If you have time to see just one exhibition from Manchester’s Wonder Woman Festival 2018, I strongly urge you to wander into Castlefield Gallery, which hosts the works of newly commissioned artists Ruth Barker and Hannah Leighton-Boyce.
Barker, an artist based in Glasgow, depicts her quotidian experiences first and foremost as a mother of two. However, her work is underpinned by much larger stories, as she explores the unconscious internalisation of ancient myth and the experiences of a working-class woman in contemporary Britain who refuses to let motherhood define them.
Rather similarly, Leighton-Boyce, a fellow Mancunian, explores historical narratives and the quotidian in a refreshingly different way — with her medium of choice being salt, and its variety of forms.
It is no coincidence that the premiere of this exhibition fell on International Women’s Day, and that 2018 marks the centenary of The Representation of the People’s Act. Exploring the narrative of women “coming together, the exhibition proved to be an astonishingly beautiful celebration of ‘herstory’.”
The small size of Castlefield Gallery complimented the personal nature of Barker’s artwork that you will encounter on the gallery’s upper floor — a photographic self portrait of the artist breast-feeding her child entitled Speech (2018). What makes it even more personal is the fact that Barker admits to having exposed the photographs to the elements in her very own garden. Speech is a strong statement which refuses to conceal Barker’s identity as a mother. Despite being weathered by the elements, Speech is a bold depiction of the everyday woman, who like the oeuvre itself, survived the tempest that is life.
Situated abreast Speech is Leighton-Boyce’s More energy than object, more force than form (2018), an eye-catching arrangement of saltwater batteries immersed in one hundred glass jars in concentric circles. The arrangement is connected through electrical wires that power the artwork’s nucleus — an LED pendant. This series explores the energetic property of salt when immersed in water and is a manifestation of the idea of ‘strength in numbers’. From the artist’s perspective, the jars containing saltwater represent the “blood, sweat and tears” — in other words the struggles — that women have overcome throughout history, struggles that she perused during her archival research in Salford.
It was rather easy to miss Leighton-Boyce’s Persistent bodies (2018), which one might have been unaware of when descending the stairs leading to the lower gallery. Despite its unfortunate positioning, Leighton-Boyce excels, yet again, in exploring the multi-formity of salt. This time in a cast, cylindrical form. Her use of salt as a metaphor for preservation culminates in this final piece which takes us back to the Book of Genesis with a reference to the fate of Lot’s wife, whose body was turned into a pillar of salt as a consequence of her disobedience (Genesis 19:26).
Hannah Leighton Boyce Consequences of Progress; Remnants for the Future Photo: Castlefield Gallery
Barker also delves into the ancient world with Victory (2018), a large papier-mâché female torso akin to the esteemed Winged Victory of Samothrace (circa 200-190 BC). Like her successor, Victory is missing both her head and arms and possesses an awe-inducing stance. Made of brown packaging paper and tape body cast and adorned with pearlescent paint, Victory dominates the dimly lit room. So much so, that it borders on eclipsing her other pieces of work, Thought Forms, V and Mask (Yellow), and Mask (Blue), that sit in her shadow.
According to Barker’s curator, Beatrice de Sousa, the pearlescent paint is directly inspired by the artists day-to-day art with her children, that often includes use of “glitter crayon”. The glittery adornment could even be seen as a sort of sash of motherhood, her figure wears it with pride.
Towards the end of the exhibition’s premiere, Barker graced her audience with a spoken-word performance of If this is the last thing I say, a work through which she discusses her anxieties around motherhood, illness, and mute-rendering trauma.
If there is a strong thread between Barker’s poetry and the classical world — it is that of female voicelessness. Namely Ovid’s Philomena, who, rendered mute by her perpetrator, overcame her inability to denounce her injustice verbally by means of art. Barker admits that the tale of Philomena in Ovid’s Metamorphoses is one that she “knows quite well,” yet “wasn’t consciously thinking about” at the time of writing. Her unconscious allusion to this common phenomenon felt by women opens up a reflective and much-needed dialogue.
Barker, whose performance included the line “I look towards the darkness / and it looks back” ended the event on a celebration of strength in the face of adversity, a feat which men and woman alike may identify with.
The exhibit is on at Castlefield Gallery from the 9th March — 29th April, touring to Glasgow Women’s Library 01 February — 23 February 2019. It was co-commissioned with the University of Salford Art Collection.
Who would think the first painting ever acquired by Manchester Art Gallery in its 19th Century collection would be its only one of a black person outside the role of servitude?
Few people see Othello, the Moor of Venice (1826) by James Northcote without recognising its captivating lustre. However, knowing its astonishing context in Manchester draws the viewer in further.
This piece shows a 19-year-old, Ira Aldrige. He first appeared as Othello in London’s Royalty Theatre in 1825 as the first black actor to play a Shakespearean role.
Northcote’s painting was purchased by the Royal Manchester Institute after he performed in Manchester in 1827.
Unsurprisingly, the pioneering artist Sonia Boyce MBE RA, the first black female artist to be exhibited by the Tate Gallery in 1985, chose this as an object which transfixes and inspires her as part of the Objects of Obsession series.
Hosted by broadcaster and Royal Academy artistic director Tim Marlow on the 8th March at the Manchester Art Gallery, the three-part series is live-streamed across a global audience.
It aims to promote lasting collaborations between regional art galleries whilst developing their digital presences and forms part of the Royal Academy’s 250th-anniversary celebrations.
As the talk opened and the painting was discussed, Boyce and Marlow’s conversation flowed with an easy, casual dynamic.
Having always explored representations of black subjects in her work and the ‘otherness’ and isolation of being black in a mainly white society, Boyce describes how “there is something so lush for me in this particular painting.”
Dealing with this ‘otherness’, Marlow and Boyce explored the myths and roles brought to light by the biography of Ira, an actor of American origin who would always profess to be from Africa.
He was said to have played King Lear in white-face, but also to have kept his hands defiantly black.
Boyce recounted how her transfixion with this piece of between 20 and 30 years of her career had not been so much for its biographical relevance, but for the intricacies of the painting itself.
The viewer cannot help but be drawn into how his distant gaze gives him an elusive, charismatic charm that places the viewer in the foreground.
The second half of the talk focused on a candid recollection of Boyce’s artistic background.
Boyce discussed her academic beginnings in life-drawing at age of 15 and then through the stages of her career, described with wit by Marlow as going from “painting to installation to collaboration to provocation.”
Manchester was described by Boyce as being “very important in terms of the shift in my practice”.
It went from the self-directed creation of single pieces, such as her seminal work in Missionary Position II (1985), to adapting to artistic stimuli which unfold organically over time, like the Manchester-based photography project The Audition (1999).
This saw her inundated with 900 volunteers who were photographed wearing Afro wigs at the Cornerhouse during Boyce’s 18-month residency at the University of Manchester from 1997 to 1998.
Interestingly, Boyce discussed parts of her own relationship with the Manchester Art Gallery. Especially, how on January 26th 2018, as part of a project with Boyce in the buildup to her March exhibition, John William Waterhouse’s Hylas and the Nymphs was removed.
In the gallery’s words, this was to “bring different meanings and interpretations of paintings from the gallery’s collection into focus…”
This provoked a strong backlash, with many in the public and the media accusing her of censorship. Boyce commented in the talk on this controversy with how she was “surprised by the media ****storm.”
Delving into her upcoming work with the Manchester Art Gallery, Boyce introduced us to Six Acts, which is described by the Gallery itself as ” a night-time group takeover of the gallery exploring ‘gender trouble’ among the gallery’s 19th-century painting displays and wider culture.”
Collaborating with the performance artist and writer Lassana Shabazz, Boyce reveals Ira Aldridge as something of an inspiring element within the framing of these pieces.
The audience was subsequently teased with some behind-the-scenes shots of this exciting project, set to be shown at Boyce’s upcoming retrospective.
Sonia Boyce’s Objects of Obsession showed its audience not only the vibrant role of black art in Manchester’s history and its present but also the importance of Manchester’s art institutions in our artistic national discourse.
It is to the credit of the Royal Academy on this special anniversary celebration and to Boyce for showing such a wide audience this Mancunian homage to such a great piece, which continues to resonate with many audiences who visit Manchester Art Gallery today.
The live-streamed conversation of Sonia Boyce RA: Objects of Obsession can be seen on Youtube and the Manchester Art Gallery’s Website. Sonia Boyce’s first retrospective exhibition is at the Manchester Art Gallery from Friday 23 March 2018–Sunday 22 July 2018.
A newly-formed Manchester-based health consortium has been awarded £6.8m for the development of new drugs.
The Innovate Manchester Advanced Therapy Centre Hub (iMATCH) was endowed a three-year grant by Innovate UK, the country’s technology strategy board.
The project aims to create targeted treatments where patient’s cells are used as “drugs” to treat a disease. Cells will be taken from a patient, grown and modified in the lab to introduce therapeutic properties, and finally re-introduced to the body. Small-scale trials of this nature are currently already underway.
However, with this funding, production of these “personalised” medicines would be scaled up to serve more patients. Initially, the research group plans to recruit 260 individuals for the first stage of trials but aims to treat five times more patients by 2021 and reduce waiting times by 50 per cent.
iMATCH is an “exemplar and driver of novel therapies, including cancer immunotherapy and molecular therapies, [that] allows for state-of-the-art cancer care to patients” according to Professor Rob Birstow of the University of Manchester who is also Director of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre and Chief Academic Officer of The Christie.
Manchester is one of three other centres in Britain given funding from Innovate UK’s Industrial Challenge Fund for coordinating the scale-up of therapies for cancer and other debilitating diseases. The centre will be hosted at The Christie in Withington, part of the NHS Foundation Trust and one of the largest cancer treatment facilities in Europe.
Roger Spencer, Chief Executive of The Christie, thinks establishing the project here is beneficial. “Manchester has several advantages as a designated advanced therapies treatment centre; existing clinical excellence in the field, active trials for both adults and children, a large population to draw on for trial participants, a thriving biotechnology sector and existing frameworks to ensure improvements are adopted into our healthcare system.
“These benefits, and existing strong partner relationships within the consortium, will enable us to meet government requirements; helping the UK remain competitive in the development of advanced therapies.”
iMATCH was established in December of last year and is composed of the University of Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and The Christie. With other industry partners including AgenTus Therapeutics, Aptus Clinical, AstraZeneca (iDecide Programme), Asymptote (part of GE Healthcare), Chaucer Life Sciences, Cellular Therapeutics, The Christie Pathology Partnership, Datatrial and Formedix.
Once iMATCH becomes fully operational, two more consortia will be established: The Northern Alliance Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre (encompassing Newcastle, Leeds and Scotland) and the Midlands and Wales Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre (comprising Birmingham, Nottingham and Wales). The three groups will eventually work together to ensure that the output from all the collaborative research will be available on a nationwide level.
This initiative has potential to generate £10b in revenue and 35,000 jobs by 2035. Potentially creating 50 high-value jobs within the local NHS in the next three years.
On their first ever UK tour, Manchester-based band Y.O.U.N.G, have set off every step of the way. On the final stop of the tour, the five-piece group prepared themselves for the biggest night yet, with their first ever sold out gig on their ‘Lazy Tour’.
Despite the god awful weather, the crowds pour into the upstairs of the Deaf Institute, most probably unprepared for just how crowded, sweaty, but oh-so-good the next few hours were going to be.
Y.O.U.N.G kicked off their set with ‘What I Gotta Do’, an infectiously catchy tune which cleverly incorporates reggae with elements of rock and pop all into one crafty, slick concoction. It was immediately clear that these lads are full and overflowing with confidence as their stage presence is good, if not better than some bands which have been around for many more years than this group — frontman Chez, embodying all things rock, savvy, and sharp, and Ben undeniably killing the fast-paced hip-hop rap verses. Jamie & Tom work wonders on their guitars, right to the back with Graeme on the Drums, who possibly has the most impressive drumming face I have ever seen.
As the night went on and the room got sweatier, the band’s impressive talents continued to shoot through the roof. Y.O.U.N.G bounced from ‘Head Space’ to ‘Lost Boy’ and an impressive cover of Will.i.am’s hit ‘ I Got it From My Mama’. The band are clearly comfortable on stage, throwing banter and making casual chat between songs, wishing people a happy birthday to some of the people in the crowd, and even getting Chez’s brother up on the stage to replace Graeme on the drums for one of the songs.
The energetic group turned up the volume for their penultimate track ‘Exposure’, leaving the crowd no choice but to dance and move around, again infected by the vibes that the band are giving off. Finally, Y.O.U.N.G set down and have a little rest, but this is by no means the end for them. Chez starts to say that in fact, he doesn’t want to do the last song, and why’s that you ask? Because he’s LAZY… the group bound into their final track and latest single ‘Lazy’ before ending the night.
This gig might have been the sweatiest I’ve been to, but it was really good fun, the band have an overwhelming talent and an honest, infectious ‘cheeky chappy’ aura. I can’t wait to see what these boys have next in store.
London-born spell-binding indie rock quartet Gengahr has finally released their second album Where Wildness Grows following their debut album released three years ago. Upon first listen it is clear the band have strayed further away from their previous moody, melancholic, and angsty ways to a brighter, for the most part, more upbeat album. However, they have very much remained true to their roots of ensuring each of their songs is rooted in nifty and intricate guitar licks.
‘Before Sunrise’ perfectly opens Where Wildness Grows given its catchy, almost hypnotic guitar riff which repeatedly glimmers throughout the track, proving to be a statement song for the remainder of the album given its showcasing of all the complexities that are yet to be unfolded as you progress through the 12-tracks.
Where Wildness Grows will undoubtedly become the soundtrack to many of their fan’s upcoming summers due to the youthful, dream-like haziness that the quartet has concocted. Gengahr has demonstrated that a central aspect of their new album was to illustrate that they are capable of presenting diversity. Even though I agree that the album, A Dream Outside featured songs that sounded similar to each other, I didn’t necessarily think it was a bad thing, however, Where Wildness Grows strives for a level beyond their first album. In Where Wildness Grows you plummet into a blanket of warmth and comfort, intricately laced with even more complex dream-pop synths and licks.
The partnership between John Victor’s melting guitar lines and Felix Bushes’ distinctly eerie vocals has really blossomed in their second album, allowing the album’s leading singles ‘Carrion’ and ‘Mallory’ to fully bloom into tracks which are perfect exhibitions on what you can expect throughout the album’s entirety. It is very apparent that their second album is a truer reflection of what Gengahr wish to present to their listeners, one that combines a greater range of musical styles and chord progressions to create a more mature and accomplished final product.
The album’s last song ‘Whole Again’ is a heartfelt, atmospheric and slightly heavier track amongst its counterparts which serves as the perfect closure for ‘Where Wildness Grows’. Despite possessing lyrics perhaps resonating the previous tour struggles that the band have endured, ‘Whole Again’ also displays a strong sense of cementation. Given what Gengahr have proven, most importantly to themselves with this second album, this final track instils a final confidence in its listener that Gengahr is back and are here to stay.
Old Trafford on a European night under the floodlights. The players walk out to a cacophony of noise around a packed stadium. The best seats in the house are taken and the stage is set for a vintage Manchester United performance at home in the UEFA Champions League.
They used to be the type of nights that would bring out the best in Sir Alex Ferguson’s United teams and provide a platform for his big players to step up on the big occasion, but in Jose Mourinho’s first knockout game in the Champions League at United his players shrunk under pressure.
After a hard-fought 0-0 draw in Southern Spain three weeks ago, United were favourites to advance to the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in four years, but Sevilla had other ideas. The first-half was a non-event, with Marouane Fellaini’s left-footed effort the only meaningful action of the first 45 minutes – a shot which forced a save from Sergio Rico.
The second half continued in the same vein, until substitute Wissam Ben Yedder, on in place of the misfiring Luis Muriel, hit a quick-fire double within minutes of his introduction. Romelu Lukaku, United’s best performer on the night, pulled one back six minutes from time, but it was too little too late for the Red Devils.
Sevilla may be situated 5th in La Liga and 27 points behind league leaders Barcelona but the team who have reached the 2018 Copa Del Rey final produced a confident display away from home against a team full of confidence following their 2-1 weekend win against Liverpool. The possession was 50-50 but Vincenzo Montella’s team looked more composed on the ball in comparison to their opponents.
Sevilla were deservedly knocked out of the Champions League 12 months ago by Leicester City but 12 months on United looked as shell-shocked as Sevilla did when Leicester overturned a 2-1 deficit. Unlike Craig Shakespeare a year ago, Mourinho got his tactics horribly wrong, many of his players looked dejected and confused.
United were slow out of the blocks in the first leg and were it not for the brilliance of David de Gea they would have found themselves behind going into the second leg. Such a situation may have helped United’s cause, it may have forced Mourinho to adopt a more gung-ho approach – like the one he adopted in the first-half against Liverpool.
Marcus Rashford looked lost out on the right-wing after scoring two goals from the opposite flank three days earlier. Alexis Sanchez and Jesse Lingard, the other two players in support of Lukaku also struggled, and Marouane Fellaini was withdrawn on the hour mark with Paul Pogba on in his place to provide a creative spark – a spark he miserably failed to provide with yet another lacklustre display.
“I don’t want to make a drama of it. We don’t have time for it. We have a match on Saturday. We have no time to be sad for more than 24 hours, that is football. That is not the end of the world,” Mourinho reflected on the poor performance of his side, and tried to maintain focus ahead of his sides’ FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton on Saturday.
For Sevilla, several players impressed both on the night and over the two legs. Former Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City midfielder Steven N’Zonzi delivered an assertive performance at the base of Sevilla’s midfield, the Frenchman completed 86 of his 94 passes attempted and bossed the game. Ever Banega, N’Zonzi’s midfield partner also played his part winning the ball back 13 times for his team. Although Sevilla had their struggles in the final third in both games, Ben Yedder eventually provided the killer instinct required to swing the pendulum his sides way.
Ben Yedder’s thumping finish just two minutes after he entered the fray put Sevilla ahead in the tie, and he doubled his tally five minutes later. Sections of the Old Trafford crowd swarmed to the exit gates when Sevilla’s second goal went in, missing Lukaku’s goal and United’s late onslaught. But the travelling fans were delighted, they stayed in their numbers to celebrate Sevilla’s impressive victory.
Sevilla became just the second team in 64 games in all competitions to beat United at Old Trafford, with the other two defeats coming at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City – in September 2016 and December 2017. United could have prevented this, but headers from Rashford and Chris Smalling didn’t find the target. It was a cautious approach from Mourinho which proved costly as he failed to reach the last eight of the Champions League having participated in this phase of the competition eight times previously.
United’s exit ensures that Sevilla will compete in their first-ever Champions League quarter-final and they will join AS Roma, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid in Friday’s draw. Bayern Munich also look set to be in the draw, they travel to Istanbul with a 5-0 advantage from the first leg. Sevilla’s Spanish counterparts Barcelona are also looking to join the rest, the Catalans face Chelsea tonight at the Camp Nou with the scores currently level at 1-1 at the halfway point of the tie. This years’ Champions League final will be held in Kiev, but United will not get the chance to lift the famous trophy a decade on from their Moscow triumph in 2008.
“I sit in this chair twice in the Champions League,” Mourinho said. “I sit in this chair with Porto, Man United out, I sit in this chair with Real Madrid, Man United out. So, it’s not something new for the club.”
Everyone’s favourite marsupial-loving musicians are set to rock Manchester Academy for two sold-out shows.
Following last month’s release of their hotly anticipated fourth album, Liverpudlian rock trio The Wombats are set to take their collection of certified indie anthems on a massive UK tour this March. Before they reach the lofty heights of Alexandra Palace, London, The Wombats bless Manchester with not one, but two sold-out shows at the Academy and the excitement is tangible.
Since they first burst on to the scene just over a decade ago, The Wombats have never failed to exceed themselves time and time again. With a slew of hits under their belt, their sound simply defines those late noughties years. It takes a lot for a band to keep up with the changing times and The Wombats do this without even breaking a sweat.
Whether appearing in massive venues or the more intimate ones, The Wombats have never lost what made them so electrifying in the first place – their connection with their audience. From the moment the first chord is struck, the crowd goes wild. Very few bands are able to literally hit one note and immediately have everyone sing along. It’s a special atmosphere that has never faltered nor shows signs of stopping anytime soon.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing The Wombats countless times over the years, and the excitement has not even begun to wear off. There’s something so charming about them that keeps me hooked. Whether it’s frontman Matthew Murphy’s awkward yet endearing mannerisms, the quirky, emotionally charged lyrics, or the relentless energy that the trio collectively pull off, there’s never a dull moment.
Whilst both Manchester gigs are, (not surprisingly) sold out, if you can find a way in then I would definitely recommend it. Failing that, catch The Wombats making appearances across the country during festival season, as there’s nothing better than screaming along to ‘Moving to New York’ or ‘Greek Tragedy’ underneath the sun.
Delivering a third album that lives up to the success of previous work is no easy feat. Bands must feel an immense amount of pressure to consistently churn out music that maintains the captivating standard of their debuts. Unfortunately, gloomy Californian rockers The Neighbourhood have fallen short with their latest outing, the self-titled The Neighbourhood.
Yes, you read that correctly: their third album is given the eponymous treatment rather than their debut. And that’s just where the confusion starts.
After the release of two EPs over the last few months, it became clear that The Neighbourhood were going down a more electronic route. The ‘Hard’ EP, in particular, had some of the best songs that the band had ever produced, with the likes of ‘Noise’ and ’24/7′ bringing a slick mix of dark indie rock and summery synths. Unfortunately, neither of these massive tunes make an appearance on the album.
The album’s opener, ‘Flowers’, is serviceable but forgettable. ‘Scary Love’ is probably one of the few highlights on the album. It manages to create a solid R&B-come-techno atmosphere, built around lead singer Jesse Rutherford’s crooning vocals. There’s also a decent chorus, where the band actually managing to build to something rather than slumbering along another flat-liner.
Next up is ‘Nervous”’ and ‘Void’, both, again, unambitious slow-jams. ‘Softcore’ is an electronic synth track that injects some much-needed excitement towards the middle of the record. It’s the most confident exploration of electronic pop that the band seem to go in to since their EP tracks, and it’s just a shame that they don’t pursue this further.
Before you know it (because you may well have nodded off by now) you’re at the end of the album. Strap in, though, because the final song, ‘Stuck with Me’, is the saving grace of The Neighbourhood. Its slow build-up and gradual layering of keyboard-esque synths and fuzzy guitars prevents the LP from being a total snooze-fest, with the song even offering a nostalgic throwback to 2015’s ‘Crybaby’.
The Neighbourhood still manages to retain the monochrome aesthetic that the band have generated for themselves, but is lacking the excitement, emotion, and originality that albums I Love You and Wiped Out! brought forward. It’s disappointing to see that the hype around their EPs failed to transcend in the full-length release because that would have this a million times better. Not a complete failure, but definitely their weakest work to date.
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?’
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Striking lecturers at the University of Manchester have voted unanimously to reject Universities UK’s new pensions offer.
Hundreds of lecturers turned out to vote to continue their industrial action at a meeting on the morning of Tuesday 13th March 2018.
The vote comes in the fourth week of the current strike, with three planned days of industrial action left. However, the Universities and College Union (UCU) has threatened further strikes if an agreement is not reached.
The proposed deal would see a “transitional benefit arrangement” period lasting for three years, among other changes. UCU members have taken to twitter to express their concern over the temporary nature of the deal, with some suggesting it may simply delay strikes for three years instead of finding a permanent solution.
Many have also criticised UCU’s suggestion that lecturers should “prioritise the rescheduling of teaching” as unpaid work.
Meetings are taking place at universities across the country to vote on the proposed changes. Currently, every university has voted to reject the deal including Oxford, Cambridge, and King’s College London.
If the offer had been accepted, strikes would be due to end tomorrow. However, the rejection means strikes will be expected to continue this week and may affect the summer exam period if a new agreement cannot be reached.
So far there have been no acceptances of the deal, although some votes are still pending.
An open letter has been written to UCU national leadership, asking them to reconsider their position on the offer. The letter accuses the UUK’s proposal of “kicking a serious solution to the pension dispute in the long grass” and suggests that “in three years time we will be demobilised and pressured to accept a worse deal”. The letter currently has over 50,000 signatures.
The University of Manchester have declined to comment.
From out-of-work actors with a bedroom-based company, to a network hosting Oscar winners and a unique platform for all budding filmmakers. UK based independent film festival founders James Bradley and Ben Pohlman started the Lift-Off Network from small beginnings in 2011 with the first London Lift-Off Film Festival.
Now in its eighth year, with eleven host cities, the Network has well and truly gone global.
Thousands of indie films have screened at Lift-Off festivals, from LA to Tokyo to Sydney, and plenty of cities in between. With over 35,000 filmmakers in the Lift-Off family, and over 100,000 followers on social media, the growth of this network really has been remarkable.
The Lift-Off ethos is centred around providing a launch-pad for filmmakers’ careers, no matter how much experience they have. The team are dedicated to providing focused feedback to help filmmakers improve, securing distribution deals for Lift-Off screened projects, and connecting filmmakers with each other — after all, collaboration is the key to creativity. From seasoned industry veterans to amateurs with professional dreams — Lift-Off is perfect for everyone who’s passionate about film-making.
There are some truly incredible features submitted to Lift-Off festivals, and the team are passionate about championing them. Securing distribution deals is the natural next step in the film’s journey, and they do their best to help filmmakers achieve that.
‘The Trade’ screened first in London, then went to New York, and on to the Tokyo festival too. The film follows notorious Combat Zone Wrestler Nick Mondo, and Lift-Off saw a gap in the market for a film catering to the huge following of CZW in the wrestling world. As you can see, the film is now available on Amazon Prime.
The Short Film (Live Action) winner at the Oscars this year, ‘The Silent Child’ was first screened at one of the Lift-Off First Time Filmmakers Showcases, which take place regularly throughout the year at their base in the illustrious Pinewood Studios. First time filmmakers Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton’s trajectory from Lift-Off to the Oscars in a year is the perfect example of standards and quality of Lift-Off selected films, as well as the support they offer their filmmakers.
‘The Silent Child’ won Best Acting Ensemble at the Lift-Off Season Awards 2017 and will be screened as part of the programme in the Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival later this month. To view the full programme and buy tickets, click here.
The Community:
The Lift-Off Global Network is now launching a highly anticipated platform for independent filmmakers to creatively collaborate, develop, and work together — The Lift-Off Community. Not only is The Lift-Off Community a place to find work and opportunities with other members, but the platform also presents job openings within established film companies.
Members will also benefit from the online calendar, which ensures they stay up to date with upcoming film events and festivals all around the world. The platform is full of interesting and exciting film related resources such as articles, videos, podcasts, and interviews with established names in the industry.
The platform offers:
– COLLABORATION — Find creatives for your next project. Post job opportunities and connect with other Community members.
– EMPLOYMENT — Search and apply for top jobs in the industry, from internships to management positions.
– CAREER ROAD-MAPPING — Apply for exclusive and tailored workshops or one to ones, helping you build a foundation for a successful career in film.
– SCRIPTS — Browse the database of scripts whose writers are looking to collaborate.
– EVENTS — All the must-have dates for your film calendar, searchable by date or keyword
– EDUCATION — This is a cache of practical resources that have been specially curated. Categories include: Interviews with Industry, Downloads, Recommended Reading, Videos, Podcasts, Feedback, and News — all focused towards helping indie filmmakers develop their skills.
– FORUM — Split into categories to help focus discussion, here you can post and receive replies from fellow members of the Community, as well as get feedback on your work.
– DISCOUNTS — Money off a whole range of filmmaker essentials, from equipment to set catering, thanks to Lift-Off’s many partners who are just as passionate about supporting indie filmmakers.
– FEE WAIVERS — Discounts and waivers to submit to Lift-Off Festivals.
James Bradley Co-Director and Co-Founder of Lift-Off commented:
“The film festival route is nowadays the only real viable option for a filmmaker with a modest production budget to ever get their film onto the big screen and in front of live audiences inside a cinema setting. We feel that this is unfair and limiting to all of the artists associated with a film project.
“So, instead of creating a typical film festival event where a local community comes to enjoy the wonder of indie film, and then afterwards they go home — we took the model a few steps further and created what we call a professional showcase. When filmmakers screen with us they get a consultancy approach to not just their film and its marketing activities but also to that filmmaker’s career.
“We look at the next steps and guide filmmakers through the murky waters right from festival screenings all of the way to distribution and beyond. Our network of filmmakers is like an agency — finding job opportunities, gaining valuable press inches and building a career support network like no other.”
Ben Pohlman Co-Director and Co-Founder of Lift-Off commented:
“Our film festivals are the perfect place to meet up-and-coming filmmakers at various stages of their careers, from new to award-winning talent, as well as other industry professionals. Through the Lift-Of Film Festivals, we aim to build a community of talented filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We’re all people who love compelling storytelling and good cinema.”
If you are looking for an “I want something nice, but not too expensive” evening, Gusto Didsbury is the place for you. The restaurant is situated in the heart of Didsbury amongst other various restaurants and bars on the high street. It serves mainly Italian cuisine, and while I usually don’t get overly excited about a standard ‘pizza-pasta’ menu this was somehow different.
I went with my boyfriend on a Wednesday evening, and it was the ideal place for us to go and have a late meal. There’s something not so romantic about heading to Nandos in Fallowfield, and town is sometimes a bit too far when you live in Withington. It had a great ambience, which I would recommend for dates! It was both dimly lit and spacious.
The menu had a really good selection, with loads of starters and main courses. It did not really deviate from standard Italian cuisine but nonetheless still featured a wide variety of pizza, pasta, meat, and fish dishes. However, despite the wide selection, I have to point out that there wasn’t actually any allergen information on the menu. It says it is available ‘upon request’, but there was not any specific ‘vegetarian’, ‘gluten-free’, or ‘may contain nuts’ labels.
We began by ordering two starters to share between us: Hand-Rolled Meatballs in a tomato sauce and the Crispy Calamari. The meatballs were good, but there just seemed to be a lot of tomato sauce and not much meat for the price of £6.50. The calamari on the other hand was very tasty and definitely good value for money. It also came with a decent helping of lemon-mayonnaise.
For my main course I ordered the Tagliatelle with Smoked Salmon and Dill. It was a healthy portion which came with spinach and peas in a cream sauce. If you are a lover of salmon then I would certainly recommend this dish – especially if you get bored of the almost obligatory tomato flavouring in Italian places. This main was £13.25, which I thought was quite reasonable. I would definitely say that the mains are much better value for money than the starters.
The service in Gusto was excellent: all the staff were really friendly and the food came very quickly. We decided to stay and finish our drinks in the heated terrace outside, which was quite cute. It’s not the most amazing place, but if you’re looking for somewhere closer to home to have nice meal and evening, Gusto is a very good option!
TEDxUniversityOfManchester is back! Themed this year as “Uncharted Territories”, the conference hopes to explore the unexplored and challenge the unchallenged. With this in mind, the committee has curated a panel of speakers from a wide range of industries and backgrounds, including tech, music, entertainment, media, and psychology. Ahead of the event this Saturday, I talked to some of the speakers about what makes them tick and what they hope to bring to the event.
Bruna de Palo — Life & Career Coach
What keeps you up at night?
My TED talk! It’s such an exciting experience for me that I don’t even want to sleep anymore, I just love to keep reading, learning, writing, and practicing. Am I worried that I might mess up once on stage? Yes, I do (quite a lot, actually), but knowing I’m putting so much effort into it makes me feel better, after all the only way to succeed is keep pushing!
What do you want people to take away from your talk?
That there are cool employers out there that are craving for them, for their personality, their interests, and their vision of the world… not just their skills. When people understand that, they will be on the road to fulfilment. Did you know one on four of UK employees say they are totally disengaged from their work? I’m on a mission to change that.
What do you wish someone had told you at 20?
That I am way more than my skills, that I worthy for who I am, and how “me being me” is exactly what the world needs. Knowing that would have saved me from being stuck for 17 years in the wrong career.
I’ve learnt the lesson so well, that now I want to use it to help people and avoid they get trapped in the same golden jail of a salary that switches off your identity.
Dr Alan Watkins — Trained Physician and CEO of Complete Coherence
What keeps you up at night?
Nothing really keeps me up at night, I sleep very well as a matter of practice. But something I think about in quiet moments is whether humanity is on the brink of a sixth great species extinction if we don’t course correct in the next 50 years.
What do you want people to take away from your talk?
Hope. If people discover how to change the destiny of their lives, and decide to do what it takes to develop themselves, then they can deliver a brighter and better future.
What do you wish someone had told you at 20?
Follow your bliss.
Alastair Paterson — Founder and CEO of Digital Shadows (talk: ”Into the Shadows’: digital footprints, online exposure and the future of cyber security’)
What keeps you up at night?
Society’s increasing dependence on highly-vulnerable digital infrastructure. The Internet has gone from a hobbyist’s play area to a critical piece of infrastructure we all depend upon for our daily lives, but it was never designed with security in mind, with implications for all of us.
What do you want people to take away from your talk?
That we should not take for granted all the digital infrastructure we depend upon, or take our privacy lightly. However, it’s not all doom and gloom and there are innovations in cyber security that are going to help keep the lights on, including some great UK startups in this exciting and critical field.
What do you wish someone had told you at 20?
It will all be okay – keep working hard and do what you love. Say yes to (almost) every opportunity that presents itself and you will be lucky enough to have a fascinating, exciting, and fulfilling life ahead.
Amy Steel – Associate Director for Amoria Bond (talk: ‘The Journey to Success: how to break your stereotype and reach your goal’)
What keeps you up at night?
The fear of failure.
What do you want people to take away from your talk?
I want people to come away feeling like anything is possible. I want to encourage them to break their belief barriers as to what is achievable regardless of your background, age, or gender; that with enough hard work, passion, and ambition you can achieve any goal and create whatever life you want for yourself. I want to encourage people to take control of their own destiny & build their own empire!
What do you wish someone had told you at 20?
The importance of setting objectives and goals in order to progress in whatever walk of life. It was only when I got my job that I realised the true importance of working towards a target to better myself and realise my full potential. You forget how young you are at 20 and, whilst you do have your full life ahead of you, don’t wait to start a job before building a career. Set your goals now and fast track your life as early as you can.
Andrew Melchior — Project Manager, Third Space
What keeps you up at night?
The most pressing issues of our time are climate change and reduction in biodiversity. I think this above all else is to be feared, as we are definitely not ‘too big to fail’ as a species. It bothers me that the large deposits of methane possibly released as tundra thaws would cause a mass extinction event.
What do you want people to take away from your talk?
I’d like for the audience to feel they can explore their own relationship with technology and to not be afraid to ask questions or demand better standards from the companies who are responsible for ensuring security and privacy. Overall I’d love them to start reading the small print when they sign up for services.
What do you wish someone had told you at age 20?
Buy shares in Apple with your Student Loan.
Digital Farm Animals — Producer and DJ (talk: ‘Zero to a Billion’)
What keeps you up at night?
Coffee. I’m usually up plotting away at the next steps: annoying people with my music, jet-lagged, or DJing somewhere around the world. If not that then ticking off the list of house chores that the wife has given me.
What do you want people to take away from your talk?
I’m incredibly grateful at the opportunities I’ve had and that I’m able to make a career out of doing what I love. I spent a long time worrying about becoming a lawyer and pursuing something I was told I should be doing instead of what I really wanted to do. I believe a lot of people are in jobs they don’t love and often that’s because they don’t think there’s an alternative.
Being an entrepreneur is incredibly hard work and there’s a lot of initial investment and sacrifice of your time but I think it’s a fantastic time to be one and I’d like people to at least give thought to what they truly want to pursue. On top of that, how in my case I’ve had to use the change in technology in my songwriting and production career. Lastly, to let them see the Pigman.
What do you wish someone had told you at 20?
Following on from the above, I would caveat my point by saying that having a formal education as a back up and as a foundation will only help you both in confidence and also in business, but I wish someone had told me that although beneficial that was in no way the be all and end all and there was an industry dedicated to exactly what I wanted to do — songwriting and that doing what you really want isn’t in any way an impossibility. Basically, take a look at what you love doing, maybe it’s a career!
Dr Mark Batey PhD CPsychol AFBPsS – Leadership, Creativity and Innovation Specialist at Alliance Manchester Business School (talk: ‘Five Key Principles for Creativity & Innovation’)
What keeps you up at night?
I’m always full of ideas just before I sleep, especially if I am working on a long-running project. That definitely keeps me awake! However, those burbling thoughts are often a great source of inspiration for my creativity, so I shouldn’t complain.
What do you want people to take away from your talk?
That creativity is a capacity, a skill that can be developed. Often through some really simple lifehacks for your own brain and thinking, or how you can collaborate more effectively with others. I hope to share a little of the practical insights I’ve been lucky enough to pick up while working with different leaders, teams, organisations and governments around the world.
What do you wish someone had told you at 20?
That mistakes are normal and often to be welcomed. With an open mind and heart, we can embrace our failures and learn and grow from them. Be yourself always.
Sarah Hesz and Katie Massie-Taylor — Founders of Mush (talk: ‘The Future of Digital is Physical’)
What keeps you up at night?
A massive dose of paranoia that we are not doing enough to make Mush brilliant. Plus my new obsession with Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and my newborn.
What do you want people to take away from your talk?
I want people to think about what communities they belong to and how they can play a more active role in them.
What do you wish someone had told you at 20?
That my fears were not real.
Yasmin Evans – Radio and TV Broadcaster
What keeps you up at night?
Overthinking and worrying that I’m not representing myself in the best way. Letting my side down by not behaving the way I should.
What do you want people to take away from your talk?
I want people to be able to relieve the pressure that they may feel to be something and to feel they should know where they need to be in life. I rather them realise that the journey is more beneficial than the destination and the “ideal” and/or “dream”
What do you wish someone had told you at 20?
I wish that someone told me that one day I’d be happier than I am right now and to not put pressure on keeping my happiness. Everything else I’d keep a secret because I feel like as my life has revealed itself it has been that much more beautiful because I never expected it!
TEDxUniversityOfManchester 2018 takes place on Saturday, March 17th at the Bright Building. Tickets are on sale now.
