CUB
ISSUE 551
ISSUE 551 SECTION GUIDE
2 // The Editor’s Letter 4 // London 6 // Arts 14 // Film 20 // Features 26 // Arts & Culture Explained 28 // Music 34 // Style 40 // Photography 44 // Columns 48 // The Team
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ISSUE 551 - Editor’s Letter
Wilkommen Bienvenue Welcome By the time you are reading this we will either be a mere few hours away from choosing our next illustrious leader, or that lucky individual will have been announced. The team will also have made it through (dignity in tact?!) the QMSU Awards evening where members who have contributed in an outstanding way will be celebrated. To me the arrival of these two events are a terrifying display of how fast time really does fly by before the party comes to an end. I would like to take this space to say a massive thank you to all who have contributed to CUB this year, whether in online or print, as an editor, a writer or photographer. My editorial team in particular have exceeded my expectations, continually proving that I am not the only person who cares for this magazine a little bit too much. The support of the QMSU staff has also been beyond what I could have hoped for - thank you boys (lads). Our never ending attempt to try and engage with more of the student body was supported this issue by the Arts & Culture Fund; they were generous enough to provide us with full funding to print. To honour this we have attempted to highlight some of the excellent work they do with other students, societies and our Students’ Union in our Features section. We have tried to explain exactly how you can access this fund to support a
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project so that more people are aware of what is available. Hopefully this will lead to more inspiring developments in the future. Working to the theme of ‘Crossing Cultural Boundaries’ was a challenge everyone took up with vigour, and the results are stunning. We spoke to the team behind the ‘Humans of Queen Mary’ Facebook page, whose desire to document life should encourage all to pay more attention to the people who surround us. Pieces can also be found on the impact of Scandinavian style in Hollywood, London’s best Queer nights and the finale in our map series of our capital. We also ran a photography competition to try and publicise the different creative slant of this issue - our favourite entries are to be found printed inside, as well as the name of the winner. Thank you to all who entered. This year has taught me how much you can achieve with some passion and determination. To truly care about something can be a scary roller coaster of an experience, but I have learnt so much and would not change a thing. My parting words of wisdom come from Baz Luhrmann: ‘Do one thing everyday that scares you.’ If I hadn’t have done exactly that one day last March then I would not be writing this right now. Good luck to all who follow on from here and thank you so much for the support.
AufWiedersehen Au Revoir Goodbye 3
Illustration: Stephanie Wood
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LONDON
London editor Anna Thornton reveals her highlights of South London
2: Ovalhouse Theatre:
6: Begging Bowl:
a fantastic theatre,
restaurant, with lovely
which supports
food at a reasonable
subversive and
price. An interesting
experimental work.
menu, combining
They also have
traditional ingredients
a small gallery
and British seasonal
space, and free or
vegetables. Most of
discounted tickets
the dishes are for
for students.
sharing, so there is a
a Thai street food
lively atmosphere.
3: Corsica Studios: regularly hosts
7: Frank’s cafe:
incredible live DJs,
only open during
best to book in
high summer, this
advance to avoid
unique bar/restaurant
long queues. Great
is located on top
sound system, intense
of a parking lot in
atmosphere.
Peckham. It may not sound terribly
4: Tate Modern:
glamorous, but the
obvious choice but if
food is delicious,
you haven’t been, you
the cocktails aren’t
should. Home to one of
expensive and it has
the best contemporary
an unparalleled view
art collections in the
of London.
world. The café at views of the Thames
8: Greenwich Observatory:
and central London.
the origin of
the top has amazing
Greenwich Mean Time, the Greenwich
buzzing with cafés,
5: Peckham Platform:
market stalls,
community art space
beautiful building
independent shops
that aims at bringing
surrounded by
and jerk chicken
together artists to
Greenwich park.
restaurants, Brixton is
promote and develop
There is a planetarium
a great place to enjoy
their work. Regular
too, for the starry
a cool spring day.
art exhibitions, film
eyed amongst you. .
1: Brixton Village:
screenings, interesting lectures and there is a nice café.
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Observatory is a
A Book with a View of the World: LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION Words: Alainna Georgiou When many of us think of powerful literature, or great books, we think perhaps of English writers such as Dickens and the Brontё sisters. Or perhaps we think of some fairly amazing American authors; Ernest Hemmingway springs to mind. Yet literature from around the world provides readers with a plethora of masterpieces. Reading literature in translation (or if you’re linguistically talented, in its original) is an amazing experience in itself. Where to begin? Please allow me to take you through a few of my favourites. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel This Mexican bestseller is a novel with a difference. Each chapter comes in monthly instalments in the form of traditional Mexican recipes, listing the ingredients you need to make the dish. The narrative of that chapter then blurs the boundary between the realistic cookbook form and the imaginary lives of the De La Garza family. In this way, Mexican tradition and culture positively seep through the novel, which at its core is a love story. The true beauty of this novel comes from the magical realism Esquivel uses to create her story, and, of course, from the food imagery which rises like an aroma from the pages. No reader can escape the delicious descriptions of the Northern-style Chorizo, or the homely Cream Fritters, nor can they escape the wild passion between Tita and Pedro. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink Translated from the German, The Reader encapsulates ideas of love, forgiveness and heartbreak. The narrative follows Michael Berg as he falls in love with an older woman and learns about the complexities of life. Set against the Holocaust war crime trials, the book explores the pain of post-war German generations as they attempt to comprehend the horror of the Holocaust. Schlink successfully creates a narrative which is searching, poignant and asks many pertinent questions. Can you continue to love someone who has committed horrific crimes? This is a read that will stay with you for many years. 20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth by Xiaolu Guo Translated from the Chinese, this short and idiosyncratic book follows Fengfang as she struggles to create a life for herself in the whirling city of Beijing. Working as a film extra and living off of UFO instant noodles, Fengfang’s narrative moves between the often bizarre encounters she has with men (directors and lovers alike) and her recollections of village life. Each chapter starts with a quirky photograph of the city, giving this book a unique feel. Ultimately a novella about a young woman engulfed by a relentless city, this book is startling original, darkly comic and honestly written. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende This critically acclaimed and widely translated novel spans four generations of a Chilean family. Often difficult to read, due to Allende’s brutal depictions of violence against women, this novel is equally just as beautiful and breath-taking. The narrative blends feminist and wider political thoughts with magical realism and universal ideas of love and war. Allende’s descriptions are powerfully lyrical and do not shy away from the unsettling, the unnerving or the shocking. This book continues to grip readers and has become an international bestseller.
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ARTS
THE FULL SPECTRUM Words: Alice Owen
With the continued stimulating backdrop as a huge 3D squared blackboard and the chalk as the character’s
As viewers of elaborately crafted performance, we are
guiding tool, we see the comfort of Christopher’s home
accustomed to receiving a production as a manifestation
as a series of clean-cut straight lines with perfectly
of lifestyle. The actors’ words and conviction being enough
measured ninety degree corners. Like the rest of us,
for our mentally painted pictures and artificial empathy
Christopher understands and accepts the minimalism
for our favourite characters. Feeling satisfied, we often
of familiar environment. However, as soon as he moves
walk away from the West End with an air of ‘I’m so
into the obscure, the senses come into formidable force.
cultured!’ but when that culture is unknown, the weight
The simplicity of a train station is transformed into a
of the performance is carried by much more than a set
state
of decent actors.
train station as an epicentre of cacophony, we see the
of
chaotic
over-stimulation.
Representing
the
Photos: opposite page c/o First English & Perfection Learning, this page c/o Brinkhoff Mogenburg
habitual phrases ‘mind the gap’, ‘train approaching’ and Cue the imaginative and thought-provoking National
‘tickets please’ appearing in shadowy fonts and booming
Theatre adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog
voices; each of them intermix in a confusing pattern, both
in the Night-Time, the book written by Mark Haddon.
visually and aurally. It is this, that gives us the best idea of
The performance is neat yet intriguing, and makes us
what it is like to be Christopher. We are looking out into
question the way in which we are encouraged to view
a confusing world that we do not quite understand and
the world. This is achieved by a fascinating multi-sensory
the simple act of communication cannot even bring us
approach
manipulates
any comfort. Yet throughout the play, communication is
everything that we believe about theatre. In this world,
present more so than ever - it just looks a little different
the audio dimension and large-scale visuals speak for
to the way we imagine it.
where
the
National
Theatre
the perplexity that certain people feel whilst stumbling through their lives.
It is this which elevates the adaptation from just another ‘based on the book’ storyline to a genuine piece of
The story is told through the eyes of protagonist
theatrical
Christopher Boone, a genius teenage mathematician who
indicates traits of autism, a hypothesis from which author
uses his precise knowledge of algebra as an underpinning
Haddon wants to detract. Speaking on the matter, he
of social relationships and communication, an area which
insists: ‘this is not a book about disability. It is a book
provides great challenges. We first see this when entering
about difference.’ We may not know what it is truly like to
the theatre: I found a white sheet draped across my
live in the mind of an autistic boy, but we all experience
designated seat. A note from Christopher himself, it read
the notions of the familiar and the unknown. A deserved
‘this seat is a prime number. I like prime numbers because
winner of seven Olivier awards, The Curious Incident
they are only divisible by one and themselves.’ This was
of the Dog in the Night-Time simply presents our fears
an audience interaction not deserving of a cinema screen
in a different way where the term ‘autistic spectrum’
and gave us a taste of the logic and reason in the mind of
is extended to a ‘spectrum of stimulation;’ a scale with
an awkward character.
which we can all identify.
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art.
Unmentioned
until
now,
Christopher
What do two Biochemistry students, a geographer, a History student, a History & English student and a pharmaceutical chemist all have in common? This may sound like a bad joke, but they all make up the mysterious, anonymous team behind the Humans of Queen Mary Facebook page. The team has been taking photos of students, holding conversations with them, then uploading the photo and a snippet of their story on to Facebook. HANNAH BALLARD went to meet the mystery group and ask them a few questions... CUB: So first up, why do you want to be kept anonymous? Ta: First of all, in terms of approaching people I think it’s kind of less interesting if people know who you are as you walk up to them and know what to expect. S: We were also inspired by Humans of New York. One of the rules of HONY is that you can’t ask to be photographed, you have to be approached, so we said that we wanted to keep it uh... Z: Organic? S: Yeah, organic. Ti: I was alright to not being anonymous. But being totally anonymous could be a bit dodgy. Ta: It’s got its advantages and disadvantages.
like when you find out you share something, but you can’t tell much just by looking at someone. It’s always fascinating just to think like, about what people have done, what they’re going through; you just don’t know. Ti: People are like books; everyone has a story, about what has happened to them. You look at people and want to read them. I’m an empathetic person, and interested in other people, but I’m not confident enough to always approach people. This venture is an effort to increase my confidence and to get to know people and understand their stories.
CUB: And what initially inspired you to set up the page? Ta: Overall I think the reason that we all wanted to do it is because QM is quite different to other London universities, as it’s a campus so you get more of a community feel. We don’t know everyone, so it’s just building on that sense of community we already have. S: Yeah I agree, I mean the strangers that go past you every day, they are all humans, they all have ambitions, they all have worries or whatever, and just by taking a photograph and having a brief conversation, we can maybe, you know, shed some light on that. Z: We are all united in one goal, which is education, and yet we differ so much. There’s something beautiful about how you pass so many people in one day and you spend the entire time thinking about what you’re going to do, and where you’re going in life, and sometimes you glance over at someone and they’re sitting there thinking almost as deeply as you are. Ta: Also, there’s something that strikes with people,
CUB: What are you hoping to achieve with this project? Z: I don’t think we set out with like, a particular goal in mind, like a certain milestone. I just thought it’d be amazing to share people’s stories and different insights into people’s thinking and beliefs. S: I think the main question people always ask is ‘why am I doing this?’ I think if you have to ask that question then it’s clearly not worth your time. I didn’t have to ask myself that, I thought it would be fun and fulfilling, and I thought it might teach me something. Ti: Well I’m quite interested in people’s stories; I like to get to know people, and thought this was a great way to do that. Ta: I agree with Ti but also, it’s all about seeing people as humans rather than like a student, or a statistic. When you look at their stories and stuff, the more you realise you have in common with people.
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ARTS conversation with; if you can’t hold a conversation then you most likely won’t be able to get a very good quote out of them. Ta: You have to connect. S: I approach people I want to photograph. I want someone who’s looking down, who’s mesmerised with something, someone who looks busy. Probably a bad time to ask someone for their time as clearly they don’t have any to give.
Photo: c/o Humans of Queen Mary
CUB: How has student response been , have you had any challenges? And has anyone said no? Z: Yeah, well when you set out to do something like this, you’re going to be faced with a lot of no’s. S: We spoke to bin men and they would not stop for a minute to speak with us, but on the same day we ran into Ricardo. We asked him what’s been on his mind lately and he said ‘oh I’m rewriting my first novel’ and I was like, wow. What luck. But we had to run into a few no’s before we could get this. Ta: Yeah that’s the thing, not giving up Ti: Once, we were trying to get photos, and I had my camera around my neck. We were going up to people like, ‘hey, do you have a minute?’, and they’re like ‘nope nope nope’. I think people make assumptions about the camera. S: I think people can sometimes be a bit taken aback because this is quite a new thing. Ta: But all the people we’ve photographed have been so positive about the project, no one’s been negative about it, well, to my face. Ti: My biggest challenge is ‘approach anxiety,’ I just get quite nervous about going up to people.
CUB: Who has been your favourite person to photograph so far? Ti: I don’t want to show favouritism... Z: It’s like choosing your favourite child! Ta: Well I’m going to say Kim, because he was the first ‘human.’ S: By doing this I’ve actually cemented a lot of friendships and I’m glad I’ve met these people. CUB: Would you personally want to be photographed? *General agreement* Z: But I’d find it difficult to say something that sounds insightful and inspiring. Ti: It doesn’t have to be inspiring. S: It depends the question you ask. Ti: I’d totally be cool with it, that’s one of the reasons I’m doing it. Ta: I’d worry about saying something you don’t want to be shared with a lot of people. CUB: What quote would you give then? Ti: We don’t ask for a quote, we have a conversation and just take a snippet. Ta: And we always check it’s okay to put online. Z: Yeah, sometimes it can be a personal, intimate experience, when you open up to someone and you share something. And I think that is what’s so amazing; the ability to open up and share is a very human thing to do.
CUB: How do you select people to photograph? Ta: I think we all have different approaches... Ti: Generally, they have to look approachable, not busy and something about them has to catch my eye; like an different style or they’re doing something interesting and I want to ask them about it. Z: It has to be someone you think you can hold a
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STARDUST David Bailey @ National Portrait Gallery
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ARTS
David Bailey CBE is relevant to your life for an abundance of reasons. Chances are that when you think of a truly iconic celebrity, it is one of his images that will immediately come to mind. You may not even be aware of him, but this is what makes David Bailey a true master of our time. Few photographers can really boast such a revealing feat; an almost creative monopoly over the iconic. Born in Leytonstone (in the next street to Alfred Hitchcock) and living in East Ham from the age of three, Bailey adopted the East End as one of his photographic stomping grounds before going on to notable work for Vogue (during the heat of the ‘swinging sixties’) and a host of other projects. He has since become one of the world’s most celebrated photographers. Stardust is the largest exhibition of David Bailey’s portraits and brings together over 300 prints spanning the entirety of Bailey’s career to date. The portraits have been personally selected and arranged by the photographer and show an all-encompassing array of actors, writers, musicians, fashion icons, models, artists and other subjects encountered on his travels. The exhibition, which takes up the majority of the National Portrait Gallery’s ground floor, sees an effective mixture of photography dedicating rooms and spaces to subjects and topics. From ‘The Rolling Stones’ to ‘Papua New Guinea,’ Stardust, as the gallery director emphasizes, is a great chance for the public (who may still be unaware of David Bailey) to explore his work beyond initial iconic images. On entering the exhibition, nothing prepares you for the sheer variety of celebrities on offer, but also the sense of familiarity the images possess. The surrounding walls play host to everyone from Kate Moss to Nelson Mandela, Karl Lagerfeld to Michael Caine, with a few personal favourites standing out. Fellow Eastender and iconic war photographer Don McCullin is captured in perfect black and white contrast; a slightly harrowing look in his Photo: c/o engyles/flickr
eyes reflecting the horror he has so often observed in the field. Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones is also a really interesting figure in Bailey’s work. As opposed to the iconic shots of Mick we know and love, for me the usually discrete Watts provided the highlights in the Stones room. Elsewhere an Andy Warhol and David Bailey in-bed selfie is worth looking out for as well as the ‘go to’ shot of infamous East End Gangsters: The Krays. ‘Human Skull and Blue Roses’ is another slightly chilling but beautiful photograph highlighting David’s talents and composition away from portraiture in the conventional ‘alive’ sense. A reminder present throughout Stardust is the fact that the East End has never left David Bailey. Whether it is his series of London ‘hard men’ or the long wall dedicated to the nightclubs, people and areas of Tower Hamlets, our beloved East End is an area of the world he holds dear. Colour prints show personal portraits of unknown characters side by side with the black and white bombed out rubble of the London Bailey grew up with. These pictures are showcased with the same importance as a glamorous snap of Bridget Bardot or a career defining shot of Johnny Depp. This exhibition is David Bailey - it is an access all areas look into a vast collection of images that span a broad and exciting career. In residence until 1st June, this looks to be one of the exhibitions of 2014 that everyone ought to visit. The gallery is open daily until 5pm, or 8pm on a Thursday & Friday. Student tickets are £12
Words: Davey Brett
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YOU BEAUTIFUL THING.
CUB: How do you come up with the initial idea for a project?
Caitlin Hazell is an illustrator whose work is
CH: I always have lots of ideas, mainly stemming
a daring and often humorous exploration of
from quirky things I find in the everyday, which is
femininity, working in various mediums such as
why keeping a journal to record things is helpful.
collage, clothing, installation and illustration. Inspired by feminism, Hazell’s work often
CUB:
mixes feminine ‘girly’ signifiers with strong
drawings and collage – are they inspiration for
messages of equality. Her diverse and visually
future projects or just a record of time spent? I love
captivating approach has seen her work being
the way you record everything, from photographing
featured in Oh Comely and Rookie Magazine,
strangers you see on a train, to things you see on
whilst still studying art at college. Laura Maw
the pavement. Do you keep written diaries too?
caught up with her to ask about inspirations
CH: They’re a mix of everything - inspiration,
and projects old and new...
ideas, notes, receipts, drawings, and if I can, printed
You
keep
a
Moleskine
every
month
of
photos. I used to keep a written diary but it’s just easier to have everything all in one place. On
ARTS
hearing
I
journals,
like
a
to
load
keep
of
my
relatives gave me journals and diaries for Christmas, so I started 2014 tackling three. It’s hard to write every day. A Moleskine gives no pressure of filling specific dates or times, so I go to it whenever and wherever. CUB: One of my favourite works of yours was your one day project on ‘Instability’ where you chose to represent the instability of the female body. I also remember your work on ‘Nipple Censorship’, a
nipple
stitched
onto
a
white bra, which I thought was incredible. Is feminism something that particularly influences your art? CH:
Thank
Feminism
you
does
again!
influence
me; as a woman I want to represent my sex and the problems
that
we
face.
Recently I was in my local Waterstones and the lack of books on female artists disgusted me; I’m working on something to do with that at the moment. CUB: Something I love about your work is that it overlaps
Photos: c/o Cailtin Hazell & rookiemag.com
many
artistic
techniques
– you work with fabric and installation, video,
this partially inspired by Frank Warren’s Postsecret
paint, collage, photography – was this a conscious
project? There’s something so amazing about a
decision or is there one thing you prefer to work on?
handwritten letter, particularly one from a stranger!
CH: It’s a very conscious decision, I hate feeling
CH: I took part in the Oh Comely ‘winter care
restricted and bound by a certain medium. I
package’ project and loved it, and I also love
just want to work with everything and keep
Postsecret! It was partially inspired I guess, but
experimenting!
I’ve been receiving very long confessional letters which is just what I wanted, rather than the short
CUB: You’ve recently started a new project where
secrets. I’m really getting to know people despite
you’ve invited people to send you letters in the post
not knowing them. It’s been very emotional. I can’t
about their secrets, dreams and confessions – was
wait to start work about the things I’ve been told!
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THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: A Window to the World...
Words: Davey Brett
Along with our senses, film is able to take our mindset, our perceptions, our beliefs and cultural awareness and play these against each other like no other. The foreign language film is especially effective in this respect. Without the reference point of our native tongue, we search for other cues and concentrate on different aspects enhancing the story and opening our mental floodgates to different cultures and ideas. The following are a few recommendations:
CITY OF GOD (2002) Portuguese
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011) Japanese
Based on a true story, City of God takes the audience on a detour away from postcard Brazil, swapping Christ the Redeemer and football on the beach for the strife and organized crime of Rio de Janeiro Favela life. As gripping as it is visually stunning, the film follows the story of an aspiring photographer caught up in the brutal everyday madness of the gangs. The film proves especially relevant with the World Cup looming over the horizon.
85 year old sushi master (and owner of a three Michelin starred restaurant) Jiro Ono and his quest to perfect the art of sushi provide the story for this delicately beautiful Japanese documentary. An atmosphere of unrelenting determination is portrayed throughout the film with the often tough oriental family dynamic explored. The sushi is elegantly depicted as a work of art throughout.
SAMSON & DELILAH (2009) Warlpiri Vast and immersive cinematography combine with two great performances from first-time actors to deliver a sublime cinematic spectacle in Samson & Delilah. Depicting a difficult and misdirected youth, the film also highlights the plight of the aboriginal people of Australia and the scars their communities continue to bear. The film is a poignant representation of an indigenous love story facing the harshness of modern day life.
MY NAME IS KHAN (2010) Hindi One of the most inspiring films you will ever see. Centred on the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the repeated tagline ‘I am not a terrorist’, the most expensive Bollywood film of 2010 tells the epic story of a disabled man’s family life turned upside down by misguided prejudices resulting from the infamous terrorist attacks. The film casts a poignant spotlight on the western response to a race of people grouped into a dangerous stereotype and a man seeking to change this costly perspective.
FILM
The Legend of Studio Ghibli
Words: Helena Kerr Often regarded as the zeitgeist of Japanese modern
whilst still being children! This is a concept that rather
cinema, Studio Ghibli has opened up our imaginations
embarrassingly is still weak within Disney films.
to a new and wonderful world of magical creatures and parallel universes. The Studio’s first feature length film
Furthermore,
appeared on screen in 1986, Castle in the Sky, directed
philosophical issues of the human condition and the
Ghibli
is
famous
for
exploring
by Ghibli legend Miyazaki. Suggestively, Ghibli Studios
concept of nature, something that resonates within
has become the antithesis to Disney; interestingly,
adults, and teaches children to question from a young
many of the Ghibli feature lengths have been released
age, exactly just what is inherent to the spiritual side of
in the USA by Walt Disney Pictures.
Japanese culture. These films help to deliver Japanese culture in to the wider world and have become the
What makes these films so beautiful and unique is
starting point of Western infatuation with anime and
their imagination, derived from age-old Japanese
manga cartoons.
Photos: opposite page c/o Dharma Productions, this page c/o
cultures and traditions. A particular favourite, My Neighbour Totoro (1988), is again, often comparable
I urge you to donate the rest of your spare time to
to Disney’s Mickey Mouse; Totoro is easily Ghibli’s
watching the Studio Ghibli back catalogue. It will take
most
of
you on a magical and out of this world adventure that
merchandise. It is clear that Studio Ghibli is not merely
arguably no cartoons or children’s films created within
a children’s anime cartoon company, it has evoked
European culture could ever capture. Inevitably, you
and brought to the forefront, political issues involving
may not have time to watch them all so my personal
Japan’s history. Take Pom Poko for instance, this
favourites for Ghibli newcomers are: My Neighbour
is when racoons fight to save their land to stop the
Totoro (1988), Ponyo (2008) the Oscar winning Spirited
building of housing, an issue that all can comprehend
Away (2001).
recognisable
character,
selling
swarms
in this age, yet impressively adapted into an out of this world anime in which racoons can shape shift into
The British Film Institute (BFI) is dedicating two full
humans on demand.
months, across April and May 2014, to celebrate Studio Ghibli’s 30th Birthday. Accompanying this, Ghibli legend
The beauty of the studio is that it has a universal
Hayao Miyazaki’s final film for the company The Wind
appeal to all ages, ethnicities and cultures. It has
Rises (2013) will be shown in UK cinemas. This will
quite a revolutionary approach to its characters and
be a wonderful experience for Ghibli fanatics and
questioning of societal norms, such as having strong
newcomers alike. This is taking place on London’s
female leads portrayed as independent and successful,
Southbank, so be sure to check it out!
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HOLLYWOOD, CINEMA & A LACK OF DIVERSITY How long are we going to let discrimination rule the Box Office?
Words: Kumari Tilakawardane
It probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone that mainstream Hollywood cinema isn’t the most diverse. In an age where there are countries outlawing lifestyles, genders, sexualities and essentially people, we also shouldn’t forget that there are people out
2013 was a phenomenal year for global cinema, and
there protesting these outdated draconian stances.
it delivered some of the greatest films of all time.
It’s about time some of those people had a go at
However, the fact that filmmakers are still being
Hollywood.
distinguished by race is ridiculous. Case in point: the 2014 Vanity Fair Hollywood issue cover was the
Hollywood is where most young people get their pop
most diverse in history – 6 of the 12 actors pictured
culture these days – films, TV shows, magazines,
were black. When 12 Years a Slave, Fruitvale Station,
photo shoots, endorsements… you can barely turn
and The Butler came out last year, some journalists
a corner without having Beyoncé’s arse or Natalie
proclaimed ‘the year of black cinema’; while it’s great
Portman’s elbow smack you in your (comparably)
to see more racially-diverse protagonists on-screen,
chubby face. And yet this is a culture which doesn’t
the idea that these films constitute a separate cinema
really celebrate the beautifully diverse world of
to the rest of Hollywood’s output is ludicrous.
The Academy Awards are not the be-all and end-
This year CUB reviewed several great films made by
all of cinema, but they are the most mainstream
women – Jill Soloway’s Afternoon Delight was listed
representation of the western film industry: Ellen’s
on Quentin Tarantino’s favourite films of the year –
record-breaking
ceremony
and there has been a lot of phenomenal work done
demonstrates its global reach. Buzzfeed recently
by women in cinema this year. There have been very
noted that of 425 nominees for Best Director, 17
few female nominees for any major awards in the
weren’t white men; furthermore there are only 3
technical, directing and writing categories in 2013,
wins between those 17 (Ang Lee twice and Kathryn
and there were no Best Picture nominees written of
Bigelow).
directed by women.
This year, either of the two frontrunners for Best
Here’s hoping we’ll see a more representative cinema
Director could have made history by winning. Alfonso
in the near future.
selfie
at
this
year’s
Cuarón became the first Latino man to win, while Steve McQueen would have been the first black man to take away the gong. In 2010, Bigelow became the first (and only) woman to win the Director’s Academy Award – and just the 4th woman to be nominated in 85 years of Oscar history.
16
Photos: this page: c/o Mark Davis & opposite page c/o Les Films du Losange
filmmakers as much as it wants us to believe.
Words: Robbie Laing Stranger by the Lake is much more than a film about gay sex. Don’t get me wrong: there is a lot of gay sex in it. It is actually because of this content that Stranger by the Lake is an important step forward in the advancing of Queer equality, and, more specifically, the widespread acceptance of male homosexuality.
This is the topic that the film tackles, one that is marginalised and divided by a societal partition. This partition is used as an excuse all too often in society: one particular example of this is Cineworld pulling the film from screening two days before its release.
Stranger by the Lake’s late shelving by Cineworld isn’t the only barrier faced by the gay community. On ‘Newsnight’ a couple of weeks ago, I was appalled to hear the Mayor of Sochi proclaiming that his city didn’t have a gay community. This statement was made even more ridiculous after the reporter interviewing him said that he had been to a gay club in Sochi only the night before.
The ‘Newsnight’ report detailed how all too often gay people are dismissed and marginalised globally. This is what one of the strangers by the lake, Henri, replicates when he first admits his love for the main character, Franck, but withdraws his admission and subsequently denies his sexuality.
Henri can be seen as a metaphor for a modern Western society yearning to accept homosexuality, whilst having to deal with structures imposed on it by archaic social protocol. And so, the characters are pushed to the margins of society, in a clandestine location in the south of France. This is what the film reacts against: it is trying to pervade contemporary culture with male homosexual images in order to generate debate.
Although it may be one of the worst PR disasters for a cinema in recent history, I am glad Cineworld pulled Stranger by the Lake. Now people will be talking about it, and common sense will win, in an age where instant democratic debate is so easily facilitated by the Internet. When all is said and done, this is a great movie, and worthy of the Queer Palm award that it won at last years’ Cannes Film Festival. I hope that many of you will go and watch it, so that in unity, society can move on from years of discrimination and alienation.
FILM
AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN QUEER EQUALITY?
Words: Jennie Shearman In the past decade Hollywood has been ‘less Hollywood’. The output of recent successful cinema has been
ScandinavianHollywood
less
affected
by
Hollywood
film,
with a move away from traditional American ideals. Instead of the all-American protagonist - most often seen in spy films or superhero movies - we are instead seeing something else: the European antihero inspired by European cinema itself. European film has always been highly regarded in the cinematic field; its tendency to lean towards an art-house style and its often-limited and relatively cheap production values have seen modern European film become a genre unto itself, and which has become increasingly popular in the last 25 years. Euro-cinema’s trendiness is nothing new, however. European cinema has been deemed fashionable ever since the French New Wave. So why now is there a perceived turn towards Europe? It’s not so much Europe that Hollywood currently has a fascination with, despite Europe being seen to be incredibly influential over the past few years. It is in fact Scandinavian filmmakers who are fuelling much of Hollywood’s new cinema. There has been much Scandinavian success in Hollywood. For instance Lars Von Trier, a now world-renowned Danish director has received great success and infamy with recent films such as Melancholia and Nymphomaniac (Part 1 and 2). There is also the Swedish produced The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series (based on Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s novels), which has since been re-made Hollywood-style with some more universal faces such as Daniel Craig. Let the Right One In, (2008) again a Swedish production, was also remade in 2010. The remake was titled Let Me In, and starred American actress Chloë Grace Moretz. It must be noted that both The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Let Me In feature lead female characters who are abnormal within generic Hollywood cinema. Perhaps it is the influence of a Scandinavian attitude towards gender, as both these films unflinchingly portray female characters who don’t fit easily into classical Hollywood female stereotypes. These are female ‘heroes’ who are not overly sexualised, nor unconventionally feminine women forced to fit into a contrived tom-boy identity. European cinema and the new Scandinavian-inspired Hollywood cinema seems to offer something new for all audience members who are tired of seeing the same old Hollywood stock characters marched out over and over again. Although often these Scandinavian films are re-made for a wider audience and are given some ‘Hollywood’ traits, their sense of Scandinavian film identity still remains. This crossing of cultural borders between European and Hollywood cinema is perhaps not a crossing but instead the uniting of western cinematic style. Arguably, this is the start of the creation of a more universal cinema, which will perhaps lead to the uniting of other national styles that are not just based in the west, and could potentially launch a truly global cinema.
18
FILM
Nymphomaniac & Lars von Trier One of this year’s most awaited films has
judgements of people by which hand they
finally
choose first when cutting their fingernails.
make
it
to
our
screens.
Broken
into two parts, Volume I and Volume II,
An
Nymphomaniac
Joe
Gainsbourg reveals that the film is in part
(Charlotte Gainsbourg), who meticulously
meant to encapsulate many of the aspects
recalls her erotic life of addiction and ‘sin’.
of the personally and behaviours of Lars
follows
the
life
of
online
interview
with
Charlotte
Von Trier himself. Both of these thought The long, drawn out and often blank shots at
processes could be exactly that.
the opening of Volume I, accompanied by the haunting sound of Rammstein’s ‘Fürhe Mich’,
The film has not gone unnoticed, Lars Von
aptly sets the tone and seems nothing short
Trier choosing to skip the Berlin Film Festival
of Von Trier’s previous films. Lying beaten
conference - it was here that Shia LeBeouf
and bloody in a back alley, Joe is discovered
walked off stage after ‘sort of ’ answering one
by the character Seligman (Stellen Skarsgard
question. Shia LeBeouf ’s strange behaviour
of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) who
in general can be suggestively linked to
offers to clean her up. Throughout, there
Nymphomaniac specifically. His plagiarism
remains a growing metaphor, taken from
case, false apology for this, his paper bag
Seligman’s interest in fishing. Joe, noticing
wearing and general boycotting all point to
a ‘nymph’ hanging from the bedroom wall,
an elaborate attempt to generate hype and
is taught the process of how to successfully
press for the two-part film, but who knows?!
catch a fish, as parallels are drawn from her Von Trier as a director often has people
anecdotes.
standing divided in opinion with regards to abstract
his films. For those looking to explore his
touches, which I think entirely succeed.
collection, I would first suggest Melancholia
Intricacies of everyday human behaviour,
(2009) starring Kirsten Dunst, before moving
almost synaesthetic in nature, are magnified,
onto
such as Joe remembering how many thrusts
(2009) can’t really go unmentioned, yet with a
she received from her partner during sex,
big warning, so please watch a trailer or read
with the letters 3 + 5 appearing largely over-
a blurb before watching.
The
film
includes
artistic
and
Nymphomaniac
(2013).
Anti
Christ
laid on the screen. Seligman also displays
Photos: opposite page c/o Nordisk Film, this page c/o CHRISTIAN GEISNÆS
these tendencies, and remarks that he makes
Words: Jessica Pratten
BIRTH, MARRIAGE & DEATH There are certain things in life which mark out the passage of time, and some which are a given for us all. The biggest of these are being born, getting married and dying. To investigate what these celebrations mean across the world, CUB took to campus to find out what happens for these ceremonies in other cultures...
AFGHANISTAN BIRTH: “From what I’ve seen from other births though, Afghan births are a lot like British births: when a child is born all the family help the new parents look after the baby, especially the bedridden mother. However, in Afghan culture, the fourteenth day after the birth is really special; there are a lot of celebrations with family and friends, and the baby
DEATH: “Funerals begin in Mosques for everyone
is given an ‘evil eye’ to ward off evil. Before, male
to mourn. Everyone visits the deceased’s family
births were celebrated a lot more because they
in their home to mourn with them and offer
carry on the family name, but nowadays both sexes
their condolences; everyone wears dark, demure
are celebrated equally.”
clothing, and women cover their heads with a white scarf out of respect. The family and friends closest
MARRIAGE: “The night before a wedding is the
to the deceased cook for their family for an entire
‘Henna Night’ – much like hen nights in Britain
week to let them mourn. Usually you let the mother
– and this marks the beginning of the wedding
cry to vent properly before the actual funeral at
celebrations. The bride comes in wearing a shawl
the Mosque. The body arrives and passes to the
on her head and the Qur’an is placed over her.
graveyard whilst everyone says prayers. The male
The bridesmaids throw sweets at her, followed by
members of the deceased’s family help to lower
a celebration with dances. Everyone gets henna
the body into the ground. After, everyone returns
on their hands, normally a spot or something
to the Mosque, where the men and women are
decorative, but the bride gets a very intricate design
separated so they can pray differently. For a while
for her wedding. For henna night the bride wears
afterwards, everyone continues to visit the grave,
a green dress, but when she arrives at the Mosque
and then again, on the fourteenth day, there is a
for the ceremony, she does so in a white dress, and
large celebration.”
changes her dress after her vows. Afghan weddings are all about colour – only the bride can wear white; everyone else wears vibrant, sparkly clothes. Postvows the newlywed couple sit in a special seat above the crowd, and celebrations continue with a lot of music, food, and dancing – the bridesmaids perform a special dance with candles – until the bride and groom cut the cake, and the celebrations continue for the entire night. The only major difference is the lack of alcohol.”
20
MARRIAGE: “It’s a huge mix of old and new, there is a great deal of Western influence
now. During
the day, the bridesmaids challenge best men with different tasks. At the wedding I was at, they based
SOUTH EAST ASIA
it on a Korean show - they split us into teams and
Photos: c/o Adam Jones & wikimedia
made us do things like interlock legs and arms and BIRTH: “I honestly find it a little tricky to remember,
not fall over. The punishment if you did? A pint of
because I was really young at the time, but I distinctly
undiluted Vimto.” Traditionally after this there is a
remember the red eggs.” A traditional Chinese
tea ceremony, which takes place at the bride’s home/
naming ceremony involves eggs (for fertility), dyed
Each relative (in pairs, brother and sister, husband
red (as it’s a lucky colour), which are then given to
and wife...) present tea ceremoniously to the bride
those who honour the child’s birth. There are also
and groom, and each person receives an ‘ang pao’-
gifts given to the child by the guests, usually of
a red envelope with a small amount of money in
money or clothes, very similar to a typically western
it. After this, the ceremony commences “It can be
Christening. “It’s all about honouring the child and
in both Chinese and English, to accommodate for
wishing them luck and success in the future.”
older and younger generations” The dinner at the wedding normally hosts huge numbers of people, and the ceremony itself is very similar to a western one, after which there is party with food and dancing.
21
Chai Tea Shortbread Fusion food became a big trend in the US in the 1980s and has become a mainstay in the world of cuisine ever since. Fusion requires that you take flavours or influences from two styles of cooking and blend them together to make a single dish, where the contrasting cuisines bring out and highlight different subtleties in the other. For this recipe, I took a traditional Scottish shortbread recipe and blended it with Chai tea spices to create biscuits which are fragrant and spiced whilst maintaining their buttery and crumbly texture. A must for indulgent revision snacking!
1 cup salted butter, softened 2/3 cup sugar (I use a mixture of caster sugar and soft dark brown sugar) Vanilla extract, 2-3 tsp 2 cups self-raising flour, sieved 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp fennel seeds, ground 2-3 cardamom pods, ground Contents of 1 English Breakfast teabag
1.
Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
2.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer.
3.
Add the spices, tea, and half of the flour, mixing slowly. Once this is combined, add the rest of the flour and if the mixture hasn’t formed into a ball add a couple of tbsp of milk or water.
4.
Take about 1tbsp of the mixture at a time and roll into a ball in your palm, flatten slightly and place onto a lined baking tray.
5.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly brown and firm to the touch.
6.
Leave to cool for a couple of minutes on the tray before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Words & Photo: Bethan McAulay
24
FEATURES
WORLD YOUTH DAY
Pilgrimages make up a large part of many religions, used as both a physical journey to a place of significance, and a metaphorical journey with the intention of finding spiritual answers. As a Catholic I have been on several pilgrimages; most recently, I was lucky enough to travel to Madrid for World Youth Day, an event launched in 1984 by Pope John Paul II. The crowds at World Youth Day are incredible; swarms of people lined the streets of Madrid singing hymns and greeting people they had never met as if they had known them their whole lives. I travelled in a group with fifty young
Words: Rachel Nelms
Catholics and became fast friends with many of them. As far as pilgrimages go, it is fair to say that World Youth Day is an incredibly intense and overwhelming experience.
My pilgrimage
lasted just over two weeks, beginning in a small diocese in rural Spain and concluded with Mass given by the Pope in a huge airfield in Madrid. Here, I met morep oeple from different countries than I had in my whole life; people were incredibly friendly, willing to just approach me to start up a conversation. You could be swept away by others – they’d take you by the hand and haul you into a circle of dancing people to join in. One man got as many people as possible to write ‘I love you’ in their own language in a book that he was giving to his fiancée. At one point, a whole tube carriage was singing Bohemian Rhapsody. My best experience from World Youth Day was meeting a Brazilian youth worker called Alexandre. We met in Madrid’s own Dixie Chicken and started talking in the queue for our food. The conversation led to us exchanging gift; he gave me a woven wristband and in turn I gave him a badge and wristband of my diocese. We took a photo together and exchanged contact addresses; when I arrived home from World Youth Day, I had a friend request from Alexandre. We still communicate to this day, mainly around significant Christmas and Easter. This friendship demonstrates the beauty of World Youth Day; despite our different cultures, language and distance barriers, Alex and I have managed to maintain a friendship which would not have been possible without World Youth Day. Behind the large social gathering, the underlying message is evident. World Youth Day is about different nations – Catholic or not – coming together, united in our love and faith for our God. On numerous occasions I was overwhelmed and brought close to tears by the intensity of the faith that I share with millions of others. World Youth Day showed me the reality of how supported I am in my faith, not just by my friends and family but by the global community. This incredible event continues to inspire me and has enabled me to grow in my faith and love for my friends, family and God.
23
LONDON’S BEST QUEER NIGHTS. Photo: c/o Google
Words: Séan Richardson When I was asked to write about cultural boundaries for this issue, the first thing that sprung to mind was Morrissey’s song ‘Irish Blood, English Heart.’ The culture I grew up in involved my Nan cooking a vat of stew in the kitchen, everyone having freckles and my aunt obsessing over The Corrs (seriously The Corrs, no one likes you but middle aged women who collect china figurines.) But, after much thinking, I realised that I am part of a wider culture; queer culture. So, in due course, here is my rundown of the best queer spots in London for you, heterosexual or
homosexual,
trans*
or
non-identifying,
dual-spirit
polyamorous, to head down to...
24
or
FEATURES
1
HEAVEN Star Rating: *** In one word: Vintage If I didn’t mention Heaven in this article, I would only be attempting to pass myself off as some kind of cool, alternative, East-London type. Heaven is London’s most famous gay club, sporting four nights a week of outrageous, 80’s-esq fun. It’s the only club in London I’ve found which still has the old, Queer As Folk style, three tier platforms left. Heaven is a shot of pure, unadulterated fun right into the jugular, and an excuse to dance outrageously to some of the most famous gay anthems of all time as well as megamixes of the newest club hits. Downside? I once got kicked out for being ‘too straight,’ also known as having a shaven head. Not cool Heaven, not cool.
2
DANCING ON MY OWN (DOMO) @ RESISTANCE GALLERY CAFE Star Rating: ***** In one word: SASSTACULAR DOMO is the veritable queen (no-pun intended) of queer nights. DOMO is the shining jewel in an array of boring, hipster rocks. If you are to go to one queer night this month, make it DOMO. Here you will find a range of gender-bending, polytastic, poptabulous students, all pounding away to the best tracks the dance floor has to offer. And I’m not talking cheese. Oh no. I’m talking feminist inspired, Christina Aguilera and Lil Kim style tracks. I’m talking men, women and those who exist outside the binary having the courage to dance semi-naked in a safe environment, where shame is discouraged and everyone’s body is its own temple to be flaunted in the face of heteronormativity. DOMO is a queer utopia, lose yourself in it.
3 Photo: c/o Google
HARD COCK LIFE @ THE NEST Star Rating: **** In one word: Homoggressive For those who hate cheese and loathe pop, Hard Cock Life provides the best in R’n’B, Hip Hop and pecs. If you want a night out involving gym-bunnies dressed entirely in mesh, grinding the night away to heavy beats, HCL is for you. An escape from the uber-camp club, HCL is a refreshing alternative to many of London’s queer nights. The best part? It’s just down the road and in one of London’s finest small clubs, The Nest, complete with cheap entry, cheap drinks and the cheapest quick fix you’ll find in town.
4
SHE BAR Star Rating: **** In one word: Babygay This year, one of London’s oldest lesbian bars sadly closed down. We mourn the loss of Candy Bar in this article, let us all pay our deepest respects. Thankfully, SHE Bar has come along to save the day. Opening in January, SHE is fun, funky and full of possibility. As a new bar, it doesn’t have a fixed identity yet and is still in its early stages. One of the best spots for women who like women, SHE is a liberation from male-orientated clubs and plays an array of cool tunes. Head down for a sleek, modern bar which is full of potential and driven by some of the coolest women in town.
25
EXPLAINING: The Arts & Culture Fund Words: Bethan McAulay
Many of you probably haven’t heard of the Arts and Culture Fund (ACF), and that means that you probably have no idea of the work they do and the projects that they fund and support. And for the most part you would be right. But you might be surprised at the projects that the ACF supports, and that you’ve been to one (or maybe more) of them. First of all though, let’s start with the basics of who they are and what they do. They’re a committee set up to help promote arts, cultural and learning projects across Queen Mary, and the money that they use to support projects comes from the Learning Café in the library. The committee itself is made up of a number of people from Student Union Executive Officers, Student Representatives and Queen Mary Staff. The fund supports a wide range of projects from the Neuroscience Symposium set up by QMBL NeuroSoc to a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the QM Theatre Company. The ACF have supported Unite, QM Amnesty International, QM Model United Nations, QM Doctoral Society and Festival 51 hosted by QM Equality. It isn’t just awareness campaigns and trips however, they also helped to fund break-out activities and games with the Learning Development team during the 24/7 library opening.
In 2013/14... 22 projects supported £22,728 given 26
Student Media Outlets with specific projects- including this very issue of CUB. They have also set aside funding for both this year’s QM’s Got Talent and the BL RAG Fashion and Dance Show. In total the Arts and Culture fund have handed out over £45,000 since 2012 in amounts ranging from £250 to £2,700. The ACF also supports the Student Union in many of its activities including projects during Black History Week, International Week, Disability Action week as well as upcoming Spoken Word Evenings and workshops. The University itself has also benefitted from the Fund with the Engineering, Drama and Computer Science departments all receiving funding for various endeavours as well as contributory funding for the Library. So how can you get help from them? Well first of all, you need to be a QMSU Society, Club or student group, an individual at the University or a staff member of Queen Mary or QMSU. So that’s all of you? Great. Next step then. To stand a chance of getting a grant from the ACF you need to submit an application form which can be found by visiting qmsu.org/artsandculture along with guidelines for filling it in and some of the terms of funding. Once your application has been submitted it will be considered by the funding committee and they’ll get back to you with their decision. If you happen to be successful, they ask simply for you to submit a report back to the Fund detailing how the grant was used and the outcomes of your project. The Arts and Culture Fund aim to enhance the student experience through their funding, and are looking to expand the range of projects that they are able to support in the future. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy some of the fantastic projects that the Fund have helped to make possible, and remember who they are if you have a future project that you think could enrich and enhance the experience for students at Queen Mary!
27
ARTS & CULTURE EXPLAINED
This year, the ACF have also supported four separate
sic
be V
:A ONIN
ROT
SE ICAL
MUS
nd
a igoda
Mu n a c i Afr
o:
Phot
Undoubtedly, music is one of the most effective
The
platforms for crossing cultural boundaries. Having
pounced upon the band, tempted by their citations of
lived
in
a
lugubrious,
section
of
The
Guardian
immediately
Essex
appropriately abstruse African bands such as Konono
town for the whole of my life, I am in constant
No.1 in their list of main influences. The band’s context
need of escapism. A few years ago, I found this in
and stylistic intentions were obviously regarded as
the sunny vibes and musical serotonin of African
marketable to a middle-class demographic with a
influenced alternative rock, exemplified in Abe Vigoda.
casual taste for the cerebral and the avant-garde.
The music of Abe Vigoda perfectly embodies the
However, the trendy music journalists were wrong.
syncretic
between
The hype that had once enveloped the tropicali-
Western alternative music and African music in the
punk genre had ultimately stifled it. It has since
last few decades. Their third album, Skeleton, paved
faded
the way for yet another new pretentious sounding
accessible music of bands such as Vampire Weekend
genre to emerge in the alternative music scene -
who have similar qualities to African musical styles.
‘tropicali punk’. Reverb and tremolo saturated tracks
Abe Vigoda were just too lo-fi, rough edged and
on the album, such as ‘World Heart’, masterfully
dissonant to capture the mass consciousness. They
transpose the equatorial vibes of West African highlife
did not aim to appropriate African music and mould
and Afropop into the urgency and abrasiveness of the
it to suit Western aesthetic tastes as part of some
punk and noise-rock frameworks to sublime effect.
weird neo-colonial, cultural project. They wanted to
exchange
that
parochially-minded
music
has
occurred
into
obscurity,
overshadowed
by
the
more
experiment with it and celebrate its idiosyncrasies. Abe Vigoda started out playing sweat drenched shows to diminutive crowds of pre-hipsters in a vegan, straight-edge venue in Downtown LA called The Smell.
28
Words: Tim Picton
d
n grou
nder
AU c/o L
MUSIC
CLASSICAL // REGGAE // JAZZ
Whether you like Italian, French, German or Russian
Most people will assume that
classical music, the Royal Opera House presents it.
Ronnie
As a university student you can become a member
expensive for our small student
for free and start taking advantage of reduced prices,
budgets, but this legendary venue
including unsold tickets for productions by The
offers some great discounts for
Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera for only a tenner!
jazz lovers. Become a member
Want more, head to: Barbican Hall, London Coliseum and The Royal Albert Hall.
Scott’s
and
Ronnie
you
20%
off
will
be
too
will
kindly
give
all
tickets
and
free entrance from Monday to
REGGAE
Thursday after 11pm. Also, for There is a reason why Hootananny’s in Brixton keeps
all you budding musicians, on
getting nominated for London’s best live music
the first Sunday of every month
venue. Entrance is usually free, if you’re over 21 you
Ronnie Scott’s invites you to a free
will always be guaranteed a great night of reggae and
one-day workshop where you will
ska here. They also have a huge garden area, so in the
be formed into a jazz band and
summer you can enjoy your music in the sunshine
perform two pieces on the stage at
with a cold pint and a taco for £1.50. What a hoot!
the club that evening. Jazzmazing!
Some more Reggae venues: The Camden Lock
Jazz & Cigar Club, Pizza Express
Tavern, Bar Vinyl, PLAN B.
Jazz Club and 606 Club.
More? Check out: The Boisdale
29
JAZZ
CLASSICAL
und
c
the urated club Night Words: Daniel Swann
However, such interrogations seem
to
disappear
into
the lofty echoes of these galleries, well over the heads of the swelling crowd that busily make their attendance known
via
numerous
social networks. Speaking recently to Thump, British producer Patten suggested that ‘the aim obviously is to
have
visitor
numbers
up’ - a cynical, yet realistic, claim that art institutions are
simply
utilising
current
attraction
electronic
music
people,
of
to
particularly
the get
young
people, through their doors. Despite having the utmost respect
for
organisations A
new
fusion
of
cultures
has
been
taking
the
various
involved
in
these events, I see little to
place in London’s galleries as electronic music
be
organisations
been
combining two aspects of
collaborating to stage unique events in the capital.
modern culture. Events like
and
art
institutions
have
admired
in
arbitrarily
this have the ability to be a Independent British label Warp Records infiltrated
true meeting of art and pop
the Tate Britain in late 2013; while this year
culture, but it is up to future
Dalston radio station NTS and underground music
participants to produce more
broadcaster Boiler Room have been taking over
than missed opportunities.
the ICA and V&A . These nights have been met with excitement and great attendances, but what they are trying to achieve and whether they have actually achieved it remains something of a mystery. These projects certainly have potential. If done well, collaborations like this could provide a unique sensory
experience
by
presenting
dance
music
in an environment that is a far cry from its usual dark nightclub habitat. They can also offer a chance for art to interact with the cultural milieu from which it was created; a culture in which electronic music
plays
an
undoubtedly
increasing
role.
30
MUSIC
Photo: c/o Oidupaa Vladimir Oiun
A SONG SPREAD BY whispers
September 2013
marked the death of
Words: Laurence Taylor
influential Tuvan throat singer Oidupaa Vladimir Oiun. Beyond his pioneering of the ‘Oidupaa Kargyraa’ style of singing and the fact he spent more than half of his 64 years in prison, little is
Though Oidupaa was influential and a great
known about Oiun’s life. Even the reason for his
musician, his comparatively large following in the
imprisonment is contested. Speculation ranges from
West is against expectations. The appeal of his work
him having committed a slew of murders to having
may be engaging with another culture, particularly
held too much influence in Tuva - a remote Russian
one this remote. Perhaps it is the remoteness
district with a population size similar to that of
which makes his music ‘authentic’ to those who
Tower Hamlets scattered over 2000 times the area.
cynically wish to add credibility to their own tastes.
Oiun seldom travelled beyond the Russian border,
His legendary life story, captured in the title of
but he still achieved a moderate following in the
his 1999 album Divine Music from a Jail provides
U.S. and Europe. Almost no literature exists on
Oiun with a unique draw. Context can heighten
the artist, but searching his name online returns
the enjoyment of listening to music and the allure
many
forums
of a dramatic past can attract listeners in itself.
and music blogs while Last.fm has recorded
Backstories rarely come as dramatic as Oiun’s, his
over 66,000 plays of his music by its users.
death is mourned by academics and music fans alike.
results
on
Youtube,
discussion
31
Crossing boundaries or creating a cultural monopoly? It could be argued that white Americans have been profiting off black American music for years. This is often accomplished through a repackaging of existing music to make it palatable to the mainstream; just as Elvis took gospel and made it ‘cool’ and whitewashed. Often the originators of such music are then ignored or undervalued. Who comes to mind when you hear ‘Tainted Love’? Marilyn Manson? Probably not Gloria Jones, who sang it in 1964.
32
Photo: c/o Kim Erlandsen & Branden Shigeta
MUSIC
This still happens today, as white artists get to play
At this year’s Grammy awards, Macklemore took home
with elements of black culture without having to deal
three awards, beating widely favoured black artists
with derogatory labels like ‘ghetto’ every day of their
such as Kendrick Lamar and Jay Z in every category
lives. Not only do many white artists make money
that they shared. In a recent interview with Rolling
from this appropriation, they are often praised for
Stone, he attributed a portion of the media attention
‘innovating’ or ‘elevating’ their chosen genre, look
that has powered his rise to “the fact that I’m a white
or image. This can be seen in the criticism that
guy, parents feel safe” with their children listening to
Beyoncé has received for the same risqué methods
his music. Being given the power to speak over the
of dress that Madonna used to be so praised for.
true originators and innovators in any fashion, culture
Another example of this appropriation is Kreayshawn,
or musical movement whilst cherry-picking from these
a member of the White Girl Mob, who uses racist
things for themselves is a worrying trend amongst
slang and dresses in Hispanic and ‘ratchet’ clothing.
white artists nowadays, and one that needs to stop.
Words: Holly Macartney-Filgate
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GEORGIA Postgrad Maths student ‘I’m wearing a top and coat from a charity shop, and my jeans are from Catalogue Outlet in Bethnal Green. My necklace is vintage and my sunglasses are from Brick Lane.’
RAKEL First Year Economics, Finance & Management student ‘My jumper is from Acne, my jeans are from River Island, my scarf is from Zara and the trainers are from Nike.’
HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, KID. Compiled by Emily Goodman Photography by Laura Blair
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STYLE
NEEF Second Year Physics student ‘Both my shirt and denim jacket are from Pull & Bear, my jeans are from Topman and my backpack is from Etsy.’
OZZY Third Year English Literature student ‘I’m wearing a top which is from Pakistan, my jeans are from ASOS and the shoes are from Jones.’
YAN Fourth Year French and Business Management student ‘Both my shirt and jacket are from Fat Face. I’m wearing Lee jeans and my shoes are Scorpion.’
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ELAINE Economics & Finance graduate ‘I’m wearing a dress from China, my gilet is from Topshop and my shoes are Russell & Bromley.’
KELSEY First Year Medieval History student ‘I’m wearing a vintage dress and shoes, my jumper is from Acne and my coat is from Urban Outfitters.’
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STYLE
JACOB Third Year Zoology student ‘My t-shirt is from a Tame Impala gig, my jeans are from H&M and my jacket is Rokit. My shoes are Doc
MARIAM
Martens and my sunglasses are from
First Year Computer Science and Business Management
Brick Lane.’
student ‘My trousers, scarf and shoes are all from COS, My top is from Lacoste and my coat is a Russian brand.’
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STYLE SIGNING OUT. Words: Eleanor Doughty
Crossing cultural boundaries is something we do everyday. Living with other students can cross bridges you never knew existed, from the micro bathroom culture to dialectic, sartorial and social sense. It extends further than inhabiting someone else’s space, too. We walk through Whitechapel, the City, into North London; we experience other people’s cultures without knowing. We eat bagels and curry in East London; in Clapham, you can have a (really good) burger from a South African chain. But crossing cultural boundaries isn’t just about the food we eat or the places we visit. It isn’t simply international either; varied cultures in our homeland affect our attitudes too. And though you might think that writing a style feature on cultural boundaries is as much like ramming a square peg into a round hole as an English student sitting inside the hospital grounds, between us with what we wear, we define hundreds of different cultures. Micro-cultures or the mainstream, the country codes and urban barriers are traversed daily in our quest to express ourselves through our clothing. I looked up the word ‘culture’. ‘The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group’ said my dictionary. My buzzwords here are ‘social group’. Going to university we are thrown violently and unwittingly into a diving pool of different cultures. These are evident from hour one, day one; the first night out, or supper with your fresher flatmates. ‘What are
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Carven S/S ‘14
Philip Lim 3.1 S/S ‘14
To immerse myself in the spirit of CUB’s final issue of my university career, I crossed a cultural boundary. It was election week and in the spirit of integration, I hotfooted it to Barts for a seat in the Griff Inn. A midweek break from cabin fever was just what the doctor ordered.
STYLE
you wearing tonight?’ my first friend at university asked me before we left for Drapers. Scared of not fitting in – oh, how things have changed – I went for double denim: shorts and jacket with a vest top I’d drawn myself, a throwback to a summer travelling around Europe. I looked totally and utterly ordinary; I’d even offer ‘generic’. People stood out: girls in high heels came from a land where dressing up to go out is ‘a thing’. I was in Converse. First cultural difference. Some boys wore shirts and chinos – some wore shorts and wife-beaters. Second cultural difference.
A hundred years ago in Oxford, a certain kind of trouser was making the rounds. Back in postwar Britain, Oxford was full of bags. Nowadays it is still full of bags – tote bags, not the wide-legged trousers of the Brideshead Generation. The Oxford Bag is a cultural phenomenon of its own: worn by undergraduates at the famous University, the style is said to have originated from a ban on wearing knickerbockers during lectures. Though regrettably Queen Mary doesn’t have its own breed of trouser ready for public consumption – there’s still time, guys! – looking around our campus I think we’ve got a fluid mix of cultures down. Girls and boys in creepers, Barbour jackets and beautiful headdresses dominate Library Square. We’re all accepted, whichever walk of life we come from and however we choose to express ourselves. At the beginning of first year, I sat next to a girl wearing a then-ubiquitous jumper. I recognised her as a potential soul mate; as a ‘fashion bod’ she was right up my street. She turned out to be a constant friend throughout my degree. What we wear can be uniting; in the interest of finding friends, it’s a stellar tool. ‘You don’t have to be posh to be privileged’, so said Joanna Lumley, and you don’t have to be ‘cool’ to wear creepers.
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House of Holland S/S ‘14
Marc Jacobs S/S ‘14
The list is inexhaustible; from the very beginning to now, as I approach graduation (gulp) the cultural differences between our various social groups can be seen through our clothes. Fashion is so democratic that anyone can wear anything, slipping effortlessly into another culture. You can even pretend, and who can say they haven’t popped a collar or tried a new shoe out, to fit in with one crowd or another?
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION ENTRIES
We have decided to feature some of our favourite entries on this page. Each show different interpretations of the theme ‘Crossing Cultural Boundaries’.
Clockwise from top right: Rory Eyre Cockburn Leather in Marrakech Davey Brett CUB on Campus Kevin Choi Silent Study Zone Kevin Choi The Berlin Wall Now
RUNNER UP Rory Eyre Cockburn For almost a thousand years (1070), Jemma el Fna marketplace, at the centre of Marrakech, has been a cultural hub for street dancers, snake charmers, drummers and story tellers. Seeing the souks at night time during Ramadan was incredibly exciting. Many markets stay open late, selling everything from fresh orange juice to genuine ‘Ray-Dans.’ (A far cry from Petticoat Lane!) Rory also provided our cover image for this issue.
WINNER Ash Yunah This was taken by the River Ganges whilst visiting India. People there seemed to be free from all the pressures which lie heavily on us in modern society and this inspired me a lot - I learnt to accept different ways of living life purely as different ways of perceiving life itself, without making any judgement. I wanted to capture that serenity and peace of mind in this picture, which features a resting Sadhu - a religious ascetic in Hinduism.
THE CITY AND THE NORTHERN GIRL You Know You’re A Northener When...
ONE
1) You purposely reject all Tube etiquette by standing
YET ANOTHER (NORTHERN) CITY OF CULTURE:
to the left of the escalator, smiling at everyone you meet and making conversation with the person sat next to you, simply to enjoy the look of alarm their faces.
TWO
2) Your friends insist on imitating your accent at every
Well the North has done it again. Following on from
opportunity, usually when drunk, suddenly making you
the success of Liverpool as the European’s City of
sound like an extra from Billy Elliot.
Culture in 2008, government ministers announced plans to create a UK version. Last November Hull was announced as the City of Culture 2017, beating
THREE
Leicester, Swansea Bay and Dundee in a battle of
3) You consider chips and gravy to be a national dish.
bids for the top spot.
It’s not quite bridged the North/South divide just yet, sob, but it’ll grace their chippies soon. Hopefully..
Hull, home to the poet Larkin, the Hull Truck theatre and the Maritime Museum, presented the theme of “a city coming out of the shadows”, which it
FOUR
certainly will be. Hull City Council has announced
4) You refuse to wear a coat on a night out and will
that
freeze to death rather than cover up that new Primarni
ceremony including theatrical elephants, dancing
plans
for
2017
involve
a
grand
opening
dress. Cloakrooms? Never heard of them.
white phone-boxes and four ‘rivers’ of light, people and sound flowing into the city. Eat your heart out London 2012 Olympics.
FIVE
5) You can cut a long story short by simply using the
The city is also host to an annual Freedom festival,
gift of dialect: “Are yer comin’ down t’pub t’night,
which was inspired by William Wilberforce, a local
rugby’s on”. Vowels waste time.
MP who led a movement for the abolition of the slave trade in the early 1800s. The festival was created in 2007 to celebrate two hundred years since the beginning of the movement - it now attracts over 80,000 visitors each year. If that’s not a reason to celebrate, I don’t know what is.
Who said the North was uncultured?
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COLUMNS
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS EXPECTING: My Facebook currently seems to have baby brain. My timeline is littered with scans, pregnancy announcements and statuses posted by high school friends asking what the best pram on the high street
EXTENDED NORTHERN DICTIONARY
is, what to do regarding child tax benefit and is a Moses reaaally worth it? (FYI apparently it’s not, babies grow out of them too quickly). Then I scroll down further and see my university friends, usually moaning about essay deadlines and uploading the latest evidence of a messy night out. On my last count of girls I know from high school that are either pregnant, have a child or are expecting their
‘pig sick’ adjective
second it reached a whopping twenty-three. Twentythree... In just one year group. From one high school. And this is despite teenage pregnancy declining in
1) To feel proper gutted about something e.g. “I’m right pig sick about it”
recent years (ONS).
‘dithering’
In 21st century Britain you’d think we wouldn’t be shocked by this, yet I was. I even felt slightly left out.
verb
Hands up girls who feel like they’re doing it wrong, going to university first before settling down? It got
1) ) Like shivering, your body’s response to
me thinking though. Why so many? Turns out it may
the cold e.g. “bloody hell I’m dithering it’s tha’
have something to do with where I live - yet another
cold!”
reason why the North is so wonderful. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) there were 5727 teenage pregnancies in the North West in 2009,
‘mug’ noun
compared to just 3077 in the South West. And if we zoom in even further, there was a whopping 430 in Bradford compared to a measly 71 in Bath.
1) Basically, it’s your face e.g.. “wipe that smirk off of yer mug”
So yes, maybe growing up in a more deprived
2) If you feel had off by someone/something
area does mean you’re four times more likely to
e.g. “I’m such a mug”
fall pregnant than your more privileged, probably Southern, counterpart. (ONS) Yet this is 2014. Young mums don’t necessarily mean bad mums; so let us
‘big light’ noun
shun the silent disapproval and instead embrace the diversity and a woman’s ability to make her own choice.
1) the ceiling light in the middle of the room e.g. “turn the big light off will yer?”
We’ve long since waved goodbye to the 20th century taboo of children outside marriage. Settling down, children, a job, a degree… it’s your own choice to make. However, I will admit the string of pregnancy announcements is one hell of a reminder to take your pill.
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Eden Gilby - Columnist.
CULTURAL BORDERS I
was
touched
poignant that called
I
a
those who are similar to
dedicated
documentary
by
us. Religion, ethnicity and
cause
political
repay
watched Grizzly
documentary
recently
Man.
The
tells
the
alignment
force
his
that
life
to
would
him,
a
never
and
this
us to passively shun those
concept seems ludicrous;
who
helping those who couldn’t
are
different
and
story of one man, Timothy
actively favor those who
possibly
Treadwell, the enthusiastic
are the same.
or even acknowledge your
activist,
who
dedicates,
but
not
only
gives
his
appreciate
you,
existence. In
our
day
to
day
life
life to grizzly bears, his
we are sucked into the
By
passion causing him and
convenience
only
boarder, we can redefine
his girlfriend to be killed by
knowing about things that
what it is to feel a sense
a grizzly bear in 2003.
affect us. Local charities,
of responsibility to what
regional
London
is around us. Not ‘around
most
papers. We are stuck within
us’ in the usual sense of
about the documentary was
our own confinements due
our
witnessing
selfless
to a belief that we can only
but around us as in what
interaction with a different
do so much, we can only
we have the capability to
species. Timothy’s intimate
help so many, we can only
relate to. We can begin
relationship with a group
know what we are told.
to embrace an openness
of animals shattered the
We aren’t told about those
that is hard to find in a city
social conventions that we
who venture out of these
like London, as it is seen
abide by so rigidly.
constraints and make a
as having everything we
difference on a completely
could ever need to relate
unimaginable terrain.
to. We must acknowledge
What
shocked
me
such
It made me think about how
naturally
we
of
news,
fall
crossing
a
immediate
cultural
vicinity
that there is more than
into social grouping, how
‘Grizzly
conditioned
to
as a lunatic for relating
universality that is waiting
stick to what we know
to grizzly bears on such
to be grasped.
and affiliate ourselves with
a
we
are
Man’
personal
46
was
level.
seen
He
community,
there
is
a
COLUMNS
“WHAT THE 4?” Let me fill you in on the absolute gem
I
Channel
Without
unemployment is up to 10.4% in the North
patronising, the event I participated in
yet the national average is currently at 7.7%.
connects the younger generations and what
That is a pretty stark difference, right?
Four
have
created.
have
some
Words: Lucy Sutcliffe
numbers
to
prove
it
-
my Nan likes to call ‘the youth’ with valuable and engaging debates. It is a new concept
There are many more reasons why us
which left me feeling invigorated - it’s fab.
Northerners fail to relate to many party
‘What the 4?’ (which actually is witty when
members. The claim that many MPs make
Jon Snow says it) is an interactive Twitter
that they can represent us in parliament
fuelled debate show that follows the news
is one we refute (we’re a pretty sceptical
and seeks to informally find answers to
bunch) even down to something as basic as
some big questions.
accent. This alongside the privileges many members have been fortunate enough to
Being the twitter fiend I am, I capitalised
have; titles and lifestyle choices that are
on the opportunity and found myself in the
a dream away for many really do deter us
Channel 4 studio with a small group of my
from believing that they could legitimately
peers ready to participate in a debate titled
represent our interests, because it seems
‘Can the Conservatives ever win back the
they
North?’. There to act as targets for many
alongside other factors is a major cause of
impassioned and difficult questions were
disenchantment.
cannot
identify
with
them. This,
Labour MP Julie Elliot for Sunderland Central and Conservative MP Jacob Rees-
My feelings are most definitely that the
Mogg for North East Somerset.
North is being left behind. However my main message Wthrough all this digression
Born and bred in Grimsby, I obviously
is that the programme itself ‘What the 4?’
have immense pride in the North and
presents us with a small breakthrough with
all its offerings. After living in London I
integrating
cannot help but feel that we’ve been left
who feel disenchanted and totally distant
short changed. I could cite many examples
from politics and important issues, the very
of
through
same people who will go on to drive these
unapologetically
debates have finally been offered inclusion.
fantastic
new
developments
London
which
benefits
businesses
of
London. The
only
and
figure, per
younger
generations.
Those
inhabitants
There’s even the feeling that their opinions
head, that
or ideas may pack a powerful punch.
government spend on public investment in London is £2,731 versus a £201 for my home turf Yorkshire and Humber and as we climb further up the country it totals a shambolic £5. It actually is a measly fiver in the North East. The North is left bearing the brunt of the economic struggle is a phrase frequently bandied about by politicians, but it is true.
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EDITORIAL TEAM THOSE WHO HELPED PUT THIS ISSUE TOGETHER
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Lauren Cantillon DEPUTY EDITOR: Yuet Ann Chan SUB EDITORS: Alice Harry, Tasha Mathur LONDON EDITORS: Anna Thornton, Lucy Sutcliffe ARTS EDITORS: Hannah Ballard, Belphoebe New, Alice Owen FILM EDITORS: Jessica Pratten, Kumari Tilakawardane FEATURES EDITORS: Dandie Debieux, Bethan McAulay MUSIC EDITORS: Tim Picton, Melanie Moran, Nicholas Cleeve STYLE EDITOR: Eleanor Doughty PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS: Laura Blair, Joy Wamae COLUMNISTS: Eden Gilby, Becky Hipkiss ONLINE MANAGER: Fazal Karimi ONLINE EDITOR: Sophie Lyddon PR & MARKETING: Sean Richardson, Hannah Sargeant, Camilla Bass
www.cubmagazine.co.uk
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