Funraising are a group of students and young professionals based in and around Manchester who aim to mix creativity with a good cause. Their previous events have included club nights ‘Easy on the Dijon’ and ‘Brazilian Wax’, in aid of The Mustard Tree, LASNET Migrant Support, and PostBox, which raised money for the Bhopal Medical Appeal.
On December 13th at Solomon’s Cafe Bar in Withington, Funraising are hosting an underground art auction called ArtBox, showcasing work from students across the city. This event is the second of its kind and aims to raise money for Manchester Mind. Last year, the same event brought in over £1000 for the charity, a figure that Sophie Billington, the founder of Funraising, tells me earned them the title ‘superstars’ on behalf of the charity.
Check out the video from last year’s event on the event page.
Sophie Billington, the founder of Funraising, explains that mental health was one of the key causes that the project was founded for. She describes ArtBox as one of her most rewarding projects and tells me Funraising is fundamentally a mix of creativity, charity, and fun.
Talented artists across Manchester have been donating their pieces to put them on show for your eyes only on the night. With a specific focus on student artists, there will also be the work from the likes of professionals such as Mancsy on offer. This will be the chance to get your hands on both original and professional artwork, and of course show some support — both for the cause at hand and for all the aspiring artists around you.
Esmee Balcewicz, one of the artists you will be able to meet on the night, combines illustration and animation in her artwork. She explains that the process of drawing makes her “calmer”.
“It makes you mindful of all the things around you, reminds you that there is a world outside of your head.”
Characterised as a ‘not-so-silent’ art auction, ArtBox promises to be just the right level of fun, with a dash of seriousness thrown in by the ultimate cause behind it. You will find Funraising’s DJs in the basement as well as some live music upstairs. With free entry, a charitable atmosphere, and some decent tunes in the background, this underground art auction will provide the perfect opportunity for you to show some good will before the festive period.
Bands FC are something a little bit different. Combining elements of football club badges with musicians’ logos, what started as a fun Twitter-based venture has now been featured in The Guardian, NME, and BBC North West Tonight. Their exhibitions have traversed the globe, with the show currently in Nottingham, but has visited New York City, Halifax, and Salford Lads’ Club, made famous by The Smiths’ iconic photo shoot.
I spoke to Nick Fraser, co-creator of the project to learn more about how Bands FC started, and where he thinks it all fits into what has truly been a renaissance year for football in the UK.
So how did Nick and Mark (the other co-creator) get started? “It was just before the World Cup, and we realised that if any band was going to get a look-in during the World Cup, we might have to make them a bit more footbally.”
It’s an unforeseen success story for Nick, who says that “anyone who says, ‘hey, did you think you’d go do an exhibition in New York’, we didn’t imagine we’d do more than tweet a couple.”
I was keen to see where Nick gets the inspiration for the crests, even after the end of England’s heatwave-and-pint-throwing-fuelled World Cup run. He rightly points out that all of the crests have a football root — “if you take, for example, the font that’s used. Bands tend to go for crazy fonts, think of Iron Maiden for example, whereas football teams go for fonts that you might think of as ‘boring’.
“But [football clubs] all have a badge — they’ve all got a handle on graphic design better than bands.”
Trying to marry the two — the identity of the band’s crazy font and the identity of the club — is the “trick” in Nick’s eyes.
“Some of them aren’t so tricky. Death Cab For Cutie — the initials of Death Cab For Cutie are DCFC, that’s Derby County Football Club!
“Others, for Liam Gallagher’s we’ve used the tambourine for the Manchester City badge. It still says quite a lot about Liam.”
There are some with extra layers of a link that often one might miss on their first glance: “Take the Franz Ferdinand one. It’s a great looking piece of design, but if you ever were to ask someone what the team was, if you know a bit about music, [you’d know] they’re Scottish, so [you’d say] ‘are they a Scottish team?’
“But from that one it’s a completely different angle, it’s FK Sarajevo, which is where the real [Archduke] Franz Ferdinand was shot dead. There’s a few different ones like that — Ultravox is Rapid Vienna.”
Bands FC. Photo: The Mancunion.
Twitter has been a huge help for the duo. As mentioned before, Nick didn’t think Bands FC would go beyond a few images posted online, but now the account has a 45,000-strong following. It’s a unique insight behind the project, with sketches, news, and exclusive merchandise all being released through their account.
There’s a real feel online that Bands FC is exactly that — a club for music and football fans alike to come together to celebrate their mutual loves through design. Most love it, but some unfortunately miss the point.
“People have said ‘The Cure? Nottingham Forest? The Cure are from Crawley!’ and it’s like wow! We used Nottingham Forest for The Cure because they did a song called ‘A Forest’, and that’s what a picture on the badge.
“I’ve said to people on Twitter a few times that if we did based on where the Bands were from, we’d have done three, got bored, and gone out. And never come back!”
“It has to engage us”, Nick adds. He’s right, too. There’s a soul in Bands FC which is arguably missing from the vast majority of football today, and that soul comes from the passion, creativity, and joie de vivre of the team behind it.
That joy of life is important to Nick. Bands FC is serious about raising funds for charity, but he also recognises that it’s a bit of fun, too.
“The frequently asked question is ‘what if the team I love is not a band I love?’ The answer is simply ‘remember that you’re actually a grown-up’.
“Don’t switch on the news, there’s real stuff on there!”
Bands FC are part of two larger movements, in some ways. The first is that they’ve has raised thousands for charities. Their Pulp-Sheffield Wednesday shirt was created on the permission of Pulp to raise money for Sheffield’s Children Hospital, and Jarvis Cocker was one of the customers.
Nick and the rest of the team often make merchandise only with the blessing of the band in question, and for charity. “A lot of Manic Street Preachers fans asked us to make the enamel badges, and we said ‘we do so with the say-so of the band, and then find a charity’.
“Then Sean Moore, the drummer, jumped in and said ‘Wow, looks amazing so let’s do it’ so we’re doing a thing with Manics.”
Their second larger movement is football based. After years of commercialism, football is being hit by the DIY wave that started in punk-rock some years ago. Fanzines are now the rise, as is football-influenced fashion.
“Yeah I think so [too], social media’s helped that. One thing people say is ‘why has no-one done this before?’ Try doing this in 1987! Where would you do it? Put posters up?
“Another thing not to be underestimated is that football used to be a boys’ game, a lads’ game. It’s now quite across the board.”
Bands FC is across more than one board, too. It’s not just about boys and girls, or football and music. It’s a representation of the good of social media, bringing people together over something they genuinely love. The exhibitions and charity fundraisers are more than that, too. What started as a way for bands to get a look in during the 2018 World Cup is now a home for the musical, a home for the charitable, a home for the football fan, a home for the DIY-enthusiast.
It’s a club.
If you’d like to view Bands FC, you can check them out on their website, or Twitter. All the crests are free to view online, and they’ll next be in the North West from 7th-13 January at the British Music Experience in Liverpool. Go along, and you’ll join the club.
The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) has appointed a lecturer in musicians’ health and well-being following concerns that students are at risk of mental health struggles. The appointment is the first of its kind among UK conservatoires.
There are concerns that students at the Oxford Road-based conservatoire face the additional pressures of long hours of music practice, assessed recitals, and live performances.
The appointment of the lecturer has been done with the aim of educating students on how they can equip themselves to deal with the demands of a career in music.
The well-being lecturer, beginning her new post in January, will be trained pianist and clinical psychologist Sara Ascenso. She will oversee the provision of health and well-being resources specific to the needs of musicians across the conservatoire, ensuring that it is holistic, research-based, and embedded in the curriculum.
Ascenso has said on her role: “Adding to lecturing and research, the vision for the role also includes carefully monitoring the specific well-being needs of RNCM students and staff and looking at how the most recent findings in this area can shape our planning towards optimal delivery across a wide range of initiatives.
“We want our students to learn how to make music with excellence but also how to live fulfilling lives as musicians and as human beings more generally. This means that what they are learning is not only about doing but also about being. We want to maximise our efforts to make sure they experience what being well as a musician means during their time at the RNCM.”
Kathy Hart, the President of the RNCM Students’ Union, says: “When I talk to friends, I see that the work needed to build such a difficult career can come at a price, both physically and psychologically.
“Like athletes, we must keep in peak condition to make the most of the opportunities we have fought so hard for. The more work we put in, the higher the stakes become — and the more devastating the impact if we are held back by injury or mental health struggles.”
The appointment coincides with RNCM announcing that its 2018/19 Annual Appeal — in which the conservatoire supports and raises funds for a particular cause annually — is dedicated to helping music students’ health and well-being, citing that the pursuit of a career as a musician exists in a “fast-paced, challenging environment.”
The Appeal launched on the 26th of November. It will involve providing struggling students with reliable counselling services at times when performance pressures are at their peak, training all staff in mental health awareness, expanding the team of mental health first aiders to help spot students in need, and promoting well-being activities.
On 28th November, the University of Manchester’s Feminist Collective staged an exhibition in the Students’ Union. The show, curated by students Cicely Spence and Georgia Charlton-Briggs, displayed a diverse collection of vibrant works, all looking to the theme of body hair.
‘Bloom’, which was described as an “exhibition discussing the notions and perceptions of body hair in a contemporary society” displayed portrayals of both male and female subjects, in a broad array of media; from photography to watercolour, to print.
What was clear from looking at the exhibition, was that growth and nature was a key theme incorporated into the works. This left the message that body hair is something intrinsically natural, and therefore beautiful.
In Millie Welbourne’s delicate prints – a collection named ‘Gardens’ – she displayed several small-scale prints in linear form, all emphasising body hair’s affinity with the natural world. Similarly, Pauline Lecomte’s collection, ‘The Gardener’, depicted body hair as plant growth, with strikingly beautiful effect.
I spoke with Saffiya El Diwany from the Feminist Collective, who described the exhibition as a statement to “normalise body hair, to show the beauty in it and how different people view it.” ‘Bloom’ certainly provided a window into a world in which body hair is nothing but natural, an experience in stark contrast to the conventional depictions of women, especially, as hairless.
‘Bloom’ is a timely exhibition, which seeks to open up discussions surrounding a taboo subject — body hair. With the modern synonymy of ‘beautiful’ and ‘hairless’ being portrayed in the media and popular culture, why not reconsider and reclaim body hair; something utterly normal which has become a source of personal shame for many.
The month of December can only mean one thing. Christmas, right? The countdown to the 25th creates havoc in a society obsessed with Christmas. However, looking beyond these festivities, Hanukkah takes place. Hanukkah or ‘Chanukah’ is an eight-day Jewish festival of lights. This year it is celebrated from the 2nd to the 10th December. It is typically celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, prayers, and fried foods. ‘Chanukah’ translates as ‘dedication’ in English, by means of its historical roots.
The story of Hanukkah originates from the Second Century B.C when Israel was ruled by Syrian Greeks. They tried to force the Jewish people to follow Greek culture and beliefs with a rejection of commandment observance and belief in God. A small group of faithful Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, defeated the Greeks and reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. When they tried to light the Temple’s Menorah (a seven-branched candelabrum) they found only a small amount of olive oil that had not been contaminated by the Greeks. They lit the Menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days. To commemorate these miracles, the festival of Hanukkah was born.
At the heart of Hanukkah is the nightly menorah lighting. It holds nine flames, one flame which is used to light the other eight candles. Each night an additional flame is lit and by the eighth night, all flames are burning. It is customary to recite special blessings before lighting and sing traditional songs afterwards. Every Jewish household has a Menorah and in recent years many cities have seen the erection of ‘jumbo menorahs’.
Since the Hanukkah miracle involved oil, it is tradition to eat foods fried in oil. Favourite delicacies include ‘sufganiyah’, the jelly-filled doughnut and ‘latkahs’, Jewish hash browns.
I asked members of JSoc (Manchester Universities Jewish Society) what Hanukkah meant to them. It seems that, culturally and collectively, the festival represents a time for family to come together to partake in the nightly activity of lighting the Menorah, singing songs, receiving gifts, and eating doughnuts. One JSoc member’s response emphasised how Hanukkah is coupled with nostalgia. She explained how Hanukkah concocts memories of winter childhoods spent with family: “Hanukkah is just how I imagine Christmas is to everyone else.”
If you are interested in joining in the festivities, Brunswick Park hosts Hanukkah festivities every night as another flame is kindled on the large menorah. Offering drinks and doughnuts, it’s a joyous spectacle to watch as people giddily dance to the traditional Jewish music playing from the speakers.
Hanukkah is a well-known festival but it’s not the only one. Other Jewish festivals throughout the year include Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year which takes place in autumn. Indulging in a large meal with family, it also involves a lot of praying. Ten days later is Yom Kippur, regarded as the holiest day of the year which requires a period of fasting. Purim takes place in early spring; everyone dresses in costumes to enjoy a meal and give to charity. Furthermore, Simchat Torah commemorates having finished reading the Torah and it usually falls in October.
Jewish festivals reflect the importance of upholding cultural beliefs and keeping traditions alive. At a simpler glance, Hanukkah epitomises a passion for spending time with friends and family, the very essence of a Jewish festival.
Nightclubs have come under recent scrutiny for failing to keep customers safe. A video showing bouncers at Factory 251 hospitalising Joe Sharratt and his friend has shone a light on the dangers clubbing poses, but a subject that is far more widely prevalent is that of sexual harassment in nightclubs.
I conducted a survey asking students about their experiences on a night out, and the responses were upsetting. 194 people said that they had been groped in a club, and 116 admitted that they often feel vulnerable. These figures become even more striking when only 12 participants said that they feel safe in nightclubs.
However, the most shocking realisation was how few people had attempted to report any incidents; six students said they had. But is this surprising? The security companies that nightclubs hire appear to be contributing to the culture of violence and harassment, rather than working to stop it.
One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, told me how reporting harassment had put her in a vulnerable situation. After pointing out two men in Fifth Nightclub who were acting inappropriately, the security guard forced her to approach the men to point them out. “It made the situation worse. I was no longer a victim of sexual harassment, but a girl trying to ruin these men’s night.” One of the men later approached the girl to confront her on reporting him and his friend. “He shouted at me in the middle of the club. It was really intimidating. I hid in the toilets after that.”
This student’s account is frustratingly common and highlights the problematic culture of victim blaming. No effective system exists in nightclubs for people to report harassment without risking further harm. Many clubbers fear that their accusations will not be taken seriously if they attempted to report incidents. This is even more prevalent with male victims of sexual assault.
Two men contacted me to talk about their experiences of sexual harassment in clubs. Luke Marc said “I was a doorman for six years, working an average of four nights a week. I was groped a minimum of once a shift.” People employed by nightclubs are as vulnerable to assault as customers. Student, Josh Peters explained two separate occasions of assault. “A much older bloke started chatting to me and a friend. He then proceeded to offer us a round of drinks. After buying them he simultaneously grabbed both our penises.” Josh also told me about how a group of girls “screamed at [him] for not hooking up with their friend.”
Sexual harassment is an issue that is often only spoken about in relation to female experiences. Proportionally, more women are victims with 1/3 of women aged 14-21 experiencing sexual assault compared to 1 in 6 men. However, the statistics for male assault are still unacceptably high. Authorities need to address male cases with the same level of seriousness and attention as female cases.
The harassment that occurs in clubs is a concentrated version of wider social problems. A culture of acceptance towards sexual assault in nightclubs works to inhibit the prosecution of perpetrators. Men and women feel that there is no effective system in place to protect them. Until nightclubs make it easier to report harassment, people will suffer in silence.
The pressures of adolescence: GCSEs, pleasing parents, sex, alcohol, and of course, friendships. Grace Johnstone’s adaptation of Joel Horwood’s ‘I Caught Crabs in Walberswick’ captures these emotional experiences and their effects well.
The play follows twenty-four outrageous hours in the lives of teenagers: Fitz (Tom Thacker) and Wheeler (Thomas Muckian). Yet their friendship becomes strained when they meet wild and free-spirited Dani (Ruby Hines) the night before their final GCSE exam. The three are united by their complicated relationships with their parents and their uncertainty about the future.
Sometimes I felt there lacked harmony between the actors, but as individuals the performances were superb. All of the actors gave passionate performances that effectively created emotive and moving characters. The stand-out performer for me was Thacker, who strongly embodied the complicated spirit of young male adolescence. Whilst Thacker’s portrayal of Fitz was very relatable it lacked Muckian’s humour. Together the boys offered a realistic relationship which both amused and moved the audience. I was most affected by their friendship when it had broken apart at the end of the play; when it became clear the boys had fallen out. However, Muckian provided a sense of closure in a touching moment when he etched ‘Wheeler and Fitz’ into his exam desk, immortalising their friendship.
The small stage at NIAMOS Radical Arts & Centre allowed for edgy and creative staging that really added to the performance. In fact I thought this made the feeling of being overwhelmed even stronger. The thrust staging and fast-paced interchange between multiple plots (managed well through the witty narrations of Kate Gabriel and Stanley Myer O’Mulloy) were at times hard to follow, but not unmanageable. This set up mirrored the increasing stress of the characters and helped the audience understand what Fitz, Wheeler, and Dani were going through and also their parents, whose strained relationships are also addressed.
The word that comes to mind overall is charming. From the pun in the title, the meaningful relationships explored, and a programme printed on a doodled GCSE exam paper. I can happily say that Johnstone’s adaptation was above amateur and a pleasing attempt at tackling challenging themes like adolescence. On the whole, an impressive first solo directorial debut from Johnstone and I am excited to see her and this cast further their talent in productions to come.
The James Pearson Trio joined musical forces with The Hallé Orchestra once more for Take Two of the Giants of Jazz show at the Bridgewater Hall. The ensemble returned to the beautiful theatre following sell-out success, the Trio making the journey up from the famous London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s, where they are the house band. The show featured arrangements of jazz standards adapted for the trio, the orchestra, and the two together.
Wearing clothes I actually bothered to clean beforehand and being the only audience member with any colour left in my hair was a markedly different experience to that of my usual student gigs. With the band entering onto stage with sartorial decisions smarter than Einstein, however, this modification to my usual Saturday nights suddenly did not feel so out of place.
If there ever were a live performance called “Now That’s What I Call Jazz”, this would be it. This was a greatest hits of the greatest genre: Erroll Garner’s Misty lead us in, followed by classics from Fats Waller, Thelonious Monk, and Duke Ellington. The Hallé Orchestra were, as expected, superbly harmonious to the note, and the Trio provided improvisation and individual virtuoso galore.
One unexpected highlight was the discussions of performers between songs. Conductor Roderick Dunk and Trio leader James Pearson in particular succinctly described various playing styles of jazz through the ages, and the characters behind them, providing key insight of the progression of the genre from nightclubs to the orchestra. It was fantastic to hear their stylistic descriptions and examples immediately come to life in the musical performances soon after, growing to be an integral part of the show.
Perhaps to the more weathered of listeners, this could all seem a bit Jazz 101, but the information was not without entertainment. James Pearson joked about his study of ‘Gruntology’, explaining and, hilariously, demonstrating Eric Garner’s tendency to grunt whilst playing, at one point even acting out, as he put it, “having a physical relationship with the instrument.”
After the intermission came the high points of the show: first, a serene rendition of Bill Evans’ ‘Time Remembered’, followed by an outstanding saxophone performance for Dave Brubeck’s wonderful ‘Take Five’. The trio then even performed their own original compositions, featuring wonderful instrumental performances from each member: drum fills, double bass slides, electric guitar riffs, and excellently complicated piano breezes.
With a tremendous and well-balanced range of classics performed by an orchestra of the highest standards, alongside one of the most famous jazz club house bands in the country, a show like Giants of Jazz is one that is not to be missed for those with even a passing interest in jazz music. To go buy a ticket for a show like this might not be the most student-like decision you will ever make, sure; but if you feel tired of living life as nothing more than a picture-perfect Fallowfield stereotype, then this might be the show for you.
Nestled away on one of Oxford Road’s side streets lies an incredibly important piece of Manchester’s social history, the Pankhurst Centre, which was originally the home of Emmeline Pankhurst and her family. The building, situated on Nelson Street, is now host to a museum as well as its current exhibition, which celebrates the centenary of women being awarded the right to vote.
I had the opportunity to speak with Dr Tessa Chynoweth, who is the Curator and Programme manager at The Pankhurst Trust about the exhibition, about why the Pankhursts are still so important today.
Spread across two rooms, the left-hand side of the centre houses a museum, informing visitors about the lives and achievements of the Pankhurst family; from the highs of the efforts of the Pankhursts resulting in universal suffrage to the lows of imprisonment and condemnation from others in society.
The exhibition, which is being held in the room opposite, focuses instead on modern interpretations of the representation of women in society and women’s rights. 1918 being the anniversary of women’s suffrage, it was important for the centre to make a contribution. “The centenary of women gaining the right to vote has been a major event throughout the city. There’ve been marches, exhibitions, conferences, workshops, bike rides, and all sorts of activity this year,” Tessa tells me. “We wanted the exhibition to capture some of this energy and demonstrate the variety of responses to the centenary; to show that there is not one response to this history, and that Mancunians have understood it in very different ways.”
In order to curate the exhibition, the centre asked the public to make their own submissions to the archive, which were then selected by volunteer Ambassadors for the project. “It was tricky to choose from all the fantastic material which was submitted,” Tessa explains, “but we feel that what is on display speaks most closely to the archive themes, of Manchester-based activity inspired by the centenary.”
Responses and featured pieces reach far beyond the city limits of Manchester, with one installation observing Ireland’s stance on reproductive rights, a very recent topic, with the ‘repeal the eighth’ campaign having come to a crescendo in May this year.
Other items displayed play on well-known ideas and issues related to women’s rights movements, such as the use of embroidery on campaign banners. Blackpudlian Gail Riding’s The Subversive Stitch (2018) depicts 12 female Morris dancers striding across the canvas, each adorned with a different face belonging to an influential female figure from the past 100 years, such as Emmeline Pankhurst as well as more recent figures like Theresa May.
The ‘Northern Power Dress’ created by Rachel and Laura Beattie also pays respect to what are seen as traditional female crafts, which, in this instance is dressmaking. The piece displays the artists shared passion for art and mathematics, showing the growth of acceptance of women in a field which is to this day still dominated by men.
The Pankhurst Centre serves as a physical monument to where the Suffragette movement all began, and it carries on the values of the movement. “We feel that, as the custodians of the building, we have a duty to make clear the demand for equality between the sexes that took shape in the parlour of this house,” Tessa explains.
However, the centre is also part of something larger which has expanded out of its roots in the Suffragette movement, as Tessa tells me: “Today, the Pankhurst Trust incorporates the Pankhurst Centre…[and] Manchester’ Women’s Aid, which is Manchester’s largest specialist provider of domestic abuse services. The two-fold mission for both strands of the organisation is to promote the equality of women and to promote the benefit of women suffering, or at risk of, domestic abuse and their dependents.”
It might be surprising for some to know that the Pankhurst Centre is so close to the university campus, and often the link between the Pankhursts and Manchester is overlooked, which the centre wants to change. “The whole family had such strong ties to the city, which is a story that we try to bring out at the Centre. Emmeline was actually born in Moss Side and her political beliefs and the campaign methods were forged in Manchester… Christabel, her eldest daughter, graduated with a law degree from the University of Manchester.”
The centre relies entirely on volunteers and donations, however, they have big plans for the future: “We are in the process of applying for money to transform the Centre, making it a museum befitting the legacy of the Pankhurst family, and an important place of feminist history in Manchester,” Tessa reveals. Considering the significance of Women’s Suffrage in our history, it’s important that a place like the Pankhurst Centre continues to provide a home for its story here in Manchester.
The Pankhurst centre is open every Thursday and the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. The Centenary exhibition is on until the 10th of March.
The London Korean Film Festival came to HOME Manchester, showing two films approaching life in Seoul from different angles. The first, Microhabitat (소공녀), feature debut of director Jeon Go-Woon (전고운), depicts a young woman pushed out of society by a rapidly overheating housing market.
Problem question: Rent goes up. Cigarette prices go up. Which do you drop? To Miso (Esom, 이솜), the answer is clear, and she moves out immediately. This is a ridiculous satire played straight, kept together by a snappy script and nonchalant performance by Esom, strong-willed yet non-confrontational.
“Let’s get the band back together! Great idea, we can stay up all night drinking whisky, like the old days!” Only, people have changed: staying with them one by one, Miso sees the effects of the pressures people face to have their own space in the city. The obsessive professional, the overwhelmed housewife, the mourning divorcee: Miso is the only one unchanged, a stable point of comparison.
While making no bones about the pressures of poverty, Microhabitat is never arduous, remaining gently satirical throughout. There is genuine emotion, particularly with her boyfriend, but the overall tone is subdued; in fact, the only time this is broken lends extra hilarity to Miso’s fever-dream panic over an unexpected marriage proposal from old friend Kim Rok-Yi (Choi Deok-Moon, 최덕문).
Whisky and cigarettes are Miso’s adulthood, and this is the tale of the relentless sacrifice she must make to have them. Accept the absurd premise and there is a real message: city living can be terrifying.
Little Forest (리틀포레스트), the second film, is director Yim Soon-Rye’s (임순례) adaptation of the tranquil Japanese original Little Forest (リトル・フォレスト) films and manga by Daisuke Igarashi (五十嵐大介). This film approaches Seoul as a hectic, stifling city, in which a young girl’s life crumbles.
Hye-Won (Kim Tae-Ri, 김태리) is hungry. Very hungry. So hungry that she leaves her new bustling city of work and study and returns home to the countryside in search of childhood food. However, returning forces her to confront her mother’s (Moon So-Ri, 문소리) abrupt disappearance; as she cooks her old recipes, memories come flooding back.
Back home, Hye-Won reunites with old friends: Eun-Sook (Jin Ki-Joo, 진기주) never reached her city dream, whereas Jae-Ha (Ryoo Joon-Yeol, 류준열) decided to return and continue his family farm. Friendships grow over beautiful meals Hye Won prepares, a genuine joy to experience.
The romantic angle, though initiated, is never developed, and we only catch glimpses of the mother-daughter conflict through Hye-Won’s memories. Some might be left wanting more, but perhaps this serves only to enhance the film’s calmness, avoiding melodrama in a rather un-Korean fashion.
Kim Tae-Ri shines in the leading role, effortlessly encapsulating the minimalist, measured tone of the film. Even the central theme of food preparation is approached with restraint, gorgeously yet unfussily shot, depicting enjoyment alongside ruminations of a lost maternal bond. This is only matched by stunning images of idyllic Korean countryside moving slowly through the seasons.
Until this year I’d not sought out short films. Most of the films I watch are feature-length, brought to my attention by adverts plastered on buses or shown on TV. Unfortunately short films don’t have this mainstream advertising.
For a screening to be viable, a collection of short films would need to be created – something that cinemas seem reluctant to do regularly, if at all. However, Manchester hosts its own short film festival, Kino Film Festival, which collects together hundreds of short films and programmes them over nine days.
The festival’s hub was in the N.I.A.M.O.S., decked out with velvety red chairs and ornate décor from the 1900s, and was certainly a suitable location, despite its lack of heating. Wrapped up in all my layers, with a plastic cup of red wine in one hand and some unidentified baked good in the other, I settled to watch the opening gala of this year’s festival.
The array of different techniques used amazed me, and Mascarpone was one that stood out for me because of this. It followed the story of Francis, a young man who crashes into the limousine of Mascarpone, a gangster boss. The set for this film was all made from cardboard: a cardboard bed, cars, guns, balconies, all making the film feel whimsical. The set, along with the visual effects, created this surreal world and enhanced the storytelling. Effects included rear projection (when a projection is moving behind the actor whilst being filmed), stop-motion and cut-out projection.
Short films also enable stories to be told that don’t need an entire feature-length film of 90 minutes. Another film at the festival, Bridge, shows an encounter between two strangers on a bridge in Scotland. The characters are not given names – the credits were simply “Man: Steven Duffy and Woman: Katy Murphy”. The film was simple and followed a single conversation between two people which might have had long-term beneficial effects on the characters – but, of course, there was no ‘one year later’ clip. The dialogue needs to be carefully considered and concise when restricted to such short length, in this case a mere 10-minutes, which made for an impactful and powerful script. Characters don’t need complex back stories, and a simpler relationship can be created with the audience – which I found refreshing.
Sliding Away was a film I found particularly hard-hitting and one that almost brought me to tears. It follows a son caring for his dying father, whilst trying to keep on top of his family life with a young daughter. Sliding Away acknowledges the emotional drain of balancing these two very different roles. It expresses the power of physical affection between loved ones, their unspoken communication whilst comforting one another simply by holding hands. The actors in this conveyed so much with their physicality, gripping the audience in an emotional turmoil. The end of this short was not laborious, but instead optimistic whilst realistic. The final scene shows the pure joy of a father and daughter playing together in a park without any complications.
It’s clear to see that short films express different stories and are incomparable to feature-length films, or what are often considered as normal films. Each have their merits, but the variation in a collection of shorts is enticing to watch and the stories shared are valuable.
New research has revealed that 48% of post-graduates have struggled to access finance, including mortgages, due to the debt that they are still carrying from their time at university.
The research was conducted by www.sellmymobile.com, involving 2,600 UK residents who have graduated from university.
It was reported that 57% of the 25 to 35-year-olds surveyed were found to still be in debt beyond their government student loans, with deficits like overdrafts and credit cards from their time attending university.
Graduates from the University of Manchester were found to have the most debt outside of their student loan. 13% of Manchester graduates said they were still in debt along with 11% from University College London (UCL), and 9% from the University of Southampton. It is unclear how many students were surveyed from each university and if the size of their respective student bodies were taken into account.
The study also states that 65% of 25 to 35-year-olds are supposedly in ‘denial’ about their spending. Some participants were found to be ‘clinging on’ to their student overdraft, despite losing the benefits and having to pay interest. Many student bank accounts come with the added feature of a 0% overdraft.
The research found that FOMO, the ‘fear of missing out’, accounted for the top reasons university students take out credit cards, loans and overdrafts. 41% said they ‘needed to have the nicest/newest things’ and 36% said they ‘didn’t want to be the only one not having fun because of a lack of money’.
Jack Webster, a mobile expert from www.sellmymobile.com, said: “It is interesting to see how far-reaching university debt can be and this study should make current students think twice before reaching for their credit card to fund their next round of beers as they may end up paying a much heavier price later on.”
When asked by The Mancunion, many students agreed that they probably spend more ‘irresponsibly’ than the average person. Although some students argued that how much students spend might depend on where they study.
One student argued that there is an abundance of takeaways, bars and events in big student cities like Manchester, these can potentially become a drain on student funds and make them reach for loans or an overdraft facility. Big cities like London and Manchester also tend to charge higher prices.
Juan Pablo, a second-year economics and politics student at the University of Manchester said: “In my case, I can’t go into my overdraft and my parents won’t bail me out either, so I work part-time whilst at uni. The difference in social classes is important because if the student comes from a low-income household then I don’t think the student is being irresponsible when going into their overdraft.”
An Executive Officer from the University of Manchester Students’ Union (SU) is on course to achieve a key manifesto pledge of lowering the international tuition fee for students on industrial placements.
Riddi Viswanathan, the SU’s Executive Officer for International Students, announced in a Facebook post that the University of Manchester’s Teaching and Learning team will take on her recommendations of charging international students the same amount in percentage terms as home students for year-long industrial placements.
The University of Manchester (UoM) currently charges 50% of the international tuition fee for an international student on a placement year. However, home students are often charged around 15% to 19% of their tuition fee.
International students studying at UoM are currently charged £18,500 for ‘non-laboratory’ undergraduate degrees and £23,000 for STEM degrees, with charges varying depending on the course.
Stuti Sethi, a part-time International Students’ Officer who travelled to Manchester from India for her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees said: “International Students on placement years have to pay 50% of the tuition fees which is extremely high when compared to other Russell group Universities. This step taken by Riddi brings relief to such International students. This is another feather in her cap, I’m so proud.”
Viswanathan also announced that the Teaching & Learning Team are considering flexible resits for international students. Exam resits at UoM currently have to be done in August on certain dates, which can be difficult for students who live in a foreign country and have to fly back to Manchester.
As an ex-international student from India, Viswanathan studied Business and Economics at UoM. During her tenure as an Executive Officer, she has committed herself to ‘enhancing employment prospects for international students’ and ‘enriching’ their educational experience.
Viswanathan sits as part of a ‘differential attainment’ working group where she learnt that that placement years helped international students perform better. This then encouraged her to campaign to reduce the fee, a key barrier for students who want to take on a placement year.
Viswanathan told The Mancunion that she was “extremely proud” and “elated” that the Teaching and Learning team were taking her proposals forward.
She added: “International tuition fee should be a national agenda. International student voices are often ignored by the mainstream media and policymakers. International students issues should be international student-led.”
Stuti Sethi, a part-time International Students’ Officer who travelled to Manchester from India for her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees said: “International Students on placement years have to pay 50% of the tuition fees which is extremely high when compared to other Russel group Universities. This step taken by Riddi brings relief to such International students. This is another feather in her cap, I’m so proud.”
Mayor Andy Burnham has recently led fresh calls for devolution to the North of England, after the State of the North report for 2018 reinforced the trend of a disturbing regional divide.
Produced by the Institute for Public Policy Research, the annual report assesses the challenges facing the region’s economy, and provides suggestions for how such issues can be resolved, through government policy.
Published on 5th December, the 2018 edition found that public spending in the North had fallen by £6.3 billion since 2009/10, whilst the South East and South West have seen a total rise of £3.2 billion in the same period.
There were a number of further revelations of the extent of the North-South bipolarity, with the report claiming that 2 million working-age adults and 1 million children live in poverty in the North, an area where the average household income is twice as low as the South East and West.
Shockingly, the IPPR’s findings also revealed that the lowest life expectancy nationally is found in Northern areas, with the figure standing at just 46 years in one Salford neighbourhood.
This year’s study was complied in the wider context of the Northern Powerhouse, an elusive concept, that while never fully-defined, stresses the need for the region to realise its full ability, and be provided with the tools to do so.
IPPR have called for the North to be handed increasingly-extensive powers to determine its own destiny, in a ‘Whole North Approach’ that will eliminate the exclusively-urban focus that the project has entailed so far.
Other recommendations included eliminating the investment gap between North and South and upgrading social infrastructure alongside the overhaul of transport services.
Report author Luke Raikes argued that amid ongoing Brexit negotiations, the Northern Powerhouse had been neglected. Raikes said: “The Government is so consumed by Westminster’s Brexit chaos that it has deprioritised the Northern Powerhouse agenda at the very time it is needed most. This cannot continue.
“All our regional economies face severe challenges– including London’s. Brexit threatens to make this much worse and the Northern Powerhouse agenda is the best chance we have of fixing this national economic crisis. In the national interest, the North needs to thrive.”
With a population of 15 million, and an economy larger than Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales combined, it remains controversial that the North is subject to centralised decisions about future projects, and the level of jurisdiction it has over the use of funding.
Last month The Mancunion reported that Mayor Andy Burnham felt unprepared to tackle an ongoing transport crisis without the government equating Transport for Greater Manchester’s powers with those of Transport for London.
The Labour politician has once again waded into the devolution debate, after the revelations of the IPPR’s report, accusing the government of failing its commitment to the North in the five years since George Osborne first coined the phrase ‘Northern Powerhouse’.
Raikes added: “This Government promised us a Northern Powerhouse and Northern leaders stand ready to work with them to close the North-South divide which pervades right across public spending, poverty rates and life expectancy.
“But, almost five years after the Government promised us a Northern Powerhouse, we learn that public spending in the North has fallen while rising in the South. This has got to stop and it is time that the North came to the front of the queue for public investment.
“With the powers we have, Greater Manchester is working together across services and agencies to better prevent and address the causes of complex issues such as homelessness, addiction, offending, and ill mental health. We are determined to face tough challenges head on and, with devolution, succeed in changing the lives of our people for the better.”
Greater Manchester is the only city in the UK to be given control over its health and social care spending, and is currently in the process of designing a new system for the delivery of public service, that will integrate services at the community and neighbourhood level.
Burnham is also the area’s first directly-elected mayor since the position was created in 2014.
Despite this, there remains a consensus that the city needs more authority to adequately address a range of issues, from homelessness, to an asylum policy.
‘Submission’ is a stage adaptation of the best-selling Michael Houllebecq novel of the same name. Houllebecq is France’s best-selling author, and has a reputation as a controversial writer who has produced some of the most urgent and disturbing novels of our time. ‘Submission’ can be described as both a political thriller and a dystopian novel, but above all, it is a satire.
‘Submission’ is a monologue play and there was no set, simply a projector screen behind the actors, stands for scripts, and microphones. This production was a scratch performance so the actors read directly from their scripts. We were told, prior to the performance, that the actors had only gathered to begin rehearsals several days earlier. This announcement of course had me questioning how good the production would be, and I was remarkably surprised.
All three actors stepped in and out of their different characters with such dramatic excellence that it was hard to believe how little rehearsal time they had been given. My guess is that the actors had been rehearsing separately prior to coming together, but their chemistry was superb, certainly suggesting a longer rehearsal period. Any small mistakes were corrected immediately and I soon stopped paying attention to the fact that they were reading from scripts. Instead I was engrossed in the themes and topics of the daring play, and the great performances of the actors.
The play imagines a France of the near-future under Islamic rule. France is controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic party whose main concerns are supporting Palestine and Islamising education. The party was supported by the socialists in order to prevent Marine Le Pen’s National Front from taking power.
As a Muslim, my first reaction to hearing about this play was shock that HOME, a progressive theatre, would put on a play that one would imagine to be very critical of Islam. But the play’s target is not Muslims. Rather, the play, in the tradition of French satire, is ‘a mischievous and comic reflection on the lack of faith and meaning in Western Society.’ Beliefs, including Islam, were hilariously distorted to create a wonderful satire.
An example of this is the Muslim Brotherhood’s firing of all female teachers, and Islamic conversion of all male teachers. These ideas have no roots in Islam, but the play cleverly displays how religion can be distorted for political purposes, and also plays on people’s fears of Islam.
Neil Bell’s performance as main character, François, was brilliant. His portrayal of a middle-aged literature professor who feels he is at the end of his sentimental and sexual life, was both frustrating and sympathetic. A highlight was when he moaned sexually whilst the future President gave a political speech. There was a hilarious juxtaposition between something so serious (France’s future as an Islamic country or a far-right nationalist one) and the main character’s desire to just live his life and have sex.
François’ girlfriend, Myriam, a Jewish student who relocated to Israel out of fear of the Islamising of France, was played perfectly by Carla Henry. This was perhaps one of the few realistic parts of the satirical play. I must also highlight Henry’s delicious deviousness when she switched characters and played Marie, François’ opinionated colleague.
It was interesting watching a scratch performance in HOME’s black box studio space. It was wonderful to watch this topical play come together. I hope to see a full production of ‘Submission’ one day; the scratch performance certainly had me gripped.
The University of Plymouth Students’ Union (UPSU) will leave the National Union of Students (NUS) after a referendum to decide its future.
519 out of 1,006 members of UPSU voted to leave the NUS, after students voiced concerns over the value for money of their membership.
Those who supported the bid to leave said that UPSU had sent more than £57,000 to the NUS this year, yet “Most students do not know what the NUS is, or what it stands for.”
They argued that although University of Plymouth students will miss out on some benefits, such as student discounts, they would ultimately save money on services such as affiliation fees and training costs.
UPSU president Alex Doyle told the BBC that there were “significant concerns” regarding the NUS’ value for money for students, as well as a “lack of political standing and lack of support.”
However, those who wished to remain within the NUS said that the union gave students “the power to challenge government, business, and other institutions.”
The news comes after a leaked NUS letter showed the union was facing a £3 million deficit in its finances.
In response, the University of Manchester Students’ Union told The Mancunion: “The fact NUS is facing financial difficulties is a concern for the whole student movement. Students have never needed an effective NUS more than they do now.”
However, UoM students have mixed feelings regarding their Students’ Union’s affiliation with the NUS. Recent Music and Drama graduate Liam Murphy addressed those who wanted to leave the NUS, saying: “Would it not be better to attempt to radicalise and allow more rank and file organisation of the NUS from within rather than scrapping it altogether and risking having no trade union representation whatsoever?
“I’m not saying I necessarily fall on either side of the debate but I think more information is needed to make a proper decision. For example if the idea is to leave it with no alternative or plan for what to do after…then I’d be firmly against.”
A second-year drama student who chose to stay anonymous said: “The NUS, Students Union… all of that, seems completely and utterly pointless on most fronts, another pointless level of bureaucracy that a lot of students don’t know or care about, because we don’t know what it does, nor do we know how we’ve been benefited by it, and we don’t really know whether it would have any effect on how we do the thing we are here at university to do – getting a degree.”
The NUS have told UPSU “We intend to listen and we intend to change”, and that UPSU’s decision to leave was “a source of great sadness.”
They added that the “door will always be open, and we look forward to a day when we can welcome the University of Plymouth Students’ Union back into the fold.”
23% of university applicants received an unconditional offer last year, according to admissions service UCAS.
Figures show that an increasing number of UK institutions are dropping A-level requirements completely, in exchange for students to list them as their first choice.
These types of offers have been described by UCAS as “conditional unconditional offers”.
There are widespread concerns that such offers can lead to students enrolling on degree programmes that are perhaps unsuitable for them, and can further harm A-level grades by removing the need to achieve certain grades.
Unconditional offers have traditionally been handed to students that have demonstrated sufficient ability to succeed on their course ahead of taking their A-levels, perhaps through previous examinations, or as often the case for art students, a strong portfolio of personal work.
In some cases, they have also been given to students with well-being concerns, in order to reduce stress, and ensure that any anxiety over entry requirements does not harm students’ performance in examinations.
However, these legitimate reasons are often overridden by students who lose the incentive to work towards exams, suggested Geoff Barton, the General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders: “The problem with unconditional offers is that some students take their foot off the gas and underachieve in A-levels or other qualifications and this hampers their employment prospects later in life.”
This correlation between unconditional offers and grade attainment has further stirred the discussion surrounding Higher Education’s market-like structure, with a controversy surrounding the use of such offers as bargaining chips to attract potential students.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds described the use of them as “systematic”, and “not in the interest of students”.
“I expect universities to use them responsibly and where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered, I have made clear to the Office for Students that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action,’’ he added.
The Government is leading an ongoing review into post-18 education, with recommendations already made to re-introduce means-tested grants, tackle grade inflation, and reduce tuition fees to £6,500 for certain subjects.
Matthew Ross’ Siberia is about as cringey as the ‘romantic crime thriller’ genre it has been categorised as. Keanu Reeves stars as himself playing American diamond expert, Lucas Hill. Lucas’ assignment in Siberia is compromised when he falls for the beautiful Siberian café owner, Katya (Ana Ularu). That is honestly about as thrilling as it gets.
There was next to no action; apart from the final scene which takes up the final five minutes of the film, and this was considerably lacklustre. The gaps in action are filled with many, many dire sex scenes that were, quite frankly, uncomfortable to watch. They served no plot purpose, except maybe to remind us that Lucas fancied Katya, something there certainly weren’t any other indicators.
The appearance of Molly Ringwald’s name in the opening credits was a confusing yet intriguing surprise, but her limited screen time in the role as Lucas’ wife was disappointing. This was through no fault of her own; Ringwald’s performance is limited to a Skype conversation and this is only really to establish the fact that Lucas is indeed married. This only serves to make his seduction of Katya very slightly more interesting.
One element I did appreciate was the use of spoken Russian. Many films rely on the use of accents alone to portray a sense of place, but the use of language and subtitles was quite refreshing. This is where my appreciation starts and stops, however. The costume choices were questionable as Keanu Reeves spends most of his time in Siberia in a relatively lightweight camel coat, whilst the natives are much more sensibly wrapped up in hats, scarfs and gloves. The impeccable condition of the jacket throughout serves as another indicator of a pretty uneventful ‘crime thriller’.
Obviously, I wasn’t expecting to watch an Oscar contender and I thought I knew what I was getting myself in for; a mindless but entertaining bit of action. This was not the case. A lot of the time, I felt like I was watching the director Ross’ somewhat niche but ultimately pubescent fantasy of seducing an eastern European woman in a Siberian café.
Part of Keanu Reeves’ charm is how well he slips into the role of hero/antihero in his films. You know what you’re getting when Keanu has top billing, or at least I thought I did.
I would recommend you don’t waste your time on this and go watch Point Break instead, which I did afterwards to satisfy my need for some mindless Keanu Reeves-centred action. Fingers crossed that during his next gig, the prop guy and special effects team show up on set.
It is easy to shrug off student theatre as amateurish, but ‘Barred’ is a refreshing reminder of the capabilities of students who are brave enough to experiment. This enjoyable and thought-provoking piece made me optimistic for the theatre scene of the future.
‘Barred’ used a bar at Antwerp Mansion as a performance space. The rehearsed improvisation performance was directed by Libby Williamson, and devised by Williamson with performers Callum Dibbert, and Imogen Hayes. It was based upon real life stories of working in catering.
It was very easy to become immersed in the world of the play as we received a free shot upon arrival, served by the performers already in place behind the bar. The grimy atmosphere of Antwerp contributed to the creation of this world. You could believe that the grotesque stories were true because we were in Antwerp, a great manipulation of the space.
In keeping with this world that the performers created, there were two breaks in the performance where the audience were invited up to buy another drink. The theatre etiquette protocol of sitting in silence in a dark room, doing everything in your power to stop the performers from noticing that you exist, was subverted to great success. There was a relaxed atmosphere that somehow made it easy to be completely absorbed by the performance. It was a slow-burner but I had a lot of fun whilst watching, not always the case in theatre.
There seemed to be three distinct acts, each split by a wave of audience members excited to buy a drink from the actors. In the first act the setting (two bartenders’ first shift together) and the characters (one a seasoned pro always with a story that trumps the last, the other a ‘woke’ newbie with a sheltered background) were introduced. There was a delicate progression in the pace and relationship between the characters as they gradually bonded over horror stories from past shifts.
The second act introduced stories of sexual harassment in the workplace, cleverly snuck in beneath the light tone carried through from the first act. This provided a sobering moment when you realised the seriousness of what was being described.
In the third act, that relatable feeling of everything being hilarious near the end of your shift was clear. At this point, the characters no longer had to impress each other and were just sharing their lows. There were some pretty radical impressions of your typical customers that everyone in the room seemed to know. By the end Dibbert and Hayes were bouncing off of each other, and the audience were hanging off their every word and movement.
‘Barred’ had such a light and effortless tone, yet managed to deal with mature themes in a sensitive way. It intelligently portrayed themes of sexual harassment, gender roles, class, and night-out culture, and demonstrated the way these influence people’s behaviour in bars. Dibbert and Hayes’ groans through clenched teeth exhibited the way we deal with and respond to inappropriate behaviour — showing mild discomfort and pretending it didn’t happen. By showing this lack of reaction, ‘Barred’ brings into question why we accept such behaviour, and why we bend over backwards for the ignorant customers we serve for minimum wage.
The main thing I have taken from ‘Barred’ is how impressive it was that Williamson, Dibbert, and Hayes could do so much with so little. I found it engaging, motivating and very, very funny.
This weekend saw the sixth annual King of the North esports tournament held in Salford’s MediaCity as teams from universities across the country competed in Counter Strike: Global Offensive,Overwatch, and League of Legends amongst others.
Day 1 saw Grand Finals action in League of Legends as Swansea took on Nottingham after a hard-fought bracket. Stream issues caused upsets for any remote viewers but the direction of the day’s early games remained clear as Nottingham triumphed in two fairly decisive games, earning their victory in a fairly straightforward 26 minute clash.
Later in the day came Counter Strike, with Bath coming up against Warwick’s ‘Stretchyboiz’ in the Grand Finals. Warwick comfortably saw off the first map, Bank, with a 16-7 score, and after taking the first three rounds of game 2 without response, looked to be on a fairly straightforward path to victory. Bath fought hard to regain a foothold in the match, commanding a 6-4 lead at one point, but were ultimately unable to stop Warwick at the second time of asking.
With the Championship at stake going into the third game, Bath raced out of the gates and found themselves ahead with 10 rounds to Warwick’s 2, but only managed to take 3 more rounds before Warwick’s Stretchyboiz reasserted their dominance and finally took home the victory following a thrilling 1 v 1 shootout between Original_G (Warwick) and mystery (Bath).
Overwatch began Day 2 of King of the North, with Swansea Storm coming up against Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) in a hard-fought semi-final, with the first game running through to overtime where it took brilliance from Chimpy’s Zarya to give Swansea the edge. However, GCU responded strongly, taking the next two games to book their place in the final.
Staffordshire Uni had York to contend with in their semi-final, and the team elegantly known as ‘YEET’ continued the dominance they’ve displayed earlier in the year at other tournaments, most prominently NSE. The strength exhibited in their undefeated NSE run continued throughout Day 2 as they marched to a fairly decisive victory against York, setting up a match with GCU in the final.
As most fans of either side somewhat expected, YEET comfortably dealt with their next opposition, ultimately claiming the Overwatch King of the North title and continuing their undefeated run as they look toward the NSE finals this weekend.
Rainbow 6 Seige finished proceedings for what was a memorable weekend. The winners were Baby Wipes from Staffordshire Uni. They beat Keele who were the live finalists since the actual 2nd place team, Warwick, forfeited due to only having 4 players. The score was 3-1, with Keele winning the second last game after being down 2-0.
