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Month: February 2016

Feature: The #OscarsSoWhite controversy

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Do the Oscars have a major diversity crisis?

If you’re a fellow cinephile, you’ve probably been keeping up with the current torrent that is award season, and have most probably stumbled upon the most talked about topic: #OscarsSoWhite.

Once again, just like last year, people of minority different groups were shut out of all the acting categories and were noticeably missing from behind-the-camera categories as well. Although it is not exactly surprising, it is still frustrating that despite there being so many critically acclaimed films helmed by people of colour, the Academy decides to reward some of the most mediocre movies this year. The black actor and director of Creed were overlooked for their stellar work and instead Sylvester Stallone gets an Oscar nod. Straight Outta Compton scored a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, but the writers are white. Beasts of No Nation has been making waves in all other award shows but was completely ignored by the Academy. Latino actor Oscar Isaac’s performance in Ex Machina went unrecognized as well. The list goes on.

The media hasn’t hesitated to get soundbites on it from prolific personalities in the industry. Fraternity members such as Spike Lee, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith are boycotting the Oscars; and Lupita Nyong’o and Idris Elba have also expressed their disappointment. Yet Whoopi Goldberg commented that it can’t be that racist since they once gave her an Oscar. Not quite sure how that logic works, but alright.

Some White actors agree with the complaints—George Clooney being one of the few who have called Hollywood out on its lack of diversity. Emma Thompson joked that you either have to wait for the old, white men running the show to die off, or kill them off slowly.

Sadly, there are a few white actors out there who remain completely clueless. Helen Mirren, who has been nominated for role in Trumbo, reckons that the lack of diversity just happened to work out that way this year and that perhaps the audience doesn’t want to watch movies about child soldiers—even though such a film didn’t fail to get recognised elsewhere. Kristen Stewart suggested that if they want to be included they should stop complaining and “do something”. Something? Is Kristen Stewart suggesting that she is more sought after than Tessa Thompson or Gugu Mbatha-Raw by doing something more than they did? The most recent and irritating response came from the beloved Meryl Streep, who dismissed the problem by saying: “We’re all from Africa originally.” It’s disheartening to see how oblivious they are to their white privilege.

The only time black actors and filmmakers seemed to catch the attention of the Academy is slavery films, and much less films about daily modern life. It’s clear that part of the solution would be an overhaul of the Academy—whose members are currently overwhelmingly White and male. Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the first African American woman to hold this position), has promised that drastic changes will be made to better reflect the diversity of society within the Academy. This issue is a symptom of the racism that still persists in society today, so attitudes will need to change on the outside as well.

– Parizad Mangi

 

Or should the Academy Awards be solely based on merit?

Yes it is, indeed it is white for the last two years and a lot of people are not happy about it, the Oscars are so white that the President of Academy of Motion Pictures and Science (Cheryl Boone Isaacs) for the last two years belongs to a minority (racial/ethnic minorities), it is so white that among the three recipients of the Governors Award also belong to people of other ethnicities like Spike Lee, and the recipient of both Best Director and Best Picture nominations also going to Alejandro. G. Iñárritu. Moreover, films like Boy and the World by Ale Abreu, When Marnie Was There by Hiromasha Yonebayashi (Animated Feature Film), Theeb by Naji Abu Nowar (Foreign Language Film), Amy by Asif Kapadia (Documentary feature), A Girl in the River by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Documentary Short), Ave Maria by Basil Khalil (Live Action Short film), Sanjay’s Super Team by Sanjay Patel (Animated Short film), and ‘Earned It’ from Fifty Shades of Grey by Ahamad Balshe (Original Song) got nominated for different important categories. These might not be an overwhelming number of nominations, but they are enough to prove the fact that it is not totally dominated by white nominees.

This also proves that to get nominated for the Oscars, you don’t have to belong to certain type of ethnicity. It is instead, purely on the basis of merit—which doesn’t mean that the films that were not nominated are not good, because they are really good. In fact, the whole year was really good for films. But the point is, to be nominated, the films need to be of excellent standards. The same Academy Awards (with perhaps a few changes in its members) being criticised for the lack of diversity in the nominations, gave 12 Years a Slave an Oscar for Best Picture. And this was not because of the colour of the director, but because of the merit. At the end of the day, a film award should just be decided by the quality of the films.

The debate should be about the process of nominations, they should be more transparent and people should know the number of votes given to a particular film or any other category—for which the nominees are selected. The debate should be about the talent agencies that are a gateway to the industries—where the representation of the ethnic minorities is really feeble—and was also pointed out in the 2015 Hollywood Diversity report.

– Mritunjay Sharma

Top 5: Oscar-nominated costumes

Written by Jane Simmons on . Posted in Film.

5) Atonement
This stunning adaptation of Ian McEwan’s tragic love story was nominated for Best Costume Design in 2008, and it is easy to see why from Kiera Knightley’s iconic, flowing emerald dress, an iconic piece of costume designed in our era.

 

4) Sleepy Hollow
Tim Burton’s go-to costume designer Colleen Atwood has been nominated for Best Costume Design for the Academy Awards countless times due to her distinctive and recognisable style of gothic costume that has inspired and enthralled audiences for generations. Boasting her signature black and white stripes, blood red dresses, and embossments of incredible detail, it is clear to see why Tim Burton works so well with her. Sleepy Hollow stands out particularly for Christina Ricci’s striking black and white gown in a town full of morbid black garments.

 

3) All About Eve
This lavish film won Best Costume Design in 1951 for its glamorous ball gowns, stylishly flaunted by Hollywood star Bette Davis. A little known actress Marilyn Monroe also makes a cameo appearance. Filmed in black and white, we can’t see their colours, but it is still wholly possible to swoon at the aura of those incredible cocktail dresses.

 

2) American Hustle
Nominated for Best Costume Design for the 2014 Academy Awards. The luscious, suave seventies costumes for the aptly stylish O. But American Hustle was beaten to the award by The Great Gatsby. Exuding a glittery, sea-green mode of jumpsuits from Amy Adams and pure brown and mauve suits for Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper, the wardrobe for American Hustle really was something else.

 

1) Room with a View
This period drama starring Helena Bonham-Carter won an Oscar in 1985 from the outstanding designs from London costumiers John Bright and Jenny Beavan. Room with a View was a game changer in theatrical costume design as it distinguished costume from period clothing. Whilst the costumes were made from scratch for purely theatrical purposes, the designs for Room with a View were based on original period patterns, rendering them all the more authentic.

The memoirs of toddler tailoring and adolescent atrocities

Written by Sophie Soar on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

When hearing about friends’ childhood wardrobes, numerous favourites resurface from the early noughties era: white tights and light up shoes at the age of 5, pinafores and dungarees aged 7, and matching sibling outfits (until 18, if some mothers have their way). The eclectic scattering of family photographs around the house often tell an interesting story of our parents’ control what we wore, until free reign was finally given and we could dress ourselves.

Whilst I, too, was subject to Mini Boden knitted cardigans, teddy bear pyjamas, and the gift from Grandma forced upon me for every visit, my parents were perhaps a little more liberal with my input to compiling my wardrobe (and probably liable for sparking my interest in fashion).

Whilst the fairy costume and Barbie heels were a personal favourite, Jeans for Genes Day saw the annual emergence of my denim catsuit (along with the inevitable fight with my best friend who wanted to wear it, too). Stripped tights, tutus, and florescent beads were another that emerged at the school discos, and even an electric blue pair of leather flares—an item I still regret throwing away to this day.

I also confess, with my head downcast, to my 12-year-old obsession with the idea of owning a pair of jeans in every colour; this I quickly gave up on after pocket money ran out five pairs into my mission. This still could never rival the Jack Wills phase when I was 14, for which I had to borrow my friend’s clothes to brandish the JW logo as my mother deemed it ‘too expensive’ (Pfft, as if).

Photo: The Mancunion

In amongst these carefree “fashion” choices, I also learnt the important lesson of the lasting impression clothes can have on a person. The day I started secondary school, I panicked for fear of not making a good impression and I turned to my dear Mum to save the day. My friends still won’t let me live down the moment I walked through the door with leather boots, a khaki mini skirt, a fur shrug, sunglasses poised on my head, and a t-shirt with the slogan:”Who Needs Chocolate, I’m Sweet Enough”. I continue to blame her to this day…

But some loves never change, even when cultivated from a young age. My favourite orange velvet dress I wore every day for a year (along with the liberating freedom of not having to vary accessories at 6-years-old) still remains to be my favourite colour and fabric. My current daily footwear of clomping lace-up  heels also scarily resemble the school shoes I eventually convinced my Mum to buy me in Year 5, which were soon renamed the “clod hoppers” as I stomped from room to room.

It was an eclectic collection and I often look back in slight bewilderment at what I deemed the height of cool. However, it is a rite of passage of every child as they explore who they are and how they shape their personality through their dress; mine would apparently be mad and rather scary.

Mostly, I applaud my parent’s never-ending patience (probably mixed in with extreme amusement) as they witnessed one car crash outfit after another. They smiled politely to avoid any teenage tantrums over their dislike for what I deemed to be life-essential choices every time I walked out the door. However, I must especially thank my mother who, to this day, I shall forever praise for calmly talking me out of creating tops from our spare pillowcases, and most nobly with a straight face.

Top 5: Iconic Beauty Looks

Written by Laura Mills on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

1. Cleopatra

Perhaps one of the earliest beauty icons, Cleopatra has remained a classic influence throughout time and has had her looks recreated and portrayed by actresses such as Elizabeth Taylor and Angelina Jolie. It could be argued that she wore one of the most recognisable make up looks ever. Whilst her reign is long over, her iconic peacock blue theatrical shadow combined with heavily applied kohl liner has stood the test of time. She even has a Charlotte Tilbury product named after her.

2. Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn is perhaps one of the most well known beauty icons to date. With her short blonde curls and classic red lip, Marilyn was the emblem of the traditional 50s pin-up look and she epitomised Hollywood glamour. Not only has she had a Charlotte Tilbury product named after her, she’s appeared as the 2015 Face of Max Factor and an ambassador of Chanel No.5 long after her death. Not many have achieved that kind of beauty recognition.

3. Twiggy

The supermodel of the 60s trademarked the mod make up style with her dramatic lashes and iconic liner. Think lashings upon lashings of mascara, fake lashes and drawn on bottom lashes, and you’re almost there. Paired with a blocked out nude lip, a bold brow, and a short pixie haircut, Twiggy embodied the mod movement and it’s easy to see why she was the icon of the decade.

4. David Bowie

Whether he was covered in glitter as Ziggy Stardust, rocking a lightning bolt as Aladdin Sane, slicking back his hair as the Thin White Duke, or working some seriously dramatic liner as the Goblin King in Labyrinth; Bowie’s constant reinvention and varying beauty styles made him a true icon. His reigning presence and influential make up adaptations lasted well throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and he completely threw gender norms out of the window. His sense of style and choice of make up was untamed and unapologetic. He simply did not care, which is why so many loved him so much.

5. Grace Jones

The legendary singer and supermodel symbolised the classic 80s dramatic style of make up. Her staple look was bold, angled blusher, heavily contoured cheeks, striking eyeliner, and a dash of neon eye shadow; whether that be blue, pink, orange, purple, or yellow. Combine this with her androgynous hairstyle and daring fashion choices; Jones was a true beauty icon of the 80s.

Ticket price battle won by supporters but war must rage on

Written by Daniel Austin on . Posted in Sport.

Following a mass protest by supporters of Liverpool Football Club during a Premier League match, the club’s owner, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have issued a sensational apology and have withdrawn plans to greatly increase the cost of general admission tickets to Anfield in a move that represents a victory for supporter power everywhere.

The American investment group had planned to usher in tickets up to £77 from the beginning of the 2016-17 season, which caused anger amongst the supporter base. Fan groups subsequently organised a walkout in the 77th minute of the game against Sunderland, which saw roughly 15,000 fans leave the ground early. Banners were held aloft depicting the Merseyside club’s iconic Liverbird lifting a fan upside down and emptying his pockets, while repeated cries of “enough is enough” were loud and clear as hordes of people exited the stadium.

The price raise was due to take place in spite of a heavily increased television rights deal that saw Sky Sports and BT Sports spend a combined £5.1 billion to broadcast the Premier League in the UK, from which all 20 clubs will benefit greatly starting this summer. Fans took exception to the fact that the club was seeking even more money from loyal supporters in spite of such a windfall.

In contrast to previous attempts to justify the hefty increase, FSG released a statement reading “message received”, explaining that the incensed reaction of supporters had led them to reverse their pricing proposals and instead announce a freeze on costs for the next two seasons. The most expensive general admission ticket to Anfield will now remain at £59 for the foreseeable future.

FSG’s exceptionally quick turnaround on the price issue demonstrates two things: that fan power remains an extraordinarily powerful tool, and that the increases were so inconsequential to the club’s overall earnings that they could be easily removed in one-fell-swoop.

In fact, the amount of money all Premier League clubs will earn on the back of the bumper TV deal means that they could allow every single fan free entry and still make more money than in the past few years.

It is certainly not just supporters of Liverpool that face frankly ludicrous admission charges. This season, fans of Arsenal must pay a minimum of £1,014 for a regular season ticket, and even West Ham United charge up to an obscene £95 to see a single game at Upton Park. Whilst clubs seek to squeeze every last penny from increasingly disenfranchised supporters, the BBC found the average price of the cheapest tickets in the Premier League had doubled in comparison to the cost of cost of living since 2011. Ticket prices have risen at a rate of roughly 1000 per cent since 1989, just prior to the Premier League’s inception in 1992.

The fight to lower ticket prices has now reached a pivotal point; with the debate having dominated the back pages for the past week, a recent segment of analysis on Match of the Day was devoted to an uncharacteristically passionate declaration from Alan Shearer, who said: “I don’t think any fan in the country, at all, should be asked to pay more for tickets next season. If anything fans should be rewarded for their loyalty. Give them [tickets] for £10, £20.”

Fans currently have the ascendency—clubs are either already backing down slightly, or are being questioned about their pricing regimes by supporters and assorted media. With the standard now having been set at Anfield, demonstrations from fans nationwide could see clubs everywhere put under real, meaningful pressure to lower prices, as it remains clear that they will receive little help from the Premier League itself or elsewhere.

In a recent meeting of all 20 Premier League clubs, only Everton FC were willing to “loudly” discuss measures to reduce the cost of tickets for away supporters, according to The Daily Mail.

This issue has also been raised in the House of Commons by Labour MP Clive Efford. Prime Minister David Cameron (a self-declared supporter of both West Ham and Aston Villa, and any other team that plays in claret and blue if his speech writers happen to drop the ball again) declared football ticket prices “a problem” in Parliament last week and stated he would consider “looking into” a meeting with the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) and proposals by the Labour Party to place an elected supporter representative on the board of all football clubs.

Supporters up and down the land probably shouldn’t hold their collective breath, though. The Conservatives are not exactly known for championing the underdog in the fight against corporations, and may not wish to risk upsetting an industry that contributes £684 million to the UK economy annually from tourism alone. Mr. Cameron and his Chancellor George Osbourne’s affiliation and regular meetings with media mogul Rupert Murdoch may well play a factor, too. The Australian’s BSkyB holds the rights to broadcast the majority of Premier League games, for which it shelled out £4.2 billion to cover the years 2016-2019. Cheaper ticket prices would enable more supporters to regularly attend games, in lieu of rarer visits from foreign tourists, potentially reducing the viewership for Sky Sports’ football offering in the UK.

The demonstration of a united front from all supporters (possibly under the FSF banner), therefore, remains the best way for football fans to seek genuine positive change on the ticket price issue. But supporters often use issues of money and class as a means of division and an extension of rivalry, as opposed to a basis for unification.

Take, for example, regular terrace chants such as “we pay your benefits,” and “you’ll never get a job.” The reality is that those on benefits and without jobs have long been unable to afford to attend a Premier League game. Job Seekers Allowance stands at roughly £50-£75 per week—barely enough to live on never mind enough to buy a match ticket with. Whether a fan is unemployed, a student, in a low paid job or has a family to provide for, attending football matches is either already an impossibility or fast becoming one. Mocking those struggling in such a difficult socio-economic environment as there is at present seriously undermines the clear fact that all football fans, regardless of perceived wealth, should be able to watch their team play football every once in a while.

Supporters are certainly not a financially homogenous group, as demonstrated by YouGov’s Profile LITE aggregator. According to the software, fans of Arsenal are, on average, likely to have up to £499 spare each month, and be able to afford far more expensive tickets, than supporters of Everton, for example, who have less than £125 to spare. Both can agree on one thing, though; according to YouGov’s “favourite celebrities” section, they bloody love Kay Burley.

Those differences between clubs, however, do not alter the fact that all fans are being routinely ripped off.

For clarity, the inference should not be that rival supporters join arms forever and no longer take pleasure in intense, tribal rivalry. Nobody wants to watch West Ham United and Milwall fans skipping round the East End hand-in-hand throwing flowers to passersby. Sheer, unbridled, and often baseless hatred is one of the integral bedrocks on which the game is built and one which much never be eschewed. But scandalous ticket prices are a major problem facing every single supporter in the country, and only unity can help to combat it.

Supporters of Liverpool Football Club came together to fight for fairer prices and managed a significant victory on the basis of one mass walk-out. If the whole nation of football supporters can work together, and take the necessary measures to protest, they can ensure the fight is taken further in order to win the war as well as the battle.

Teacup at Manchester Museum

Written by Hope Rapp on . Posted in Food & Drink.

February: A betwixt and between month that faces the unenviable task of shaking off the remnants of jaded January. With days that don’t seem to ever get light and raging rainstorms that see furrowed brows and faces turned firmly down, it’s safe to say spirits can feel slightly dampened at this time of year. Resolutions may be slipping and the reality of the next set of deadlines already appear to be looming. But fear not! Warmth, comfort and cheer is much closer than you think. In fact, it is just around the corner.

Next time you are making your way through the dingy drizzle, be sure to turn your tired eyes and cold toes into the Manchester Museum and its newly refurbished cafe. Covered by the scaffolded walkway opposite University Place, it can easily be missed, but right on campus, the tempting ‘Teacup’ awaits. Sister to the popular Northern Quarter haunt, ‘Teacup’ has popped up in the Museum to satisfy cake and caffeine cravings. Although not quite the same quirky and cozy atmosphere that Northern Quarter provides, the Museum offers the perfect destination for a quick afternoon tea break or a soup/salad lunch.

Mouth watering pastries and scones are on offer, but, seeing the famous, proudly displayed, decadent cakes meant the flourless chocolate cake and carrot cake at £4.50-£5.00 each, had to be ordered. As for hot drinks, the extensive list of loose leaf teas posed a trickier decision with so many on offer. But recommended by the friendly waitress, we went for the cheering label of ‘Sunshine Earl’ and ‘Tippy Earl’ which, with names like that, were simply begging to be tried.

Arriving with a triple tea timer, your tea is brewed to the strength of your choice; weak, medium or strong; a simple yet excellent touch for the art of perfect tea which made all the difference. Whilst the ‘Tippy’ and ‘Sunshine’ infused, we devoted our attention to the sweet delights. A huge helping of carroty sponge and a dark gooey chocolatey slice accompanied by a scoop of clotted cream, lay before us on pretty afternoon tea plates. True to its description “the chocolate cake to beat all chocolate cakes”, a melt-in-your-mouth moment was experienced at every bite. It’s thick, indulgent texture was dangerously good; for any chocoholic this is the one for you; for anyone indifferent, this chocolate cake will convert you. Gluten free too, it is one for everyone.

The carrot cake on the other hand, although it looked deliciously moist from afar, was surprisingly gritty and a little dry to taste. The thick layer of cream cheese frosting scattered with coconut flakes slightly made up for this disappointment, but even so, it appears that Teacup’s display of deliciousness definitely pleases the eye more than the tastebuds. The display definitely runs the danger of being deceptive. However, you cannot fault the friendly service, generous helpings and free hot water top ups, there was no stinginess in sight. I would definitely recommend a visit for any tea lovers with the Sunshine Earl beaming with hints of perfumed and citrus fragrance, whilst the Tippy had a stronger edge and fuller body to it with the famous Earl Grey blend of bergamot.

If you are passing by, definitely pop your head into Teacup. A lovely alternative to the usual cafes on campus and an afternoon tea experience that will lift the spirits on a damp February day. Although, if you are looking for the proper deal, be sure to head to Teacup in Northern Quarter where the chirpy and cozy cafe atmosphere is certainly the icing on the cake.
Price £££

Food 3/5

Drinks 4/5

Service 4/5

Atmosphere 3/5

Value 3/5

Chelsea 5-1 Manchester City

Written by Harry Newton on . Posted in Sport.

Goals

Diego Costa, 34th minute.

David Faupala, 36th minute.

Willian, 47th minute.

Gary Cahill, 52nd minute.

Edin Hazard, 66th minute.

Bertrand Traoré , 88th minute

If this game was a song: MGMT – Kids

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

This game saw City field a lot of teenagers! Tosin Adarabioyo, Cameron Humphreys, Aleix García, Manu García, Bersant Celina, Brandon Barker, and David Faupala all featured. Despite the headline, all these players impressed to some extent. Only a few moments of inexperience let the side down, which can be expected for such a young team. In the first half the youngsters didn’t even look remotely out of their depth. The future is bright!

Big Moments

13th minute: Pedro hits the post early on, after Cesc Fàbregas turned on the style to beat the offside trap.

34th minute: GOAL. Fàbregas was at it again, as he played through Hazard, who sent a looping ball in for Costa to head in.

36th minute: GOAL. Faupala equalizes after a 1-2 with Iheanacho opened up the Chelsea defense and he tapped in from two yards for a well deserved goal.

40th minute: A great reaction save from Willy Caballero keeps Pedro’s header at bay.

47th minute: GOAL. Willian runs through the City midfield in a quick counter-attack to lay off to Hazard. Hazard returns the favour and Willian breaks the offside trap to score and set the tone for the second half.

52nd minute: GOAL. The ball drops to Cahill after a Chelsea attack and he hits it hard through Caballero and into the net.

66th minute: GOAL. Hazard sends Caballero the wrong way with a free kick and puts the ball in the far corner of the goal.

69th minute: SUBSTITUTIONS. Pedro and Costa make way for Traoré and Oscar.

73rd minute: PENALTY. In a strange refereeing decision, Chelsea were awarded a penalty on behalf of a Martín Demichelis foul. The harsh decision was met with karma as Cabellero saved Oscar’s penalty.

89th minute: GOAL. Traoré makes it five with a looping header that confused the City defence and keeper to go in off the woodwork.

Stat of the Game

City ended the game with three Mancunians on the pitch: Tosin Adarabioyo, Cameron Humphreys, and Brandon Barker.

CoinGate

Saturday saw West Brom’s firey left back/winger Chris Brunt pelted by a coin from his very own fans. The fan threw the coin in frustration at Brunt and then were met by his fiery response! West Brom’s own fans turned against the fan that threw the coin, as this is something that young children will watch and replicate themselves. The fear as soon as this act had happened was that this could catch on around the game and other idiots would feel it is an acceptable thing to do. Fast forward to Sunday’s match between Chelsea and Manchester City, and it seems the fears have come to fruition.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

As City scored their equalizer, some Chelsea fans pelted the celebrating players with coins. This is a bad example to other fans, an act of idiocy, and an even more disgusting thing to do when you consider that the players they were aiming these coins at were aged 17-19.

Football fans have often been brandished as a bad example through the decades due to violence and disrespectful chanting, but it seemed to have relaxed in Britain over the last five to ten years. Hopefully, this is a slight blip in the relationship between fans and players, and the guilty fans will be given a ban from football grounds in an attempt to combat the football hooligan stereotype.

You’ve gotta be Hiddink me?

Chelsea have spent most of this season playing dismal football that has seen them slump down the Premier League table. The City fans reminded the Chelsea fans of this during the game by labelling them in chants as ‘the worst Champions ever.’ Despite this, Chelsea decided that today was the day they would turn back up to the party! Bad luck for City eh? Fàbregas, Costa, and Hazard woke up from their slumber and turned on the style that we were so used to last season, and gave City’s youngsters a baptism of fire. This is an experience that City’s unexperienced players will remember forever and learn from, as some of Chelsea’s quick passing play was beautiful, and the space that Fàbregas found himself in at some points was nothing short of excellent. It seems that whatever Guus Hiddink has done to his Chelsea side has worked wonders, as he won his sixth FA Cup game out of six. The 5-1 score line is a little bit generous to the London side nonetheless, as City put up a good fight, especially in the first half.

Quote of the Presser

Guus Hiddink on coin throwing: “We condemn it and I condemn it strongly. Those people must not come into stadiums.”

Debut-iful display

Much of City’s team made their debut against Chelsea in this FA Cup tie, or were adding to their one or two appearances. Despite this, they did not seem fazed at all! Errors from experienced players today seemed to cost City, as the youngsters turned up with little fear. Every now and then the inexperience crept in, however this could be expected against a side of high calibre. Let’s take a closer look at each of the youngsters and their game…

Tosin Adarabioyo,—The England U18 player impressed the most out of all the youngsters, as he slotted straight into the back four and didn’t look out of place. He will be disappointed at conceding five goals, however he made a few fantastic blocks and strong challenges. Early in the first half a moment stood out where he battled with Diego Costa when the Spaniard looked like he would storm through any defender to score.

7/10

A.García—Watching the communication between Garcia and Fernando throughout the game was fascinating, as it was evident that the young midfielder was learning a lot from the experience. As a defensive midfielder he played well, and occasionally we saw an added side to his game where he showed skill and an attacking sense. Looks like he could be good enough to make it with a little more time.

6/10

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

M.García—He helped Zabaleta out defensively down the wing, and this was effective in the first half. He had a few surges forward that looked dangerous, however seemed to run out of energy in the second half. This is expected against Chelsea, when the London team were in such a motivated mood, so he shouldn’t let his head drop.                                                                                        6/10

Bersant Celina—Had a great run-out against Leicester a couple weeks back, as he set up Sergio Agüero for a goal. This game, however, City mainly attacked down the other wing and he didn’t see much of the ball. Showed signs of promise however and has time on his side.                         6/10

Sinan Bytyqi: Wikimedia Commons

David Faupala—This French striker’s first half was fantastic alongside Kelechi Iheanacho! He was closing down Chelsea’s back four quickly and throwing himself into challenges defensively and further up the pitch. Early on in the first half he cleverly got the ball past Cahill and Branislav Ivanović using a cheeky nutmeg in the process, to pull off a superb shot that Thibaut Courtois had to save! Didn’t look out of his depth, but City’s attacking threat slowed down in the second half.

7/10

Brandon Barker—When the Englishman made his entrance to the game, Chelsea were already out of reach. However, he still showed what he had to offer with showed glimpses of talent down the left wing! As soon as he came on he created a couple of chances and it looked like City may be able to salvage a less heavy score line. Alas, it was not enough.

6/10

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Cameron Humphreys—Wasn’t on the pitch for too long, however this lad is definitely one to keep an eye out for, as he got his chance at only 17!

Men of the Match

Cesc Fàbregas

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

After a dismal first half of the season, the Spaniard is finally starting to display the kind of form that he showed last season! This game saw him pop up in pockets of space all over the field and pinging balls around that any team would have struggled against—never mind such a young team! A classy display from the midfielder sees him as Man of the Match far above any other player on the field.

Tosin Adarabioyo

It may seem odd to choose a centre-back for Man of the Match after a 5-1 defeat, but this young lad can hold his head high after his display! The experienced and usually reliable Demichelis was having an off day, but Adarabioyo was on hand to help the back four through the game and gain crucial experience on the way. His positioning play was fantastic, and despite his slight stature, he was strong on and off the ball. Don’t be surprised if we see this young lad again this season.

Will it be worth it?

City fielded a lesser team in this match in order to accommodate for the Champions League in midweek. Pellegrini said that his 13 man squad weren’t fit enough to play both games at full strength, so he sacrificed his first team players today for the youngsters. If City lose in midweek this may make this decision look strange, so fingers crossed for the game against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League this week!

Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird author, dies aged 89

Written by Yasmin Mannan on . Posted in Books.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee created perhaps the most significant literary testament to the racial hardships of the American south in history. It won her both a Pulitzer prize and a presidential medal of freedom in 2007. In July 2015, its sequel Go Set a Watchman was published, even though Lee consistently said that she had no intention of publishing more works. There has been some controversy over whether Lee gave her blessing for the sequel to be published. Nevertheless, it is To Kill A Mockingbird, which has sold over 40 million copies, that has defined Lee’s literary career.

Here are some of Mancunion Books’ favourite quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird:

1. ‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view; until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it’

2. ‘“Atticus, he was real nice.”
“Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them”’

3. ‘They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions… but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience’

4. ‘I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.’

5. “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash”

This following, final quote is indicative of how Lee showed us the racial troubles of the American south through the innocent eyes of a child and how innate human compassion could triumph despite how bad we have treated, and indeed are treating, each other.

6. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

Interview: David Hartley

Written by Roma Havers on . Posted in Books.

On Monday 1st of February, I interviewed David Hartley about his upcoming book of short stories, Spiderseed. I was familiar with some of his work, from going to some of his performances around Manchester and was excited to get an insight into his new project. According to David, Spiderseed is a collection of flash fiction with a “weird edge”, illustrated beautifully by Emily Ingle and published by Sleepy House Press. Knowing he had previously self-published, I was interested in what Sleepy House Press had added to the process this time. Hartley praised in particular, their additional editorial eye and fresh enthusiasm. He recounted one particularly amusing correction happened when the editors were reading a story about a Manta Ray had actually been about a Mantra Ray until that mistake had been spotted.

Next, I asked David about his decision in choosing to write flash fiction. A style of writing perhaps less often explored, I wondered how he had come across it and what about it attracted him. David Hartley noted that it seemed the best fit, especially in light of his experiment, upon leaving the University of Manchester in 2008, where he attempted to write a short story every week for a year. So being able to write something complete and in short periods of time would work best. Around this time, he also started attending spoken word events around Manchester, where an average of 5 minute sets meant being concise was important.

As someone who tries to perform at spoken word events regularly, I was interested in his opinion on how reading work out loud changes it, and how his work adapted between the spoken and the read. The most important thing to consider, Hartley noted, is that when you’re speaking to a crowd, maybe halfway through a night, maybe tired, maybe not listening, you have to hook them on the first line. I personally remember being hooked by one of his stories about a fox at a Hallowe’en reading. He also noted the importance of judging an audience.

Next, I wanted to know how he writes, maybe an age-old question, but it is one I think tells a great deal about a writer. Myself being a prolific bus stop writer, I wondered if he ever wrote in public. No, was the short answer, he prefers to write in his study surrounded by his books. And when I mentioned inspiration, Hartley described Adam Marek’s analogy of his brain being like a gambit machine, with the first wheel being formative memories, the second being ideas from places, and the third being what you’re looking at. And every time you try to write, the lever is pulled and sometimes the three wheels  line up perfectly to create something. I think this is a wonderful way of describing inspiration, but I was particularly interested in what kinds of images keep spinning on David’s gambit machine. Animals seem to appear frequently in Hartley’s stories—particularly in Spiderseed—in weird and wonderful ways. He attributed this perhaps to his time volunteering at Manchester’s RSPCA where he became increasingly bothered about the treatment of animals. He also suggested that he had more recently realised how often his childhood experience of growing up with his sister Jenny—who is autistic—and her unique view of the world, appeared in his writing one way or another. His story, Fly faces these experiences head on.

Lastly, I was interested in the role that Manchester and the university had played in his writing.Having studied film, English and drama at the University of Manchester 10 years ago, and choosing to stay for another seven years, Hartley noted that, during his time here, he didn’t venture much away from the Oxford Road Corridor. But when he decided he would be settling here after graduating, he began to explore the city. He realised the diversity and complexity of the city and the events going on around it. He met plenty of older writers and joined Manchester Speculative Fiction Group, who still meet often and perform at events such as Verbose at Fallow Café. The city has much to offer for writers of all kinds and is well worth exploring.

I very much appreciated David Hartley taking time out of his day to meet with me, and being so open and honest with his answers to my questioning. I really recommend both seeking out Spiderseed and his spoken word event in Stretford Sip Club, Speakeasy, the next event being on the 3rd of March, and the writer’s workshop beforehand.

Spiderseed will be available from the 25th February on Kindle, Sleepy House Press’ website and davidhartleywriter.com. There will also be a launch party on the 25th February at The Castle Hotel, Manchester. Both Sleepy House Press and David Hartley can be found on Twitter at @zzzhousepress and @dhartleywriter.

Preview: Chelsea vs. Manchester City

Written by Harry Newton on . Posted in Sport.

This weekend sees the return of the beautiful competition that is the FA Cup. England’s most romantic competition is back, and the balls out of the hat have produced a match-up between last year’s title candidates! Chelsea play host to Manchester City in a match that will see both sides having different priorities. Manuel Pellegrini has already stated that he will be fielding an inexperienced young side for City, as he wants to prioritise the Champions League game two days after this game. Chelsea, however, do not play in Europe next week and will be looking to push on in the cup. City playing youngsters may seem like a disadvantage, however this will put less pressure on City to win—which is welcomed at such a high-pressured period in City’s season after back-to-back losses. This could work in City’s favour down in Stamford Bridge, and offer the fans another Wembley run.

Main Battle:

This is a difficult one this week, as Manuel Pellegrini has given an indication that the whole team will have to change in order to keep fit for the midweek Champions League match—thus giving the youngsters a chance. So this may be horribly wrong due to the unpredictability of the starting eleven for Sunday’s FA Cup tie.

Kelechi Iheanacho vs. Thibaut Courtois

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Kelechi Iheanacho has managed to cement his position in the first team squad this season with some fantastic performances, especially in the cup competitions. This is a game where we will see Iheanacho have to become a leader and show his experience to some of the younger lads that will be coming in to play for the first time. It is him who has set the standard for the other young players trying to break into the team, so it is him who must set the standard for this game. With Wilfried Bony coming back to fitness at City, Iheanacho will be looking to impress and rise above the Ivorian in the ranking order, and there is no better way to do that than beating an experienced Chelsea time and putting the ball past the best goalkeeper in the country.

Last Time: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City

Last season at Stamford Bridge the match ended 1-1 with David Silva being City’s goal scorer. This tends to be the pattern when City go to Chelsea, as they’re a hard team to break down. But this season has been very different; in August, City ran out 3-0 winners in Manchester which began a set of results that saw José Mourinho surprisingly sacked. City’s form against the big teams hasn’t been the best this season, so it’s a good job that City initiated Chelsea’s terrible season earlier this year and now leave them slumped in 12th position, only nine points off the relegation zone.

Injuries:

·         Bacary Sagna: started training today so is not too far away from a recovery.

·         Wilfried Bony: started working on the pitch this week. Needs one more week at least.

·         Eliaquim Mangala: one week expected.

·         Samir Nasri: long-term.

·         Kevin de Bruyne: long-term.

·         Fabian Delph: long-term.

Fixture pile-up

In the pre-match press conference, Manuel Pellegrini stated that City would not have won the league in his first season if they had continued in the FA Cup due to the fixture pile-up. City had three games postponed that season so would have to play catch-up with midweek games, thus making it difficult to battle on all four fronts. Pellegrini said that at this moment it is not possible for any English side to win all four trophies due to the amount of midweek games that the Premier League has. City face a similar problem this weekend as they will play Chelsea on Sunday, and then travel on Monday to Russia for their Champions League match. Juventus have had their league game pushed back to Friday in order to make it easier for them to perform in the Champions League, but the FA have ignored City’s calls for a Saturday kick-off.

Quote of the presser:

“We always try to play with a strong team in every competition—they are all important. But, we must prioritise the Champions League.” – Manuel Pellegrini.

The Youth of Today

With Pellegrini admitting that he will be giving a few of the Elite Development Squad a chance to play this weekend, it only seems fair to introduce a few.

Cameron Humphreys is one that we will most likely see play on Sunday, as he has been featured on the City bench a few times already this season. The made his senior debut earlier this season against Chelsea’s fellow relegation strugglers, Aston Villa. Humphreys is a centre back who could break into the City team in the future on a more regular basis, as he is already showing promise at only 17 years old! He played for City in pre-season against Real Madrid, so Chelsea should be easy right?

Manu Garcia is more experienced in the first team than Humphreys, as he has played double the amount of games… two. In his two performances for City, Garcia has scored one goal and got the City fans very excited about what is lurking in our EDS. Similar to David Silva in his style of play, with an added defensive bite, the sky is the limit for Garcia and his tricky feet.

With Sergio Agüero and Iheanacho being the only fit forwards for City at the moment, and Agüero warranting a rest, this opens the door for an EDS forward, like Sinan Bytyqi. The forward is good for two things; a fantastic score on Scrabble, and pinpoint free-kicks. At 21 he will now be looking to push on in his career and this would be a great opportunity for this.

Sinan Bytyqi: Wikimedia Commons

Chelsea

Chelsea have had a funny old season. Despite being the champions last season, the Blues have been playing more like a Championship side, as they haven’t left the bottom half of the table in a long time. Guus Hiddink has taken control after Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties earlier this season, and things have slightly improved. A spot in Europe is out of the question for Chelsea, so they will be looking to prosper in the cup in order to gain European football for next season by that route.

City need to make sure they don’t underestimate Chelsea, as they will definitely pull a performance out of the bag in a vital game of their season. Despite how City are going to field a young side, Chelsea will field the best team available to them, so it will be a big challenge. With the likes of Willian and Diego Costa likely to play, City need to be switched on if they are to get anything from this game.

Prediction

With City currently struggling with fixture pile-ups and a smaller squad at their disposal, it only seems fitting and in true ‘typical City’ fashion for this game to end as a draw and go to a replay.

Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City.

Interview: James

Written by Hannah Brierley on . Posted in Music.

17th February 2016

I’m sitting in the Malmaison Hotel reception area, waiting for the band to come over. Jim Glennie and Saul Davies approach and I stand up to shake their hands. Immediately I have the urge to burst out the lyrics ‘oh sit down, sit down next to me’ …but I then think about how many times people must have done that before, and swiftly decide against it.

Being described as Manchester’s ‘best kept secret’, the two members reminisce about their university days and how they met. Saul tells me that he studied Law originally but left because it was ‘fucking bollocks’. He then went on to study Archaeology and Ancient History, on the basis that you do nothing about nothing.

The band very much fell together, they explain. You can understand why some hippie dippie people believe in shit like fate. Jim clarifies that in his younger years he was best friends with ex-bandmate Paul Gilbertson; however, they had an argument and fell out for a year. When they rekindled their friendship, while Jim had commitments to play football and games, Paul had reinvented himself and delved into the world of music, and made it his mission to educate Jim. He recalls a time in particular, when he was dragged into his friend’s house and was made to listen to ‘Psycho Killer’ by Talking Heads and repeating to him ‘YOU WILL NOW APPRECIATE MUSIC.’

Pre-James, Jim and Paul met lead singer Tim Booth in the Manchester Student Union underground bar, or as we know it today, Club Academy. Jim laughs that they used to go there a lot and were too broke to buy drinks, so would steal unattended drinks; this one night, it just so happened to be Tim himself…even if he did catch them in the act, and was…surprisingly chilled out about it.

Saul (who plays the violin and guitar) was spotted playing on a night out at Band on the Wall, where band member Larry was in the crowd, and invited him along to their rehearsals, and that’s how the band fell together.

The Academy and the Manchester Student Union hold great significance for them as a band, so when it was being decided that they were to do another UK tour, they were adamant that they wanted to play at the place where the band had been born, especially since they have never previously played the Academy despite playing other large venues such as The Ritz and The Apollo. They also explain how weird it was to be as huge as they were in Manchester despite being relatively small to the rest of the country. So to be back in their home town felt somewhat magical, and the tickets became a bit like ‘gold dust’.

Saul then talks about his memories of watching other bands play when he was younger, and thinking to himself, “One day my band is going to be on that stage!” and finally, having formed in 1982, they are getting to play in the place where it all started.

The pair get excited and explain that for the first time in a long time they’ve actually rehearsed together, and in the past this has always felt tedious and like being back at school. Also, bringing ten brand new songs to the setlist, that they’ve never performed before, in hopes of blowing the audiences’ heads off.

I was lucky enough to watch James perform last summer at Kendal Calling. Saul admitted that he loves playing at small boutique-y type festivals, as opposed to the much larger ones, because they feel more intimate. The pair go on and fantasize about one day starting up their own festival and how great that would be. Jim says they’d ask the likes of Biffy Clyro and The Courteeners to come play for them. Saul also says how he’d love to be able to encourage other small northern bands as well as some of the bands he used to love to listen to when he was younger, to come perform, too.

In conclusion, I guess the moral you could take away from this story is to steal people’s drinks in clubs…you never know, you could become Manchester’s next best-kept secret. (But take that advice at your own risk.)

Government criminalises boycotts of Israel

Written by Paul Scott on . Posted in News.

The UK government recently announced that boycotts in Britain of Israel will be outlawed as part of a move that prevents all publicly-funded institutions from spurning goods or services offered by firms with links to the arms trade, tobacco products or Jewish-only settlements in occupied areas.

According to a government spokesperson, such boycotts “undermine good community relations, poison and polarise debate, weaken integration and fuel anti-Semitism.”

The imposition of these measures will affect city councils, NHS trusts, public bodies and potentially students’ unions across the country currently involved in boycotts or the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement in solidarity with Palestine.

The BDS movement is a means of protest against the perceived oppression of Palestinians and the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories by the Israeli state, through campaigning for boycotts of Israeli goods, cutting trade ties with Israel as well as implementing sanctions against it. The movement has garnered significant support across Britain, with many public institutions joining the cause.

Last year the National Union of Students – which represents over 7 million people – voted in favour of boycotting Israel under the motion of ‘Justice for Palestine’ and in 2011, The University of Manchester Students’ Union was the first in the country to ratify a total boycott of Israel in protest against the military presence in Gaza and the West Bank.

Outlining a list of demands, Manchester SU rallied behind the Palestinian cause and devoted itself to the BDS movement. However, that commitment could now be in jeopardy as the government step in to ban “divisive” boycotts in publically-funded bodies.

Critics of the new plans see it less as a protectionary measure for community cohesion and public harmony, and more an attack on democracy, freedom and right to protest.

A spokesperson for the University of Manchester Action Palestine Society said: “We were very saddened to hear of the news that the government will now be outlawing a legitimate form of peaceful protest, which we as British citizens have a right to. It seems illogical to us how they can ban a boycott, which in its very essence is inaction.

“This decision shows the government is using the power the public entrusted in them against the will of the people. If BDS was not something the public wanted, the government wouldn’t need to counter it. We believe it’s an attack on democracy and an attack on freedom of speech.”

Conservative MP Matt Hancock has stated that the policy is in place to “help prevent damaging and counter-productive local foreign policies undermining our national security.”

But a spokesperson for the University of Manchester Students’ Union questioned the logic of the decision, saying: “Students’ Unions are charities regulated by the Charities Commission, and so I find it very baffling how the government could push this law onto charities and in the case of unions, charities that don’t even receive any government funding.

“The ability for organisations and members of the general public to decide where they spend their money is the cornerstone of a democratic society and [this move] would be deeply contradictory of a government which also says it believes in a free market. It is through free markets that consumer choice becomes important and it is a proven fact that boycotts and divestments are a way for ordinary people to take a stand as organisations and governments.”

Echoing Manchester SU’s comments, the university’s Action Palestine society has promoted the role and significance of boycotting, stating:  “BDS was a major player in dismantling South African apartheid and it is proving to cause damage to an oppressive regime once again. We as a society will continue to boycott Israeli goods legally by continuing to encourage consumers to take matters into their own hands and not buy Israeli goods.

As far as institutions such as the SU are concerned, we will be playing it by ear and deciding how to move forward with the BDS campaign legally in the near future.”

The future for boycotts within students’ unions remains unclear at this point but they could soon be under threat from a measure the government says will tackle anti-Semitism and improve “good community relations”, but critics are branding an “attack on democracy.”

Live: Benjamin Clementine

Written by Calum Pinder on . Posted in Music.

Benjamin Clementine

The Lowry, Salford Quays

1st December 2o15

7/10

It’s Tuesday evening and we walk through the atmospheric Salford Quays to the Lowry Complex. Once inside, we’re directed through to the theatre and shown to our seats just as the lights dim. The audience is silent as Benjamin Clementine carefully walks onstage to sit on a bar stool in front of a grand piano. Barefoot and dressed in a dark trench coat, he cuts a strange figure. After a short pause Clementine opens with ‘Gone’, the last track on his Mercury award winning album At Least for Now. His relaxed control of the piano provides a suitable accompaniment to his powerful vibrato cries and lyrics bleeding melancholy, and this extends to the rest of the album.

After an enthused applause by the audience, Clementine is joined onstage by Alexis Bossard for ‘Condolence’ and ‘Nemesis’. Bossard’s percussive accompaniment is impressive, lending energy to a performance that, although tight, sometimes lacks diversity in its style.

Overall, this performance is everything that you would expect after At Least for Now. At times intense and atmospheric, at others Clementine’s booming voice paired with Alexis’s tight control of percussion…creates a wonderful energy. Although it is impossible to fault the instrumental performances, there were, surprisingly, times when Clementine’s vocals wavered, particularly on the evening’s performance of his single ‘Cornerstone’, which lacked some of the intensity and urgency of other performances. However, the far greater and more pleasant surprise of the night was drummer Alexis’s controlled yet furiously energetic support of Clementine.

The night ends with an encore of ‘Adios’ and ‘London’, both of which leave the audience stunned by the vocal strength that they allow Clementine to display; and finally, the pair walk offstage to a heavy applause.

By now there has been a wide range of response to Benjamin Clementine’s At Least for Now winning the mercury award, but all revolve around an important question: What should the aim of the Mercury Award be? The official Mercury Prize line is that it is presented to the best album released that year by an act from the UK or Ireland. Of course, a decision like this will be fraught with difficulties. Comparing albums of different genres and styles and even simple differences in opinion and taste are problems that will cause disagreements whatever the nominations.

The other often suggested purpose of the Prize is to raise awareness of talented, yet lesser known, artists. This certainly seems to have been a factor in Mercury wins in the past, since smaller acts take the prize over favourites to win, however this does seem to undermine the integrity of the official line of ‘best album’. If this is to be a factor in the decision, it should be made clear that this is taking place.

Benjamin Clementine’s win this year hints towards the latter purpose of the award. Despite an appearance on Jools Holland and a slightly stronger following in France, he remains a relatively unknown artist who, hopefully, will now deservedly receive wider recognition for his work. It is safe to say that At Least for Now is a great album. Minimal instrumentation and emotive lyrics create an intense album that demands attention throughout.

However, to call it the best British album this year seems a bold move. Whilst a nice listen, it feels a somewhat timid album. It is quite content in setting out a style for itself and sticking to it, without much variation or experimentation. Still, perhaps a Mercury win will afford Clementine the requisite confidence and a platform to produce a more developed second album.

Personally, I feel that the Mercury Prize does not deliver on its promise of the best album of the year. But given the nature of the task, it is not surprising. Instead, it offers a platform for good music to be recognised and shared. So, instead of calling it out on its choices each year, we should ask for a more clear and honest objective of raising awareness of smaller acts and genres that some of the listener-ship have not heard yet. Hopefully this will encourage artists like Benjamin Clementine to continue to create great albums.

Review: Cats! The Musical

Written by Harriett Gaynor on . Posted in Theatre.

The magic of T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats is bought to life by David Ian Productions in this modern interpretation of the classic musical. The show saw its opening night of the UK and European tour at the Manchester Opera House. The story begins in an old junkyard for the reunion of the jellicle cats before a vibrant explosion of dazzling feline choreography and harmonious song captivates the hearts of the Opera House audience. The challenging vocal arrangements paired with the intricate set design and elaborate costumes, enhanced this timeless classic.

For the most part, the musical was recreated in a format that mirrored the 1998 film production. However, the redesign of Rum Tum Tugger’s role left some audience members questioning whether such a change was at all necessary. Those that are familiar with the original production will recall how Rum Tum Tugger was portrayed as a young, stylish and almost sensual cat, with an Elvis style quiff, thick mane of fur and a slender black body. In this version of the musical, these characteristics had been altered in an attempt to reinvent Rum Tum Tugger with an almost ‘gangster’ persona. Both the song and dance involved in the solo piece mirrored a modern day hip hop video. Although this appeared to be an attempt to modernise the traditional character, it in fact appeared to do the opposite and instead made the character seem old fashioned. The combination of costume, song and dance was at times verging on the point of comical, something that as an avid Cats fan, I found exceptionally disappointing. Although this reinvention was not to one’s taste, Marcquelle Ward who was cast for the role successfully embraced all aspects of this reinvention and continued to entertain the audience both within this solo piece and for the duration of the performance.

Magical Mr. Mistoffelees was bought to life by Shiv Rabheru, who played an outstanding role. The choreography in the solo piece was intricate, well executed and a captivating display of exceptional talent, which was enhanced by the well synchronised pyrotechnics. Anita Louise Combe took on the role of Grizabella, the cat the had been banished from the rest of the clowder. Her emotion-filled rendition of Memory radiated through auditorium, resulting in a standing ovation from many audience members. Additional cast members who excelled in their role included Joe Henry and Emily Langham as Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, Sophia McAvoy as Victoria and Kevin Stephen-Jones as Old Deuteronomy.

This stage production captivated the essence of the original Cats musical and provided audience members with a magical arrangement of song and dance. Despite the unnecessary modernisation of Rum Tum Tugger, the overall production was a well put together rendition of a timeless musical.

We should be neither proud nor regretful of the British Empire

Written by Joel Kelly on . Posted in Opinion.

A recent YouGov poll found that 59% per cent of British people felt a sense of ‘pride’ in our colonial past. Of course, we should be willing to give those respondents who were ‘proud’ the benefit of the doubt, and assume ignorance rather than malice. If they knew more about the various crimes against humanity committed by our forefathers, we should assume they would think differently of it. However, the unsung heroes of this poll are not those who were apparently “ashamed” of the empire, but those admirable fence-sitters who answered “don’t know” in lieu of “neither”—this was the most sensible of the 3 answers provided.

Let us not forget that the imperial venture was not undertaken by most Britons. Even during the height of the empire in 1922, the great majority of the Isles residents did not feel the benefit of being citizens of the state, which subjected more foreign territory and peoples to its rule than any other state had before. Britain had some of the worst slums in Europe, and the actual cost of the empire in terms of the national budget shafted the average tax payer. At the height of the British Raj, there were never any more than 1,000 imperial administrators, overseen by a Cabinet minister who was always a man of either the old aristocracy or the new bourgeoisie. These well-to-do males did not represent anything approaching the general populace. Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), did not play an active role in the lives of most of its working class population, who were the majority.

On the subject of Cecil Rhodes, I largely sympathise with the failed effort to remove his statue from Oriel College. Those who have claimed that this was an attempt to purge our history should calm down.  The book burnings are not here yet, nor are they inevitable. We can learn the history in an objective non-judgmental sense, or even acknowledges Rhodes’ other achievements, while still accepting that it is not exactly accommodating to have a statue that celebrates a racist visible in a prominent position of a major university. Those students who campaigned for its removal were not trying to purge history, they were merely responding in an understandable way to what they know of history. Furthermore, decisions on what objects should be allowed in the space of a university should be somewhat in the hands of the student body. This, of course, extends to the alumni.

In reviewing his place in our national past, we should not forget that his ideology—and his activities—belonged to a radically different time. Maybe not so long ago in terms of time, but in terms of difference, it really was another age. Although many Britons, maybe even the majority, were racists during Rhodes’ lifetime. The beliefs and practices of Social Darwinism—which justified the empire—were held by a pseudo-intellectual clique who, in general, had as much disdain for their own domestic social underlings as they did for members of other races. The power system of the imperial age was also capable of violently and—by our standards—immorally subjecting these domestic inferiors. Take, for example, the St. Peter’s Square Massacre (1819), the violent suppression of aspirant members of the lower orders, which occurred just down the road from this university.

Churchill’s political career is also pertinent. Certainly, he is a man who should be recognised for his achievements and is rightly memorialised in stone. However, he championed the subjection of India long after it had become in any sense worthwhile. As Home Secretary, he oversaw the brutal military campaign against Irish nationalists. As late as 1930, Churchill was advocating a return to the property franchise. A property franchise and gender-based franchise kept large swathes of the population unable to participate in the election of the government which oversaw the empire. This paled in comparison to the severity of imperial subjection, but stemmed from the same elitism, and was perpetrated by an interconnected system of suppression.

The empire’s legacy in the modern world is a difficult one to evaluate. It is hard to argue that the export of Parliamentary democracy and formal education was a bad thing. It is equally difficult to argue that such benefits outweighed the myriad evils, such as slavery, oppression, and racial segregation. The point here is not that those who are directly descended from active imperial participants should feel regretful for the Empire. The point is that such practices belong to a past that had a radically different approach to race and geopolitics, as alien from our own time as was the life of a 1930s Indian Prince to that of a Jarrow dockworker. As such, it is nonsensical to express ‘pride,’ as the only way you can rightly be proud of something is if you participated in the achievement. Many cannot even conceive it, let alone bring themselves to undertake such a thing. The same is true of ‘shame.’ The sins of our fathers are not genetically present in ourselves. Such a belief belongs to people who believe that the original sin counts as actual historical fact. Britain should actively try to right the lingering wrongs of imperialism, but it is better that we do this out of pure human decency. It would be awfully self-serving to do it out of guilt, with penance at the front of our minds. Those who wish to be objective, honest, and sensible when asked such a question as ‘Is the British Empire something to be proud or ashamed of?’ have only have one logical answer. ‘Neither.’

Live: Krept and Konan

Written by Brogen Campbell on . Posted in Music.

Thursday 19th November

Manchester Academy 2

8.5/10

Krept and Konan made a stop at Manchester Academy 2 for their sold out The Long Way Home Tour to promote their first studio album. The duo managed to expertly pump up the packed crowd, and produced an exhilarating set. The venue was set up as a tube station, as the South London duo arrived at 0161. The concept was innovative and, stylistically, enhanced the gig; it also reflected the rawness of the boys, who are proud of their London roots. There is an ongoing debate surrounding the duo over whether they are hip hop or grime artists (clearly more hip hop), but either way, their performance was incredible.

They kicked off the night with a performance of ‘Last Night’, from their new album, and had the crowd singing along from the start; although, there were a few bemused attendees who didn’t quite know what they had let themselves in for. The energy in the room was infectious from start to finish. Numerous mosh pits broke out, an activity encouraged by the duo, especially during ‘F.W.T.S’.

Everyone left the event on a high thanks to the charismatic nature of Krept and Konan and their insatiable energy levels.

Although the show primarily consisted of songs from their new album, it also featured some of their old school tracks. However, the best reception was for their more recent works. It was no surprise that ‘Freak Of The Week’ and ‘Do It For The Gang’ got the best reactions from the crowd. My favourite song of the night was ‘Falling’, which was a much more chilled affair and reflects the emotion that goes into the duo’s music.

One of the highlights of the night, which made this event such a must to attend, was the special guests. The arrival of Geko, Bugzy Malone and Lethal Bizzle, who entered through the tube doors to ‘Please Mind the Gap’, was phenomenal. Naturally, Bugzy Malone received the best response from the Manchester crowd, being a Manchester boy himself.

Overall, the night was electric and full of high energy.  Krept and Konan commanded the stage and definitely had the crowd in the palm of their hands by the end of the night. I would strongly recommend seeing these lads if you get the chance, because they are only going to get more popular in the coming years.

My postmodern friend

Written by Joely Thomas on . Posted in Books.

You’re always there but never quite here.
Letters flow through your veins
as you breath rhetoric;
your heart an amalgam of emojis

I sit… waiting… watching…
… anticipating the response…
My solitude satiated with interaction,
I’m no longer sure if I am ever alone.

And I wonder…
what makes you different from the other skeletons of syntax
what separates you from the screen at which I stare
in a parallel reality, what significance can conversation ever bear

Perhaps all either of us desire is words to fill the silence.

Can Cameron truly scale the wall of prison reform?

Written by Ed John on . Posted in Opinion.

With close to 85,000 people currently incarcerated in the UK and a further 85,641 awaiting deportation in Immigration Removal Centres across the country, Cameron’s recent proposals to reform the prison system may come as a welcome, if surprising, relief from a so far brutal and relentless governance over our institutions.

However, with the current crisis of overcrowding, numerous reports of abuse and misconduct by correctional staff as well as a vast over-representation of minorities within the system, are Cameron’s proposals really enough to save us from the Dickensian—indeed American—system we seem so inevitably destined to revert to?

In his address to London-based think tank Policy Exchange, the Prime Minister outlined a number of plans intending to do just that. Perhaps as a surprise to many—given our current government’s already large number of austerity measures—one of the proposals was of a promise to protect the budget dedicated to the creation of various educational programs designed to aid in the rehabilitation of those serving sentences.

Such a budget is ostensibly necessary. As Cameron himself notes, “we need prisons”, and indeed we need the aspects of such prisons that allow for offenders to use their time productively in the hopes of leading a normal life after being released. However, with cuts to the budget already reaching £900 million in the past 5 years, is such a promise of protection going to be enough?

According to inmate charity The Clink—an organisation dedicated to offering various forms of training, support and eventual employment to offenders during and after their time in prison—the short answer is no. With the charity reporting a rate of repeat offences amongst those who do not have access to training at 45.2 per cent—along with the need for non-governmental involvement in such training—it becomes evident that there is nowhere near a sufficient amount being spent on rehabilitation. Protection of this already poor budget is going to do little to improve such statistics.

Beyond the budgetary concerns of prison programmes, what Cameron and his appointed “man for the job” Michael Gove are undeniably overlooking is the fact that the cycle of offending and reoffending do not start within the prison walls themselves. Never a fan of true social reform, Cameron has again ignored the underlying reasons behind this problem—focusing solely on reforming the prison system. This is a needed reform yes, but also an undeniably small drop in the ocean that is our country’s criminality.

With, for example, The Guardian reporting that cuts to benefits and tax credits will have adversely affected over 330,000 children in the UK throughout last year, we have to wonder whether reforms to the prison system are even worth considering. This perpetuation of poverty and low social mobility that has led many to commit certain criminal offences, is so often overlooked and maybe even encouraged by governmental budgetary changes.

Of course, this isn’t the case for all offenders. Again, echoing Cameron’s address, it’s indisputable that the likes of murderers, rapists and child abusers deserve the punishment that serving time in prison brings, and I am fully aware of the indispensable role prisons play in punishing those types of crimes. However, with the second largest offence represented in our prison system being related to the use and supply of drugs, we must surely consider the underlying societal issues that create an atmosphere in which many see the only option as crime.

Nevertheless, we must also not forget that it is a Conservative government proposing such reforms. Perhaps with this in mind, it is too much to ask to take preventative measures; after all, why prevent a problem where—once existent—a select few can financially benefit? Amidst an already rampant, yet unnervingly quiet, privatisation of our prison system, another one of Cameron’s plans involve the handing over of more budgetary power to governors and managerial staff. With a sharp increase in misconduct since the employment of companies such as G4S, we must again wonder how such de-centralisation is really beneficial, and what these reforms truly aim to achieve.

Prisons are undoubtedly essential, it is their role to punish those who have deviated from what society deems acceptable. What is also essential, however, is a system that works. Currently, we cannot deny that such a system does not exist within the UK. Reoffending statistics prove this, as do the multiple and ever-increasing number of suicides committed in the confines of our 150 institutions. Reform is needed, and it is needed before we create an insurmountable crisis of incarceration similar to that seen in the US.

Such reform unfortunately does not come in the form of Cameron’s suggestions. Yes, a protection of the budget seems to only be a positive thing. However, if this budget is already failing in its abilities to deliver what it is intended, then what is there to protect?

This is a system that cannot be fixed with mere financial promises and further privatisation, it is a system that needs to be fixed through the reduction of the factors that lead people to be a part of it. Until Cameron can deliver truly progressive changes outside of the tall walls of the UK’s prisons, we will see little change to what occurs within them.

Traitors in our midst

Written by Colm Lock on . Posted in Opinion.

Not since the Ministry of Lord North in 1770-82 and the Whigs traitorous support for rebellious American colonists has Her Majesty’s most loyal opposition been such a nest of treasonous vipers. As I look down the Labour front bench, one can’t help but despair at the complete lack of patriotism that now characterises Corbyn’s Labour party.

The party has become a shadow of its former self. In my grandfather’s day it was a great political party with great aspirations. It represented many people from all walks of life. They filled its ranks with a message of social justice and love for their country. This was everything Labour used to be.

We will begin with Comrade Corbyn’s closest confidant and right-hand man, John McDonnell. McDonnell was once a backbench loony of the Labour party—now he’s Shadow Chancellor. This is a man who, along with many others in the Labour front bench, feel that it is now appropriate to quote Mao Zedong in Parliament; Mao being the man who had killed tens of millions of his countrymen and was up there with the likes of Stalin and Hitler in terms of cruelty. How long will it be until he pulls out a copy of Mein Kampf and justifies it by saying “Hitler’s road building policies did wonders for German unemployment and infrastructure”? Not to mention he would royally screw up our economy. But economics can be dealt with at another time.

As we work our way down the green benches, we come across another dubious individual—Emily Thornberry. This is a woman who is now the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, yet she doesn’t believe this country is worth defending. She is opposed to the renewal of trident, voted against bombing the Islamic State and accepted tens of thousands pounds of donations from a law firm who have hounded veterans of the Iraq War over spurious legal claims; one claimant had tried to sue a British soldier because he was taken prisoner instead of being shot.

Thornberry continues to accept donations and lied about the military service in an attempt to bolster her appalling credentials. And yes, this is the same Emily Thornberry who mocked a house because it was flying the English flag on a white van parked in their driveway—a testament to the snobbery of the London-centric Labour party.

I will now place my sights squarely in the direction of the generalissimo himself. Yes, that’s right, Jeremy-I-love-manhole-covers-Corbyn. A man who shows just how much he dislikes Britain more and more with each passing day. He has said that there is “parity” between the British army and the IRA—an Irish terrorist organisation that bombed and killed thousands of innocent people. He has shown support for other terrorists like Hamas and Hezbollah by calling them “our friends”. Hezbollah are currently helping to prop up Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Then of course there is his absolute and unequivocal betrayal of the people of the Falkland Islanders; British citizens who voted overwhelmingly to remain British. Yet Corbyn has said that he wants to find an “accommodation” with Argentina over the Falklands. He believes, that no matter what the Falkland Island’s wishes are, a deal should be struck. Let us not forget how the Islanders suffered the last time Argentina imposed its sovereignty on British citizens. We struck a deal when we accepted the Argentine surrender in 1982.

He is of course opposed to trident and apparently any sort of defence of the realm. He famously said: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every politician around the world, instead of taking pride in the size of their armed forces, did what the people of Costa Rica have done and abolished the army”. In essence, he doesn’t want us to defend ourselves or our allies whatever the cost is, to Britain. I doubt he would even object if a Russian T-90 were to roll into Warsaw.

Now we come to the greatest example of his traitorous nature, his republicanism. In 1991 he seconded the Commonwealth of Britain bill brought in by Tony Benn that would have seen the monarchy removed, and Northern Ireland ceded to the Republic of Ireland; looking to override the wishes of the people of Ulster and make his IRA friends happy. It was thankfully defeated because mercifully, he is in the tiny minority. Her Majesty is the nation. She embodies it. She represents it. She defines it. She reigns over it. To be against the Queen is to be against Britain and all its wonderful traditions. It’s something I’m sure Comrade Corbyn is quite at home with.

Now I could go ahead and criticise Dianne Abbot about her racism or her outrageous claims like “Mao did a lot of good for China”, pr the Venezuela-loving Richard Burgon—maybe even Ken Livingstone; who is heading up Labour’s defence review and yet is opposed to the Trident and NATO. He has also hurled insults at a colleague in reference to the gentleman’s struggle with mental illness. Nothing is too low for these people. But of course I have a word limit so I must press on.

This behaviour is not characteristic of all Labour members. The likes of Dan Jarvis, Chuka Umunna, Liz Kendal, and many others, are most certainly on the side of Britain. Yet, one fears that they are going to become increasingly marginalised by Corbyn’s “new politics”.

But fear not comrades, the end is very far from nigh. Thankfully, the British people understand that there is now an enemy within. The latest polling on the top teams of Labour and the Conservatives shows just 16 per cent side with Corbyn’s front bench while 43 per cent put their trust in Conservative party leadership. The future is bright my friends. The land of hope is Tory.

Zika virus: What is it and will it affect me?

Written by Rebecca Thorpe on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

The University of Manchester has recently published advice for students—particularly to those who are planning to travel in the near future.

The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease that has been around since the 1950’s. It is known to cause mild symptoms such as headaches, conjunctivitis, and an unsightly (but usually self-clearing) rash. This month there has been a notable increase in publicity about Zika, as some researchers have now claimed that the virus may be responsible for the growing numbers of newborns diagnosed with microcephaly; a neurological defect that results in an under-developed brain.

The virus is primarily affecting South America with over 4,000 cases of microcephaly reported in Brazil since October 2015.

Earlier this month, it was announced that the Zika virus was present in two patients from Dublin who had previously travelled to the infected area.

On the 8th February 2016, a case in New Zealand was reported. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now declared Zika virus a public health emergency, meaning that research is now being fast-tracked in order combat infection.

The neurological defect, microcephaly, is thought to be a symptom of the Zika virus in newborns. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

However, it must be noted that the reported links between Zika and cases of microcephaly are under much scrutiny by the scientific community, meaning that WHO could retract their announcement if there is no causal relationship found between the two.

There is much debate questioning why Zika has been categorised similarly to Ebola—with many arguing that WHO have published this declaration following previous criticism for taking too long in announcing that Ebola was a global health crisis.

The University of Manchester has issued a notice to students advising them to check the status of the disease in particular areas before planning to travel. The university has also invited students who have recently travelled to Central or South America to express their concerns to their Occupational Health Service.

It can therefore be deducted that for now, pregnant women—particularly those in Latin America or those that have recently travelled to the area—are at the highest risk. For others, the seriousness of the virus is still thought to be mild.

Second year medicine student Lizzie Rawlins has commented on Zika and health crises in general: “I think it’s good to stay informed about emerging health issues, Zika hasn’t been as publicised as Ebola, but that doesn’t mean we should play it down. I think it’s good the WHO has stated that it’s an emergency. It may not be affecting us currently as students in the UK, but with major research now taking place it means that there will be more preventative measures in place for the future.”

Second year Microbiologist Paolo Arru has also commented: “I think it’s important to note that Zika is currently only problematic for pregnant women. I think there should be more emphasis on diseases such as HIV because it’s problematic on a larger scale and clearly has a larger impact on public health worldwide.”