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Month: September 2018

Photo: stevepb@Pixabay

SU introduce drug purity testing kits

Written by charlottebayliss on . Posted in News.

The University of Manchester Students’ Union have introduced drug testing kits that are available to students. The union has done this to try and encourage the safe use of substances.

The move follows recent data that suggests 21% of students in the UK take illegal drugs.

The tests are provided by an independent company that operates in several universities within Manchester, including the University of Manchester. The kits are available from the SU Advice Service.

Students can obtain the drug testing kits by donating £2.50, as opposed to the online retail price of between £3.50-10.

The kits work by placing a sample of the drug into a liquid substance which changes colour depending on purity.

An executive officer from the Student’s Union told the Manchester Evening News: “we advocate a more adult conversation around drugs policy. We know some young people choose to engage in drug taking – to ignore that fact won’t improve the problems that do exist around the issue. We believe it’s part of our responsibility to look after our student members to make these tests available to students across Manchester and we will continue to campaign to policy makers to make changes to drugs policy that reflect a more realistic and proactive attitude.”

However the SU have stated their opposition to the use of drugs and the potential punishment that comes with it.

Despite the pilot scheme being introduced in 2016, only a few students have used it so far.

When questioned, one drug user said they didn’t know the Students’ Union provided kits, despite their possible usefulness.

They also said that they wouldn’t use the service due to the close nature of the Union to the University. They felt there was a greater risk of being caught with illegal substances due to the link between the institutions.

“I feel detached from the possible consequences of drugs as I have never had or witnessed anyone having a bad experience. However, I do feel that the University and the Union could do more to promote the risks of taking illegal drugs alongside providing drug purity testing kits.”

A student told The Mancunion that they thought providing kits was a good way to promote safe drug use. They also felt it would help with lowering the risks involved in taking illegal substances.

“It allows people to have confidence in what they are taking and the intensity of the drug, this will reduce the number of casualties caused by such substances”.

The company doesn’t ensure 100% reliability in terms of the accuracy of the kits. Moreover even if the drug doesn’t contain poisonous chemicals, the risk of allergic reactions to illegal substances can’t be predicted.

The Mancunion have contacted the Students’ Union for comment.

 

Photo: East European apartment block @ Martin Vorel

Student accommodation covered with Grenfell-type cladding

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

Figures released on Thursday by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government revealed that 54 high-rise student accommodation buildings in the UK are still covered in Grenfell-style cladding, with only 8 being completely fixed since the incident.

The Grenfell Tower fire occurred just over 15 months ago, claiming 72 lives, and has led to calls for the government to regulate cladding on all building blocks, including halls of residence and privately owned student accommodation.

The National Union of Students have stated that the buildings should not be used until full repairs have been made. They also declared that information about all buildings affected should be published and made available to the public as a warning.

According to research by charity Electrical Safety First, the North West accounted for a fifth of all accidental electrical fires that occurred in student halls of residence between 2012 and 2017.

Student halls might be particularly vulnerable to fire hazards due to dangerous student behavior. 1 in 4 Manchester University students surveyed by Electrical Safety First admitted to falling asleep on one occasion or more with food cooking on the hob or in the oven, and 1 in 3 said they’d put something in the microwave they shouldn’t have, for example light bulbs.

Emma Drackford, Communications Director of Electrical Safety First commented: “Manchester has so much to offer, including a great night life, however as you return to study or start your exciting journey at one of the country’s best universities we’re urging you all to take care in the kitchen.

“With so many of you admitting to cooking whilst drunk as well as falling asleep with food on the hob we want you to think twice about cooking in the kitchen after a night out. There was never a better excuse to order your favourite take out after a night on the town with your friends. Try and think twice, don’t drink and fry this Freshers.”

The Guardian stated that their Freedom of Information request last week prompting the government to announce which buildings were dangerous to take residency in had been declined.

Speaking to The Guardian, officials claimed: “there was public interest in transparency with respect to the buildings’ safety but disclosing the information could endanger the mental and physical health of people living in the buildings and could compromise their safety.”

Earlier this year it was reported that Thorn Court in Salford, Greater Manchester, was at risk. Although only 3 floors have been stripped and replaced with cladding, reports show that it could take up to 2 years until the building is fixed.

Reports have also been released revealing that work will begin on a 35-storey building later this year in Manchester, using anodised aluminium, like Grenfell.

Eva Crossan Jory, the NUS vice-president for welfare has spoken out: “It’s absolutely appalling. It’s incredibly concerning to see private providers gambling with student lives.”

Following this, the higher education regulator’s chief executive has also said: “We would hope that the local fire authority and the Health and Safety Executive checks these blocks urgently to reassure students of their safety.”

A spokesman for the housing ministry has claimed: “Building owners are responsible for ensuring residents are properly made aware of fire safety procedures.”

Since the Grenfell disaster, only 15% of cladding has been fixed and replaced with 62% currently being repaired. Students in Nottingham have been informed of the situation where figures have shown to have had the biggest impact, although plans for repair have not been reported.

Photo © Gerald England (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Five arrested after students in Manchester kidnapped for cash

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

Five arrests have been made after four students were lured into a vehicle and were not released until they transferred or withdrew thousands of pounds of cash.

Greater Manchester Police released an official statement last week warning people that robbers in an Audi A6 have been forcing students to get into cars and transfer them money.

The suspects are all young men, between the ages of 18 and 29. They were taken into custody on Friday morning after police searched four houses in South Manchester where large quantities of ammunition was found and the final man, aged just 19, was arrested.

The first kidnapping out of the four occurred on Lloyd Street North, close to Denmark Road, the University of Manchester halls of residence. The youngest victim, said to be only 19 years old was forced into the car and made to transfer £3,000 over.

Detective Constable Natalie Macdonald of GMP’s City of Manchester said: “Innocent members of the public, some of them students new to Manchester, have been victims of tricksters who then kidnapped them and forced them to hand over their money.

“Last night, thanks to some excellent work by the TVIU (Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit), four people were arrested, during what we believe was another robbery.”

She concluded: “When a person is a victim of such robbery, they can be left feeling scared to go out and can lose trust in everyone.

“This week we have many new students coming to live in Manchester, and it is disappointing that some of their first memories of our city is that they were victims of crime.

“I would like to reassure everyone that we are doing all that we can to prevent criminals from taking advantage, we have strong links with the universities and the councils and we have officers on dedicated patrols as part of the Student Safe campaign.”

The University of Manchester website advises students ‘on being streetwise. Simple measures, such as avoiding the obvious use of smartphones and MP3 players, and avoiding walking home alone at night, can greatly reduce vulnerability to crime.’

All five of the arrested are now being held in custody for questioning.

Interview: Crystal Moselle

Written by Tobias Soar on . Posted in Film.

Shortly after the premiere of Skate Kitchen, director Crystal Moselle and I sat down at a table outside HOME’s cinema space for a quick chat. Although the post-screening Q&A sessions helped contextualise the film – it was originally a documentary that evolved into a story based on real experiences the Skate Kitchen girls had – some more technical questions were on my mind.

The up-close-and-personal style of the film was made possible by shooting on an Arri Alexa with fixed Panavision lenses. Keeping angles low portrayed New York City as it is: rich, vibrant, and filled with unique stories and personalities. Although NYC can be a challenge for some filmmakers, Crystal is in her element there, “I’ve been filming in New York for over 15 years so, for me, it’s not really challenging. I’m very used to cruising in and out of cars.” She says “the challenge was when you had a permit to film on a certain street and then you wanted to film on another street where you’re not supposed to. […] New York is very “film-friendly”. In a lot of the places it’s free [to get a permit].”

One of the famous faces in the feature is the multi-talented Jaden Smith. I was curious as to how he and Crystal met. “He hit up Rachelle on Instagram and was a fan of hers and her skateboarding. They then became friends and this became this thing of “who should be in this film?”Jaden acts so he became a part of the family and would hang out. […] If you put yourself out there, it’s really easy to hook into the whole community. I’ve lived in New York for 20 years, I was part of the youth culture at first and now I’m essentially an anthropologist for it.” 

As someone who has dabbled in the Barcelona skate scene, I’ve made many skater friends along the way. One particular friend of mine, Marc, showed me an article that called skaters “elitist” and “exclusive” yet he believes that skate culture is very inclusive: you skate, you’re in. Yet, Crystal argues that getting “in” with specific groups of skaters can be challenging but if you just do your own thing in your local skate park, you are bound to make friends.

According to Crystal, skaters give Jaden Smith a hard time. “They can’t accept that he’s a good skater. He can f****n’ skate but he still gets s***.  But he doesn’t give a f***; he still goes out there to all those parks, shreds, talks to everybody and puts himself on the same level as everybody else. So, it’s hard to break into [the skate community] but then it gets to the point where, eventually, you do get in.”

The Skate Kitchen girls, however, have also been targeted online; “This film has been getting a lot of backlash from boys online and I’m telling them “guys, this is the whole reason why we made the movie… older skaters and magazine owners are really set in their ways and don’t want to give any of these girls a pass.”

I feel Skate Kitchen represents the real, feel-good aspect of skating with friends. This feeling, however, led to the film feeling slow at points. This allowed scenes to play out in a realistic fashion.

I told Crystal how the film made me feel like I was there, to which she replied, “That’s what I aim to do. Too much plot makes me uncomfortable. Sometimes I’m like “that feels fake, that’s bulls***”. Upon hearing this, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri popped into my mind, a film that, in my opinion, felt scripted and fake. Fortunately, Crystal agrees with me “I f****** hated that movie. The characters… Who the f*** likes that movie? The whole time I was looking around thinking “how is this movie nominated?” This movie sucks, it’s like a fake Cohen Brothers movie… what’s his name who won an Academy Award (Sam Rockwell)? I thought his character felt SO fake.”

“It took me three sittings to finish it – on three different flights! Each time I went back I’d go ‘oh man…'”

A true artiste (and a fellow Three Billboards hater) Crystal Moselle is an original storyteller and a person who appreciates the art of atmospheric cinema. Her film Skate Kitchen will be released in the UK on 28th September.

Review: BoJack Horseman – Season 5

Written by Adrian Kanyoli on . Posted in Film.

In this golden age of television we’re currently enjoying – where critically-acclaimed dramas are accessible all day, in whichever room you fancy, at the click of a button – you’ll find animated series’ are beginning to be overlooked. You’ll rarely hear original or creatively ambitious cartoons like Avatar or Rick and Morty spoken of in the same breath as the likes of The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, or Mad Men. But BoJack Horseman season five reminds us why there’s a place for great animated series’ in the pantheon of high-quality television.

Those of you who only know of this series as that weird Netflix programme with the talking animals or those who haven’t made it past the questionable first season will wonder why the rest of us sing BoJack‘s praises. Over the last four seasons, committed viewers have been rewarded with genuine laughs and a roller-coaster of emotions. It’s the original storytelling, the unexpected deaths, the poignant considerations of mental health, and the flawed, heartbreaking characters that keep us coming back for more.

While Season 5 doesn’t reach the heights of the famed underwater episode “Fish Out of Water” or the crippling lows of Beatrice Horseman’s tragic backstory, it maintains a level of human sincerity and emotional resonance that star-studded live-action dramas often struggle to pull off. Furthermore, it manages to stay fresh. In the episode “INT. SUB”, the entirety of the story is told second-hand with the cast playing humorous caricatures of themselves. This is one such example, but every episode plays well, showing the mark of writers deeply concerned with the exploration of ethics and moral responsibility. Thankfully, however, the series doesn’t doesn’t take itself too seriously, perfectly juxtaposing cartoonish absurdity with this human drama.

Each new character arc is strong. BoJack’s leading role in the crime drama Philbert sparks a story arc that exposes the shortcomings of TV’s popular male anti-heroes like Tony Soprano, Don Draper, and Walter White. The type of characters who, in an effort to undermine toxic masculinity, “end up glamouring its excesses” – as succinctly put by Diane. This cleverly highlights the damaging aspects of this series’ faults, as heard through Diane’s criticism of the eponymous character’s past actions, and it also leads to the advancement of several story threads that have been seasons in the making. Diane and Mr Peanutbutter’s divorce leads to some long overdue individual character development, taking both characters to interesting places. And the decision to continue exploring Todd’s asexuality and Princess Carolyn’s journey to motherhood proves to be the gift that keeps on giving as both characters develop in unforeseen but believable ways.

It’s hard to sell this series without spoiling the narrative decisions that make it so special, but what I can say is this; BoJack Horseman continues to be a comedy-drama that’s so tragically like reality that it needs a veneer of animation and absurdity to allow viewers to watch it without sinking into existential depression. Not every programme with anthropomorphic animals tackles issues as serious as the male gaze, opioid addiction, divorce, feminism and death. Much like reality, conflicts aren’t neatly resolved within a thirty-minute time-bracket, life is more unfair than it is fair, terrible people get away with their sins for all the wrong reasons, and people constantly try to change but often find they can’t escape themselves.

BoJack Horseman pulls you in with its intelligent humour and creative use of visual gags, but it’ll keep you engaged with its constant reminders that we are not alone and that no one’s got life figured out. Not even a major recording artist like Sarah Lynn or a wealthy celebrity living in Hollywoo.

BoJack Horseman Season 5 premiered Friday 14th September 2018 on Netflix. All episodes are available online.

Welcome back to Manchester: autumn 2018’s newest bars and restaurants

Written by Eleanor McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

This summer has seen a whole host of new food and drink delights pop up across Manchester. Here are the best new openings you might have missed over the summer months:

 

Noi Quattro – Northern Quarter 

Noi Quattro is the newest addition to Manchesters impressive line up of Neapolitan-style Pizzarias. Translating to ‘The four of us,’ it is run by four Italians, with the aim of delivering authentic, Neapolitan pizza. The menu features traditional pizzas as well as several vegetarian and vegan options, calzoncello (deep fried calzone), scugnizzielli (bites of fried dough) and cuoppo – a paper cone filled with fried italian delicacies.

 

YES – Charles Street

Four-storey venue YES seems to have everything: dingy basement club, an entirely pink 250-person live music venue, rooftop terrace bar and street-food kitchen. The club will host free nights every Friday and Saturday, along with regular band performances and DJ nights. Former Hatch residence Firebird Hope will be serving fried chicken as well as pizzas by the slice from in-house pizzeria Pepperoni Playboy.

 

Folk & Soul – Northern Quarter

Vegan restaurant, bar and live music venue Folk & Soul opened in May in the site previously housing Odd Bar in the Northern Quarter. They have a small menu of main dishes and tapas-style sharers and a range of wine and beers.

 

Viet Shack – Ancoats

Arndale Market street-food favourite Viet Shack have opened a new restaurant and bar location in Ancoats. With a diverse menu of Vietnamese meat and fish dishes along with vegan and gluten-free options, Viet Shack also serves Vietnamese beers and a range of asian-inspired cocktails.

 

Boho Utopia – Withington  

Not strictly new, Boho Utopia was founded in 2016, but this year the café had a menu revamp with an array of affordable, 100% vegan brunch bites, comfort eats and freakshakes. Mac ‘n cheez, beer-battered garlic shrooms and quesadillas are just some of the things on offer, along with freshly baked cakes. They also host yoga, mindfullness and meditation sessions.

 

Sugo Pasta Kitchen – Ancoats

Altrincham based Italian restaurant Sugo Pasta Kitchen opened a second site in Ancoats this June, offering traditional, authentic Italian pasta dishes.

 

Hatch – Oxford Road

Oxford Road pop-up venue Hatch has a fresh line up of street food vendors:

Food.Me is vegan friendly, local, and healthy wraps, curries, smoothies and juices.

Mama Z offers home-cooked fillipino food catering for meat-lovers and vegans alike.

T’Arricrii are Sicilian street-food vendors specialising in Arancini, offering meat, fish and veggie options.

Woks Cluckin’ serve tasty pan-asian street food.

 

The Jane Eyre – Ancoats

Ancoats new ‘Neighbourhood Bar’ serves an array of cocktails, beers and wines, as well brunch, toasties and small plates.

 

The Shack – West Didsbury  

A new bar in West Didsbury, offering cocktails, tacos, loaded fries and a great brunch, as well as hosting regular live music nights.

Hispi – Didsbury

Part of the chain of restaurants including Chester’s The Sticky Walnut, The Burnt Truffle in the Wirral, and Liverpool’s Wreckfish, the North West brand has opened a new restaurant in Didsbury offering high end British food in a relaxed but contemporary setting.

Photo: Future Bodies

‘Future Bodies’– technology and the organic body

Written by Jacklin Kwan on . Posted in Science & Tech, News.

Even though technology has penetrated every aspect of modern life, most of us have been limited in how we envision the future to look like.

We talk about how social media may change the political landscape, how the rise of interconnectivity can affect our relationships, and how technological advancements may help solve issues like climate change. However, we hardly ever stop to think about how we might change. That is, how our bodies will evolve just as our surroundings do.

Future Bodies is a show two years in development, co-produced by RashDash, HOME, and Unlimited. As it has taken shape, the programme has narrowed down the questions it wants to ask its audience; What is it to be human? How does our physical body define us, and what does it mean to have it changed?

These existential questions excite Jon Spooner, the Artistic Director of Unlimited. The show was born in 2015 when Spooner was commissioned to make an interactive performance installation about human enhancement technologies with RashDash’s Abbi Greenland as the main performer.  Since then, the show has evolved with the involvement of leading scientists and artists based in the UK. In Future Bodies, you’ll see a diverse cast of six, including Manchester actresses Yusra Warsama, Becky Wilkie, and Alison Halstead.

When speaking to Jon Spooner, he says doesn’t consider himself a “science communicator”. Instead, Spooner considers himself an artist, who only rediscovered his love of science when he was an adult and already producing performances. Maybe it’s his enthusiasm for science as a layman that makes him such an effective storyteller.

In the past, Jon Spooner has directed and performed in award-winning productions like Static and Neutrino. He’s also worked with scientists from all over the research spectrum. From astronauts in the European Space Agency, to researchers working in nanotechnology at the University of Manchester. Spooner’s continued collaboration with scientists informs his foray into how science intersects with art. His personality and talent probably does the rest, as he explains: “I’m very funny, and I’m good at storytelling and narrative.”

Photo: Press photo @ Unlimited Theatre

Future Bodies continues Unlimited’s trend in creating shows around scientific themes. The show will follow different people, and their stories around how technology has infiltrated their physical lives. The show will feature both genuinely plausible realities in the near future as well as more wild and absurd possibilities. Not only will Future Bodies explore an imagined future, but it will also ask how we get there, and who will be driving this.

The prospect that our physical selves are inevitably going to be altered by technology is a source of fear for many people (Netflix’s Altered Carbon, anyone?). But while this is probably anxiety-inducing for the majority of us, Jon Spooner is different. After producing Future Bodies, Spooner is also going to be appearing in ‘You have been upgraded’ at the Science and Industry Museum where he’ll be implanted with a microchip in his hand.

At least there are some of us who aren’t afraid after peering into the future.

Future Bodies will be showing at HOME from the 28 September to the 13 October 2018 before it leaves on tour to Newcastle and Huddersfield. 

Photo: Alex Proimos @Wikimedia Commons

Review: Ex Libris: The New York Public Libraries

Written by Aisha Al-Janabi on . Posted in Film.

At three and a half hours, Ex Libris: The New York Public Libraries is probably one of the longest films I’ve committed to watching, and it is honestly worth it.  It’s a well-thought out film, with scenes capturing aspects of the lives that are brought together within the various New York Public Libraries. This film is a wonderful tribute to all libraries and those who work there and highlights the continued importance and relevance of their services.

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library is a film created by Frederick Wiseman and is best described as an observational documentary about the New York Public Libraries. Wiseman has a non-obstructive style of filming so as an audience watching, it’s as if we are present in the library instead of watching through a lens in a different part of the world.

The scenes shown are familiar; rooms full of people listening to music whilst typing away at their laptop, someone dozing off in the corner, another scrolling through an online clothing shop. Seeing the consistency and reliability of what a library provides is comforting and nourishing. An architect featured in the film points out that all libraries must also be unique as the communities surrounding them use the space differently and that the library must adapt to this. Wiseman gives time and space to both the architecture within the libraries and the outside showing the surrounding shops and capturing images of life in New York.

The uniqueness of the use of each library is obvious in the film as some provide a relaxed space where people do talk whilst others contain reading rooms with the all-encompassing silence stereotypical of a library. Wiseman visits a Braille and Talking Books Library, which was something I hadn’t heard of previously and within this space we are shown a session where braille is being taught. This is an aspect of diversity that can be forgotten, and it shows the valuable work carried out through the library system by giving opportunities and raises awareness of these. Wiseman also shows us a talk given by a sign language interpreter, and in sharing these scenes gives an appreciation to those involved in these communities. Education at all ages is provided through various library learning programmes that we see during the film and in doing so shares the heartening scenes that occur within these public spaces.

The only group that we repeatedly visit are those who surround a table with coffee cups and notebooks at the ready, discussing where the funding for these libraries should go and organising various branches of the New York libraries to make it a cohesive and functioning system. Through these repeated meetings, I appreciated the wide variety of men’s ties, and the discussions that normally occur behind closed doors.

The focus of the meetings we see is about making broadband and digital technology more available to those who don’t currently have access.  There is no conclusion or culmination of these meetings as this is just a snapshot of them, but we see the distribution of internet hotspot devices in a local library on loan much like a book which I hope was successful.

Ex Libris: The New York Public Libraries is a wholesome film, where we are given the privilege to observe what is happening at the instant of filming. Through doing so the audience can learn a lot about New York and those that live there.

Watch it without your phone, in a darkened room (ideally a cinema) and embrace the journey that Wiseman takes us on, and the people we meet. I came away and had to discuss all the little details of the film, exchanging favourite scenes and singing praise for libraries all around. This will be a film cherished for centuries to come, and I’m thrilled that Wiseman chose to give time to libraries and let them have a moment of stardom.

 

5/5

Photo: Olivier06400 @Wikimedia Commons

Review: Climax

Written by alfieclark on . Posted in Film.

A true story of a 90s dance troupe having a post-rehearsal party allegedly inspires Gaspar Noé’s Climax. The party gradually descends into twisted, nightmarish hysteria as a result of LSD-spiked sangria. The film opens with a series of interviews with the dancers, speaking about their passions, ambitions, and fears. This moment foreshadows much of the horror to come. We are then treated to a visually stimulating and incredibly well-choreographed dance sequence, followed by a series of snippets from conversations between several characters. This all serves as an effective calm-before-the-storm for the film, with the dance sequence in particular being a stand-out moment in the film that had me hooked within the first ten minutes.

However, I did find one conversation, where two male dancers discuss their intentions to have sex with one of the female dancers, went on for far too long. Whilst it began as effective characterisation, it eventually came across as though Noé was simply trying to fit as much crude dialogue as he could in a single scene, ultimately creating the only moment in the film where I felt the pace dropped.

Other than the aforementioned scene, the pace in this film was its strongest factor. As Noé masterfully makes use of tracking shots to keep the audience constantly involved in the insanity unravelling on screen, the use of sound extenuates this insanity. In quieter scenes of characters trying to discuss solutions to their predicament, background noises of terrified screaming and maniacal laughter are clearly audible. Additionally, what transpires on screen is timed perfectly with the music playing – the use of ‘Windowlicker’ by Aphex Twin serves as a personal high-point of the film for me. The soundtrack is an auditory treat, featuring the likes of Daft Punk, The Rolling Stones, and Gary Numan.

The performances in the film are strong, with Sofia Boutella as Selva, the closest thing to a protagonist in the story, being particularly impressive. She perfectly conveys the sheer terror she is experiencing despite the fact that the audience cannot actually see whatever disturbing hallucinations she may be witnessing. Child-actor Vince Galliot Cumant deserves praise as Tito: having a likable child mixed up in the horror gave the film an entirely new dimension of suspense. Whilst I personally did not find this film to be as disturbing as some of Noé’s other works, the inclusion of this character was certainly the most distressing part of the film. Cumant’s convincing performance largely helped the disturbing moments.

Climax is far from an easy watch, and I would not recommend it to everyone. However, if you have a strong stomach and are a fan of horror there is a lot to love here. Whilst never quite reaching the heights of his ambitious 2009 psychedelic masterpiece Enter the Void, Climax may be Noé’s most tightly constructed film yet. It is also perhaps my favourite film of the year so far. But maybe that says more about me than the film.

Climax was released in the UK on the 21st September and is currently playing at HOME in Manchester.

5/5.

Credit: Nicola Adams @Wikimedia Commons

Anthony Joshua retains world heavyweight titles after knockout win against Povetkin

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

Anthony Joshua resumed his incredible knockout run after a stunning seventh round victory against Alexander Povetkin at Wembley. Povetkin, who has lost just once in 35 fights against Wladimir Klitschko, looked as if he could defeat Joshua with some impressive combinations in the earlier rounds. Joshua weathered the storm though, and gradually grew into the match as his opponent tired.

Half way through the seventh round Joshua landed a brutal right hook that dazed his opponent enough to land a heavy follow up with his left. Povetkin was now staggering and unable to hold his guard. More combinations rocked the Russian before a left and right hook send him crashing to the floor.

After falling over twice trying to get up, Povetkin rose to his feet as the count reached nine. However it would have been foolish to think this was now over. Joshua himself had been in this position against Klitschko but fought back to win, keeping focused was pivotal to see out this bout. He said before the fight that he feared losing to that “one punch”, Povetkin was a fighter who had the ability to turn a fight with just that.

It took less than ten seconds from the restart though for referee Steve Gray to intervene. Povetkin slumped into the ropes after a powerful left hook before ultimately tumbling to the floor again. Joshua had done what Klitschko could not manage five years prior, a win by TKO against the mighty Russian.

After the fight Joshua said: “Povetkin is a very tough challenger, he proved that with good left hooks and counter punches. I came in here to have fun, and give it my best. I knew he was strong to the head but weak to the body. I was just mixing it up.”

“It could have been seven, maybe nine, maybe 12 rounds to get him out of there, but the ultimate aim was to be victorious.”

The victory for Joshua comes less than a day after the WBC champion Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury sealed the deal for their fight on 1st December. The next fight for the Englishman comes on 13th April back at Wembley, with the opponent yet to be decided.

“I’ve carried the burden of the heavyweight division for some years now,” Joshua said. “It was all about me fighting Wilder, fighting Fury, fighting Klitschko, fighting Dillian, fighting Povetkin. That’s all they were interested in, me fighting them all.

“I will always knock them down, one by one, but people have to be patient. I’m happy Wilder and Fury are fighting and good luck to both of them. I have no interest in who wins. I’ll fight both of them.”

Who he fights will have to be decided before the pair clash in LA later this year. “I don’t want to wait until December for him to win the fight, have his rest and then start negotiating because I’ll start training for the fight in early January,” Joshua said. “I want to get the fight pencilled in as soon as possible, this side of Christmas so I know what I’m doing next year.”

Still from Queen Margaret, Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Review: Queen Margaret at The Royal Exchange

Written by Lauren Ellis-Stretch on . Posted in Theatre.

‘Queen Margaret’ was a dynamic and sustained exploration of history’s lost female narratives. Jeanie O’Hare writes Queen Margaret to stand among Shakespeare’s most tragic heroes in her modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Henry V.

When approaching any Shakespearean production, I must confess, I approach with trepidation. How will they make this engaging? How will it translate to a contemporary audience? Will I understand what’s going on? Elizabeth Freestone’s direction is illuminating, playful and engaging. The potential for comedy is utilized in the modernisation of text. Sound is implemented tacitly in the mounting of intensity, and song is also adopted in a mournful reflection of war and its destruction. This was a much welcome change in the texture of the piece as an unrelenting ferocity reigned dominant.

Set in the round, there was a strong sense of isolation and loneliness created by a wash of blue, speckled with sea foam surrounding a green, circular platform. This theme of isolation permeates throughout the piece; as Queen Margaret (Jade Anouka) navigates her political role as wife to the King and bearer to his heir. She is left marooned with the enormity of managing established expectations against her more aspirational intentions. The audience in the round positioned them as the people of Henry’s England, side-lined, merely spectators of political game.

The set represents a hearing room for parliamentary affairs. In its modern adaption, however, it’s more Lord Sugar boardroom-esque, fraught with bickering and name calling, than a respected high court steered by a resolute monarch. Amanda Stoodley’s set is easily adaptable in its simplicity. A set of three circles hanging over the centre of the stage gradually fall out of alignment, exhibiting the culminating destruction to not only Queen Margaret’s character, but to England and its people.

The density of Jeanie O’Hare’s ‘Queen Margaret’ is undeniable: constructed with a richness of characters and a luminosity of political game and corruption. What she most explicitly presents is the abilities and the circumstances surrounding female leadership. In its modern placement, it’s hard to ignore the all-blue wardrobe of Queen Margaret calling to mind the party politics of Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher’s cabinets and parallels to be drawn to Henry VI’s.

Even the narrator-like Hume (Helena Lymbery) draws connections between the disenfranchised people of Henry VI’s England and the overwhelming disconnection felt by people in Britain today. Hume rejoices in the uprisings against Henry only to realise that it is the people who fare worst from war. she becomes powerless and morality can no longer be held when faced with the mere practicality of survival. She protests “I don’t even know what side I’m on anymore,” and perhaps that simple cry for explanation or clarity exemplifies our current political climate just as aptly as Shakespeare intended to speak of just and rightful rule in Tudor and Elizabethan England.

Photo: HOME Mcr

Preview: The Early Films of Japan’s Punk Generation

Written by Rona McCann on . Posted in Film.

HOME cinema, as part of the Asia Triennial Festival Manchester, will be showing early films from four highly experimental, genre-bending directors. These craftsmen of cinema, namely Tsukamoto Shinya, Ishii Sogo, Ogata Akira and Sion Sono, helped spark a new wave of creativity in the Japanese film industry in the 1980s.

First up is Shinya’s gore-ridden cyberpunk film, Tetsuo: The Iron Man. This is not a film for the faint-hearted with its opening scene containing the cutting of live human flesh. Moreover, the film only doubles down from thereon out. The story continues as a black-and-white feat of manic revenge, told through shock, cutaway scenes and complete absurdity. The 67 minute film is low-budget, and it shows, but that doesn’t take away from Shinya’s unique vision.

The Adventures in Super 8 programmes 1 and 2 comprise two nights of the festival. Programme 1 includes another gift from Shinya, his 1988 creation The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo, along with Sogo’s The Isolation of 1/880000. The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo, also referred to as The adventures of Electric-Rod boy, concerns a metal-human monster and also involves time travel. Sogo’s The Isolation, meanwhile, tells the tale of a lonely man living in Tokyo. It employs slow-motion animation and pixellation to create a unique example of Sogo’s early cinematic storytelling.

Programme 2 is another double bill. With a run-time of under forty minutes, I am Sion Sono!! is an intimate artist’s journal, documenting Sono’s move from notable teen poet prodigy to young director. The self-portrait is arrogant in how nonchalant Sono is in making a film all about himself and his work. It is also energetic, raunchy and seemingly scriptless. In quite an odd pairing, next up comes Tokyo Cabbageman K, the 1980 work of director Akira Ogata. Unless anyone dares a remake, it may well be the only film you ever watch whose entire plot centres around a man waking up to find a cabbage in place of his head.

The final solo screening, Sono’s Cold Fish, is the only film of the series not to have come out of the 1980s (instead it was released in Japan in 2011). The parallels in the picture with the now-controversial director’s earlier work in the decade is perhaps the reason it was chosen. Fitting with the theme, this is a story loosely based on real-life homicides, with some black comedy thrown in for good measure.

The Early Films of Japan’s Punk Generation runs from 9th to 23rd October. Tickets can be purchased from www.homemcr.org.

Photo: Grimmfest

Grimmfest – Manchester’s Horror Film Festival

Written by Tobias Soar on . Posted in Film.

Grimmfest is returning to Manchester in its 10th year to celebrate independent horror, sci-fi and fantasy films. It takes place on the 4th-7th of October at the Odeon Manchester Great Northern. The festival promises to be a thrilling weekend.

Festival coordinators, Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones created Grimmfest 10 years ago to showcase horror films to a greater audience. This included Splintered which the pair directed and was their film debut. To celebrate the 10th anniversary the film will be re-shown on the 1st of October at the festival’s preview night at the Plaza Cinema in Stockport.

Over the weekend there will also be screenings of short films with F-ratings. A film is given this rating for supporting fair representation of women and is a rating I’m glad is being used throughout Grimmfest. A film with an F-rating must have a female director or a female writer. A ‘triple F-rating’ which is the system’s gold star can also be awarded to films which include significant female characters.

The film opening the festival is Re-Animator which features Barbara Crampton, this year’s Grimmfest Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Due to it being the only classic film shown, it will help pave the way for exciting new releases. At The Mancunion, we will be covering Summer of ‘84, Piercing and The Cleaning Lady. However, other notable releases include: Nightmare Cinema, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, Girls With Balls and Await Further Instructions, which are sure to please and excite all horror-lovers in attendance.

With hours of feature films and short films being shown – with many including post-showing Q&A sessions with the cast and crew – over the weekend, you will be spoilt for choice. Take a look at their website, http://grimmfest.com/grimmupnorth/2018/09/grimmfest-2018-schedule/ for more information about the films being shown.

Photo: Phil Tragen Photography

Review: the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda

Written by Alana Cook on . Posted in Theatre.

The RSC’s touring production of the musical ‘Matilda’ (based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name), is a story about a brilliantly clever little girl with the ability to move things with her mind. The curtain opened to reveal a remarkable set of hundreds of spelling blocks providing a visual delight from the very beginning.

Behind any great musical is, of course, a great composer and Tim Minchin’s satirical genius proves no exception to this. In songs such as the opener Miracle, Minchin manages to write lyrics aimed at children but underlined with adult humour. Just as his songs can make us laugh, beautiful wistful numbers such as When I Grow Up remind us that even as adults we can often still look at the world and feel the same awe and uncertainty as we did when we were children.

When I Grow Up proved to be one of the highlights of the musical numbers with its simple but clever choreography using swings, representing and evoking the free-spirited nature of children and of Roald Dahl’s original Matilda. Besides, what child didn’t love to play on swings?

A fantastic cast brought the musical to life. Matilda’s parents, played by Rebecca Thornhill and Sebastian Torkia, brought great pantomimic comedy to their roles. Carly Thom’s beautiful voice gave an extra sweetness to Miss Honey. Craige Els was also a standout as the formidable Miss Trunchbull; it was hard to hate the character when the actor was making you laugh so much.

However, the real star(s) of the show were the children. As a group, they gave the performance its raw energy and despite the show being a little over two hours, their pace never dropped. Dylan Hughes and Louella Asante-Osuwu were fantastic as the characters Bruce and Lavender respectfully and Sophia Ally, did an impressive, absolutely adorable job playing the title role of Matilda. All of the young actors proved, just as Matilda did, that you should never underestimate the power of children.

Overall, ‘Matilda’ is a delightful, funny and heart-warming performance of a spectacular musical that sings to our inner child and shows that “sometimes, you have to be a little bit naughty”.

Photo: Jess Johnstone

Review: the return of A Game of Two Halves

Written by Libby Williamson on . Posted in Theatre.

Joe Large’s original play, A Game of Two Halves, returned following a successful run at Three Minute Theatre in February. Having missed the original run, I was thrilled to have another opportunity to see the acclaimed dark comedy “about competition between couples and our constant need to one-up each other”. There was never a dull moment in this hilarious, tension-fuelled exploration of social dynamics.

Large’s script was skilfully directed by Jack Allwright, with assistance from Jess Johnstone. All four of the characters, Brendon, Maddie, Martin and Bethany were played to perfection, drawing comedy from even the smallest moments of suspense. Brendon’s (Charlie Diver) uncouth attitude drew laughs from the first scene, as he appeared in his underpants and behaved like a stroppy teenager. Diver’s flawless Scottish accent must also be applauded. Maddie, his long-suffering wife (Becca Hatch) maintained an impeccable façade as a put-together housewife, making the unfolding events in the second act even more shocking.

Allwright primarily played on potential for awkwardness in Large’s script, never being afraid to stretch out a pause until the last possible second. The entrance of Martin (Lucio Gray) and his young girlfriend, Bethany (Scarlett Gorman) laid the foundation for a deeply uncomfortable evening. They removed their shoes at Maddie’s request, then, under Brendon’s mockery, put them back on again – very, very slowly.

As the narrative progressed, the tension grew palpable and the power dynamics more overt. A scene in which Brendon hounds Martin into daring him to eat all the prawn crackers was as funny as it was uncomfortable, forcing the audience to wonder what was going on beneath the surface. While Brendon gorged himself, spraying spit and guzzling foaming beer, Martin’s contrasting impassivity only enhanced the humour.

The constant competition between the couples was also a source of tension, with the game of charades in the second act providing some priceless moments. Maddie’s depiction of the film ‘Inception’ was particularly funny, as was Martin’s vigorous portrayal of The Wind in the Willows. Gray’s humour as Martin was understated, but always effective, as with his ridiculous over-pronunciation of Spanish words – from “San Luca” to “San Miguel”.

The one weakness in what was otherwise a compelling, hilarious piece of original theatre, was that the women seemed flimsily drawn. Maddie and Bethany were often merely accessories, reacting to and not instigating the main events. Gorman’s comic timing was spot-on, and her delivery of one particularly risqué joke produced the biggest laugh of the night. Hatch, too, was effortlessly funny with her faux-casual remarks about Martin’s “stunning” ex-wife and cutting critiques of her husband. Yet, I couldn’t help but wish that they’d been given more to work with than these scarce moments.

Overall, A Game of Two Halves was expertly staged, well-acted, and written with consistent wit. Large’s play was extremely funny, yet the dramatic undercurrent also gave it gravity. This paid off in the brilliance and intensity of the final scene. While it was not perfect, it was still incredibly impressive. The cast and creative team undoubtedly deserve recognition.

Photo: Helen Murray

Review: Meek at the Lowry

Written by Orla Quilligan on . Posted in Theatre.

Headlong Theatre is responsible for some of the most iconic theatre in the last decade, ‘Chimerica’ and ‘People, Places and Things’ being their most eminent recent works. Meek comes as Headlong’s latest production in collaboration with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Whilst this production had an impressive reputation to live up to, Meek packed an intense punch that so distinctly reminded me of Headlong’s craftsmanship.

It’s difficult, and seems somewhat unfair, to boil Meek down into a simple plot line and theme; it is so steeped in huge moral dilemmas and political implications that face our current society. At the heart of it, our protagonist, Irene, has been convicted of performing a sacrilegious song and unintentionally inspires a revolution in reaction to this fanatical dictatorship (think Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tail). On a personal level, we see the conflict this causes between her and her best friend, Anna, in a realistic and unique portrayal of female friendship that keeps shocking us until the very last moment.

MEEK by Penelope Skinner. Photo: Helen Murray

Yet, through combining so many huge ideas, a distinct feeling of tension, dissonance and incongruity is created. Director Amy Hodge made this apparent in every aspect of the production, from the battle of the secular and fanatically religious to the contrast in the actors’ movement within a claustrophobic space. The intense feeling of uneasiness this created really forced us to look into our own politics and principles, and confront the possibility that this play presented only an exaggerated version of our own society.

The design of this show by Max Jones and Zoe Spurr (lighting), deserves its own special mention. The set was unrelentingly grey and authoritarian, made up of simple grey blocks and walls, with one cross engraved into a wall, that seared with light, blinding us with the wrath of this religious regime. Rarely have I seen a set that so indisputably conveyed a sense of the time, place and ethos of the society the play exists in.

Betrayal, pride, shame, social media, radicalism, diplomacy, even Brexit – after only 65 minutes and a cast of three, all these themes were on the tip of my tongue in the aftermath of this production. Penelope Skinner has written, in my opinion, something of an era-defining text and the performances by Shvorne Marks, Amanda Wright and Scarlett Brookes were commendable in their roles, drawing out all the potential of this production.

Interview: Rock Choir Founder Caroline Redman Lusher

Written by Anuli Changa on . Posted in Theatre.

“Even if you only sing in the shower, you belong here.” Caroline arrived confident and bubbly, fresh from a BBC breakfast interview for Rock Choir, the first of many that day.

She told me about beginning her training at 4 years old as she’d shown an affinity for music. This led to a scholarship at a Girls’ school where she learned violin, piano and singing. Caroline laughingly recounted her days of singing in Birmingham night clubs under-age. And seemed right at home in Media City, having studied popular music and recording at Salford university.

She then moved to Farnham, studied at night school and began to teach A level performing arts. She explained that her students were strong dancers and actors but struggled with music and the more technical, academic side of performance.

In light of this, Caroline began a Wednesday afternoon music lesson in which her “organic” way of teaching by ear led to her students acing their exams. It quickly became more than that, becoming something of a social movement. Her students’ grades were going up across the board and parents were approaching her to ask what she’d done to make such a change in their child.  Her answer was simple: “we’ve been having a lot of fun on Wednesday afternoons.”

The effect she had on these students led to their parents asking her to do it for them too. Caroline, imagining “running a choir every day of the week” put a poster in a Farnham coffee – everyone welcome, no experience needed, no need to read music.

70 turned up to first meeting and a “highly emotional” practice ensued.

Caroline described how Rock Choir  has a “set of ingredients that have all been created organically”. Firstly, “the singing which releases endorphins”. Secondly the social side – “it’s anti-loneliness”, as Caroline put it. And finally, dance routines – all things that “keep them alive.” Her passion for community and bonding through music was evident. She explained how starting a community choir in Farnham grew into a phenomenon where 28,000 members now participate. They sing across 400 towns, run by professionals hired and trained by Caroline herself.

When I asked how she maintains the same community and support when 70 people has grown to 28,000, Caroline explained that everyone is linked by learning all the same songs.  And each Rock Choir leader has multiple choirs that they bring together for “big sings.”

Caroline was delighted to let me in on the Rock Choir surprise for Proms in the Park (Hyde Park). Last week, unbeknownst to anyone, 12,000 ‘Rockies’ were among the audience in Hyde Park. This culminated in a flash mob to Dancing in the Street, certainly a sight to behold!

Caroline chose the Cohen classic Hallelujah for Rock Choir’s single. She explained that picking songs we all know demonstrates the effect of music that everyone knows and feels. Despite the bigger scale of Rock Choir, Caroline continues to arrange all the songs they sing. Her arrangements of classics like Somebody To Love, Mr. Blue Sky and Something Inside So Strong all focus on the emotional effect the songs will have on the audience.

When I asked Caroline to sum up the essence of Rock Choir she said, “Singing fantastic songs you feel good about and the friendships”. Rock Choir puts great emphasis on being a support system that applies to those from all walks of life. Helping people through loss, illness and giving people a new community to belong to.

Looking to the future, Caroline commented: “I’m a teacher and this is the bit I like the most – just being in the room with them.” We discussed her plans to teach younger people and students. Caroline admitted that although, in her opinion, the 80s hits she arranges for Rock Choir are some of “the greatest songs ever written”, there would need to be a change in some of the music and the approach to a younger demographic.

The Rock Choir founder came across as a humble and impressive woman. What struck me most about Caroline was her obvious care and pride for all the successes of Rock Choir, and the community it stands for.

Photo: Bradshaw79 @Wikimedia Commons

The University of Manchester makes top 20 in Good University Guide 2019

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

The Times and The Sunday Times have published their 2019 Good University Guide, in which The University of Manchester has been ranked 19th best in the country and second best in the North West of England.

Lancaster University was named the most prestigious in the North-West, with Manchester Metropolitan University ranking sixth and the University of Salford coming in at ninth once again.

The University of Manchester has been placed consistently at around the top 30 for a number of years. The news that the institution will be returning to the top 20 is likely to be welcomed by staff, particularly given that the university reached its highest ever position in the 2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities table this August.

The University of Manchester has made its way back into the top 20 despite the 2018 National Student Survey placing The University of Manchester in the bottom half of the league table for student satisfaction. In addition to this, The University of Manchester only received a silver Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) award last year as opposed to the top prize of gold. The TEF assesses teaching at UK universities to help students make a more informed choice.

The Times and The Sunday Times rank institutions by looking at a range of measures, such as student satisfaction, teaching excellence and research quality among others.

The University of Manchester also rose four places to 18th in the 2019 rankings published by The Complete University Guide. The Guardian’s 2019 University Guide has The University of Manchester ranked at 34th in the country, down from 28th in 2018.

In August this year, The University of Manchester was listed as the 34th best institution in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

The advantages of seasonal eating

Written by Catrin Stewart on . Posted in News.

As a student, its hard to consider ways of eating other than ‘cheap, quick and easy’. But let me introduce you to the idea of seasonal eating. You’ll save money, make your food even more delicious with no extra effort, and you’ll be helping the environment along the way.

The Taste Test:

By keeping an eye out for fruit and vegetables that are in season, you get more flavour for no extra cost. The produce is fresher as it hasn’t spent time being shipped across countries, and the flavours are better. Strawberries are sweeter, aubergines are richer, and your cooking becomes more simple. With better, fresher ingredients, you can use fewer elements in your dishes. This keeps them simple and magnifies the flavours of the fruit or vegetables alone.

Saving Money:

With supply and demand, it means that buying produce in peak season is cheaper as more of the certain type of fruit and vegetables are grown during those months. You’ll be supporting British, local producers while reducing cost from your own purse – win win!

A Greener Way to Shop:

Not only does eating seasonally mean your produce travels less distance, therefore reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles, it also becomes less likely that food is not kept in greenhouses and is grown organically.

Give it a Go:

Eating seasonally can benefit you in innumerable ways, including widening your horizons and helping you discover new food to try. But, also, nature always has its ways of helping us along, and plants are one of them. Fruit and vegetables contain the nutrients we need at certain types of year, so eating by season will also help you feel your best and look after your body.

At the moment, root vegetables are starting to come into season, so why not try making a beetroot and carrot coleslaw with greek yoghurt as a tasty addition to your lunches, or create an autumnal dessert from blackberries and apples or pears. I love a good crumble, but if I don’t have the time, quickly stewing some fruit in water and honey can make a great topping for ice cream for a quick but delicious pudding!

Seasonal eating is such an easy way to improve your diet and budget, so I implore you all to give it a go. Try something new and help other people and our planet too!

Photo: Manchester Students' Union

Students’ Union launch Alternative Lecture Series

Written by ingapiotrowska on . Posted in News.

This October the University of Manchester Students’ Union is launching an Alternative Lecture Series.

Run by the Education Department, the series is promoting a diverse and challenging education for students at the University.

The organizers want to touch on topics that students won’t find in their curriculum, making education more exciting.  The aim of the series is to encourage the students to become involved in the lectures, come up with new ideas for future speakers and ultimately take ownership of the event.

The lectures are described as “unofficial TED talks” by experts on everything and anything.

The first lecture will take place on the 4th of October from 4-6pm in Theatre B, University Place. Neil McInroy, the CEO of Manchester-based think tank CLES, will outline the current issues and obstacles facing inclusive economic development. He will then describe CLES’s vision for promoting local economic development and explain what students can do to help.

In the second lecture, which will run on the 11th of October from 4-6pm at SU Council Chambers, Daniel Davis will address the themes of his latest best-selling book The Beautiful Cure. It describes the scientific quest to understand how immunology works and how this understanding unlocks a new approach to medicine and well-being.

The last lecture will take place in the SU Council Chambers on the 18th of October from 4-6pm. During this Jeff Forshaw will share with us his Physics interests (topic unconfirmed).

The events are free and attendees can simply show up on the night. To find out more, visit the events’ Facebook page.