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Year: 2018

Photo: Ilovetheeu @ Wikimedia Commons

Politicians have “moral obligation” to prevent no-deal Brexit, says Russell Group chair

Written by Sam Honey on . Posted in News.

Sir Anton Muscatelli has delivered a stark warning over ongoing negotiations with the EU, claiming that a no-deal Brexit would be “unhinged self-sabotage”.

The University of Glasgow Vice-Chancellor claimed that ‘all logic’ pointed towards keeping the UK in a single market after departure from the EU in March 2019. Muscatelli himself is one of the country’s leading economists, and has a track record in the field of political economy.

He further stressed that there would be dire consequences across the entire economy should the UK exit the European Union without a formal customs or trade agreement with the 27 other member states.

“There has been no comparable experience of a member of a regional trade association or free-trade area crashing out of that area without agreement”, said the 56-year old, speaking at a Brexit summit organised by Glasgow City Council.

His remarks came at a time where the possible implications of a no-deal Brexit are looming over universities, with UCU chief Sally Hunt intervening last month to argue that it was the greatest current threat to higher education.

Ongoing negotiations have cast serious doubt over the future of EU-funded research projects at British institutions, and the government’s hand was recently forced, as they agreed to finance EU schemes for UK Universities until 2020.The effect of the loss of freedom of movement on foreign students studying in Britain is fast becoming another dilemma, with the future of the Erasmus+ scheme far from assured.

Amid the uncertainty for students and academics unlike, UCU is set to announce the results of a membership vote on whether or not to support a second referendum, in the coming days. Universities UK has also been working closely with a number of UK institutions and the government to prepare for a range of exit scenarios.

Despite the potentially serious consequences for higher education, Muscatelli also stressed the universality of the problem, suggesting that a poorly-handled exit could set ”our economy and our society back for generations.”

This is certainly the case in Manchester, where in addition to the repercussions for the three universities, a no-deal Brexit has been described as possibly bringing ‘chaos’ to the city. A damning report from Manchester city council raised concerns over knock-on effects in areas from housing to the environment and warned that local businesses were not prepared to stockpile resources.

With tensions increasing between local and national branches of government, Muscatelli has given a hard-hitting message of indictment to key figures in Westminster, claiming that ”any politician refusing to try – who won’t even attempt to soften the pain of Brexit by making the case for single market membership, which all logic tells them is the right thing to do – is guilty of a serious dereliction of duty.”

The intervention of arguably the most prominent figure in British higher education is sure to spark debate over the apparent necessity for crucial agreements on university matters, regardless of whether or not a second referendum is to be held.

Meanwhile, universities are continuing their own informal planning for post-EU life, with Imperial College London and the Technical University of Munich announcing last week a unique ‘dual-nationality’ plan, in which they will jointly appoint staff, in the hope that this will keep access to research grants.

Marco Antonio Torres @ Flickr

Universities target ‘superstar’ professors in bid to boost research rankings

Written by Sam Honey on . Posted in News.

Universities in the UK are recruiting elite professors with the lure of higher pay in order to scale research league tables, it has been found.

A paper presented to the Economic Policy Panel in Vienna made the claims in reference to the Government’s Research Excellence Framework (REF), an impact evaluation programme that attempts to assess the accountability of public investment in research, and can also be used to make funding recommendations.

The paper was authored by three economists based at the University of Nottingham, who aimed to demonstrate how the programme had led to a skewing in university recruitment.

Led by John Gathergood, the investigation focused on the variation of 16,300 professors’ salaries across a three-year period, starting in 2013. Findings suggested that an increase in average research quality, measured by GPA, correlated with pay rises for institution’s most prestigious and prolific professors. The paper claimed that senior professors were able to earn up to seven times the amount of counterparts who were new to the job, on the nationally-agreed salary minimum.

This kind of activity has been likened to the recruitment of expensive footballers in the Premier League, as institutions with higher budgets are increasingly becoming able to poach academic staff at the top of their fields, with lucrative contract offers. Gathergood and his colleagues further argued that such a market has been facilitated by the ability to transfer the university affiliation of research, creating a ‘transfer-market’ like structure of higher education recruitment.

The REF framework itself functions strongly on a reputation-basis and its use for funding recommendations has been seen to drive institutions to headhunt in order to secure the hosting of world-class research projects and academics.  This was reflected in the University of Nottingham trio’s conclusions – that appeared to show that departments with the most unequal levels of pay were often those that performed the best in the REF’s assessment.

The report raises concern over the apparent introduction of economically-motivated competition in the UK university system, saying that, “Whilst individual UK academics and administrators will no doubt find these results of much interest, they warrant wider attention, as they contain important lessons on the effects of liberalising pay and introducing competition for resources in a largely publicly funded system.”

This adds to a long-running debate over the marketisation of higher education, with increasing concerns that students are being relegated to consumer status, as other issues, such as research financing, are prioritised. Indeed, the concept of ‘superstar’ professors appears to suggest a substantial interest in scaling research tables and boosting academic reputations in the rapidly-growing pool of competitive UK universities.

Photo: The University of Manchester

Patrick Hackett appointed as new Registrar, Secretary, and COO

Written by Nicole Wootton-Cane on . Posted in News.

The University of Manchester have appointed Patrick Hackett as their new Registrar, Secretary, and Chief Operating Officer.

Hackett, who previously worked as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Liverpool, was among staff criticised during the UCU strikes last year for unnecessary spending whilst travelling.

The Liverpool Echo reported that Liverpool University bosses could have saved £113,000 if they’d travelled standard class on planes and trains over just under three years.

Hackett himself was criticised for spending £765.59 on one night at the 4 Seasons Hotel in Sydney last October.

A University spokesperson told The Mancunion: “The University is pleased to have Patrick as its Registrar, Secretary, and Chief Operating Officer.

“His experience and record of success with universities makes him an outstanding appointment for Manchester.”

Hackett worked at the University of Liverpool from 2005-2018, firstly as Director of Facilities Management, then as COO, and finally as Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

He has also held senior leadership positions at The University of Reading and Royal Holloway, University of London.

President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said that Hackett had “a real passion for universities” and “a track record of success.”

Commenting on his appointment on the universities Staffnet website, Patrick said: “I am delighted to be joining The University of Manchester. I have already discovered a strong sense of identity and ambition in those colleagues I have met.”

“There is a powerful commitment to world class research, the highest quality student experience and to social, economic and cultural impact at Manchester and I am looking forward to joining the team and contributing to achieving our vision to be a leading global institution.”

Patrick Hackett joined the University management on 1st October.

Photo: David Ingham @WikiCommons

Congestion zone in Manchester city centre up for debate

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

Last week, council leaders met to discuss the urgent impact pollution is having on the public. Guidelines imposed by the government state that all councils must show a draft clean air plan, eradicating nitrogen oxide associated with diesel emissions, to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by December 31st of this year.

It was reported earlier this year that over 1,000 premature deaths have been linked to bad environmental conditions, which could potentially reach legal levels by 2021, spurring an urgent meeting by council bosses.

Speaking to Manchester Evening News, Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council and previous leader of the campaign for congestion charge, said: “If you’ve got something costing 1,000 premature deaths a year in Manchester, you’ve got to do something about it. I don’t think it’s not an option.

“Clearly dirty air is a killer, but also poverty is a killer and the older cars tend to be driven by people on lower incomes who need that car to be able to work.

“Whatever we bring in needs to ensure the people at the bottom end of the chart don’t have to pay for it, either a scrappage scheme or an exemption scheme for people on low incomes – probably a combination of both.”

“There are some difficult questions to address and quite a lot of hard and serious discussions to have over the next few months.

“The intention is to begin a public discussion in the next few weeks,” he added.

“Really, that’s to have a conversation with the public saying ‘this is what the problem is’, but even then, we’re not going to jump to any conclusions.”

Greater Manchester has recently considered a targeted scrappage scheme to improve air quality. Scrappage schemes are focused on getting rid of any diesel cars by sending them to scrap yards in exchange for cash. Although, many have argued that this method is ineffective and costly.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, previously promised to not introduce congestion charges, although failed to vow against introducing a tax on bus and HGV contractors to improve pollution.

Last year, Burnham stated to Manchester Evening News, that: “[my] commitment is I will try everything else first. If it ever is to happen here, you are talking a long way down the line and even if it did I would go to restricting buses and HGVs.

“I’m not going to implement that charge on car users. I want to make this really clear — there will never be any charge on individual motorists.”

A spokesman for the mayor has suggested that Burnham will oppose any charges made to individual motorists.

Following this discussion amongst council bosses, Greater Manchester’s clean air plan has the chance to gain funding from the government, hoping for a direct investment into public transport around the city. However, when this will happen is yet unconfirmed.

The Show Must Go On! The Voice’s Becky Hill sings on street after water pipe burst

Written by Olivia White on . Posted in Music.

Since Becky Hill first made her debut on the initial season of The Voice UK, the singer had signed a worldwide record deal with legendary Polydor Records in 2017.

After embarking on tour with her new single ‘Back & Forth’ and heading to a sold-out Manchester show at the Academy, this Bewdley-born vocalist found herself singing on Oxford Road instead due to a burst water pipe.

After the venue tweeted that they were “unable to open” and they were in the process of rescheduling the gig, Becky Hill refused to leave her fans unsatisfied. Instead, Becky took to the streets after a decision made by a WhatsApp Group. However, although she does admit that the spontaneous performance left her a bit “croaky,” she insists it was the right thing to do.

Becky became The Voice’s first contestant to score a UK No. 1 with ‘Gecko (Overdrive)’ with Oliver Heldens and has clearly still retained that fire and determination.

Catch Becky Hill play The Wardrobe, Leeds tomorrow night!

Hopefully, this time, inside a venue with working toilets!

unilad.co.uk @ Wikimedia Commons

UniLad on the brink after going into administration

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

Buyers are being sought for UniLad – one of Facebook’s biggest names – after it went into administration.

The website’s parent company Bentley Harrison is said to have debts of more than £6m, although some reports put the figure at closer to £10m.

The Manchester-based business has 39 million likes on Facebook and was named by NewsWhip as the fourth biggest publisher on the social media giant in August. It publishes viral content and it’s widely shared posts are aimed primarily at students.

The platform reportedly owes its ousted founder, Alex Partridge, £5m. According to The Drum, Lad Bible has bought Partridge’s debt and is now the site’s largest creditor.

Lad Bible is another Manchester-based publisher with around 33 million followers and is arguably UniLad’s biggest rival.

Partridge launched UniLad in 2010 when he was a student at Oxford Brookes University. He argued last year that he was “cut out” of the business after giving Liam Harrington and Sam Bentley, the current owners, a 66% stake in the company.

It has previously been reported at the time by Business Insider that the legal battle, which Patridge won, could “force the sale of the site.”

As a result of the company’s woes around 200 jobs are at risk but administrators at the accountancy firm Leonard Curtis are looking for a buyer.

Joint administators Andrew Poxon and Andrew Duncan said in a statement: “The business has substantial social media presence – including 60 million followers, one billion weekly reach, and four billion monthly video views across nine channels.

“The joint administrators are seeking offers for the business in order to preserve jobs and maximise the return to creditors.”

Image: silverchild24 @ Flickr

Black History Month: Food and Cultural Identity

Written by Natalie Willetts on . Posted in News.

October is Black History Month, celebrating the diverse BME (Black & Ethnic Minority) communities, cultures, and identities as well as remembering historic and current systemic struggles of the community. As a student of colonial history, I wanted to do my part in raising awareness about the importance of Black History Month, as well as make it relevant to the importance of food in cultural identity. When you think of British identity, you tend to think of cups of tea, complaining about the weather, and fish and chips, so inadvertently, we already associate certain food and drink with the country we live in.

To find out how important food was in maintaining cultural connections and community between BME individuals, I talked to Yetti Tabai of Yetti’s Kitchen in Eccles, and Manchester student Cara Thompson. Yetti comes from a London and Nigerian background, while Cara grew up in Nottingham and has a Jamaican heritage.

When talking about what food means to them in terms of maintaining a connection to their respective backgrounds and the importance of diversity in the UK, both recognised the importance of traditional recipes and foods — such as salt fish, peppered snails, okra, and plantain — as well as the continuing struggle for diversity in Britain’s shops.

Cara said she hasn’t had the opportunity to visit Jamaica yet, so her father’s traditional cooking — which can take hours to prepare because “a Jamaican cook has to pour a lot of love into their food to get those amazing flavours to come through” — is her way of emotionally connecting to her heritage.

Cara also highlighted the appropriation of Jamaican cooking styles: Jamie Oliver’s ‘jerk rice’ — which is unachievable because the jerk cooking process involves dry-rubbing or marinating meat in herbs and spices, and didn’t even include the traditional herbs and spices to be classed as jerk — is offensive to her community, who put so much heart into their food.

Similarly, Yetti recalled her childhood in East Barnet, where the “predominantly middle-class environment” made finding African foods impossible, meaning “integrating was a struggle”. However, Manchester’s diversity was “a sigh of relief” as Yetti could now find okra and plantain among the bananas in Tesco and ASDA.

The struggles that the black community face, from racial bias in employment to overt acts of violence and brutality, are deeply ingrained within British history and society. But if there is one thing I have learned from writing this article, it is that food is the perfect gateway for beginning discussions on diversity within British communities, institutions, and for bringing together people of all backgrounds.

Britain would be stagnant without the vibrant global economy of food cultures, so we should all do our very best to celebrate, experience, and most importantly, protect them.

Photo: Laura Swain

#VegOutTogether

Written by lauraswain on . Posted in News.

If you live in self-catered accommodation it is likely you were one of the lucky flats to receive the surprise delivery of a ‘veg box’ during the second week of term. Over 8,000 boxes were carefully packed and delivered by Manchester-based Veg Box People in partnership with Res Life, as part of the exciting project #vegouttogether.

The scheme looked to promote not only healthy eating and the use of seasonal produce, but also to encourage students to recuperate following the overwhelming chaos of Welcome Week, as well as to provide students a chance to show off their culinary skills to their new flatmates.

It was time to recover from the week-long Freshers hangover and make use of the many kitchen utensils brought as an eager first year-to-be! The arrival of organic, locally-sourced veggies was a nice change to the free Domino’s pizzas most of us indulged in during Freshers Week. And what better way to bond than over food?

A competitive element was added to the project, with flats encouraged to use their photography skills to show-off their masterpieces (and disasters) on Instagram using the caption #veggouttogether. This was done in the hope of being rewarded the prize of a weekly veg bag: a chance to further their cooking adventures and allow vegging out together to become a regular event.

It was clear through some of the arty shots and inventive presentation (carefully crafted star shaped carrots, wacky vegetable animals…) that some individuals were taking the competition very seriously, considering their chances at winning the next season of MasterChef and choosing to stray from the recipe cards supplied.

Photo: Laura Swain

For those that took part in the challenge, the experience of cooking together allowed them to get to know their flatmates better: providing the opportunity to share favourite recipes and well-loved family dishes, whilst also perhaps exposing the Gordon Ramsay of the flat.

Student Brigitta Darko’s flat produced a range of culinary creations from a gigantic Yorkshire pudding and cauliflower cheese to paneer tikka masala and nikujaga in recognition of Manchester’s internationalism. When asked about the project, she said that she loved participating: “in this culinary expedition, we learned more about ourselves, each other, and the world.” Evidently #vegouttogether was a success!

For recipe inspiration and food pictures galore check out the hashtag #vegouttogether on Instagram. Bring out your own inner chef and get your five-a-day by signing up to Veg Box People’s weekly student bag, available to collect conveniently on campus.

To find out more, head to their website.

Interview: Mo Gilligan

Written by Kavindra Huggins on . Posted in Arts.

As the heat settles into the teens and winter creeps closer, Mo the Comedian is looking forward to the final leg of his year-long ‘Coupla Cans’ tour – eponymously named after a popular catchphrase of his.

Hitting Manchester’s Grade-II listed O2 Apollo theatre this coming Friday 12th October, Gilligan is spectacularly aware of the grandeur of his tour’s biggest show. “Even though I’ve been in Manchester before, I can’t dwell on [the biggest audience]”, he so calmly assesses the performance in what he describes as his “second home”. Having performed at lower capacity venues over the years, there may be a chance that many occupying the new space aren’t quite as in-the-know as older fans.

Mo had worked in retail until as little as eighteen months ago, and after a stratospheric rise into mainstream comedy through Instagram skits, he’s found himself “waking up in the morning thinking… this is nuts”.

His ascendance is far from normal but definitely no fluke. “I’ve always dreamt about it… when it happens you’ve got to be ready for it!” says Gilligan, with such confidence and poise that you sense the impending climbs are more leisure than labour. His observational humour picks fun at the stereotypes of ‘geezers’ and myriad of Grime MCs in the world around him. The popularity that’s followed screams that Mo was built for “the age of the creative,” as he poetically put.

But not without fail. “I went to Edinburgh [Fringe Festival]. I done all that stuff that I thought I was meant to do… then I realised doing videos is how I gained my audience.” Make no mistake, the thirty-year-old is cognisant that he’s put in his 10,000 hours and destined to be here. But what’s striking is his humility amidst the success: his own headline tour, online social media following and forthcoming Channel 4 show (alongside the recurring Big Narstie show he co-hosts).

“I went on YouTube recently,” Mo cautions with a laugh “the worst thing you can do is type your name into YouTube or Twitter… I saw an American guy who did a reaction to my video.” He’s amazed, even after a Drake co-sign back in 2017; “I don’t ever realise that people from across the pond have heard who I am.”

It’s obvious that his grounding is the very reason for said success, as he looks forward to the fruitful year he’s about to cross into – directing his focus into his next foray into the TV world, solo.

“It’s nice to look around and see so many people getting opportunities… a lot of young people watching my stuff, thinking ‘maybe I can do that’.” Reflecting on the path he’s forged for others with his own journey, the self-entitled comedian is elated. Clearly no malice resides within Mo, allowing him to remain equal parts humorous and humble.

It would be impossible to not mention his love of trainers, a love to which several early Instagram posts were dedicated, next to early sketches. One slip on stage could be the end of his career. His antidote being the classic Air Max 1, the “go-to,” and apocalyptic choice of footwear: “if I could only have one trainer for the rest of my life then it’d have to be those,” Mo affirms.

Modesty even bleeds into his fashion: he can accept dirty Nikes. But, “when you get high-end creps, don’t let them touch the rain,” he jests. I’m not too sure he’s actually ever been to Manchester in that case.

Although there lies the comedian, therein is a very grounded, humble force who has honed his craft in preparation for this time. The stage is all his.

Make sure you catch Mo on his last stretch, beginning with Manchester in just two days!

Fri 12th Oct                   MANCHESTER, Apollo
Thurs 18th Oct                BOURNEMOUTH, O2 Academy
Mon 22nd– Sat 27th Oct    LONDON, Vaudeville Theatre
Mon 5th– Sat 10th Nov        LONDON, Vaudeville Theatre

Photo: Flickr @ The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

12 years to prevent climate catastrophe

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

Leading climate scientists and government figureheads from across the globe have met in South Korea this week to scrutinise a 15-page report advising policymakers on global increases in temperature.

The report, produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), summarises the scientific and socioeconomic challenges faced in keeping the post-industrialisation global temperature increase below 1.5°C as outlined in the 2016 Paris Agreement.

Established 30 years ago on behalf of the United Nations, the IPCC’s directive is to provide clear and unbiased scientific information regarding current and future climate projections, as well as providing potential pathways, which could be used to reduce the current levels of global warming. Scientists from 195 member states provide voluntary contributions to the IPCC, which doesn’t carry out its own research but instead acts as a vast peer-review system of already published scientific data.

Since 1880, average global surface temperatures have risen by 0.85°C as a result of anthropogenic activities. Thermal expansion of seawater and melting polar ice caps have contributed to rising sea levels, a growing concern for low-lying island nations. Should current levels of global warming persist, it is expected that the Maldives will be entirely uninhabitable by 2100.

Unless “unprecedented changes” are made to our current rates and methods of consumption, the planet is set to exceed the 1.5°C target as soon as 2030 according to data published in the report. Falling well within the lifespan of many people alive today, the finding would necessitate a 45% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 in order to halt the rate of warming to below 1.5°C.

Carbon capture techniques, which result in effective ‘negative emissions’, are set to become a growing avenue of consideration in climate research. Bio-energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) uses energy produced from the combustion of biomass to fuel the injection of atmospheric greenhouse gases into geological structures. Although CO2 is released in the burning of biomass, there is no net-output, as roughly the same amount is absorbed from the atmosphere during its growth. Although frequently mentioned as a potential pathway to stay within the Paris Agreement target, BECCS is still largely theoretical and is yet to be instated on any industrial scale.

According to a 2018 YouGov poll, only a mere 6% of Britons felt that protecting the environment was one of the most important two issues facing the country today. Whilst more immediate concerns such as immigration found themselves topping the list, elsewhere in the world climate concerns are beginning to take centre stage. In countries that lie closer to sea level, climate change and rising sea levels are of a much greater concern, with places such as Vietnam seeing nearly half of the population commonly listing it as their main concern for the country. This is unsurprising as the majority of the country’s rice is grown along the Mekong Delta region where sea level rise and an increase in salt water concentration is hampering crop growth. If no changes are made by 2050, up to 1 million people may face critical food shortages.

The IPCC suffered a drastic blow last year following the decision by US president Donald Trump to withdraw all funding contributions made to the convention, which previously accounted for a staggering two-fifths of their total income. Trump also severed ties with the Paris Agreement, stating that the rationale of their policy was not conducive with his ‘America First’ pledge and would have a negative impact on the US economy. In 2016, the USA was the second highest emitter of fossil fuels in the world.

The report will be the main source of discussion at the Katowice Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Poland later this year. Members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) will be looking to analyse and implement the findings in line with the Paris Agreement.

Photo: The Lowry

Review: National Theatre’s ‘Macbeth’

Written by Jess Johnstone on . Posted in Theatre.

The National Theatre’s touring company hit The Lowry this week with their bold production of ‘Macbeth’. Following a sold out run at The National Theatre.

Rufus Norris’ visually impressive creation has visited theatres across the UK and Ireland, complete with a whole new cast, and perhaps proving to be a version of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy that favours style over substance.

Rae Smith, the creator the ‘War Horse’ set, designed once again a breath-taking set which as usual, doesn’t disappoint. We’re instantly drawn into the world of Norris’ ‘Macbeth’ as the witches appeared from a seemingly hidden alcove in the drawbridge-like set piece that dominated the entirety of centre stage. The dark and almost shadow-like witches flittered wildly across the stage before ascending up three poles with ease and assuming a rather impressive acrobatic position, all before the famous opening lines of the play.

Michael Nardone’s Macbeth and Kirsty Besterman’s Lady Macbeth provided an interesting dynamic in their portrayal of the power-driven relationship. However, neither manages to quite stand up to the overwhelming scale of the set they are working with. On multiple occasions their characters seem dwarfed by the enormity of the set, making some of the most poignant moments of the play lack intensity and drive – especially in the well-known dagger monologue.

Despite this, one of the stand out scenes for me, was the banquet scene in which Macbeth is confronted by the ghost of his deceased best friend Banquo (Patrick Robinson). Nardone’s portrayal of a man who truly believes what he sees, leaping around the stage in pure fear as Robinson’s Banquo ominously strides across the space, created a very moving scene and was essential in the audience having any connection with the character.

Another touching moment in the production was the scene after Lady Macbeth’s suicide, most ‘Macbeth’ productions only allude to her death when she throws herself from a rooftop. However, in Norris’s reimagining we see the set spin to reveal a far bloodier death – Besterman is slumped again a wall covered in blood. Nardone’s reaction to this is perfectly timed as he goes over and embraces the body of his dead wife, creating a real moment of tenderness, and showing just how broken Macbeth has become.

Overall the production contains a few poignant moments but the masterful set design overshadows all action taking place, the first half lacked pace and although it picked up in the second act it just wasn’t enough and I left the theatre feeling disappointed in what I hoped would have been a stellar performance given the reputation of the National Theatre.

Photo: Press Shot.

Review: ‘Everything that happened and would happen’

Written by Ethan Davies on . Posted in Theatre.

‘Everything that happened and would happen’ (ETHAWH) is a live music, performance, and large-scale multimedia installation by German composer and artist Heiner Goebbels. The performance spans 120 years of European history within a vast shifting landscape animated by 17 performers and live musicians.

It must be said that ‘ETHAWH’ is genuinely like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Performed at the Mayfield, a former Royal Mail depot and railway station, the space is a vast array of red brick walls, uneven sloped floors, and eerie archways that are no longer humming with commuters or parcels.

This adds to the brilliance the work. The very fact you’re so aware of the history of the building you’re sat in, increases the meaning and power of the performance. There is a focus on colonialism, World War One, and even current international news events, such as the Brett Kavanaugh scandal. The effect of highlighting themes such as loss, confusion, and futility, in a building which was built on the menial, is chilling.

This of course is enabled by the superb work of the 17 performers. Each one demonstrates sublime body control, as they put canvases together, moved enormous props such as boulders around, and jostled with large soulless boxes to illustrate the emptiness of war. In between each of these performances come readings and narration about the work, detailing human accounts from war, political scandal, and media frenzies. The beauty of these narrations lies in how detached the reader is from the personal story; each anecdote is read as if it were the classified football results. Every ‘i’ is dotted and ‘t’ is crossed, but when these are telling us about the impromptu ceasefires which occurred in the French trenches to boost soldier morale, it feels as if none of it mattered in the long run.

With ‘ETHAWH’ being the work of the composer Heiner Goebbels, the score and soundtrack are effortlessly unsettling. Each transition scene between narration is set to industrial sounds which are fully immersive and build to a crescendo of noise and confusion. This is how the performance finishes, with the final scene left unfinished. It feels satisfying, however, that such a confusing piece of work leaves you confused. Life doesn’t give final answers. We are here for a bit, then we’re not. The universe is indifferent to suffering.

It sounds miserable, but I assure you it isn’t. It’s a mesmeric performance which exudes brilliance at every turn. I remarked on leaving Mayfield that I could watch ‘ETHAWH’ 17 times and draw 17 wholly different conclusions. My summaries above were contrasted by another audience member who felt the message of the performance was “everything happens for a reason… but often the reason doesn’t make any sense.”

Interest is huge in the performance, so I’d urge you to get a ticket as soon as possible (you can find them here). ‘Everything that happened and would happen’ is a must-see and must-see-again. It is running at the Mayfield until the 21st October, and is a pre-factory event for the Manchester International Festival before it takes over The Factory, a new events space built on the site of the Old Granada Studios.

Gendered Language. Photo: fukapon @ Flickr

Bachelors and Spinsters: Is there a way to un-gender language?

Written by Jay Darcy on . Posted in Opinion.

English is a language that does not actively give words a grammatical gender, as is the case with German and Spanish. Bestowing a gender upon a bridge seems strange to us, but if we look more closely at the semantics of the nouns and adjectives we use to describe men and women, we will quickly realise that our words show, at least, a gender bias. It also must be noted that, unsurprisingly, the gendering of words does not favour women.

For instance, the appealing label of “bachelor” compared to the degrading “spinster”; the charming “womanizer” to the cautionary “maneater”; the jocular “player” to the derogatory expletives to describe a woman who “gets around”. It is telling that the slang words we use for a promiscuous woman are frequently not even allowed to be printed in ‘upstanding’ publications. What is perhaps most noteworthy is that there is not a negative word for a single man. Perhaps it is time we invent nicer words for women who are unmarried or promiscuous (or both).

However, there are linguists who warn that words merely reflect and convey pre-existing attitudes and opinions. In school, I would hear boys congratulate each other on their “body count” whilst degrading girls for “sleeping around”. If we were, for instance, to invent a positive word for a promiscuous woman, say “love-leaper”, this word would gradually go through a process of what is called “semantic derogation”. This means that the meaning would begin to reflect the pre-existing societal attitudes towards a promiscuous woman, so “love-leaper” would be no different, in terms of semantics and connotations, to the three negative words beginning with “sl-” that come to mind when thinking of a promiscuous woman.

However, the word “bachelorette” to describe a single woman does not have the negative connotations of the outdated word “spinster,” but perhaps that is exactly why — the semantics of the word “spinster” are themselves outdated. Perhaps, in a society where it is normal for women to be career-focused and postpone serious relationships, a single woman is no longer looked upon like a failure. It is telling though that the positive word for a single woman (bachelorette) is simply a feminine version of the positive word for a single man (bachelor).

It almost seems that for a single woman who serial dates to be humanised, she must first be masculinised. If you have seen the TV show ‘The Bachelorette,’ a spin-off of ‘The Bachelor,’ you will know that the contest sees a woman become a Hugh Hefner character of sorts, in which she dates and dismisses her play bunnies until she finds the perfect man. In other words, she is behaving “like a man”. The most common word we use for a single woman today, though, is exactly that — “single”. Perhaps a word’s connotations are neither positive nor negative when they are genderless only.

Maybe before we police language, we should ask ourselves why words have the meanings that they do, and why words are gendered. Those differences could be because of gender, and our attitudes to gender. It is through this acknowledgement that we realise that the problem is not the language itself; rather it lies with the attitudes of those who create and speak the language.

Photo: RandomUserGuy1738 @ WikimediaCommons

The rise and fall of #MeToo

Written by Becca Windsor on . Posted in Opinion.

Hollywood and U.S. politics are undoubtedly intertwined, and as seemingly innocuous as this relationship usually appears to be, there is a more insidious link between the two — their consistent and perpetual mistreatment of women. When the accusations of sexual violence against Harvey Weinstein became public, they created a reaction amongst the U.S. female demos. Despite being strained, this battle cry was growing and with it, came a demand for respect, recognition, and understanding. Combined, this birthed #MeToo.

The #MeToo movement arguably created one of the largest political movements in modern global, politics. The mistreatment of what is consistently the largest minority, began a much-needed shift in the global perception of the way women are treated. Nevertheless, during Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing on the 6th of October, the efforts and hopes of millions of women around the world crumbled as he was confirmed on a ‘vote’ of 50-48. Hope was completely shattered.

This wasn’t a vote; this was a thinly veiled farce — an opportunity for the true essence of U.S. politics to rear its ugly head and remind all Americans that “due process” is nothing but a buzzphrase. That as seemingly credible, white, and successful as Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was, she was a woman, and lost that fight the moment she was conceived. If people thought times had changed since the ‘Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearing’, they were wrong.

It is not as if there is little evidence against Kavanaugh. Dr. Ford is currently one of three accusers who have bought claims against Kavanaugh, and on the 1st of October, Chad Ludington, a Yale classmate of Kavanaugh’s, accused him of making a “blatant mischaracterisation” of his drinking habits during the hearing. Funnily enough, had Kavanaugh’s nomination failed to go through, it would have most likely been because Ludington, his white, male, Yale-educated classmate, accused him of committing perjury, not because he had been accused of sexual assault by three different women.

That is the running narrative throughout. Hollywood and U.S. politics are both boys’ clubs — the frat boy’s opportunity to continue his antics after graduation, un-abetted and unhindered by the morality of laypeople. Yet, it beggars belief that Hollywood somehow has a marginally better system for holding perpetrators of sexual violence to account than its own government. Weinstein was arrested, and Kavanaugh will never be. The President of the United States and the man who took Anthony Kennedy’s seat in the United States Supreme Court are being held to a lower moral standard than the likes of Roman Polanski.

Now, more than ever, is the time to try and fight for change. For Americans, voting Democrat on the 6th of November is a mild shift in the right direction. However, after the Kavanaugh vote, it brings little solace. The Democrats are as partisan as the Republicans; though they sided with Dr. Ford during the hearing, they spent their allotted time grandstanding and attacking the opposition. For the Republicans, Dr. Ford was an obstacle, at best. For the Democrats, she was a pawn — there was no desire for the truth. Dr. Ford’s #MeToo moment was quashed by the two opposing sides — either trying to make her sound more credible or trying to destroy her credibility. Her humanity sacrificed.

It is hard not to feel discouraged. As they watch Kavanaugh finally being forced through the nomination process to take his seat in the Supreme Court, women across America and the world find themselves not only thinking of how they felt when Trump was nominated, but how they felt in the aftermath of their own #MeToo moments. Until women are given a chance to represent themselves, we will continue to watch and weep, in silence.

Photo: Robert Cutts@Wikimedia Commons

Is Lendlease’s lease up? Call for contractor company to be suspended from council contracts

Written by sambrougham on . Posted in News.

John Leech, Lib Dem MP, has recently slammed contractor Lendlease for the use of cladding similarly found on Grenfell Tower in Manchester redevelopments.

The recent redevelopment of the Green Quarter in Manchester, just north of the city centre, has been found to be using cladding that failed fire safety checks in July 2017.

In 2015, Lendlease sold the properties and area onto the investment firm Pemberstone as a freehold. However, documents from Lendlease to flat owners at the time of purchase state that: “We [Lendlease] will undertake, at our expense, to complete any accepted defect that has arisen as a result of either faulty materials or defective workmanship.”

The two tower blocks that used the cladding, Vallea Court and Cypress Place, comprises of 345 flats, many of which were obtained by residents through ‘Help to Buy’ schemes.

After the events that unfolded at Grenfell have left many people still without homes, the Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader, John Leech, pleaded to the council to acknowledge just how detrimental it could be to Manchester if the cladding remained in use.

Residents of Vallea Court and CYpress Place are now being asked to pay £3 million for the replacement of cladding by the freeholder firm Pemberstone Ltd.

A spokesperson for Lendlease said: “Shepherd’s Construction were responsible for the design and build of Vallea Court and Cyprus Place, and the current owner of the building is Pemberstone Ltd.”

This has left residents to resort to crowdsource funds to raise money for legal advice.

John Leech said, “under absolutely no circumstances” should Lendlease be considered for a Council Contract ever again until they pay the £3 million cladding bill. Despite this, they still have major contracts within Manchester city centre, such as the development of the area around the gay village, and are in the running for the £330 million redevelopments of the city’s town hall.

The council is expecting to decide to whom the contract for the town hall restoration will go to later this year.

 

Photo: Sébastien Bertrand @flickr

Fear that Brexit will cause academic elitism

Written by hannahvallance on . Posted in News.

Future collaborations between British and European universities are at risk of being increasingly confined to an elite ‘club’ of research-intensive institutions, an academic from the UCL Institute of Education has warned.

Voicing his concerns in The Times Higher Education last week, Ludovic Highman highlighted that the security provided for less prestigious institutions through the bottom-up structure of European Union programmes would be lost post-Brexit. These universities are likely to find themselves excluded from new partnership deals with EU institutions and will be disadvantaged by formal ‘tie-up’ deals — usually selected by vice-chancellors and presidents. This follows after Universities UK International confirmed provisional data released in February of this year showed a dwindling in UK universities’ transnational education activity, after years of strong growth.

At present, British and European universities are able to freely choose which institutions they want to work with. However, Brexit will cause a “rationalisation” of partnerships between EU and British institutions, Dr Highman has warned, as “research-intensive univerisites in the UK prioritise engagement with other research-intensive universities.” Dr Highman also advised that this impact will stretch beyond relations with the European Union, as universities are encouraged to solidify links with Commonwealth Institutions. This is likely to leave poorer nations out in the cold, with universities likely to focus on building deals with countries with headline institutions, such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. “No one is talking about Uganda or Pakistan”, Dr Highman continued.

However, despite being a member of the Russell Group, Brexit has already had a notable impact on The University of Manchester. Last year, the university blamed the uncertainties caused by Brexit for plans to axe 171 jobs, 140 of which were academic roles in the faculties of arts, languages, biology, medicine, and business. Similar fears were also replicated later in the year following official figures released by Universities UK, which suggested that The University of Manchester would be at risk of losing millions of pounds of EU funding for pivotal scientific research as a result of Brexit.

Talking to The Mancunion, a spokesperson for the University of Manchester assured that: “Though there remain uncertainties over the movement of students and staff, and in terms of access to research funding post-Brexit, we are — and will remain — a global university that embraces staff, students, and academic and business partnerships from across the world, and we will continue to have close relationships with universities worldwide.

“Applications to the Erasmus+ programme which are submitted while the UK is still a Member State of the EU — even if they are not approved until after we leave — can also continue beyond the point of exit.

“The University will also continue to make representations in support of our staff, students, and collaborators who are affected in different ways by the consequences of Brexit. These efforts include private discussions with ministers, officials, parliamentarians, and associations in the UK and the rest of Europe, and working to exert influence through national bodies.”

Lean In: a satire

Written by merylshamberg1 on . Posted in Lifestyle.

People so often ask me, “Meryl, you’re so hardworking and successful, all at the same time as having a thriving social life, a satisfying sex life and being incredibly beautiful… it’s so impressive, how do you do it?” I usually don’t have the time to answer all these people, instead having to utter a humble little laugh and an air kiss before rushing off to a meeting, so I’d like to direct all my admirers to this article. 

As I’m in my final year at university, I’ve got my eyes firmly fixed on the prize of a top grad job for when I’ve finished my degree. This will be followed by being Director-General of the BBC by the age of 35 and retirement at 55 to pursue philanthropic endeavours (I’ve pencilled in age 65 for my gap year). So, sit tight, whip your MacBook Pro out, and get some notes down because this #girlboss is about to drop more pearls of wisdom than your professor in the first lecture you’ve turned up to in 10 weeks.

  1. Get yourself a beta boyfriend. Naturally, we all love an alpha — the handsome, muscular rugby boy who’s always the life and soul of any party and shows you who’s boss — but you must resist. If you’re not the boss in your personal life, how on earth are you going to practice being the boss in the boardroom? Seek out the quieter, sensitive boy in your seminar or the friend of a friend at pre-drinks who gives you lingering, shy looks from across the room. These are the kind of boys who will not make great demands for your time and attention. If you want comforting affection without the commitment and the perfect blank canvas to practise your management strategies on, then he’s your man.
  2. Dress to impress. This is one of my most cunning techniques. If you’re trying to impress your seminar leader, you need to be in your finest smart casual: we’re talking paper bag trousers, sparkling white Stan Smiths, and a boyfriend blazer. On the flip side, you do not have enough time for socialising if you want to bag yourself that top grad job. This means you need to make it appear as though you’re a popular cool-girl, without having to put the time in on Saturday nights or puffing away on a perfectly rolled cigarette outside the library come exam time. You know the drill: get searching away on Depop for those vintage sports brands like your first class degree depends on it.
  3. Spread yourself thin. When you’re earning a £30k salary within two years of graduating, you aren’t going to care about a couple of years of sleep deprivation and a £500 stationery-induced overdraft. However, having Lacrosse Captain of the 1st team, 1st Cello of Symphony Orchestra, and Diversity Officer of English Literature Society on your Curriculum Vitae is most certainly going to matter. So, sign up to as much as you can as possible. If you’re a first year, get in there now — if you’re a second year, sharpen your elbows and push those twelve-year-olds out of the way when it comes to applying for committee positions.
  4. Get on the lecturers’ good sides. You need to be the person speaking the absolute most in every seminar. If there’s an awkward silence while your fellow course-mates frantically google a question, you want to be at the level where your seminar leader turns to you with a devoted look and thanks you. You, once again, have saved the day. Make sure you have them calling out your name as much as possible in lectures, seminars — whenever.
  5. Get your endorphin fix. Somehow, you need to be getting a healthy dose of hormones without wasting time on any unhealthy, unproductive habits. Whether it’s with your beta boyfriend or on the treadmill, make sure you have a trusty, reliable source where you can pound out the stress and reap the rewards. Two times a week should keep said treadmill, and you, happy.

So there you have it. I’ve been surprisingly generous — but don’t worry, I’m not afraid of the competition.

Image: Playground Games

Review: Forza Horizon 4

Written by David Uncle on . Posted in Games.

As I fly down a country lane at 200 miles per hour in a heavily modified Ford Transit van, drift around a corner and overtake a sports car, I think to myself, is this realistic? The answer is quite clearly no, not in the slightest. But that’s what makes Forza Horizon 4 so fun.

Forza Horizon 4 is Playground Games’ new racer and this year has come home to Britain. The world is an amalgamation of some of Britain’s most beautiful places, and it really shows. There are parts of Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds, the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands and even a very compact representation of Edinburgh. It immediately feels like Britain. The fields of various crops, the distinct post-boxes and telephone booths, even wind turbine farms that have been slowly appearing over the countryside for last few years – the map is incredibly true to life.

Moreover, the map is full of all kinds of different races. Street races in Edinburgh and around small rural villages, dirt rallies through autumnal forests and cross-country races over the hills and fields. Thus, there are plenty of races if you prefer supercars, 4x4s or even dirt buggies. In addition, there are numerous ‘showcase’ races that you unlock as you climb the ranks, and these are some of the most exciting, silliest races in the game. In Top Gear-style, there are races against hovercraft, trains, planes, dirt bikes and more, yet the best showcase is a special Halo-themed one where you must escape Covenant forces in a Warthog.

My only real issue with the map is in all the glory of the British countryside, it is less exciting to race around and look at than Australia was in Forza Horizon 3. I miss the dense jungles and sandy Outback areas, and apart from some light woodland and small beaches, Forza Horizon 4 doesn’t really have these environments.

I think Playground Games knew this would be the case, so have added the seasonal system. After the tutorial segment of the game, it switches to this cycle. Each week the season changes, drastically changing the aesthetics of the world as well as the way you drive, to an extent.

While I appreciate what they were trying to do, and admittedly the map does look stunning in autumn and winter, the seasons other than winter didn’t really change gameplay much. During winter, equipping snow tyres is recommended and trying to drive a sports car the same way you would otherwise won’t go well. The differences between summer, autumn and spring, however, felt like they weren’t substantial enough to make me drive differently. Granted, rain and a few puddles on the roads may reduce traction slightly, but otherwise I was quite underwhelmed. To me, all the fuss about the season cycling seems like a bit of a marketing gimmick, and only really comes into play in winter.

I am impressed by the online elements of the game, however. Almost like an MMO, when you enter ‘Horizon Life’, pretty much every car you see on the road is being driven by another player, and this makes the world feel much more alive than one full of dull AI driving slowly. When it comes to races, you can opt to race against real people or AI, and I appreciate that you’re not forced to always be online.

On this topic, it’s worth noting that the AI in races are quite… unsophisticated. I found that increasing the difficulty didn’t make the AI drive smarter, just more violent, being more likely to ram you off the road than wait for a clever opportunity to undertake you on a corner. I’m by no means a pro driver, but I’ve had no problem consistently winning races on the hardest difficulty, and it just feels a bit too easy.

But being a hardcore racing simulator isn’t the essence of Forza Horizon 4. It’s an accessible game about racing all kinds of gorgeously rendered cars in a beautiful world, and it absolutely succeeds at this. The cars look almost real and have clearly received exceptional attention to detail in how they look, sound and drive, and the world, although perhaps not as invigorating as its predecessor, is a well-designed and scenic representation of Britain.

Image: Playground Games

Forza Horizon 4 is therefore another excellent racing game following in the footsteps of Forza Horizon 3. The seasonal system may be underwhelming and hardcore racing fans may want to look elsewhere if they want a realistic game, but if you’re looking for a racing game with a large open world, hundreds of cars, detailed graphics and a huge amount of racing variety, this is the game for you.

8/10.

Photo: Alice Barron Eaves

We Are 11: Stanley Grove Primary Academy

Written by alicebarroneaves on . Posted in Arts.

Curated by 11-year olds from Stanley Grove Primary Academy, the Whitworth Art Gallery’s new exhibition explores what it means to be an 11-year-old living in Manchester today. I was slightly surprised to hear the stress of SAT exams was their main concern, claiming that “life’s getting more serious”. It was interesting to see that adult issues affect children in modern society.

They were also worried about fitting in on their move to high school in September and being “babies again” in the playground. As they approach adolescence and leave childhood they have coined the phases “tweenager” and “mid-kid” to describe their liminal phase and they’ve decided to reflect this through their artwork.

Being a curator was a big responsibility as the children had to consider many things about the artwork that had never crossed my mind. They were very keen to use an embroidered casket created by an 11-year-old called Hannah Smith in the 1640s. The team at the Whitworth were unsure about this initially, as the casket had been on exhibition a lot and were worried about light damage. The children, however, felt all their creativity from the project stemmed from the casket and it was important to their exhibition. As a result, the casket is on display, but with an umbrella on top of it to ensure the light doesn’t affect it.

The children told me the best bit of their exhibition was the modern-day response to the casket consisting of micro bits and flashing lights. In my opinion, however, the best bit of the exhibition was the self-portraits of the children that are blown up and printed on the glass wall of the gallery. This was a surprise to them and caused quite a stir as they all jumped about pointing themselves out to me. What was also interesting about the exhibition was the personal responses each of the children made to their chosen artwork through drawings.

I was told by the gallery staff that this is the first time at the Whitworth that artwork is displayed alongside drawn responses, rather than a piece of text, as they felt this better expressed how the 11-year olds felt. The gallery has also tailored the opening of the exhibition to the children by having a slushie machine instead of wine for the opening night.

To round off the interview I asked the children how much they enjoyed doing this project at the Whitworth and was pleased to hear it was “the best experience of primary school” for many of them. It was great to hear that Stanley Grove is encouraging 27 other primary schools to get involved with the We Are 11 project and make their own caskets, hoping for around 9000 in total to demonstrate their personal responses to being a young person in Manchester.

The exhibition opened on the 6th October and shall remain on display until 27th January 2019. 

 

Photo: Drew de F Fawkes @ Wikimedia Commons

Album Review: Trench by Twenty One Pilots

Written by Eleanor Roberts on . Posted in Music.

Trench, Twenty One Pilots’ fifth album, experienced what might be called some unprecedented troubles along the way during its release, specifically in terms of a leak. Nevertheless, following its official release, fans will have been delighted to notice that it retains much of the charm associated with the rest of their discography.

The songs continue to change in tempo and sound halfway through; as is a staple of the band. This is particularly highlighted in tracks such as ‘Chlorine’, with a switch from the chorus to a faster, slightly more cheerful rapping verse. Similarly, ‘The Hype’ moves to the use of the ukulele now often associated with Twenty One Pilots due to its prominence in the band’s sound.

This is not to say that the album is without its flaws. Tyler Joseph’s penchant for bizarre lyrics is out in full force, particularly in ‘Pet Cheetah’, where he states that he has “got a pet cheetah down in [his] basement”. Despite the meanings that have been attached to this (regarding Joseph’s studio being in his basement) it can be quite jarring to hear, especially given the following lines in which he announces that he would name the animal Jason Statham.

Nonetheless, the links between the songs which are intended to make up the narrative regarding the fictional city of Dema are pleasing to hear, particularly in contrast to each other. The singles ‘Jumpsuit’ and ‘Nico And The Niners’ both feature references to jumpsuits, whilst the latter is echoed in the beautiful piano-driven closer ‘Leave The City’. The mentions of fire allow for a cohesive link which is particularly pleasing in terms of the conceptual story of the album.

The notable exception to the narrative is ‘Smithereens’, a song written by Joseph for his wife. Whilst its position near the centre of the album is slightly strange, the track is oddly endearing in its suggestion that Joseph felt that he could not release the album without a song for his spouse.

All in all, the album is coherent in the narrative it aims to create, and variable in the sounds it produces. In spite of this, its sound is still definitively that of Twenty One Pilots. The record is a pleasing listen, from the energy of ‘Jumpsuit’ to the relaxed nature of ‘Neon Gravestones’, and is definitely worth at least one listen; in fact, more is encouraged.

Rating: 8/10