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Month: February 2017

The livery companies

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

To describe the fashion industry’s current climate as intense and challenging would be a gross understatement. In recent years, consumer culture demands immediate access to fashion lines, so much so that some designers now allow for clients to place orders directly from their front row seats. Contemporary society expects completely unrealistic turnovers from designers. At the age of 83, one can hardly contemplate how many designs and shows Karl Lagerfeld creates for his own line, Chanel and Fendi, showcased biannually during fashion seasons and haute couture weeks with the added challenge of continually making shows bigger and better.

Lagerfeld is however an example of almost inhuman capabilities and he still sits elegantly at the top of his game, showing no signs yet of slowing down. In reality, the turnover of creative directors at fashion houses suggests the enormous pressures inherent with such a career. However whilst designers’ personal teams provide physical and psychological support both inside and out of the work place, the stress still soars.

This is an increasing phenomenon considering the vast pressure that comes with the impatient and endlessly unsatisfied temperament of today’s society. Everyday, international cities including London and Manchester are agog with deliveries, turnovers, “new season” and “end of season” sales, shoppers, bloggers, Instagrammers, tweeters… the list is endless, as is their ceaseless desire for something new and exciting.

Whilst the fashion industry rolls on at an alarming pace, it realistically cannot continue at such a speed without wearing out. Fresh, innovative creations will undoubtedly remain the industry’s goal but occasionally it is worth returning to the past to inspire the future. After all, their own history remains intrinsically important as each label’s trademark style oozes historical significance to represent each house’s inherent characteristics.

However when I suggest a look to the past, I do not refer to routine forty-odd year cycle when fashion trends resurface (although we may still need to prepare for the return of the eighties shoulder pads soon). Instead, I would suggest that inspiration can perhaps be gained from a far older tradition that remains ticking quietly in the background and has done so for hundreds of years.

In the heart of London, the City square mile continues to operate as it has for centuries. Although it is now only a small proportion of England’s capital, the City boasts the oldest customs and traditional roots in contemporary culture, which inherently includes the livery companies.

The first livery companies evolved from medieval guilds, believed to have  been formed in the 12th century. Livery companies gained status as corporations under Royal Charter and represent their specific profession or trade. There are currently 110 companies, which includes the Worshipful Company of Glovers founded in 1349 and granted its Royal Charter in 1638 to the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, formed in 1986 and granted full livery status in 1992. These companies represent a vast range, with the latter demonstrating the modernisation of the centuries’ old tradition.

In and amongst these trade representatives rests those essential to the fashion industry. The Worshipful Company of Woolmen, The Haberdashers’ Livery Company, The Merchant Taylors’ Company, The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers and The Clothworkers’ Company all represent professions fundamental to the starting point of every fashion house, whilst The Worshipful Company of Glovers and The Worshipful Company of Launderers demonstrate further trades intrinsic to the industry.

As is expected with surviving establishments of longevity, the companies unite their traditional heritage with modern society. The companies thrive for community and their ethos heavily functions upon charitable work. The environment enables a unity amongst tradesmen and women, allowing a support system amongst professionals as well as students. For instance, the Glovers run annual awards for those studying glove design, devised to encourage young professionals and enable their introductions into a proficient atmosphere; it is a support system that spreads across generations.

Lagerfeld famously denotes his success to always looking forward; as soon as one show finishes, his thoughts are on to the next and the preceding is all but forgotten. However there is perhaps some inspiration to gain by returning to the tradition of livery companies and their supportive community within their chosen trades. In such a demanding environment, the fashion industry requires generational support for young and established designers but also all involved with aspects of the industry. Livery companies exemplify the pride and passion each professional should take in his or her work; it is an historical system that should not only be celebrated but most importantly one from which the fashion industry could learn.

University Challenge contestant accused of raping girl to ‘help her get over her ex’

Written by Araddhna Patel on . Posted in Uncategorised.

The police have received a report of alleged rape by a victim who saw the accused appear on an episode of the BBC television programme University Challenge.

The 19-year-old victim, who remains unnamed, accused Bartholomeo Joly de Lotbiniere, a 21-year-old History graduate from York, of raping her in her room at the University of York student halls. The victim said the incident occurred in June 2014, but it was only after she saw Joly de Lotbiniere’s appearance on University Challenge that she went to the police in August 2015.

According to her statement documented by The Telegraph, the defendant said: “It will help you get over your ex.” She alleges that Joly de Lotbiniere also told her to “tell no one about this” and to “pretend this never happened.” The woman sent a text to Joly de Lotbiniere after the incident saying: “I thought I’d let you know I wasn’t overly comfortable with what happened”.

The defendant later replied with an apologetic text message: “Neither am I, I was a disgrace, I did a very stupid thing and I am very sorry for what I did. I just hope you can forgive me at some point and I’ll try my best not to act like a bloody 14-year-old again and start acting my age.”

Months later, when the pair met at a house party, Joly de Lotbiniere again texted the victim: “I wanted to apologise to you in person tonight. I wanted you to know I’m very sorry for what I did and that there’s no enmity between us. And that we can move on as mutual friends.”

The jury at York Crown Court were played a video interview of the victim who said she “got angry and upset” after seeing a tweet by the co-host of television show Pointless Richard Osman about the defendant, according to The Telegraph.

The woman stated: “It took a while to, sort of, sink in, what he did. Then, basically, he was on University Challenge and it was all over social media and certain tweets… I just wanted to do something about it.”

The court heard how the victim and defendant were out with a group of other students the night Joly de Lotbiniere allegedly raped the victim. He is said to have tried to kiss her a few times, and after she told him she was not interested, he followed her to her room.

The court were also told that both students were drunk, according to The Sun.

The prosecutor of the case, Gerald Hendron QC, said in court: “[Joly de Lotbiniere] took off her top, bra and trousers. She said she froze. She was telling the defendant to stop and was trying to push him off her.

“She was a small, slight girl and the defendant was much physically larger and stronger than she was.”

The jury heard from Detective Constable Adam Saggers that, according to the police interview, the defendant told officers the encounter was consensual, and his apologies via text message were because he was embarrassed at not being “good at [sex].” He also claimed that he was “not fully erect,” according to The Sun.

The cross examiner, Judy Khan QC, suggested the encounter was a “disastrous one night stand,” which the victim denies. Joly de Lotbiniere has denied two offences of sexual assault and rape.

The story is still developing as trial continues.

London students striking with university cleaners

Written by Eleanor Forrest on . Posted in News.

Cleaning staff of King’s College London are striking under the slogan “all we are asking for is equality” and have been joined in protest by students.

With the support of university students, the aim of their protest is to achieve a better working environment for staff and for the implementation of a support system for a regularly overlooked, but essential service.

The staff and the students demand for the immediate increase of working hours necessary for staff to effectively clean the university and the introduction of a cover staff policy so that absences are covered by other staff.

However, this is not a new issue as a number of universities, such as London School of Economics (LSE) and University College London (UCL) are, or have, experienced organised strikes in reaction to poor pay and an improper working conditions, as staff have been experiencing workplace accidents with no compensation as well as long-term health problems.

The group KCL Justice for Cleaners state that reason this exploitation has taken place is that KCL outsources their cleaning through the company Servest, which allows for cleaners to be “employed on different terms and conditions”.

As well as this, Latin American immigrants make up the majority of cleaning staff at KCL. The employment of these demographics, according to a KCL cleaner named Martha who spoke to The Socialist Worker, is a deliberate tactic by companies such as Servest as a method of minimising chances of solidarity among workers.

These workers don’t receive any form of income during the days in which they strike. In a show of support students have created a Gofundme page in order to compensate for the loss of income. As well as this, London students have attended protests with the workers and last week a petition was created that called for a reassessment from the university.

Holly Henry, a student at KCL, speaking to The Independent, said: “I am disappointed with King’s. The conditions of these workers are shocking; I can’t believe that basic human rights are being ignored, and that workers and students are forced to protest as a result of this.

“I am studying Spanish and Latin American studies at a university where many of the cleaning staff are native speaking from Spain or Latin America, and I feel disappointed that whilst King’s invests money into the study of these cultures, they cannot pay the basic living wage to the people of these countries.”

KCL Justice for Cleaners said to The Mancunion that students “will stand with them on the picket lines again if this is what is needed to make King’s and the cleaning company hear their demands”.

Post-Crash founders make waves in academic sphere

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

Three of the founders of the University of Manchester’s Post-Crash Economics Society (PCES) have achieved huge success with their first book.

Published through Manchester University Press, The Econocracy, released last year, aims to tackle the hegemony of the neo-classical school of thought which almost totally dominates economics teaching and research and has received pages of recommendations from hugely influential academic figures. It was recently given a glowing review in The Guardian by senior economics commentator Aditya Chakrabortty.

“One hundred years ago the idea of ‘the economy’ didn’t exist. Now, improving the economy has come to be seen as perhaps the most important task facing modern societies” runs the book’s description.

“[T]he majority of citizens, who cannot speak this language, are locked out of politics while political decisions are increasingly devolved to experts.” Their ultimate aim is to demystify economics and shake the foundations of the subject.

Joe Earle, Cahal Moran and Zach Ward-Perkins, graduates of the University of Manchester, founded the PCES in 2012, after seeing that the economics they were being taught had failed in any way to predict the 2008 financial crisis, but continued to be used unchanged. It “wasn’t mentioned in our lectures and what we were learning didn’t seem to have any relevance to understanding it… We were memorising and regurgitating abstract economic models for multiple-choice exams.”

Since then the society has grown in size, with sister societies being set up at Higher Education institutions across the country and world. This group of students had a larger impact on economics than anyone had had before, using the National Student Survey (NSS) to harshly reflect on the state of economics teaching at the university.

PCES’s website states they “believe that the mainstream within the discipline has excluded all dissenting opinion, and the crisis is arguably the ultimate price of this exclusion.

“Alternative approaches… have been marginalised. The same can be said of the history of the discipline. Students are routinely taught that only one form of economics is ‘scientific’ and ‘correct’.” Ultimately, they see this complacency as the root of the global crash.

The Econocracy has received high praise from names including former Business Secretary Vince Cable, respected academic Noam Chomsky, and Professor Emeritus in Political Economy Lord Robert Skidelsky.

Two dead in Withington house fire

Written by Lily Sheehan on . Posted in News.

Two people have died and five more have been seriously injured after a house caught fire in Withington, Greater Manchester.

Firefighters and police officers were called to the scene on Parsonage Road, in the Ladybarn area, at 2.30am on Friday morning. Neighbour Emily Puckering told The Manchester Evening News: “the first thing I heard was people shouting. The thing I remember was the popping of the windows expanding from the heat. It wasn’t loud but it was enough to keep me awake. I didn’t know what was going on or what it was.”

Seven people were killed or injured in the blaze. Four children — three girls and a boy, aged from 10 to 17 — escaped with injuries after jumping out of a bedroom window. The two adults who perished in the house fire are believed to be the children’s mother and father. A third adult, who is understood to be a relative who was staying with the family, is currently in hospital. He is in a serious condition, whilst the status of the children remains unknown. According to Greater Manchester Police, formal identification of the deceased and post-mortem examinations have yet to take place.

Reverend Mark Hewerdine, from St. Chad’s Church in Ladybarn, offered his support at this difficult time. Speaking to a Manchester Evening News reporter, he said: “For something like this to happen in the Parish has really shaken people up locally. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. We will be praying throughout the day for them.”

Police and the fire service have begun a joint investigation into what caused the fire. Councillor David Acton, who is Chairman of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, released a statement after the incident: “It is with great sadness that we hear of the loss of two lives following a house fire in Manchester early this morning. Our thoughts are with the family members of the man and woman at this awful time.

“Our firefighters did a great job in tackling the house fire, which was well alight when they arrived, so praise must go to them for dealing with this difficult and extremely sad incident.”

Detective Inspector Tony Lea, of Greater Manchester Police’s City of Manchester Team, said that his team are “continuing to work closely with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to establish exactly how this fire started.” He then spoke directly to “anyone who may have witnessed the fire, or anyone in the area in the hours before the fire: if you have any information at all, contact police as soon as possible so we can piece together what happened.”

Anyone who has any information about the house fire should contact the police on 101, quoting number 140 10/02/17. Tips can also be made anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers (0800 555 111).

Tracks of the Week: 13th February

Written by Joe Casson on . Posted in Music.

‘Ran’ – Future Islands

After a lengthy victory lap following their 2014 breakthrough Seasons, Future Islands return with new track ‘Ran’ from their upcoming album The Far Field. It sounds much the same as their last few records, having carved a simple but effective niche out of eccentric vocals, anthemic keyboards, New Order-ish basslines and a whole lot of pathos. This time, though, the stakes feel even higher, and this probably has a lot to do with the addition of a live drummer providing some skitterinh hi-hats in the chorus, giving more vitality and urgency the usually-blocky rhythms. Not much has changed, but who’s complaining? A fine cut to add to an ever-expanding library of quality singles.

‘My Old Man’ – Mac DeMarco

Mac DeMarco has been teasing a change for the last few years: the fairground keyboards creeping into tracks on 2014’s Salad Days and the next year’s Another One hinted at a transformation into something even stranger and less lucid. Turns out, after a few years spent sitting on demos, DeMarco has gone in a different direction entirely. Scrapping the bendy, squeaking guitars and semi-ironic soft rock affectations he made his name on, ‘My Old Man’ is considerably brighter and more contemplative. The instrumentation is sparse — just a crisp acoustic guitar with some quirky drum machines sputtering away in the background — and the songwriting is surprisingly mature. Years on the road seem to have aged Mac, as he spots in the mirror someone “familiar…but surely not me”. Turns out “there’s a price tag hanging off of having all that fun”. An interesting development promising welcome tweaks to a formula that was just starting to show its age.

‘Real Death’ – Mount Eerie

Last year, Phil Elverum’s elusive personal life was laid tragically bare as he was forced to open a Crowdfunder to help treat his wife’s terminal cancer, which took her life months later. This stark reality is reflected in ‘Real Death’, a song unlike anything Elverum has produced in his twenty years of recording. Abandoning the foggy atmospherics of the Pacific Northwest and mystic, cryptic lyrics that arose from this in his previous work, on this track Elverum turns inwards for a stark and sparse rumination on his grief centered on the discovery of a secret gift his wife bought for their daughter before she died — “Death is real…it’s not for making into art.” Really, truly sad and just as compelling.

Opportunity to ‘speed-network’ with Andy Burnham

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

The Fabian society are hosting an event on Monday 13th February, inviting you to question Mayoral Candidate for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham MP.

Open to all ages, this event provides an opportunity for anyone to press Andy on his ideas about the future of Manchester. Last summer Burnham missed out on leading the Labour party, second to Jeremy Corbyn. Burnham has been an MP in Leigh for 15 years.

Burnham’s campaign claims to centre around harnessing ideas from local young people. In his manifesto he says: “There is a real sense of despondency amongst young people who continue to get a rough deal from the Westminster government. Wherever they turn, they seem to have barriers put up in front of them.”

He has promoted ideas such as  introducing quality apprenticeships for all school leavers, creating an affordable home building programme and encouraging Manchester’s cycling bug.

He adds: “In the face of post-Brexit Britain, it has never been more important for our young people to have the chance to decide what their future looks like… We should also look at how we can set up a Greater Manchester Rent-to-Own scheme to encourage home-ownership for the under 35s. And we must do more to end the blight of homelessness in Greater Manchester.”

In recent statements, Andy has expressed a hope to oversee a radical project integrating the various regions of Manchester. If elected Mayor, Burham oversee a £6bn health and social budget, one of the busiest police services in the UK, and a potential revolution in city transport.

The Greater Manchester Fabian Society is holding this event at the University Technical College at Media City, live in a TV studio. If you are interested and want to get involved, use this link to sign up and submit your questions.

Bristol students accused of ‘blacking up’

Written by Lily Sheehan on . Posted in News.

Two undergraduate students at the University of Bristol have been accused of wearing blackface at a second year house party.

The party, sponsored by Reon caffeine energy sachets, was themed ‘Teams, Memes and 2016’. In a picture posted on the Reon Facebook page, two white female partygoers are seen wearing orange prison jumpsuits, cornrows and heavy fake tan. The pair claim that they were both dressed as Patricia Miller, a white character from Netflix prison drama Orange is the New Black.

One of the students pictured told Epigram, Bristol’s student newspaper, that she “find[s] it  deeply offensive to be accused of being racist for my hairstyle, make-up and outfit”. She also claimed that she saw the Reon house party as “a great opportunity to get a friend of mine involved and dress up as convicts from one of the most successful and viewed TV series of 2016,” despite the fact that the aforementioned character has not appeared in the show since its first series in 2013.

The student then attempted to justify her appearance, saying: “The fact that I need to justify myself for what I want to look like or who I want to interpret at a fancy dress party, is in itself ridiculous. Wearing BB cream, which is not to be confused with foundation, is what I always wear on a night out: I wore the exact amount at the party as I do every other time I go out.

“Yes, it was badly blended particularly towards the top of my forehead, yet I’m sure most of us (myself included) wouldn’t even realise, as it seemed to have blended quite well with my beautiful ginger hair! Equally, even if I was trying to darken my skin-tone, am I not allowed to? Does it really look like I’m trying to mock black skin?”

The other student claimed that her tan was the result of a recent holiday in Cape Verde. Speaking to The Tab, she said: “My make-up suited the hairstyle, clothes and fitted in with the character from the TV series. No more to it than that.”

Despite these students’ arguments for their behaviour, the University of Bristol’s Students’ Union labelled the incident an act of racism. A spokesperson for the Union said in a statement: “This is just one of a number of incidents to have come to light over the past few weeks: it needs to be recognised that racism is pervasive at Bristol, and at Universities across the country. We’ve seen extreme examples of racist abuse in the press recently, but racially insensitive comments, language and dress are all part of the same problem, and contribute to a culture that is sadly far too common on our campuses.”

The two students involved have been asked to meet with Professor Nishan Canagarajah, the chair of Bristol’s newly formed Equality Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group.

Manchester’s Antarctic meteorite hunters

Written by Tom Patterson on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A multi-disciplinary team from the University of Manchester is planning the UK’s first dedicated meteor hunting expedition to Antarctica for 2020. Antarctica is seen as the best place to hunt for meteors and has yielded tens of thousands of samples over the last 30 years.

Dr Geoffrey Evatt is leading the team and explained in a university press release why Antarctica is such an abundant source for meteorologists. Firstly, there is “a strong colour contrast between the icy surface and meteorites which are much darker” and secondly “there is a concentration of meteorites.”

The surface of the Earth is constantly being peppered with falling deposits and in Antarctica these deposits get trapped in the ice. As the glacial ice moves towards the oceans it sometimes comes up against mountain ranges which can force it to the surface, where it melts and leaves the meteors visible on the surface. This significantly narrows down the search area.

But the Manchester team is specifically searching for iron rich meteorites. The usual ratio of collected iron meteorites across the world is around 5.5 per cent but in Antarctica this falls to 0.5 per cent. The team has predicted that the missing meteorites are likely to be just below the surface.

Iron is a much better conductor of heat than rock so the team predicts that when meteorites with higher concentrations of iron approach the surface they transfer the sun’s rays to the ice below which melts and causes them to sink again.

The team will be using newly-developed advanced metal detectors during the 10-12 week expedition. They will be conducting a preliminary trial in 2018 on the Arctic island of Svalbard.

Dr Evatt said that although they won’t be looking for meteors, this would be an opportunity to test the equipment and “develop protocols for collecting samples” and also for “team bonding.” In 2019 they will go to Antarctica on a survey expedition to identify areas with visible meteorites with the aim of returning the following year to look below the surface at those sites.

They will be flying to very remote areas for the Antarctic expeditions where they will have to remain self-sufficient. During that time, they will face difficult conditions with incredibly high wind speeds of up to tens of metres per second. If the team is successful, Dr Evatt says that when they return home the real work can begin. Iron meteorites can tell us about the internal formation of planets and planetoids — smaller bodies of the Solar System which were largely destroyed through collisions — and thus about the origins of the Solar System.

Greater Manchester tackles hate crime

Written by Tom Patterson on . Posted in News.

Ten GMC councils are providing funding towards community-run events throughout Hate Crime Awareness Week.

A large advertisement campaign across the city this week using billboards, newspapers, social media and radio as a way of helping to “raise awareness of hate crime in Manchester, encourage reporting, promote community cohesion and celebrate diversity”.

Home Office figures on hate crime in England and Wales show a year on year increase in reported incidents since 2011/12. The 2015/16 “statistical bulletin” report suggests that this may be partly due to “the improvement of recording offences by the police”. However, there was a sharp increase between June and July 2016, immediately following the referendum.

Speaking at the launch of last week’s events at Cheetwood Primary School, Labour Councillor Nigel Murphy (executive member for neighbourhood services), said “Emotions were really high last year when we had the referendum, and people for some reason thought it was sensible to voice their racism on the streets. Actually what’s been really significant in Manchester, is that people have stood up against it…[and said] ‘no that’s not acceptable…’, so as well as encouraging people to report it we encourage people to stand together against it.”
Jim Battle, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner added that “it’s about being friends with people, it’s about including people, it’s about being involved and being together..” He highlighted the benefit of having events in schools and praised the pupils for their awareness of the issues around hate crime.

The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union’s Diversity Officer Ilyas Nagdee told The Mancunion about the work the Union does in collaboration with the university. He said they “stand against all forms of discrimination” and run events throughout the year such as the We Get It campaign which deals with sexual harassment and discrimination and last November’s Islamophobia Awareness Month. They, along with the university, also provide spaces where students can raise issues anonymously and discuss topics in a safe environment such as the Student Union’s independent Advice Service. There are over 40 different events taking place this week across the city, the details of which can be found at makingmanchestersafer.com, and the week will finish on Sunday 12th February, 12pm on Market Street with the Lord Mayor speaking at the event.

More information about tackling hate crime including advice and support for victims can also be found at letsendhatecrime.com

Cambridge student burns money in front of homeless man

Written by Ollie Potter on . Posted in News.

A Cambridge student has been expelled from Cambridge University Conservatives over allegations that he mocked a homeless man and burned a £20 note in front of him.

The burning of currency is behaviour akin to the actions of the infamous Bullingdon Club at Cambridge’s arch rival Oxford University, with the lighting of a £50 note now an initiation ceremony for the Club.

Drunk and wearing a white tie dress and tails from a night out, Ronald Coyne, from Pembroke College, was spotted on February 2nd by a stunned onlooker outside a Cotswold store on Bridge Street in Cambridge. Coyne filmed the incident himself, circulating the video on Snapchat, which was viewed by dozens of people.

A fake profile of Ronald Coyne was made on February 9th, with over a hundred comments aiming abuse, scorn and disgust at Ronald’s actions.

The university’s Conservative Association released a statement on their website, disassociating themselves from Coyne and saying “there is no room for people who behave like that in our Association”, and decided to “revoke his membership and bar him from all future events”.

They also claimed that Coyne was not attending an Association event before or after the incident, dispute his white tie attire.

Coyne was the society’s communications officer, and he is being investigated by senior Cambridge University officials, their spokeswoman stating they are “aware of an incident” but could not add a further comment whilst the proceedings were under way.

Conservative Manchester student Stephen said he “couldn’t believe a person could do something so heinous and spiteful in front of a helpless man”, adding that “men like Ronald Coyne give Conservatives a terrible name.”

Review: The House of Bernarda Alba

Written by Elete Nelson-Fearon on . Posted in Theatre.

Federico García Lorca tells the tale of five daughters and their tyrannical mother, Bernarda, who relentlessly prioritises her reputation over her daughters’ wellbeing and her own emotions. The play is set in 1930s Spain, in a small Andalusian village where everyone knows everyone’s whereabouts and wrongdoings, on the day of the funeral of Alba’s second husband.

The play opens with the maids walking around exchanging angry comments about their boss. The house, in this production, consists of a circle of six chairs. A striking feature of this production is the diverse cast: one of the maids and two of the daughters are hard of hearing, and another is a British Sign Language interpreter; this feature is also written seamlessly into the characters’ speech, with Bernarda often ordering the maid to “sign” for her. The setting is reflective of the oppressive nature of the house — La Poncia, the most outspoken maid and closest out of them to the family, refers to the house as “her little empire” that “she doesn’t want anyone else to see.”

The maids set the tone of the play: by the time the Alba family arrives, the audience has formed an opinion of Bernarda’s character and is eager to see what this domineering is like. As the mourners arrive, there is a bright ray of light as if to precede the matriarch’s arrival to her empire. Bernarda is a small yet intimidating character whose first word onstage is an order: a foreshadowing feature that is very telling of her role in the play. It is interesting to note the difference in relationship between La Poncia and Bernarda once Bernarda is onstage: the two characters exchange gossip jokingly about the neighbours, and we see that La Poncia also plays the role of mediator and advisor. However, the impersonal employee-employer relationship is reinstated when La Poncia dares to disagree with Bernarda: “You’re impossible to talk to. Do we or do we not trust each other?” “We do not. You work for me and that is all.”

Lorca has written in and omitted features that develop the characters and build tension among them; these features were brought to the stage seamlessly by the director Jenny Sealey. Adela, the youngest daughter who is the most vocally opposed to the 8 years of mourning that have been imposed upon them, is the only character to break free of the monochrome dress code and wear a green dress, which is a foreshadowing sign of jealousy and a physical sign of her rebellion. Maria Josefa, Bernarda’s mother, is a symbol of all of the girls’ desire to be free; she escapes the room she is constantly locked in and declares her plan to run away to the sea to get married. Later in the play, she is a figure of brutal honesty as she says “Pepe El Romano [the love interest of the daughters and fiancée of one of them] is a giant; you all want him,” despite only three of them having declared a desire to be with him. The lack of a male cast member builds the tension among the women; having one prominent love interest allows their love to manifest in different forms: due to claustrophobia, loneliness, self-deprecation and lust.

The context of the play, when considered with reference to the characters and dynamics, is very interesting. Bernarda’s tyrannical nature foreshadows the dictatorship that Spain would live under for 36 years, with a desire to keep everything uniform and without any dissent from the given orders. However, the reversal in gender roles is significant. Bernarda, rather than feeling empowered as a matriarchal head of the house, says her hard work is due to “[toiling] like a man.” The stark difference in reactions to domestic violence by males and females was also made clear when the audience was amused by La Poncia affirming that “it’s true [she] used to beat [her husband].” This proud reaction from La Poncia may have been due to the fact that she resented having had her body taken advantage of by Bernarda’s late husband; both incidents display another facet of the toxic relationship between men and women in this play.

The House of Bernarda Alba is a revealing, entertaining and moving play that boldly shows the different types of women going through life, with one overarching characteristic: survival instincts in a small, oppressive, 20th century Spanish village.

The House of Bernarda Alba, a Royal Exchange Theatre and Graeae Theatre Company co-production, is at the Royal Exchange Theatre until the 25th of February.

Never Going Underground: The Fight for LGBT+ Rights

Written by Laura Joyce on . Posted in Arts.

Never Going Underground marks the 50-year anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK. The title of the project is taken from the campaign against the infamous Section 28 which forbade the promotion of homosexuality, which led to the UK’s largest ever protest for LGBT+ rights here in Manchester. The exhibition focuses on the on-going fight for LGBT+ rights, enlightening visitors with events both before and after the 1967 Sexual Offences Act.

The exhibition comes as a precursor to Manchester’s feminist Wonder Women festival which will see a vast array of equality themed theatre, arts, and even conferences across the city. Following the controversial inauguration of President Trump, the general consensus from LGBT+ supporters seems to be that there has never been a more important time to fight for equality, and basic human rights for all.

Never Going Underground explores the societal shift between a time when: it was illegal for men to express themselves freely without persecution, lesbianism was passed off as a medical issue, trans rights were simply non-existent — and society’s attitudes today. Now LGBT+ legal protection and equality is recognised almost nationwide in the UK, though there is still a long way to go.

The exhibition has been two long years in the making, and was aptly curated by 11 members of the LGBT+ community.

The piece follows 60 years of activism, and displays the various types of struggles the LGBT+ community have encountered over this long period of time. According to the People’s History Museum website, the exhibition “will highlight that there is nothing inevitable about that progress, and that in the long and complex story of over 60 years of activism, it’s important to remember that there were steps back as well as forward.”

Never Going Underground promises solidarity, power, and humanity. We are invited to witness the hardships that have been overcome by the LGBT+ community, that have led to the widespread knowledge of the cause, and the relentlessness of those fighting for their rights to equality.

The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting

Written by Brogen Campbell on . Posted in Theatre.

Are you an up and coming playwright? Do you have what it takes to write the next great play? Have you already written it? If so, The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is open for 2017 entries.  It is the UK’s biggest national competition for playwriting. They are on the search for the next great play and the great playwright who created it.

Europe’s largest playwriting competition is the product of a partnership between the Royal Exchange Manchester and property company Bruntwood. New and unperformed plays can be submitted and judged by a panel of experts. Four winners will then be picked and will win a part of the £40,000 prize fund.

Since the competition began in 2005 there has been 15 prize winning writers and 8 winning productions have been staged.  Each winner this year will eneter into a development process with the Royal Exchange Theatre. The winning scripts will be announced at an award ceremony in Manchester this November.

Katherine Soper became the fifth overall winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2015. Her play ‘Wish List’ was premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre and has since been transferred to the Royal Court Upstairs. You can find a review of Wish List on The Mancunion website.

For any emerging talent this competition is not to be missed. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 16 and resides in the British Isles. All you need is a finished play that has never been performed and the courage and self-confidence to submit your work. All scripts are judged anonymously and the final 10 are judged by an expert judging panel.

To enter you simply need to go to The Bruntwood Prize website and apply there. The process is quick and easy. Submission closes on the 6th June 2017 at 6pm. So there is still time to finish that play or perfect it further. To apply click here.

Review: Swan Lake

Written by Brogen Campbell on . Posted in Theatre.

Swan Lake is ballet composed by Tchaikovsky, which depicts a tragic love story between a Prince and the Queen of the Swan. Swan Lake is one of the most popular and well known ballets and is being brought to life by Moscow City Ballet. Moscow City Ballet presents Swan Lake at the Palace Theatre.

Never having seen a ballet I was unsure of whether I would enjoy Swan Lake or not. However, even without the skills or knowledge to critic the choreography, it was clear how high the standard of performance was. The dancers were perfectly in sync and left you wishing you were as athletically skilled. The company were able to create stunning imagery with impressive ballet routines.

Without any dialogue, resting purely on the company’s physicality through ballet, Moscow City Ballet told the story of Swan Lake. The play revolves around a Prince who is looking for a wife. Many princesses arrive at the palace to meet the Prince. This resulted in some excellent and exquisite soloists as well as corps de ballet numbers. The Prince however is unsatisfied and ventures outside towards the lake. Here he meets the Queen of the Swans, whom he falls in love with. The White Swan has been cursed and turned into a swan waiting for a Prince to break her spell. All is not well as an evil sorcerer plots to take advantage of their love, through tricking the Prince into marrying his daughter the Black Swan.  This leads to tragedy for the lovers.

With no pre-existing knowledge of the ballet I was able to follow and understand the main storyline, although more nuance details were lost on me till after I read about the plot.

My one critic is that due to the lack in speech the ballet lies heavily on physicality. This physicality is showcased brilliantly through the companies dance ability, but had the dancers engaged their faces instead of expressing neutrality it would be easier for the audience to understand the storyline and how specific characters were feeling.  There was a tendency for the dancers to appear disengaged with the events on stage, this is particularly true for the Prince who seemed to lack an emotional depth. Although this can be a critic of all ballet generally.

The character which most easily identified to the audience what was going on within the dance numbers was the Jester, as he was the most facially dramatic, thus illustrated the Princes lack luster approach to his potential brides and his pining for the Swan Queen.  The Jester also stood out for his exquisite dance ability and really did demand your attention whenever he was on stage.

The ballet is accompanied by a live orchestra, The Hungarian Sinfonietta Orchestra. The live music enhances the dancing onstage and helps to create a truly memorable and dynamic performance.  No set except for gorgeous backdrop to allow for maximum space for dancing. The backdrops depicted the castle, banquet hall and a moonlit lake. The stunning costumes depicted the grandeur of the ballet.

Every single dancer performed the complex choreography with ease and elegance. No wonder this is a signature piece in the group’s repertoire. The principle ballerina Liliya Oryekhova was sensational.

Oryekhova moved with seamlessly between the white and black swan and somehow she was able to embody the swan like quality the two main roles desperately requires. All the swans were physicalized beautifully by the dancers. Fantastic leaps, unstoppable pirouettes and dynamic lifts were present throughout the performance. The entire production emitted poise, grace and beauty. It doesn’t matter if you have never seen a ballet before or have been to the ballet countless times Moscow City Ballet’s production of Swan Lake is certainly one to go and watch.

Only on until Saturday 11th February, get your tickets here.

Student loans for sale in move towards privatisation

Written by Rosa Simonet on . Posted in News.

Pre-2012 student loans are being sold as part of a £12 billion pound programme set to take place over the next four years. The first of the sales, announced on the 6th February, include loans that became eligible for repayment between 2002 and 2006.

The government assures the sale represents value for money for the UK taxpayer, claiming the process will work to repair public finances. The sale had been attempted by George Osborne, in the coalition government, who promised the sale would fund higher education and pay down the deficit. New conditions, however, do not entitle education to the proceeds, despite cutting university funding by £4 billion in 2015/16 to £3.7 billion in 2016/17.

Though the conditions of student loans and repayments have yet to change, critics worry the sale of education for private purchase will cause problems for borrowers. These concerns follow the sale of the pre-1998 student to Erudio in 2013 which left many bewildered by administrative errors.

Roughly 7,000 were affected by the company’s failure to send vital paperwork, including deferral forms, and unexpected demands for early payments. The sharing of customer data with credit reference agencies were amidst the complaints against Erudio as students originally sold the loans were told the debt would not appear on their credit records.

In the recent sell-offs, the administration of loans and collections will remain within the power of the student loans company.

The government’s claim the move will secure future repayments has failed to derail critics. Many fear the marketisation of the industry could enable private companies to use education as a profitable business in order to meet the original face value of the loans.

National Union of Students Vice-President, Sorana Vieru, has called the sale “an ugly move,” allowing bankers to “profit off the backs of graduates who took out loans because they had no other option.” Since the announcement, the NUS have begun a campaign to stop the sale.

Minister for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson, claims the sale will have “no impact” on those paying loans. Critics remain sceptical in light of the increasing financial demand placed on students. In 2015, the government announced plans to increase repayments for those who had taken out loans since 2012. This was not in accordance with the plans publicised when many students had taken out the loans.

Many worry the financial pressure being forced upon students will discourage those from low-income households to apply for university.

Chief Secretary to the Treasurer David Gauke said: “This sale makes sense for taxpayers and will play an important contribution in our work to repair the public finances.”

In response, critics have questioned the value of money to the taxpayer. This proved both difficult and controversial in both Gordon Brown’s selling of Government gold and Vincent Cable’s of Royal Mail.
The University of Manchester has refused to comment on the issue at this time.

The Education Officer of The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union, Emma Atkins, stated it was a “moral issue” that “money that could have contributed to public services is now going to line the pockets of the private sector”.

She further added that there is  “already controversy over changing the terms of repayment once a student has started borrowing” and that it’s uncertain whether it’d be at the discretion of the companies not behave similarly. Atkins also highlighted how, even though the loans are from 2002-2006, this could “set a precedence and become the norm”.

During the last sale of the student loan book to Erudio, Manchester’s Students’ Union took a public stance against government proposals to privatise student loans.

Live: Bry

Written by Katie Shepherd on . Posted in Music.

7th February at Club Academy

5/10

Irish singer and songwriter Brian O’Reilly, or Bry, like many others before him, forged his own way onto the music scene through YouTube. His online presence gained rapidly, securing him a worldwide fanbase. It was with the release of his latest album Bry, produced by Greg Wells, that his name really started pricking the ears of those of us outside that fanbase.

While Bry, rather self-consciously, has described his sound as “sad indie music”, there is definitely far more of merit to it than that. It was this self-consciousness, however, that seemed to dominate his performance at Manchester’s Club Academy on Tuesday.

One of the reasons Bry so abruptly seems to have burst under the covers of popular music publications is the fact that a certain, rather popular band, took him on tour across Europe late last year. Unfortunately, this resided over the entirety of Bry’s set like a dark and pervasive cloud; he entered the stage to a slightly altered version of Twenty One Pilots’ ‘Ride’ and unfortunately the ride was almost a consistent downwards slope from then on.

He proceeded to make six more references to the fact that he’d supported Twenty One Pilots on tour and the result was a performance that, completely unnecessarily, rode on this fact. His endless references to them by no means enhanced his performance, but rather dampened it with an imposing feeling of insecurity about his own music and place on the stage.

Bry is a funny guy, and there were moments throughout the set where I genuinely laughed out loud, but self-deprecating humour can only have so much of a place in live music. Similarly, lack of confidence can be endearing, but it needs to be set off by the right amount of certainty in what it is you are delivering in order to truly work out.

What was most frustrating about all of this, was the fact that behind this shadow Bry seemed to hide behind, his music was really very good. Guitar-based and simple, the show carried an air of a genre that is both classic and forgotten, yet new and effortlessly cool. Songs such as ‘Adventure Time’ and ‘You’re Alright’ captured a subtle feeling of nostalgia in bursts of brilliant indie pop. Whilst the song he closed his set with, and his most recent single, ‘Disarm’ is a track that threads the nostalgia Bry has expertly integrated into his music, with a beat that even the parents lingering at the back of the room could not resist bobbing up and down to.

Bry is a truly great songwriter, and with that he carries the essence of a great performer, but he needs to realise and convince the rest of us – and perhaps himself – of what it is he can do. And ultimately, show what he does is good enough to stand alone, not hover behind another band’s success, because in my opinion, it is.

Tom Brady: The Greatest of all time

Written by Toby Webb on . Posted in Sport.

The 51st Super Bowl was arguably the greatest of them all. The New England Patriots, down 28-3 to the Atlanta Falcons with little more than a quarter to play, produced a thrilling comeback, rallying to an overtime victory of 34-28. This was a feat unparalleled in any previous Super Bowl: the largest deficit previously overcome was 10 points.

Since the match, several explanations have been given for the overcome. As a team, New England’s 4th quarter performance was flawless. Moreover, Atlanta’s Super Bowl naivety was evident: their play-calling in the game’s latter stages was foolish and their aggression in defence was simply unsustainable. However, it was Brady, his ability as a quarterback and a leader of the highest quality, who was ultimately able to exploit Atlanta’s flaws.

Brady’s post-game interviews have been fascinating: he maintained that he, as well as the team, never believed they were beaten. Head Coach Bill Belichick added that the halftime message was the “Same thing we told them in the first quarter and the second quarter — just kept coaching and just kept trying to get better.” It is difficult to believe doubt hadn’t entered the minds of the New England players, with the unprecedented scale of the comeback task they faced. However, anyone who has watched the Patriots over the years will understand that Brady and Belichick have unwavering belief in both their own ability and each other’s. This shone through in the Patriots commitment to their game-plan, and their subsequent victory.

Brady’s performance set new records for QB’s in the Super Bowl: Championship game records for most passes (62), completions (43) and passing yards (466) were recorded. It was extremely fitting that these records were set in the game where Brady surpassed Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the most successful QB in Super Bowl history: Brady now has five Super Bowl wins, to Montana and Bradshaw’s four. I, for one, was delighted that Brady surpassed the record. It is now indisputable evidence that he is a player of the highest calibre, and true testament to the level of consistent excellence that he has demonstrated over his 16-year career.

While Brady’s achievements are unparalleled, his beginnings offered no indications of the career he would have. Unlike Peyton Manning (drafted first), Brady’s main QB advisory throughout his career, Brady was selected 199th in the NFL Draft. New England really stumbled upon a diamond. Initially serving as back-up QB, Brady only became a starter in his second season, 2001, when the starter Drew Bledsoe got injured. Brady secured his first Super Bowl that year, illustrating his capabilities and leadership qualities. Brady would go on to lead the Patriots to Super Bowl victories in 2003 and 2004.

Two of Brady’s best season statistically, 2007 and 2011, ended in harrowingly narrow Super Bowl defeats to the New York Giants, led by QB Eli Manning. In 2007, Brady amassed 4806 passing yards and threw for 50 touchdowns. Brady benefitted from having Randy Moss, a Hall of Fame-level receiver, to hit. Analysts have argued that his 2007 season was one of the best ever produced by a quarterback. However, despite having a 16-0 record, the Patriots were unable to cap off the perfect season, narrowly beaten 17-14 in the Super Bowl. In 2011, Brady amassed 5,235 yards passing and 39 touchdowns.

2011 was about Rob Gronkowski, the juggernaut Tight End that Brady has formed a fantastic footballing relationship with. While 2007 was about offense, 2011 is considered by most to be the most archetypal Patriot season, killer in all phases of the game. Again, however, Brady and the Patriots were defeated by Manning in the Super Bowl, this time 21-17. Joe Montana won all of the Super Bowls he played in. Having won 5 and lost 2, Brady is player that has experienced both the glory and the despair.

Super Bowl losses have provided greater fuel for his drive and determination to be successful, despite being nearly 40. Super Bowl losses have made him a more complete player. 2014, Brady’s other Super Bowl victory, consisted of the Patriots taming the mean defence of the Seattle Seahawks. In similar style to this year, the Patriots completed a 10 point comeback in the 4th quarter. Brady has accumulated a magnificent repertoire of Super Bowl victories, the latter two, 2014 and this year undeniably made sweeter by the defeats in 2007 and 2011.

While blessed with talent, Brady’s consistent level of excellence is down to his sheer dedication to his craft. Even following Super Bowl winning season, he rarely takes more than two weeks off, desperate to get back and begin preparing for the new season. An example of his dedication is his diet. He follows a strict 80% alkaline, 20% acidic diet; in a 2014 interview, he described it as providing “balance and harmony through my metabolic system”.

Despite his unrivalled dedication, the single most important reason for Brady’s success has been Bill Belichick, his head coach throughout his playing career. Brady and Belichick have a true symbiotic relationship: Brady’s consistency marries perfectly with Belichick’s system. Together, they have reached 7 Super Bowls while largely lacking the amount of star players other teams have had. Brady and Belichick’s respective successes cannot be divorced from each other’s. Ultimately, they have formed an unrivalled dynasty, comparable to the one Alex Ferguson and the class of ’92 achieved.

Brady, in partnership with Belichick, has the quality that all sportspeople crave. By whatever means, they win. They have winning in their blood. In Super Bowl LI, Brady immortalised himself. He is the greatest QB ever.

Still not in space suits: the comeback of millennial fashion

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

1) Puffer Jackets: Saunter around Manchester and I guarantee you will pass a bevy of bright young things sporting the puffer jacket. Once worn by the likes of The Backstreet Boys, it has fast become a staple in every student wardrobe (also doubles up as an extra duvet in the icy depths of student housing). Today, everyone from Skepta to The Duchess of Cambridge have invested in this marshmallowy delight. It has filtered down to mainstream fashion so that even Annabelle from Surrey can strut down the isle of the magic bus in her infamous green puffer.

2) Silky. Short. Sassy. Underwear is the new outerwear. Kate Moss of course did (and still does) reign Queen of the slip dress. It was a go-to during her modelling (and Johnny Depp) years. No wonder as they can be worn with everything, for literally every occasion. Night out? Sling on the heels. Daytime? Combat boots/trainers. Bed? Slippers.

3) Logos. Logos. Logos. In the past few years anything with a cocky logo has been avoided by the self-respecting citizen, a preserve of the daring fashionable few. However, during the teen movie era of the early 00’s, we learn two things: don’t trust anyone named ‘Chad’, and the bigger the logo, the better. Now, once the SS17 runway shows tell us we are at the height of logo mania, with Gucci and Dior graphic t-shirts, Louis Vuitton’s collaboration with Supreme and of course Vetements collections. Labels, logos and lettering is everywhere.

4) In a time long ago everyone owned a tracksuit/shell suit (just look at respected judge Philip Banks in The Fresh Prince). Once again, athleisure (roadman chic) is making strides on the runway. Peep it-model, Bella Hadid for the ultimate tracksuit styling goals and of course sporty spice! Cigarette cut trackies are super comfy and versatile, wear when attending lectures, shopping, legging it from the feds, exercising etc. I will also add that if you are feeling brave and over the Adidas thing, there has been an alarming comeback of the two-piece Juicy tracksuit (available at Topshop), synonymous with Paris Hilton in the early 00’s.

5) Dear all boys and girls owning snapbacks, bucket hats and bandannas, please if you haven’t already (particularly snapbacks — you know who you are), throw them out to sea like Rose with the diamond in Titanic or burn them on a pyre at least. Instead, welcome the baseball cap. Specifically- skater style. Think late 90’s skater culture. Somewhere between full on Thrasher and Hansons MMMBop music video.

Album: Elbow – Little Fictions

Written by Jay Plent on . Posted in Music.

Released 3rd February via Polydor Records

6/10

Elbow are a modern curiosity. Despite having a cult following for years, it was only with the release of 2008’s The Seldom Seen Kid that they were finally legitimized as one of Britain’s most soulful bands. However since then, Elbow have been somewhat hit and miss in recapturing the magic of that seminal album; they’ve always taken the prettier, but slower scenic route to reach their destination.

So along comes Little Fictions, their latest album. If you caught the release of ‘Magnificent (She Says)’ prior to the album dropping, with its rousing symphonic arrangements and gentle swooping approach to romance, you’d be forgiven for assuming that it was business as usual for the Ramsbottom lads. But not so, as this album represents the band’s most palpable shift in sound yet.

This isn’t to say the band have dropped everything in pursuit of a new avant-garde punk direction. Rather, the band have allowed themselves to swoon more, to relax into some patient, elongated grooves, and new, spacious arrangements that certainly suit the powerful husk of Guy Garvey’s splendid voice.
Their exploration of percussion and new sonic palettes certainly adds to the flavor of Little Fictions. From the samba-infused intro of ‘Gentle Storm’ to the handclap-laden ‘Firebrand & Angel’, the band rely on their backbeats like never before, and they pay off, on the whole.

There’s a great deal more melodic space incorporated to allow for these new, busier drum arrangements, and there are occasions where it really works, particularly in the aforementioned ‘Firebrand & Angel’. Sinister and atmospheric, it’s by far the best track on the album. The ringing piano lines dance slyly and seductively around Garvey’s growling vocals. It’s a very different, but very rewarding track from the band; you can forgive it for having a title that sounds like a Lynx Christmas Gift Set.

Other tracks benefit massively from this new patience. The U2-esque ‘Head For Supplies’ is a beautiful, laid back ballad, and ‘Trust The Sun’ is equally pretty, filmic in fact. It would sit comfortably in the background of a tense BBC drama. However, this album’s lacking sense of urgency is also a major drawback, and not just for casual listeners. Undoubtedly, Little Fictions’s arrangements are more subtle, and they’re pleasant. But is this album exciting? Do the next tracks beg to be listened to? No, not really.

The songwriting just isn’t quite there, something about it doesn’t quite come together. Hard as it is to admit, part of the problem is Garvey’s vocal performance. Yes, it’s beautiful, but it lacks clarity. He doesn’t stay on a melody long enough to establish a strong memorable hook. Furthermore, there’s little distinction in the structure of the songs; they all bleed into each other, and some songs finish seemingly without having even really started. For an album that’s only ten tracks, it feels long, and at times uneventful.

Overall, whilst Little Fictions sports exquisite production and some of the band’s most delicate pieces yet, it doesn’t have the unshakable foundation of fantastic songs to make it anything more than a passive listen.