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Thursday 10th March 2016

INDIGO

3 STAGE Ever wondered what it’s like to be Stage Editor? Simon and Sofya can tell you 4 TRAVEL Soumya Singh takes a look at Holi Festival celebrations around the globe 5 FOOD & D RINK Julien Lepretre samples YUM’s sandwich selection so you don’t have to 6 & 7 F E A T URES Lizzie Greenwood on why single-sex schooling hinders the concept of gender equality 8 FASHION Who are your style icons? Fashion readers recounts some of their own 9 BOOKS COVER STORY: the rise of colouring books 10 MUSIC Roy Manuell reviews the Brit Awards 2016 1 1 F I L M & TV Indigo takes a look at the Coen Brothers’ top films 1 2 & 1 3 V I S UAL ARTS Digital art for a digital age: Jane Simpkiss steps out of the gallery and into the computer screen 1 4 C R E A T I VE WRITING Sarah Fletcher talks to Adam Frost about his experience as a rap battler 1 5 A D A Y I N THE LIFE A day in the life of the Women’s First Fencing Team captain, Laura Lovegood PHOTOGRAPHY / ILLUSTRATION

Grace Tseng Olivia Howcroft Julien Lepretre Romina Swan Thom Cousins Kris Moodley For your fix of everything arts and cultural, please visit: www.palatinate.org.uk www.facebook.com/palindigo Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @indigodurham

#readpalatinate

Ahh. The end of term is close now. Summatives have largely been and gone; dissertation deadlines are looming; spring is slowly creeping in. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to go home and sleep. At times of high stress like this, it’s difficult to schedule time to relax. I always get that horrible guilty feeling whenever I settle down to watch television or read a non-course book: there’s always a sense that you should probably be doing work, should probably be finishing that essay, should probably be earning that degree you’re paying an extortionate amount of money for. I don’t mean to elevate your stress levels here, but I like to think it’s a common feeling amongst all students right now. If you do need a break, Books has a feature on the rise of colouring books this issue. It’s this that we’ve based our front cover on, partly because it’s an excellent article, and partly because that way, you get a colouring-in sample for free. Have a go at it when you feel like taking a break from work. It really is surprisingly therapeutic. This issue, Visual Arts Editor Jane Simpkiss steps out of the gallery and into the computer screen as she takes a look at digital art. In a world that’s still so snobbish about what does and doesn’t count as high art, it’s great to see that people are embracing new technology and bringing visual art forwards into the digital age. There’s no limit to where and how art can be practised, and the works featured in this spread are proof of that. Elsewhere in Indigo, it’s worth taking a look at Sarah Fletcher’s interview with Men’s Rights activist Adam Frost in Creative Writing. The only discussion of feminism you’ll find in this interview is in relation to Frost’s other hobby: rap battling. I’m also excited to announce our newest edition to Indigo, starting today: A Day in the Life. I don’t know about you, but I love reading little snippets about the lives of other people, and this new section is a great way for me to be nosy without shame. I hope you enjoy it too. If you’d like to write for this section, whether you’re a student, a lecturer, an events manager or a member of catering staff, then get in touch: anyone is welcome to share a day in their life as part of this weird and wonderful Durham bubble. EF Thank you to Illustration Editor Kenzo Ishida for the brilliant cover image, and to Faye Chua and Grace Tseng for the back-page illustration.

INDIGO EDITORS Ellen Finch YC Chin (deputy) STAGE EDITORS Sofya Grebenkina Simon Fearn TRAVEL EDITOR Laura Glenister FOOD & DRINK EDITORS Charlotte Payne Ariadne Vu FEATURES EDITORS Isabelle Culkin Cristina Cusenza (deputy) FASHION EDITOR Sally Hargrave BOOKS EDITORS Hannah Griffiths Ellie Scorah MUSIC EDITORS Jacqueline Duan Will Throp FILM & TV EDITORS Rory McInnes-Gibbons Hugo Camps-Harris (deputy) VISUAL ARTS EDITOR Jane Simpkiss CREATIVE WRITING EDITOR Sarah Fletcher WRITERS Sofya Grebenkina Simon Fearn Soumya Singh Julien Lepretre Lizzie Greenwood Katy Willis Katie Shuff Victor Schagerlund Catherine Braddock Roy Manuell Justin Browning Phoebe Kitchen Vivek Khattar Sylvia Rousseva Adam Frost Sarah Fletcher Laura Lovegood

Thursday 10th March 2016

STAGE

All’s Well That Edits Well

Tragi-comedy starring Simon and Sofya in which they relate the agony of a day as Stage Editors

orning comes with the cool beams of an unforgiving sun, ushering in a feeling of dread and existential angst. On its heels is an angry email, vaguely reminiscent of that letter that screams at Ron in Harry Potter. Apparently my views about the validity of adding a rap battle to Much Ado were ‘disappointing’. The director explains to me with masterful passive aggression that, as Durham’s leading Shakespeare scholar, nobody is in a better place to theorise how Beatrice and Benedick would express their banterous love. In fact, he has received letters from Gregory Doran, Mark Rylance and Pope Francis expressing displeasure with my review. It’s nice to feel important.

Although Stage appears to be a well-oiled machine, it is only to the great detriment of its editors’ mental and physical health

ou may have noticed that Palatinate has a Stage section, whether your encounter with it has been the constant littering of your Facebook newsfeed or an angry message you might have sent, demanding to know why your production has been victimized in the late release of a preview or review. So although Stage seemingly appears to be a well-oiled machine, it is only so to the great detriment of its editors’ mental and physical health. If you find yourself relishing the feeling of Schadenfreude then reading the following daily schedule of a Stage editor is for you: 8:00 – Attempt to wake up and go to lectures. Justifying that this is asking too much of any human being. Firmly pledge to become an exotic dancer instead. 10:00 – Actually wake up because you’ve set yourself an arbitrary rule that you need to edit a review of last night’s production by a certain time. Always find that no one has sent you the photo for the article so now you have to angrily message people with CAPS LOCK ON. 11:00 – Pop into a lecture. Discover what your degree is actually about and that it isn’t that bad. 12:00 – Nourish your flesh prison. Dream of being on Broadway.

sightful you learnt last year, because you haven’t touched this year’s reading list. 14:00 – Make Velociraptor noises at people wanting last-minute previews or reviews organized on the same day. Almost throw your phone on the ground when someone drops out of their review for no particular reason. 15:15 – Spy yet another poster for yet another production and instead of excitement, feel yourself slowly being sucked into the vortex of never-ending work. 15:45 – Cry. 18:00 – Scoff down a hastily prepared dinner. Anything that cooks for more than five minutes is a culinary masterpiece that you are unworthy of because you have to run to some obscure location to watch yet another show. 19:30 – Discover that the production offers a complimentary glass of wine and suddenly feel that the world makes sense and your efforts are justified. Feel like you’re working for some VIP publication when the ticket office succumbs to your demands of a 50 pence programme for free.

12:30 – Give up on the Broadway dream, due to lack of suitable talent and the singing skills of a whale, and compromise by watching Fame, the musical.

22:30 – Go home exhausted and know that you still have to write a review. Contemplate slating the production so that your review can gain traction and publicity. Decide against it, because you still want to have friends.

13:00 – Go to a tutorial. Say something vaguely in-

00:30 – Suffer. Go to bed. Sofya Grebenkina

Preview at 12. Something else by Stoppard: Durham’s theatrical spirit animal. Suppressing a yawn, I ask how this play is different from the other three Stoppards I saw last week. “Well,” begins some actor that’s playing an actor that’s playing an actor that’s playing a sloth, “I find it’s all about the movement and the physicality. Last week, we went to Loft in character and nobody noticed, so it’s so naturalistic. Kind of meta-naturalism.” I nod slowly, pretending I understand. Review in the evening. A student adaptation of The Ace Splatsby. To get in the mood, I down a few cocktails beforehand. Whilst listening to jazz. They’ve shifted the play to the heyday of McCarthyism, with Mick Barraway as a communist spy and Morgan Barker as a freelance assassin. The accents slowly drift South, until I’m almost expecting John Fewchanan to burst into O What a Beautiful Morning. He doesn’t. The martinis feel like ambrosia in my blood, as laptop in hand I shoot thundebolts at the cast from the summit of Mount Olympus. A message from my co-editor at 2am. She reminds me that my article on A Day in the Life of a Stage Editor is due tomorrow. She suggests that I conclude the article with a panegyric on her editorial prowess. This is duly ignored in favour of bad jokes about DST. I ponder how to make my article more meta, and dream about performing it at the Edinburgh Fringe in the character of Lord Byron.

Simon Fearn

Have you been affected by the issues in this story? Feel the Stage Editors needs all the help they can get to fend of extinction? Why not review for us, and make our lives a little less bleak? Email stage@palatinate.org.uk for more details! Photograph: Grace Tseng

Thursday 10th March 2016

TRAVEL

Holi Festival: unity in diversity

Soumya Singh looks at Holi celebrations across the globe

he Holi festival of Colours really is one of a kind. A Hindu festival, it falls on the last full moon day of the Hindu month of Phalgun: around late February or March. Holi has an interesting mythological tale behind its origin. The story revolves around a self-obsessed demon king Hiranyakashyipu, his wicked sister Holika, and Prahlad, the king’s son, and an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. The tale goes that Hiranyakashyipu earned a boon that made him virtually indestructible and consequently he became arrogant, assuming himself to be God, and demanded that everyone worship only him. However his son Prahlad was a noble soul, who disagreed with him and remained devoted to the Lord. This infuriated Hiranyakashyipu, who proceeded to give out cruel punishments to Prahlad. He attempted to kill him on several occasions: however, his efforts were futile as the boy’s resolve to remain righteous and stay devoted to the Almighty only grew stronger. Ultimately Prahlad’s evil aunt Holika, who had been bestowed with a fire-proof cloak, sat on a pyre, draped in the cloak, with Prahlad in her lap, with the intention of killing him. But the unthinkable happened: the cloak flew from her and covered Prahlad instead. This lead to Holika’s death, while the boy emerged unscathed. In a fit of rage, the king tried to kill him, but Lord Vishnu himself appeared and killed Hiranyakashyipu.

The festivities begin on the full moon night before the day of Holi – derived from the name Holika – when people traditionally burn a bonfire to commemorate the victory of good over evil, and to symbolise the dawn of a new era. This ceremony is called the Holika Dahan. It is said that when Holika was killed people rubbed the ash on their forehead the next day – a practice still observed by some. This later transformed into the application of coloured powder, which many people nowadays associate with the Holi festival. Holi is significant for many other reasons, too: for some Hindus, it signifies a new year and Spring, becoming a celebration of good harvests and fertile soil; most importantly, however, it is an occasion to renew ruptured relationships and absolve oneself of all the wrongdoings and emotional impurities of the past. The festivities really get going the next day, Holika Dahan, when people apply coloured powder to one another. Unlike other Hindu festivals like Diwali, Dussehra or Janmashtami, it is not related to any particular Hindu deity, and no religious ceremony is performed. The day is solely for party and celebration. An aura of dynamism grips the air as the beats of the dhols mingle with the tune of fav o u r i t e Holi songs and Bollywood numbers, interrupted by the ecstatic cries of children spraying one another with water using pichkaris and water guns. Traditional delicacies like the ‘malpua’, ‘mathri’ and the ‘gujiya’ have always been a favourite. A few days before the festival, all the women of the family gather together to begin food preparation. The ‘Thandai’ – an intoxicating drink containing ‘Bhaang’, a cannabis preparation – is the most iconic treat of the fiesta. Within India itself, Holi is celebrated in different ways in different states: the Rang Panchmi in Uttar Pradesh, the Lath-Maar Holi in Bar- sana and Vrindavan, Ukkuli in the Konkan region, Manjal Kuli in Kerala, Shimga in Maharashtra, Shigmo in Goa, Dola in Odisha, Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima in West Bengal,

Kumaoni Holi in Uttarakhand and many other different forms throughout India. But what makes Holi really unique, aside from having a very special significance and style of celebration, is the fact that in spite of it being a Hindu festival, it is celebrated by people of all religions with the same enthusiasm – perfectly symbolising India’s spirit of Unity in Diversity. Holi is a festival that appeals to people all over the world. Over the years it has transcended geographical barriers and is now celebrated with pomp and show in countries like the USA, the UK, South Africa, Malaysia, Fiji and several others that house a significantly large Indian population. With passing years, the celebrations have altered according to the local traditions and environment of different places. The upcoming celebrations at our own University are a testimony to how far the festival has spread. T h e Holi celebrations in Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Fiji, more popularly known as Phagwah, are just as extravagant as those in India. Holi in the United States is a social event, the most popular celebrations being the NYC Holi in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and at Radha Krishna Temple in Utah. A variety of Holi inspired events are held particularly in the US and Europe: the Colour Run, Festival of Colours Tour and Holi One to name a few. Lately, in spite of all the fun and frolic, people have started taking into account the environmental impacts of Holi. Synthetic colours that have certain adverse impacts on human skin and the environment have been replaced by eco-friendly herbal colours. People are moving towards a ‘dry Holi’, as it helps prevent water usage in areas where there is a shortage. Also, events that trivialise the spiritual significance of the festival for commercial gains are being checked, to ensure that it stays true to its roots, and the spirit of love and unity in diversity that it so wonderfully embodies.

“Holi is a festival that appeals to people all over the world. Over the years it has transcended geographical barriers”

Illustrations: Olivia Howcroft

Instagram: @palatinatetravel Interested in writing for us? Email travel@palatinate.org. uk

Thursday 10th March 2016

FOOD & DRINK

We Need to Talk about Sandwiches Julien Lepretre sacrifices his soul to taste-test the delicacies on offer at YUM Cafe

t was a cold winter’s day, in the midst of summative season, and I’d forgotten to pack a lunch. It came to midday and, stomach yearning for sustenance, I wandered down to the YUM café hopelessly committed to the £3.95 meal deal. Confronted by the rafters of sandwiches, I stood there as if in a daze, paralysed by the choices that lay before me. I thought to myself, “if only there was some sort of guide I could consult to help me with this decision.” The article that follows is that guide. You’re welcome.

Ploughman’s

A stalwart of the sandwich world, the OED dates the first use of the phrase ‘ploughman’s lunch’ back to 1837. In its most basic form it contains cheese, usually cheddar, lettuce, and pickle. YUM’s incarnation of it did contain all of these, and its authenticity in this sense cannot be faulted. However, the sandwich was greatly let down by its ratios. The proportioning of pickle to cheddar left me with a lactic mouthful, devoid of the sweet vinegary relief that a good ploughman’s should bring. The tomatoes were anaemic and flavourless, but that’s to be expected: the state of modern fruit and vegetable farming is a matter for another day. Didn’t spit it out but would not buy again.

Prawn Marie Rose

No complaints here. I expected an average Prawn Marie Rose and that’s exactly what I got. Always a safe choice, as long as you like prawns.

Falafel Crumble, Coriander, and Tomato Salsa

I was very impressed by this vegan-friendly delight. Seeing ‘falafel crumble’ on the packet I was very wary of its potential dryness, yet what I found inside was nothing of the sort. The salsa provided a lovely flavour to the sandwich and made sure it was far from the barren Saharan wasteland that I’d feared. Even the bread was good. If I was a vegan I’d be very happy with this option, albeit even if it is the only option.

Cheese and Tomato Baton

This was perhaps one of the worst sandwiches I’ve ever had. It was a struggle to finish, just as it’s a struggle to find any redeeming qualities. Rammed with low quality cheddar, in a 5:1 cheddar: tomato slice ratio, you’ll struggle to find any respite in your consumption of this sandwich. The bread was poor and finding itself in Category D, it’s actually quite expensive.

BLT

Buying this, I thought it’d be very hard to butcher this mainstay of British sandwich culture. I was right. It was all that I expected: uninspiring but very much edible.

Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil

A simple sandwich. One for the vegetarians and, all in, fairly pleasant. The ratio of this number was far more pleasing than that of its other cheese and tomato brethren, following a 1: 1 ratio of mozzarella to tomato slices. The basil gives it a nice touch of flavour, too.

Coronation Chicken

BBQ Pulled Pork

The first time I had this sandwich, I was very happy with my purchase. There wasn’t too much pork in there, and it was complemented well with the amounts of BBQ sauce inside. The red onion provided a nice bit of crunch, and the roll was relatively good quality bread. With every purchase since I’ve been chasing this first high, yet seemingly the sandwich is never able to attain it. The sandwich is usually full of bone-dry pulled pork with a paltry smattering of smoky BBQ sauce. The downfall of this sandwich then is its inconsistency. When you get a good one you’ll undoubtedly enjoy it, but get a bad one and you’ll be chewing for days, and being a Category D you have to question whether the price is worth the risk.

Peri Peri Chicken

Trying to capitalise on the flavours popularised by Nando’s, YUM have clearly done their market research, attempting to exploit the stereotypical Durham student’s love for all things related to a chain restaurant. It wasn’t very nice, though packs a little kick as the beads of sweat that formed on my nose would attest to. The chicken was dry and the sandwich lacked moisture. It also doesn’t seem to be stocked very often, but that’s fine by me. You’re not missing out.

Chicken Tikka and Mint Yoghurt

Forming one of two Chicken Tikka sandwiches that the library stocks, I made the decision to review only this one, firstly because it looks a lot nicer, and secondly as I was starting to realise how much this article was costing me. It’s by no means a bad sandwich. The mint yoghurt provided a nice base, and the tikka chicken was very edible, if a little dry. But again, the YUM Café fall down in their ratios. With a little less chicken and a little more mint yoghurt this sandwich really would be up there with the best of them.

Ham sandwich.

Ham Photographs: Julien Lepretre

A recipe conceived by the two principals of the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London for the banquet of the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, this sandwich’s regal roots haven’t dimmed in the sixtyyears since. Though perhaps an unfashionable choice amongst the anarchist and anti-monarchist communities, its sensual flavours transcend these earthly political divides. In its very nature, as the coronation sauce (mayonnaise mixed with curry powder/paste) is naturally integral to the sandwich, it defies the dryness that appears to be the unifying feature of the YUM sandwich range. For me, at least, coronation chicken certainly takes the crown. I learnt a lot on my winding sandwich journey, but I have no qualms in saying that the most valuable morsel of knowledge I gained was don’t judge as sandwich by its cover.

Fortnightly Food Myth by Lucy Deacon

Myth: The five second rule Fact: Whether you pick food up immediately or after 5 seconds, it will be covered in bacteria, so put it in the bin rather than in your mouth!

Thursday 10th March 2016

FEATURES

C*nty High School for D*kes

Why single-sex schooling hinders the concept of gender equality

Story by Lizzie Greenwood

y school was renowned for its “bitchy” atmosphere and mass production of doctors, lawyers, lesbians and “sluts”. According to the ignorant population of Britain’s Roman capital, if one must be without the male presence from the hours of nine til five, one has but two options: bat for the other side, or sprint out the gates at 15:35, roll your skirt up and pounce on the first, pre-pubescent purple blazer-clad grammar boy you see at the bus stop. This opinion was no more evident than when a rascally anarchist from the local Catholic school defaced our school sign to read “C*nty High School for D*kes.” While this reputation is, for the most part, a repugnantly sexist interpretation of the competitiveness naturally bred at a selective grammar school (in which female determination is named “bitchiness”), it is certainly true that my time there was dominated by cruel and unforgiving behavior, wherein cliques were formed on shallow principles. After conducting more interviews, I found this to be a universal experience across both sexes. What I found most interesting was the widespread acknowledgement that single-sex schooling bred blatant sexism and misogyny in some of its population: “My boyfriend has said to me in the past that he is continually appalled looking back to his schooling at the sexist, misogynistic atmosphere that perpetuated his school,” one interviewee said. This misogyny, in some cases, was even carried through to university. A male friend of mine from a mixed-school background reported: “you hear how guys who’ve spent their entire lives in all boy schools talk about girls. Some of them are, of course, fine, but others come across like they’re tracking a deer. I never heard such unconscious disrespect until I came to Durham.” While a female friend shared this personal experience of “single-sex boys”: “a vast majority seem to lack so much respect and understanding of women it’s insane because they’ve never been taught how to, nor has anyone ever engaged with them about it!” Sexism and sexual assault at university has become a very serious and widely discussed issue, and we of course cannot solely attribute its prevalence to undergraduates from single-sex backgrounds. But from my personal experience, in which a boy from the local boy’s school deemed it appropriate to post an attractiveness “ratings chart” of select girls in my year online (categories including ‘arse’, ‘boobs’ and ‘BMI’), and girls were referred to by such terms as “clunge”,

I am willing to believe that single-sex schooling hugely hinders the concept of gender equality. Of course this was not the case across the board, and not all the impacts of a single-sex environment were negative. In some cases, girls reported enhanced their awareness of gender issues and feminism – “You’re always told to be who you want to be and to strive your hardest and perhaps that led me to question gender inequalities more.” But equally prevalent to this was the beginnings of internalised sexism in various forms, wherein students became inherently distrusting and resentful of their own sex. It is often remarked to me (with an air of confusion and suspicion) that my closest friends are almost exclusively male. It was not until I found myself trying to appeal to others by claiming to be “very boyish” that I realized I had fallen victim to unfair internalised-misogyny – like many others from the system.” An interviewee reported, “I don’t think I have any internalised sexism, although I do think in a way my school tried to impart some. You

Single-sex schooling is a convenient, botch-job solution to bigger problems often heard ‘you have to work twice as hard because boys will get it easier’ or ‘boys find it easier to do this’; so maybe if I were less strong I would take that as a sign to stop trying rather than to try harder.” Again, internalised sexism is a universal issue we can attribute to various sources such as the media, but I fully believe single-sex schooling is a huge step back in solving this issue. Take, for example, the often cited argument for all-girl schooling: “pupils achieve better grades and are more likely to take subjects that are often maledominated, such as Maths.” Firstly, this type of argument only enforces the idea that certain subjects are “masculine” and some “feminine”, by telling us the only way we can excel comfortably in them is to be removed from the male world. It’s 2016: how about instead of “patching” the issue of gender inequality in the world of science and maths by creating exclusively female environments within them, we simply acknowledge that logical and scientific skill sets are transcendent of gender, and allow for boys, girls, men and women to excel in them side by side? Sex stereotyping simply does not exist across the breadth of mixed-sex schools. Despite reports that

boys and girls are “embarrassed” to achieve highly within fields that oppose their sex profile in schools where both genders attend, it would seem students are more progressive than given credit for: “For GCSEs, sciences and maths were mandatory but the top sets were split pretty evenly between the genders. There were as many notably talented girls as there were boys – excellence was not gender-specific” Of course, this is not the only given advantage of single-sex environments. Many girls interviewed reported that single-sex schooling allowed them to have a voice: “I liked that in an environment of all women, we all felt confident enough to speak and fully express ourselves.” However, people who voiced these opinions commonly reported that this ease and comfort did not extend to university, where they felt crushed by male voices and unable to speak free of judgment. Therefore, I propose again that single-sex schooling is a convenient, botch-job solution to bigger problems – we should really be asking why some people only feel confident speaking amongst their own sex, and how we can overcome this problem. It was also noted, very importantly, that the “bubble-wrap” effect of growing up in an all female environment meant that some students were not prepared for a world outside school in which they would experience prejudice based on gender, and therefore did not know how to speak out against it when it happened. Of course in some cases this caused the inverse effect, wherein girls could more easily notice sexism and, having lived without it, were more willing to speak out – but surely, the only way to stop girls experiencing sexism in school cannot be to separate them from the male world. I think separation of the sexes has its drawbacks. Firstly, the inevitable consequence of being cut off from 50% of the population is that you are less likely to experience a range of people and interests – especially since single-sex schools tend to “cater” toward the gender they are hosting.“I definitely felt a huge pressure to conform in terms of appearance and feminine beauty ideals, even though boys weren’t present, something which I’m only just managing to shake off,” one interviewee commented. Fundamentally, single-sex schooling enforces rather than obliterates gender-stereotyping, causing both internal and external sexism and does not allow for the full scope of social experiences and emotional development. While I am grateful for my competitive education and all the advantages it gave me, I personally would not call single-sex schooling “progressive” or “advantageous”. Photograph: Rob Lee via Flickr

Thursday 10th March 2016

FEATURES

Feminism in 2016 The fight for gender parity isn’t over yet

he year is 2016. The country is the USA, the fifth most economically developed country in the world. American singer-songwriter Kesha is being deprived her rights as a human being by being made to work with her abuser. It’s hard to believe that in the twenty first century a twenty-nine year old woman has been sexually, physically and emotionally abused by her music producer, only to be denied the right to opt out of her music contract with him. Apparently financial investment in a person are more important than that person’s right to health and happiness. Apparently Sony, who own the contract, aren’t aware that by denying a young woman the opportunity to stop working with her abuser, Dr Luke, they are depriving her of not only the rights to her own body, but the rights to her own career. Why is it that a man is able to carry on producing music whilst the woman he allegedly abused is not being entitled to economic independence? Why was it that after physically assaulting singer-songwriter Rihanna, Chris Brown carried on being successful? The fact that these questions exist is why we need feminism. Statistics say that one out of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape. That’s 14.8% completed rape and 2.8% attempted rape. In turn, this leaves 82.4% of American women that are ‘lucky’ enough not to have been subject to such trauma. But women shouldn’t have to live in a society where they are ‘lucky’ if they have not have been a victim of sexual assault. It is absurd that it is considered a privilege instead of a basic human right. Similarly, we shouldn’t have to consider young girls in more economically developed countries as lucky to not have been married off as young as eight. But we do. And this is why we need feminism. The year is 2016. The country is India. Young girls

Story by Katy Willis are still being forced to marry men more than twice their age. An estimated 47% of girls are married before their 18th birthday. They are still viewed as a burden in many Indian communities and unworthy of making their own decisions in life—their decisions are made for them. By their parents. Then by their husbands, who they are bound to. And why? Because it just so happens that they were born as girls. The country is also Afghanistan, which continues to be ranked as one of the most dangerous places in the world for women to live. Young girls are

Women shouldn’t have to live in a society where they are ‘lucky’ if they have not have been a victim of sexual assault

subject to human trafficking, endemic violence and child marriage. Although the legal age of marriage is 16 years old for women under the Afghan Civil Code, the girl’s father can “consent” to her marriage if she is 15. Yet men have to be 18 to be married. This means that a girl will inevitably always marry a man who is too old for her. This is the main reason for human trafficking. And it is illegal. Child marriage is illegal. Yet it continues to happen, not only in India and Afghanistan but in all less economically developed countries as well, such as Ghana, where 21% of girls are married before the age of 18 and Libya, where one in three girls are married before their 18th birthday.

Girls Not Brides is a movement which commits to end child marriage, enabling girls to fulfil their potential. We need feminism because despite having more than 550 civil society organisations from over 70 countries, child marriage is still a problem. Gender inequality, as a whole, is still a problem. Emma Watson, Goodwill Ambassador of Un Women addressed this problem in 2014. Her speech advertising the HeForShe campaign was overwhelming. It was a personal invitation to all women and all men to step forward and address this fundamental problem that gets brushed under the carpet far too easily. The campaign began in 2014 and two years on it is still being talked about. According to the HeForShe website over a thousand events are taking place to combat gender inequality, while 693 thousand commitments are being made and 1.3 billion conversations are now being had about how we can change this worldwide problem. ‘Men,’ Watson says, ‘gender equality is your problem too’. Men live in a world where women and girls are being sexually abused, psychologically tortured and viewed as unworthy to receive the same respect that they receive. They live in a world where the term “feminist” has become an ‘uncomfortable one’. But it doesn’t need to be. It is the movement of feminism that is important. Not the word that is associated with this movement. It is the combat for worldwide change that is important to make sure that men and boys do not feel like they need to be aggressive in order to be accepted. It is the ambition that is important to want to make sure that women and girls do not feel like they need to be controlled in order to fit into society. The year is 2016. The country is England. Feminism is still relevant. Photograph: Devon Buchanan via Flickr

Thursday 10th March 2016

FASHION

Style is eternal Katie Shuff and Victor Schagerlund reveal their style icons.

n the words of iconic couturier Yves SaintLaurent, “Fashions fade, style is eternal”. In keeping with this much revered sartorial saying, this week Palatinate Fashion look at two women who embody the importance of personal style and self-expression when it comes to the way that they dress. I’m about as faithful to my style references as Mme Bovary is to her husband – Bowie, Madonna and Marie-Antoinette are just a few examples of those who have come and gone in my mood boards. Yet there is one person who always remains, of whom I never can seem to let go – Kate Moss.

“She neglects traditional notions of good taste with the same nonchalance as she disregards the stereotypical female gender role.” One reason may be that she personifies everything my bourgeois upbringing condemned: sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. As a teenager my life consisted of dance practice, schoolwork and dull family dinners and so I longed to wear diamonds, do coke and sleep with movie stars. Her carefree and glamorous persona is evocative and thrilling in itself and she became the forbidden apple I eagerly bit into. Kate’s style without a doubt reflects upon her rebellious air. She neglects traditional notions of good taste with the same nonchalance as she disregards the stereotypical female gender role. Nevertheless, she does so with such allure and confidence that she never appears naff or vulgar. At the CFDA awards in 2005, for example, she wore an exquisitely tailored Dior dress with bed head hair and makeup from the previous night’s party. She isn’t a lady, but she is definitely not a tramp either, instead she choses not to be defined by either. Her relation to fashion is therefore very inspirational, and to me it represents the very essence of what true style signifies; it is individualistic, experimental, but never dull or unsexy. One of the most important lessons Kate Moss has taught me is that sex appeal and self-assurance are equally, if not more, important than the way you dress. This seems especially significant to me now that I’m spending my money on a degree, instead of splurging on couture. Oh and of course! As a final note, Kate would never sportswear in public – so really, there is no excuse for anyone to do so. Words: Victor Schagerlund

Above: Kate Moss. Below: Jane Birkin

When it comes to Jane Birkin, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Whether it’s the perfectly dishevelled hair, those bum skimming A-line dresses or the oh-so kitsch wicker basket, Jane Birkin’s style simply exudes nonchalance. As one of the most iconic pin-ups of the sixties and seventies, Birkin appeared alongside the likes of Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg – who she would later marry – in cult French nouveau vague films such as ‘La Piscine’ and ‘Don Juan, or if Don Juan were a woman’. Pieces such as her navy gingham beach dress paired with simple ballet flats, or her plaid A-Line skirt accessorised with milk bottle sized sunglasses combined the audacity of London’s swinging sixties with the ease of Parisian style. The result: the ultimate combination of sex appeal and innocence. Whilst Birkin may not have evoked the va va voom sexiness of her co-star Bardot, there is something so much more alluring in the way Birkin tucked a loose fitting shirt into a pair of boot cut jeans. Simple jersey dresses always hung daringly short, denim Levi shorts were more akin to hot pants, and rolled up shirts plunged decidedly low, but there was always an ease to her style. This effortlessness is what strikes me the most about Birkin – as clichéd as it may sound, her clothes never wore her. Whether it be a pea coat or an off-the-shoulder crop top, Birkin always exuded an air of confidence and attitude, but an attitude which had a softer and more innocent side. Rather than baring all, Birkin’s style left something to the imagination. Fast forward a few decades and the Birkin effect is still very much in force. Just look to the likes of Alexa Chung and Harley Viera-Newton, whose

“This effortlessness is what strikes me the most about Birkin – as clichéd as it may sound, her clothes never wore her..” much-coveted looks constantly reference Birkin’s feminine yet tomboyish style. There is simply no denying that Birkin’s timeless appeal resides in her ability to make the unobvious and simple oh-so desirable. Words: Katie Shuff Photographs: jingdianmeinv1 and The Coincidental Dandy via Flickr

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Thursday 10th March 2016

BOOKS

Feeling off colour?

Catherine Braddock fills you in on the latest stress-relieving bookshop trend

new craze has infiltrated our beloved bookshops, something which can seem completely out of place in the home of great works of literature for the simple fact that it contains very few actual words. Colouring books are the latest adult hobby and this particular trend, to the confusion of many, has been taking up shelf space in both craft and book shops. Colouring is undoubtedly a very different act to reading and yet these are the books currently occupying the window displays of bookshops around the country. One factor which might go some way to explaining their popularity in bookshops is the prevalence of literary themed colouring books. There are already at least two Harry Potter ones which contain accompanying stills from the films. Many of the actual drawings are modelled on these images and so the colouring books seem to link more with the films than the book series – there are no accompanying quotes. The Sherlock: The Mind Palace colouring book is based solely on the BBC series without reference to Arthur Co-

Colour me in! nan Doyle, but it is great fun if you don’t normally get much use out of your grey, navy and brown pencils. There is even The Great British Cake Off, a very unofficial companion to a much-loved programme, which demonstrates the influence of popular culture on themes for the books. There are many based around landscapes and nature, from enchanted forests to tropical wonderlands, some of which include puzzles within the actual drawings. As unliterary as many of these themes appear, bookshops have long been stocking more than just literature and aim to cater for all tastes. A stationery section now seems an obligatory part of any bookshop, as are literary themed gifts, and so colouring books are not really so out of place. The purpose of colouring books also connects them to novels as both are enjoyed as a means of relaxation. People have always enjoyed the escapism of books and those with a good imagination can easily extend this to colouring books such as The Secret Garden. Colouring is recommended for its mental health benefits and the books are often labelled with phrases such as ‘therapy’ and ‘antistress’. Focussing on something other than summatives is extremely helpful for forgetting the pressures of work and refreshing your mind. Colouring is a complete distraction yet feels productive and

produces something which often looks very good. The beautiful designs mean that all the hard work has been done for you and minimal skill is required to colour them in. You have the satisfaction of making them personal by choosing the colours you use and can pretend you’ve managed to produce a lovely piece of art. The more pedantic colourer might find staying within the lines slightly stressful (it’s actually quite difficult!) or discover colour-coordinating properly is rather timeconsuming, but this is undoubtedly a massive relief in comparison to panicking over your dissertation. Of course, any trend meets with a backlash and this one faces the criticism that such activities are for children, to which fans defensively respond that the patterns are actually incredibly complicated and are designed specifically for adults. Whether you accept this or not, after staring at your laptop for most of the day, colouring is a welcome break from computer screens and supports you in your quest to avoid the real world. So grab those pencils (or, you know, a biro) and get stuck in. Photographs: Romina Swan and VinodVelayudhan

Thursday 1oth March 2016

MUSIC

Review: The Brit Awards 2016

Far from being the glamourous ceremony it could have been, Roy Manuell explores just why the 2016 Brit Awards left much to be desired

he Brits 2016 were surreal. There, I

said it. Had he attended, Dali might have grinned as Ant and Dec emerged from a burning pyre of scantily-clad female dancers, dressed to resemble the award itself. Ernst would have smiled wryly to himself when Keith Lemon’s inexplicable presence at the ceremony was rendered unquestionable by his twelfth shout out in as many minutes for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Breton may have choked on his glass of Merlot when fashion designer Pam Hogg’s 90% naked plus-one weirdly surprised our two favourite geordies (sorry Shearer, you’re not even close) in a moment savoured by ITV’s perennially average camera-crew as if it were the 02 Arena’s fifth nicest canapé. The awards themselves were divided largely as pre-planned. Adele dominated (shock), unsurprisingly picking up all four awards for which she was nominated. Coldplay performed and subsequently smashed a Brit record, winning Best British Band for a fourth time as they exhibited a forced zeal which you could imagine Chris Martin adopts daily as he cuts off the crusts of his wholemeal egg and cress sandwiches. In essence, the Brits were beige - they’ve been beige since the early noughties. That’s not to say that they passed without controversy – once again, the organisers utterly failed once again to acknowledge any music bearing the brand of burning social issues. Stormzy’s absence from the Best British Male category for example, typified the lack of ‘urban’ representation across the board, provoking frustration from artists as diverse as Laura Mvula (who boycotted the awards), and the Critic’s Choice winner Jack Garratt. With dance music conspicuously absent - Major Lazer and Mercury-nominated Aphex Twin were notably shunned - youth

culture as a whole felt shamelessly and stubbornly neglected on the night. At least the Grammy’s gave Kendrick a voice to deliver one of the most intense live television performances of the last decade. In their place, we can thank the heavens that James Bay (habitually sporting a hat that he incorrectly thinks Parisians think look good) and Justin Bieber stepped up to fill the cultural void. It was almost as if destiny was playing itself out to our small, self-coined-significant island when Justin floated onstage for a shiver-inducing performance of ‘Love Yourself’. Both acts went on to win Best Male and Best International Male respectively. On receiving the award, Bieber said with purpose: “This just shows life is a journey. Everybody has their own journey, everybody has their ups and their downs. Man I’m shaking a little bit right now.” To this day, I don’t think anyone knows whether he actually takes himself that seriously - or he does for that matter. Imagine the scenes if he had just been trolling us all along, feigning this strange Dantean journey to poetic salvation. Father John Misty was then caught napping when JB won, a category for which he was nominated. Allegedly his producer had told him he had ‘no chance’ of winning. His nomination itself, how-

ever, exemplifies the annual rare shade of credibility to the night, Tame Impala also unequivocallydeservedly beat U2 to Best International group - much Twitter ambivalence and anguish followed. To this point, if you were a hypothetical extraterrestrial who had accidentally (emphasis on accidentally) connected to ITV’s satellite for five minutes, the viewing would not have offered humanity’s best first impression. But the strangest decision of the evening, perhaps in the history of the ceremony, has to have been the doubly moronic choice of first nominating, and then declining Amy Winehouse for the award of Best British Female. You can’t nominate a supremely-gifted woman who died in tragic circumstances and then subtly tarnish, although thankfully only momentarily, her legacy by not giving her the award. No one’s trying to say Amy Winehouse should have won the award. We’re saying she should never have been in the conversation. She’s beyond the conversation. The Brits were a surreal experience for us all, but we shouldn’t complain - we all knew it would be from around March of last year. So perhaps when it was announced that there would be a David Bowie tribute, a lot of us were sinking further into our already sunken expectations. Maybe Coldplay, Paul McCartney and Jessie J would melt into a beacon of remembrance in a communal butchering of ‘Starman’. In the end, however, the tribute was genuinely moving. Annie Lennox and Gary Oldman paying emotional tribute before Lorde did Life on Mars quiet justice. Always a fan, Bowie’s son later channeled his father’s approval. Perhaps this is what the Brits should be about. Forget the global megastar performers that 2016 strove so hard to collect, we’ve always been celebrated abroad for our artistic credibility. Bowie embodied this philosophy. None of the superstars on the night even wanted to be there, most of them leaving after having performed for after parties around London Drake MCing with Skepta, and Bieber spotted in a heavy metal pub. Perhaps the Brits needs less of Rihanna’s body floating on Drake’s crotch and a more understated celebration of British generic and artistic diversity. Photographs: BBC

Thursday 10th March 2016

FILM & TV

Coen Super Smash Bros.

As we all Hail, Caesar! let’s take a look at the finest films from Brothers Coen. Since 1984’s Blood Simple, these genre bending directors have shaped modern Hollywood

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

This quiet masterpiece follows a week in the life of a young man struggling to be heard in the 1960s folk music scene of Greenwich, New York, where Bob Dylan made his breakthrough. It has a rambling structure similar to the aimlessness of The Big Lebowski, but in all other respects Inside Llewyn Davis differs from the straightforward Coen comedies – in fact, this is a unique project in their catalogue. Lacking in both goofy humour and intense violence, it is simply a perfectly-made drama. Llewyn Davis is an excellently drawn protagonist. Main man Oscar Isaac is at once totally relatable and a little unlikeable. We sway between feelings of sympathy and exasperation towards him as the story progresses. Misfortune, some of his own making, continues to weigh Llewyn down. He is the core of an un-American film which refuses to be sentimental, instead opting to show how life doesn’t always work itself out by paying tribute to the thousands of forgotten artists who never earned the recognition they deserved. It won’t leave you laughing, but Inside’s modest brilliance shows how diverse and talented the Coens really are. Justin Browning.

True Grit (2010)

The Coens’ take on Charles Portis’s Western novel encompasses all the characteristics that make them great filmmakers. It is a story of a young girl (the magnificent Hailee Steinfeld) who hires a gruff and perpetually soused sheriff (Jeff Bridges, again fantastic) in order to hunt down the killer of her father (Josh Brolin). On the face of it, the Coens have tried to stick authentically to the original 1969 film starring John Wayne. However, this has all the hallmarks of a Coen classic. Hailee Steinfeld plays the quintessential Coen protagonist: naïve, idealistic, goodhearted with a strong conception of right and wrong, providing the film’s moral centre. Though True Grit is harsher, more sombre and chillingly wintry than the original, it also displays flashes of humour and irony. The influence of noir is more muted than The Big Lebowski or Raising Arizona, but the combined effect gives one of the Coens’ most lyrically beautiful films. The result is an affectionate take on a

Western, both as a nostalgic tribute to a forgotten genre, but also a comment and revival of it. Given the film’s commercial success, this cemented the Coen Brothers status as the most intelligent filmmakers of modern times; a welcome haven in a landscape characterised by crassly merchandising blockbusters. The Coen brothers, I salute you. Phoebe Kitchen.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

O Brother, Where Art Thou captures the depression-era American South, following smooth talking, smart mouthed, slick haired George Clooney. Alongside John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, these three escaped fugitives search for treasure while avoiding the authorities. This comical, sepia-toned adventure takes them from the rural South to the focal point of a state governor election, meeting a range of people on the way, from seductive sirens to John Goodman’s Cyclops. Sound strangely familiar? That’s because halfway through writing this film the Coens realised they were in fact adaptating Homer’s Odyssey, only set in 30s Mississippi. An unlikely combination, but amazingly, one that works. Complementing this strange spectacle is a superb Grammy-winning soundtrack from T Bone Burnett, featuring roots, bluegrass, and folk music helping us immerse into the old-timey sound of the region – the soundtrack alone makes this film worth watching. The Coens also raise important questions about faith and religion, quickly dismissed by Everett (Clooney) but embraced by others who don’t sell their soul to the devil for incredible ‘gee-tar’ skills. The sensitive issues such as race are embraced rather than avoided, but addressed with a humorous tone sprinkled with memorable lines. A brilliant, musical American classic. Vivek Khattar.

Barton Fink (1991)

Every so often we come face to face with a difficult decision. Sadly, for us nearing the end of our degree, this often involves weighing up the need to adventure in order to live, and the equally imperative need to earn money in order to survive. In the spirit of this dilemma, the personalities of Barton Fink provide warnings, instructions and

careful musings on the outcomes of such a choice. At the very start Mr. Fink is asked, “What do you do for a living?” His reply? “I guess I make a difference.” He is swiftly shot down and convinced that the common people can wait whilst he exploits Hollywood for monetary gain. He arrives in Hollywood and his naïve disillusionment quickly leads to chaos as he struggles to connect with people and write his first script. Along the way, he discovers that writer’s block and art have no place in business and that empathy is not always easy. Beautifully pieced together by the Coen Brothers, the film breeds a very modern sense of profound alienation as it outlines a story riddled with irony. Through this it also provides wisdom in reminding us that we all have stories and those are, ultimately, what the world is really made of. A must watch! Sylvia Rousseva.

No Country For Old Men (2007)

After the retired Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong near the Mexican border, he picks up a bag containing $2 million. However, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a cold blooded, coin-flipping killer, equipped with his signature captive bolt pistol chases the cash. Possibly the most menacing, terrifying villain in modern cinema, he refuses to let anyone get in his way, fancying himself as an agent of fate. His code and principles make him so alarmingly believable. Meanwhile, Sherriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) investigates the case. “Age’ll flatten a man,” he mutters under his breath. Perhaps he is right. The Coens take us on a violent, suspensefilled journey through Cormac McCarthy’s novel to Mexico and back. We see how money corrupts even our innocent youth, consider the significance of fortune and fate, and how age catches up with us. It is a lesson in the absurdity of life – do we ever know what’s coming? Do we deserve it? Can we stop it? Chigurh certainly has his mind made up, as one elderly gas station owner will tell you. Released in 2007, this Oscar-winning film has become an instant classic, making one thing clear: this is No Country for Old Men. Vivek Khattar. Photograph: Tom Francis via Flickr

Thursday 10th March 2016

VISUAL ART

Digital Art for a Digital Age

Jane Simpkiss encourages you to get out of the gallery and get online - this is the age of digital art! As summative season descends, I find myself more and more looking at Buzzfeed, a terrible habit but a brilliant form of procrastination. In doing this, I have increasingly been coming across different types of digital art and illustration. Digital art is undoubtedly linked to social media- platforms, such as Tumblr and Deviant Art. They are the main forum for such art to be displayed, and for artists to gain a following, to spread - and in some cases sell - their work. Perhaps because it appears on such a popular platform, digital art also seems to be closely associated to fan-art. Images from anime, TV, film and books are often the mainstay of much digital art. When we consider the broad term ‘visual arts’, we tend to think of painting, sketching, photography or sculpture, mediums which are powerful but traditional, with centuries of practice behind them. We may even think of more modern forms of art – video art or performance art – but rarely do we consider digital art. This got me thinking. Digital art can be exceptionally beautiful and is as skilful as any other form of art. If I were to grapple with a graphics tablet my efforts would definitely look more like a dodgy doodle on Paint than some of the stunning pieces of digital art that we see online. Just look at

Why is digital art sometimes looked down upon? any one of the Disney or Pixar films. The digital drawing in those can be spectacular. So why is digital art sometimes looked down upon? Is it because of the fact that fan art is such a large part of its content? Is it because it adorns the walls of the Internet rather than the walls of a gallery? Why are fandoms seen as a less valid source of inspiration?

As a relative novice in this field, it seemed that my answers would have to come from some digital artists themselves. Cue Andrea Lee and Ellen Coleman, two Durham students, and two fantastic digital artists whose own art includes original works and fandom inspired pieces.

that’s required to make a masterpiece. “Digital art is never going to replace real paintings, but having the option of working digitally as a medium just makes it more varied and gives you more choice. Plus, there’s no reason why you can’t create work that combines both digital and traditional mediums.” I asked Ellen and Andrea how they felt fan art affected people’s perceptions of digital art. Does the fact that people haven’t come up with the original concepts themselves cause some observers to look down on digital art? Does the fan art element of digital art make people see it as being derivative? Ellen responds, “I mean, people do draw their own stuff, it’s just it doesn’t get as much attention. People like fan art so it gets seen more and people just assume that that’s what digital art is, in fact much of it is original but hidden away.” But, as Andrea comments, “that’s inevitable, really. I don’t really know what people’s original stuff is so it’s much harder to actively seek it out.” Andrea makes a valid point. Throughout the history of art, sensationalist or populist works have always had more currency than perhaps more subtle works. Damien Hirst’s Mother and Child (Divided), in which a cow and a calf are preserved in tanks of formaldehyde, is not necessarily great art but it is eye catching. Just because digital fan art might often depict characters from popular films, books or TV, doesn’t mean that the work is not as beautiful, as skilful or as powerful as pieces with original subject matter.

Photographs: Ellen Coleman (left), Andrea Lee (below and opposite page)

Both E l l e n and Andrea told me that ‘there were definitely art snobs out there’ and that it was time for digital art to be recognised as an equally valid and valuable art form. Ellen tackles the issue head on, “They probably think it’s easier, because of the very fact that it’s digital.” “Also, because it’s very new. Drawing and painting have been around since cavemen and are seen as the pinnacle of artistic prowess, but digital art is really, really new.” “The photographic element of digital art makes people think that it’s cheating in some way but it’s not. It requires just as much effort, skill and knowledge of anatomy and colour palette.” Andrea challenges anyone who thinks that digital art is produced more by machine than man “to have a go themselves and see what they can do”. For both of these artists, a graphics tablet, just like a sketchpad or canvas, is just a tool. It is the artist’s skill

Thursday 10th March 2016

VISUAL ART

As Andrea points out “nothing’s ever a hundred percent original, everything is inspired by other things, if you take inspiration from something you like, that you’re a fan of, you’ll probably produce something just as valid” “And after all, all the great masters did was basically bible fan art. You don’t imagine that anybody went around shouting at those artists saying, “Oh

“And after all, what the great masters did was basically bible fan art.” my god Michelangelo – do you own original stuff!” She’s right - If you walk around any gallery, you’ll almost certainly spot characters from plays or stories you are familiar with. Both Ellen and Andrea are interested in making their own original work. At the moment, Ellen is working on her own graphic novel, but neither of them will be abandoning fan art anytime soon.

Andrea has helped to contribute to several themed collections including most recently 1001 Knights and an upcoming collection of images of fictional siblings including Harry Potter favourites and the Bennet sisters from Pride and Prejudice.As Andrea comments “I think the day I stop drawing fan-art is the day I die.” Digital art is a complex and skilful medium, which can produce some stunning work and is equally as demanding on the artist as any other type of art form and deserves more attention and credit from a wider audience. The fan art that seems to make up a substantial amount of the content of digital art is nothing new and furthermore shouldn’t be disparaged and disregarded. Digital at is a new medium but it’s one that’s here to stay. Next time you want to see some new art, don’t go to a gallery; don’t even leave your room. Get off Netflix and explore some of the fantastic digital art being produced around you from all over the world.

@visualarts_ palatinate

Thursday 10th March 2016

CREATIVE WRITING

The World of Rap Battles

You may know Adam Frost as the head of the controversial and unratified Men’s Issues Society. Today, he talks to Sarah Fletcher about a different side of him: rap battler

To start, I watched one of your rap battles for “Don’t Flop” on YouTube and I was amazed. How are you that spontaneous on the spot? What goes through your mind? Rap battles are actually not improvised! It’s all prewritten. No one is that clever on demand. I didn’t realise that! So it’s almost like wrestling? Exactly! It’s all there to showcase people’s wordplay ability. That’s the art form in itself. You’re given time to think of angles, do a little bit of research. I’ve become addicted to it. In wrestling, a lot of wrestlers kind of create their own persona when they fight. Is it similar in rap battles? When you perform, are you Adam Frost, or someone else? I definitely play off ‘the middle class jerk’ vibe. I’ll reference the fact I seem posh and all that — be kind of self-deprecating. I’m also quite heavy on the wordplay. I’m not so much a lyrical, multisyllabic rapper. Being aggressive doesn’t suit me. You’re best known in Durham for having founded the Men’s Issues Society. How do politics play out in your spoken word poetry and rap battles? Funnily enough, I wrote a men’s rights poem. It went down terribly at an event. I got shouted at by people and told not to criticise feminism. I feel like in spoken word circles, you have to have certain views. This is what pushed me from spoken word poetry to rap battles. I don’t want to be afraid of offending people and I’m pro-free speech. Poetry is often very personal and very emotional. If you go up to someone and say “yo, that was whack’ about a political poem you disagree with, that could be really hurtful. Poetry is a form of really deep expression. The key is to use emotion to expound on logic, not in place of logic. With rap battles, people are very honest. It’s there to entertain the crowd and get a reaction. Do you think spoken word poetry have the ability to change people’s minds about politics? Completely. Usually politics is a minefield of numbers, figures, and attempts at objectivity. Poetry introduces and incredibly emotional

dimension to it. It allows people to see things from the perspective of a human that is suffering rather than numbers on a page. It allows you to really feel their pain. Old men shouting at each other in parliament doesn’t really captivate anyone. You mentioned that you performed your men’s rights poem that it didn’t go down well. What happened? When I did perform my men’s rights poem, I got attacked by some American woman who was calling me names. She said “I hope your children are more open minded than you,” when it was her who ran away from the debate. She shut down any attempt I made to converse with her and tell her my point of view. I feel like people don’t even want to listen to opposing viewpoints. There is a danger of entering into an echo chamber in the spoken word scene, but I love it nonetheless. As much as I have rallied against the insular politics of the scene, the people are really awesome people. And it’s genuinely amazing to be part of it. How do you reconcile your activism for men’s issues with some of your insults in rap battles, which play on outdated gender stereotypes about men? Do you ever feel bad about attacking the masculinity of your opponent, or is it all part of the performance? I’ve totally gone against a lot of my men’s rights stances in rap battles by calling the other guy a failure because he doesn’t live up to ‘being a man’. Lots of the things people say in rap battles aren’t things someone who believes in gender equality would say: your mum jokes, calling women fat. But it’s part of the art form. Everyone knows it’s a joke and no one’s feelings get hurt. What appeals you to spoken word poetry rather than page poetry? A performance will just captivate me. I can hear the way the performer says the words. Look up Harry Baker. Read his poems, then watch him perform them. It’s a completely different experience. Do you read any page poetry? I know there are big debates between spoken

word poets and page poets over inclusion, elitism, and accessibility. I don’t really weigh in on the debate. I think they’re two radically different styles with different purposes, and I don’t judge one over the other. My preference is a personal thing. I’ve never been too good at deciphering metaphors. Lastly, are you going to continue to write after university? Definitely. There are a lot of hidden poets out there. It’s crazy! I’ve spoken to loads of people who write poetry but never show it to anyone. People need to start sharing. It’s awesome that so many people do it, and I’d like to see more talent around. Spoken word is such a beautiful, versatile art form. The more the merrier, I think. Photograph: sparetomato via Flickr

3AM

By Adam Frost i’m a tea stained wreck state of my room is complete mayhem and whatever this essay says has more holes in than a maccie d’s playpen and i’m not entirely sure it’s long enough to go into any great depth, like an insecure penis patient independent mental endeavours are the devils you need to evade when forever there’s pressure to get a better degree if you simply play dead, lay back and accept their interpretation of events uni’ll be fortuitous for your great future depends on it they said no, what happens is you kneel before tutors for your grade’s future depends on what they said anyway, got to get back to these summatives i think i need help but i don’t want to ask my friends because, well, some are divs and those who are up at the minute are probably just bunning spliffs and that’s not the type of high grade i’m trying to pick up at the minute so i get stuck right in and down some redbull annotating a book with the pen i nicked from my teacher and start writing down some red bull

i O

Thursday 10th March 2016

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Women’s first fencing captain

How do you juggle schoolwork and intense training? It’s all about motivation, says Laura Lovegood

n a Friday at 9am, at the end of a busy and stressI received an email ful week. Indeed, you could from Team Dureven say it’s about my addicham reading ‘Laura, tion to becoming better. But call me now’. I then take time most importantly, it’s about out of my two-hour tutorial seeing the other fencers – in– on my 50% summative due credible people who have next week – doing some lastnow become my great friends. minute organisation for the Being captain isn’t always Championship Match against easy. But I have always enjoyed Oxford. I came to ask myself: the idea of leadership. We had why did I sign up for this? an extremely strong women’s Well, I did anyway. I did fencing team this year. To be because deep down, I really honest, on one occasion we enjoy being captain. When I even got close to beating the attended my first fencing novyear-long Premiership Chamice session two and a half years pion Edinburgh Women’s ago, I had no idea that I would First, without even fielding our eventually become Women’s full team. But alas, we didn’t. First captain and compete Neither did we reach the semiweekly with my team. I travfinals in the Championship. el all over the country, from People kept on missing trainBirmingham to Aberdeen. ing, or even deciding to drop According to my friends, out entirely. I couldn’t have fencing has taken over my life. forced them otherwise. TutoriI don’t disagree with them. als until 1pm on a Wednesday Training five times a week, when you’re a finalist are hardly and competing every Wednescompatible with fencing away day – either at home or away every other week. I also can’t – does not give me much force my teammates to train chance to do much else out- Women’s First Fencing Captain Laura Lovegood (inset) training with her partner (above). when they have personal probside of fencing and studying. lems or injuries. I totally underinto a massive exercise on time-management. My days have become fairly routine. Mornings stand, and would never dare blaming any of the girls. Sometimes I wonder whether in ten years’ time

Sometimes I wonder whether in ten years’ time I will regret having missed experiencing university life

are a rushed affair. I’ll usually get up at 7, have breakfast whilst packing my bag, get my lunch and dinner out the fridge – as I won’t be home until midnight – and make myself a coffee to take to the library. This coffee and morning routine are crucial to me surviving the fatiguing first two hours of the day where I study. No surprises that I always feel that I’d much rather still be in bed. The rest of the day runs pretty smoothly. Lectures are rare, and reading is plenty – I study social sciences. I appreciate the days I have training as I feel it’s a nice opportunity to get out of Elvet Riverside. By now, I know most of the YUM baristas at Maiden Castle by name, and I don’t even have to tell them what coffee I want. They know my order virtually by heart. And at the end of the day, the night guards always wish me a goodnight, and comment on how my Canadian hockey beanie is suitable for the 8pm cold. I see my friends most often in the library. And on the rare occasion where I don’t, it turns

I will regret having missed experiencing university life: I’ve missed most of my College events, I’ve missed all of the Union society’s controversial Friday debates – even though I am a life member, I’ve hardly been on nights out – I tend to have six a year, five of which are after exams, and I’ve also missed most of my friends’ brunches and movie nights. I could quit; I have considered it a few times when times got tough. On some evenings I feel terrible – either because I don’t concentrate, or because I am just too tired. My intense training sessions do not help when I feel myself drowning with work. I love fencing, but training sessions can be physically and mentally draining.

The night guards [at Maiden Castle] always wish me goodnight However, fencing has contributed immensely to my overall development – be it psychological, emotional or physical. These qualities are something I wouldn’t give up for the world. So when my college friends ask me, for instance, why I hadn’t attended my College Masquerade Ball a few weeks ago, I told them it was because that I didn’t want to miss training. It’s not just that I fancied stabbing something

To fail now is to flourish later

But I guess that I could have been more successful at motivating people to come to training, and to instill a greater team spirit. If I had been a bit more assertive, we might have done better. Overall, I guess it is always all a question of perspective. What I mean is you decide how you feel about things happening to you. I could decide to be annoyed at myself for lacking the right amount of firmness, to feel burdened by the responsibility I carry for my team’s performance, to perceive the amount of time I spend at training or matches instead of in the library as a source of anxiety, given that I still fear academic failure more than anything. Or I could also constantly worry about my friends eventually giving up on me because they feel that I don’t put much effort into seeing them. I could. But I don’t. I prefer to see these problems as challenges and as opportunities to prove myself that I am capable. My best friend told me: “If I’m feeling buried, it’s because I’ve just been planted.” To fail now, is to flourish later. And it’s something I thought was very meaningful. Photographs: Thom Cousins, Kris Moodley