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Month: October 2021

Wales to head racial history education

Written by Shikhar Talwar on . Posted in News.

Wales are the first UK country to make BAME history a mandatory part of student’s curriculum.

On the 1st of October, 2021, the Welsh Department of Education put forth a press release. Starting September 2022, it would be mandatory for Welsh students to receive education on Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities (BAME). 

The Welsh Minister of Education, Jeremy Miles stated, “It is vitally important that our education system equips our young people to understand and respect their own and each other’s histories, cultures and traditions.”

This would make Wales the first UK country to make BAME history mandatory. This came after a Senedd petition in Wales achieved nearly 35,000 signatures. The petition mentioned that the entirety of the UK has benefited from its colonial and slave history, and the current education system glorifies the British Empire. 

They believe that it is important for students to learn the other side of colonial history and the “very real impact” it had on BAME communities. 

Hence in a similar way Jeremy Miles said, “If we are to progress as a society, we must create an education system which broadens our understanding and knowledge of the many cultures which have built Wales’, and the world’s, past and present.”

The new curriculum would be based on the purpose of developing the ambitious, capable, enterprising, creative, ethical, informed, healthy, and confident citizens. They will be introducing BAME history in Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Languages, Health & Wellbeing, and Expressive Arts. These six areas of learning which involve mandatory elements will be called the ‘Statement of What Matters.’

A working group headed by Charlotte Williams, was formed last year to improve teaching on BAME communities, and have received £500,000 from the Welsh government. The group will complete its procedure by the 15th of November.

The idea is to further break the “traditional” subject to subject boundaries that exist in an effort to also show how everything would likely have a history in the past. While this announcement comes at the start of the Black History Month, the curriculum would not be only focused on this one month but would be taking a larger step in decolonising history. Meanwhile in England however, no such law has been put into motion. 

There are constant debates on how the current British education curriculum is glorifying the British Empire and the Monarchy while sweeping its dark colonial and slavery based past under the rug.

Climate Festival Infographic @Kerry Mack

Manchester Festival of Climate Action

Written by Kerry Mack on . Posted in Science & Tech.

No matter what your degree or intended career path is, you can use your skills to contribute to solving the climate crisis. This is the big takeaway from the Manchester Festival of Climate Action series of talks, which is running from 11th-14th of October.

The 27 talks cover a wide range of approaches – everything from science and technology to accounting to the arts – and will address local, national and global challenges. Each day has a theme based around the four goals of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) – mitigation, adaptation, finance and collaboration. COP26 takes place between 1st-12th November 2021 in Glasgow and nine Manchester academics will be attending the negotiations, some of whom will also be panelists during the festival.

Image from UoM festival of climate action
Image: University of Manchester

Here is an overview of the theme of each day and a quick preview of some of the sessions.

Monday: Mitigation

A discussion of efforts toward achieving global net-zero carbon emissions including carbon capture and storage, utilisation of nuclear energy and green infrastructure in cities.

Can we save the world one plastic fork at a time?

Professor Michael Shaver, Zoe Schyns and Dr Ahu Gumrah Parry – of the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub and the Department of Materials here at UoM – consider the double edged sword of our dependence on plastic and the issue of plastic waste and showcase the solutions they are working on.

Super-low carbon live music: how can the UK live music sector play its part in tackling the climate crisis?

UoM Professor of Climate Energy and Policy and Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Carly McLachlan outlines the Roadmap to Super Low Carbon Live Music which was developed in conjunction with the band Massive Attack. Measures recommended by the plan include artists swapping jets for trains and public transport being included in gig tickets.

Tuesday: Adaptation

This topic considers the action needed to protect habitats and communities from the effects of climate change such as extreme weather. Issues covered include the impact of a changing climate on human health, social change as a vehicle for transitioning to a post-carbon world and sustainable food systems.

Nature recovery, collaboration and creativity: lessons from Greater Manchester’s post-industrial landscape

Dr Joanne Tippett – Lecturer in Spatial Planning in the School of Environment and Development at UoM – hosts this talk on the restoration of connected ecosystems across the post-industrial landscape of Manchester, as envisioned by academics, students, artists and communities. This is key for flood prevention, urban cooling, biodiversity protection and more.

‘Net zero’ teaching and learning

Dr Jennifer O’Brien – Academic Lead of Sustainability Teaching and Learning at UoM – leads this workshop about how the sustainability message can be delivered more effectively at university in order to engage all students.

Wednesday: Finance

The goal of net-zero can only be reached with sufficient financial backing from both the private and public sectors. Topics covered include the impact of green investment on businesses and what an effective green recovery should look like for the UK.

How can accounting save the world?

Professor Paolo Quattrone – Professor of Accounting, Governance and Society, and Director of Centre for the Analysis of Investment Risk (CAIR) at Alliance Manchester Business School – discusses the introduction of environmental impact as a bottom-line consideration for businesses. He will consider how ‘value-added accounting’ could lead to corporate sustainability and the restoration of ‘natural capital’.

How do you teach accounting to generation Greta?

Jennifer Rose from Alliance Manchester Business School explores how the risks to the global economy posed by the climate crisis can be taught to accounting students in order for them to make a positive impact in their future business careers.

Thursday: Collaboration

How can we work across sectors and cultures and countries to adapt to a changing environment and empower climate action? Topics to be discussed include energy poverty and the role of culture, communities and diversity in addressing the climate emergency.

Turning fusion from a dream to a reality

Nuclear fusion – if realised –  will be a continuous source of zero carbon-emitting power with negligible harmful waste products. An extensive panel of fusion researchers – including Dr Aneeqa Khan of UoM’s Dalton Nuclear Institute – will examine the next steps in making fusion power a reality. The talk will also cover how international collaboration will be required to fully realise its potential.

Virtual Climate Gallery: how do the arts enable conversations around climate change?

An online exhibition that explores art as a medium for promoting engagement in climate change dialogue and action. Exhibitors include Call of the Wild – a music project incorporating natural sounds recorded in Colombia to raise awareness of biodiversity conservation – and Amrita’s Journey – a graphic novel that investigates how the humanitarian aid system might need to adapt due to the climate emergency.

All of the talks are free to attend, will be held online and are open to all. To find out more please go to https://www.manchester.ac.uk/climate-festival/

Scotland’s push for LGBTQ+ education

Written by Shikhar Talwar on . Posted in News.

Scotland is believed to be one of the most progressive countries in Europe when it comes to Queer education. They have announced that they will make Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender education a requirement across all schools in the country. 

To ensure that the teaching staff are themselves aware, the government will provide school staff with a course on LGBT inclusive education as well as a toolkit for teaching resources.

The government hopes this will help empower young people who may otherwise find it difficult to be able to speak on this subject. The act aims to reduce bullying faced by students on such matters, as the curriculum pushes for equality.

The government has also launched a website with information and resources for young people to look at and educate themselves. The website has options for anyone to join an LGBT charter, or classroom resources, or join an online youth group, or just get any digital forms of support.

The co-founder of the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE), Jordan Daly, has backed this approach by the Scottish government, mentioning how he was also bullied for being gay and such an initiative would have helped him regain his confidence. 

He added, “this work will empower young people and provide them with an opportunity I didn’t have at school – to feel valued, confident, and proud of who they are.”

Furthermore, Clare Haughey, Scottish Minister for Children and Young People, stated: 

“I am proud to say that Scotland is leading the way as the first country in the world to embed LGBT inclusive education right across the curriculum … we can help young people to reach their full potential and flourish in a diverse and inclusive society… The Scottish Government, in partnership with COSLA, is determined to provide a fully inclusive education for Scotland’s children and young people.”

This initiative is Scotland’s push for ensuring greater inclusivity and equality among youth. They wish that any person irrespective of their sexual or gender identity is given the utmost amount of respect that they deserve.

Has Assassin’s Creed forgotten its Origins?

Written by The Mancunion on . Posted in Games.

Words by Richard Noronha

For fourteen years Assassin’s Creed has been immersing fans in historical locations, ranging from Classical Greece to Victorian London, establishing itself as one of gaming’s most recognisable and successful franchises.

Throughout its lifespan, the series has witnessed many shifts in direction and tone, with some changes more well-received than others. However, the latest news on the future of Assassin’s Creed from developer Ubisoft has been met with scepticism and concern from fans and critics alike.

Earlier this summer Ubisoft announced plans for Assassin’s Creed Infinity, the next instalment in their most popular franchise. Infinity plans to adopt an evolving, live service model, featuring multiple historical settings with room for further expansions to follow.

These features may seem attractive on the surface, however they consolidate a transformation of Assassin’s Creed away from its roots, conforming instead to some of the gaming industry’s most exploitative and anti-consumer trends.

The live service model, which has surged in popularity over the last five years, sees developers continually add content to games after their release, greatly extending the game’s lifecycle. This appears inviting to players, however, in practice, this approach has encouraged developers to release unfinished games. Offering the promised additional content for extra fees, and implement predatory microtransactions and loot box mechanics into their games.

Several high profile games including Marvel’s Avengers, Anthem, and Star Wars: Battlefront II received scathing criticism for utilising these practices, culminating in the Belgian Gaming Commission’s banning of loot boxes in 2018.

The negative attention live service based games have generated has prompted a gradual decline in developers adopting such an approach in the last few years, making Ubisoft’s Infinity announcement all the more alarming.

In a typically tone-deaf fashion, Ubisoft has instead spent the previous year doubling down on its live service offerings. Released in October last year, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla received criticism at launch for prioritising its in-game store and microtransactions over the numerous bugs and issues present in the game. Despite being a high budget, single-player, narrative-driven game, Valhalla’s regularly updated in-game store and paid downloadable content (DLC) are more characteristic of a free-to-play mobile app’s monetisation methods.

Assassin’s Creed adoption of a live service revenue model is not the only drastic change the series has undergone in recent years. Earlier games focused on the ideological clash between the Assassin and Templar orders throughout history, focusing on stealth mechanics and linear storytelling. However, in the wake of the popularity of sprawling open-world, action role player games (RPGs) such as Skyrim and The Witcher, Ubisoft followed suit producing 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins, a game almost unrecognisable to any of its predecessors.

Although franchises need to evolve and modernise gradually over time, the only element Origins shared with the rest of the series was its title. The absence of Assassins, Templars and the lack of stealth unsurprisingly generated much controversy.

Origins’ loss of the Assassin’s Creed identity cemented the perception of Ubisoft as desperate to remain relevant, even at the cost of its most beloved franchise’s core DNA.

Interestingly, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla gave Ubisoft its best-ever financial result, earning over $1.2bn in 2020. Despite being almost unrecognisable from its beginnings, and even with its exploitative mechanics, Assassin’s Creed has never been as popular as it is today. Although Infinity exemplifies many predominant issues within the gaming industry, it is likely to become another financial success for Ubisoft, drifting further from the franchises’ roots and what made Assassin’s Creed an instant classic in 2007.

Words by Richard Noronha

Mental Health Counselling Crisis: Just 12 counsellors for 2826 students

Written by Ella Robinson on . Posted in Investigations.

The Mancunion has revealed that the University of Manchester has just 12* counsellors and 5 mental health nurses in their counselling service, although 2826 of their current students have disclosed mental health issues.

The number of students registered with the Disability Advisory Support Service (DASS) for mental health issues has increased steadily from 2333 in 2018/19, but the number of students receiving at least one private counselling session with the University’s service has dropped by 10 per cent from 3266 to 2910, an FOI request reveals.

Students have reported struggling to access the service, with one* saying: “I called them multiple times, only to not get any answer or be told the week was already full and to try the week after”.

In response the University of Manchester spokesperson said, “For a period of time during lockdown and remote operation access to the appointment line became more difficult. In recognition of this … we have recruited 4 triage and support workers offering the first point of contact to all callers and introduced a new caller management system. This allows the appointment line to be available throughout the day and routine next day appointments are offered. Urgent and crisis queries will be offered same day support. In addition the duty counsellor responds to all email queries.”

But the University’s claims of a same-day booking service have reportedly led GPs and Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT) to rely on the University’s system, rather than offering external support to student patients.

“The lack of support for people is ridiculous and endangering lives”

Communication between the CMHT and University services appears to be lacking. A student with Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Agoraphobia and PTSD reported: “I was not receiving any form of talking therapy from the Community Mental Health Team when the University turned me away, and the CMHT wouldn’t give me any talking therapy because I could supposedly get it through the uni counselling service.”

In response the University explained that referrals to external services are only made when students need more specialist and extensive support than could safely be offered within a university service. They said the “C&MH service would endeavour to continue to support these students whilst making assertive efforts to secure an appropriate NHS service.”

The Disabled Student’s Society and the Disabled Student’s Campaign looked into mental health during their 61-page ‘accessibility report’, finding that “the most vulnerable students felt alienated by the service”, with the Student Mental Health Services allegedly refusing to treat self-harming students with Borderline Personality Disorder “because they will not be willing to listen to [the service]”.

“The most vulnerable students felt alienated by the service” – Accessibility Report

A UoM spokesperson said: “It is not possible to meaningfully comment on this without more information to enable us to look into it. This description does not reflect our practice and students are not refused support.”

Amongst disabled students who responded to a survey created by the report committee,* 95.5 per cent felt that University impacted upon their mental health somewhat or very negatively. 69.2 per cent didn’t believe the University would help them in a mental health crisis.

Students quoted anonymously in the report said: “The University rarely seeks to address the causes of mental health struggles, when in many cases the University itself is responsible for those issues” and “the lack of support for people is ridiculous and endangering lives”. One student even said: “The direct impact of a lack of support from the University has led to multiple suicide attempts and mental health crises on my part.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “Using a stepped care model we provide resources across the full spectrum from preventative wellbeing support, through workshops and groups, 1:1 support, mental health and risk assessments and active referral into the GM Universities Student Mental Health Service and appropriate NHS services.”

The number of undergraduates disclosing mental health issues during the application process rose from 234 in 2018/19 to 362 in 2020/21. In each of the past three academic years new Mental Health disclosures to DASS (either developed or subsequently disclosed at University) remained above 1000, The Mancunion can reveal.

95.5 per cent of students responding to a Disabled Student’s Society survey felt that University impacted upon their mental health somewhat or very negatively

Another key concern from the report was the complaints process for students who are dissatisfied with the University’s support. The data gathered from a Freedom of Information request submitted by The Mancunion reveals no formal complaints have been filed against the University Counselling Service in the last three years. Moreover, there were just seven informal complaints or cases of negative feedback recorded.

But students were reportedly struggling to make complaints, with one respondent saying, “I left and cried and wanted to file a complaint but didn’t know how.” Another claimed to have made an “official complaint” after “one counsellor was very inappropriate and actively harmful to me”, but there is no record of this in the data supplied by the University of Manchester.

The official complaints procedure requires the complaint to be in writing and marked as confidential to the Head of Counselling. But the Accessibility Report called for change in this process as “students have reported not feeling comfortable or supported in making a complaint about the counselling service/SMHS, as well as simply not being made aware of how to even do this.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “All informal complaints or feedback are responded to by the Head of the relevant service. Students are able to make formal complaints about any aspect of University through the Student Complaints Procedure.”

In response to the informal complaints the UoM has said various action was taken such as “changes to procedures, additional training for individual staff, changes to information on the website.” However, a student who complained of “discriminatory” behaviour towards them and their partner, “did not feel that [their complaint] was handled seriously, and they believe that the member of staff is still employed there”.

Students also complained that the ‘Six ways to wellbeing’ and other mental health related communication, frequently mocked on Instagram and Facebook were not adequate support.

The University told The Mancunion the model is based on New Economics Foundation evidence and is aimed at empowering students to support their own wellbeing.

Nor were the workshops, described by students as “overly trivial, and ultimately not useful, or even harmful”. Yet students felt pressured into attending them although “building them into my timetable felt like an extra stress factor”.

The University reiterated that attendance is optional, and of the students who did attend feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Some students in the Accessibility Report alleged the University Counselling Service “did not do enough to help me because I didn’t have just one problem”. However, the University said it “is impossible to meaningfully comment on without further information”.

The Accessibility Report has called for a “full review of mental ill-health in conjunction with disability”, as well as an online booking system for appointments, the ability to book more than a one-off appointment and an “adequate complaints procedure”.

The University set up a “Task and Finish Group in response to the Accessibility Report, which included representatives from across the university including the Disabled Student Network and the authors of the report.” Recommendations will be published shortly.

When contacted for comment, a University of Manchester spokesperson said: “The mental health and wellbeing of our students is of the utmost importance to us. That is why we invest millions of pounds every year into support for them in this area. We have one of the largest offers and biggest spends on mental health and counselling services of any university in the country.“We consistently listen to student feedback and have again increased the size, range and scope of the services we offer this academic year. These range from on-campus advice and support to newer platforms such as our wellbeing app and 24/7 phone line. It must also be said our staff work tirelessly and extremely hard – sometimes around the clock – to ensure our student’s mental health, wellbeing and safety is maintained throughout their studies at the University.”

*This data is as of 24th April 2021. The exact numbers are 12.2 FTE counsellors and 5.4 FTE Mental Health Nurses (as equivalent to full-time hours). Whole numbers have been used in this piece for clarity. The University are currently in the process of recruiting another full time counsellor, a part time mental health nurse, and one full time social prescriber. **All student quotes are anonymous in this piece ***23 students responded to the survey.

Manchester cinemas

Where to Watch: A Guide to Manchester’s Cinemas

Written by Benjamin Klauber-Griffiths on . Posted in Film.

With lockdown easing we finally have the chance to tear ourselves away from Netflix and our TV’s and return to cinemas. However, with that comes a certain anxiety. Where to go? What to watch? Popcorn or pick ‘n’ mix? Big questions for a big occasion. 

Our job at The Mancunion is to ease that stress. Here we provide a comprehensive list of some of Manchester’s best cinemas. Whether you want the biggest blockbusters, golden oldies or the latest independent releases, there is something here for everyone.

HOME

Did someone say the cultural centre of Manchester? HOME is as vibrant as it is stylish. A modern hub of art, music, film and history, HOME is worth visiting even for a bite to eat. Two years ago, it hosted a fantastic exhibition of David Lynch’s artwork and has continued in that vein since reopening. Showing everything from new releases to classic re-runs, to the most recent independent short films. HOME’s student discount makes it an accessible and rewarding cinema to visit.

Photo: HOME

Vue Printworks

The ‘local’ spot for many film goers, Printworks’ staunch £4.99 ticket price attracts students on a budget from across Manchester. Comprised of 23 cinemas’, a labyrinthine central escalator system and the only IMAX screen in the city centre, the Vue is a must for any Mancunion reader. Combine that with the host of bars and restaurants surrounding it, and you have an ideal viewing experience. 

ODEON Great Northern

Another enormous multiplex cinema, the ODEON, located in Deansgate’s old Great Northern Warehouse, is now a redeveloped cinematic paradise. It shows the latest blockbusters but also has a more alternative history as the host of many of Manchester’s film festivals. The cinema will soon be preparing for the upcoming Grimmfest, the city’s October horror festival. You can buy tickets for that online NOW.

Chapeltown Picture House

Just north of the city centre lies a discreet red brick warehouse. Inside, a small screen shows only cult classics and older films. Founded in 2019 and marketing itself as ‘the home of cult films, video games and cool nerd stuff in Manchester’, the Chapeltown Picture House is an absolute goldmine for film loving students. Cheap tickets, craft beer and screenings that cannot be found anywhere else in the city make the journey worthwhile. 

Stockport Plaza

The most beautiful cinema in the Manchester area, The Plaza’s original Art Deco interior has been restored to its former glory. Going there is like being transported back to the 1930s, whilst the host of live events and independent film screenings makes a visit an unusual necessity. If you love older films, this is the place to be!

Ducie Street Warehouse

Another mixed medium hub, Ducie Street Warehouse hosts live music and talks, provides tasty food and drinks and importantly a luxuriously cosy cinema. Located next to the Gay Village it is easily accessible and an ideal place to treat yourself (or someone else) one evening. Showing a range of older films, it is currently the only place in Manchester screening Apocalypse Now or, if you want something slightly lighter, Dirty Dancing.

Cineworld Didsbury

Combining old reruns and the latest films, Cineworld has it all. Budget tickets as well as a cheap membership subscription which gets you into any film free, means this monster of a cinema is not only local, but an ideal place for film loving students. Oh, and it has a Starbucks!

Women in Space: revolutionising the past to pave way for the future

Written by Sam Bronheim on . Posted in Science & Tech.

‘Women in Space’ gives nations a chance to honour women who are truly out of this world. This year’s theme for World Space Week celebrates not only the women themselves, but draws attention to the importance of encouraging more girls into STEM pathways.

Valentina Tereshkova [Credit: Flickr @ UNIS Vienna]

With engineering being a traditionally male dominated field it can be easy to overlook the contributions of women in space exploration. However they have been, and continue to be, monumental to the success of space programmes.

Valentina Tereshkova

Russian astronaut Valentina Tereshkova orbits over 200km from the earth’s surface. The year is 1963. She is the first woman to ever travel into space. As she completes her solo-trip consisting of 48 earth orbits, unbeknownst to her she has opened the doors for women in space travel. It would still be another 20 years before the first US woman, Sally Ride, and the second Russian woman, Svetlana Savitskaya, would travel into space. But here is Valentina; fearless and pioneering.

Katherine Johnson

No ‘Women in Space’ recognition would be complete without mentioning the incredible Katherine Johnson. In 1953 she worked in the all-black department of computing at NACA (would go on to become NASA), but things took a fateful turn in 1957 when Johnson had the opportunity to demonstrate her true expertise; mathematics. She provided some of the calculations in important documents that went on to be fundamental in projecting trajectories for Alan Shepard’s flight into space as the first US man.

This made her the first woman to be involved in the mathematics of a project of this magnitude. But perhaps Johnson’s most famous involvement was with the suborbital voyage of John Glenn, where she recalls Glenn himself having cold feet before the launch and stating “if [Katherine] says [the trajectories] are good then I’m ready to go”. Johnson went on to be involved in many NASA missions, including Apollo 11, and remains a true inspiration for women and minorities.

Nancy Roman

Also known as ‘The Mother of Hubble’, Nancy Roman played a fundamental role in driving the US forward as a leading nation in space exploration. Roman credits her scientific parents for her own love and interest in science; she was particularly fascinated by astrology and astrometry (study of constellations). Aside from her role as the first female executive for NASA and involvement with the NASA astronomy programme, Roman’s biggest legacy was her contributions to the Hubble Telescope.

Mae C Jemison [Credit: Flickr @ NASA Appel Knowledge Services]

She helped lead the programme, selected the operators, and even personally invested in the programme. She strongly felt that there was more than meets the eye, quite literally, out in space that was waiting to be discovered. And thanks to her efforts in founding this historic apparatus, we have.

Mae C Jemison

In 1992, Mae Jemison reached another milestone by being the first black woman to travel into space. From a young age Jemison was passionate about astronomy and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering at Stanford University. She then attended Cornell Medical School and practiced as a doctor for disadvantaged communities in Thailand, Cambodia and East Africa.

She even joined the Peace Corps and worked in the Centers for Disease Control. But Jemison’s childhood passion never went away, and in 1987 she was chosen out of around 2000 applicants to be on the crew on the Endeavour space shuttle. Jemison continues to be an advocate for women and minority rights and contributions in not only scientific fields, but in all society.

Susan Helms

Imagine spending 536 minutes walking in a huge expanse of nothingness. It’s eerily quiet, and there’s nothing for hundreds of miles except a giant looming mass of floating rock. This might be what Susan Helms experienced when she broke the record for longest single spacewalk. The nearly 9-hour expedition took place during her 5-months onboard the international space station, where she was also the first female resident. Helms also boasts a decorated military career that began when she graduated from the US Airforce Academy in 1980 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. She eventually retired with the rank of lieutenant general.


I am pleased to say that there are numerous more examples of female astronauts, engineers and innovators in the domain of space research. Kitty O’Brien and Mary Jackson are respectively, the first female and black female engineers. Not to mention Kalpana Chawla, Ellen Ochoa, Christa McAuliffe and Dorothy Vaughn.

[Credit: Sarah Feldmen @ Statista]

Today NASA hosts a range of women in STEM careers, including Dawn Martin, engineer on the all-women Artemis programme, and current astronaut Loral O’Hara. Thanks to the pioneering women of the past, STEM has never been more popular for women. In the UK, the workforce of women in STEM has surpassed 1million, the highest it has ever been. As of 2015, it is estimated that 14.4% of the adult workforce in the UK is made up by women in STEM.

These women have been empirical to the progression of space technology, so I urge you – in the name of science – to explore them further, and discover the women of today who are driving space discovery thanks to the women of the past.

fashion brand cultureville

Inside the life of owning a fashion brand

Written by zahramukadam on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

A look into what it’s really like being a black-owned business: insight, struggles, and advice from the successful African-print brand, Cultureville

Diving into the fashion industry and starting up your own brand can be very challenging, especially if you’re black. It’s been reported than black-owned businesses earn less than other ethnicities in terms of median turnover. This can be put down to issues surrounding financial access, household income and social capital to name a few. Just under 0.25% of venture capital funding was given to black-owned businesses between 2009 to 2019. However, as Cultureville has proven, you can still succeed besides the odds. Small business owners Jane and Adeola give us first-hand insight on what it’s like to be black business owners in the fashion industry today.

Photo of a black women modelling a garment with a Cultureville print
Photo Credit: Ronke Jane Adelakun

Can you give us an overview on your company, Cultureville, and how your journey into the fashion industry began?

Jane: Cultureville is an African inspired fashion brand. We are really passionate about working with local traders in West Africa and we work with a female dominated team from Ghana and Nigeria. Our business came about through Adeola and I searching for African print clothing and not being able to find it. Whenever we’d have events, we’d want to showcase our African heritage. Actually, Adeola moved to Nigeria a few years ago and she’d bring back the most beautiful dresses. All I’ve ever seen were the pieces that the aunties would bring that wouldn’t suit you and were quite ugly. It finally felt like African print could be beautiful, reflect your personality and be modern all at once. We put a few items on Depop and that’s how we started. People on Depop loved it as well. When we’d run out of a print, people demanded that print. We had orders from Italy, America, Germany, and at that point we decided we should get our own website and so we did. And the rest is history.

Photo Credit: Sam Marvell

What would you say have been the main difficulties you have faced as black fashion business owners?

Adeola: Getting stocked. As in having your pieces in Selfridges or similar places. We don’t have the network and we don’t look like your typical fashion owners. We’d go into pretty big stores meeting with their buyers who usually buy the brands that come in. We’d show them some of our African print clothes and I felt like they were a lot more dismissive of us. That was a difficult thing just knowing that your average buyer or the average person who has the power to get you into a bigger store with a bigger audience is not necessarily going to appreciate what you have to bring.

People also feel like they can’t wear our stuff because it’s African print. We experienced that in our Christmas markets where sometimes some people would make comments like “you don’t belong here” or “how can they be at the Christmas markets?”. Things like that are a bit off putting and frustrating, and you feel like the world has come so far, but then you still hear these comments, and it can just be like oh my god, we’re not as far as you think.

Jane: People also have an unwillingness to engage with our products. They’re trying to be culturally sensitive, but in doing that, they just choose not to interact with African print. They say it’s beautiful but not for me, and inadvertently what they do is that they reduce the market share for us because they’re just not willing to take the risk and educate themselves on cultural appropriation versus appreciation. That disadvantages African brands, or people who work with African print as you’re essentially denying them a segment of the market. People do that because they don’t want to offend but also, I think it can sometimes be a bit lazy, and it does impact black-owned brands.

Adeola: And if you think about Italian clothes, we don’t reserve that just for Italians, right? Like I know a Caucasian male working in corporate company would wear an Italian suit and not feel weird at all. I think people are a lot more sensitive about [anything black related] and then that impacts our ability to make money from our business which impacts the communities that we support as well. Also, there’s difficulty in getting funding sometimes. We were applying for funding from a company and I remember the person who was assisting us was like “oh this is so straightforward, no one ever has a problem”. But when it came to the final stage, they ended up asking us a lot more questions than usual. We’d send the application and they’d send it back. The person was like “I’ve never seen a thing like this, it’s never taken this long. I don’t know why your application is having to go through so many hoops”. In an organisation you face racism and that encourages you to build your own brand. You think I’ve got my own business, I shouldn’t have to face racism now. Then you still face it from these external organisations and people who provide finance for businesses. A lot of black-owned businesses are smaller and it’s because they don’t get the funding from the banks or other lenders. Especially black women.

Photo Credit: Ronke Jane Adelakun

What advice would you give to those who encounter racial bias on their fashion journey?

Jane: Being willing to call it out, educate and actually be like: “What you’re doing is inadvertently racist and you might have the best intentions, but this is the impact”. I’d also say surround yourself with people who will hype you up. They’ve been times where, when the whole thing happened with the funding, we were really upset about it because we knew it was because we were a Nigerian brand. We were just really upset and having each other to encourage ourselves really helped. In terms of racial bias, just look for organisations who understand you. There’s services available for black owned brands to help improve your business progress.

Photo Credit: Ronke Jane Adelakun

Are there any particular companies, initiatives or platforms that have helped your company excel?

Adeola: Black pound day is the first Saturday of every month, and it’s a day to encourage you to actually make a conscious effort to go out of your way to shop from a black owned business. They also have a lot of resources.

Another is BOB Expo. It’s Manchester based and they mainly highlight black businesses. They do an exhibition once or twice a year, where all the black owned businesses come together and then people can come in and actually shop on black owned businesses.

Other initiatives which aren’t necessarily black, include Manchester Youth Market, The Prince’s Trust, The Young Entrepreneurs of England and Enterprise Nation.

Photo Credit: Ronke Jane Adelakun


What are your favourite black-owned fashion and beauty businesses?


The Journee of J’rissa – clay jewellery


Omolola Jewellery – West-African inspired jewellery


Spectacular Beauty Artist – makeup artist


What does black history month mean to you?

Adeola: Consciously celebrating our history, and to get to know more about what you don’t know. A lot of TV stations and magazines make an effort to highlight black content in Black History Month, so it’s a time to be exposed to that and to just celebrate what black people have contributed to society today.

Jane: As a black person, a lot of the times you experience the negatives like all the things that you don’t get to do because you’re black. But I would never give up my blackness. I love us. I love black humour, black food and everything else that is black. Black History Month is a chance to shine upon all the good things but also all the hurdles we’ve climbed and just revel in the celebration of it all.


Is there anything else you feel is important to share to our audience?


Jane: To anybody who wanted to start a business or a black person who’s going through it, don’t let anything hold you back. Sometimes we look for permissions to start and you actually don’t need it. A lot of times you can start by yourself. So rather than waiting for an organisation to rubber stamp you or people to give you permission to start what you want to start, go for it.

If you would like to follow Cultureville’s journey, check them out on their Instagram or on their website, and make sure to use the discount code: FORTHECULTURE !

No Time to Die

No Time To Die: Takes too long to die

Written by Benjamin Klauber-Griffiths on . Posted in Film.

With No Time to Die, despite being new to the Bond franchise, director Cary Joji Fukunaga has created an exquisitely shot, magical mystery tour back through this Bond’s illustrious career.

The plot, though in some places slightly tenuous, catches the late onset maturity of Craig’s Bond. The film provides possibly the most frightening threat of his tenure in what feels like an attempt to root the film in a reality that resembles this one. 

Though there are aspects of hilarity in previous Bonds (not always intentional), this picture took a much lighter tone in compared to the macho overtones of the other films. This creative decision pays off and provides a sound conclusion which, unlike Pierce Brosnan’s send off, gives Craig a deserved and dignified exit. 

Photo: Gerard Stolk @ Flickr

After the disappointment of Spectre’s straining plot and underwhelming climax, the addition of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s writing talents provide a new take on Bond. A subtler, nostalgic sentiment shadowed the character throughout, helping to move away from the passé misogyny, alcoholism and shirtlessness we have come to associate with Craig’s Bond. Just as a warning, all the women do stay fully clothed in this one.

Whilst the villain has a rather predictably tedious backstory, Rami Malek does provide a genuinely unhinged performance whilst maintaining an ego that could believably produce the faults that led to his unavoidable downfall. Instead, vague, and often confusingly pointless plot detail means the film can drag. Not to mention its enormous run time of 2 hours 43 minutes.

However, by humanising Bond, reclaiming locations from films-gone-by and quietly referencing past iconic scenes, No Time to Die finds its greatest successes. Though it stands as a fabulous piece of cinema on its own, a re-watch of Daniel Craig’s tenure is recommended to retrieve all the allusions and motivations of the film but not required. However, for the more emotional viewer, a box of tissues is a must.

4.5/5.

Written By Orla McKee.

Gigs and Bands

Gigs and Bands Society live in 532

Written by Kerry Mack on . Posted in Music.

The story of the Gigs and Bands Society’s first gig starts with a student, half a drum kit and a noise complaint. Moving to Manchester for university, with its renowned music scene, Robbie Beale naturally assumed that opportunities for student-formed bands would be plentiful. Or at least that there would be music rooms to practice in and not the kind with only a piano. Sadly this was not the case and after months of angry emails he was granted access to a room in postgraduate halls where he was greeted by the aforementioned partial drum kit and nothing else.

His band were promptly told to keep the noise down, realising that popular music is not well catered for at this university which reflects the classical focus of the music department. Frustrated at the lack of an organised student music scene, Robbie has made it his mission to change this starting with the Gigs and Bands Society.

GABS quoted £800 for Club Academy which sat empty!

Fast forward to the night of the gig and I’m sitting upstairs in the student union with Robbie who informs me that he inquired about the basement room (Club Academy) and was quoted £800! For a student gig, hosted by a student society, in the Students’ Union! The basement consequently sat empty all night while the crowd pressed in around the makeshift ‘stage’ at the corner of 532.

None of the band members got paid despite drawing in a healthy crowd to the bar. Robbie explained to me that for student bands to find any level of success they need a scene. That the scene needs structure, which is what he and his society are hoping to build up and provide. Robbie worries that, at least judging from his experience so far, the university is disinterested in fostering a popular music scene. 

“a creative use of harmony, straying from traditional popular music”

King Mob opened the night and smashed their first ever gig. All in spite of some technical issues with feedback due to no fault of their own. King Violet followed with raw energy and fire grooves. My musician friend’s faces lit up a few times at their “creative use of harmony, straying from traditional popular music”.

Big Foot then upped the momentum, with Robbie on guitar playing with as much passion as he has for his musical mission. They got the whole place dancing and closed off the night to cheers and applause. The enthusiasm of the crowd proves that there is an appetite for these student gig nights, Robbie is definitely on to something here.

You might ask; but what about the Music Society? As Robbie stated on the night, the Music Society caters for people who play instruments “invented over 300 years ago”. What about the rest of us?

Robbie’s ideal goals are as follows:

  1. Access to at least one practice room equipped with a drum kit, PA and mics for student bands
  2. Access to the smaller Academy rooms for free or at least at a discount to put on gigs featuring student artists 
  3. Opportunities for those artists to support the acts which visit the Academy venues

These all seem like reasonable requests to me. There is of course the issue of paying staff to run larger gigs in the academy venues and other associated costs but this could perhaps be mitigated by enlisting student technicians and sound engineers from UoM, BIMM and Salford. In fact the society’s long term goal is to collaborate with student musicians from all over Manchester and forge links with other educational institutions which would benefit everybody.

Given the popularity of the society’s first gig night, granting these requests and making these connections would do wonders for Manchester’s student music scene and the finances of all involved. After all, this is our Students’ Union and we should use it to champion student acts.

If you would like to follow the progress of the Gigs and Bands Society, find out about future events or get involved, please go to @gigsandbandsmcr on Instagram or search the tag on Facebook.

United fail to capitalise against 10-woman City

Written by elliebmartin on . Posted in Sport.

Points were shared in Manchester, as City fought back with ten women, to earn a draw in the first Manchester women’s derby of the season. 

There have only been three fixtures between Manchester City and Manchester Utd in the Women’s Super League, but the atmosphere surrounding this fourth derby felt markedly different.

City came into the game 9th in the WSL after a difficult start to the season with three losses in their last three games and having conceded nine goals. United, meanwhile, had a promising start to their league campaign with three wins out of four, putting them in 4th place prior to the game.

For the first time, United were the favourites, with injury-hit City’s poor form leading to a complete role reversal between the two Manchester teams. 

City started the brighter of the two sides with Demi Stokes, Lauren Hemp, and Caroline Weir linking-up well on the left-hand side. Their dominance down this side saw an early chance created by a Hemp cross into the box, only for Jeanine Beckie’s shot to be saved by Mary Earps who had a brilliant afternoon in the United goal.

A couple of minutes later, Hemp was on the receiving end of another cross from Filippa Angeldal on the right-hand side, but her header was blocked by Maria Thorisdottir at the heart of the United defence. 

Despite their bright start, things seemed to be turning against City when, just after the half-hour mark, Georgia Stanway who was deputising at right-back for the injured Lucy Bronze, was shown a red card for a high boot on Leah Galton. 

With a player down it may have felt like City’s attacking threat would be severely hampered, but it was the blue side of Manchester who took the lead three minutes after Stanway’s sending off. Again, link-up between Stokes, Hemp, and Weir on City’s left was key, with Stokes sending in a cross which found Khadija “Bunny” Shaw in acres of space in the United box to nod in a largely uncontested header. 

The start of the second-half saw United making the most of their extra player, piling continuous attacking pressure onto the make-shift City defence which saw midfielders Beckie (slotting in at right back after Stanway’s sending off) and Jill Scott (at centre-back) showcasing their defensive abilities.

United found their equaliser through Lucy Staniforth, who made an instant impact, scoring just five minutes after being brought on. A quickly taken United corner caught City off-guard, and the English midfielder was left with plenty of time to flick a delightful back-heel in at the near post. 

United took the lead three minutes later, when a lovely pass from Ella Toone cut open the City defence finding Hannah Blundell, who had made an excellent run down the left-hand side. Blundell’s cross reached Alessia Russo who got the ball out from under her feet to strike home into the bottom-right corner. 

Both managers will have been pleased with their substitutions, with both making key personnel changes that led to the equalisers. Jessica Park came on for Angeldal shortly after United’s second, an attacking change that signified Gareth Taylor’s pursuit of an equaliser.

The change paid off two minutes later when 19-year-old Park’s shot from range was tipped onto the bar by Earps, only for the rebound to be followed up by the ever-dependable Ellen White, who herself had come on as a substitute earlier in the second half. 

In their post-match interviews with the BBC, both managers described the game as a ‘rollercoaster’, and you’d be hard-put to think of a more apt description.

United may feel more aggrieved not to have claimed the three-points against 10-players, but both managers will have been pleased with the performance of their side. United look to be making good strides in establishing themselves as a top WSL side, after having gained promotion to the league in 2019. While City will be hoping this hard-fought derby draw will be the performance they need to kick start their season. 

Player of the Match: Lauren Hemp 

people holding three glasses with coloured drinks and plastic straws

Drink spiking on the rise in Manchester

Written by Jess Walmsley on . Posted in News.

Students have voiced concern over a rise in spiking across bars in Manchester.

The majority of people who have been recently affected by drink spiking are students and they have taken to social media to warn people of the specific bars they have been spiked in.

Comments from those who have been spiked in Manchester have risen in numbers over the past month and bars are beginning to take notice.

256 Wilmslow Road, a popular student bar pick in Fallowfield, have announced that they will be providing free anti-drug bottle-stops & lids with all drinks.

Drink Aware and alternative spiking information sources recommend checking the colour of your drink, especially for any hints of blue which could be a signal your drink has been tampered with. Other changes to your drink might be whether it is cloudy, has excessive bubbles or fizzing, or tastes different such as more bitter or salty.

If you notice any of these changes report it to a member of staff and do not carry on drinking said drink or any other alcoholic beverages.

Signs to look out for in other people are if they have trouble speaking or staying focused, they find it difficult to stand up and can’t hold their balance, have blurred vision, feel extremely nauseous, feel as though they are hallucinating, disorientated or paranoid, experience memory loss or blackout.

If you think someone has been spiked you need to stay with them at all times, tell a member of staff or trusted person, seek medical attention and call an ambulance if their condition deteriorates. Never leave them unattended.

More information can be found on www.drinkaware.co.uk

The Mancunion are currently leading a full investigation into the increase of drink spiking amongst the student community.

Doctor Rashford

Written by Ella Robinson on . Posted in News.

Marcus Rashford, 23, became the youngest recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester on Thursday. The announcement was made in July last year, but due to the pandemic, an official in-person ceremony was not possible until now.

The other honorary doctorates were awarded on Foundation Day, but Rashford was unable to attend so a special ceremony was held at Old Trafford in his honour.

David Aaronovitch, Dorothy Byrne, Professor Dame Sue Hill, Sir Alan Langlands, and Professor Helen Pankhurst CBE were also recipients of the award. 

Rashford was honoured for “his ongoing charity work and well-publicised campaign against child poverty off the field, as well as his outstanding sporting achievements on the pitch”, according to the University of Manchester. 

Whilst students are very supportive of Rashford’s work over the pandemic, some felt that the Foundation Day celebration and subsequent award at Old Trafford was according to an anonymous second year student, “out of touch” after two years of postponed graduation ceremonies for students. 

An anonymous third year student said: “Whilst the work that Marcus Rashford does is really inspiring, many students save up money and work very hard to get to university and get a degree. It just feels like he got to fasttrack the process. Marcus might be one of the few exceptions where he has actually done good, so it’s not on him but others have received the same honour, for accomplishing much less.”

Rashford made reference to the news that the £20 credit top-up to Universal Credit had ended during his acceptance speech: “I’m here to receive my Honorary Doctorate for my work around child poverty. Yesterday, millions of families across the UK lost a lifeline and a means of staying afloat. A move that could see child poverty rise to 1 in 3 children. For that reason, today is bittersweet.

“It’s time that representatives got out into communities like mine. It’s time they saw first-hand the true measure of struggle. COVID-19 can no longer be used as an excuse.”

Sir Alex Fergurson, who was in attendance at the event, remains the most qualified figure in British football history, with honorary degrees from eight universities. 

Nancy Out, Locked Out 

Written by Ella Robinson on . Posted in News.

The Nancy Out campaign’s attempts to storm the University of Manchester Foundation Day celebrations, on the 7th October, were thwarted by security guards. As approximately ten campaigners ran towards the door, it was slammed in their faces by security, who seemed to be aware of the protest groups plans. 

An attendee of Foundation Day was overheard by Mancunion reporters discussing the potential of a ‘barge-in’ by campaigners before the event, and security covered all exits. 

The campaign group looped around Whitworth Hall, where the event, which celebrates the coming together of Victoria University of Manchester and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), was taking place. A security guard was overheard saying, “Three of them are near the library, looking for a way in down there.”

After failing to enter the building most of the Nancy Out campaign abandoned their plans and went for a drink in 532 instead. A few remained to try and hand a P45 to Nancy Rothwell which she didn’t accept. 

In response to The Tab‘s article in which a protester described an interaction with a security guard as incredibly threatening, a University spokesperson said: “We are aware of an unpleasant incident which took place on the University campus on Wednesday evening involving, we understand, a Tab reporter and a group of students who targeted the President and Vice-Chancellor in a hostile and very personal manner.”

“This was witnessed by several staff. The individuals had previously unsuccessfully sought to disrupt the University’s Foundation Day celebrations in Whitworth Hall. This type of aggressive behaviour is clearly unacceptable and does not demonstrate a commitment to our shared values. We will be reviewing all available information accordingly.”

The Nancy Our campaign have been contacted for comment.

Dirty Dancing

Review: Dirty Dancing

Written by Jay Darcy on . Posted in Theatre.

Dirty Dancing is one of the most classic films ever made, starring the late, great Patrick Swayze and the dazzling Jennifer Grey.

I couldn’t help but think that if I’d grown up watching Dirty Dancing, or even if I’d bothered watching the film before catching the stage adaptation, I’d have enjoyed it more. I knew the basic storyline and had seen bits of it but not enough to recognise it onstage.

The same could be said for Pretty Woman, which I caught in the West End a few weeks ago. Whilst I loved seeing Aimie Atkinson, Danny Mac and Neil McDermott on stage again – especially in the West End, whilst I’d previously seen them in Manchester – I didn’t particularly enjoy the musical as a whole.

Whilst the feminist (and Politics graduate) in me wants to criticise both musicals (especially Pretty Woman) for their problematic storylines, I can appreciate the nostalgia for those who grew up watching the iconic films.

Still, even fiction based on old films (and/or set in the past) can tackle “modern” issues (modern in so much that they have always been issues but only recently have we properly acknowledged them). There are often missed opportunities when writers and directors work hard to stay “true” to the original source material without engaging with the present. (Granted, Dirty Dancing does tackle abortion).

I think this might have been part of the problem for me: I didn’t grow up with these films so they weren’t nostalgic for me, instead, they felt a little dated.

I imagine that it will be totally different when I catch the brand new stage adaptation of Bedknobs and Broomsticks in a few weeks, for that was one of my favourite films growing up – even though it’s older than both Dirty Dancing and Pretty Woman! Likewise, I love old musicals – think tap dancing extravaganzas 42nd Street and Anything Goes (the latter of which I saw two days before Pretty Woman, so Pretty Woman stood no chance).

The issues I had with Dirty Dancing do not stop there, though.

I love an elaborate production in a musical, but Dirty‘s set was very disappointing. It was essentially the same set all way through: a cheap-looking backdrop and a few bits of set which came and went.

I’m not sure if it’s a budget issue or a creative one, but the set was so lacking that it looked kind-of amateurish – like a high school production, albeit one with a big budget (for a high school).

One of the best things about the original film is its music. Set in the 1960s, the film created nostalgia for 80s viewers with its use of smash-hit singles from the 60s.

The stage adaptation used all of these songs, as well as some songs which the film could not get the rights for – which was pretty touching, if not even cathartic.

It’s the way that the musical included and handled the songs, however, that I found quite odd. I had expected the actors to sing the iconic songs from the film – even if they had to be placed in different scenes to make more sense in the story. Think how jukebox musicals about artists do not necessarily place songs in a linear story, i.e. in the year in which they came out. Instead, they place them where they work in the story.

Instead, snippets of the iconic songs from the film were played in the backgrounds of scenes, as was the case with the film. Some people might like this creative decision because it feels like a direct screen-to-stage production – but I thought that the songs felt a little out of place. It would have been nice for at least some of the songs to have been sang by the actual cast. At times, the musical felt like a play with music.

Again, I imagine fans of the original film had a very different (nostalgic) experience.

If I remember correctly, the opening of ‘Be My Baby’ opened both acts, but never was the song actually played. As a big fan of this song, I was hoping that the song would have had more of a presence – especially given the main character’s name: Baby!

This had me wondering how the musical would treat ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ – would it be a backing track, or would they actually perform it? Surely, they’ll sing this one live, I thought.

To my delight, it was performed live, but to my disappointment, it was not sang by Johnny (Michael O’Reilly) and Baby (Kira Malou). Instead, it was sang by two background characters – both great vocalists – whilst Johnny and Baby did their iconic dance (and that lift). It then turned into an ensemble piece.

Having other characters sing that song allowed the actors portraying Johnny and Baby to focus on their dancing – and they did an incredible job, as did all of the dancers throughout the show – but they were both triple-threats, so I’m sure they’d have managed to do both.

Speaking of the actors who played Johnny and Baby (O’Reilly and Malou) – well, for all my criticisms of this musical, they were perfect in their roles. They oozed sex appeal, and their chemistry was explosive. It all made sense when I discovered that they are a real-life couple. I imagine they got together during the last tour of Dirty Dancing (yes, they’ve unsurprisingly played these roles before).

O’Reilly was particularly captivating. Right from the get-go, he stole the spotlight. He walked on stage with character and poise, drawing loud woos – especially from the straight women in the audience.

The straight women in the audience – oh, and let’s not forget the gay men – were treated to a glimpse of O’Reilly’s backside during the (after) sex scene. His tight pants had left little to the imagination, but this was the show that kept on giving… O’Reilly stood up, wearing a thong with see-through straps, and flashed the audience – drawing loud woos. All of a sudden, the temperature in the theatre rose; if the sex scene lasted any longer, the auditorium would have turned into a sauna!

I’ve noticed that sex scenes in films and television shows often end with the man standing up and showing his behind, so it was funny seeing a theatre production copy this convention.

The aforementioned women in the audience had to be a highlight of the night – at times, they were more entertaining than the actual show! It was amazing watching middle-aged women transform into teenage girls. Ostensibly, it was hilarious, but on a deeper level, it was actually quite cute – these women had grown up watching this film (and crushing on Patrick Swayze, aka “the sexiest man alive”), and now they’re getting to see it in the flesh (literally).

Whilst I usually find loud, giggly audiences annoying – if not even obnoxious – I was not enjoying this show enough to care about all of the distractions. At time, they were a welcome distraction…

I did feel quite bad for O’Reilly and Malou, however, at the end of the first act. It was an emotional scene, in which they realise and confess their love for each other, but much of the audience was in hysterics for some reason. A chunk of the audience at the back left kept talking and giggling. I recall somebody making a joke – which I did not catch – and loads of people around them bursting into laughter. It was the strangest audience experience I’ve ever had, and whilst I found it quite entertaining, I was glad to be just moments away from the interval – but not as glad as I was when the second (and final) act drew to a close…

Whilst my review has been a little scathing, it’s important to look at the context: musical adaptations of old films aren’t made for twenty-something theatre reviewers. For all my criticisms of this show, I can appreciate that it was made with a certain demographic in my mind – and they absolutely loved it, so the musical achieved what it had intended to.

Dirty Dancing tours the UK throughout 2021.

Who the hell are The Hara?

Written by Reece Ritchie on . Posted in Music.

Fresh off of their super successful live stream gig the Mancunion wanted to revisit our music editor Reece Ritchie’s interview catching up with The Hara over the summer for his Fuse FM show The NorthWest Emo Show.

From performing over lockdown online, to their viral Tik Toks, to festival appearances at the Download Pilot and more The Hara have undeniably been killing it this year. One of Scruff of the necks most recent signings I had the pleasure of interviewing Josh, Jack and Zack over the summer.

We spoke just before they played Sheffield’s Tramlines festival still at the stage of government pilot events for concerts and festivals and they were ecstatic. There were few other bands simply as elated to be performing again as the alternative trio! We talked their Download set, Josh’s PVC dress and his near decision not to adorn the statement piece. Moving to cover their Scruff of the Neck signing, what they hope to do with the future and what to expect from the upcoming Play Dead tour.

What’s next for The Hara?

The band talked me through one of their most recent releases ‘Afterlife’ and the direction the band hope to take their music in future. What astonished me is just how well The Hara’s music transfers to a live audience. A good festival performance requires not just an entertaining band but also encapsulating tunes – both of which The Hara hold in abundance. With flashes of fire behind him Josh not only directs but commands the stage, every eye falls on him. How he manages to hold this attention so well through an entire set all whilst singing is beyond me.

One of my biggest revelations from the interview was that all three guys studied at BIMM in Manchester and their larger-than-life performances are Manchester born and bred. There is no where else on the planet other than Manchester that this band could come from, electric in their alternativeness – wired on passion they were a joy to behold at Donnington Park earlier this year.

A credit to the city they kick of their next tour dubbed Play Dead on the 9th of October in Birmingham. Already set to play next years Download festival in Donnington Park The Hara headline Manchester Academy 3 on Sunday the 17th of October. Already sold out this red-hot gig is undeniably going to impress and I envy anyone with a ticket.

“Could The Hara come from anywhere other than Manchester?”

The most revealing part of our interview however was the moment where I ask the band if they could’ve come from anywhere other than Manchester. You could feel their pride as they shouted “NO!!” at me, a pride felt by every student that chooses to study at Manchester and something that got me as excited about thee band as their music did!

You can watch us discuss what they’d like to watch in future, their inspirations style and more online.

Check out The Hara’s Spotify here!

You can buy tickets to the Play Dead tour here!

Everything you need to know about Scruff of The Neck can be found here!

Drop it like it’s hotspot: Lack of internet connection causes chaos on campus

Written by Aimee Butler on . Posted in Opinion.

We’ve spent over a year and a half away from in-person university. We’ve been stuck with zoom seminars and socials and not being able to set foot inside any of the vast array of University buildings on Oxford Road. Hence why the first day back on campus was long awaited by almost every student at Manchester. 

Yet, the big day was not only darkened by torrential rain and mile-long bus queues, but also by a WiFi black-out across most of the University campus. Hundreds of students eager to begin the new academic year, wanting to get organised, settled and on top of their workload were unable to connect to Eduroam, the University’s main WiFi router, come Monday morning. 

Modern day university is largely reliant on the internet, with a great deal of resources only being accessible online, such as the online library and Blackboard. This meant that the lack of connection disrupted learning significantly. Despite this hindrance, most students were still able to attend their in-person lectures and seminars, even if they showed up 10 minutes late because they couldn’t access their timetables! 

Unfortunately, those who opted to study remotely this semester were denied this opportunity, as Zoom was unable to work efficiently without a stable internet connection. This highlights a lack of support for students with alternative learning situations who would potentially have felt ignored by their institution. Furthermore, the lack of wireless has been accompanied by a lack of response and poor communication from the University. 

No emails have been sent to students to explain the very limited internet available on campus, nor has any information been released on when the issue will be resolved. Consequently, the entire student body has been left in the lurch on whether the buildings they yearned to sit in for so long are of any use to them now without WiFi access. 

As it is an issue that affects most of the student population, as well as WiFi essentially being considered a necessity in this day and age, it would be assumed that the problem would be tackled promptly and efficiently. Evidently this was not the case. 

Despite the issue seemingly having been resolved for most people by the end of the week, a simple message from the University would still have been greatly appreciated by most students. It is this vital communication which the University doesn’t seem to understand helps students feel in the loop and at ease that WiFi will soon be restored. 

The situation was also the cause of a lot of undue stress for first year students, as their first days in a new educational environment were tainted. One first year living in Ashburne halls said that they were actually sent an email saying they were intending to replace the WiFi. However, it only “seems to have got worse” or “stayed the same”. 

Additionally, when attempting to complete lectures online, she stated that she was forced to watch them using her 4G because the videos “were so glitchy”. The lack of communication and responsibility from the University’s officials on such an issue marks a worrying beginning to the return of academic normality. 

It raises the question once more of whether student wellbeing and support is even considered a number one priority.

20,000 march down Oxford Road in protest against the Conservative Party

Written by Joe McFadden on . Posted in News.

On Sunday 3rd October approximately 20,000 people marched down Oxford Road to protest the Conservative Party Conference.

Photo: Reece Ritchie

The protest was organised by The People’s Assembly. Starting at 1pm, the protest was preceded by a speech from a horse drawn carriage provided by the National Bargee Travellers Association, a Gypsy-Roman group. Multiple other groups had a visible presence with the unions Unite, Unison and CWT flying balloons and walking with banners.

Mancunian’s from all walks of life showed up to protest the Tories with a diverse showing that cut across age groups. Everyone from children to students to pensioners marched against Boris Johnson’s government to show their disdain for over a decade of Tory rule.

I am marching for everyone who has ever been treated as lesser for who they are.” 

Multiple student activist groups also attended the demonstration. Amber Barrow, Deputy Chair of the University of Manchester’s Feminist Collective, told The Mancunion that she was “marching today because we need a government that listens to the people. We need a government that protects people of marginalised genders on the streets … I am marching for everyone who has ever been treated as lesser for who they are.” 

Amber Barrow protests the Tories
Photo: Reece Ritchie

Spearheading the protest were Labour MPs Richard Burgon and Barry Gardiner alongside Black Lives Matter activists and representatives from People’s Assembly and various other groups.

Following the march, the protest culminated in a rally at Deansgate Docks with speeches from the various groups. All the speakers expressed dismay with the current government and were highly critical of Boris Johnson’s leadership of the country. They also took aim at the Cabinet, with Priti Patel receiving criticism for her immigration policies.

Photo: Antonio Ross @reflectionlessross

There was a heavy police presence on the march with at least 20 police vans positioned around the University of Manchester’s Oxford Road campus alongside police horses. The actual Tory Party Conference at the Britannia Hotel was also guarded by the police, with officers even being drawn in from Merseyside to support GMP.

Bat out of hell

Review: Bat Out of Hell

Written by Jay Darcy on . Posted in Theatre.

After four years, the Bat is back – right where it started, here in Manchester (aka the third best city in the world, as I’ll keep reminding you).

Jim Steinman’s Bat Out of Hell had its world premiere here at the Opera House in 2017. Several musicals have their world premieres in this city – & Juliet, Back to the Future, and Ghost come to mind; all of which premiered at the Opera House – perhaps because we are the third best city in the world (okay, I’ll stop).

Bat Out of Hell is based on the Meat Loaf album of the same name.

Steinman wrote all of the musical’s songs, most of which are from the Bat Out of Hell trilogy of albums.

The musical is a (very) loose retelling of Peter Pan (but also alludes to Romeo & Juliet at times, especially with the theme of star-crossed lovers.).

Set in post-apocalyptic Manhattan (now named ‘Obsidian’), the story follows Strat, the forever young leader of ‘The Lost’, who has fallen in love with Raven, the daughter of Falco, the tyrannical ruler of Obsidian.

Whilst Hamilton refers to New York City as “the greatest city in the world”, it didn’t even make top three. You know why Manchester is better than New York? We’d never fall to a dictator; we’re unconquerable!

Okay, I’ll really stop now…

I’ve been wanting to see Bat Out of Hell since 2018, especially when Jordan Luke Gage – who I was lucky enough to interview ahead of the world premiere of & Juliet – took over the lead role of Strat.

I remember being sat next to one of his friends whilst watching Company (starring Rosalie Craig and Patti Lupone) and beginning to plan another London trip so that I could catch Bat before it closed.

Sadly, that trip never came to fruition, so I was ecstatic when it was announced that Bat was coming to Manchester (don’t worry, I won’t say it again).

Bat has to be one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen – and I’ve seen a lot!

The costumes are fantastic (with my leather jacket, paisley bandana and snake ear cuff, I could fit right in), and the show makes great use of technology.

The set is brilliant, though not as elaborate as some other musicals; most of the set is fixed, but there are additions in certain scenes.

The stage left is where Raven’s bedroom sat; it was mostly closed off; we could just see through the window and door.

When a scene was set in that room, a camerawoman followed the actors around and the footage was shown on a large screen on the stage left. This was a weird, though memorable, creative choice. I’m not sure what its purpose was; I imagine it serves quite a clever purpose, perhaps I’m just not smart enough to understand what.

One of the musical’s highlight was the vocals. Most Meat Loaf songs require powerhouse vocals, and this cast did not disappoint.

I was very curious to see what Jordan Frazier, who plays Zahara, would be like. The role was originated by Danielle Steers in Manchester; she went on to play the role in London, Toronto and New York. She also played Catherine Parr in the smash hit musical Six.

Well, Jordan blew me away; I lost the bitterness I felt over not being able to see Danielle in the role.

My favourite character of the show had to be Sloane, the dictator’s wife (Sharon Sexton).

She was bloody hilarious. She reminded me a little of Anne Hathaway (Cassidy Janson) in & Juliet: the cooky wife of an arrogant man, determined to assert her own autonomy, all whilst entertaining the audience with her dry delivery and perfect comedic timing.

Whilst Bat‘s book could do with some fleshing out – at times, I had little idea what was going on, and scenes sometimes cut from one to another in a slightly rushed manner – the characters are all very well-written.

In particular, I like how the musical does not rely on archetypes. Instead, it challenges character conventions.

Falco (Rob Fowler) is a tyrant, but he has redeeming qualities. He provided great comedic relief; the audience loved him (especially when he stripped off to his undies. Phwoar).

His acting and singing abilities were far too good for anyone to pay too much attention to his occasionally flimsy American accent (and if ever you noticed it, you’d get lost in his abs).

Sloane could have been portrayed as your typical ice queen, or a criminally underwritten, victimised trophy wife. Instead, she was written to be the exhausted wife of a man who did not live up to be who she wanted him to be. She loved him – but not enough to sacrifice her independence.

The early scenes featuring Falco and Sloane were my personal favourites, especially when they took us down memory lane during ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ (one of my favourite Meat Loaf songs).

Right from the get-go, the musical made sure that we liked the “bad guys”. Whilst Falco did some awful things, we sure loved watching him do them!

Both Fowler and Saxton originated their roles in Manchester before taking them to London and Toronto. It is no surprise that Fowler and Saxton have such sparkling chemistry; they’ve been playing partners for years!

Raven, meanwhile, was not the spoiled, pampered Princess that one might expect her to be – indeed, the Lost Boys (ordinary citizens) thought of her as such. Nor was she a damsel in distress.

Rather – much to my feminist relief – she was portrayed as an independent thinker and a rebellious tom boy who wants to challenge the status quo that she knows she is a part of – even if this means losing everything.

The least interesting character, in my honest opinion, was the lead one: Strat.

Glen Adamson’s performance and vocals were excellent, but Strat’s character arc and development were quite predictable.

The moment everybody was waiting for came at the end: I’d Do Anything For Love. Whilst this song is an iconic duet, between the Beast and his Beauty, a creative decision was made to turn it into an ensemble piece for the show. The lead characters all took turn singing different lines and verses, which made the classic hit bigger, better, brighter and badder.

In case it isn’t obvious, I absolutely loved Bat Out of Hell. Sure, I have my criticisms – that is my job, after all; it’s in the name (critic) – but, overall, this musical is an absolute blast.

For those of you old enough to remember the days when Meat Loaf’s hits dominated radios, you’ll gleam with nostalgia, especially during the curtain call, when the cast asks you to get your phones out and record them singing ‘Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)’.

For the youngsters who thought that meat loaf was a dish – don’t fret, for you’ll recognise a few of his songs (take ‘It’s All Coming Back to me Now’, though you’ll probably be more familiar with the Céline Dion version).

Nonetheless, you’ll be on your feet dancing by the curtain call; if nothing else, this musical will make a Meat Loaf fan out of you!

Bat Out of Hell plays at Manchester Opera House until Saturday 2nd October, before touring the UK and Ireland until late next year.