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Month: October 2019

Manchester South Central Foodbank saved by local company

Written by Jess Walmsley on . Posted in News.

The future of a south Manchester food bank has been secured after a business covered the cost of warehouse space. 

Manchester South Central Foodbank, run by the Bridging the Gap charity, has supplied food to people in Moss Side, Hulme and Whalley Range since 2014.

Its service was jeopardised when a company that shared its warehouse space lost its funding.

Michelle McHale, a trustee of the foodbank, told the Manchester Evening News: “It left us with a major problem, in the sense that we were running a campaign asking for food to keep us going, but we literally had nowhere to put the food that was coming in.

“We were worried that if we didn’t have enough space to collect the quantity of food we needed month-on-month to see us through, we would have to scale down our provision.”

At the time, the food bank was running a campaign with Hulme-based data hosting company UKFast and Hits Radio to prevent child malnutrition over the summer. UKFast’s community trust offered to cover the cost of the extra space required to keep operating.

UKFast’s Chief executive Lawrence Jones said: “In this day and age, there is no excuse for people going hungry, especially children. It was a simple decision for us to back the Fill the Foodbanks campaign alongside our holiday hunger push. It was just as simple a decision when Manchester South Central Foodbank told us they were at risk of closure due to their rents and business rates we knew we had to step in and do something.”

Ms McHale added: “This funding relieves some of the pressures the foodbank faces and enables us to refocus on our core work of challenging and addressing food poverty within our communities, whilst supporting those in immediate need.”

 

Blaze breaks out at student hotspot Allen’s

Written by Megan Oyinka on . Posted in News.

Fallowfield favourite Allen’s was attended by emergency services on Tuesday 8th October, after reports that a fire had broken out.

The fried chicken shop, that has gained a cult-like status among students, was engulfed by flames, in an incident reportedly caused by an external sign.

Three fire engines were called to the eatery just before 11am, and spent just under two-and-a-half hours tackling the blaze. The fire does not appear to have caused major damage, with a representative from the establishment confirming to The Mancunion that Allen’s was open as usual.

“We can assure all our loyal Allen’s customers we are open for business. We are now in the process of choosing a brand new Allen’s signboard, which will be better than before.”

Despite this, student community platform Fallowfield Students Group featured a range of dramatic responses to initial reports of a blaze. A post reading “Allen’s is on fire, RIP” broke to the community, followed by almost 300 comments in 24 hours.

One person commented: “sorry to ruin ur morning like this”, with another responding: “I’ve already witnessed it in real life my weeks been ruined… as if third-year couldn’t get any worse.”

Back in July 2017, a branch of the chain in Ashton was also affected by a fire.

Photo: The Mancunion

Exclusive: student activists call for Gandhi statue to be scrapped

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

Student activists have written an open letter to Manchester City Council demanding that a decision to erect a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Manchester city centre be reversed. 

The letter, whose authors include University of Manchester Students’ Union Liberation and Access Officer Sara Khan, calls on the Council to reconsider its decision based on Gandhi’s “well-documented anti-black racism” and “complicity in the British Empire’s actions in Africa”. 

The 9ft statue of Gandhi is set to be unveiled outside Manchester Cathedral on November 25th after receiving planning permission in August. 

Gandhi is best known as an iconic anti-colonial who employed non-violent methods to successfully ensure India’s independence from British Rule.

Sara Khan has exclusively told The Mancunion that black history month makes it an “important time to be shining a light on Gandhi’s anti-black racism” and confront the “uglier sides of history”. 

Addressing the Council, the letter argues that “Gandhi referred to Africans as ‘savages’, ‘half-heathen Natives’, ‘uncivilised’, ‘dirty’ and ‘like animals’.”

The letter goes on to say: “In modern times, Gandhi is used as a propaganda tool to cover up human rights abuses by the current Indian government under Modi, which is engaging to erect Gandhi statues globally to create an image of India as an anti-imperialist state.

“We demand that Manchester City Council refuse to be complicit in this, especially given the city’s history of anti-racist action, and to stand in solidarity with Manchester’s Black and Kashmiri communities.” 

The activists are also calling for the Council to release a public statement acknowledging Gandhi’s “anti-black racism” and calling for funds to be redistributed to instead commemorate a black anti-racist activist with connections to Manchester. 

The Manchester statue was a gift to the city, and an initiative of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur, a non-political, worldwide spiritual movement headquartered in India.

The organisation carefully planned the commissioning and installation of the statue, considering the location and attempting to ensure necessary pedestrian and disabled access.

Responding to the letter, the charity told The Mancunion that their application for a statue to Manchester City Council’s planning department was highly publicised and didn’t receive a single objection.

They added that the letter’s authors were taking an “extreme and limited” interpretation of Gandhi, whose “heroism” helped “unite Indians, South Africans and Americans in their liberation movements.”

Khan has caused controversy in the past and hit the headlines for a number of her activities in her role as Liberation and Access Officer.

In July of last year, she helped deface a mural featuring Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’, branding his work ‘racist’ and replacing it with Maya Angelou’s ‘Rise’.

She also caused a storm last October for advocating BSL clapping in the Students’ Union, as traditional clapping can cause issues for students with autism.

She told The Mancunion: “It’s an especially poignant and important time to be shining a light on Gandhi’s anti-black racism as it’s black history month, a month that isn’t just about celebration, but also about confronting and educating ourselves on the uglier sides of history, and the terrible injustices black people have faced and continue to face across the world.” 

Last year, a Gandhi statue was removed from a university campus in Ghana, activists used the hashtag #GandhiMustFall, which has also been used by the students in Manchester.

Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur said: “This call appears to diminish Gandhi’s rich and complex history and his principles of tolerance, peace and unity, which is greatly needed as we strive for global cohesion and harmony.

“While we welcome a searching public discussion of the past, it is misleading to fixate on comments made in Gandhi’s early life as a lawyer under British colonial influence.

“This call is an extreme and limited interpretation of Gandhi, whose heroism united Indians, South Africans and Americans in their liberation movements.

“Mahatma Gandhi is a citizen of the world and an icon of peace. The Manchester statue will celebrate the universal power of his message.”

The costs of the statue were sponsored by Boohoo owners, the Kamani family, to mark the 150th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth. 

The Mancunion has contacted Manchester City Council and the Kamani family for a response. 

Photo: East European apartment block @ Martin Vorel

Universities minister calls summit over “deeply concerning” student accommodation delays

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

The government is to take steps to address problems surrounding unregulated private university accommodation following delays in the opening of a number of private accommodation blocks, with students having to be temporarily rehoused at the start of term.

Universities minister Chris Skidmore has called a summit to meet with private developers and universities after a BBC report showed freshers being rehoused after their accommodation was not ready for their arrival.

The report showed delays in 22 private student blocks across the UK, including in cities such as Liverpool, Swansea and Portsmouth. Freshers in Bristol have reported being temporarily moved to Newport in Wales, 30 miles from the university campus, whereas others have been placed in hotels or other accommodation.

Skidmore called the situation “deeply concerning”, and raised concerns about impact on student welfare.

Neither the Office for Students, nor Universities UK, have power to regulate private accommodation, meaning that it is unclear whose responsibility it is to intervene.

Speaking about the summit, Mr Skidmore said: “Higher education providers are independent, but this situation is deeply concerning and we cannot allow this inadequacy to continue. The quality of accommodation can affect student welfare, which is why providers who fail to complete projects on time and provide adequate alternative provision need to be held accountable.

“I shall be calling together representatives from the private student accommodation sector and universities to ensure any impacts on student welfare are being taken seriously by all concerned.”

The problems come after reports that private investment companies are profiting as much as £92.7m a year from private student accommodation, with rent charged to students subject to annual increases.

Photo: Albert Bridge @ Geograph

Report calls for rent caps in Manchester

Written by Aya-Zoe Atallah on . Posted in News.

The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) has called for the introduction of rent “pressure zones” – a form of rent cap – in Greater Manchester.

It says house prices in Manchester have quadrupled over the last 20 years, alongside a steady climb in rents, with the cost in the city centre now reaching £1,000 a month.

In collaboration with housing association One Manchester, the study found young renters are those most affected by the rise in prices.

The RSA said 48% of young renters across the area have had to cut back on living essentials in order to afford housing. In other areas across England this number is 33%.

The study also showed an increase in the number of jobs in the ‘gig economy’ amongst young people, including Deliveroo riders and Uber drivers. In the past five years, half of the jobs created in Manchester have been ‘flexible contracts’. The report describes this growing area of work as ‘highly volatile’, leading to issues with rental checks and mortgages.

Report author and senior researcher at the RSA, Hannah Webster, said: “A new Greater Manchester housing devolution deal should give mayors and councils Scottish-style powers to cap runaway rents in areas like central Manchester.”

She added: “Young people are being failed by our current housing system – and this is particularly true in Manchester.”

But the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is against rent caps.

RLA policy manager John Stewart said: “Rent controls are on the face of it an attractive but simplistic and populist approach to the increased cost of housing. In reality, they make the situation for tenants worse. All the evidence from around the world where they have been introduced shows that they reduce supply and drive up the cost of housing.

“Having controls on rent is not much help to a person who cannot find somewhere to live because of the cut in the number of properties available. Instead, the Mayor of Greater Manchester needs to work with the private rented sector on how to boost the supply of homes for rent to meet ever-growing demand.”

Manchester Business School

Manchester Business School named ‘Building of the Year’

Written by Kate Jackson on . Posted in News.

Alliance Manchester Business School has been chosen as the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Building of the Year’ for 2019.

The building, which has undergone a major refurbishment, beat four other finalists: Windmill Green, Tameside One, The Pavilion, and The Roof Gardens. It has new study areas, offices, cafes and courtyards, as well as the Eddie Davies Library – named after the former Bolton Wanderers owner who also on the school’s advisory board.

However, the building has also proved to be controversial with students across the University since it opened due to the fact that, at present, only business students have access. Students have questioned the decision to spend so much money on a facility that only a chosen few are allowed to use.

The school was revamped as part of a £1bn Campus Masterplan which will shape the University over the next 10 years.

Diane Elebert-Morgan, Construction Lead at Greater Manchester Chamber, said: “We had a fantastic range of entries this year and it was very hard to decide on a final winner. The five finalists have all made great contributions to both the economy and their local community.

“The quality of this year’s entries shows the strength and innovation of Greater Manchester’s property and construction sector and these buildings will be landmarks for years to come.”

The winner was announced at the Chamber’s Property and Construction Annual Dinner and Awards at the Imperial War Museum North on October 3rd.

Credit: TapIn

In Conversation with Milimo Banji: How students can Tap In to careers

Written by Felix Hanif-Banks on . Posted in Features.

Milimo Banji, better known as Mils by friends and colleagues alike, is one of those rare people that makes you trust anything he says.

From a beaming smile to his intense passion for whichever of his many projects is currently at his fingertips, Mils is the kind of person you want in charge. Coming from most people it would sound insane, but when he tells me he’s going to prepare 100 million young people for the world of work through online content and offline events, I believe him. And I want him to succeed.

Like any good story about an aspiring world-beater, Mils is a dropout. After three years of studying Aerospace Engineering here at the University of Manchester, Mils decided university life wasn’t for him and began a startup trying to embed drone technology into more of our businesses. However, it was Mils’ Plan B that would prove most fruitful in the end.

Identifying a failure in universities to inform students about their career options, and an unwillingness from students to engage with career planning for much of this process, Mils founded Student Inspire Network in 2017. The idea was to provide focused insights into different career paths and employment opportunities through easily digestible video content, bringing university Careers Services away from leaflets containing easily-Googleable information and into the 21st century.

After much time refining and perfecting his approach, Mils and his ever-growing team are preparing to launch TapIn: an organisation looking to provide a holistic approach to career planning for young people. They’ll be offering videos, online guides, workshops, talks, and anything else that can help a disillusioned generation find some much-needed direction and a career that truly works for them.

In the eyes of Mils and many others, universities don’t understand how to adequately help students with career planning. This creates a huge information gap for students unsure how they’re going to progress outside of the student bubble, a situation that causes great anxiety for many students each year.

At the University of Manchester, the Careers Service is ranked outside the top 20 nationally, while the University itself is ranked 8th. Universities are yet to treat employability seriously, especially in a student-focused light.

Instead, Mils argued current efforts to aid employability on campus, such as careers fairs and talks from potential employers, are overly corporate and focus on the university’s business interests rather than the needs of the student. “It’s like Tinder,” Mils tells me with a chuckle. “There’s nothing immersive or hands-on, it’s just a roulette.” Students get a couple of minutes to hear what is essentially a pre-recorded message from a company and then move onto the next stand that has a free water bottle and some Maoams to offer you.

“It’s about merchandise and flashiness, not the students,” Mils says, as I conveniently follow with an anecdote about the fancy water bottle and portable charger I got last week, from a company whose name or even industry I could not remember.

This impersonal approach to careers seems to be a societal epidemic, rather than one simply existing within the university bubble. Mils tells me that in Manchester alone, there are currently 12,000 recruitment agencies, which I had to verify due to how ridiculous it seems. The need for so many companies to exist that simply fill vacancies speaks to how robotic our jobs market has become. People lack the drive or initiative to find a career they care about, and an organisation like TapIn, that gives people the skills and knowledge to do so from their first job, could go a long way to fixing this issue.

This company rather than student-led approach to careers within universities is extremely toxic, and this is the gap Mils wants TapIn to fill. “Universities take a high ground thinking they know what students want, but they must actually talk to them more,” Mils says, again pushing home just how out of touch universities are. This arrogance and unwillingness to change are what Mils sees as the biggest issues with how career planning is presented to students, and it’s having real consequences.

He wants TapIn to fill the void where universities are unable, or simply unwilling, to. Now having settled on a content strategy of longer, more in-depth videos, Mils believes any student could gain value from what TapIn has to offer. Dividing content into four sections, Law, STEM, Banking & Finance and Creative Fields, any degree is catered for and there are valuable insights to be gained no matter what one’s own interests are.

These more substantial videos will go deep into the application processes for a range of companies, giving you advice on types of questions, candidate profiles and everything you need to give yourself the best possible chance at your dream role.

Mils was keen to not understate the importance of offline events in addition to this content, hoping TapIn could create a significant on-campus presence, directly interacting with students and creating the dialogue that is so essential to cater for the ever-changing needs of the student populace. This means more hands-on workshops and events away from traditional university models of careers fairs and employer talks, meaning students can get help with their CVs, have practice interviews and talk directly to people who were in their exact position just a few years ago.

For those students who are lost in the big, nebulous world of careers, Mils also had plenty of advice. Before our campus is overrun by more careers events than we’ve ever seen, take the time to make simple measures that could go a long way. Mils is one of LinkedIn’s biggest proponents, and he’s always quick to talk about how just one message could change everything. “Message around and be curious about careers,” he tells me with his unique brand of passionate wisdom. “You might send 50 messages and only get 3 back, but those 3 could be huge”.

It’s important to remember the humanity of everyone involved in the careers process, and Mils provides a great reminder here. Curiosity and a willingness to chat with a variety of people engaged in different industries will often do more than waltzing around a careers fair inundated by tote bags and lollipops. Don’t be afraid to sit in on a law talk or message an investment banker, even if you’re on a break from writing about Venetian salt trade for your History degree. You never know when you could find your ideal career, and it’s that curiosity and drive which Mils so desperately wants to inject into our youth that will get you there.

Photo: Vegasjon @ Wikimedia Commons

New UoM study suggests targeting two faulty genes to treat leukaemia

Written by Zahra Salimi on . Posted in Science & Tech.

A recent study by the University of Manchester suggests that the combination of two specific faulty genes could result in one of the most fatal form of blood cancer, and that targeting not one, but both of these genes could lead to the development of more optimal treatments.

The study, published in Nature, suggests that targeting the two mutated genes – known as SRSF2 and IDH2 – in cancerous cells at the same time, could give rise to a more efficient form of treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in some patients.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is an aggressive form of cancer targeting white blood cells, or more specifically myeloid cells. AML processes quite rapidly, and the definitive cause is yet to be identified. It is also a rare form of cancer, with around 3100 patients diagnosed with it annually in the UK, according to the NHS.

Based on the National Cancel Institute (NCI), the five-year overall survival rate for AML is around 27%, meaning that fewer than two in ten people survive AML for longer than five years. The courses of treatment available have failed to make significant progress in the last 20 years, which adds to the significance of this new study.

Researchers at the University of Manchester worked in collaboration with a team of scientists at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York, looking at and analysing the genetic information of approximately 1,000 AML patients. The study was funded by the charity Bloodwise and the Oglesby Charitable Trust.

The University’s Division of Cancer Sciences and Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, who were also part of the study, indicated that the SRSF2 gene, which is a key gene responsible for RNA splicing and maintaining normal blood function, is faulty in more than 10% of the AML patients. Half of these SRSF2 genes were also found to carry a damage to a gene known as IDH2. IDH2, is a gene that regulates the production of a protein which in turn allows the mitochondria to make energy for many cell functions, and thus regulates normal blood function.

Despite these genes being linked to causing blood cancer in previous studies, researchers concluded that the mutations occurring in both of these genes are more often observed than previously thought. They also added, based on their trials with mice, that AML spreads more rapidly and aggressively if the leukaemia cells carry damage to both of these genes simultaneously.

More specifically, the researchers showed that the two mutated genes work in combination to result in a disruption in RNA splicing process. RNA splicing is a crucial process in healthy cells, in which non-coding sequences of the genes get removed to produce a protein.

Scientists also found that one protein known as INTS3 would become inactive as a result of the disruption, and is directly linked to the change from healthy blood to leukaemia.

In light of this news, new therapeutic drugs for targeting the mutated IDH2 genes has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. The drugs for the faulty SRSF2 genes are also currently in early clinical trials. However, before these findings could be applicable, they need to be tried on human patients to explore the role of these mutated genes in greater details for safety and ethical purposes. Thus, it will take a few years before the drugs could be available as part of a routine treatment.

Dr Daniel Wiseman, one of the lead authors and researchers from the University of Manchester, said: “There is a lot of excitement around precision medicines that target specific genetic mutations in cancer cells, but to make this a reality we need to better understand what these mutations do and, importantly, how they work together in patients.

“Our research shows one of the first examples of how faults in two very different cancer genes cooperate together and bring about other, unpredicted consequences.

“This helps us better understand the complicated process by which healthy blood cells turn into leukaemia cells. It also suggests that sometimes the best way to kill cancer cells might be to target different genetic mutations in combination.”

Dr Alasdair Rankin, Director of Research at Bloodwise, also added: “Curing AML today is really difficult and needs treatments that are just too harsh for most patients. Blood cancer research is putting new precision medicines in the hands of doctors that allow kinder treatments for more people. We can turn this progress into cures for everyone with AML, but we need to understand how to use these new drugs in the right way in the right person – this important study shows us how can get there.”

However, although these findings are yet to be applicable, this study is still a major milestone towards finding an optimal treatment for one of the rarer form of cancers in the world.

Photo: Authorised Press Shot

Live Review: Amber Run at The O2 Ritz

Written by Reece Ritchie on . Posted in Music.

Fresh off the release of their third album Philophobia, Amber Run opened their new headline tour last Friday at the Ritz, featuring support from Stereo Honey.

The night started with a somewhat small and un-energetic crowd waiting outside the venue, with much of the assembled deciding to miss the support act, and only arrive for the headliners.

This may have been justified as Stereo Honey delivered an uninspired set that received little response from the audience. Although the band did have the ability to play technically, they were let down by their frontman, who carried himself with a sense of arrogance that the crowd simply weren’t interested in, even with the little interactions he initiated.

This short set of half an hour, coupled with some minor feedback issues, left the headliners with a somewhat monumental task to ensure that they gave the fans an enjoyable evening.

After a support act whose light show was almost more interesting than they were, Amber Run took to the stage opening with ‘Neon Circus’, a track from their new album. The three-piece appeared unsteady, which was to be expected given they were playing their first UK show in over two years, yet the fans did appear interested and enjoyed the opening few tracks.

This was followed by a succession of repetitive and uninspiring songs which left much of the crowd yet to remove their coats even halfway through the headline set. Some tracks were better than others with ‘Pilot’ bringing some energy back to the set, yet it was evident that Amber Run were holding back their heavy hitters for later in the evening.

A break before the tenth song of the set saw the frontman Joshua ‘Joe’ Keogh call out to his mother and grandmother who were in attendance at the Ritz, dedicating the band’s next track ‘Amen’ to his late grandfather, who sadly passed away a year ago.

What followed was a performance by the whole band, filled with such raw emotion and feeling that it blew the whole beginning of the set out of the water and established within three and a half minutes why they’d reached this stage in their career. A performance of this calibre came from songs few and very far between, with ‘Amen’ being comparable only to Simon Niels performances of ‘Folding Stars’ with Biffy Clyro.

Not only did this track have much of the crowd in tears, it had them engrossed for the rest of the set, with the song ‘Carousel’ appearing to be being played by a different band, to a different assembly from the opening half. After playing for just over an hour, Amber Run announced their departure somewhat abruptly, leaving the crowd certain of an encore.

What they didn’t expect, however, was a three-song encore that would have fit perfectly into the set without a break. It begged the question of why Amber Run needed to leave the stage at all, if not only an attempt to re-engage the crowd. Ending with ‘Haze’, ‘I Found’ and finally the fan favourite ‘No Answers’, the band left for the second time, leaving a crowd split between complete satisfaction and disappointment.

6/10

unfollow

Unfollow: Growing up in the Westboro Baptist Church

Written by samcoates1 on . Posted in Books.

Megan Phelps-Roper is a woman who managed to escape the religious dogma promoted through her late father’s Westboro Baptist Church. She grew up learning in a community focused on extreme doctrinal hatred. Her newly released book tracks her journey growing up in this community, and what happened in the aftermath of her exit. The book, titled Unfollow, is available to buy now.

The Westboro Baptist Church itself is infamous, dubbed “America’s Most Hated Family” in multiple documentaries by Louis Theroux. For those not yet in the loop, let this article be your foundational reading into a world of crazy.

This church is best known for its protesting. Its members have used incredibly inflammatory language towards those who they believe God has an intensely personal vendetta against. Those on the Church’s hit list range from service personnel, with chants of “thank God for dead troops”, LGBT+ communities, and other religious communities, with one member burning the Qur’an outside a mosque.

The Kansas-based ministry was founded in 1955 with the help of a self-proclaimed old school baptist, Fred Phelps. He was promoted to pastor, and shortly after his promotion, the chapter of the Church split from the East Side Baptist Church.

When the Church had unsatisfactorily few members, it began recruiting almost exclusively from within the Phelps clan. Although the infamous picketing did not begin until the early 90s, the period between was one of continuing radicalisation. It led to the growth of what may be described as ‘cult-like’ tendencies.

In the past two decades, the Church has seen significant shifts in its operations. In the early parts of this century, it seemed to go from strength to strength. Many new members filled the ranks, most of whom were directly related to Phelps. The rest were legally bound through marriage. The congregation even bought land near its place of worship, creating a centre for devotees to live and work and reducing the time spent around people not in their clan. The picketing of soldiers’ funerals brought a lot of attention to the Church, inspiring backlash and counter-protests. Importantly, it also meant the spread of the Phelps’ doctrine via the American news.

The modern day Westboro Baptist Church seems to lack the doggedness of its heyday. The Church seems tired. Shirley Phelps, the daughter of Fred Phelps, was the driving force of the Church a decade ago. Now she seems old, dissuaded at the idea of an infinite battle against sin to prove her worth to god. Having seemingly been pushed away from the Church’s levers of power following the death of her father, and having lost her children, the fire in Shirley’s eyes seems to have been replaced by loss.

Megan Phelps-Roper will be in Manchester this November, discussing her life within the Church, as well as her journey outside of it.

There are two free tickets up for grabs to the event. For you chance to get them, turn up to The Mancunion Books section meeting at the Hive on Tuesday 15th at 5:30!

Review: It’s True, It’s True, It’s True

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

It’s True, It’s True, It’s True takes the (it goes without saying – true) story of the trial of Agostino Tassi for the rape of Artemisia Gentileschi in Renaissance Rome, and brings it to life for a modern audience in a gripping, poignant piece of theatre.

The entire story is told by three female actors, who not only take on a lead role each, but also rotate the smaller roles such as minor witnesses. Gentileschi (Ellice Stevens) is an extraordinary character, and Stevens’ portrayal of her is powerful, defiant, and moving. As she confronts Tassi (Sophie Steer), her rapist, it is difficult to believe that she was a mere 17 years old at the time of the trial. Steer’s Tassi is slimy, angry, and repulsive – it is to her credit that she plays such an unlikeable man so well.

The story is one that feels remarkably current, despite the fact that Tassi’s trial took place in 1612. Devised from existing court records (the team estimate that about 30% of the script is verbatim), it is an uncomfortable realisation that the dialogue taking place in a Renaissance Italian courtroom is not too dissimilar from the way we see victims of rape treated in courts, the media, and by their own family and friends today.

And that is what the play wants – to force its audience to make these uncomfortable connections. There are several long, painful silences where the tension feels almost unbearable – yet we are only an audience, watching a performance. The real experience, we are reminded, is so much worse.

Injected into the dialogue is snatches of pop and rock music, a “punk, anarchic, riot girl sound” that director Billy Barrett felt fit with Gentileschi’s character. The music serves to both lighten the performance a little, as well as cut through the period feel of the show and, once again, remind the audience that whilst Tassi’s trial was a long time ago, we are living through stories not dissimilar to hers.

The play also makes creative use of Gentileschi’s famous paintings, which are where she found release for her emotional turmoil; as she tells the court, “I painted it like this because of how I felt”. Lighting and a simple use of costume and props were used for the actors to recreate stills of the images, interpretations of Biblical stories famed for their violence, gore, and powerful women. As a woman in the male-dominated world of Renaissance art, Gentileschi points out how her interpretations are the only ones able to accurately depict the women involved.

Truth, unsurprisingly, is the main theme running through this show. It is the fundamental narrative in all stories like Gentileschi’s, with one person’s word against another’s; who is telling the truth? The play’s title is repeated again and again by Gentileschi, particularly in a poignant moment where she is stood, almost naked, exposed and vulnerable, repeating the words and looking into the audience’s eyes: “It’s true. It’s true. It’s true”.

But the play is anxious to highlight that this trial is not Gentileschi’s whole story. Towards the end, she defiantly roars her achievements at the audience, including becoming the first female painter accepted into the Academia di Arte del Disegno in Florence and painting for the Medici family and King Charles I, amongst others. Stevens’ Gentileschi is a woman who does not let her past define her, and her defiance shines through.

The set was simple, and at times hard to connect with the events onstage. The use of ladders and paint-stained buckets are surely a nod to the artistic circles that Gentileschi and Tassi ran in, but they failed to create a believable atmosphere of a Renaissance Roman courtroom, or indeed any of the other settings that the show explored, instead giving the show a slightly unfinished feel.

Overall, the performance was a clever, moving depiction of events that happened over 400 years ago, yet still have so much relevance today. Gentileschi’s story is empowering and inspiring, yet also incredibly sad, and this depiction doesn’t shy away from the challenge of translating it to a modern theatre.

It’s True, It’s True, It’s True runs at HOME until October 12th.

Photo: rose_mcavoy @ pixabay

In conversation with the president of UoM’s first ever Thrifting Society

Written by Alice Porter on . Posted in Societies.

Fourth-year French and English Literature student, Millie Nettleton, founded the University of Manchester’s first-ever Thrifting Society this year. She spoke to The Mancunion about her reasons for starting the society, what the society entails and the best thrifting spots in Manchester.

The Thrifting Society won’t be totally fashion-based and will also cover other aspects of thrifting, like home and lifestyle. “The world of thrifting is so much bigger than you realise,” Millie said. She also mentioned that at the societies fair, a lot of people spoke to them about elements of thrifting outside of the fashion sphere.

“Some people talked about buying old cushions and re-decorating them, and one woman interpreted the word ‘thrifting’ as saving money. It’s becoming apparent to us that, although we created the society based on fashion, it’s more about the culture of being able to make something out of leftovers, to revive something.”

Manchester has lots of second-hand events and shops, which is great but can be overwhelming. There is a skill in thrifting new clothes. While Manchester is a great place for options and variety, it can be hard to know where to start. We asked Millie about her personal favourites:

“Mine is probably Thrift by Piccadilly Gardens bus stop. It has the best middle ground stuff and they have kilo sales sometimes where you pay by the weight of the items.”

We talked about her thoughts on vintage shops selling over the mark for clothes. Their argument is that they’re charging extra for a curated selection of vintage clothes. However, some feel this is monopolising the second hand market for the middle class. It also deters people from buying second hand; a necessary step towards action on climate change.

Millie said that it was all about how easy you find thrifting. “It’s a very time-consuming task if you really look for something that’s going to fit you perfectly and that you’re really going to love. But if you go to places that already have a curated collection, you’re a lot more likely to find something that is to your style, your taste and that hasn’t got any holes in it. So they have done half the work for you and it’s okay that they mark up for that because people are willing to pay for them. But for me, part of the fun of thrifting is discovering it for yourself, that’s part of the satisfaction.”

Millie and her friends started the society to encourage students who might be afraid of entering the world of thrifting. It can be time-consuming, overwhelming, and some people have hygiene concerns about wearing second-hand clothes. All of these things can deter students from getting on that Magic Bus and heading to the Northern Quarter.

“Not all of us are avid thrifters, but we want to do it more. That’s part of the reason why it’s good to create a community around it.”

“Hygiene-wise, my advice would be to get a fabric softener that has extra scent in it and blitz it in the wash. Saying that, I wouldn’t go buying second-hand underwear…”

The Thrifting Society want to organise weekly trips to thrift shops, swap shops and drop-in sessions for fixing up clothing. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for details of upcoming events and socials.

Finally, we asked Millie what her favourite thrifted find was: 

“My favourite thing that I’ve ever thrifted was from this tiny little shop down a backstreet in York. It was a vintage Aquascutum coat, very Burberry-esq. I found it myself and haggled the price down and you can’t really do that in conventional fashion shops.”

Manchester Museum return sacred objects to indigenous Australians

Written by Joe Manock on . Posted in News.

Manchester Museum is returning 43 secret, sacred, and ceremonial objects to indigenous Australians.

It’s the first in the UK to take part in a repatriation project led by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).

The move comes 16 years after the museum returned aboriginal remains to Australia, in response to a worldwide campaign to return human remains taken from graves in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The artefacts were returned to the Aranda people of Central Australia, Gangalidda Garawa peoples of northwest Queensland, and Nyamal people of the Pilbara and Yawuru people of Broome.

A recent report by economist, Felwine Sarr, and French art historian, Bénédicte Savoy, accused the British Museum of having its ‘head in [the] sand’ over the return of artefacts.

Many British museums have collections based on plundering, the report finds. The report also highlights the importance of returning more artefacts across Britain and the need for imperial collections to be reassessed, in order to improve cultural relationships.

Esme Ward, the director of Manchester Museum, said: “By taking this action, Manchester Museum will become more inclusive, caring, and relevant to the communities it serves both locally and globally. Our work with AIATSIS to promote understanding between cultures, learn together and build new relationships for the future has never been more important or timely.

“We look forward to working with other museums to strengthen trust with source communities globally, work collaboratively, encourage open conversations about the future of collections and critically, take action.”

Mangubadijarri Yanner, a spokesman for the Gangalidda Garawa Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, said the handover was a “fundamental part of the healing and reconciliation process.”

Mr Yanner added: “Bringing these sacred cultural heritage items back to the country is important and necessary for the purpose of cultural revitalisation because locked deep within these items is our lore – our histories, our traditions and our stories.”

The Hundred: Criticism mounts as ECB attempt to jump start English Cricket

Written by tomreynolds on . Posted in Sport.

The summer of 2020 will see the launch of a brand new cricketing competition called the Hundred. It will feature eight new city based teams competing against each other in a men’s and a women’s league. The eight teams will be based in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Southampton, Nottingham, and London, who will have two teams.

The teams will face 100 balls per innings, delivered as five or ten consecutive balls in an attempt to increase interest in English Cricket amid concerns regarding the future of the sport.

There has been excitement in the last few weeks as the initial draft for players has taken place, the main draft will take place on 20th October. The first draft saw many top players picked; Ben Stokes and Lauren Winfield will play for the Leeds based Northern Superchargers, Joe Root and Katherine Brunt have been selected by the Nottingham based Trent Rockets, and the London based Oval Invincibles have picked Laura Marsh and the Curran brothers.

It is an attempt by the ECB to reinvigorate English Cricket and create an exciting new format to reach new, more urban, and younger audiences. While it is important for cricket to attract young fans to secure the future of the game, many have questioned what is wrong with the 50 over and Twenty20 formats.

The Hundred will be run at the same time as the 50 over county competition, and the best T20 and ODI players are being brought in to play in the new format, and thus potentially greatly damaging the existing formats of the game.

England’s historic victory in the 2019 World Cup had the potential to do amazing things for the sport. However, the heroics were displayed in a 50 over competition, so it seems like a bizarre move for the ECB to disregard the 50 over county competition in a country where we are world champions.

It is fair to suggest that the World Cup final victory in July and Ben Stokes’ incredible 135 in the third Ashes Test were the most exciting and talked about cricketing moments for English fans this summer. This shows that we do not need a simplified version of the game to conjure up exciting matches. Moreover, in recent years, the ICC has made much of the popularity of T20 globally, which appeals to those who do want a shorter and faster paced format. Therefore, it is hard to see where the Hundred will fit in.

Further criticism has come this week as KP Snacks were announced as the main sponsor of the tournament. Making an unhealthy food brand the sponsor of a brand new competition aimed at a young audience seems like a bad way to begin for the Hundred. This decision will see the teams shirts offering an advertising opportunity for salty snacks such as Hula Hoops, Skips and Pom-Bears.

Moreover, if it is meant to seem exciting, modern, and diverse, perhaps the organisers should have pushed for greater pay equality for the men’s and women’s teams. The men will be earning up to £125,000 during the month-long period, whereas the women can only make up to £15,000. This statistic is hardly going to encourage young female cricket fans and players to engage with the Hundred.

To add to the problems, fans from places such as Somerset and Durham will have to travel for hours to get to their nearest city based team.

Fans in Manchester will be excited to see stars such as Kate Cross and Jos Buttler play in their city, however the change the Hundred could bring to cricket may not be something worth getting excited about. While it would be great if it was a success, this commercial and watered down version of the game has not got off to a great start.

treetop trek

The Mancunion conquer Treetop Trek

Written by Joe Manock on . Posted in Features.

I was recently lucky enough to visit Treetop Trek on behalf of The Mancunion, alongside Features Editor, Felix Hanif-Banks.

The site is nestled away in the enchanting woodland of Heaton Park. A trip to Treetop Trek is a retreat which can fit into any lifestyle, no matter how hectic. The site provides wholesome fun for any age and allows you to release your inner child. You will leave feeling challenged yet replenished and content. You can also explore all Heaton Park has to offer and get to know the city more. Citizens of Manchester should take solace in the fact that a sanctuary such as this is so accessible.

The fresh air is noticeable as soon as you step off the tram. Air quality levels are replenished by the abundance of greenery in Heaton Park, a welcome rest from one of the country’s most polluted areas in Oxford Road. Expect a day of thrills as you traverse the tree line over a range of precarious and exhilarating sections. The Zip Trek includes 23 aerial challenges and 15 zip lines. It has it all: tightropes, aerial skateboards, and wobbly bridges and can take anywhere between an hour and a half to two hours to complete based on your age, ability and recklessness.

The staff are excellent and contribute to another level of excitement. They are extremely welcoming and friendly. In my case, they added their personal touch to some of the obstacles through the addition of ‘rules’. ‘Can you attempt this one blindfolded?’ Or, ‘can you do this one backwards?’ the guide shouts from behind. They will judge your mood and adapt their approach accordingly.

An excursion to Treetop Trek is the perfect opportunity to break out of the Oxford Road bubble. It’s an activity that will constitute a seismic contrast to everyday student life and a great challenge to complete alongside friends. The trek is conducive to engaging conversation in-between sections. The progression of the trek allows for camaraderie to thrive. I implore you to take a visit and see for yourself.

The Mancunion has two pairs of two tickets to give away to some lucky adventurers, so keep your eyes peeled on our social media!

Graphene photo:seagul @pixabay

Graphene could help tackle the global water crisis

Written by Ella Gerry on . Posted in Science & Tech.

Promising research by researchers at the University of Manchester suggests that graphene could be at the forefront of solving the global water crisis, which is currently leaving 785 million people without sufficient access to clean water.

In 2019 the World Economic Forum declared the water crisis as one of the largest global risks society faces. Exacerbated by climate change, bioenergy demands, and the rapid expansion of urban populations, the impacts of water scarcity are already being felt across all continents.

A recent partnership between researchers at the University of Manchester and the Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi has developed a novel water purification technology that incorporates graphene oxide into ion-selective membranes.

The study, published in the Journal of Membrane Science, demonstrated how an electric field created by the graphene-based membranes could remove ions in saltwater, leaving behind clean and safe drinking water. Researchers believe the graphene-based membranes show great promise in increasing the efficiency and accessibility of water purification technologies.

A Professor of Polymer Chemistry at the University of Manchester said that the research will “offer exciting possibilities for helping achieve the global goal of clean water for all”.

Developed in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester, graphene is the world’s first 2-D material. Consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, graphene is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single strand of human hair, but is much stronger than steel.

The University of Manchester is home to the world-class National Graphene Institute (NGI) and Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) which lists graphene membranes as one of its six research focuses. Graphene-based membranes are also being investigated as a potential solution for curbing carbon dioxide releases from power stations. The material is also making waves in the biomedical, transport, defence, and energy industries.

Filters and fillers – thriller or killer?

Written by caraconte on . Posted in Opinion.

‘WARNING: May contain crippling insecurity, self-depreciation, desire for a flatter stomach and an insatiable craving for a life of no work, endless ‘skinny teas’ and mini-breaks’ – that’s what the Instagram user’s manual would say in small print, should the authors ever decide to be so conscientously honest .

Unfortunately, social media does not come with a user’s manual, dosage instructions or a little pamphlet listing potential side effects of constantly refreshing your apps (often immediately after closing the very same one, if your brain has been reduced to a little white bird shaped mush like mine).

In today’s social media-consumed culture, the world is smaller than it has ever been. Everyone knows everyone’s business – and if you don’t, it’s usually not hard to find out. With the ever-growing, all-encompassing phenomena that are Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat dominating and dictating, whether or not we realise it, most of what we think, say and do, it is absolutely crucial to be social media savvy. If, like me, you can barely make it through the hour without a quick fix of Instagram or Twitter, it is fundamental to be a critical user – one who is able to disengage and recognise that it is not real life.

In its early years, Instagram was a fun, harmless place full of low-quality pictures of dogs and brunch. I remember all too well the feeling of unprecedented fame when my photo reached double digit likes. Now, it is completely monopolised by what feels like a never-ending mob of influencers and reality stars, inundating us with the latest teeth-whitening and weight loss craze.

As much as your favourite insta ‘it’ girl would like to have you believe that a certain body shape or luxurious lifestyle is desirable and attainable for everybody, it isn’t. Nine times out of ten they are getting paid to sell the latest money-burning fads to the biggest demographic on the insta-market – impressionable young people with a vulnerable sense of self-esteem.

Instagram feels too much like a competition, and not the healthy kind – who has the best abs, the longest hair, the most aesthetically pleasing cocktails, the most ‘goals’ relationship. And it’s all for the approval of others.

Don’t get me wrong, I am no exception. I, like many people my age, have a habit of spending forever getting the right pose, the right angle, the right filter, just to feel validated by a few cyber-likes. But every now and then I realise I need a reality check and remember that there is more to life than social media, otherwise I feel myself getting too hung up on it.

Feeling pretty and taking a nice picture can be good for the ego, but anyone who says that it isn’t intrinsically motivated by the prospect of a ‘popping’ online response is either lying, in denial, or incredibly good at resisting societal pressures.

In the 24-hour period it took me to write this, I’ve seen at least two dozen people posting pictures using Instagram’s newest hyped-up filters. You can have Hollywood-style surgical enhancement, full-on Pete Burns caricature-esque facial reconstruction, and one, arguably the favourite, that gives you just the right balance of cheek filler, plumped-up lips, air brushed skin, and a load of pink dollar signs chucked all over your face – because why wouldn’t we want that? As bizarre as they may sound, these insta-filter makeovers are gathering incredible momentum. They’re just a bit of fun, some might say, and I agree, but I can’t help but dwell on how they represent something bigger.

75% of all Instagram users are aged 18-24, and 32% of US teens reported Instagram to be their most important form of social networking. This is arguably the most critical age for establishing your self-image, your aspirations, figuring out your own repertoire and who you are. That is challenging enough as it is, let alone with the constant attack of portrayals of the perfect life you wish you had, just waiting for you the moment you unlock your phone.

A recent report in the US suggested that filtered images, like the ones mentioned above, are “blurring the line of reality and fantasy” and could be triggering body dysmorphia – and I couldn’t agree more. It’s almost like we are being teased with the prospect of what we could look like if we were just that bit skinnier or had that procedure, and that plants a seed in our heads. I’m all for altering your looks if you’re unhappy, but, as I’m sure many would agree, I can’t shake the feeling that much of the unhappiness wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the influence of social media.

Instagram, or any social media for that matter, should be a positive place for people to celebrate life, voice opinions and share selfies without it having to accumulate into this massive hyper-speculation that we rely on for self-validation. The image-obsessed culture we live in is not going to simmer down, beauty standards are constantly evolving and there’s always going to be the newest Instagram beauty trend backed by a group of ex-Love Islanders bombarding you with the notion that you HAVE to have it – you’ll feel like a new person!

Embrace the person you are, learn to dissociate what you see on a phone screen from what is real and happening around you now. Social media should be enjoyable – we just have to learn to use it critically and mindfully, or it will use us!

Grimmfest 2019: Little Monsters

Written by Josh Sandy on . Posted in Film.

Traditionally, history has not been kind to the genre of horror-comedy. For every Shaun of the Dead and What We Do in the Shadows there seemingly exists dozens of dreary humourless efforts that give the entire genre its unfortunately poor reputation.

Thankfully, writer-director Abe Forsythe’s zom-com Little Monsters has skilfully navigated this potentially perilous ground with huge success, to deliver a hilarious, heart-warming and riotously fun addition to the genre.

The film, which follows failed musician Dave (Alexander England) as he accompanies his young nephew on a kindergarten trip to impress the class’ charming teacher Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyong’o), is a masterclass in tonal shift.

Hiding the film’s true motives behind a classic rom-com formula, only for a spectacularly bloody zombie invasion to arrive, could have been jarring but, instead, is a glorious reflection of the film’s slightly surreal aesthetic.

Although both Nyong’o and England’s performances are worthy of high praise, the show is ultimately stolen by Josh Gad’s disgustingly over-the-top and beautifully debauched children’s TV host Teddy McGiggle, who provides the perfect foil to keep the film’s romance from descending into a saccharine daydream.

In many ways, Little Monsters has it all. Its near-perfect blend of horror and comedy is an utter delight to watch and makes the film a true hidden gem of this year’s Grimmfest line-up.

4.5/5.

Grimmfest 2019: A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life

Written by Josh Sandy on . Posted in Film.

A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life is essentially middle England’s answer to Fight Club. A darkly funny exploration of the theme of chronic disaffection, alongside a cuttingly satirical look at the hypocrisy and inanity of the self-help industry.

Written and directed by Staten Cousins Roe, the film follows directionless self-help addict Lou (Katie Brayben) as she escapes her minimum wage job and oppressive mother to join self-styled life coach Val (Poppy Roe) on a killing spree around southern England.

The film is a distinctly understated British affair – choosing a quirky style over sheer bloody gore. One particular scene, which involves the pair pausing a murder to debate sandwich fillings, is truly bizarre, but perfectly contrasts the traditional ultra-violence seen in every other serial-killing-based film.

This uniqueness also extends to the film’s score which is packed full of orchestral pieces. Whilst this may be a slightly unorthodox choice, the increasingly discordant and erratic music provides the ideal accompaniment to Lou’s rapidly deteriorating mental state.

It is also impossible not to mention the utterly spellbinding chemistry between Brayben and Roe which gives the film’s ending a tremendous amount of emotional weight and helps the film to become a memorable addition to Grimmfest’s 2019 line-up.

4/5

Grimmfest 2019: Rabid

Written by carlfitzgerald on . Posted in Film.

The Soska Sisters are one of the best modern genre filmmakers. Complimenting 2013’s American Mary, their new remake of David Cronenberg’s Rabid makes for a brilliant virus horror ride, whilst also exploring a number of interesting characters.

Both Cronenberg’s 1977 original, and the Soska Sisters’ reboot follow the same basic premise: after a horrific road collision, a young woman undergoes experimental plastic surgery, which leaves her with a violent strain of rabies, which soon spreads across the country, escalating into a pandemic.

The best thing about this remake is how it explores the female lead with much more depth than your average film. We learn about her career, desires, goals, history and spend considerable time showing how she deals with the crash.

There’s a beautifully painful make up effect of her wired shut jaw. Yet, the scene isn’t engrossing for how scary it makes disfigurement look, but for how we feel her humanity and pain. There are also many fantastic gore set pieces — a particularly memorable one involves a soap opera set devolving into chaos when the handsome lead male begins eating his co-star.

Rabid makes for both a delicate and human character study, as well as an entertaining gore piece, and comes highly recommended.

4/5.