THE CROFT 09: Reincarnation

CROFT

FREE 09

WillCatto

Lifestyle

AnyaDixon

AdamLiu

AmeliePeters

AnnaDodd

CharlottePang

CianMcNamara

DanNewell-Price

ElenaWhiteside

GeorgLovric KirklandChilds

NatalieChan

PoppyMilburn

Whenitcomestoalmostallprojects,thebeginningpiececan betoughtoputyourfingeron.But-itwasourfirstissueinour newrolesasCo-Editors-in-Chief,andweneededatheme.As wetriedtopinpointtheperfectstartingplace,itsuddenlyfelt moreimportanttoletthespecificsfallawayandallowfora looserstructuretothisedition.Whatfeltbestforuswasa cleanslate,anunlabelledintroductiontoallthenewtalentthat wenowhavethepleasureofworkingwiththisyear.Hence, Reincarnation.

Andfittingly,ourstunningcovershoot,whichyoucanreadall aboutsoon,isconceptualisedaroundsymbolsofBuddhist reincarnation.Apparently,theuniverseisonourside.

OurprioritycomingintoTheCroftwas,amongmanythings,to createaspaceforasmuchcreativity,inasmanyforms,withas fewbarriers,aspossible.Whileweknowwearen’tshakingthe worldwithastudentmagazine,wehopethatifyouarejust slightlyinspiredbyaphoto,anarticle,orevenafont,we’ve succeededinbringingsomeofBristol’sfantasticcreative scenetorecognition.Wethinkit’sexplosiveandexciting,and wehopeyoudotoo.

Thankyoutoallourhardworkingteammembers,whohave beensosupportiveofusastwofreshfaces;itmeanttheworld toknowwehadsuchcompetent,lovelypeoplewillingtomake itallhappen.

So,happyReincarnationissue!Toayearofpushingforthebest -wehope,sincerely,youcantoo.

EDITORS’ LETTER

Love, Grace&Willx

NOTES ON NOTES ON CAMP

Whenonethinksof“Camp”onecan’thelpbutconjure anumberofexcitingandseductivepossibilities. Eurovision,forexample,thereturnofABBA,orthe hyper-realisticpaintingsonthesidesoffunfairrides. Bubbletea,HighSchoolMusical,KatyPerry’smusic videos,TheRockyHorrorPictureShow.Namelythose whichseektorevelinasenseofflamboyance, exaggeration,artifice,andmostimportantly,a completeandun-waveringseriousnessintheartthey setouttocreate.

Nextyearwillseethe sixtiethanniversaryof SusanSontag’slandmark essay ‘NotesonCamp’. Sinceitsoriginal publicationin1964, Sontag’sparadigmfor camphasbeencalled uponovertheyearsinan efforttodefinesuchan elusivesensibility.Itwas usedasthethemefor the2019METGala,for Dragcontests,Instagram captions,academic essays.Eachiterationof Sontag’sideaswelcomes

newcandidatesintothe canonofcamp.

AsSontagpointsout,itis noteasytodefinea sensibility,norisiteasy tocategorizewhatisor isn’tcamp,orevenfor whomcampisreserved ortobeutilized.Camp hasinrecentyears becomesynonymous withcertainpeople, mannerisms,even modesofspeech, namelythoseofthegay community.

Infact,“camp”isoften employedasasurrogate definitionfortheword“gay”, thoughmoresotodescribe gaymenthanwomen.

Speakingfrominsidethis community,Ioftenfindmyself ponderingquestionstodo withtheextenttowhich campnessisindeeda consciousorsubconscious modeofgaystyle.Towhat extent,ifany,isitintrinsicto queerness?

Now,ifyouwillindulgemefor amoment,Ishallturnto myselfasanexample.Iam fullyawareofthevulgarityof thismove,butIfeelitisthe bestwayIcandescribethe pointIamtryingtomake.I recentlyattendedacostume partyinwhichthethemewas AliceinWonderland.

Naturally,Idecidedtogoas aflamingo,andso fashionedabrightpink two-piecemadeentirely offeatherboas.Thiswas accompaniedbya rhinestone“beak”,false eyelashesanda matchingfeather headpiece.Itwas,by mypeer’sdefinition, undeniablycamp.By Sontag’sthough,not somuch.Myidea behindthecostume wascompletely academic–andImeanthatin thefullestsenseoftheword.

Ihaddecidedbeforethe eventthatIwastobethe campiestpersonintheroom, andsoIconsultedSontag’s essayforacomprehensive, fullyresearchedandcited definition.Ienlistedthisquote asmyinspiration:

‘TheHallmarkofCampisthe spiritofextravagance.Camp isawomanwalkingaroundin adressmadeofthreemillion feathers.’

Thisis,ofcourse,whereitall wentwrong.Notonlywasmy costumejustshortofthree millionfeathers,butmydesire tobecampwasentirely intentional.Sontagdeclares that‘purecampisalways naïve.’

Campwhichknowsitselfto beCamp‘isusuallyless satisfying.’Ihad,onmyown merit,offeredupa‘less satisfying’versionofcamp.If campdoesindeed‘reston innocence’,thenIwasguilty ofbetrayingtheverymode inwhichIsoughttocreate. However,notallislost.Asis commonintheself-reflexive natureofSontag’sessays, heropinionsfluctuatewithin paragraphsofeachother. Whilstontheonehandshe doespegcampnessto naivety,shealsoholdsspace fordead‘seriousness’,a modeofcampthatis‘wholly conscious’.Perhapsthen,I amtobeforgiven.Eitherway, ifonechoosesto deconstructeverycostume foreverypartyinthewayI do,thenoneislikelytoleave feelingratherdeflated. Whetherornotmycostume wasatrueexampleofcamp isnotthepoint.Whatis, however,isthewayinwhichI thinkaboutmyexpressionof camp. Here'sanobviousquestion, andonewhichtroublesme–ismycampnessinfluenced bymyqueerness?

Ismyaffinitywithallthings extravagantlinkedtomy lesbianism? Domypeers seemylife-sizedcutoutof DollyPartonandmyCher fridgemagnetasan inevitableby-productof myhomosexuality? Quite possibly.Butnotentirely.

Ofcourse,camphas historicallybeenassociated withqueerness;Sontag dedicatesasmall proportionofheressayto unpackingthe‘peculiar relationshipbetweenCamp tasteandhomosexuality’. Whilsttheessayitselfdoes notspecificallymention Sontag’sownqueerness,as WayneKoestenbaumasks, ‘doestheauthorofNotes onCampreallyneedto comeout?’.Ithinknot.

Campcanbeawayto expressone’squeerness,it cansignifyone’saffinity withthegaycommunity.It canbeaformofprotest, propaganda,apolitical statement,even.(It’sno accidentthattheGay LiberationFrontadopteda rainbowflagasits recognizablesymbol).

However,notallqueer peoplearenecessarily drawntocamp,andnotall “camp”isnecessarilythe “property”ofqueerpeople. Theloveofallthings unnatural,atastefor everythingthatis extravagant,theatrical,or “toomuch”cannotbe confinedtoonesingular identitygroup.

Ibelievecampcomesdown tostyle.It’sawayoflooking attheworldandseeingthe potentialforextravagance. To“be”campistofindjoy inamodeofexcess,to exaggerate,whetherin naivetyorfullseriousness.It istoseetheaestheticvalue inone’sclothes,one’s mannerisms,inmusic,art, literature,inabuildingorin alampshade.InSontag’s words,‘camptasteisakind oflove,loveforhuman nature’.Withthisinmind,I thinkitisfairtosaythat Campis,andcanbe,for everyone.

PHOTOSBY WILLPRICE-LOCKYER

WILL PRICELOCKYER

CROFT: What,orwho, havebeensomeofyour biggestinspirations?

WILL: Pre-university,I observedmore‘conventional' fashionphotographerssuch asNickKnight,CorrineDay, andTimWalkers.Butasmy practicesdeveloped,I exploredindividualswho sharedmyapproaches,like JohnnyDufort,NadiaLeeCohen,andRaphaelBliss. Theirhyperrealimagesuse flashlightingandvacant, domesticspaces.Ialso researchstylists’approaches toassemblinglooksusing unconventionalgarmentsand howthattranslatesintoan image.Iamcurrentlyenjoying BetsyJohnsonandLotta Volkova’sdeconstructed looks.

Whenresearchingmyrecent project,Samsara,Iexplored voyeurism,privacy,the internet,andthepanopticon

(wherethesurveilledisthe victimofaconstant,watchful eye).Ialsoexploredancient art,lookingatThe

Renaissanceperiod:the Hellenisticstature,human formandheavenlylighting manifestedinmyuseof grandeurtableauxand ambiguousemptyspaces. TheBaroqueandreligious artworksfromthisperiod inspiredmetoo.

CROFT: Doyouthinkthat growingupinSomersethas influencedyourwork?

WILL: Untilrecently,Ihave shiedawayfrommySomerset upbringingandruralheritage asIwashyperawareofhow isolatedSomersetisfromthe fashioncapitalslikeLondon. However,Ihavesince discoveredthatembracing thequirkinessandbeautyof rurallifecantakemywork furtherthananythingIwould makeelsewhere.

Forexample,myrecent projectexploresthebeautyof themundane.Iintegrate humorous,ruralarchetypes suchasthelocalpub,a kitschybingohalloraleafy cul-de-sac.Myproject reflectsmyself;I’mhappywith thestageI’matnow.

CROFT: Whatareyou workingonatthemoment?

WILL: Thelastuniversity monthswerestressfulaswe producedourgraduateshow titled‘Fold,’exhibitedatthe ‘Arnolfini’inBristoland ‘CopelandGallery’inLondon. Theshowsweresuccessful;I enjoyedsharingmyworkwith

industryprofessionals.Since graduating,Ihavetakena breakasIdon’twantmy photographytofeellikea chore,butIamreturningto things.Iacknowledgethat leavinguniversityforcesyou tobeself-motivatedand maintainmomentum.Iam abouttoshootacampaignfor thestreetwearbrand:

Corvidae.Ihopetotraveland createmovingimagepieces fortheirnewcollection.

CROFT: Howwasshooting atFashionWeek?Didyou finditintimidating?

WILL: Ihavepartakenin fashionweekforthreeyears.

In2020,Ishotstreetstyle overAW22-capturingthe looksofeditors,celebrities, andmodelsoutsidetheshow venues.Lackingindustry connections,Iscoured Instagramstoriesandpress releasestofindtheshow locations.Ihadshotstreet photographybefore,soI incorporatedwhatIknewand threwmyselfintothings.Ishot overthreedays,sharingthe imagesonmystoryand taggingthoseintheframe, whichstartedmyindustry networking.Imetsignificant individualsbypositioning myselfoutsideshowsand sendingthemmyimages. Afterthelockdown,Iwaswell-

positionedtoreachoutagain andlandedaproduction assistantjobwithaPR company.Iassistedin producingFashionWeek runwayshowsandworked withbrandssuchasPauland Joe,DavidKoma,and InstitutoMarangoni.Ireturned eachseason,occupying superiorrolesandexpanding mynetwork.Asmy confidenceincreased,I voluntarilyshotsomebehindthe-scenescontent.After makingabehind-the-scenes showreelforPaulandJoe,the PRcompanyaskedmeto shootsomethingsimilarfor DavidKoma.Thisledtoan internshiponamodeling

agency’ssocialmediateam. Ifeltintimatedinitially,butI realisedthatkindnessand hardworkgetyoufar.People recognisewhenyou’re enthusiastic,andIintroduced myselftoeveryoneIhavemet. Withoutthrowingmyselfinat thedeepend,Iwouldn’thave foundthenetworkand opportunitiesIhavetoday.

CROFT: Whowouldbe yourdreamportrait subject?

WILL: HunterSchafer… Rihanna…KateMoss.

CROFT: Wherehasbeen yourfavouritelocationto shoot?

WILL: Ithinkshootingatan oldbingohallinSomerset. Althoughitwaschallengingto lightandmovearound,its kitschyinteriorwasfunto workwith.

CROFT: Doyouwantto keepworkinginBristol?

Whatdoyouthinkthecity offersforartistsas inspiration?

WILL: IplantostayinBristol

longer,whereIcancomplete personalprojectsand commutetoLondonforany assistantwork.Concerning myfashionphotography career,Imusteventually movetoLondon,butBristolis agreatsteppingstone.It’sa creativehubwithmany photographyinstitutionsand agreatmusicandqueer scene.

CROFT: Howdidyoucome upwiththeconceptfor yourSamsaraproject?

WILL: Myprojectpays homagetotheBuddhist Saṃsāraconcept(thecycle ofdeathandrebirth).My constructionsareanallegory ofmodernSamsāraandthe12 Nidānas.Iadoptedsymbols fromreligiousandancient artworkwhilesatirically commentingon contemporaryaffairs.Iaimed totransformmundane locationsintosurrealist grandeurtableauxwhile exploringvoyeurism.Iam thrilledwiththisproject’s journey,withthefinalimages beingexhibitedinourdegree show.Ihavegrownimmensely fromthisexperience.

HARNESSING YOUR HEALTHY ERA

Empoweringahealthylifestylewhilstmanaginga stressfulstudentlifeisatoughfeatforanyone. With‘healthygirlera’trendingonline,thepressure ofmaintainingthisperfect,idealisticlifestyle becomesanunachievabletask.ThatiswhyIhave compiledacoupleofrecipestogetherthatarehigh inproteinandnutrients,makingtheunachievable slightlymoreachievable!Forthosestudentswho arefitnessenthusiastsorgotothegym,these recipesandingredientsaregreatformusclerepair andgrowth.

Ifthereisonethingtotakeawayfromthisarticle,itis thatyoushouldneverunderestimatethedensityof nutrientsandtheaffordabilityofchickpeas-acanis usuallyunder £1.

Otheringredientsthatgetaspecialmentionfor nutritionandaffordabilityareeggs,chicken,black beansandspinach!Ifyoucanincorporateanyof theseingredientsintoyourmealsandremember thathavingaperfectlifestyleisanunrealistic expectation,thenwelcometoyourhealthyera.

Serves1:

-1Hard-boiledEgg

-Choiceofprotein(200gchicken/tofu/chickpeas)

-1cupofSpinachleaves

-100gBlackBeans

-Salt,Pepper,Paprikaand/orParsleytoseason

-Oliveoil

-ChoiceofCarb(½cupofriceor1SweetPotato)

-ChoiceofVeg(Irecommend½dicedAvocado,½ RedPepper,2-3Radishes

50-86 PROTEINCOUNT

PROTEIN-RICH POWERBOWL

1.Preparetheprotein:diceintobite-sizedpiecesandplaceinabowl. Drizzlewitholiveoilandseason–remembertorubtheseasoninginto theprotein.Thenfryonamediumheatuntilcooked,orovencookfor about10-20minsonamediumheatuntilcookedthrough.

2.Crispychillichickpeas:IfyouchosechickpeasasyourproteinthenI highlyrecommendplacingchickpeasonabakingtray,drizzlewitholive oilorrapeseedoilandseasoningwithsaltandpepper.Thencookuntil crunchythroughout.Whenfullycooked,drizzlewithchillioilfora flavourfultaste!

3.Preparechoiceofcarb:ifyouareusingpotatothendiceintosmall cubesthendrizzlewitholiveoilandseason.Again,fryoroven-cook(or evenusinganairfryerifyouhaveone!)andcookuntilnicelybrowned andcrispyontheoutside.Becausethepotatoiscutintosmallcubes andwillcookquicker,boilingthepotatoisnotnecessary.Ifyouare cookingricethencookasperinstructionsonpacket

4.Next,preparethevegetablesbydicingorslicingintobite-sizedpieces. Draintheblackbeansandplaceinabowl,alongsidetheprepared vegetables.Onceyourchoiceofproteinandcarbarefullycooked, placeinthesamebowl.

5.Hard-boiloneegg–thisisbestleftuntillastortowardstheendsinceit willcookfast.

Serves1-2:

-Chickpeas(400gtin)

-2GarlicCloves

-Paprika,Cumin,SaltandPepper(totaste)

-2Tbsp.PlainGreekyogurt

-3Tbsp.Sesameoil

-Oliveoil

-1-2Lemonsjuiced

-1Tbsp.SesameSeeds

-2Tbsp.ChickpeaWater

-½Aubergine

-½Yellow/RedPepper

1.Cuttheaubergineandpepperintobitesizedslices.Placeonabakingtray, drizzlesomeoliveoilandseasonwith salt.Cookfor10-15minsonamedium heat.

2.Then,drainthecannedchickpeas,savingsomeofthewater,andplaceall ingredientsinablender.Blenduntil smoothandtasteforseasoning.

3.Placeinabowlwithtoastedbread/pitta breadontheside.Topwiththeroasted vegetablesoncedoneandsesame seeds.Optionally,sunflowerseeds wouldalsogowelland/orolivesonthe side.

BOWL

Foodisacommondenominatorthatuniteseverysingleperson ontheplanet.Likesleepandhydration,itisoneofnature’s great equalisers:everyone,regardlessofanyotherdifferences, needs toeat,whichisperhapswhyitiscentraltosomany culturesand occasions.Morethanthis,foodcambeananchor: itcanprovidea senseofcommunity,orwelcoming,orlove, especiallywhentimes aretough.

WhenIfirstmovedtouniversity,mymumandIdecidedto video callonSundaymorningssoshecouldseehowIwas settlinginandI couldcatchuponnewsIwasmissingathome. And,ofcourse,due tothelazynatureofSundaymornings,we almostalwaysturnedon ourcamerasinourpyjamaswithamug ofcoffeeinonehandanda pastry(orsomethingsimilar)inthe other.We’dalwaysasktheother whatlittletreatwewerehaving thatmorning;thoughwewerehours andmilesapart,italmost feltlikeweweremessingaroundinthe kitchenbackhome together.

FOODFIRST FALLING

Whenthingsarehappeninginmyfriend’slives,nomatterwhat itis- bigorsmall,goodorbad-Iwillmakesomethingforthem. Ifthey’re celebratingasuccessormilestone,Itendtobake-it’s rarethata weekgoesbywherewhenidon’ttakecookiesor cupcakesinto workortothelibrarytosharearound.Ifthey’re goingthroughatime ofstress,orgrief,orheartbreak,iinvite themoverandmakepasta bakeortacosorrisotto,andwesit andtalkandsplitabottleofwine. I’vefoundthatwhenyou’reat averyhardpointinlife,that’swhen it’shardtomusterupthe efforttocookyourselfsomethinghalfway decent,andyetit’s thetimeyou’dbenefitformitmost.

WhenImakefoodformyfriends,myfamily,mygirlfriend,it feelsto melikeofferingupalittlepieceofmyheart;likeI’m givingthema hugserveduponaplate.I’mnotverygoodwith verbalorphysical affection-it’salwaysmademe uncomfortable-butwhenIgive themsomethingI’vemade myselfandputeffortandlove into,itfeelslikethesamethingitgivesmeawaytoexpresshow muchtheymeantomeina waythatIcan’tarticulatewithwords.

STYLE EVOLUTIONS:

SMALLTOWNTOSTUDENT

Movingfromhometo universitybringsaninflux ofchange.Fromdifferent surroundingsto independentstudy,anewfoundfreedominthebig citycanbeliberating. Amongstthemany changesexperienced whenmovingtoanewcity, isourrelationshipwithour style.Andso,forthis year’sfresher’sissue,what bettertimetoinvestigate thecollectivewardrobeof Bristolstudents,andhow thiscancontributetoour ever-developingpersonal style.

Inordertounderstandthe ‘Bristolianlook’,wemust firstacknowledgethatthe uniquestylesseeninthe cityarealwaysevolving.

Fromhomemadegrunge totheinfluencesofthe ‘darkacademia’internet aesthetic,andeverything

inbetween.Notwostyles areexactlyalike.Andyet,it seemsthatstudentshave analmostinnateabilityto recogniseoneanother, oftenpurelybytheir collectivesenseofstyle. Fashionoftencreatesan unspokenfeelingof communitywhere individualsareableto connectandrelatetoone another,andwhenmoving touniversityforthefirst time–anexcitingbut somewhatlonely experience–

KRISJANISKAZAKS(VIAUNSPLASH)

communityismore importantthanever.

Takeamomenttostyle-spot aroundthecityandyou’llfind anarrayofdistinctively dressedBristolstudents,clad inanindividualisedspinon theircarefullycurated Pinterestboards.Staplesof suchstyleincludebutare, notlimitedto:vintage(anda lotofit),skinnyscarves,maxi skirts,adidassambas,Afghan coats,DocMartens,low-rise cargosandtheoccasional NorthFacejacket.Whilethis lookis,ofcourse,isnot representativeofall Bristolians,mostwouldagree thataboveallelse,thecity’s styleis,inaword, experimental.Eachdaysees anotherstudent experimentingwiththeirown fashionsense,andthisis oftenintheformoftaking inspirationfromothers.A collectivestyleevolution. Butdooursurroundings influence,orevenchange, ourstyle?Inshort,yesand no.Ultimately,theconceptof styleinandofitselfis somethinguniquetoeach andeveryindividual.While fittingintooneparticular

‘aesthetic’,aspopularisedby thelikesofTikTokandother socialmediaoutlets,has garneredmoretractionin recentyears,itseemsthatfor mostpeople,itisunrealistic toattempttofitintoone particularsub-sectionof fashion.Indeed,fashionisthe productofanaccumulation ofindividualideasandstyles. Andso,whileourstyleisan inherentlypersonalconcept, oursurroundingsdo,insome part,influenceour relationshipwithfashionand helpstoachieveasenseof belonging.

Andso,lookingforwardto Autumn,IimagineBristol studentswillcontinueto developtheirever-changing fashionsense,andthe communitywillcontinueto grow.Ifyouareafresherthis year,embracethechanges ahead,anddon’tshyaway fromexpressingyourself howeveryou’dlike.Thereis aninherentsenseof sentimentalitytothe Bristolianstyle.Notonlydoes itrepresenthowfaryouhave come,butitsignifiesour connectionwithother studentsinacitythathas welcomedusasitsown.

BRISTOLSTYLE SPOTTING

AsFreshersweekkicksoffandanewyearbeginshere’smy personalguidetoamplifyingyouroutfitsonandoffcampus featuringthebestcharityshopsBristolhastooffer.These placeswillnotonlyblessyourbankbalancebutalsouphold sustainability!

THETOPSPOTSFORFASHIONBARGAINS INBRISTOL

Stepintothevibrantworldof CothamHill,justaleisurely five-minutestrollfromthe University.Itboastsa concentratedclusterof charityshops(andcoffee shopsinbetween!).Whileit's temptingtodiveheadfirstinto theracksofclothinghere,I’d advisefirstcheckingoutthe well-stockedaccessory sections.Whetheryou're seekingtoaddatouchof punk,asplashofcolour,ora hintofbohemianflairtoyour outfits, CothamHill's accessoryemporiumshave youcovered.

Withstacksofjewellery rangingfromroughly £1-5, thereisnodoubtyouwillfind theperfectstyletomatchand upliftyourstapleday-to-day outfits.Ampupdenimwithan arrayofbeltstochoosefrom andaddatouchofchicwith pursesandbrooches.A choiceofbagsaretypically stackedabovetheshelves pricedaroundthe £5mark, oneofwhichI’vepersonally coppedtouseformylaptop aroundcampus.Ifyou're someonewholovesthe budget-friendlyfinds, Cotham Hill isahavenofpossibilities thatwon'tbreakthebank.

TheEmporiumofLoveliness boutiqueisalsocloseby, featuring £1railsoutsideand ahugesalesection downstairs!

GLOUCESTER ROAD

Ican'ttalkaboutcostconsciousfashionwithout discussing GloucesterRoad. It'shometooneofthemost denselypopulatedstretches ofcharityshopsinBristol, startingwithShelterand endingwiththeBritishHeart Foundation.Hereliessomeof thebestvintagegarments Bristolhastooffer.It’sthe placetofindflowingdresses, embroideredtops,layered jewellery,andfrayedbagsthat embodyBristol’sfreespirit aesthetic.It'salso,mayIadd, ameccaforupcyclers.The CancerResearchstoreon GloucesterRoad isfullofrare fabricsperfectforupcycling intotops/scarvesorwhatever youwish!

CLIFTON CHARITY SHOPS

Ifyourstudentloanhasjust landedandyou'vegotalittle

bitofextracashinyour pocket,diveinto Clifton's fashionscene!Hereyoucan scoredesigneritemsfor under £25.Themen's sectionsarefilledwithgood findsincludingcargoshorts forjust £5andalarge selectionofmen'sT-shirts. Shelter, Clifton hasagood selectionofvintagepieces andgoingoutwear.There’s nobetterplacetograbyour fresher’sfits.

FINALLY,MAKE ADAYOUTOF BUDGETSHOPPING

Clothescycle.uk isa sustainablefashionmarket thatholdsmonthlypop-up salesinBristol'sveryown prop-yard,afive-minutewalk fromMotion.Keepyoureyes peeledfortheirnexteventas it'ssustainableandaffordable -astudent'sdream.Their eventsfeature1000'sof uniquegarmentstoputyour handsonandtheyalsooffer beautytreatments,food, cocktails,music,etc.The perfectexcuseforadayout withyourmates!

IoftensaythatnomatterwhereI choosetoliveinmylife,Imust benearaparkandabodyof water.Coincidentally,inmyfirst yearatBristolIstayedinthe Riversideaccommodation,and myfavouritewalkwasthrough QueensSquare,pastSociety Cafétothejettyonthewater’s edge.Sittingonthejetty,your bodymovesintandemwiththe waves;almostlikeyouare floatingonthewater,ittakesyou upanddownandsidetoside, pullingyouintoitsevermoving tides.

Septemberisatimefilledwith uncertaintyandmovement,and Ithinkthatbluespacescan teachusalotaboutdealingwith change.Atthestartofthisyear,I spentasemesterstudyingin Paris.OnethingthatIlearntin thesesixmonthsisthatthe partsoflifethatseemlike nothingmorethanavast, unfamiliarexpanse,areoftenthe bestparts.Wejusthavetoflow withit,trustingthatitwilltakeus towherewewanttogo,justlike howthejettysurrenderstothe ebbingandflowingoftheriver.

ASONGOF BLUES&GREENS

OnecoldFebruarymorningin France,wheneverything seemedsostrangelynewand mypresencefeltalittletenuous –notatourist,butnotyetalocal –IsatbytheSeine,listeningto thefaintwhispersofthewaves softlyunfurlingthemselves, readingAThousandMornings byMaryOliver.In‘PoemofThe OneWorld’,shewrites, ‘Thismorning/thebeautiful whiteheron/wasfloatingalong abovethewater/andtheninto theskyofthis/theoneworld/ weallbelongto/where everything/soonerorlater/is apartofeverythingelse/which thoughtmademefeel/fora littlewhile/quitebeautiful myself.’

ForafewdaysIhadfeltasifI hadbeenlivinginakind-offog, andIcouldn’tseemtosee furtherthanfivefeetinfrontof me.Butthispoemtoldmethat wearealljustlikeripplingwater, floatingthroughthisabsurdly beautifulexistence.Wearea partofsomethingsomuch larger.So,inSeptember,which isfilledwithsomanynewspaces tofillandpeopletoknow,take sometimetositinoneof Bristol’sbeautifulparks–BrandonHillmightbemy favourite–andlistentothetrees wavingdelicately.Because withinthestrictconfinesofa workingschedule,orevenour ownminds,wesometimes forgettobreathe.Weforgetto recognisethebeautyofthe treesinus.

WORDSBY TARABELL

READING VIRGINIA WOLF’S ORLANDO

Witharmsoutstretched,herebeginsourWellbeing&Lifestylepages -youaresowelcomehere.IwantedtofirsttakeabeattosharewhatI seeandfeelforus,by‘wellbeing’wewishtosaythatthisisanopen space(imagineasun-dappledgreenfieldorarollingbluesea)which willstaycuriousaboutthethingswhichfillourcup,andthatwhich takesaway.Whateverwedo,weareinaconstantdanceofgiveand takebetweenenergeticsystems;ourattentionandtimeare expendituresfromourcentre.Tohaveaheartfeltappreciationofthis alongsidetheconsciousintentiontoobserveourpatternsand undulations,opensadoortowardsself-regulationandawayofbeing whichfeelsvibrant,sustainable,andjoyfullyalive.

Toreadandwritewithusistobeinanunrestricted,fluid conversationwovenbyvoiceswhichbothlistenandspeaktoone another,carriedbyasharedcommitmenttoacknowledgethepartof usthatisamystery.

NowletuslooktoWoolf,who alwaysseemstowriteitjustasit shouldbewritten,and consistentlyilluminatesthe brightspotsbrighterforme:

‘Hesighedprofoundlyandflung himself-therewaspassionin hismovementswhichdeserves theword-ontheearthatthe footoftheoaktree.Heloved, beneathallofthissummer transiency,tofeeltheearth’s spinebeneathhim(…)forhefelt theneedofsomethingwhichhe couldattachhisfloatingheart to;theheartthattuggedathis

side;theheartthatseemed filledwithspicedandamorous galeseveryeveningaboutthis timewhenhewalkedout.Tothe oaktreehetieditandashelay there,graduallytheflutterinand abouthimstilleditself;thelittle leaveshung,thedeerstopped; thepalesummercloudsstayed; hislimbsgrewheavyonthe ground’.Withacontinuedactof surrenderlikethisone,comes anunravellingfromflutteringto steadiness-dazedtosure, floatingtotethered.Writingthis inthelatelightofsummer(our Augustswirlingslowly)and

WORDSBY MEGSTONEMAN

PHOTOSBY CHARLOTTEPANG&CIANMcNAMARA

feelinganunexpectedclear-skied warmthpressingagainstme-Ifeel moreawareofthis‘summer transiency’asWoolfsoperfectly managestogetitonthepage.

Asweslideintoouracademic, campus-dwellingselves--the summertimesteadilyebbing behindourshoulderlikelighton thewater;wheredoyouplaceyour handsandfeetsothatyoufeelthe earth’sspinebeneathyou?Itryto remindmyselftobewheremyfeet are,toholdtheonesIlovelikeI’m tryingtopourliquidsunlightover them.Thinkingaboutthisquestion, Iamremindedofamomentfroma fewsummersago.Iwasmeditating inthegardenandmydadsatnext tome,whenIopenedmyeyes,he saidsomethinglike:howwasthat? Whatdidyoulearn?Isharedthe feelingthattherewasaline travellingfrommeallthewaydown intotheearthandthesamelineof lighttravellingallthewayup; connected,rootedandfreeto roam.Amomentarilyblissinwhich everythingstills,perhapsthisisa similarfeelingofaffirmativegravity whichOrlandoexperiencesatthe oaktree.Throughoutthenoveland the300yearsthatOrlandodances asaman,woman,andboth—there isaplaceofreverieandsoulmagnetiseddedicationwhichwe returnto—thecurationofher/his poem‘TheOakTree’.

ever-changingjustasWoolf’s protagonistchanges,allnotesinthe marginswritteninsand.Yetit remainstheportofreturn throughoutallotherexterior metamorphoses,itisOrlando’sever fixedmarkaroundwhichallelse rotatesandfallsaway.Tocapture theradiantfeelingof‘thepale summerclouds’stayingandour limbsgrowing‘heavyonthe ground’isadesirewhichflowsakin tothecommitmenttounderstand thatwhichgroundsus.Whenwe knowwhatfills/emptiesourcup(or whatgroundsusversuswhatsends usfloating)wesupportourselvesin beingabletofindthesweetbalance betweenthetwo,knowingwhich waytoswaywhenweneedground andwhenweneedair.Toignitethis conversationistobeginajourney ofintimacy,learningaboutthe wisdomandcapacitywithin ourselvestohealandmaintaina stateofphysical,mental,and spiritualwell-being.Itisaself-study whichisacontinualdance,oneto carryinyourpocketasOrlando carriestheirs.

Themanuscriptisweatheredand

I’llleaveyouwiththeoriginal question:what(orwho)isyouroak tree?Imagineyourselfinthissame image,‘helookedasifhewere burningfromhisownradiance, fromalamplitwithin’—inthisglow, whereareyou?Whoareyouwith?I gentlyencourageyoutobethere moreoften,livingfromaheartcentredandeasefullight.

E

L E C T S R I C I T Y

Iusedtobeagenius orsotheysay

PRIMARYSCHOOLPROPAGANDA

NowIapologisetoomuchforthingsI’mnotsorryfor andIstrugglewithmy8timestables

TikTokhasmadeitsuchthatIcan’treadnow butheyho

IenjoyhalfbakedFleabagdeconstructions andsexyKendallRoyedits

soit’saworthysacrificeinmyopinion

SometimesIsit& thinkabouthavinganoriginalthoughtbutinthemeantime

I’llmasturbateuntilmyhandscramp andsearchforacademicvalidation

incompletingtheGuardiancrossword

SEPTEMBER EXHIBITIONS

PREVIEW NIGHT

FRIDAY 29 SEPTEMBER

6–8PM

EXHIBITIONS CONTINUE UNTIL 14 JANUARY

OFELIA RODRIGUEZ TALKING IN DREAMS

ANNA HAYDOCK-WILSON WITH CREATIVE YOUTH NETWORK ALUMNI PLACE PORTRAIT

FREE ENTRY

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