presenting stories and perspectives unique to their own experiences. From carefully constructed features, perspective-shifting documentaries, and award-winning short films, there really is something for everyone.

The audience plays a large role in the festival, as their responses are collected via feedback cards which are then sent to the filmmakers. These tangible and genuine audience reactions to their films are invaluable in developing the filmmakers’ creative process.

The festival culminates with a Local Filmmakers Showcase and Networking Party on Thursday 29th March, where attendees and filmmakers can rub shoulders and maybe even find the perfect collaborators for their next project!

The Line-Up:

These eclectic stories explore many facets of human identity. Whether heart-warming, thought-provoking, action-packed, or introspective, these films all have one thing in common: the brilliance of the creatives whose hard work is being celebrated.

Here are some of the highlights: We are very excited to once more be screening the now Academy Award-winning short film The Silent Child — directed by Chris Overton. This film started its journey in the Lift-Off First Time Filmmakers Showcase in 2017, and now having won an Oscar, it’s back screening in Manchester.

Inspired by real-life events, “The Silent Child tells the story of a profoundly deaf child born into a hearing family. A caring social worker does everything she can to stop a deaf child from being treated like a stumbling block in a middle-class family’s idealistic life.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend a screening of this Oscar-winning film on Wednesday the 27th of March at 6:00 pm, as part of Shorts Programme 1.

The star of the Lift-Off Season Awards 2017 — 8-time nominated, and winner of Best Director and Best Actor — The Peculiar Abilities of Mr Mahler — directed by Paul Philipp — will screen as part of Shorts Programme 1 on Wednesday the 27th of March at 6:00 pm.

“East Germany, 1987: The special investigator Mahler is said to have paranormal abilities. The police assign him to solve the case of the 6-year-old Henry Kiefer, who is missing for weeks now, before this issue leads to political tensions with the West. But then he brings something to light that makes this family tragedy especially political…”

The festival includes three Shorts Programmes and two Features, culminating with a Local Filmmakers Showcase and Networking Party on March 29th.

Watch the full line-up and watch the trailers here.

For ticket sales please go here.

Photo: Dmitry Golubovich @wikimedia commons

Rashford guides United to victory against Liverpool

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

With the race for the title all but over, all eyes have turned to the fight for the remaining top four positions. There was perhaps no game more important to that race than last weekend’s clash between Manchester United and Liverpool. A win for Liverpool would have propelled them into second, but a win for United would see them move at least four points clear of third.

Mourinho named his strongest side, with Bailly coming back into the side. De Gea started in goal with a back four of Valencia, Smalling, and Young alonside Bailly. McTominay once again started in a midfield trio, alongside Matic and Mata, with the latter replacing the injured Pogba. Sánchez, Rashford, and Lukaku were the attacking trio.

Juan Mata got the game underway and the opening exchanges were very sloppy from both sides. The raucous atmosphere at Old Trafford would unsurprisingly be a daunting place for players from both sides to endure. Keeping Salah quiet when Liverpool had possession was a focus for Mourinho’s side and it became immediately obvious the Egyptian was going to be man-marked for the full 90 minutes.

The first goal came with the first shot after just 14 minutes. It all began with a Liverpool corner, which was utterly wasted as the ball went over everyone in the box. The resulting goal kick was flicked on well by Lukaku to Rashford who got in behind the Liverpool defence. Alexander-Arnold was in a good position to neutralise the attack but a slick Ronaldo chop gave Rashford enough space to finesse a shot into the far right corner, well beyond the reach of Karius.

To celebrate the goal, Rashford ran into the crowd for a moment before returning to his teammates, the referee must have missed that though as he didn’t receive a yellow card.

Following the goal, United could sense blood and overloaded the left-hand side of the pitch. Even Mata who was playing on the right-hand side came over to take advantage of the weakness they saw in Alexander-Arnold. When in possession, Liverpool couldn’t unlock the United defence. Salah and Mané were kept quiet and any hopes of a quick equaliser seemed unlikely.

Those hopes were fully extinguished as United made it 2-0 with another goal from Rashford in the 24th minute. Another long ball into the Liverpool final third was dealt with poorly and, after a bit of penalty box pinball, Rashford found himself with the ball. His shot wasn’t anything special but a back peddling Karius couldn’t stop it from hitting the back of the net. Rashford, on his first Premier League start of 2018, was making the game his own.

Rashford received the first yellow card of the game for needlessly going to ground. If the yellow card for jumping into the crowd was given, as it probably should have been, that would have been the end of his game. Oxlade-Chamberlain gets one a few minutes later for taking out McTominay for dispossessing him.

Juan Mata almost made it three shortly before halftime. The ball was crossed wonderfully by Sánchez to Mata who didn’t realise that there are no defenders anywhere near him. With the ball going just above him he opted for an overhead kick which went just inches wide.

At halftime, defensive blunders from Liverpool were all that separated the two teams. They had made three mistakes and United capitalised on two of those. With United only conceding six goals at home all season, it would need something special from Liverpool in the second half to get something from the game.

Liverpool began the second half much better than the first but when they got into the final third that decisive pass constantly let them down. Overhit passes or choosing the wrong option, despite their majority possession, they couldn’t get anything close to goalscoring opportunity.

United switched to a back six as the pressure grew and grew but still they held firm. Even though they barely touched the ball they seemed more dangerous than Liverpool. Klopp decided to bring Lallana on for Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 60th minute to try and inject some creativity into his side.

In the 66th minute, Bailly made a mess of a clearance and accidentally hits the ball into his own net. It came from a Mané cross which posed no real danger for the defence and allowed Liverpool a way back into the game. Rashford made way not long after for Fellaini as Mourinho moved to try and secure the three points.

The substitution surprisingly led to United dominating possession for the next quarter of an hour. Klopp used his second and third changes to bring on Wijnaldum and Solanke for Alexander-Arnold and Robertson but even that didn’t help Liverpool. United were quick to get men behind the ball quickly and the Liverpool attack couldn’t find a way through.

Lingard got introduced a few minutes before the end of regulation time with Mata the player making way and seconds later Valencia got a yellow for a high foot. With just stoppage time left Liverpool were throwing everyone forward to try and get a last minute equaliser and they were gifted six extra minutes to find one. Surprisingly, and despite almost total control of the ball in that time, they failed to challenge de Gea at all. In the dying moments of the game, Mourinho wasted valuable Liverpool seconds taking off Sánchez to bring on Darmian.

The whistle blew not long to rapturous applause and cheering around Old Trafford. It was a hard-fought victory for Manchester United, but a deserved one. They’ll carry that momentum into their Champions League game against Sevilla, where they’ll hope to join Liverpool and Manchester City in the Quarter Finals.