I’m not usually drawn to historical fiction, but the lauding of Hamnet made me feel like I had to give it a go. It was perhaps the novel’s high praise that meant, ultimately, I was disappointed by O’Farrell’s book, despite my open-minded approach.
O’Farrell says that it is a book she has wanted to write for years. It was through reading biographies of Shakespeare that she learned of the existence of Shakespeare’s son, while studying English at Cambridge University. She outlines in her note on the text that the brevity of the mentions Hamnet is afforded in such biographies shocked her.
I’m not giving you spoilers by saying that Hamnet dies, age 11. His cause of death is unknown, but is imagined in the novel to be, realistically, plague. Hamnet is a reimagining of the short life of Shakespeare’s son, and the impact of his death on the rest of the family. In that respect, the novel is as much about grief as it is about Hamnet.
The facts known are roughly that, in 1596, William Shakespeare’s son Hamnet died in Stratford-upon-Avon and four years later, Shakespeare wrote his renowned play, Hamlet. The similarity in the name is more than just that, and, as O’Farrell specifies, Hamlet and Hamnet are just variations of the same name, and can be used interchangeably. The link between son and play seems indisputable and the book is in part a fictional attempt to face the disparity between how little is known about the real Hamnet and the immense fame of the play Hamlet.
Hamnet is clearly well researched and as accurate as is realistically possible. O’Farrell also weaves aspects of Shakespeare’s plays into the story. For example, Hamnet and his twin sister, Judith, trick people: “to exchange places and clothes, leading people to believe that each was the other”. It is a clear link to the number of twins and preoccupation with gender switching and trickery that we see in the plays of their father.
Despite such allusions, the most famous character in the novel remains unnamed. He is merely referred to as “her husband”, “the father” and “the Latin tutor” and is allowed very little direct speech. The main character in the novel, it soon becomes apparent, isn’t Hamnet or his father, but Agnes, Hamnet’s mother.
Agnes’ relationship with the natural world is beautiful, and within the world of the text she is more well known than her husband, for her ability to grow and mix plants to heal others. The novel is lyrically written, which seems a fitting tribute to the work of the playwright, but is much more closely associated with the voice and life of Agnes in the book.
While I liked this slight mocking of the fame of the Bard, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the novel is somewhat overrated. It is already sacrilege to say something bad about Shakespeare and his pervasive influence, and it feels like the same taboo has been applied to Hamnet. I found the time switches and diversions following far removed characters whimsical and distracting, and wasn’t moved by a death that the entire text builds towards.
I did find the second half of the novel more compelling than the first, and, after talking to others, can understand that reading it from the perspective of a parent would be a very different reading experience. I have never had a twin and never had a child, and so my relationship to the experiences of the story are more distant.
The success of Hamnet proves that you can retell incredibly well known stories and still offer a new perspective. For me, however, that doesn’t mean this story was one that had to be written. If anything, its success only seems to continue the myth of Shakespeare, instead of giving space to entirely new voices from history.
Jake Gyllenhaal shines in this suspense filled remake of the 2018 Danish thriller of the same title. However, this Hollywood-ised remake unfortunately falls short of the original due to its clumsy and poorly executed climax.
The film opens as huge screens illuminate the Los Angeles hills, ablaze with wildfires. And yet audiences spend the entire movie behind the desks and phone handsets of a drab office block. This strange contrast may come as a surprise, yet the tension of the ensuing 90 minutes is all the better for it.
Within this setting we are introduced to Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal), a 911 operator who is fighting his own personal struggles while begrudgingly dealing with drunks and petty crime as a responder. The opening scenes show Joe as a man falling apart, expertly portrayed by Gyllenhaal from start to finish. Joe’s frustration at the job changes when he receives a call from a woman called Emily (Riley Keough) who he quickly realises has been abducted. What ensues is a tense narrative woven with twists as Joe attempts to rescue Emily from his powerless position in the responder’s office.
The Guilty trailer
The performances from both Gyllenhaal and Keough carry this movie as the action is almost all dialogue based. The frustrated powerlessness of Gyllenhaal perfectly compliments Keough’s terror and panic. Surprisingly high-profile actors play other roles. Ethan Hawke, Peter Sarsgaard and Paul Dano, all have dialogue in the movie but they are barely recognisable, let alone memorable. Regardless, Gyllenhaal is the star of The Guilty, and the movie is aware of this as he on the screen the entire time with seldom anyone else getting screen time aside from dialogue.
Director Antoine Fuqua, whose directing credits includes Training Day and the Equalizer franchise builds the film on palpable, anxiety-inducing tension. The close-up camera work creates a desperate, claustrophobic atmosphere throughout which, considering the film is set in what is effectively an office building, enables audiences to still feel as if the action is unfolding before you rather than simply being described. Apparently, the film was shot in 11 days, under rigorous COVID-19 restrictions which, despite its singular setting, is an impressive feat.
The elephant in the room is that this remake is a literal copy of the original, in many places replicating it word for word. This is nothing new as Hollywood often takes the original screenplays of foreign films and remakes them for English speaking audiences. The Danish original had a budget of approximately $500,000, likely not even enough to afford an actor of Gyllenhaal’s stature. Considering Netflix acquired the rights from an American production company who remade it for an enormous $30 million, it’s safe to say that Netflix could have just acquired the original, saving money and bringing popularity to the Danish film industry rather than simply remaking it in English.
As Korean director Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite) once stated, “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films”. It is due to this barrier that Hollywood feels the need to remake original foreign films to bring them into the mainstream. Had Parasite not captured the attention of English-speaking audiences would we be seeing this Oscar winning film remade and starring Emma Stone and Timothée Chalamet as the siblings in 2023?
Regardless of the bigger issue The Guilty certainly has its strong moments. The performance of its two stars as well as Fuqua’s camera work make it a short but enjoyable thriller. The ending doesn’t quite have the pay off it was probably aiming for but doesn’t detract from the film as the twists in the third act more than makes up for it.
As a 90-minute long, Netflix available, engaging thriller, it’s worth your time even if its just for Gyllenhaal’s performance. However, in the unlikely event you can find a way to access the 2018 Danish original I would highly recommend stepping over that ‘one-inch-tall barrier’ to support a truly original movie which took a fraction of the budget and attention of the Hollywood remake.
In his autobiographical show First Time, Nathaniel Hall takes the audience on the journey through his life, from getting infected with HIV at 16, through years of struggling to accept himself, to the present day, being openly HIV-positive artist and activist.
Nathaniel engages the audience before the show. When we come in, he’s already on stage. Lying on the floor under a blanket, asleep and hangover after going out the night before. He welcomes us apologetically, while hurriedly trying to clean up all the mess left in his flat after the party.
He is likeable from the first apology, and it doesn’t take him much to already have an emotional connection with the audience by the time the show starts.
As we learn later, Nathaniel we met in the beginning was Nathaniel in 2017, Nathaniel that was struggling to come to terms with reality, who was relying on drugs and alcohol to forget about all his problems. Especially his main problem, having an HIV-positive status, about which he still hadn’t been able to tell his parents, even after 15 years of trying to do so.
We learn the story of his life in a nonlinear manner, jumping back and forth between his school years and the present. We are with him when, on the evening of his prom, he meets an attractive older man who will eventually become the first person he has sex with. And who, as we know, will give him HIV.
Nathaniel invites us to his prom, quite literally, asking one member of the audience to join him on stage for a socially distanced dance. By this simple but creative move he manages to further establish the connection with us, making us look at him as a friend, or maybe someone we know from school.
The show is full of emotional moments, but the one whose impact will undoubtedly stay with the audience long after, are Nathaniel’s first visits in the sexual health clinic and the moment he receives his diagnosis. The shock and horror, the ringing in his ears; everything blends into one, as do the next 15 years of his life which end up being a constant fight to accept the diagnosis.
When telling the story of his life with the virus, Nathaniel mentions the shame and the stigma that he encountered many times throughout the years, and how important it is for him to educate people about HIV. Therefore, he implemented plenty of educational value into the show.
At some point, he invites the audience to take part in a short and hilarious quiz on knowledge about risky sexual behaviours, HIV, and the HIV treatment. All this to ensure that people will leave the theatre knowing more about the disease than they did before. He emphasises the importance of regular STI testing, all of which is plotted within the show and the story in an organic, non-invasive way.
Towards the end, he takes the educational aspect further, teaching us about the history of HIV and the beginnings of the AIDS pandemic back in the 80s. Every member of the audience is handed an LED candle, and the candlelight vigil follows naturally, connecting everyone in the audience with Nathaniel, as well as with the 36 million victims of the epidemic and 38 million people currently living with HIV around the world.
It would be easy for a show of this kind to rely exclusive on emotionally heavy exploration of trauma and depression. Nathaniel, however, constructs a mixture of the heavy tones and humour, some of it dark, some of it simple and lighthearted. He doesn’t try to overwhelm the audience with sadness, and succeeds at achieving the balance between being funny, educational, thoughtful, and emotional.
Although it is the story of Nathaniel’s life, there is a plethora of universality to it, and Nathaniel himself mentions it openly. It is not just a story of him meeting an attractive older guy, contracting HIV at 16, and fighting to come to terms with it. It is a story hailing the efforts of all the people helping to fight HIV, from the first nurses in 80s AIDS wards, to the symbolic Sue – sexual health clinic nurse who told Nathaniel about his diagnosis, to all the charities and foundations raising awareness about HIV.
When leaving the theatre, everyone is handed a white envelope. Inside it, an emotional letter that Nathaniel wrote to his parents back in 2017, in which he tells them about being HIV positive and apologising for not coming out earlier. By this organic prolongation of the show’s impact, Nathaniel makes sure that everyone in the audience will remember his story and the lessons he taught.
Nathaniel Hall’s First Time resumes its UK tour from January through to March 2022. In the meantime, check out the interview we did with him – to learn more about First Time, his time on It’s A Sin, and his HIV activism.
We are all familiar with Mary Shelley’s classic Victorian novel, Frankenstein (the name of the scientist, not his monster!) Shelley allegorically warns of the consequences of taking science too far in the pursuit of knowledge, through the creation of a living creature. But is Frankenstein’s monster just a fictional fantasy from gothic horror, or is the reanimation of the dead scientifically possible?
In medical terms, death is defined by the stopping of all vital functions, including heartbeat, brain activity and breathing.
There are several examples of individuals being pronounced as medically dead, yet still making a full recovery. Regaining vital functions after time in intensive care could technically be seen as ‘reversing death’. Although around 85-90% of individuals whose hearts stop beating (cardiac arrest) do not survive, a heartbeat can be restored using defibrillators. Does this count as bringing people back from the dead?
Although the heart can be restarted, this kind of ‘reanimation’ can only occur after short-term ‘death’. Some wealthy individuals have paid for their bodies to be cryogenically frozen and stored long-term, but the technology to reanimate them does not yet exist.
Small human tissue samples, such as eggs, sperm, and stem cells are regularly frozen and defrosted for medical purposes. Cryopreservation involves displacing the water in cells with cryoprotectant chemicals. This prevents the cell from being damaged by the formation of ice crystals. So far, this is only possible at the cellular, but not the whole-human level.
It is true that, just like in Frankenstein, electricity can be used to create life. In fact, it is thought that electricity had a role to play in the earliest life forms on earth, with a popular theory proposing that the first life was created from a lifeless ‘prebiotic soup’. Perhaps electricity really can be deemed to play a role in creating life from no life.
The classic image of Frankenstein’s monster is as a patchwork of body parts – would this be medically possible?
Organ transplants occur regularly, and the wonders of modern medicine mean that transplantation of whole limbs is now possible.
An Icelandic man received the first-ever double arm and shoulder transplantation in January 2021. During this process, blood vessels and tissues are connected, making it possible for the patient to regain a lot of function in the transplanted organ. So, yes, it is already possible to reanimate ‘dead’ organs and attach them to living humans.
There are several species that can be reanimated after freezing, including painted turtle hatchlings, upis beetles and wood frogs. Most of these species produce specialised antifreeze proteins or cryoprotectant substances that allow them to survive freezing.
Minuscule tardigrades can enter a state called cryptobiosis, meaning they can survive freezing temperatures as well as other extreme conditions such as 150°C heat, radiation and the vacuum of space. Most impressive, however, are the appropriately, but misleadingly named resurrection bug, (actually a bacterium) which have been revived from a Greenland ice sheet after 120,000 years.
Although reanimation in the Frankenstein-esque sense is not yet possible, medical advances are taking us ever closer to bringing body parts back to life. Though maybe we humans have been approaching reanimation wrong and could look to other organisms to learn how we could bring back the dead.
Accounting for Style is a series at the Mancunion Fashion & Beauty section, in which anonymous Manchester students track all of their fashion and beauty purchases over the period of a month. Get a glimpse into the way your peers spend their money on their style, the splurges, and the savings…
Age: 22
Degree: International Fashion Marketing
Rent: I live with the parents
Part-time jobs: Tutor and campaigner
Extra cash: No
Monthly budget: I recently got not one, but two part-time jobs. It’s my first time being paid to work in 3 years! It’s definitely been a while since I’ve had my own money to spend. A Masters degree means no maintenance loan, hence the living at home part and the recent job. In my undergrad, my maintenance loan was my clutch and even then, I struggled. Moving home and attending uni without a loan sounded like I’d be fine, but it felt like just breathing air cost money. God bless the two companies that decided to give me a job and relieve me of the struggle. For once, I’m not stretching a tiny loan to survive and a have a roof over my head that I don’t need to pay for. This doesn’t mean I’m going to be reckless with my spending, I definitely understand the importance of saving. However, every month until now, my monthly fashion spending budget has been basically zero. But this month? I kind of wanted to spend (within reason, I’ve only been working a month. I’m not Elon Musk… Yet).
Fashion spending habits: Honestly, I don’t really buy clothes as often as I used to. I try my best to limit myself now. I want to say I’m that woman who always shops at sustainable brands and doesn’t fuel awful fast fashion companies, but truth be told, I’m not. Shopping sustainably all the time is something I want to do but struggle with greatly. I have no self-control. I see low prices on websites like Shein and I’m a sucker. I want to change my spending habits so that I invest in more sustainable items that will be in my wardrobe for a very long time and I’m slowly getting there. It’s a process and for now, just reducing the amount that I buy is hard enough. My fashion sense is kind of a mess as well. I love street style but sometimes I want to be a sophisticated gal. One day you’ll see me in baggy jeans and an oversized tee, the next I look like I’m going for a business meeting with Coco Chanel herself.
Monthly estimated spend on fashion: I don’t expect it to be too high. Higher than usual, for sure, but very far from breaking the bank.
Monthly Spending:
Photo Credit: Zahra Mukadam
Photo Credit: Zahra Mukadam
November 1st: £19.80 – To kick off the month, I had already given in to my fast fashion urges. A big fat fail on my behalf. I had kept getting Facebook and Instagram ads showing this navy and green frog sweater vest from Romwe. If you haven’t heard of Romwe, it’s basically Shein but smaller and with less advertising. I’d been glaring at this sweater vest for the whole of October but kept telling myself that I didn’t need it. This is my process for buying a lot of clothes and usually after a month of watching it, I get over it and don’t buy it. Not this time. Along with the sweater vest, I bought a pair of brown tartan print trousers which I thought would go well with the vest so it felt like I had a whole new outfit coming my way.
November 17th: £25 – my new job requires me to work outside for 6 hours a day and let me tell you, it is cold. It made me realise that I was seriously lacking in the hoodie department. One minute it was summer and suddenly winter just hit out of nowhere. I owned 2 hoodies and switching between the 2 each day at work was becoming boring. I have always liked the navy-blue Thrasher hoodie but had never bought it because I had no reason to. I finally had an excuse so I decided to full send it and search for it on Depop. They’re usually around £60 brand new but I managed to barter with a guy on Depop who sold it to me second hand for £25 including shipping. A massive bargain if you ask me and also a bit better for the planet – a win win.
Photo Credit: Zahra Mukadam
November 25th: £12 – one thing I like about winter is feeling nice and cosy inside with the heaters on. I wanted to feel extra cosy this winter so decided to buy myself a pyjama set to reach ultimate comfy vibes. I don’t usually wear proper pyjamas, it’s usually a big t-shirt and loose lounging bottoms. There’s just something about a proper pyjama set that just hits different though and I definitely think it was a good and justified purchase.
November 26th: £18.90 – it was Black Friday on this day and let me tell you, the temptation to buy the entire world was very strong within me. After hours of searching (I know, I need to get a life), I ended up buying just one singular dress and for that, I applaud myself. It was a knitted black and white dress from Collusion and honestly, it stole my heart. I’m absolutely in love with it! Will I be cold wearing this outside? Absolutely. Do I care? Not at all.
Total monthly spend: £75.70
Overall verdict: I’m quite surprised with how much I spent but I definitely don’t regret any of it. I finally have money to treat myself and I don’t think any of my purchases were reckless. It was a good month of finding clothing items that I love and will hopefully have for a long time.
Would you like to anonymously track your fashion and beauty purchases for the period of a month for Accounting for Style? Email [email protected] to express your interest or come along to our weekly meetings every Monday at 6:15pm.
TURN ON FEST – Hope Mill Theatre and Superbia’s annual LGBTQIA+ arts festival – returns with live events next year, following the 2020 launch and the online festival in 2021.
The headline event is a rehearsed reading and concert of The Regulars, a new US folk music musical about identity and self-love which is being produced and developed by Hope Mill Theatre.
Hope Mill Theatre Artistic Director Joseph Houston, said:
“We are thrilled to be bringing Turn On Fest back to live audiences in 2022. While we were glad that we managed to go online with this year’s festival, we felt the loss of not being able to bring artists and audiences together, especially within the LGBTQIA+ community, that we serve.”
Mark Howard moves away from his West Virginia home to a rural, upstate town in search of a new type of family. When he picks up a stockroom position at the town’s local orchard, he’s met with toxic masculinity and comes to terms with his newfound male privilege. During his first day at work, he befriends Dani Thompson, a Black queer woman who is opening her own gay bar. Over time, these two very regular people form and find chosen family in one another and their community.
The Hope Mill will be bringing the team over from America to work with a company of 10 actors on a preview concert showing of the musical, which will then go into workshop and development in early 2023.
Director of ‘The Regulars’, Miss Hazel Jade, said:
“I am unbelievably thrilled to showcase Shish’s (Will Shishmanian) beautiful songs at Turn On Fest and continue developing ‘The Regulars’ with Hope Mill! It is a dream to share the world of Amberland with Manchester audiences.”
Hope Mill Theatre will be collaborating with Trans Creative to double bill The Regulars alongside new Trans writing. This event will be a Trans Social event. Run by Trans Creative, Trans Social Club is a space for trans and non binary people and allies to come together, socialise and share work in a safe trans friendly space to tell our own stories. Come and be part of the first 2022 Trans social club. Look out for the call out for new trans writers mentoring for this performance. Featuring Maz Hedgehog, Taylor Le Fin and more.
Whilst The Regulars is the headline event, the festival has a number of other exciting events that might take your fancy.
The event kicks off The Festival Launch night on Saturday 22nd January with Dungeness by Chris Thompson, directed by Esther Dix, the show will feature a cast of young performers, from Hope Mill Theatre School.
Next up is Turn On Fest Scratch Night, presented by Hive North and Hope Mill Theatre. The event will be a bumper evening of LGBTQ+ live theatre dedicated to developing ideas, sharing sparks of creativity with audiences and asking for your feedback.
The Story of Derek Jarman, written and performed by Mark Farrelly, is a physical, poetic and moving piece about the English film director and gay rights activist.
The venue will host a Turn On Queer Social in their bar area on, creating an opportunity to bring together likeminded creatives and individuals from the city. The venue will also be working with DIBBY theatre and The Proud Trust, offering artist development opportunities and workshops.
Hope Mill Theatre will also be opening up a call out for Queer Artists to receive £250 and a slot as part of an artists development opportunity, which is looking to support a variety of artists who have a piece in development and want to try it out in front of an audience.
Turn On The Mi, will be an evening of LGBTQIA+ song, featuring singers from the community coming together to celebrate queer music from pop and musical theatre. This evening will be hosted by musical theatre performer Duncan Burt.
The penultimate event will be The Regulars.
The festival will close with Turn On – The Prom, “a queer friendly prom for everyone, allowing people to come together and celebrate being their true selves”. The 18+ prom-style event will feature live performances, a DJ and special guests. The event will be in the spirit of recent successes such as Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Ryan Murhpy’s The Prom.
Joseph Houston added: “We have an extremely exciting line up of shows and events this festival and as always we are happy to be working with an array of partners including Superbia, Trans Creative and Hive North. Hope Mill Theatre has become known for its musical productions and championing new work so we are truly honoured to be working alongside the creators of a new trans musical, The Regulars and can’t wait to start the journey of bringing this show to life.
“Since launching the festival in 2020, so many amazing queer artist have already gone on to really exciting careers in the arts, we built this festival both as a spring board for new creatives as well as an opportunity to showcase the best queer art the region has to offer, and I can tell you, there’s an abundance. So Turn Up and Turn On!”
TURN ON FEST 2022 runs at Hope Mill Theatre from 22nd until 30th Janurary.
After waiting throughout the entire pandemic to see them, and following the release of their second album Drunk Tank Pink, I finally got to experience shame at Wide Awake festival in Brockwell Park, Brixton in September 2021. It was a brilliant day, filled with incredible talent (and mullets and hoop earrings). Many indie and underground artists from around the immediate South London area played too.
shame were, however, undoubtedly the highlight for me, and undeniably for many others too. Touring the US in 2022, and releasing a new single earlier this month, ‘This Side of the Sun’ indicates there is far more to see from them. Only in their early twenties, shame are still early in their career and will continue to stretch even further.
Photo: Shame headlining Wide Awake Festival 2021 @ Emily Johnston for The Mancunion
The post-punk revival genre has gained a lot of traction in the last decade, arguably following the wave of indie-rock – and further to that, landfill indie – in the noughties. The ‘Post Punk 2k’ playlist on Spotify, with 209,000 followers, or ‘Melomania’ with 28,000 followers, proves the hold this genre has over many, including myself.
The left-field genre not only essentially revives heavier guitar music, but incorporates many other genres such as techno, jazz, and electro-pop. Bands garnering popularity in this genre will arguably be remembered for years to come. Their albums will continue to be held in high esteem. Bands such as shame, Fontaines D.C., IDLES, Squid, Dry Cleaning, Sports Team, black midi, and many more have helped to widen the genre. At concerts and festivals, you see not only middle aged men who are perhaps more experienced with the rock scene, but also teenage girls who are only just discovering the scene.
The concert:
Genre-crossing artist Sam Akpro was first support. Garage-rock band THEGOA EXPRESS were second on. Both bands were dressed head-to-toe in consistently neutral fitted clothes, much like shame themselves. The influence of Britpop, alternative and garage in their music manifests the versatility of the genre. shame garner applause for them in the middle of the show, and it is clear that they consider them friends and truly value their music.
Disco beats and strobe lights preceded the concert, getting the crowd hyped up for their fast-paced album opener ‘Alphabet’. The foam fingers they were selling as merch were widespread in the crowd. Even their new single, only a few weeks old, had a hold on everyone. It also warmed me to the single which initially didn’t really pick up my attention. The crowd was ferocious and I didn’t really go in the pit, although in hindsight now I wish I did. shame are the type of band whose audience know how to move.
Photo: shame performing at Manchester O2 Ritz @ Emily Johnston for The Mancunion
“I hope that you’re hearing me”
The intensity and raucousness of some of their set really does establish them as a punk band, wreaking havoc around the stage. Frontman Charlie Steen climbed around the stage and balanced on the crowd in a move equal parts weird and impressive. However, they balance this nicely with what is at the band’s core: feisty guitar music. You can hear influences of Parquet Courts and Talking Heads. By the halfway point, Steen’s shirt was off and he was swinging the mic stand around. Multiple times throughout the concert he would gesture to the crowd to open up a mosh pit. This was particularly memorable during ‘Concrete’. Steen signalled to the crowd for the audience to open the circling pit repeating “I hope that you’re hearing me“.
Standout moments
A standout track for me was ‘The Lick’. It’s a wry and introspective narrative, and like in Brockwell Park, Steen recites it like a story. Steen rants to us directly about mundane societal demands. Maybe I am biased because it’s a highlight of their debut for me, but I absolutely love the way they perform it, and how the crowd just unleashes at the end. Songs from their new album are easily a hit too, such as ‘Water in the Well’ and ‘March Day’. The thumping drum, a characteristic of their new album, easily excited the crowd.
The afterparty at YES
Post-gig I went to YES, just down the road from the Ritz, to continue (and ultimately finish) the night. One pint down and lo and behold, members of THE GOA EXPRESS are sitting at the table next to us on the terrace, and Charlie Steen and Sam Akpro follow suit. After asking Steen if he enjoyed the gig, grabbing a quick photo, and a firm handshake, it was time to go home. As per every good gig, my ears were ringing, I was full of adrenaline and I had shame’s discography on shuffle, every song sounding just as good as I had heard it just two hours before.
You can listen to shame’s sophomore album Drunk Tank Pinkhere.
Many young artists struggle to have their ideas heard or executed in the ways they want. When I interviewed Freya Beerin April, she told me ‘I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I know what I want.’
If Beer’s set at Manchester’s Night & Day Café is anything to go by, it is clear that she is successfully crafting her own artistic universe. It’s one that takes her love of art, literature, and film, and combines this with her own personal style and experiences to make for an enchanting and enigmatic presence.
A disco ball hangs overhead, refracting many-hued fragments of light, and a sense of nostalgia sits in the air.
With Beer, every visual, every lyric, every riff is carefully arranged, purposefully placed. But don’t be mistaken. She’s self-assured, not cocky. With every note she casts a spell across listeners, who hang on to each poetic utterance, each breathy intonation.
The instrumentation, part post-punk, part glam-rock, complements her luscious vocals, substantiating her status as soon-to-be rock star. Sometimes her voice reaches the ethereality of Lana Del Rey, other times it’s deep and commanding, resembling PJ Harvey.
Dressed in a slinky black velvet jumpsuit and with a black lace cape draped on her shoulders, Beer evokes the Pre-Raphaelite painting she sings of in the seductive ‘Siren’. Her sultry vocals and smoky riffs pierce through the crowd.
Freya Beer described her music to me as a ‘gothic tribal ritual’, something which translates when the tracks are brought to life onstage. ‘The Calm Before The Storm’ is a stomping affair, elevated by its strident guitars and Beer’s elegiac delivery. Meanwhile the title track of her debut record Beast, released in October of this year, with simmering instrumentals and a striking vocal delivery imbues the room with this energy.
Freya cites Nick Cave and Charles Bukowski as major inspirations, so its unsurprising that her lyricism is so rife with imagery, each song telling its own story. “Rosemary’s on my mind / Telling me she’s coming through in divining time” she sings in the vivid ‘Secret Garden’. There’s a certain melodrama to the music, her words underpinned by cinematic crescendos.
Her sleek black hair, like a charcoal curtain, swings as she sways to the music, leaning into the indigo guitar she effortlessly wields. During the thunderous ‘Dear Sweet Rosie’, she riffs off of her other bandmates, jamming to the tune’s formidable melody. Meanwhile the influence of the Romantic poets can be felt in its lyrics.
In true glam-rock fashion, she whips up a shimmering rendition of T-Rex’s ’20th Century Boy’, which goes down a storm. With her captivating stage presence and unique artistry, Freya Beer is certainly not to be missed live!
In the second installation of our student-owned businesses series, Lauren Manning interviews Libby Elliott: a second-year student who makes and sells her own wire wrap jewellery.
So, can you introduce us to your business?
I sell handmade crystal and bead jewellery using wire wrapping techniques. My aim is to make products that are as affordable and as sustainable as possible! I think too many mainstream brands who sell crystal pieces are massively up-charging.
Where did the name Libra Dream come from?
I’m a Libra. One day the name just came to me … I liked it, so it stuck.
IMAGE: DESIGNED BY LAUREN MANNING
How did you first get started making jewellery?
My friend gifted me a crystal ring making kit for Valentine’s Day, and it all stemmed from that. I researched online what tools I needed to make wire rings and earrings, watched some tutorials, and started selling them. I was really into crystals and spirituality at that point, so I had a lot of crystals laying around my uni room. I used those wrapping them with wire to make necklaces.
Originally, I started the business to raise money for Nordoff Robbins, a music charity my Dad used to raise money for. It was a lot of trial and error at first … it was hard making sure the crystals didn’t fall out of the wire. I just had to keep reminding myself that I was learning and as a start-up people aren’t expecting expensive and meticulously designed perfection.
It really helped that my friends and flatmates were so supportive as well – they’d always send me ideas and tutorials that they stumbled across.
CREDIT: ESTY @LIBRADREAM
So, you started your business because of your own interest in spirituality. Is that still what inspires you?
Well once I started making jewellery and getting custom orders or suggestions, it gave me so many ideas about different stones, patterns and methods I could use in future.
I have a lot of new ideas I’d love to try out when I make a bit more profit, which motivates me. It is a slow process at uni because I don’t have all the time in the world and being on a student budget poses challenges.
But I’d love to be able to make more TikToks and hopefully go viral! I guess the prospect of future success inspires me. I find a lot of inspiration from other small businesses too. People are so supportive and are willing to promote and collaborate with you – it’s a community I love being a part of.
Who is your jewellery mainly aimed at?
It’s aimed at anybody who’s interested in spirituality and crystals and wants to wear them – just people who like jewellery! Obviously, the jewellery is more ‘effeminate’ so to speak, but I’ve had boys model for me.
I’m also working on making larger, plainer spoon rings that are catered more towards the male jewellery market. I started making beaded chokers and necklaces due to demand, but my primary aim is to get people into crystals via affordable jewellery. Spirituality is becoming more popular amongst Gen Z, but I have a considerable number of adults who buy from me – which makes me so happy. It’s nice knowing my jewellery doesn’t look too ‘young’ or ‘cheap’, meaning older people will take an interest too.
CREDIT: ESTY @LIBRADREAM
That’s a pretty large target market. How do you market your products?
Social media is a big part of marketing for me. I sell on Etsy, so I mainly operate out of Instagram to direct people there easily. It’s also the easiest way to post updates about new drops. I’ve posted a few TikToks and I’m hoping to gain more of a following there in future. T
o be honest, word of mouth has ended up being a lot more important than I thought it would be. When my friends tell their friends about my products, that’s usually a guaranteed sale. Exposure on Instagram is obviously very important too, but it doesn’t mean the person who liked the photo is going to make a purchase. I know I’d personally rather buy a ring made by a friend than one I saw on an Instagram ad!
Nevertheless, I do work with some influencers for exposure. Romeo Beckham’s girlfriend, Mimi Regan, promoted my products which helped me gain a lot of followers and sales. It’s great that loads of influencers now have a big focus on supporting small businesses, as many often reach out to me!
That sounds like a lot of work. How do you manage to balance everything while at university?
It’s harder than I thought. The business ultimately gets put on hold when I have uni work or big social events which is frustrating. I hate knowing I’m neglecting my business and taking a while to reply to messages – it does have a knock-on effect on sales.
I’ve learnt that keeping your followers engaged by planning ahead and having content ready is extremely important. I’ll often save photos or TikToks to drafts now so I can post them when I’m busy. I’ll also just go back to promoting my classic products – my rings and earrings. It’s easy to forget how important the original quintessential products are and get carried away with the anxiety of not making loads of new elaborate pieces.
CREDIT: ESTY @LIBRADREAM
What’s been the most difficult part of having your own jewellery brand?
Finance. I didn’t originally budget very well, or get financial advice. My overdraft took a huge hit as I jumped in at the deep end. Over time I’ve learnt to discipline myself and keep a log of everything.
It’s all too easy to get a business idea and just want to get started right away, but you have to budget. I’m keen to make spoon rings, but the equipment to do so is currently out of my budget. For now, I’m going to wait until I have more in savings than what I think I’ll need just to be safe. If they don’t sell as expected, it means I’ll still have money to fall back on to invest in something else.
What advice would you give to other students who want to start their own businesses?
Money will not always be constant! You’ll make so much money on your original drops from friends and their friends but, after a few drops, this reliable customer base will stop. They can’t all keep buying off you, so you need to market outwards or have money to invest in lots of different products. I’d recommend spending the first profit you make on paying for Instagram ads. They’re easy to buy and you can direct people to your account or your website.
I’d also say be honest with your customers about why you’ve priced something how you have. When I first made phone charms, I explained that it took a lot of trial and error and was a very time-consuming project to get going, so they were about £15. People appreciate transparency and it’s important to communicate your process.
Where do you see your business going in the future?
I really want to work with more influencers, create a bigger presence on TikTok and eventually make products that both men and women would be interested in wearing. I still need to learn to time manage a bit better, especially for next year which will be my final year at uni. But I’m hoping to find the perfect balance.
Every time we approach yet another seemingly never-ending international break, most football fans let out a collective sigh of despair. It is another two weeks until they can go back to following their domestic teams, the clubs they are more passionate about supporting. Many fans view international breaks as dull, with pointless fixtures, and a narrative lacking excitement.
Players have started complaining too, citing fixture congestion, and the tiring impact of international travel. Yet, for smaller nations, the international break presents an opportunity to play against the world’s best, and elite players are still honoured to represent their countries. The international break is not wholly unwelcome but with the added negative impact of travel that Covid adds, as well as the detrimental effects frequent flying has on the environment, a rethink of the international calendar is being considered.
An overcrowded playing schedule can have hugely damaging physical consequences on players. Modern day footballers compete and train so frequently that even a small number of extra games could seriously harm their fitness and wellbeing.
Courtois is correct in his assertion. No one could truly claim there to be any footballing or emotional passion surrounding the Nations League 3rd place play-off. However, UEFA push for it as they can show it on TV and gain extra revenue. On top of limited interest, it adds to an already packed schedule for the players. Courtois further mentioned his dissatisfaction with the hectic calendar, with this game adding to it. He describes how footballers are overworked and only have 2 weeks full holiday a year. They have to play the whole season till June, and then still take part in the Nations League if they qualify.
Wikimedia Commons, via Кирилл Венедиктов
The number of potential international fixtures is a crucial factor in players being overexerted. A perfect example is the game time of Pedri during the 2020-21 season. He played a remarkable 75 games over the course of the season, including reaching the semi-final of the Euros and finals of the Olympics. He even played the first two games of the 2021-22 season before being given holiday. This level of exercise could damage his muscles and hinder his development.
Pedri played 5273 minutes last season in all competitions. Compared to other intense team sports the numbers are startling. The most minutes played in the NBA last season was 2667 by Julius Randle. There is clearly an acceptance from governing authorities that footballers are playing too many games, evidenced by the permanent introduction of nine substitutes being named on the bench, and five substitutes being allowed to be made till December 2022 at least.
The number of mismatched contests between teams where the result is essentially a formality is another criticism of the international break. It bores fans and doesn’t seem to serve a competitive purpose. England frequently draws San Marino in World Cup or European qualifiers. San Marino are the lowest-ranked international team in the world, positioned 210th. England’s most recent result was a 10-0 win against the minnows, and in eight meetings with them, England have only conceded once, scoring 52 times. This is not just confined to the men’s sport, with England women recently beating Latvia 20-0 in a World Cup qualifier.
It begs the question of what aim is being achieved in these fixtures. Until recent success in the 2020 Euros and the 2018 World Cup, England men would cruise into international tournaments, having played only straightforward games in easy qualification groups. It did not stand them in good stead, often bowing out of tournaments acrimoniously. A higher standard of competition in the qualification games during the international break would be welcome.
International competition also has a harmful impact outside of sport. The carbon footprint created by constant international flights is hugely damaging to the environment. Footballers representing their countries will travel all over the world incredibly frequently. In recent weeks, the West Ham ownership have splashed out £100,000 on providing Michail Antonio a private jet back from his international duty in Jamaica. As environmental journalist George Monbiot writes, “It is hard to think of a better formula than a global sporting event for causing maximum environmental damage”.
There are also difficulties surrounding international matches with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With international travel across the world still hampered, and fifth waves hitting Europe, it does not make sense for international sport to fully resume as normal. Isolation is still required in most countries and is another logistical problem.
Despite the negative aspects of the international break, there are a host of positive elements. For smaller nations it produces financial incentives and an amazing opportunity to play in front of enormous crowds in big stadiums. Competing internationally is a hugely proud moment for players and their family. These fixtures can also provide players with international exposure and an opportunity to prove themselves. Dele Alli gained plaudits and cemented himself as an England player after arguably his best performance in an England shirt in a 3-2 friendly win against Germany in Berlin.
Outside of Europe, the international break is viewed with even more importance. There are rivalries and important matches that take place. For example, the US and Mexico, as the two major powers of CONCACAF, maintain strong competition when they face each other. Games such as these would be missed if fewer international breaks occurred.
Additionally, the international break does still serve a purpose. International managers can work on tactics with their players, and those remaining at their clubs can receive more tailored coaching in smaller groups. The qualification process is not as simple as some make it out to be. Whilst England generally don’t struggle, they did not qualify for the Euros in 2008. Other giants such as the Netherlands missed out on the Euros in 2016 and then the World Cup in 2018. Portugal and Italy are both in the play-offs for World Cup 2022 positions, with no certainty of qualification.
Fixtures are proving increasingly competitive, with the Nations League introduced for this exact purpose. It places similarly ranked teams in groups with each other and allows smaller teams a chance of victory, and higher teams a more competitive field. Many fixtures taking place during the international break aren’t meaningless, especially not for the players. Gareth Bale, one of the world’s best players over the last decade, is well known to prefer playing for Wales than at club level with Real Madrid. His motivation towards Wales was so strong he has considered the unorthodox step of retiring from club football, but still competing for his country.
Wikimedia Commons, via Lewis Clarke
As a result of the complaints surrounding the international break from all parties in football there has been consideration of a new footballing calendar, pioneered by Arsene Wenger. In consultation with FIFA, working as the Head of Global Development, he has suggested holding biennial World Cups, with a reduced number of international breaks during the season.
The breaks would be rarer but longer, featuring more games in one period. He argues it would tackle “chaos” and “congestion” and adds that: “What is absolutely detrimental to the players is repeated travelling and jet-lag. With reducing the qualifying period, I believe that the clubs will benefit, the players would benefit.”
This plan would provide structural change that would reduce the number of matches and travel, whilst delivering more meaningful games. This would be beneficial to players in allowing them more rest and improving the balance of time they spend at their clubs. Currently, players are supposed to spend 80% of their time with their clubs and 20% on international duty, but this is not always respected. Wenger’s idea would also reduce travelling which is good from an environmental perspective.
Wenger is an all-time great, he revolutionized the Premier League and the modern player with new ideas around fitness and diets. However, his proposition has been met with mixed reviews. The European Club Association responded to the idea of biennial world cups as having a “direct and destructive impact on the club game, both domestically and internationally.” In addition, the proposals would put players’ health and wellbeing at risk. They would dilute the value and meaning of club and country competitions.” “They would diminish and conflict with women’s and youth football.” Despite the ECA’s dislike of the plan, there have been more positive responses to suggestions for a new footballing calendar. But still, a YouGov showed that the most popular opinion of fans would be keeping the World Cup in its current four-year cycle.
The fact that most fans are in favour of maintaining the status quo shows that despite its flaws, the current footballing calendar functions smoothly enough. There are non-competitive matches that take place, but these are unavoidable. It would not make sense for all the top teams to play each other in qualifying and in every international break; this would defeat the purpose of international tournaments.
Wenger’s idea has players’ interests at heart, but it is too radical to gain massive support, and more breaks for international footballers is still needed. A reasonable compromise to international football would be smaller changes such as the Nations League, and more reform of this kind should be encouraged. The international break has room for improvement but is certainly not pointless.
On the 19th of November, the University of Manchester swimming team arrived in Sheffield, for the first competitive gala since before March 2020.
Ponds Forge played host for the championships, where medals were won by Jamie Ingram and solid performances put in across the board. Jamie won two silver medals: in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly, losing out on both occasions to a member of the Greek national team and Olympian, Andreas Vazaios.
Jamie’s third medal of the meet came in the 50m butterfly event, half a second off of gold. Women’s vice-captain, Lara Richmond commended the spirit within the Manchester camp, saying “the whole team pulled together to create an incredible atmosphere poolside, as our first event back after Covid, it was great to build a bond through supporting each other in competition.”
Success also came in the men’s 200m freestyle relay, where Christian Tai, Kieran Beckett, James Watson and Jamie Ingram finished eighth, in the hotly contested A final. Social Secretary Erin Birney applauded the “brilliant performances,” particularly of the relay teams and praised all of the swimmers, saying “the whole team were on top form and our support was, of course, the loudest.”
Attention for the University swim team now turns to long course BUCS, taking place in February, at the same venue. In the meantime, other members of the competitive squad will represent the swimming team against local universities in the BUSL league.
If you’re an avid hater of the now-infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte and came here hoping to read yet another exasperated hate-piece on the autumnal beverage – I’m sorry to say that this might disappoint!
But, surprisingly… it was pretty tasty. I think I could even call myself a fan!
If you don’t like sugary coffee, I would stay clear, but as someone who doesn’t mind sugar, I loved it! It’s really a great treat for a hefty work day at the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons (Ali G), and definitely isn’t sickly.
Of course, it’s grossly overpriced. A £4.05 small coffee is pretty much unjustifiable, especially considering its only real distinguishing feature is a few pumps of ‘pumpkin’ syrup. Yet, if we hated drinks based solely on price, then we’d loathe almost every drink from popular chain coffee shops. If our collective hate for the PSL was because of our criticisms of capitalism then this might be justified, yet there is surely something else lurking behind our detest.
Weirdly, I felt embarrassed ordering a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Ordering it at the coffee shop felt genuinely demoralising. But this makes me wonder – where does this genuine hatred of the (otherwise innocuous) PSL derive? What makes it so… intense?
As we know, in popular culture the PSL has become synonymous with the ‘basic’ teenage girl, who plasters it over her Instagram in an autumnal aesthetic. It’s certainly overdone, and we’ve seen it all before. Despite this, it’s pretty harmless.
However, the criticism behind PSLs is so widespread and intense, that the issue is easy to miss at first glance.
In a Vox article last year, they suggested that the negative connotations toward PSLs are more about contempt towards women rather than the drink itself. It’s this idea that if teenage girls enjoy something, it is immediately mocked, criticised, and made out to be ridiculous.
It makes me wonder whether it would be the same story if the main PSL loving demographic were men.
Maybe I have thought about this too deeply. However, my embarrassment when ordering the latte was real, and the fact that it was socially constructed wouldn’t be too unreasonable to suggest. After all, the hyper-criticism of the PSL does seem to be synonymous with the hyper-criticism of women everywhere.
Teenage girls are mocked incessantly for their interests, and only a moment’s thought can uncover plenty more examples of this. Take astrology, for instance. Developed by the Babylonians around 2,400 years ago, in recent years astrology has increased in popularity – particularly among millennial women. Its feminisation has led, inevitably, to its mockery. When women and teenagers begin to take an interest in something, it’s instantly stripped of serious meaning, and categorised as futile.
Even when teenage girls show interest in things that are considered traditionally ‘masculine’, there’s still ridicule. For instance sports, comics, and video games. Recently, particularly on the app ‘TikTok’, these are seen as ‘pick me’/ tomboy tropes. It’s almost absurd to think that a girl just simply enjoys these things.
Whilst examples like this may seem trivial, their recurrence proves that a more insidious (and patterned) truth exists. Women, and teenage girls, are mocked for things that they enjoy: from pumpkin spice lattes to astrology, scented candles, makeup, and Taylor Swift. Frankly, constant belittlement like this is exhausting.
What lies beneath this triviality, however, is an even more sobering realisation. If we continuously mock teenage girls for their interests, we risk also sending this message: that theirideasare ridiculous too. The ramifications of this are potentially even more unfortunate, finding their way into the wider societal sphere. Perhaps, for example, women’s under-representation in higher-paying professional positions is the logical progression of this early-onset ridicule. Could it be that women are conditioned to believe that their ideas are not worth the top-paying wage?
My takeaway from this initial PSL review is this: let’s give women the same freedom that men seem to have to enjoy whatever (harmless) thing they choose, whether it be drinks, activities, or bands. I, for one, will definitely be ordering a few more Pumpkin Spice Lattes this Winter, shamelessly!
For the first time in its history, the Royal Exchange Theatre (RX) has announced a season covering an entire year. Whilst it’s a tradition that the RX announces two seasons a year – Winter and Summer – new Joint Artistic Directors Bryony Shanahan and Roy Alexander Weise seem determined to make their mark on the theatre with a string of ambitious (and exciting) changes.
Shanahan made clear her ambition and creativity when we interviewed her – and she has not disappointed.
One of the most unique theatres in the country, the RX’s auditorium is a futuristic glass structure in the middle of a restored exchange building that was bombed by both the Nazis and the IRA! Yet, the RX continues to reinvent itself, embracing change whilst holding on to its core values, such as championing diversity and inclusivity – though I guess being diverse and dynamic feed into each other.
The RX’s 2022 season was announced at a lovely press breakfast – the “2022 Programme Launch Event” – where a breakfast social was followed by speeches from acclaimed actor and Artistic Ambassador Maxine Peake and two Cheetham Hill Ambassadors, Shanahan and Weise (and Peake again), and Stephen Freeman – the RX’s Executive Director.
It was exciting to have Peake at the event. She has a long history with the RX, from playing the title characters in both Hamlet and The Striker to Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire and Winnie in Happy Days. Whilst Hamlet, The Striker and Streetcar played over consecutive years (2014, 2015 and 2016), she took a year out in 2017 before returning for Happy Days in 2018. Sadly, that was the last time she performed at the RX – until now!
The Programme
The 2022 programme is thrilling and enticing, with something for everybody – comedy, thriller, and, of course, an annual musical for the holiday season!
The season opens with Stef Smith’s Nora: A Dolls House, a domestic thriller directed by Bryony Shanahan – her first sinceBloody Elle – A Gig Musical, which reopened the theatre in 2021. A searing adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House – a proto-feminist play that scandalised Victorian audiences – that follows three distinct and remarkable Noras over the course of 100 years of women’s liberation, from voting rights to contraception and modern-day life. Award-winning writer Stef Smith (Enough, Human Animals) makes her RX debut with this deftly beautiful play originally seen at the Citizens Theatre in 2019.
The second show in the season is Tim Foley’s Electric Rosary, which won the 2017 Bruntwood Prize Judges’ Award. Set in a time where nuns are scarce and robots are commonplace, a council-funded robot-nun is invited to join a convent. I’m already sold!
Foley’s (Astronauts of Hartlepool) innovative play was supposed to play at the RX in 2020. With direction by Jaz Woodcock-Stewart (Civilisations, Gulliver’s Travels), it is sure to electrify audiences when it finally arrives.
Photo: Royal Exchange Theatre.
Hair, Wigs and Wake-Up: A commitment to care for afro and multitextured hair (April 2022)
The latest digital project from the Royal Exchange Theatre! Following consultations with performers the Exchange reschooled their thought process on how best to serve multi-textured hair types. The result is a brand-new series of short educational films created by the Exchange’s Wigs, Hair and Make-up Lead Joanna Shepstone and Consultant Hair Stylist and Co-creator Gege Uboma of The Afro Curly Hair Coach. These two exceptional hair professionals have joined forces, sharing knowledge, skills and a passion for excellent hair care to create eight films designed to contribute to and enhance the knowledge of theatrical wigs & hair care for performers with afro and multi-textured hair. These films will be free to access via the Exchange’s website and social platforms from April 2022.
A portrait of celebrated actor Ira Aldridge was the very first artwork purchased by Manchester Art Gallery in 1827. Now, in 2022, Roy Alexander Weise brings his extraordinary story to the Manchester stage in a brand-new production of Lolita Chakrabarti’s (Hymn, Life of Pi) award-winning Red Velvet.
As riots took place in the streets of London over the Abolition of Slavery, a young and revolutionary African-American actor stepped into Covent Garden to fill the shoes of London’s greatest actor, Edmund Kean.
Following his critically acclaimed production of The Mountaintop, Weise brings a new intimacy to this stunning play.
Photo: Royal Exchange Theatre.
The Den in Cheetham Hill
Mirroring the spaceship-like theatre found in the city centre, The Den is the RX’s sustainable mobile theatre which will be ‘popping-up’ in Cheetham Hill this July. Programmed by the Cheetham Hill Ambassadors in partnership with the Royal Exchange, this beautiful wooden and canvas theatre will be home to a multitude of projects from community plays to workshops, readings, family events and so much more. The Den forms an integral part of the Local Exchange Programme, which is supported by The Oglesby Charitable Trust and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
The last Tennessee Williams’ play performed at the RX was, of course, the aforementioned A Streetcar Named Desire – a soaring adaptation that starred Maxine Peake (my first time seeing her onstage). The Glass Menagerie, which played at the Royal Exchange about a decade ago, is a poetic and bruising portrayal of a family on the brink of change. Like Electric Rosary, it was supposed to be staged in 2020. Award-winning director Atri Banerjee (Harm) returns to the Exchange following his acclaimed production of Hobson’s Choice. Tennessee Williams’ semi-autobiographical memory play pulls apart the complex dynamics of an oppressive family life, and shows how unpredictable, painful and volatile memory can be.
Jack Throne’s (His Dark Materials, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvists’s cult novel, Let The Right One In, is another play that was supposed to play at the RX in 2020. In a world where adults are failing them, two teenage outsiders are drawn to each other. One a bullied, isolated teenage boy, the other a feral, lonely and dangerous vampire. Separated by centuries and rejected by society, they find salvation in each other – and so begins a chilling and unlikely friendship. This unforgettable vampire story has gained cult status across the world; it is a sharp and reflective coming-of-age story that asks its audience to recognise and value the humanity in us all. This is the second play in the 2022 season to be directed by Shanahan.
Photo: Royal Exchange Theatre.
The Bruntwood Prize for Playwrighting
Created in partnership with Bruntwood and The Oglesby Charitable Trust, this prestigious award is back. Submissions will open in January 2022 before closing on 6th June. Established writers and those who may never have written a play are encouraged to submit through an anonymous judging process, meaning each entry is judged on its own merit. Those looking to try their hand at playwriting ahead of submissions opening can find a wealth of free resources on the writeaplay website, including hugely popular online workshops from some of the industry’s top professionals. Further details – including the 2022 prize categories and the announcement of the judging panel – will be released in January.
A brand-new musical (sort-of) written by and starring Maxine Peake and Seiriol Davies, with direction by former Royal Exchange Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom. Peake’s last RX show was Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days – not exactly the easiest watch. Betty!, however, sounds like a real riot of a show!
In a small village hall, The Dewsbury Players (Yorkshire’s most passionate, dedicated and inventive amateur-dramatics society), have come together to celebrate their most eminent local hero, Dewsbury-born Betty Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House. The award-winning writer, performer and composer Seiriol Davies (How to Win Against History) joins forces with the brilliant creative partnership of Maxine Peake and Sarah Frankcom (The Striker, Happy Days, The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca, The Nico Project), who have developed some of Manchester’s most original theatre productions.
Here lies another notable change by the RX’s new Joint Artistic Directors. In the past, the RX has always adapted famous musicals (e.g.Gypsy) for the holiday season. Whilst this year’s musical is The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart – a little-known folk musical – the RX is being even more radical next year by welcoming a brand-new musical – sort-of!
Photo: Royal Exchange Theatre.
DISRVPT
The Royal Exchange Theatre’s DISRVPT programme – a series of special events curated by Joint Artistic Directors Bryony Shanahan and Roy Alexander Weise that seek to disrupt the equilibrium of the Exchange’s Great Hall – will continue throughout the year including another event sponsored by WarnerMedia in Autumn 2022.
The RX’s resident award-wining companies – the Young Company and the Elders Company – will continue to make, shape and develop work across the year to be seen in the theatre, the Den, and across Greater Manchester.
The Elders Company is not the only opportunity that the RX has to offer for older people. Head to their Elders Programme page to find out more.
Photo: Royal Exchange Theatre.
The Dream Project, currently under development, will form an integral part of the Elders programme next year. The exciting new project, led by award-winning theatre artist Cheryl Martin, is for older African and African-Caribbean Diaspora people from Greater Manchester who want to tell their story.
Photo: Royal Exchange Theatre.
Having taken part in the RX’s competitive Behind the Scenes Work Week when I was 15, I’m well aware of the theatre’s commitment to helping young talent develop their skills and, eventually, break into the industry.
Following in from the success of the Young Company’s show The Survivors Guide to Living, director (and Young Company alumni) Anna Berenzten returns to direct an epic summer production.
It’s safe to say that the Northern Quarter (NQ) is definitely not short of bars and restaurants. They’re the backbone of the area, which means you have to be especially selective if you want to find something special. One of my favourite things about NQ is its speakeasy bars, until now only for people in the know. The secret bars hide in plain sight, behind invisible doors and with covert codes, as though you’re the only one who knows about them. As they say, knowledge is power.
First up is Science & Industry, a little speakeasy above an NQ classic, Cane and Grain. You truly wouldn’t know this one is there unless you knew it was there: an unsuspecting wall opens to reveal a mysterious staircase leading up to a cosy cocktail bar. This place is about more than just its appearance though. Original cocktails are there to compete with any in the city and if you ask nicely, one of the talented mixologists might rustle you up something special.
Next on the list is Behind Closed Doors. Now this one isn’t for the faint of heart, with retro erotica as part of the aesthetic, and soul and funk at the very centre of everything. Nestled away on Oldham Street, BCD describe themselves as a “debauched cocktail bar”. Showcasing all things vintage, each table has its own private phone line connecting you either to the bar or another table. The cocktails go down far too smoothly. From frozen fruitiness to creamy concoctions, you can barely taste the alcohol.
Junior Jackson is another relatively new dive bar tucked away on Oldham Street next to Lost Cat, a bar hidden behind a wall of plants. The hidden door leads you to the stairs where you’ll find what’s been described as “Bunny Jackson’s ‘bratty sibling’”. Plastered with posters and graffiti, they play classic jukebox music with something for everyone, from rock- to soul- to country. You’re guaranteed a good time with the loud music and movies playing in the background- it’s nothing short of hectic!
Of course, the Washhouse deserves a mention. This infamous bar is hidden behind what appears to be a laundrette. Whilst none of the machines work, (unlike Domino, a little jazz dive bar hidden under a functioning barbershop in Leeds) once you’ve picked up the phone, you can disappear through the dryer into a cocktail haven. This one requires a bit of planning ahead as it’s now bookings only, (thanks COVID!) but it’s well worth the hassle. Their slightly bizarre, yet very inventive cocktails are all kinds of creative. From cocktails presented as bowls of cereal to ones flavoured like pickle, they really do seem to have it all.
Last on the list is potentially Manchester’s best-kept secret: Sherlock’s, a bartender’s sanctuary. This one is potentially the most exclusive on the list, as the catch is that it’s an industry-only bar. You need a payslip, or to know someone who knows someone who could get you in. Sherlock’s is the epitome of a speakeasy, hidden behind a pin code locked wall underneath another well known NQ bar. Go below and a dark dingy bar appears, equipped with low lighting and a pool table where you’ll find the bartenders of Manchester blowing off steam.
Refusing to invite reasoning or explanation, Titane is intent on twisting your expectations. Boldly forcing audiences to just accept and experience its twisted world in full force, the film intertwines beauty with shocking brutality.
A childhood car accident leaves Alexia (Agathe Rousselle) with severe damage to her skull. Rushed to hospital, a titanium plate is placed into her head as life saving treatment. However, the plate has unfounded effects as she experiences a strange change in mental state and develops a new adoration for… cars.
Discharged from hospital, she brushes off her parents and heads across the car park to lovingly embrace the very car that almost killed her, as if reuniting with a dear friend. Going into Titane not knowing anything about it to then experience this opening scene instantly put a smile on my face. It is set up so that audiences honestly have no clue where this story could possibly go.
Titane trailer
It should be made clear that I, like most others, am not a stranger to violence in film, nor does it often shock me. However, the first act of Titane had me lost for words, overwhelmed by tension, and wondering how much more I could take. The opening car crash truly set the tone for the rest of the film; violent and grotesque, but something you cannot tear your eyes from.
The gigantic screen and intensely realistic sound design left no escape from the egregious carnage that unfolds. At points, I admit, I had to look away. Ducournau does not shy away from being explicit, totally immersing the audience in a body-horror nightmare. She takes you through excruciating scenes of bizarre body transformations and mutilations that will make you wince, squirm, and even laugh in disbelief (because if you don’t laugh, you might cry).
After a ruthless first act, Titane eventually switches lanes and transforms into a more tender story that is ultimately about love. Ducournau stated that her vision for the film was for it to depict a story of unconditional love that goes beyond the familial or romantic. As Titane hits the brakes and slows its pace, Ducournau’s vision becomes clearer. This change allows it to dive into a journey between two lost souls coming together in the most absurd but fascinating circumstances.
Titane is a multifaceted film, exploring themes of grief, toxic masculinity, familial relationships, and gender identity. Ducournau weaves these themes together beautifully and develops a nuanced narrative that begs to be studied, exhibiting her talent as a writer, and establishing herself as an important contemporary filmmaker.
Brilliantly shot, the film’s visual storytelling is as impactful as its narrative. One standout moment is a dance scene, filmed in one flawless shot. First-time actress Agathe Rousselle also gives one of the most powerful and compelling performances that had me thinking about the film for days.
Although it didn’t hit me on such a personal level as Raw did, Titane left me amazed and unbelievably excited for Ducournau’s future features. Watching it on the big screen reminded me of what we lacked over lockdown so I wholeheartedly urge you to go and see it in theatres, that is, if you think you can stomach it!
It’s always tricky picking up your next book after reading one you absolutely loved. It can also be hard to put into words the kind of books you’re looking for, especially when you just want to say: ‘I want to read another book exactly like this!’.
To help you with this dilemma we’ve come up with some book swaps. Here are some popular titles and ones we would recommend as follow ups:
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman / The Cactus by Sarah Haywood
Gail Honeyman’s 2017 debut novel Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine captured hearts everywhere. The Cactus will do the same. With a similarly quirky but likeable protagonist, Sarah Haywood’s debut novel is touching, funny and with just the right amount of romance plot for fans of Eleanor Oliphant.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller / The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson
It may seem intimidating to consider reading Homer’s Odyssey after enjoying The Song of Achilles, which itself is only a retelling of The Iliad. However,Wilson’s 2017 translation is deliberately straightforward and accessible. Emily Wilson is the first woman to translate The Odyssey into English, and her perspective is fresh and the text beautifully musical. It’s always worth remembering that classic works contain all the excitement, drama and action of any retellings!
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite / The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
My Sister, the Serial Killer is a comic thriller that explores the limits of sibling relationships. Mohsin Hamid’s novel shares its dark humour and distinctive voice. It is written as an almost one sided conversation as the narrator confides his life story to a stranger in a Lahore cafe. In both books the chapters are short and snappy, and both are effortlessly readable with a few surprises up their sleeves.
An American Marriage byTayari Jones / Where The Crawdad’s Sing by Delia Owens
An American Marriage, the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction winner, covers topics of love, betrayal and justice, precisely as Where The Crawdad’s Sing does. In the prologue of Owens’ novel, a man has died suspiciously, framing a coming of age love story with the tension of potential murder. It is beautifully written, with sumptuous descriptions of the protagonist’s home as she carves a life for herself in the swamplands of North Carolina.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo / The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon
In Girl, Woman, Other, a character describes The Lonely Londoners as being about ‘young Caribbean men in England who get up to mischief and treat women badly, women who don’t even get a chance to speak in the book’. She’s not wrong, but it doesn’t mean Sam Selvon’s 1956 novel isn’t worth reading. If Girl, Woman, Other can be read as a reply to the earlier work, then both novels benefit from being read with a critical and comparative eye. Both works are made up of linked short narratives following a range of characters, ultimately culminating in celebration. The Lonely Londoners is already made up of a number of textual influences, including drawing on oral narrative traditions, and Evaristo is continuing this conversation with a distinctly female voice.
We hope this helps you find some inspiration for your next read! If you’ve read any of our suggestions, remember the book swaps work both ways!
A new series in the lifestyle section is highlighting small businesses owned by University of Manchester (UoM) students. For the first spotlighted business, we interviewed Sophie Walsh, a second-year civil engineering student who creates and sells her own clothing through Planet Soph on Depop.
So, tell us a bit about your business.
I sell screen print tops and jeans that I design myself. I produce the prints with an app where I layer images. These images are then used as the print design for my clothes! Planet Soph is also aimed at people like me I guess as I initially made the tops for myself. As a 19-year-old I’m making tops for people who like similar styles as me – which is quite a broad market!
Where did the name Planet Soph come from?
Well, I started my Depop years and years ago, probably when I was in year nine or ten. I remember that when I first made my Depop account, the boys in my year at school found it and used to call me Planet Soph to make fun of me. I have no idea where Planet Soph came from, but it eventually became my brand name.
Photo: planets0ph @ DEPOP
So, you had Depop way before you started your business. What inspired you to get started?
There was this one brand on Depop called Wreckit which sold really cool screenprint tops before the big screenprint boom on Depop. Nowadays so many people make different designs so you can find anything you want. Before, I saw Wreckit making them.
I liked her designs, so I bought a few of her tops, but I wanted a specific top for me. So, I started making tops for myself, later thinking ‘If I want them, then maybe others will want them too’.
So, I watched a YouTube tutorial on how to make screenprint tops, sold some of my old clothes to buy the equipment and just started making them. It took me about a week of trial and error before I got the prints how I wanted them and got the hang of it. Even now I’m still perfecting my process.
What was the inspiration behind your first designs?
My print designs are of the actress Devon Aoki. I’m half white and half Chinese and I feel like there’s a huge lack of Asian celebrities/people in the public eye. She’s an Asian icon, especially in the 2000s. The 2000s are an era of trends that I gravitate to, so I decided to incorporate her into my designs!
Photo: @planets0ph
Are a lot of customers university students?
A really large percentage of my customers are university students. I can see the delivery addresses on Depop and a lot of them are to halls. It’s been so surreal for me when my friends tell me that they saw someone in their halls or flatmates wearing my tops. I sort of forget I’m sending my products to real people who will wear my stuff and it makes me so happy that people are enjoying what I make.
Do you have international customers as well?
Quite a few of my customers are international. I have a few from Iceland – for some reason, Icelanders seem to love my products! I’m not sure how many of my international customers are university students, but I think they are probably school students at least.
Is it difficult to balance everything – university work, social life and running your business?
As much as I say I can’t handle it all, I’m an organisation freak. I love to organise things, to-do lists, calendars, etc. Because of this, I allocate my time efficiently which helps me manage it all. My notes app honestly runs my life. Every week I have a Monday to Sunday of to-do lists, so I know what I’m doing each day and I can spread it evenly across the days. That way, I know when I have free time to produce my tops or when I have a lot of lectures and will be too tired to work afterwards.
Photo: Lauren Manning
What would you say has been the most difficult part of running your own business?
Definitely getting started. That week of trial and error was so disheartening. I just remember thinking, ‘I can’t get this right; it keeps going wrong!’ Every time it went wrong, I had to spend more money to buy new materials. I didn’t even know if it was worth it, or if I was going to be able to make the money back. Keeping up with demand is challenging as well. The pressure to deliver when I’m trying to balance everything else can be stressful. I know people want my product but if I don’t have the time to produce it then I can’t give them what they want. It can feel like a lot of pressure …
What advice would you give to students wanting to start a business?
I’d say pick something that you genuinely enjoy doing because you’ll be doing it over and over again. I find printing the tops therapeutic: I just sit down and use it as a creative outlet. I know this is pretty classic advice but I’d also advise working out how much money you’re spending so you can figure out when you’re going to be breaking even. But most importantly I’d say just do it. A lot of people talk about things they want to do, but then they never get around to starting it. If you keep thinking about something just do it because one day you’ll regret never trying it. Once you start, you can work it out from there. If you don’t try, you won’t get anywhere.
Photo: @planets0ph
Do you have any long-term goals for your business?
I haven’t really thought about too far in the future, but I do want to improve my production. I just bought some new printing materials that should hopefully make the process quicker and more efficient. I also want to source some more interesting blanks to print on to increase my product range. Eventually, I want to experiment with different colours, styles and sleeve lengths whilst sourcing more vintage jeans as well. Plus creating my own website so people can shop there (Depop takes 10%, PayPal takes 3.4%). It’s a lot of exciting stuff!
Streetwear trends and the latest streetwear drops drive student fashion in Manchester. Many are seen in items from well-known brands on the market like Unknown London and Corteiz, wearing matching coord sets, cargos and tracksuits. We spoke to owner of Manchester brand Ssstock, Mitchell, to turn our attention to a smaller brand making its way onto the market. The brand began as a streetwear start-up, ran alongside university studies, and has since grown to what it is today. Their recent drops have seen popular rhinestone designs, featured on zip-up tracksuit sets, and graphic tees.
Photos: @filmitchell_ on Instagram @ Ssstock
Can you tell me about the brand?
I started the brand when I was in my first year at uni, I studied English so it wasn’t related to my degree. It started out half-heartedly because I didn’t really have the time. I started making some t-shirts in November 2019 and then took a break whilst I was in my final year to focus on it. In July 2021 I left completely, and after saving up during my time at uni, started taking it seriously.
Where does the name come from?
I just thought it sounded cool. The extra letter S’ are just a copyright thing.
What was the idea behind Ssstock, did you have a particular vision?
Its all streetwear. Most of my designs are slightly different, they have my own twist. It’s pretty much just stuff I would wear myself that’s not already on the market.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I don’t get my inspiration from any other brands; I think it’s good to have your own take on things. The only inspiration I have is from pop culture. If you look at my t-shirts, most of them are references to films or music that I like myself. I think that’s the best thing to do for a brand – to have your own personal touch, because then you know another brand hasn’t already done it.
Photo: @filmitchell_ on Instagram @ Ssstock Photo: @filmitchell_ on Instagram @ Ssstock
What’s the design process like?
It takes quite a while from design to production. When I’m designing I keep changing my mind. I’ll think of an idea and change it at least 10 times before I’m happy with it. Production itself happens abroad in Hong Kong. It takes 6 weeks, then 2 weeks for shipping.
You’re a Manchester brand, how does that come into play with what you make?
Some of my designs have been inspired by Manchester culture. Some are to do with the Smiths, and I have ‘Manchester’ written on one of my old t-shirts. I’m thinking of going back to that actually – putting the city on my t-shirts to try and connect with the people of Manchester.
Photos: @filmitchell_ on Instagram @ Ssstock
Any future plans?
I’d like to carry on making similar stuff to what I am now. I’ve been experimenting recently with new printing methods – rhinestones and ‘puffy-print’. I think the best thing to do is to experiment and go out of my comfort zone, that’s the only way I’m going to progress really.
Throughout the course of sports history there have been numerous athletes that have defied the stereotypes and broken down barriers, inspiring millions of people along the way. Here at The Mancunion, we believe that black athletes should be celebrated throughout the year, and not just during Black History Month. Our Sports team has compiled a list of some of the most influential black athletes across sports history (in no particular order).
Marcus Rashford
Eliskfc @ wikimedia commons
Marcus Rashford is an influence to many for his footballing abilities, being the brightest spark in Manchester United’s era since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Having won multiple trophies and broken countless club and international records he is without a doubt a talented young sportsman who only continues to get better. However, we have selected him more for his efforts outside of sport. This football superstar now at the age of only 23 has already made more of an impact on the world than most footballers and activists do in their lifetime.
His achievements speak for themselves, in 2020 he topped The Sunday Times Giving List, also becoming the youngest to ever do so, having donated £20 Million of his own money to tackle child food poverty. The recognition for his work has been received from all over the world, he has been praised by everyone from Jay-Z to Queen Elizabeth II. It is clear to see that free school meals are an issue close to his heart and thanks to his drive he has been able to push the British Government to make changes. He has even been described as a more effective opposition than the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. A constant fighter against child poverty and racism and one of the largest charity donors in the UK, this young man is not just a sporting inspiration but an inspiration to humanity.
Most have heard the name Arthur Ashe, mainly due to it being the name of the US Open stadium, but not the man and his story. He was one of the most talented tennis players of his generation along with the likes of Jim Connors and Bjorn Borg. He became the first black player to be selected for the US Davis Cup Team in 1963 making a strong statement amidst the civil rights movement in America. He continued to make statements within the sport, winning three Grand Slam Singles titles, two Grand Slam doubles titles and four Davis Cup titles for the United States, making him one of the greatest tennis players of all-time.
Not only was he an extremely good tennis player but he was also a powerful advocate for social change in America and around the world. Ashe was arrested twice for his involvement protesting, first for an anti-apartheid rally in 1985 and then again for protesting against the treatment of Haitian Refugees in 1992. He courageously devoted a lot of his time battling poverty, racism and AIDS up until his death in 1993 at the age of 49.
– Ted Hughes
Muhammad Ali
A household name in the 1960s as Cassius Clay, he won an Olympic Gold for the USA and became a World Heavyweight Champion, all before the age of 22. Following his first World Championship win in 1964, he converted to Islam and changed his name to the one that we all know today, Muhammad Ali. As a conscientious objector for the Vietnam War in 1966, Ali was stripped of his titles and his license to box competitively. He was an inspiration for people around the world to stand up for what you believe in and was a large advocate for peace on earth.
With a pardon and return to the sport in the early 1970s, he came back strong and in 1974 he fought George Foreman as the underdog in “The Rumble in the Jungle.” He went on to win by a knockout in the 8th round, thanks to his introduction of the rope-a-dope tactic and therefore becoming Heavyweight World Champion for a second time. Known also for his charismatic and poetic personality, Ali himself and millions of others often referred to him as ‘The Greatest’ and they’re not wrong. Muhammad Ali is the greatest sporting icon of all time, and his story and legacy will continue to inspire people for generations to come.
– Ted Hughes
Simone Biles
Agência Brasil Fotografias @ wikimedia commons
A winner of 25 Gymnastic World Championship Medals, 7 Olympic medals and the joint most decorated gymnast of all-time – all at the age of 24 – is there anything this superstar can’t do? She’s the face of modern gymnastics and one of the most highly anticipated athletes for the past two Olympic games. Despite all her success in her early career, it has not been smooth sailing and she’s had to deal with significant problems outside of the sport. In 2018, Biles came out stating she along with many of her team-mates were survivors of a sexual assault scandal in the US gymnast team. Her strong voice and courage enabled the man responsible, Larry Nassar, to be convicted of his crimes and the US Gymnastic system to become a safer environment for young inspired athletes.
Biles has been in the headlines again this year with her promotion of mental health in sport. Having withdrawn from numerous events at this year’s Olympics just days before, to preserve her mental health, many praised her bravery. Thanks to her the conversation of mental health in sport is now far more open. This young inspiration will most probably become one the most decorated Olympians of all time and will continue to be one of the biggest voices in world sport.
– Ted Hughes
Serena Williams
Hanson K Joseph @ wikimedia commons
She is commonly referred to as the greatest female tennis player of the Open era, and having won a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles along with an additional 14 doubles titles and 2 mixed doubles titles, it’s not hard to see why. She won her first Grand Slam in 1998 and has continued to be the most dominant force in the women’s game for the past 20 years. Her raw strength and aggressive playing style is unmatched in the recent game, with no other female tennis player being a real threat during her tenure. Throughout her career, she has been a large supporter of women’s and black rights and supported countless charities which have helped inspire a new generation of quality tennis players such as Coco Gauff.
Serena’s journey to success is an inspirational one. Born in 1981 she had to fight her way through a toxic environment, when black tennis players were looked down on compared to white equivalents. She had to commit to countless hours of hard work and training along with help from her family and especially her father, Richard, to get into the professional game. Nothing stood in the way of Serena’s goals and she has become an inspiration to all people, showing them they should be strong and break down stereotypes so that we can all make our own stories in life.
– Ted Hughes
Chester Williams
Stemoc @ wikimedia commons
Born in 1970 in the Western Cape, Chester Williams became a key part of the South African Rugby team during the 1990’s. He was a winger, who spent most of his career playing for Western Province. After he retired he coached at a variety of levels, including the South African 7s team and the Ugandan national team.
Most significantly, Williams was the only non-white member of the Springboks 1995 World Cup-winning squad. He featured in the final and semi-final, and even scored four tries in the quarter-final. Williams’ was an idol to many non-white children in South Africa, himself identifiying as “coloured”.
Due to his race Williams faced discrimination from fans and even certain teammates.
The Springbok team were a bastion of white Afrikaner identity, mostly not supported by Black South Africans. Race relations were still tense, with the World Cup hosted in South Africa only one year after Mandela became the first black President and the end of Apartheid. Williams was the first non-white South African international since his uncle Avril Williams, who played a decade earlier.
He was portrayed in the 2009 film, Invictus, and was twice selected to carry the Olympic torch for South Africa. He led a trailblazing career until passing away in 2019.
– Adam Pogrund
Marta
Anders @ wikimedia commons
Generally regarded as the greatest female football player of all time, Marta has led a glittering career with unparalleled achievements. Born in Alagoas, Brazil, the 35 year old has gone on to dominate the women’s game, winning Fifa Player of the Year six times.
Dubbed ‘Pele in skirts’ by the man himself, her contribution to football is spectacular. She was the first player to score in five separate World Cup’s and scored 17 goals in one tournament, the most ever. She is also Brazil’s highest-scoring player of all time. These numbers are record-breaking for both women and men’s football.
Marta currently plays for Orlando Pride, where she is engaged to her teammate Toni Pressley. However, the majority of her career was spent in Sweden, the longest stint of which was playing for Umea IK. She now holds dual Brazilian and Swedish nationality.
Outside of football she is a UN Goodwill Ambassador for women and girls in sport, and was chosen by the UN to be a sustainable development advocate. One of the greatest athletes of her generation, she was named as one of the 100 Women by the BBC, a series focusing on the highest achieving women in the world.
– Adam Pogrund
Michael Jordan
mccarmona23 @ flickr
Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan was a key figure in the popularization of basketball and the NBA outside of the US. He was the leader of a Chicago Bulls team that won a staggering six NBA Championships, which included two three-peats, one from 1991 to 1993 and then another from 1996 to 1998.
Michael isn’t short of any individual accomplishments either, with five MVP awards, a Defensive Player of the Year award, 14 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA selections and six Finals MVP awards to add to his Hall of Fame resume. His influence goes far beyond basketball, with his popular Jordan brand, taking the sneaker world by storm ever since he released the Air Jordans 1 in 1985.
His hard work, commitment and passion towards basketball served as an inspiration for an entire generation of basketball players, such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and many more.
The University of Manchester has a “strict zero tolerance policy” towards drugs. The official Accommodation webpage on Alcohol and Drug Awareness not only threatens both expulsion from halls and academic discipline, but also bears a “don’t let it be you” warning.
Studies show that harm reduction approaches to illicit drugs are not only more progressive, but far more effective in combatting addiction. The University of Bristol recently adopted such a policy, explaining that they understand students use alcohol and other drugs during their time at university. They also state on their site that they appreciate the harm an institution’s zero-tolerance stance can have “as it prevents students reaching out as they may fear being punished.”
A recent survey asked 75 students whether the University’s zero-tolerance policy would discourage them from doing drugs. 91.7% opted for the “No, I don’t care” option, showing students current levels of dissatisfaction with Manchester’s drug policy.
This same survey also revealed that 73.3% of students who participated believe a zero-tolerance policy at University is unfair. The University’s website warns students to be “aware of the dangers associated with taking drugs” so that they may make informed choices about recreational drug-taking. However, the website fails to provide any further information on how students could mitigate the risks.
An official Freedom of Information request by The Mancunion questioned the University on how much money had been spent on drug awareness, safety, and training since 2018. This question was responded to with a brief “N/A”. Likewise, the University said “N/A” in response to how much money has been collected in drug fines over the last four years.
In addition to this, The Mancunion can reveal that all students expelled from Halls for drug possession are offered an “educational course” on their first offence. However, an anonymous ResLife supervisor has revealed this course is not available prior to an offence. They told us that “currently the drug harm reduction talk is basically offered to students as a way to reduce a fine, once they are caught within halls.”
Elaborating further, they told us that they’ve “been wanting to set up a platform for sessions that are open to all students”. However the University “won’t have capacity to do this until January. “
“The idea is that I wanted a safe place for students to talk openly about their drug use with a facilitator to help. This idea has been supported by the Uni but is yet to get off the ground.”
Further statistics surrounding the disciplinary procedures for drug offences reveals that 265 students were disciplined for drug possession over a three-year period. When broken down, the numbers show that 137 students were disciplined for drug possession in the 2018/19 academic year. The statistics for 2019/20 were 81 students whilst 47 students were disciplined in 2020/21.
Over the same three-year period, 7 students were expelled from university halls for drug possession. All 7 students were expelled in the 2018/19 academic year, making it Manchester’s biggest year for drug-related sanctions.
This lack of information on drug safety and addiction is not only acknowledged by ResLife supervisors but felt strongly amongst students. 73.3% of students surveyed would not feel comfortable seeking advice about drugs or alcohol from the University, and 89.3% revealed they would not even know where or who to go to for drug or alcohol-related support or information.
The data from our survey has indicated that students feel far more intimidated to seek support from their university than they feel intimidated to do drugs, questioning the efficacy of the University’s zero-tolerance approach; an approach that also seems to be disproportionately affecting Medicine and Nursing students.
In their response to the Freedom of Information request, the University informed us that they “do not impose academic penalties (outside of expulsion) for non-academic misconduct”. They also said that “each case would be considered individually.”
Yet an anonymous nursing student has stated, “I definitely have to be more careful, as if anybody knew I was a nurse and witnessed me taking drugs on a night out with mates I could easily be could be kicked off my course”. She believes she is at a much higher risk of expulsion than students from other courses due to the “reputation a nursing student must uphold”.
Likewise, one of her peers – who has also chosen to remain anonymous – has revealed that her flat of nursing and midwifery students were given a group disciplinary hearing followed by individual meetings with academic advisors after hosting a party. Her and her colleagues were warned against engaging in “antisocial behaviour” as nurses (smoking, vaping, and drinking). She has disclosed that the academic advisor did acknowledge that these punishments often come down harsher on nurses, medical students, and midwives.
However, the University told The Mancunion that it is not official university policy to expel Medicine students for drug-related offences. They said that “there is no automatic exclusion for drugs offences; such matters would be dealt with, e.g. by Occupational Health, Fitness to Study or Fitness to Practise. Ultimately, of course, exclusion could be a possibility but each case would be considered individually.”
Recently the University of Manchester’s Students Union has launched a drug-testing scheme, where kits are available for students to collect and test their drugs to see if they are safe for consumption. However, only 23% of students The Mancunion surveyed are aware that the Student’s Union provides drug testing kits. Yet 64.9% of students would have reservations about calling an ambulance to Halls of Residence for an overdosing friend, for fear of being punished by the University.
For students seeking advice on recreational drug use, the University of Manchester’s Students Union have said this:
“Whilst we work on developing a formal harm reduction policy, we want to remind students that support is available on campus, such as the SU’s Advice Service’s harm reduction support.
With comprehensive training from Change Grow Live, the Advice Service offer a safe space for confidential support, resources, drug testing kits, and direct referrals to specialist support.
Furthermore, the Counselling Service’s confidential support has, and will continue to be, available to students who are struggling with substance abuse issues.“
When contacted for comment, a University of Manchester spokesperson said:
“After consulting with our Students’ Union (SU), the University has decided to change to a harm reduction stance in relation to our approach to student drug use at University. This represents the start of what will be an ongoing and collaborative process to change and update our thinking towards drugs.”
“We believe this is in the best interests of our student body, as it reduces barriers to accessing support and advice. Weunderstand a wholly zero-tolerance stance adds to the harmful and damaging stigma that may prevent our students accessing the plethora of support available on campus.
“However, a harm reduction stance does not mean antisocial or criminal behaviour is acceptable. Any misconduct will still be addressed robustly through the Student Disciplinary Regulations and any student found to be involved in the supply of illegal drugs will be referred to Greater Manchester Police.”
Following the University’s announcement, the Students Union’s Activities and Development Officer told The Mancunion:
“It’s not the end of the fight at all, that’s why I’ve been very hesitant to call this a victory because this is three months worth of lobbying. But it’s just the start.
This is just a formal commitment to review but we don’t even actually have a policy. I pray by the time I leave this Officer role that we will be able to start the 2022 academic year with a harm reduction policy that’s official and a crystal clear message for all the incoming freshers. Freshers and Halls are the main area that we’re going to be not just a counselling service but halls because we know that that’s where my students come in and that’s where they need the education surrounding drug use.
Finally, I’m ecstatic at the news, but it’s not the end of it, however I am going to remain optimistic.“
