Welcome back to this series, where I take you along with me to have an exclusive peek into the underground, niche, and secret things going on in the vivid city of Manchester.
I invite you to come along on this journey in the hopes that maybe you will discover a new passion, check out a new area, or find a new pocket of yourself that was perhaps previously unknown to you. Whatever it is, I hope you’re able to take away something positive from these virtual tours of the weird and wonderful in Manchester.
A few Saturdays ago I attended a car-boot sale, Rummage in the Range, hosted at the Carlton Club in Whalley Range. Dubbed “an old skool car boot sale in Southside Suburbia” – I had to go and see it for myself. After fumbling around with coins for a bit, I paid my £1.50 entrance fee and in I went.
Photo: Rhiannon Ingle @ The Mancunion
I got there fairly late in the day, unlike the rest of the avid bargain-hunters who arrived at 10 a.m. Nonetheless, it was still at its peak! The atmosphere was thriving and bustling much to my surprise. It wasn’t your typical dreary-eyed ‘boot sale, heaving with niche collectors on a groggy day with the smell of cheap bacon butties and filter coffee breath lacing the oxygen.
Photo: Rhiannon Ingle @ The Mancunion
With socially distanced stalls, live DJs spinning actual records, a massive beer garden, and an iconic Hip Hop Chip Shop food truck – this car boot sale was quite the opposite of what I’m used to.
Soundtracked by Be With Records’ Rob Butler on the decks, the small patch of vibrance was buzzing with great music. Perched just next to the DJ tent was an incredible street artist – selling his unique pieces for £7 each! Not bad for an in-the-moment custom piece of wall art!
Photo: Rhiannon Ingle @ The Mancunion
With my bargain-hunter-cap pulled on tight, I darted off with a clear strategy for targeting all the stalls (basically go around as quick as possible frantically and try not to lose your entire wallet or dignity for that matter…).
My first purchase was a pair of 12-karat gold hoop earrings for (drum roll, please) THREE POUNDS! That initial victory set the tone for the rest of my rummaging spree. I then stumbled upon a pair of Diesel flares for a quid, a handmade tote bag for 50p, a patchwork waistcoat for a fiver, and a yellow top which simply read “live simply” on the front for next to nothing.
I found it both poetic and prophetic.
The purchase(s) I’m most proud of has to be a huge stack of books ranging topics from Greenham Common protests, Che Guevara, Maya Angelou, The Virgin Suicides, and how to culturally revolt. All vintage editions, all for £6, with all the proceeds going to charity. It’s a tripartite win-win-win!
Upon completing my tour of the field, I was pleased to be informed that the Carlton Club bar was open and, before I knew it, I was balancing all my new purchases with a bottle of craft beer which I knew nothing about except that it tasted yummy. My expertise is on deadstock fashion – not artistic beverages.
Photo: Rhiannon Ingle @ The Mancunion
After my initial mania of being back in a car boot sale after what feels like forever wore off – I was able to fully appreciate the community and people who surrounded me.
Everywhere I cast my gaze seemed to host a friendly face, a compliment, an out-there outfit, a young creative, an interesting conversation, a whole family, a cute couple, and, of course, lots of lovely dogs.
I really enjoyed the range of people in the Range (pardon the pun – I had to do it, sorry). But seriously, it was such an effortless and raw coming-together of an entire community. From die-hard vintage lovers to people just trying to save a quid or two, environmentally-conscious consumers to people who just wanted a drink with some live music – this car boot sale was something special. It had something for everyone.
Photo: Rhiannon Ingle @ The Mancunion
Rummage in the Range’s Facebook page states:
“The idea of these events is to provide a fun, old skool car boot sale to the wider local community and also provide an atmosphere where everyone is included and there is something for all ages and backgrounds.”
I’ve watched Strictly Come Dancing since I was a child. My parents love it – especially my dad. Now, I often call my dad “uncultured” and a “philistine”, but I guess even a broken clock is right twice a day!
I’d usually just watch bits when it was on, but I caught a great deal of it last year. This was because lockdown left us with little else to do other than watch television on a Saturday night.
When the series ended, I was one of many people who expressed gratitude to Strictly on social media for providing us with so much heart-warming joy each week during such a difficult time.
My personal favourite couple last season was journalist Ranvir Singh and professional dancer Giovanni Pernice. They made a beautiful, regal pair, and I was disappointed that they did not make the final – as were lots of people on social media, but alas, it is what it is…
I was delighted to hear, however, that Giovanni was going on not one but two tours! He isn’t taking part in the Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals Tour, instead, he’s going on a solo tour (This is Me) and is currently on tour with Strictly legend (and now judge) Anton Du Beke (Him & Me). I like how the two titles complement each other; I’m not sure if it’s intentional, but it’s cute, nonetheless.
Theatre in the Time of Covid
Photo: Strictly Theatre Co.
In each review, I’ll be discussing how the theatre/venue handled the Covid restrictions because I know that lots of people are a little wary – even my own writers.
Just like last time, our temperatures were checked before we entered the building. Our tickets, too, were checked outside. Whilst the Lowry has a few bars, they were all shut. Instead, drinks could be purchased outdoors – just before heading into the theatre. The drink menu was limited but good enough.
Having guests queue outdoors is understandable, but it was raining when we arrived. The Lowry might consider putting up the cover of some kind, for if we don’t catch Covid, we might catch a cold.
As is too often the case with the Lowry, there was confusion over the tickets. I love the Lowry, and I understand that they have just reopened after a long time of being shut, but this problem precedes the pandemic.
Madison and I entered the auditorium to see two women sat in our seats – and they had the same seat numbers on their tickets. Other people seemed to be having the same problem, including a group of women, one of whom was in a wheelchair and so needed an accessible seat.
This problem might have arisen because the show was supposed to be going ahead without social distancing. The delaying of restrictions meant that the show had to have a socially distanced audience, so many guests have to wait until next year to see the show.
Granted, this must have been stressful for the Lowry to sort out, and to the credit of the staff, they were trying their best to sort out these problems. They were probably even more stressed than we were. It’s important to acknowledge that accidents and mistakes happen – hopefully, the Lowry learns from this one.
Madison and I were given new seats – which were actually better than the original ones. We also realised that we were sat in the exact same seats as last time – strange, no? It was just meant to be, I guess.
Keep Dancing (and Singing)
I knew that this show was going to be good. I hadn’t the slightest idea what to expect, but I knew it was going to be good!
Whilst the show is called Him & Me, there was a whole company of incredible dancers, many of whom had been trained in musical theatre. After all, the show was not merely a night of dance but also music. Even Anton and Giovanni, themselves, treated us to some songs!
Giovanni gave a memorable performance of the Italian protest folk song ‘Bella ciao’. It was fierce and feisty and fiery and passionate and vibrant and succulent and I’ll stop…
Photo: Strictly Theatre Co.
The show started off with a bright, colourful number that was let down by a problem with the sound. It was hard to hear what everybody was saying – especially Giovanni, with his thick Italian accent (as sexy as it is). The sound problems persisted but improved. I believe they were fixed during the interval.
As somebody who goes to a lot of shows knows, I know that these things happen – the sound team are only human. I felt bad for the singers, who were belting their voices out only to be let down by technology.
The show had several different scenes/settings; it was like watching snippets of (very) different musicals in a gala celebrating musical theatre.
It was also like watching a whole season of Doctor Who in a couple of hours: we got taken on a journey throughout history, visiting wildly different places in no corresponding order.
Whilst the different “locations” felt a little random, that was part of the appeal: this show is not taking itself too seriously; it’s all about giving audiences a night of fun, not a history lesson.
Photo: Strictly Theatre Co.
As was the case with Opera North’s A Night at the Opera, the show was broken up with speech: Anton, Giovanni and a few members of the company would talk to the audience, introduce the next number, etc. This helped bring our excitement back down; it would have been a little too intense if the numbers were not broken up a little.
At one point, Giovanni gave a special shout-out to Ranvir Singh, which was touching, and he joked about flattering Anton so that he scores him well next season.
Towards the end of the show, the guys brought out the show’s Creative Director and Choreographer, Alan Burkitt. Burkitt was having to cover for a dancer who had recently injured himself; it was lovely for the guys to give him credit for stepping up last minute.
I thought I recognised Burkitt, and after looking in the souvenir brochure, I realised that he starred in Curtains, which I reviewed in 2019.
Anton had a long monologue, but the audience seemed like they would have been okay with him talking all night. He was warm, welcoming and hilarious. The audience loved listening to him complain about always being paired with that celebrity – you know, the frumpy woman who can’t dance to save her life.
Anton then told us he was bringing on one of his past partners – which turned out to be a cut-out of Anne Widdecombe DSG PC – on wheels!
Whilst many people detest Widdecombe’s politics, she was fantastic on Strictly. Not a fantastic dancer, no, but so bad that she was incredible to watch – the country kept voting for her so that we’d be treated to another hilarious, embarrassing performance!
Anton cemented himself as a Great British hero for having to put up with her each week. He’s been paired with many a terrible dancer since, so it’s only right that he’s been rewarded with a seat at the judges’ table. He took great delight in the fact that now somebody else will have to dance with that celebrity!
Anton and Giovanni were hilarious hosts; they’re more than just good dancers. (As Giovanni joked, he’s a triple-threat: good-looking, a good dancer and a good singer!).
The audience loved it when Anton and Giovanni addressed us directly and involved us in the action. For instance, prior to his performance of ‘Bella ciao’, Giovanni asked the audience to sing the chorus with him.
Photo: Strictly Theatre Co.
The show’s leading lady was the captivating Michelle Andrews. Her powerhouse vocals stole the show at certain points. I can totally see her playing Velma Kelly in Chicago or Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Granted, Sally is not supposed to be a good singer – ech-hum, Liza Minelli – but Andrews is also an actress, so I’m sure she is capable of good bad singing!
I liked that Anton and Giovanni were not present in some of the numbers. Whilst they are the stars of the show, they let their ensemble shine – which gave them time for a little rest in between their energetic numbers.
One of my favourite numbers was the smouldering Spanish number. I also loved the early 20th century showgirl numbers – especially when lead by the aforementioned Michelle Andrews. I must also give a brief mention to the brief tap dancing scene, which featured three female dancers smiling boldly at the front of the stage. It was brief but memorable.
Photo: Strictly Theatre Co.
I have a tendency to roll my eyes at war imagery, which can feel a little cheap and chauvinistic. It often serves to garner mandatory praise from audiences. Him & Me‘s WWII imagery, however, was fantastic: it was just another setting/theme that was built upon, not a ploy to force the audience into submission – for we were already submitting ourselves to Anton and Giovanni!
I loved the forties-style singing: there was a group of men and a group of women who brilliantly embodied this unique styling. The striking vocals produced a strange kind of nostalgia, for nobody really wishes they were alive during the Second World War, but this snapshot of singing and dancing transports the listener towards its unique resonance.
I could go on and on (especially about Giovanni), but I don’t want to spoil the show any further. In case it isn’t obvious, my friend, Madison, and I absolutely loved it and strongly recommend that you watch it if you get the chance.
Him & Me tours the country until Sunday 25th 2021 and then tours again in 2022, from Saturday 12th June until Friday 22nd July. It will be back at the Lowry, Salford for a matinee and an evening show on Sunday 26th June. All future shows will not have a socially distanced audience.
Giovanni Pernice’s solo tour, This is Me, tours from Tuesday 1st March until Sunday 29th May. This includes a Manchester date at the Bridgewater Hall on Friday 8th April.
The musical polymath Damon Albarn needs no introduction. The Britpop legend, master producer, world music connoisseur, and co-founder of the most successful virtual band of all time is never one to shy away from experimentation.
For two consecutive July evenings (12th & 13th July), Albarn takes attendees of Manchester International Festival on a musical voyage at Manchester Central, a former railway station turned concert venue. Later in the set, he jokes “You’re all on an unchartered cruise ship”. His anecdotes and banter between songs are second to no other live musician. From encounters with Elton John and Alan Carr to political commentary and a solid stance against xenophobia, Albarn manages to simultaneously entertain and bring issues of personal importance to the forefront of his set.
A deep dive into Damon’s discography
He opens with the eponymous single taken from the soon-to-be-released The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows. This track takes particular inspiration from the tranquil scenery of Iceland, where Albarn also holds citizenship. Damon debuts a handful of unreleased tunes from the upcoming album alternating between his piano and his trusty melodica. When he launches into 2014’s ‘Lonely Press Play’, he dances to its groovy intro. His gold tooth glistens as he grins, clearly enjoying being in the moment.
Albarn takes a deep dive into a discography that spans just over 3 decades. He treats the audience to a welcome mixture of solo material, both new and old. Plus, a selection of hits from Blur, Gorillaz, and The Good, The Bad and The Queen. He is supported by a string quartet that weaves haunting melodies into newer material, and reworks older tracks.
Blur’s ‘Ghost Ship’ and ‘Good Song’ feature in the set, along with a cover of Massive Attack’s ‘Saturday Come Slow’. Albarn also takes the opportunity to pay tribute to the genius of Tony Allen. The legendary Afrobeat musician and frequent collaborator of Albarn’s sadly passed away in 2020. He suggests that his charismatic drummer Femi Koleoso possesses the talent to sustain Allen’s legacy.
Image: Damon Albarn by Linda Brownlee via Press
Celebrity encounters and political statements
Never one to shy away from political commentary, Albarn broaches the subject of multi-culturalism in the UK. He reminisces on listening to ska legends The Selector and Madness at school in the 80s, citing their influence. When telling the audience he once hollered “xenophobe” at Conservative MP Michael Gove, he is greeted with cheers and applause. Albarn elaborates that his anger at Gove was sparked by the “unacceptable xenophobia” resulting from “the Pandora’s Box of Brexit”.
This leads to a poignant back-to-back performance of Gorillaz’ ‘El Manana’ and ‘Hong Kong’. The latter, being a b-side, is a much-appreciated rarity, underpinned by a twinkly acoustic guitar melody and elevated by the stunning string quartet. It also includes one of Albarn’s strongest vocal performances and the audience delight in seeing Albarn reach a falsetto.
An exhilarating encore
After a brief break, Albarn and his band return to the stage for a rousing encore which begins with a delicate reworking of ‘On Melancholy Hill’. The unmistakable percussive patter of Blur’s ‘Out of Time’ follows, casting a spell over Central Hall. Albarn guides attendees on a meditative vocal warm-up of sorts before the hauntingly beautiful ‘Polaris’ begins. It’s a joy to hear hundreds of voices sing “om” in unity, adding to the evening’s other-worldly atmosphere.
Albarn returns to his piano for set-closer ‘This is a Low’, but endearingly messes up and begins the track again. He apologises to Blur drummer Dave Rowntree, who is sat in the midst of the crowd, before resuming a seamless stripped-back rendition of the Parklife classic. As the evening draws to an end and captivated concertgoers shuffle out, a resonant wave of serenity and optimism unfolds with tidal force.
Damon Albarn will release his second solo album The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows via Transgressive Records on 12th November 2021. You can pre-order and pre-save the album here.
University Senior Leadership team (SLT) have confirmed that lectures will not be permanently online post-pandemic.
This week The Mancunion’s Ella Robinson spoke to April McMahon (Vice President for Teaching, Learning and Students) and Dan George (Associate Vice-President for Blended and Flexible Learning) about the shift to blended learning.
The interview, which was livestreamed on The Mancunion’s Facebook page, took place following outcry from students after word circulated that lectures were supposedly set to remain completely online at UoM.
Here’s a breakdown of what the future of blended learning really means for students.
SLT confirm in-person lectures will return post-pandemic
In response to the pressing question of whether in-person lectures are a thing of the past, Dan George said: “Let me be very, very clear. It is not and has never been our intention to move lectures or teaching permanently online.”
April McMahon said: “Nobody in this University is saying we are outlawing on campus lectures, nobody in this university is saying we are moving our lectures or any particular type of teaching, or all of our teaching online.” “We’ve got so many bookings for the big lecture theatres next year that we’re juggling to fit everything in. So we’re not abandoning our spaces.”
In fact, 70% of all teaching on campus is the minimum aim for most courses.
April explained that the Humanities department had emailed their students with a 70% in-person minimum figure in June, “But I would say that’s [70% in person] kind of the minimum that we would be aiming at so the great majority of teaching next semester, unless we’ve got to put more coronavirus safe stuff in place, it’s going to be on campus.”
She suggested other courses such as Medicine are likely to have more than 70% of teaching on campus.
In-person contact hours will not be reduced.
Many students have expressed fears of reduced in-person teaching even after the pandemic if blended learning is continued. Dan George said: “There’s absolutely no driver to reduce contact hours by blended learning […] what we do want to do with blended learning is look at how we use those contact hours and not just assume that the way we’ve used them for the past hundred years is the way that we should use them from now on.”
“The only way that we would go online again, is if we ended up in another kind of lockdown situation”
– April McMahon
So what is blended learning?
A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “Blended learning is about augmenting in-person lectures, seminars, labs, Q&As and discussions, and workshops with high quality online materials for self-study. Anything we are doing in the digital space is about enhancing not replacing the on-campus teaching and learning experience.”
As Dan George more succinctly put it: “What we’re doing is providing additional material to all of the stuff that you’d already do on campus.”
What will it look like?
The University was very clear that this could vary for different degree courses, and for some courses “what we do already will be the right way to do it and nothing’s going to change”. However, they gave some illustrative examples from the Engineering and Humanities departments.
For Engineering, Dan suggested that typical lecture content could be moved to “pre-watch material” so in the lecture theatre they can do “problems based on what questions you have got on that material”.
For Humanities, April McMahon explained, “We’re going to have our lectures on campus, we’re going to have our discussion sessions on campus, our small group teachings, they’re going to be on campus. What’s going to be online, some revision sessions, some extra content of the sort that you need to really really really know that will be their own time that you can keep going back and you can practice, you can do quizzes and things.”
Will it affect student workload?
A significant concern for many students, particularly after the sudden shift to online learning increased workloads for many, but Dan assured: “there is no need to increase student workload with this.
“What we definitely don’t want to do is increase time, we just want to sort of shift around how people work and how they use their time.”
Will there be a referendum on blended learning?
Although April acknowledged the SU can have a referendum on anything that fits its conditions, she said, “To have a referendum I think it would be really important to be comfortable that you’re familiar with what would be being proposed.
“We don’t have concrete proposals yet for exactly what learning would look like. And the reason that we don’t have concrete proposals, is because we want to get students involved, first, and then make the definite proposals, so it would seem to me kind of odd.”
What’s driving this change?
Whilst it initially seems that this permanent blended learning has come out of the pandemic, it has in fact been included in public ‘Our Future’ strategy documents since January 2020.
Dan George said, “We’re very much in a digital world so it would be quite remiss if we didn’t have that conversation around well what, how should we use this digital content and that’s what we’re doing.”
The Mancunion spoke to student representatives from the School of Biological Sciences and the Alliance Manchester Business School who said: “The word blended learning has a sort of negativity associated with it now, and that’s not how the university intended it to be.”
Particularly, the student reps explain, as the phrase ‘blended learning’ was used during the pandemic “when the university thought that you could come in, but then stuff went really bad at the start of the year in terms of cases, so students are associating this [lockdown learning] with blended learning”.
Will blended learning save the University money?
A number of calls have been made for tuition fees to be reduced if the University does move to blended learning, but they argue that costs will remain high even after the initial set up – “We still need to update that content […] it isn’t just that you make it once and it’s done.”
Dan further reiterated that costs will not go down as the face-to-face experience will continue: “But remember, this is, this is the material that augments that face-to-face on-campus experience. So, we need people to do that. And, you know, we need students there and we need lecturers there as well in the same way that it’s not, so it’s no different to how it is now.”
Are staff in support?
After second and third years have had much of their degrees so far affected by strikes, a number of students raised staff support as an issue. A particular concern was that, under the existing system, the University owns the intellectual property rights to lecturers content: “We as employees of the University, create material as part of our jobs, and the IP is currently owned by the university” (Steve Pettifer).
But it seems the University are working to address this issue, with a University spokesperson saying: “We are working with UCU on the creation of a new policy relating to recorded teaching materials; this gives staff significant discretion as to how and when recordings they have made are used, and includes a specific clause that prevents the University using recordings when someone has left the University’s employment, specifically to address this concern.”
Steve Pettifer clarified, “By default, when somebody leaves, the University won’t use their material and that’s written into the new policy as a protection to make it clear to people that this is not about exploiting their work.”
Are these blended learning materials going to be accessible for disabled students?
Following the scathing Accessibility Report that demonstrated that disabled students had been left alone and unsupported during the shift to online learning in 2020, Dan Geroge agreed: “The accessibility should be embedded in the course design right from the outset, and then to support this clear guidance is going to be produced to make the provision uniform across all the different programs that we’ve got as well.
“So, it’s sort of embedded in everything we do, whether we’re talking about assessments, whether we’re talking about sort of lecturing material, whether we’re talking about study budgets, whatever it is, accessibility and inclusiveness is absolutely embedded right from the beginning.”
How to have your say:
The student representatives emphasised the importance of students getting involved in the blended learning decision-making process whilst it is still at the planning stage – “If we come together like we are doing now, our voices will be heard”.
The student reps specifically suggested contacting your individual school about blended learning proposals as much of the blended learning decision-making process is to be made at a school level.
The University of Manchester centrally are also running two open meetings where you can raise your concerns, one of which took place today 9 July (12-1pm) and the other which is due to run on 15 July (12-1pm). You can also contact April McMahon (Vice President for Teaching, Learning and Students) and Dan George (Associate Vice-President for Blended and Flexible Learning) at [email protected].
I’ve been lucky enough to have seen a little theatre during the pandemic. Press were invited to a performance of The Believers Are But Brothers just before the November lockdown. After that, I didn’t review another show until Opera North’s A Night at the Opera last month – which was worth the wait.
But seeing Bloody Elle was particular exciting.
Bloody Elle was my first Royal Exchange show since Wuthering Heights and my first (proper) press night since the worldwide premiere of Back to the Future at the Opera House – both in March 2020.
Even more exciting – it was my first ever Royal Exchange press night! I see lots of shows at the Royal Exchange, but previously I’ve always allowed my writers to do the reviews, so it was lovely to do a review for myself.
But before that, I want to answer that burning question that is on a lot of theatregoers minds: What’s it like seeing theatre in a pandemic?
Theatre in the time of Covid
Well, theatres still have to operate with social distancing in place, though that looks likely to end this month. Whilst guests are told to keep their masks on in the auditorium, not everybody did. The staff at the Royal Exchange might have done a better job at getting people to keep their masks on, which would have made the rest of us feel a lot more safe and comfortable.
Some staff were policing where people had their drinks, so they might have put a bit of that energy into getting people to keep their masks on. I did find it a little odd that you could drink in the auditorium and the cafe (where everybody is sat close together) but not anywhere else in the theatre (where people can properly social distance). Does Covid only spread in the main part of the building?
These weird, contradictory Covid regulations are not exclusive to the Royal Exchange, or even theatres, though – they’re everywhere! Whilst they’re a little frustrating, you just have to put up with them if you want to enjoy normal life – and if theatres required guests to wear latex gloves and safety goggles to attend their shows, you can bet I would!
(Yes, this subtitle is a play on the Gabriel García Márquez novel).
Bloody Elle
Let me start off by saying that it took me way too long to understand why the show is called Bloody Elle. I’d been surprised by the show’s description – this doesn’t sound like a story that ends in murder, I thought.
It wasn’t until Act 2 that it dawned upon me: Bloody Hell.
As in, Bloody Hell, that didn’t half take me a long time…
Speaking of the description – it didn’t quite sell the show to me. I’d debated whether to see the show for awhile. I’m not usually a fan of comedy, romance or one-person shows, and I’m selective about both gig musicals and queer theatre, but after being invited, I decided to go along to support the Royal Exchange after an incredibly difficult time.
After seeing the show, I can now tell you that Bloody Elle is bloody brilliant; I am so glad I saw it and can’t believe that I almost missed out on this comedic, musical delight.
I wasn’t sure if a gig musical would work at the Royal Exchange’s in-the-round theatre, but it was silly of me to doubt them because anyone who goes to the Royal Exchange regularly knows that they can pull anything off.
The stage was utilised well. Lauryn Redding had a few microphones at different sides of the stage. She also had a mic attached to her so that she could walk around the circular stage – so everybody could see her face.
I liked that there were tables and chairs on the stage; those audience members must have felt very involved in the action. The stools, however – must of which did not have backs – looked very uncomfortable. The mere thought of sitting on them for over two hours gives me a bad back.
Before the show began, the relatively new Co-artistic Directors, Bryony Shanahan (who my Deputy, Dolly Busby, interviewed earlier this year) and Roy Alexander Weise, welcomed us to the show. They told us that this is the busiest the theatre has been since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Shanahan directed this play, which was written by and stars Lauryn Redding.
Redding was absolutely phenomenal. Her writing, acting and singing were all exceptional. Her comedic delivery was spot-on. The writing masterfully blends comedy, tragedy, drama and music. Redding wrote and portrayed many different characters, all of which were distinct and fleshed-out.
The show incorporates different genres, themes and issues. At its core, it could be seen as a coming-of-age, lesbian love story, but it also tackles themes such as class, family, aspiration and loss. The show (and its many themes) operates as a microcosm for wider society, which is currently permeated by a wide array of different issues.
It is for this reason that no matter what your identity, there is surely a part of the show that you can identify with. But even if you do not recognise part of yourself in the show, Redding’s beautiful writing, acting and singing are sure to evoke empathy and understanding.
If it isn’t obvious, I definitely recommend Bloody Elle, even if, like me, it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea.
Especially if it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea…
Bloody Elle plays at the Royal Exchange Theatre until Saturday 17th July.
Whilst last years Hale Barns Carnival had to be reduced to a “mini” event, a full-scale carnival is going ahead this year – albeit with a 50% capacity and Covid safety measures so that guests can enjoy the event safely.
Not to worry, though, for organisers promise that 2021 will be the best event to date!
The annual carnival raises tens of thousands of pounds for charity each year, making its return after last year’s cancellation extra special.
There has been a huge demand for tickets. This has resulted in the carnival being extended across three evenings, for the first time in the events history, with an incredible line-ip of headline acts.
Covid Cancellations
The original line-up was set to feature Motown icons Martha and the Vandellas, whose hits include Dancing in the Street and Heatwave. Sadly, travel restrictions, resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, have prevented the iconic band from flying over to the UK.
It’s not just Hale Barns Carnival that has lost a top act, though. This is one of many casualties for music events – Manchester International Festival, which is also taking place this month, has sadly lost Patti Smith, “the punk rock laureate” most famous for Because the Night (the Cascada version is a cover, dear millennials!).
I’ve made it my mission to see as many female music legends as possible. I saw (and reviewed) Cher in 2019 and have Blondie (fronted by Debbie Harry) later this year and Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight next June. So, I was disappointed by these cancellations, but Hale Barns Carnival have already announced Reeves as their 2021 headliner – and MIF hope to have Smith over for a special concert in the near-future!
The Line-up
All is not lost for 2021, though – Hale Barns Carnival has worked quickly and tirelessly to bless us with a line-up that is equally as majestic and nostalgic.
The carnival opens on Friday 16th July with a very special Proms with Russell Watson. This concert is raising money for the Seashell Trust – a Cheshire charity which helps young people with complex needs and communication challenges.
Saturday 17th will be headlined by seventies disco legends Boney M, featuring Maizie Williams. Williams is the original – not just a but the, for she joined the band before the rest and oversaw new additions – member of Boney M. She will be joined by a trio of fantastic singers who will take you on a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Expect to hear most of their hits – perhaps all of them but Mary’s Boy Child, for that would be bad luck, and we’ve had enough of that these past 16 months!
Their (non-Christmas) hit songs include Brown Girl in the Ring, Daddy Cool, Hooray! Hooray! It’s a Holiday, Ma Baker, Sunny, Rivers of Babylon – and, of course, Rasputin, of which they’ll be singing their sensational, chart-topping 2021 TikTok version.
I’ll be attending the carnival on this night. I’ll be taking along my mother – who was actually alive in the ancient 70s and so old enough to remember Boney M.
Jokes aside, I’m a huge Boney M fan – and a lover of 70s disco music in general, for why else would I pay crazy money to see Diana Ross? – so I look very forwarding to see Maizie take to the stage.
Speaking of ticket prices: the tickets to Hale Barns Carnival are very affordable – and even better, profits go to charity – but more on that later.
The final night of the carnival, Sunday 18th, is an eighties extravaganza, headlined by Katrina and the Waves and Five Star featuring Denise Pearson. Pearson, the band’s incredible lead singer, is usually joined by four singers who’ll help transport you to the good old days (well, musically, perhaps not politically).
Support on “80s Sunday” comes from Doctor and the Medics, while Brother Beyond featuring Nathan Moore will also perform.
Gates open at 5pm for the live concerts on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the music starting at 6pm.
Now, back to the ticket prices: 100% of the ticket revenue from the evening concerts will be donated towards community projects and charities. One ongoing project supported by the event is to help fund the building of a new community hall in Hale Barns, which will provide a platform to showcase local talent and run adult-learning and youth projects.
So, for only £28, you can have a magical, nostalgic night in Chesh-ah (dahling) – and help fund the building of a new community hall.
The Daytime Programme
The live concerts are, once again, complemented by a free, two-day family event on the Saturday and Sunday (17th and 18th July).
The daytime programme will feature attractions including local performances and live music, a craft activity tent, traditional fun fair rides, a makers’ market, food village and bars.
This year, the popular Supercars paddock boasts vehicles from the big and small screen, including cars which had a starring role in James Bond, The Saint and Only Fools and Horses.
Daytime entry is free from noon until 4.45pm. Last entry is at 4pm.
Carnival in the Time of Covid
Whilst Covid cases are on the rise, don’t fret: the carnival weekend will be staged with safety measures in place, including more space and hand sanitizer stations, to ensure a relaxed and safe event for all the family.
Y’all ready for a hot vax summer? I’m “vaxxed”, so here’s hoping it’s hot – but Maizie, Katrina and Denise are sure to set the stage on fire, so it probably won’t even matter if it rains!
Organiser Max Eden from Hale Barns Events said: “So many events have been affected by the pandemic and by ongoing restrictions, so I’m really proud that we’ve been able to not only stage Hale Barns Carnival this year but bring together our best-ever line-up.
“We’ve worked really hard to make sure everyone can enjoy both the evening concerts and the daytime carnival with the knowledge that Covid-safe measures are in place.
“Demand for tickets has been brilliant and shows there’s a real appetite out there for a return to live events and entertainment. I can promise anyone who attends this year’s Hale Barns Carnival you will have a fantastic time.”
Tickets for all concerts are on sale now!
There are also special VIP pods for up to 10 people available to hire, giving access to a premium bar, full at-table waitress service and VIP toilets.
Escape to Planet Her this summer – Doja Cat’s third album secures her place among the stars.
A recent top-40 regular, Doja Cat seems to have been working constantly during the pandemic – not only collaborating on numerous tracks but also releasing a much anticipated third album. Planet Her perfectly combines Doja’s fearless femininity and her impeccable vocal range. This album takes us on a journey to a planet living peacefully. We get a sneak peek into pockets of this harmonious world through each track and Doja is our tour guide.
The opening track – ‘Woman’ combines strong afro-beats with a confident exploration of what it means to be feminine and the product will not only get you on the (COVID-safe) dancefloor but also makes you feel indestructible.
Collaborations plenty on this tracklist, with artists including Ariana Grande, The Weeknd and my personal favourite, ‘Payday’ featuring Young Thug. This enticing journey through a colourful dreamscape of sound is the perfect amalgamation of the ‘Thugger’ sounds but warped into Doja’s perfect world. This humble brag of how they’ve finally got to the place they wanted to be is more motivational than boastful.
Following through with the daydreaming theme, ‘Love To Dream’ greets us with a similar soundscape. This song entertains with the common bittersweet joy of getting lost in our dreams and ignoring what is in front of us. Like many tracks on this album, this was originally teased online with fans immediately understanding the fantasy aspect and hailing it a beautiful composition.
Later, Doja returns to her rap roots with ‘Ain’t Shit’ – reminiscent of her earlier works, in this track we hear her skills in both song and rap. The hard rap verses are paired with an innocent-sounding but equally hard chorus – showing how Doja has grown and evolved in terms of her ability to keep mixing it up and making ‘dis-tracks’ into chart-toppers.
If you can find a copy, give the Deluxe copy a listen – you will not be disappointed. With 4 new tracks and an extended copy of ‘You Right’, we are further transported into this world. ‘Up and Down’ is an honest account of the effect of fans and haters on her psyche, whereas ‘Tonight’ featuring rap royalty, Eve is a magnificent mix of two musical heavyweights combining their personal styles.
Every song on this album could work as stand-alone singles and Doja has crafted and curated these in a way that always keeps you on your toes. Get comfortable with one part of the world, and soon you are whisked away to a completely different realm – with unique and quite fantastic sounds to greet you.
The University of Manchester spent over £250,000 on Amazon purchases in 2020. Through a Freedom of Information request, The Mancunion has found almost 1 in 10 transactions made on UoM’s corporate cards, 1665 in total, were to the company.
This figure has shocked and saddened many University of Manchester students who are trying to be more environmentally conscious and shop local, particularly during the pandemic.
In September 2019 Amazon released a long-overdue environmental impact report which showed that the company was responsible for 44.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions during 2018.
During Welcome Week of the same year, Manchester students involved in Extinction Rebellion (XR) Youth glued themselves to the entrance of the Freebies Fair to raise awareness of the ‘environmental impact of some of the companies at the fair,’ including Apple and Amazon.
Imani, a third-year student at UoM said: “Amazon is not compatible with UoM being environmentally conscious, pandemic or not.”
The University’s use of Amazon for 1 in 10 procurement card purchases during 2020 has raised some eyebrows, especially after data released in the Amazon environmental impact report showed that the company’s CO2 emissions in 2018 were roughly equivalent to Norway.
“Amazon is not compatible with UoM being environmentally conscious, pandemic or not.”
Imani, Third Year student at UoM
A University of Manchester spokesperson told The Mancunion that Amazon was used for “essential purchases to maintain teaching and research activities” during the pandemic.
But this seems to go against the University’s Responsible Purchasing Policy, known at other organisations as “green purchasing”, which is how they “ensure that the environmental, social and economic impacts of what we buy are considered within the procurement process.”
In fact, the University suggest its staff should use the website Ethical Consumer to inform their purchasing decisions, a website that perhaps lines up more closely with the calls of Manchester’s XR Youth as it encourages consumers to boycott Amazon “over its outrageous tax avoidance since 2012.”
A study by the tax transparency campaign group Fair Tax Mark in 2019 accused Amazon of ‘aggressive’ tax avoidance through tactics such as shifting profits and the use of tax havens. When contacted for comment, an Amazon spokesperson said in relation to tax allegations:
“We are investing heavily in creating jobs and infrastructure across the UK – more than £23bn since 2010. The UK has now become one of Amazon’s largest global hubs for talent and this year we announced plans to create 10,000 new jobs in the country by the end of 2021, taking our total workforce to over 55,000. This continued investment helped contribute to a total tax contribution of £1.1 billion during 2019 – £293m in direct taxes and £854m in indirect taxes.”
Students, such as Billie, a third year at UoM, also criticise Amazon for killing off the high street: “From outpricing small businesses and tax evasion, corporate structures like Amazon’s have no place in any future that is genuinely sustainable”. Reports indicate that local and small businesses have suffered greatly during the pandemic, with even some large high street chains forced to close their doors.
Whilst a University of Manchester spokesperson referenced the “exceptionally challenging circumstances of the pandemic,” a second year Economics student argued: “This past year it has been the most important to shop local and with small businesses, because lockdowns have hit them the hardest”.
When contacted for comment on whether Amazon have a hand in ‘killing the high-street’ and outpricing small businesses, a compant spokesperson told The Mancunion:
“Tens of thousands of small and medium-sized businesses sell in our UK store and third party sellers make up for more than half of all products sold on Amazon stores. You can read more here.”
The University of Manchester’s 10 Ways To Purchase Responsibly guide, references Manchester Veg People when saying, “We don’t always take the easiest route when buying products for use on campus. Buying products or services locally supports Manchester, and keeps money in our local community as well as reducing carbon emissions through reduced transportation.”
But the £250,000 spent on Amazon in 2020 suggests the easiest route was taken during the pandemic, despite potentially detrimental effects for local businesses and the environment.
When contacted for comment, a University of Manchester spokesperson said:
“As an institution we take the social responsibility and environmental impact of our procurement processes and supply chain extremely seriously. Due to the exceptionally challenging circumstances of the pandemic, however, we had to adapt to working remotely without any notice for staff who could no longer travel to campus. Like many other institutions and businesses this caused challenges for our usual procurement processes.
“Corporate cards are provided to support activities such as travel and sustenance for off-campus working or where normal purchasing routes aren’t available. We have been reducing the use of Amazon, though the period in question covers the suspension of normal campus working during lockdown. That means it includes essential purchases to maintain teaching and research activities, such as keyboards, web-cameras and microphone headsets.
“Overall, we provide a comprehensive range of information and materials for our staff on how to purchase responsibly and we’re very transparent in this area when reporting on our own procedures and impact at an institutional level. We were also the first university in the UK to adopt the Social Value Portal for our procurement. This helps us organise our spending practices and procurement processes in a more sustainable way.”
The Social Value Portal describes itself as a service which ‘allows organisations to measure and manage contributions that they, and their supply chain makes to society’.
In relation to allegations around sustainability an Amazon spokesperson told The Mancunion: “Amazon is committed to building a sustainable business for our customers and the planet. In 2019, Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge—a commitment to be net zero carbon across our business by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement. We are on a path to powering our operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 and we are now the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Europe.”
The University of Manchester’s pledge in May 2020 to divest from fossil fuels by 2022 was certainly a positive step for student campaign groups, however it seems students are looking for further change from their University on where it spends its money.
This is the first of a three part series looking into the University of Manchester’s expenses during the pandemic.
