Issue 13

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MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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29th JANURARY 2018 / ISSUE 13

University staff to strike over pensions The University of Manchester is amongst 61 UK Universities to be hit in February

Photo: The Mancunion

Tristan Parsons Deputy Editor-in-Chief

Manchester’s honoured professors

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My experience with GMP

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Can we enjoy anything by anyone anymore?

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The University and Colleges Union has said strike action is likely after talks with with Universities UK (UUK) over the future of staff pension schemes ended without an agreement.

Following a ballot result on Monday 22nd January in which 88 per cent of UCU members backed strike action, the union said that 61 universities would be hit by strikes and other forms of industrial action by UCU members, expected to start on Thursday 22 February.

UCU said the first strikes would most likely start with a two-day walkout on the 22 and 23 of February. The action would then escalate to three-day, four-day and five-day walkouts in future weeks. The union said it would review its action and consider the next steps after those initial strike days if the dispute had not been resolved.

Non-strike actions would include union members working strictly to their contract, which would see them refusing to cover classes or reschedule classes lost on strike days as well as refusing to undertake any voluntary duties.

In a press release, UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt said: “Universities will be hit with levels of strike action not seen before on UK campuses if a deal cannot be done over the future of USS pensions.

Members have made it quite clear they are prepared to take action to defend their pensions and the universities need to work with us to avoid widespread disruption.

“Even at this late stage we urge universities to work with us to reach an agreement that protects the defined

benefit element of USS pensions.”

Russell Group universities that were established before 1992 currently pay into what is known as a ‘defined benefit scheme’ pension that is managed by the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), although decisions made about it are made by Universities UK (UUK).

USS take a percentage out of employees’ pay, which is then matched or more by the employer. This is invested in a pension fund which they can then withdraw at the point of retirement.

UUK announced in November 2017 that they now want to change this to a ‘defined contribution scheme’ (that will still be managed by USS) in order to counteract the apparent pension deficit.

This would mean that employee and employer contributions will be invested in the stock market, with the aim of growing it over the years before retirement. Each employee in the scheme then receives a share of the pot when they leave the employer.

This can pose a substantial risk on the employee, as it is not guaranteed that these investments will be fruitful.

Their resulting pension may in fact be less than their initial contribution.

UCU estimates that a lecturer joining a pre-92 university and USS today would be £208,000 worse off than they would have been under the current USS scheme, and £385,000 worse off than if they instead joined a post-92 university and the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).

On Tuesday 23rd January, Education Officer of the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union, Emma Atkins, said: “It’s extremely disappointing that UUK prioritised the employers

Welcome back!

over the employees on this matter.”

“We prioritise students in all matters of strike action but support UCU in their intentions to make sure lecturers and tutors are well paid with secure pensions.

“A sector with insecure pensions and unhappy, sidelined staff won’t attract the best candidates, and the student experience will suffer because of that.

We will be meeting with the UCU on 1st February to discuss this matter further.”

The University of Manchester declined to comment.

Third year English Language student, Sam Cooper, said: “given the proposed strike is weeks away, I suspect it is a case of trying to pressure the UUK into making the desired changes rather than actually planning a strike.

“The comment [from the UCU General Secretary] that ‘Universities will be hit with levels of strike action not seen before on UK campuses’ sounds more like a speech from Game of Thrones than a constructive comment...”

On the disruption to studies, third year Geography student, Justin Snodgrass, said that the strikes would be “annoying, especially since my degree doesn’t have many contact hours. Despite this, I support a decent guaranteed retirement income so I’d be in favour of strike action.”

Sam said: “if it does go to a strike, it will hardly be surprising. I don’t think a single academic year has gone past in my university education that a strike hasn’t occurred and while I agree people’s pensions shouldn’t be altered, you have to wonder why students who have paid £9,000 every year have to receive less education for something entirely out of their hands.”

Music p12

Watchlist of new artists and some expected big releases in 2018

Games p15

What to expect from the games industry in 2018

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News

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Exec Officer applications open

If you want to see change at the Students’ Union then apply to be an exec officer now!

Highlights

Students at the University of Manchester can now stand to be a Students’ Union Executive Officer for the academic year 2018/2019.

The roles offer a chance to represent the student body and campaign on issues affecting fellow students, as well as working with external organisations in Manchester and nationwide.

Networking opportunities and a chance to promote and defend the rights of students with the National Union of Students are examples of what being part of the Exec team entails.

Following the officer role review at the recent Senate, new roles have been introduced this year.

The first role is International Students Officer,

who will be responsible for the support of over 11,000 students at the university. The role will oversee cultural exchange, pastoral support, tuition fees and help with areas such as visa support and integration of the International Society with the SU. The next new role is one derived from the Diversity Officer, which will now become the Liberation and Access Officer. This will involve supporting and facilitating liberation campaigns and chairing the Diversity and Liberation Coordination Committee.

Finally, the roles of Campaigns and Community Officer have been merged to create Campaigns, Community and Citizenship Officer which will focus on housing, safety,

homelessness whilst encouraging students to integrate into the local community.

Due to the 1.5 per cent turnout in last year’s All Student Vote on the Exec Officer roles, the Citizenship Officer will now be responsible to encourage students to vote, The five other positions open for nomination are General Secretary, Women’s, Activities and Development, Education and Welfare. The roles are open to all students. Those who wish to stand would need to have their application form in by Friday the 16th of February which can be found on the Students’ Union website.

Voting opens on Thursday the 1st of March and closes on Thursday the 8th of March.

Student burglary victim feels sidelined “Lots of students don’t feel safe walking home and for good reason” Features p8 Manchester’s most influential woman

Film p18 In conversation with HOME’s programming team

Cameron Broome Head News Editor Students do not feel safe in South Manchester and not enough is being done to support them.

That’s the view of University of Manchester student Henry Carey-Morgan, who was the victim of a burglary.

The 22 year old was sat with a friend in the living room of his property on Kingswood Road, Fallowfield when a brick was thrown through his bedroom window, which had blinds that were closed at the time, and his laptop was then taken from the bedroom.

The incident was reported to Greater Manchester Police at 12:30 AM on the 15th of January and the student was told that an officer would be along shortly but was called three hours later to say that no-one was available.

Henry said: “I received an apologetic call saying that no one was available and would I prefer to wait up or see someone in the morning. I had an exam that day so I went with morning and was told an officer would come by between 7 and 8 AM but no-one arrived and I didn’t get another phone call.

“Then at half three in the afternoon [of the 15th], I got a text message saying my case had been filed in the event further evidence should come to light.

“I understand it’s not an emergency and that the police are busy but the thousands of students who live in Fallowfield are part of this community too and we deserve to be treated as such.

“It’s a sad state of affairs when the people who are meant to protect us don’t even bother to show up. ” The Physics with Philosophy student said that the police were helpful on the phone and felt the problem could lie more with a lack of available resources to the police.

On the 16th of January 2018, MP for Manchester Gorton, Afzal Khan, spoke about the issue of police funding in Parliament and said: “Greater Manchester police has faced eight years of real-terms cuts and has lost 2,000 officers. Week after week, constituents come to my surgery in deep distress over antisocial behaviour, muggings and burglaries to which the police cannot attend. As a former police officer myself, I know that they are doing the best that they can.”

In response, Conservative MP Liz Truss

Contact us Editor-in-Chief: Kirstie O’Mahony editor@mancunion.com Deputy Editor: Tristan Parsons deputyed@mancunion.com News Editor: Cameron Broome Deputy Editors: Rosa Simonet and Amy Wei E: news@mancunion.com

Food and Drink p20 Manchester scran update

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Carillion collapse puts Fallowfield Campus development at risk

Fallowfield campus developments, including the proposed demolition of the Owens Park tower and Oak House, could be delayed Nicole Wootton-Cane Main Campus Reporter Work ha s b een p aus ed on C a rillion const ruction site s across t he count ry follow ing t he comp a ny’s collaps e on t he 15t h of Ja nua ry.

The s econd la rge st const ruct ion comp a ny in the UK went into liq uidat ion a f ter it st ruggled to cope with £1. 5bn wort h of debt . Wit h C a rillion employing 4 3,000 st a f f a round t he world, t he collap s e put s t housands of j o b s at ris k.

C a rillion is re sp ons ible for a w ide ra nge of projects across t he UK, a nd is current ly t he contractor in cha rge of t he ca mpus development on t he university’s Fa llow f ield s ite.

The pla n involve s a t hree-pha s e proj ect t aking place b etween April 20 17 a nd June 2023, a nd hope to s ee

3,000 new student accommodation units built. T he plans als o involve the demolition of Oak Hous e and the Owens Park Tower to make room for more moder n living space s.

T he first phas e of the project is due to finish in the summer of 2019. It is unclear whether Car illion’s collaps e will affect the s e developments but it is expected to at least caus e delays for the project.

When contacted for comment on the affect Car illion’s collaps e will have on this project, a University of Manche ster spoke spers on told T he Mancunion: “ We can confir m that Car illion is the pr incipal contractor on our Fallowfield student development. At this stage we are consider ing our options and have no fur ther comment to make. ” Car illion declined to comment.

Image: Elliot Brown @Wikimedia Commons

Five Manchester professors make Queen’s New Year’s Honours List Staff at the University have told The Mancunion that they are “utterly floored” and “incredibly honoured” to be recognised by the Queen for their hard work

Photo: Henry Carey-Morgan

said that the government “have given police authorities the power to raise additional precept to be able to deal with those issues,” adding that “it is a decision for Greater Manchester police.”

Based on his experience, Henry did question whether or not students’ concerned were always taken seriously by police.

The third-year student said “It feels like students, perhaps because individually we are temporary in Manchester we are slightly sidelined.

“There’s almost no police presence in Fallowfield and although my incident wasn’t lethal there have been other occasions of students being threatened with knives.”

A petition started in 2017 titled ‘Greater Manchester Police & Andy Burnham: Help us to make Fallowfield safe for students!’ received almost 10,000 signatures.

In response to student safety concerns, the University of Manchester Students’ Union proposed a ‘Night Owl‘ scheme where student

volunteers would be trained in first aid, safeguarding, well-being training, and selfdefence to safeguard vulnerable people.

This was due to launch in January of 2018 but is currently under review following initial criticism of the scheme.

Commenting on the ‘Night Owl’ proposals, Henry Carey-Morgan said: “It is a substitute for more police, which is obviously not ideal, but if the GMP’s resources really are spread that thin and they simply can’t afford to have more officers in Fallowfield then it’s either schemes like this or nothing.

“I think it’s a good idea if it’s taken seriously, it will increase the general presence on the street aiding the lack of resources issue and also create stronger ties between students and the GMP.” Greater Manchester Police was contacted for comment on the burglary and the support they give to students in relation to safety but did not provide a comment.

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Honorary Professor Vikas Shah told The but my heart is in Manchester with its people, the Mancunion that he was “utterly floored” by University and the city itself. the honour of being made an MBE. As a “Although a Southerner I believe I am multi-award winning entrepreneur now at least an honorary Northerner whose businesses span across and a proud Mancunian.” numerous sectors, Shah was Professor Diane Coyle has been honoured for services to made CBE, the highest rank business and the economy. in the Most Excellent Order Shah, the CEO of film of the British Empire before company Fifty Degrees Knighthood.

Coyle was North, said that when he previously the Economics first received the letter, he Editor of the Independent thought it was his tax bill. and Vice Chair of the BBC “When I finally read what it Trust, as well as being a was… for a moment, it didn’t prolific author and professor feel real, I assumed it was at the School of Social a mistake! When I realised Sciences. it was real, it was just a Coyle said to The Mancunion wonderful feeling — I was really that receiving the CBE “was a happy.” complete surprise and of course Shah, who sits on both the I feel incredibly honoured by government’s UK Industrial it. I’m particularly pleased about Development Board and the British the citation, which is services to Council Advisory Board, expressed that economics and the public understanding Image: Vikas Shah Image: Diane Coyle “seeing the other recipients humbles me, of economics, because I so strongly believe seeing the incredible work they’ve been doing in it’s important for as many people as possible to Amy Wei the community and their fields for such a long time.” engage with economic policy debate and be able to have Deputy News Editor An MBE was also awarded to Philippa Tyrell, a Professor informed opinions.” of Stroke Medicine at the University of Manchester. Tyrell is Professor Caroline Dive also received a CBE for services to Five of the University of Manchester’s health researchers Vice Chair of the Stroke Association and was previously the cancer research. Professor Dive is currently tackling lung and economy experts have been honoured in the Queen’s Clinical Lead for Strokes in Greater Manchester. cancer by developing ‘liquid biopsies’ that hunt cancer cells 2018 New Year’s Honours List.

Chris Griffiths, Foundation Professor of Dermatology that have broken free from tumours and are circulating in the The royal accolades of Commander of at The University of Manchester, was made an bloodstream. the Order (CBE), Officer of the Order OBE at the beginning of this year. Griffiths said Elsewhere in Manchester, the last living member of the Bee (OBE), and Member of the Order that he is currently “leading on precision Gees, Chorlton-born Barry Gibb, received a Knighthood for (MBE) were awarded to three medicine for the University and Health services to music and charity. medical trailblazers, and two Innovation Manchester — this could Other famous Britons who made the cut into the Queen’s economics pioneers at the transform healthcare from disease 2018 Honours List include former deputy prime minister University. care to disease prevention in the Nick Clegg and Beatles legend Ringo Starr, who were both Professor Caroline Dive long-term.” also made knights. of the Cancer Research UK On receiving an OBE, Griffiths Manchester Institute, and told The Mancunion: “I am Professor Diane Coyle surprised and absolutely of the School of Social delighted; it still hasn’t sunk in.”

Sciences both received Professor Griffiths revealed CBEs. Dermatologist that the best career move he ever Professor Chris Griffiths made was coming to Manchester was decorated with an from Michigan 24 years ago. “It OBE. was a risk but has undoubtedly MBEs also honoured been a success — we are now one stroke researcher Professor of the leading dermatology research Pippa Tyrell, and entrepreneur groups in the world.

Professor Vikas Shah of the “I have had many offers to leave Alliance Manchester Business Manchester and move to other cities and Image: Christopher Griffiths Illustration: Freddie Hill School. countries to set up dermatology departments

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News

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

The Centenary Launch Party and Wonder Women — ways you can celebrate the ‘year of the woman’

Lecture to discuss sexual violence on campus

Suffrage Centenary celebrations kick off turning up the volume on these issues.”

Among creativetourist.com’s top picks are: Lost Voices exhibition and launch event “Lost Voices (opening 3 March) will recapture the voices of the women during the ten year period from 1918, when legislation was passed giving some women the vote (over the age of 30 and who met certain property qualifications), to 1928 when all women were given equal voting rights.”

Contact Young Company: She Bangs The Drums at the Museum

of Science and Industry Opening March the 8th, She Bangs The Drums is a provocative piece of contemporary theatre which looks back at one of the key landmarks in British democracy.”

The Women in Media Conference From Saturday the 3rd to Sunday the 4th March, the People’s History Museum will be hosting a ground-breaking student conference celebrating women in media and hearing their stories.

Manchester University student travels to Syria to fight Turkish forces Huang Lei is among tens of international volunteers who have joined the YPG Rebecca Windsor North Campus Reporter Huang Lei, 24, is one of the estimated three Britons who has agreed to fight against Turkish-led forces with the Kurdish Militia (YPG) in Syria.

Lei, a Politics student at the University of Manchester, and a British-Chinese national, had initially gone to Syria in 2015 to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). He told the BBC that it is his “duty” to fight.

However, on the 24th of January, a new video was released by the YPG militants whom Lei is travelling with.

It shows an American volunteer stating they are “ready to go and fight in Afrin, against the invading force of Turkey.”

This statement comes after a recent attempt by the Turkish government to force out what it believes to be “terrorist Kurds” from Afrin, a region in north-west Syria.

After the near-total defeat of ISIS in both Iraq and Syria, many volunteers are shifting towards different goals — one of which is to defend what the Kurds claim to be Kurdish territory.

The British Foreign Office has issued multiple warnings against fighting abroad and the British G overnment has made it clear that Huang and others like him would be arrested if they attempted to return to the UK under the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870.

The punishment could be very severe, given international attitudes to the YPG and its possible affiliation with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), who are largely viewed as a terrorist group.

The Mancunion has reached out to Politics lecturers at the University, but have not yet received comments regarding Lei’s decision to fight.

We approached the University of Manchester for comment but they too have not yet replied.

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Photo: Benji Reid

Rosa Simonet Deputy News Editor Organised by Girl Gang Manchester and The Pankhurst organisation, the Centenary Launch Party began celebrations of 100 years since some women won the right to vote in Britain.

The night included an unveiling of a new bust of Emmeline Pankhurst by Jane Robbins, speeches, live music, and a fashion show.

The house of the well-known suffragette was full of women of all ages and backgrounds. Girl Gang Manchester told The Mancunion that their organisation aims to give all women safe, creative spaces, where they have the opportunity to “meet likeminded people,” and “establish creative partnerships.”

When asked what Universities could do to help make female students feel safe and supported, a representative of Girl Gang said that Universities should take some responsibility for the nightlife culture, wherein many circumstances it is “normal to get groped.”

But Universities should not be the only ones held responsible.

“It needs to be taught in schools… that this is not the right way to act.” “It’s not right or fair.”

Julie Hesmondhalgh began the speeches, talking of the work we have to do in 2018, the “year of the woman.”

She said; “This should be a place for remembering and honouring the past but can also be a place of resistance, of refuge, of radicalism, of raging against the patriarchy. A place where women of all backgrounds can work together for lasting equality.”

The Centenary Launch Party is followed by the Wonder Woman festival, a series of events taking place across Manchester celebrating the Centenary and International Women’s day. Led by the People’s History Museum (PHM), “the festival explores Manchester’s legacy as the birthplace of the suffragette movement from a contemporary perspective.”

Helen Antrobus, 2018 Programme & Events Officer at the People’s History Museum, says, “Wonder Women 2018 is a festival that will create a space and environment in which to reflect upon and be inspired by the achievements, endeavours, strength, spirit and creativity of the women who fought for the vote and those for whom the quest for equality continues. The Representation of the People Act in 1918 was a catalyst moment in the fight for equality, but this is an ongoing story with much still to be resolved. We need to use the centenary as a way of

News

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Photo: Becky Lou Rigg

Cameron Broome Head News Editor A professor is to give a free public talk discussing sexual violence on University campuses in February.

The event will discuss how University staff and students can support victims of sexual violence.

The free lecture will be delivered by Professor Alison Phipps, co-author of two National Union of Students (NUS) reports which investigated ‘lad culture’ in UK universities and sexual harassment and assault.

Alison encouraged students to attend the event and told The Mancunion: “Sexual harassment and violence are not just individual issues, they are institutional and collective ones. Students have a powerful role to play in both supporting survivors in their communities and holding universities to account.

“The talk focuses on how the marketisation of universities interacts with gendered and other power relations. This both enables sexual harassment and violence to occur and means that institutions are highly likely to want to cover it up. I unpick these processes and suggest how we might resist them.

“This event is incredibly timely given that we’ve seen an outpouring of disclosure and solidarity around sexual harassment and violence, in universities and also in Westminster and Hollywood, recently. It feels as though we might be at a cultural and social moment in which constructive collective action might be possible.”

The lecture will take place on the 28th of February from 3 to 4:30 PM in the Rutherford Lecture Theatre of the Schuster Building at the University of Manchester.

Staff and students can register to get free tickets for the talk via Eventbrite.

Discussion points at the event will include levels of sexual assault reporting in universities, support available for victims of sexual assault and how to help students who have been assaulted, what to do about disclosure, lad party culture, and how to make people more aware of what’s happening on campus with regards to support and care programs.

New society launched for postgraduates Laura Walker News contribuor

Photo: Kurdishstruggle @ Flickr

A new society has been launched to represent postgraduate students.

Majid Ahmed began the MCR Postgrad society with the aim of supporting the personal and professional development of the postgraduate community through social and academic activities.

Along with launching the new MCR Postgrad professional networking platform to bring the postgraduate community together, this society allows postgraduate students to unwind from the stresses of university life and connect with their fellow peers.

The first event is the ‘Postgraduate pizza’ night on the 1st of February from 18:00 to 20:00 in Academy 2 of the Students’ Union.

This is a chance for postgraduates to meet other students, discuss any concerns with their representatives and find out more about future events and competitions. Tickets are available online.

The professor, who is a reader in Sociology at the University of Sussex and former a University of Manchester student, also praised the ‘Reclaim the Night’ march, which every year sees hundreds of students in Manchester take to the streets to campaign against sexual violence against women, street harassment, rape culture and victim blaming.

Alison said: “I think anything which brings survivors and allies together is incredibly helpful. I also strongly support the aims of Reclaim the Night and I’ve heard that the Manchester event is both trans- and sex worker-inclusive, which is great given that these groups are at high risk of sexual harassment and abuse.

The University of Manchester told The Mancunion that it encouraged students to attend the talk.

Commenting on the support it currently gives to victims of sexual violence, a University spokesman said: “The University offers extensive support including through We Get It, which is a joint campaign organised by the University and the Students’ Union, which is part of our zero tolerance approach to any form of bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Specifically, our Report and Support website has detailed information for staff, students and visitors to campus.

“In addition, the University has a network of trained Harassment Support Advisors (HSAs) who provide a confidential information service to students on these issues. They have in-depth knowledge of the policy and procedures and what support is available to both staff and students.

“The University Counselling Service is also available to support students and staff.”

My Future Fest returns to help students plan careers

Photo:University of Manchester

Sam Honey Contributor

Image: Luchia Houghton-Lloyd

Majid hopes that the postgraduate community can be drivers of change in demanding better well-being and welfare services for postgraduate students. He believes this is necessary given the high prevalence of mental issues in postgraduate students, with a recent study published in Research Policy reporting that over half of PhD students suffer symptoms of psychological distress.

The postgraduate community experienced setbacks in the senate on the 7th of December, where they voted against introducing a Postgraduate Executive Officer, prioritising the existing position of Campaigns Officer.

The postgraduate society is still pushing for representation at the highest levels of university life, intending to allow the postgraduate voice to be heard. Emma Atkins, the 2017/18 Students’ Union Executive Education Officer believes that the Students’ Union “greatly overlooked postgraduate students in the past” but hopes that through the emergence of the postgraduate society, changes can be made.

An upcoming event will help students plan their careers and post-University life.

On the 6th of February, University Place will be transformed into a haven of new opportunity as part of the event My Future Fest.

Numerous work experience placements and internships will be on offer, as well as volunteering projects and chances to travel abroad. Organisations such as National Citizen Service (NCS) and Camp America will be attending.

Tammy Goldfeld, Manchester University’s Head of Careers, said: “no matter what your degree subject or year of study is, My Future Fest has something for you. In one fun event, you can find out about exciting opportunities, such as summer internships and volunteering, both in the UK and abroad. Lots of careers staff will also be on hand to talk to finalists about graduate jobs and further study options after graduation.”

While maintaining a focus on careers, with the availability of advice on CV writing and handling job interviews, the event is designed to give University of Manchester students an insight into the wide range of opportunities available this semester.

There is also the chance to become increasingly involved in exclusive University programmes, such as the Manchester Leadership Award, that can be completed through taking up one of the many volunteering options that will be on show.

The focus of the day will also expand to help students engaged with key skills to integrate into and aid their existing studies — providing a universal set of options to help the organisation of your degree and future work aspirations.

Whether you’re looking for a route into a certain career path in the long-term or looking for ways to add to your CV while still in full time education, or even just some casual advice, the event aims to offer something for everyone.

With no advance registration required, students should head down to University Place between 10:30am and 4:30pm on the 6th of February to get involved.

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Science and Tech

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Robot scientist aids drug-resistant malaria treatment discovery

AI robot, Eve, helped researchers at The University of Manchester and Cambridge to find that a toothpaste ingredient is effective against a drug-resistant malaria parasite Aliya Ismangil Science and TechnologyEditor

There are currently a number of drugs being used to treat malaria, but the disease is becoming increasingly resistant to such drugs. Malaria kills over 500,000 people each year, many of these deaths are in Africa and Southeast Asia and concern is rising over the disease becoming untreatable.

When a malaria infected mosquito bites someone, the parasites enter the bloodstream through the mosquito’s saliva. The parasites then make their way to the liver, where they reproduce and take over red blood cells to spread around the body. This causes the observable symptoms of malaria, which can be potentially life-threatening.

Triclosan is an ingredient commonly found in toothpaste and may be a promising step in developing a new treatment to stop drugresistant strains. It helps prevent the build-up of plaque by inhibiting an enzyme known as enoyl reductase (ENR). Previously, scientists found that triclosan can stop the growth of the malaria parasite when it is in its later stages, and it was

Photo: The University of Manchester

thought to be because of the ENR enzyme.

But new research, with robot scientist Eve’s help, shows that it is actually the inhibition of a different enzyme, DHFR, that is more significantly implicated in the stopping of malaria parasite growth. This enzyme is found in

the liver, which is especially promising as it may mean that a drug could be developed which can target malaria in its earlier stages when in the liver, as well as later blood-stages.

Current drugs already target DHFR and inhibit the enzyme, but in Africa resistance to such a

drug is not uncommon. Scientists in Cambridge were able to show that triclosan could act on this enzyme even against drug-resistant parasites.

Eve, the robot scientist, was designed by scientists at the University of Manchester, with colleagues at the Universities of Aberystwyth and Cambridge, to help speed up the drug discovery by automating the process.

Hypotheses are automatically developed, tested and results interpreted by Eve, who is capable of testing over 10,000 compounds per day.

“Artificial intelligence and machine learning enables us to create automated scientists that do not just take a ‘brute force’ approach, but rather take an intelligent approach to science”, says Professor Ross King of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, who led the team that developed Eve. He went on to explain “this could greatly speed up the drug discovery progress and potentially reap huge rewards.”

Currently, Eve is able to use machine-learning and statistics to predict new structures that may score better in tests of quality. It is thought that future versions of Eve may even be able to incorporate a feature where she is able to synthesise compounds.

UK wind farm constraint payments ‘scandal’ New information has revealed that in 2017 the National Grid paid wind farms more than £100 million to be switched off and not produce energy, despite preventative measures

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Science and Tech

Tim Peake’s space capsule coming to Manchester The Soyuz space capsule that carried British astronaut Tim Peake is to make a landing at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry

Proton beam cancer treatment to start in Manchester The Christie Hospital in Manchester is to open the first high-energy proton beam cancer treatment centre run by the NHS Aliya Ismangil Science and Technology Editor

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Aliya Ismangil Science and TechnologyEditor In June 2016, Major Tim Peake returned to earth in the Soyuz TMA-19M after the six month long Principia mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Major Peake is the first British astronaut to walk in space and the first European Space Agency astronaut to visit the ISS. The space capsule is currently on display at the Science Museum in London. It will be arriving at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester on March 10th and will be on display until May 13th in their Great Western Warehouse.

“The Soyuz is an iconic item, and I am very excited that the Museum of Science and Industry is part of this incredible tour,” said Sally MacDonald, the Museum of Science and Industry director.

One of Major Peake’s primary goals on the Principia mission was to run scientific experiments in the weightless laboratory of the ISS. The mission’s name hails from Isaac

Newton’s famous physics text, Naturalis Principia Mathematica, in which he describes his law of gravity and three laws of motion.

In December 2016, the UK government announced its commitment and billion euro investment into the UK’s role in future ESA space programme. The ESA also announced in early 2017 that Major Tim Peake will once again fly into space and undertake a second mission, the timing of which is still to be confirmed.

MacDonald adds: “We know our visitors have followed Tim Peake’s adventures closely, and this will be a fantastic opportunity for them to see first-hand the capsule that was part of his important mission.

“Manchester is the home of industry and innovation, and what could be a greater symbol of that than this important piece of the history of space travel?”

You can find out more about the exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry’s website.

Treatment is set to start from August 2018 at The Christie. The project is now in its last stages, a culmination of years of planning and fundraising, with the government injecting £250 million. There will also be a centre opening at London’s University College Hospital.

There is currently only a low-energy form of this therapy available in the UK to treat eye tumours. High-energy proton beam therapy will be able to treat many more forms of cancer. At present, patients have to travel abroad to receive this cutting-edge therapy.

The two centres will be the first in the UK to offer this treatment on such a scale.

Proton beam therapy uses charged particles instead of x-rays to treat cancers.

The protons are generated in a cyclotron, a particle accelerator weighing as much as a small aircraft. The beam then fires particles at 100,000 miles per second, two thirds the speed of light.

A five-year study published in 2016 by a team of doctors from the Massachusetts

General Hospital found that proton beam therapy is just as effective as conventional radiotherapy. But it is the potential for reduced side effects that make proton beam therapy so desirable.

The x-rays used in conventional radiotherapy pass all the way through the body, which has the risk of damaging sensitive tissues around and behind the tumour. Whereas, in proton beam therapy, high-energy particles stop at the tumour, therefore saving more healthy tissue.

Dr Ed Smith, a paediatric consultant who has been close to the project from early on, looks forward to the prospects the new treatment will bring.

“Young patients would benefit most from this treatment because their tissues are growing and are very sensitive to radiation.

“But there are also tumours that sometimes sit next to quite critical structures in the body, say at the base of the skull or around the spine.

“And this technology enables us to give a treatment dose to those patients while avoiding these critical structures.”

Photo: TECU Consulting UK @ Flickr.com

It’s app-ening: five apps to keep you studying Get back on track with your studies with the help of these smartphone apps Aliya Ismangil Science and Technology Editor

Do! (Free on iOS)

Photo: Winchell Joshua, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service @Wikimedia

Cliona Linehan Science and Technology Reporter The Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) has revealed that wind farms were paid more than £100 million last year to switch off their turbines — an increase from the £6 million paid out in 2012.

The National Grid pays all renewable and non-renewable energy generators ‘constraint payments’ to alter their production, so as to avoid the blackouts that both over- and under-supply would cause.

The gas industry (which supplies the UK with 42 per cent of its electricity) was paid almost twice as much as the wind industry in 2017.

The majority of the UK’s main wind farms are in Scotland, an area that has high energy output but relatively low energy demand.

However, large quantities of energy are unable to be stored, and the grid connections between Scotland and England are not adequate to take on the excess energy from Scotland. Larger wind farms are part of the energy sector’s Balancing Mechanism, a system used by the National Grid to balance these differing levels of supply and

demand. As demand fluctuates throughout the day, the supply must continually match it every second.

In order for this system to work, the National Grid takes bids from energy firms to alter the amount of energy they supply. For conventional energy firms that use fossil fuels, it is cheaper to pay the National Grid to produce less energy than it would be to continue to use up their supply of fossil fuels. However, renewable energy has no fuel costs and therefore would not benefit from such a system.

Instead, wind farms and renewable energy firms propose positive bids to the National Grid, they tell the National Grid that they will turn off their wind farms if they are paid a certain amount per megawatt hour. These payments are known as constraint payments, which have been widely criticised.

However, some, including Leo Hickman writing in The Guardian, have raised concerns about the REF’s agenda in providing such statistics. Despite its name, it is frequently cited by publications mostly opposed to wind-farm development such as The Telegraph and the Daily Mail. It is also supported by anti-wind campaigners, such as former Ulster Unionist MP and former British Airways “press

supremo” David Burnside, and has “impressive links to City financiers and energy consultants.”

There has been some legislation implemented in an attempt to prevent constraint payments getting too high since this ‘wind farm scandal’ first surfaced in 2010, in the form of the Transmission Constraint Licence Condition (TCLC) which was introduced in 2012 and was made a permanent condition in 2017.

Despite these efforts to control the compensation payments, and reducing the added costs passed on to consumers by the National Grid, many wind farms were still placing excessive positive bids, with a current average compensation payment of around £70 per MWh to switch off, almost 40 per cent higher than when they produce energy.

Wind farms are on the rise in the UK, and by 2020 it is thought that wind farms will grow to produce 10 per cent of the UK’s energy. This rise is especially prominent after the COP23 in November 2017 advocated an accelerated reduction in coal reduction, with the UK announcing that it plans to have phased out coal entirely by 2025. With the number of wind farms rising, many are calling on the National Grid to update its infrastructure in order to avoid excessive constraint payments.

“It’s literally just...a to do list but I’m one of those people who hates the red notifications on your phone and it keeps them there until you’ve done the task. So it’s kinda handy for making sure you get it done because every time you open your phone it’s a constant reminder to stop procrastinating.” — Louise, final year Trello (Free on Android and iOS) A to-do list app on steroids. Trello allows you to make different boards for different projects and make multiple lists within these boards. If your friends or group project pals have it too, you can share your boards and collaborate on them. This is useful for those people that like to compartmentalise their multitasking.

There’s also a browser version for laptops and computers.

Forest (Free on Android, £1.99 on iOS) “While working, it can be hard to not be distracted by your phone. This app lets you set a time and grow a digital tree. If you use your phone, the tree dies. It is very effective in stopping phone use during long and boring essays or during revision sessions. Additionally, having a lovely digital tree at the end is very satisfying.” — Katie, final year

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Photo: StockSnap @ Creative Commons

SimpleMind (Free lite version on Android and iOS) If you like a visual way to organise your thoughts but hopeless at drawing, this app may be for you. This app lets you create neat, colourful and customisable mind maps. You can add your own images to them and organise the branches in your own way. The lite version gets you all the essentials, but if you want to save your mind maps in different file formats and have more pretty templates invest in the pro version.

Google Calendar (Free on Android and iOS) This is a simple recommendation but a staple. If paper diaries aren’t your thing, this is one to get on. You can set even set reminders that annoyingly, but usefully, carry on to the next day if you don’t get them done. Add multiple calendars, customisable and it easily syncs across devices and on the iCloud, so you can access it anywhere.

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Features

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Qaisra Shahraz: Manchesters’ most influential woman Kizzy Bray meets author and screenwriter Qaisra Shahraz Kizzy Bray Head Features Editor

Qaisra Shahraz was 2017’s most influential woman in Manchester according to lovinmanchester.com. Though the author admits she is ”bemused” at the prospect, she undeniably has influenced many through the power of her stories, and is taking the recognition as a “humbling experience.”

With her published short stories and novels gaining international recognition, I wanted to talk to Qaisra and

“Seeing your name in print for the first time is magic. The excitement wears off over the years! ” see where it all began, and what the most influential Manchester woman of 2017 has planned for 2018.

Qaisra has lived in Manchester since the age of nine, and her Pakistani roots and dual nationality became a source of inspiration for the stories she began to write. Through her school years right up to her becoming a student at the University of Manchester, “writing has remained my soulmate” Qaisra smiles.

It was here, at our very own University, that Qaisra was published for the first time. She remembered cheerfully her glee at the sight of seeing her name in print.

“I had joined Michael Schmidt’s creative writing workshops and enrolled on a writing course resulting in my debut full two page feature piece in She magazine about Greek Vases. I bought nearly half a dozen of the magazines, for my family and friends! Seeing your name in print for the first time is magic. The excitement wears off over the years!”

Qaisra’s novels The Holy Woman, Typhoon, Revolt and collections of stories are studied at a multitude of other universities, as well as A Pair of Jeans being studied in German and English schools. Qaisra’s appeared in literary festivals and book fairs around the world, including Jaipur and Beijing and her drama serial has appeared on Pakistan Television. Despite all this undeniable global success, Qaisra never forgets about the love she has for her home city, with her connections to the University of Manchester remaining strong.

“In recent years I have organised two multi-faith university events celebrating diversity. Our aim was to bring students and community members of various faiths and those of none together in order to celebrate our shared values, promote peace and cohesion” Qaisra tells me.

After leaving university Qaisra’s creativity projects began to blossom. She was published numerous times as an author, then eventually found her way into screenwriting.

“Writing for television came much later and was much more challenging. Creatively, I have found writing of film and TV scripts in its use of imagination the most demanding. In order to learn the craft of script and screenwriting I ended up doing a Master’s degree course

in scriptwriting for TV and Radio and adapted my novel The Holy Woman into a 90 minutes film screenplay.”

When I asked Qasira what her writing process was like, she admitted that she has “no standard writing ritual or process as such” but that for scriptwriting “the jig sawing and stitching of separate scenes to create exciting episodes and embedding as much conflict and drama as possible is quite a task. I was taught on my degree course in scriptwriting to ‘milk’ each scene for drama — otherwise it is redundant.”

And as for writer’s block - the sickness that every author fears suffering from, Qaisra won’t even entertain the idea.

“I have no time to have a writer’s’ block!” She laughs.

“However, there is a new distraction on the scene which often lures me away from my creativity quite significantly — online social media!”

Qasira’s latest work is a publication of short stories named The Concubine & The Slave Catcher. The ten shorts are set on four different continents at various different times in history. Qaisra was generous enough to send me a copy, and the stories, completely different to the next were all interwoven with humour, sadness and a sense of real life suffering and emotion.

“I have focussed on the drama of human relationships, played out against various scenarios: the daily struggles for survival of Jews in a Polish concentration camp; the selling of slaves in 18th-century Boston; the tragedies of the partition of India and Pakistan; modern-day friendships in Abu Dhabi, and the fatal jealousy of an Incan concubine and a Spanish wife in 16th -century Peru.”

“The Journey” one of the ten short stories in the book, “resulted from me learning about the bitter realities of Partition from an aunt, telling me about how she wept for days after parting from her Hindu best friend Gopi, whose family had to flee south to India. Imagine a line being drawn on a map of India, thereby making millions of people refugees overnight. Gripped by the scale of the human tragedy I had to write this story.”

Even the shortest of encounters, such as a ride in a taxi, can be a source of information when you are asking the right questions, and really listening to the stories people have to tell. “Our Angel was based on a conversation I had with an Afghan taxi driver on my way to the Abu Dhabi Book Fair. The man’s life as a migrant workers separated from his family for long periods of time dismayed me and taught me the realities of modern day economic migration.”

But it is Qaisra’s own personal identity that has caused her to write about the stories she has, in hopes that they

“Gripped by the scale of the human tragedy I had to write this story” will bring about more awareness about different social, cultural issues and gender issues.

“With the rise in Islamophobia I have now actively begun to use my writer’s platform and my fiction to build intercultural bridges.” Qaisra affirms. “I find it so frustrating,

Photo: Qaisra Shahraz having to constantly defend my faith, and Muslim women’s rights to dress as they please including wearing of the veil, the hijab. I am dismayed as to why Muslim women are consistently targeted and stereotyped in the media as well as harassed on the street for their clothing.

“In one special project I have documented 32 hours of taped recorded interviews of over hundred Muslim women from several countries. My aim was; to debunk myths about Muslim women, and learn about the realities of their lives and to celebrate their diversity. I discovered that every single woman I interviewed from the humble tea picker in Indonesia and a business woman in India was unique, a product of her class, culture, education family and social background. I found 99 per cent of those women were not oppressed as is often assumed in the west.”

Qaisra is currently setting up a Muslim Arts and Culture Festival at the University of Manchester. She strongly welcomes Muslim and non-Muslim students to get involved in this exciting new festival, by offering their skills as volunteers, as well as taking part in a special MACFEST Day to be hosted in the University to promote Muslim heritage. Leave your details with The Mancunion or Diversity officers in the Student Union and Qaisra will be in touch.

You can find Qaisra’s website at: http://qaisrashahraz.com.

Features 9 My experience with Greater Manchester Police ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Max Brimelow Contributor

On Wednesday, December 13th, eight of my nine housemates and I left our Withington home just before 8pm. In the final days before the Christmas holidays, we wanted to take one of our last chances to raise a glass together and celebrate the end of a long and demanding semester.

Although Withington high street is not replete with Manchester’s hottest nightlife venues, we had tracked down a quiz at local bar Solomon’s. Despite our best efforts, we were bested in the final rounds — but unbeknownst to us at the time, our evening’s losses were about to get much, much worse.

About an hour later, at a friend’s house, my phone started buzzing – rarely a good sign when it happens so late. My housemate told me frantically down the line: “We’ve been burgled. Most of the guys have had their laptops stolen”.

Whilst we had been out, at least one burglar had climbed over our back wall, smashed the glass back door, reached through and opened it. Tracking mud and footprints through the house, they had gone into every open room and pinched everything of value they could find.

What the intruders didn’t know was that one of my housemates had actually been home at the time — watching football in his room at the top of the house.

As they reached the second floor, they nudged open his door, and without properly looking, he had called out: “Yeah?” Suddenly finding that they were not alone, the perpetrators fled, down two flights and out the front door with their pilfered loot.

None the wiser, he continued watching as his side eased to victory. It was only later, when he came downstairs, that he realised how close he had come to encountering a dangerous, possibly armed criminal face to face in his own home.

None of us are sure how long the burglar or burglars were inside, but they had managed to swipe six laptops, a purse, a passport, an iPad, and some of the girls’ jewellery. Interestingly, after unwrapping it, they had neglected to take the vinyl player we had bought for an upcoming birthday in the house.

Reaching for a stress-relieving tipple, another of us noticed that in addition to his laptop and passport, the thieves had also pilfered his bottle of knock-off Baileys and a bottle of wine. Only four rooms were left untouched — two of which had been locked, and the two other top-floor rooms, which had been unwittingly protected by my unsuspecting friend.

I rushed home to find my housemates huddled together on the stairs, comforting each other and joking around — making the best of a bad situation.

Whilst there was a warm sense of camaraderie it was clear that some of them were quite shaken up.

Although everyone was clearly safe and unhurt, the first question I asked was whether the police had been called. Yes, one of us had called at around

10.30pm when he realised what had happened.

Someone had also called our landlady, who had been distraught to hear our news — she had already sent a handyman who had come and boarded up our back door within an hour.

As the time approached 12.30am, we began to wonder whether a police officer would ever turn up.

“I might become a burglar if this is the sort of response time the police are working with”, someone joked.

About two hours after the original call, I phoned the GMP non-emergency number to inquire. I was told that someone should have been sent by now, along with a forensics officer, and that they would be along shortly. I gave her my number and she told me that I would receive a call.

Another hour passed – my phone remained still and silent in my pocket. Our doorbell also remained worryingly untouched. The time ticked past 1.30.

I decided to call back, this time slightly more indignantly. It was only then, three hours after our original call, that we were told nobody would be coming to the house until morning.

In a tone that suggested I was irritating her, the woman on the line told me that our house was secure, we weren’t in danger and that there were “more important things for the police to be doing.”

I pointed out that no one had assured the police of our safety and that, in fact, we had not even been asked what had been stolen or if the thieves had left any evidence.

Begrudgingly, she informed me someone would visit in the morning. We all retired to bed just before 2am, the smashed glass and muddy footprints of the burglars who had invaded our house still decorating the floor. But for the kindness and initiative of our landlady, we would still have had a gaping hole in our back door.

By late morning on Thursday December 14th, I had still not received a call from the police. Again taking matters into our own hands, one of my other housemates made two further calls to GMP. At last, they admitted they wouldn’t be able to send anyone to our house as we were part of a long ‘waiting list’.

It didn’t matter, apparently; according to the police, the burglars were “probably wearing gloves”, and their capture was therefore out of the question. We were told we could clear up after them — not that we had ever been told to preserve any evidence.

Perhaps the most galling injustice came when a Whatsapp message from our house group pinged into my inbox later that day. It was a screenshot of a tweet that GMP Fallowfield had shared the previous evening: “Extra officers out patrolling Fallowfield & Withington overnight on #studentsafe operation. If you see anything suspicious please call us straight away.”

Burglaries in South Manchester are not uncommon — and, realistically, none of us really expected the police to be able to track down the perpetrators who

Photo: Photo: Broady @ flickr

had ransacked our home — we are all aware of the budgetary constraints from which GMP suffers. All we wanted was the reassurance of the police, some instructions on what to do next, and the comfort to know that we were safe. It speaks volumes that our landlady was able to offer better and more prompt support than our government’s tax-funded officers of the law.

It is a great shame that recent action on student safety in South Manchester has, as yet, amounted to nothing. A petition presented to Andy Burnham with over 9500 signatories as well as measures from the Student’s Union so far seem ineffectual. And worse this incident, alongside others like it, not only highlights the desperate lack of funding resources available to GMP. At the same time, it calls into question their duty of care towards students. Was this Tweet an expression of a genuine commitment to improving crime conditions in Fallowfield and Withington, or a mere PR stunt, as students are left to fend for themselves?

The Creative Space The Creative Space is a monthly profile showcasing the best of the University of Manchester’s original talent. Are you a singer, songwriter, filmmaker or designer? Do you have a poem, short story, play or illustration you’re dying to share?

Send it to us at: features@mancunion.com and we will feature the winnerat the end of the month!

WRITE FOR US The Mancunion Features Contributors Team 2017/18 Email: features@mancunion.com

Meeting time: Mondays 6pm, starting after Christmas 22nd Janurary

Opinion

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ISSUE 13 / 29th January 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

“The Devil’s Dung”: why Christianity should be progressive

Photo: Jwslubbock @ Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Pete Souza @ Wikimedia Commons

Manchester is arguably one of the UK’s most left-wing cities, and yet opposite the university’s main campus is Holy Name Catholic church, dominating part of Oxford Road. It’s a beautiful building both inside and out, yet you can’t help but feel like it is the sight of two worlds crashing — the liberal world of the university and its students, and that of the church and its socially conservative views.

The modern narrative of religion in the West is that it is the antithesis of progress, especially Catholicism. With its ardent opposition to abortion, traditional attitude towards homosexuality and its numerous past issues with paedophilia, Christianity has for the past

50 years been decades behind what is widely socially accepted. Churches are now preaching beliefs that even large parts of its congregation do not even believe in anymore.

There is now a commonly held idea of religion as purely politically conservative and the rhetoric used by the right in the US and UK supports this. Republican Party slogans and campaigns have for years appealed to extreme evangelical Christians in America, combining God and capitalism in what has proved to be the most unholy of unions. In the UK it is less subtle, but no less the case; Theresa May once claimed that “her faith in God will guide us through Brexit”, but the way things are going

Political Christianity should restore its roots of socialism and progressivism Contributor Patrick O’Ryan her faith must not be very strong.

Yet Christianity should be a progressive force in politics and indeed has been. Socialism in Britain has always had a unique and close bond with Christianity, an ethical and Christian socialism being a major influence on the Labour party far more so than Marxism.

It is motivated out of a belief in a universal humanity and the idea that vast inequality and unbridled capitalism goes against the core teachings of Jesus, who some like to see as the first socialist. The responsibility we have for one another and the need for an inclusive economy are much more Christian than the individualistic ideals of conservatism and our current neoliberal discourse which has merely strategically co-opted religious language, using and twisting religion since the Thatcher and Raegan days. Capitalism is rooted in greed and sin, representing the very worst of humanity and is far from “love one another as I have loved you”.

Its influence on Labour and progressive British politics in practice is not hard to see, especially in earlier years; many of the early liberal reformers and socialist thinkers were influenced by the Catholic Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’, and The Fabian Society and its members, such as R.H. Tawney along with Sydney and Beatrice Webb, helped found Labour whose very first MP and leader, Keir Hardie, was deeply motivated by his religion, his evangelical preaching in his earlier years helping him to learn the art of public speaking.

Today we can still see Christianity’s progressive core, despite the discourse going against this. In Ireland’s referendum on Gay marriage in 2015, 60 per cent of voters backed it in a nation in which 80 per cent identify as Catholic, meaning at least half of all Catholics supported it. In the last presidential

election whilst evangelical Protestants voted overwhelmingly for Trump a plurality of Catholics voted Clinton while Pope Francis has stirred continued controversy about whether he is himself a socialist after making comment after comment against capitalism which he describes as “the devil’s dung”.

One of the Labour Party’s anthems is William Blake’s “And Did Those Feet”, as a result of Clement Attlee’s love and constant reference to it. Himself not religious, Attlee was obsessed with the hymn for its idea of fighting “‘til we have built Jerusalem in England’s green and pleasant land” and ultimately this represents what is at the heart of Christianity and Catholicism; building a better world for everyone, “a new Jerusalem”, and ridding the world of sin, and therefore capitalism.

The Catholic church especially has become too focused on social views based on the old testament that a large part of even it’s own followers no longer believe in, and that society is rightly leaving behind and if it continues to refuse to change, it will die. It has become distracted from the core, progressive essence of Christ’s teachings.

Any Christian that claims their faith supports the poverty, inequality and moral backwardness of neoliberal capitalism is utterly misguided. Even more so is this the case for Catholics, who have been persecuted effectively in its name. In the words of none other than Pope Francis, “Once capital becomes an idol and guides people’s decisions, once greed for money presides over the entire socioeconomic system, it ruins society, it condemns and enslaves men and women, it destroys human fraternity, it sets people against one another and, as we can clearly see, it even puts at risk our common home.”

Carillion’s liquidation is disturbing for many reasons The collapse of the UK’s second largest construction

company highlights significant flaws in how we envisage government regulation, argues Jackllin Kwan Carillion, one of the government’s largest contractors and the UK’s second largest construction company, was forced to go into liquidation early last week with less than £30m in remaining cash and over £2bn in liabilities.

The fallout has been devastating, not only was Carillion a multinational behemoth but it had been responsible for hundreds of vital government services. Even though the jobs of those working in public services are protected under the government’s Insolvency Service, the estimated 8,500 individual livelihoods of people working within Carillion’s private-sector are now under threat as well as the millions of pounds Carillion owed to hundreds of subcontractors and smaller businesses now left in severe financial uncertainty.

The Carillion case clearly demonstrates that conventional models of free market regulation are grossly insufficient. The costs of failure for large corporations is at odds with fundamental socio-economic rights of people due to the integral function they play in the economy or by the nature of the services they provide. When the collapse of Carillion put thousands of jobs at risk and disrupted important public services, it rightfully prompted a much-needed revision to the UK’s Corporate Governance Code which questioned why things had gone so disastrously bad when Carillion, in many ways, was a model of good governance.

Carillion’s directors were a collection of young economic experts with vast arrays of experience in both public and private sectors.

The chairman was Philip Green who served as the advisor on corporate responsibility to David Cameron, the head of the remuneration was Alison Horner, the former operations director at Tesco, and four different directors were all professional accountants. And long-standing entrenchment was not a problem either, the longest-serving director had only joined the board in 2009.

With a board of directors and chairman that were, on paper, an ideal governance model, it is a mystery as to exactly why this same board had such irrational optimism in its December 2015 financial statements which were followed by a profit warning six months later that eliminated three-quarters of Carillion’s market value. Why this same board allowed the buildup of liabilities while continuing to pay out large dividends to shareholders and absurd bonuses to top executives when the company was clearly failing on objective performance markers.

Carillion’s insolvency also spelled a government failure. On January 1st this year, Carillion requested a £150m short-term loan from taxpayers to provide a much needed capital injection to sure up debts and inspire confidence in its investors. After the request was rejected, it is uncertain whether the current situation is costing the government more to contain its fallout. With a relationship so intimately tied to the government, Carillion over-relied on temperamental state contracts with thin profit margins but yet the state had

Opinion 11

ISSUE 13 / 29th January 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Is it still okay to like anything made by anyone anymore?

Anyone being: John Travolta, Woody Allen, Kevin Spacey, Alfred Hitchcock, Casey Affleck, Harvey Weinstein (and the list goes on...)

On the 14th of January, the online zine Babe published a story that would eventually result in one of the industry’s most powerful and influential comedians being labelled a sexual predator. Aziz Ansari, one of Hollywood’s only minority comedians, has joined the ranks of many media figures who have been accused of sexual misconduct in the past few months.

A string of controversy that had started with Harvey Weinstein has now proliferated in the mainstream media, affecting the likes of Louis CK, Kevin Spacey, and Casey Affleck.

With a rapidly growing list of accused sexual offenders, some of whom make up history’s most profoundly impactful content creators, it’s important to examine our relationship with the culture that we consume and the people behind it.

In 1992, Woody Allen was accused of molesting his 12-year old adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow. Since then, Woody Allen has directed 26 movies and has been involved in the writing and/or production of over 40. Whether our enjoyment of his work fuels his own material gain and the system which rewards talented and abusive men, is a question that is hardly new, but just as resonant today as it was throughout the timeline of artistic canon.

There is perhaps a superfluous argument about how our support of their movies directly profits the sexual predators who are involved in them. But there is a larger signaling effect sent to the industry that casts them or bankrolls their next music album: that the mainstream consumer base is one that is easily exploited in its hypocrisy. As long as the vast majority of people are willing to overlook the transgressions of powerful men, there isn’t any reason to replace their entrenched role as artists.

However, the effect on us, the consumer, is probably much more interesting to examine.

Whenever we walk into a movie theatre or

sexual predator ever. Not only would that be impractical (there are more predators than you think), but it would drastically harm the content creators attempting to make art with inherent worth. In the movie Frida, Salma Hayek plays the titular role of Frida Kahlo, a powerful but, until then, untold story. Though the movie was distributed by Weinstein’s company and Harvey himself had allegedly insisted on a gratuitous nude scene, boycotting the movie would punish the woman who worked tirelessly to make the movie a reality.

Unfortunately, this leads to a non-answer of whether it is okay to enjoy Toy Story or House of Cards: it depends. It depends on our ability to segregate what we know to be true and what we would like to be true. It depends on whether we continue to publicly decry the acts that these men commit. It depends on whether we hold ourselves and each other to those same standards in everyday life, or whether we choose to hide behind comfortable fictions.

Photo: Timothy Krause @ Flickr

watch a stand-up comedy, we, to some extent, agree to suspend our disbelief for our own enjoyment. That is to say when I watch House of Cards, I don’t question why Kevin Spacey is so deeply invested in a political power struggle when he’s really a Hollywood actor.

I allow myself to believe the characters and their stakes in a conflict are authentic.

The point here is that media has an unprecedented power to suspend that disbelief even after we walk out of the theatre, making it immensely difficult to draw a dichotomy between an artist and their work.

Unlike 20 or 30 years ago, an artist’s private life has become integral to their performance and success. Our ability to access their personalities through interviews, press junkets, and social media means that the lines between the professional and the private have become blurred, and that it has become easy for us to create an illusion of intimacy.

This is especially true when we connect with their work on a more emotional level — we often begin to conflate their artistic talent with moral goodness; their ability to convey

powerful human emotions becomes a proxy for actual character. There is a dissonance that is created between the horrific acts committed by these individuals and our inclination to genuinely like them.

Even when we are aware of the allegations they face, our ability to suspend our disbelief for the sake of our own enjoyment only exacerbates the effect of this dissonance.

Once we continuously engage with the professional and the personal narratives that predators have the power to control, it becomes much more tempting to sidestep or forgive their moral transgressions.

Our dissonance causes us to justify their actions or question the allegations against them, perpetuating the culture that lionizes powerful and talented men. And at its most fundamental, our willingness to put our moral quandaries aside makes the suffering of their victims subservient to our own pleasure, trivialising the kind of moral severity we should be treating sexual crime with.

That is not to say that you should boycott every media appearance of every alleged

Written by Jacklin Kwan

Photo: Elliot Brown @ Flickr

set precedence for this behaviour, increasingly outsourcing core operations in defence, healthcare, and transport, setting a tone of favourable political support.

The revisions to the Corporate Governance Code in December 2017 were a welcome respite. The driving motivations behind the revisions were principally radical. It called for companies to “generate value for shareholders and contribute to wider society” and advised companies to have chairmen that would step down only after serving on the board for nine years, and for executives to have their bonuses locked as shares for five years, ensuring their ability to seek long-term benefit. However, it is unlikely that the revisions will be sufficient to address the immensity of the situation. The issue no longer just addresses Carillion alone

but the future of similar corporations like Serco and Capita which are caught in quasiincestuous relationships with the state.

On the 24th of January, all voting MPs agreed unanimously to release the government’s risk assessments of outsourcing contracts. There is suspicion that departments failed to follow correct risk-management procedures after three profit warnings, drawing even more attention to frictions in current modes of publicprivate interactions. The inseparable nature of public and private interests means that the state can no longer act as solely a “customer” to public service providers, and that new forms of regulation both within the government’s economic decision-making bodies and corporations have to be innovated.

Photo: Georges Biard @Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Bex Walton @ Flickr

Photo: Adam Bielawski @ Wikimedia Commons

12

Music

ISSUE 13 / 29th January 2018 WWW.MANCHETSERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Music 13

ISSUE 13 / 29th January 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Live Review

What To Expect In 2018 Music Calendar

Music Editor, Hannah Brierley gives a quick rundown of just some of the people and albums set to be huge in 2018.

A warm welcome back to you all, hopefully, most of you have just about survived the typical Manchester cold and all of your exams and deadlines. Now’s the time for turning a new page and going onto the next chapter, and with that, I think of finding new artists to be the soundtrack of your year, not only this but here are just a few things that you should be looking forward to in 2018.

New Artists to watch out for Khalid - The singer of ‘Thunder’ and ‘Young, Dumb and Broke’ (3 things I am definitely feeling right now) is on tour from January up until July 2018. The 19-year old is performing in Manchester on the 17th February at Manchester Academy... just 6 days after his birthday, so make sure you go down and celebrate with him. I have no doubts it will be anything less than flawless.

Photo: Album Artwork

Pale Waves - The Manchester-based indie-pop band has been ‘making waves’ in the industry recently, pardon the pun. The group who met at BIMM and frequently performed at Night & Day recently and toured with The 1975 and now are working on releasing their debut EP soon, and an album towards the end of the year too.

Photo: Olivia White

Lewis Capaldi - The Scottish soul singer released ‘Bruises’ in 2017, and has been on repeat on my Spotify ever since. His voice is raw and powerful. He’s doing a Photo: APB handful of tour dates and performing in at Club Academy in Manchester on the 16th February as well as at the Neighbourhood Weekender on the 26th May. Lewis Capaldi will be one of those artists you get to brag about that you saw him in Club Academy way before anyone else.

Photo: Jordan Curtis Hughes

Superorganism - Superorganism, is fun and wacky and twisted. The 8 piece has taken off very quickly, and it only takes listening to tracks like ‘Everybody wants to be famous’ and ‘Something For Your M.I.N.D’ to see why. I spoke to the group recently and they talked about how their shows create a whole new world and experience, something similar to a mushroom trip. The group are

Big Releases for 2018 ARCTIC MONKEYS ARE COMING BACK, I REPEAT ARCTIC MONKEYS ARE COMING BACK. I’m just going to get that one out the way first, and before you roll your eyes at this i’ll just remind you that there has probably never been a time when you have not completely lost yourself to listening to ‘I bet that you look good on the dancefloor’ on a night out, considering that was one of the first hits for them, it remains to be a complete banger. Their last album AM was released back in 2013, their next album is long overdue and eagerly awaited.

The 1975, Music For Cars - Whilst there hasn’t been an exact date for this, it is being predicted that the new album will fall on, or around the 1st June. The Northern pop group have been hinting at fans for a while on social media, with big things in the pipeworks. The 1975 like to reinvent themselves and experiment with their music, I’m interested to see what they do this time in 2018.

George Ezra, Staying at Tamara’s - The new album is being released on March 23rd, The ‘Budapest’ singer has finally returned after 4 years gracing us with his new album, Staying at Tamara’s. He also has plans of touring during March and April too!

Photo: Wikicommons

Photo: Wikicommons

Avril Lavigne?? Whilst this has no album name or actual real confirmation if this is actually happening, there are still many a rumour about Melissa — I mean Avril — Bouncing back into life into the music scene. I wonder if she’s gone back to her ‘Sk8r Boi’ days or has evolved into something else entirely... my inner 10-year-old rock chick is screaming with excitement.

Photo: Jodie Bryant

Contributor Jodie Bryant reviews The Hunna’s final gig on their biggest UK tour yet Saturday 13th January, O2 Academy Brixton The last show of their biggest UK tour yet, The Hunna walked out to a sold out Brixton Academy last Saturday. Scream-

ing fans greeted the four lads from Hertfordshire as they ran on stage for “the best night of their life”, as voiced by energetic front man Ryan Potter (also known as Valentino).

Breaking into their new release ‘Sum-

mer,’ at odds with the freezing cold weather, fans belted out the lyrics, setting the scene for a noisy evening captured by the chant, “We’re so loud, can’t turn us down” sang in their unreleased ‘You Don’t Want It With Me.’ Frontman, ‘Valentino’ told the story of seeing his favourite band You Me At Six years before at the age of fifteen with best friend and lead guitarist Dan Dorney (also known as BD 100). They couldn’t believe that now they were playing at the notorious Brixton Academy.

The band gave the non-stop mosh pits a break with emotional love song ‘Sycamore Tree,’ which saw phone lights shine bright throughout the crowd. Their recognisable musical style featuring catchy tunes were evident with fans singing every lyric.

The rockers closed with a fan favourite, ‘She’s Casual,’ before returning for an encore wearing matching jackets spelling “DARE”, the title of their upcoming album set for release on 25th May. The band topped off the night with their number one single ‘Bonfire,’ met by flames and smoke to match the lyrics. A great first gig of 2018.

The Hunna now travel to Australia ahead of their album release with friends Coasts who also supported the shows in the UK. Good luck guys!

Interview: Gorgon City

Contributors Zoe and Quasim get to talk to Matt & Kye (AKA. Gorgon City) ahead of their show in Manchester

Zoe: So firstly, what are your main music influences?

Kye: We both grew up on all kinds of UK underground stuff. We grew up on jungle, drum’n’bass, garage. I was into grime music, we were both into garage and then house and techno. I guess what we do now, we make house music but it kinda has all those influences in it, all the music we’ve grown up on.

Qasim: How would you define your genre to our readers?

Matt: House music, bass heavy house music, with vocals occasionally.

K: It does have a UK twist. We play a lot in America and they like us out there because we bring something different because they have the whole EDM scene, they have house music and techno music but we have our own UK version on it, inspired a little bit by garage, jungle, drum’n’bass and I guess that’s why we get booked out there because we bring a new twist on the genre Q: You do collaborate with a lot of different artists. Do you create the lyrics and the backing and then get a vocalist in or do you get the artist to make the lyrics separately M: The best way we’ve ever written when it comes to writing songs with singers is to basically get in a room, us two and the singer and then just start from scratch. Play some random chords or a play bassline and a beat or whatever and then write it together and then develop it from there. That’s how we’ve written all of our best tracks. Some times we might get sent an accapella or a demo of a song and we might work on it and turn it into something that sounds more like us but generally the best way to make Gorgon City music is from scratch, with the singer in the room.

Z: So it’s very much a collaboration?

M: Yeah, exactly, rather than a feature. Rather than us writing a song, sending it to a random topliner then writing something to it.

Z: A lot of our readers are young DJ’s themselves. When you’re on stage, what is the actual gear you are playing?

K: When we DJ like tonight, its just Pioneer, just the standard club set up. Pioneer, mixer and CD DJ’s but when we play live we want to do it as far away from that as possible. So when we play live its almost like a proper band. We have a live drummer with us, we have two vocalists and me and Matt play everything live so we have keyboards, synthesisers, drum machines, controllers...Yeah, its quite a complex set up. We have about three

keyboards each and then about three or four other devices. We like to keep it busy. We like to keep it as far away from our DJ set up as possible.

Z: How do you find audiences react to that?

M: Maybe when we play live are maybe the people that come to see us aren’t the people who might not go out raving until six in the morning every weekend. The people that come see us DJ are those kind of people. And we like both, but we like raving until six in the morning as well (laughs). That’s why we’re here tonight, that’s what tonight is all about.

Q: Nightlife is generally dying around the country, you know the whole Fabric situation, but why is it you think Manchester has still managed to stay so diverse? Warehouse Project wouldn’t really exist in any other city than Manchester...

K: For dance music, it is the legendary city. Hacienda days, all kinds of stuff, Sankeys…

M: But its one of those cities that’s got dance music culture in its history...

K: In its DNA. M: Yeah, I’ve come to Manchester just to go to a Warehouse Project loads of times. I live in London which is meant to be the biggest dance capital of even Europe but now its not because there’s no fucking clubs. People from London, people from Bristol, Birmingham, come to Warehouse Project because it’s the daddy of all clubbing.

Z: We’ve got a lot of young musicians, young DJ’s who read the Mancunion. Any final tips before they head into the industry?

K: One thing is have patience because it takes years to get something that you’re into. The other thing is try not to follow trends because with dance music, especially these days there are a lot of trends that go around. We hear it all the time when we get sent demo’s, sent songs where you can tell someone is following a trend. And when someone makes a tune that is true to them, true to their influences and what they want to do. It stands out. You notice it. There are micro-genres. Every year or two there’s a trend that everyone jumps on and every song suddenly sounds the same but then when you get something that sounds different, that’s when you take notice. That’s how people get their breaks, by not following trends.

M: Yeah, be original. It sounds cheesy but stay true to what you love. Stay true to your own passions.

Review

Review: Liam Gallagher Deputy Music Editor, Yasmin Duggal, says “it did what it said on the tin”

8/10

Photo: Pomona

This week in music history How much does a hipster weigh?

An Instagram!

29th January 2006 - Arctic Monkeys went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not’

30th January 1988 - Tiffany was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’, the singers only UK No.1 single..

31st January 1976 - ABBA knocked Queens’ ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ from the UK No.1 position with ‘Mamma Mia.’

Interview: The Amazons

Deputy Music Editor, Yasmin Duggal chats to The Amazons’ Matt Thomson about new music, Reading, and wearing sunglasses The Amazons are undoubtedly one of last year’s biggest success stories in the world of breaking British rock bands.

Their self-titled debut album smashed into the album charts at #8 when it was released in the summer, and it also landed two places higher on the vinyl album chart. They made a triumphant return to their hometown festival Reading when they played to a packed Festival Republic Stage, while their autumn headline tour was entirely sold-out in advance.

The foundations for their success were set long before the year started. A Music Week survey demonstrated they were were the most hotly-tipped guitar band of 2017, and now, at the start of 2018, they are about to embark on another UK tour.

Matt Thomson, singer and guitarist for the Reading band, took some time out to chat to us about the upcoming tour and where the band go from here.

How did you all deal with the madness of the last year?

Badly. We’ve had sunglasses stuck on our faces for the last 4 months. Going to the cinema, showering, driving at night: makes no difference.

You played a lot of gigs and festivals — what was your favourite show of last year?

Toss up between Fuji Rock Festival in Japan and our headline show at Kentish Town Forum in London.

How important is it for you to celebrate being from Reading?

At the beginning, when we’re introducing our music to the world, it’s really important. It’s part of our identity and we’d be fools not to acknowledge that. In celebrating where we’re from, however unglamorous, it is has helped us connect with our fans from around the world who come from a small, slightly deadend town. We just wanted to show you don’t need to be from one of the major cities to achieve something.

Review: Yung Lean

whilst unexpected tracks from the band’s discography proved how versatile Liam is. ‘I’m Outta Time’ was a mellow note of reflection, whilst initial closing track ‘Be Here Now’ was met with punchy support.

Hood up for more assertive tracks, despite looking like he was about the enter the ring, the lyric ‘I just want you to know, it’s my time’ sprung to mind.

Solo LG means business; banter with United fans and a genuine lump-inthe-throat appreciation left the audience feeling proud of their beloved Mancunian treasure.

Bonehead’s contribution to the encore for Oasis hits ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’, ‘Wonderwall’, and ‘Live Forever’ was beautifully sentimental. The two brought a freshness to the reworked tracks whilst maintaining that special magic the tunes emit for the fans’ sake. The Oasis guitarist ignited tangible excitement in fans, as an understated tribute to the 22 killed in the Manchester bombing shone behind himself and Liam.

When your first steps on to the stage are enough to make dreams come true, you know you’re doing something right. Gallagher’s performance was an unforced, emotional, nostalgic moment, which passed by far too suddenly, was by no means flawless, but lay firmly cemented in the remarkable.

Rewind

1st February 1980 - Blondie released ‘Call Me’, the main theme song of the 1980 film American Gigolo.

7 / 10

Interview

performing at Gorilla on the 7th March..

Shakers in hand, anorak looking cool as ever in the throbbing rumble of the arena, Liam Gallagher sauntered into the limelight with no doubt that he was about to blow minds. His unmistakable presence was a treat for the eyes and ears. Liam has done this long enough to know all he needed to do was give the people exactly what they want, and a surprise appearance from Bonehead for a touching encore rounded off the night with some nostalgic clout.

The set list delivered to a tee. An eclectic mix of sentimental Oasis tracks and well-received solo material saw Gallagher evoke an overwhelming sense of awe. The whole affair was commanded by his effortless cool. That all-too-familiar hands-behind-back trademark lean, interspersed with that unrivalled Manchester strut was just as much part of his performance as it was twenty years ago.

His voice was raw and as powerful as ever, and there were noticeable injections of passion into new tracks to balance the signature quality of older tunes. It was clear he strained to reach the challenging vocals from the solo album, and minor technical issues meant the performance sometimes lacked cohesion, but would it be a Liam gig if it wasn’t tainted with unpredictability?

Opening with Oasis classics ‘Rock’n’Roll Star’ and ‘Morning Glory’ plunged the audience straight back to 1995, rowdy and crude as ever intended,

Live Review: The Hunna

Trying to describe what Yung Lean is about to anyone who has never heard of him — most of the world, approximately — proves to be practically impossible. The 21 year old Swede has a unique hip hop style that blends melodic singing akin to emo rock of the early 2000s with the deep, punchy beats of modern trap production.

His style is also attributed to his partners in crime, the $ad boy$, a collective that is still very underground in the world of hip hop.

Lean came on to the stage looking — I kid you not — like a stereotypical “school shooter” with his black leather trench coat to an energetic reception from the young crowd. The concert was apt for people of ages 14 and up and they instantly started a huge mosh pit during the first song, a sign of amateur gig-goers and trying too hard to fit in.

The mass of bodies came scarily close to a stampede when one side of the room thought it’d be a good idea

2nd February 1989 - George Michael receives damages of £100,000 ($170,000) from The Sun over articles printed that stated Michael had gatecrashed a party given by Andrew Lloyd Weber and was drunk.

3rd February 2008 - UK singer Adele went to No.1 on the UK album chart with her debut album ‘19’.

4th February 1975 - Natalie Imbruglia, the ‘Torn’ singer was born

Photo: Chuff Media

Was the album’s reception what you expected?

No. We have to admit it exceeded all expectations. For a rock band releasing a debut record in 2017, a top 10 chart position wasn’t really on the radar. I think we under-estimated the appetite for this kind of music.

So, you’re back on tour this February, are you excited to be getting back on the road?

Hugely. Our UK Tour in October last year was incredible and we learnt a lot. It’s going to be great to hit the road again.

What will the new tour bring?

We’re in the process of working out how long a bass solo we can get away with. It certainly won’t be a note for note recital of the record. We like to keep the audience on their toes.

Can we expect some new music soon?

We’ve been working on a lot of new material recently, so maybe…

Will another album be a while off? And how do you think it will compare to the debut?

Not sure. All we know is that unless we put together a record we love and would fight to the death defending, nothing is coming out.

Who is your biggest musical influence?

Influences change and morph all the time. It’s about being open to anything and everything, you never know what’s gonna cause the spark.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Joni Mitchel’s ‘Blue’.

You can catch The Amazons on Saturday 3rd February at Albert Hall.

Contributor Tobias Soar, wasn’t impressed with Yung Lean’s “average” tour. to push the pit, crushing the other end of the room and provoking a back-and-forth game of ‘push the sweaty moshing teenagers away from you to not die’.

Yung Lean’s performance was strange. Vocally he was on par with his studio recordings. However, it felt as if there was an invisible veil between us and him, making the star seem distant despite his physical proximity to the audience.

Another factor that hindered his performance was the overabundance of smoke. Someone backstage was going absolutely mad on the smoke machine, making the Swede disappear in a dream-like mist for most of his performance.

His only attempt at interaction with the crowd, aside from mumbling a few words between some of his songs, occurred when he gingerly climbed down from the stage to crowd surf, a short-lived experience that was

unsurprisingly cut short by security who dragged him out of the vile conglomerate of sweaty, ketted-out adolescents, a smart move if you ask me.

Once the lights dimmed at the end of the hour-long set, the zombies stumbled down the stairs onto the damp streets of central Manchester while I gathered my thoughts.

Yung Lean has a very niche, very juvenile audience that ten years ago would have been emo-rock fans but due to the current predominance of the urban sensation that is hip hop, a strange sub-genre has manifested. Taking into account the smoke, the minimal crowd interaction, and the hostile mob of youngsters, the night was just average.

Maybe, in the words of Roger Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon, ”I’m getting too old for this shit”.

5/10

14

Music

The Mancunion guide: what to expect from the games industry in 2018

RIP Mark E. Smith

Photo: Wiki Commons

Opinion

Contributor Hana Kelly, looks back at the life and acheivements, of the man the myth and legend that is Mark E. Smith.

Mark E Smith was the stuff of legend. His infamous band, The Fall, had over 60 members in its time, with him as the only constant: a front man who wouldn’t give up, admitting once “if it’s me and your granny on the bongos — it’s The Fall.” They released over 30 albums and spent the 70’s and 80’s in and out of the pop charts.

The Fall was well known for having an ever evolving sound, which changed with the stream of ever changing band members.

This is what allowed the band to continue up until the premature

“he was the personification

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Preview: The Howl and The Hum If a musical hotspot like Manchester has left their Jimmy’s show this weekend on ‘Waiting List Only’, you know you’re in for something worthwhile, writes contributor and photographer, Olivia White The Howl & The Hum are an enchanting York-based quartet comprised of lead singer Sam Griffiths, bassist Bradley Blackwell, lead guitarist Conor Hirons, and drummer Jack Williams. Each polished musician cultivates a sound so intense and striking that you would hardly believe a small city such as York would have the capacity to produce it.

From beginning their musical journey performing on various open mic nights to recently featuring on BBC Radio 6, it is clear that The Hum are destined for success in 2018 as affirmed by Tom Robinson himself, claiming “The Howl and The Hum are a seriously great band, from whom you will be hearing a great deal more in the coming months.”

Having released their most recent single ‘Portrait I’ and announcing their second ever tour covering eight dates across country, there’s really no excuse but to get down to a show and indulge yourself in only what can be described as a very surreal yet somehow familiar warmth of nostalgia and vitality.

Whether that be a welcomed feeling or even one that may leave you slightly uncomfortable, The Hum’s performance as a

collective entity will leave your mouth dry and your stomach churned.

Due to frontman Griffith’s tendency to draw inspiration from short stories in creating lyrics, it is no surprise that each track The Howl & The Hum have written could feature in the next few decades worth of drama and thriller movies. This atmospheric, cinematic style they have concocted means that their live performances are incomparable to anything any modern band is currently offering. Their artistic flexibility in how they choose to perform their discography for each show keeps The Hum dynamic and unpredictable.

The Howl & The Hum are a band you don’t want regret having not seen when they were still playing intimate venues. Do your mind and soul a favour, allow Sam Griffiths and his musical counterparts to envelope you in a sound that will haunt you for months and leave you craving more.

I mean if a musical hotspot like Manchester has left their Jimmy’s show this weekend on ‘waiting list only’, you know you’re in for something worthwhile.

Album Review: Camila Cabello - Camila Leaving American girl-group Fifth Harmony in December 2016, Camila Cabello shows she is more than capable of going alone with her honest, heart-wrenching debut al bum.

The 20-year-old has taken the world by storm in 2017, ending with # 1 hit ‘Havana’ (oh na na) under her belt, as well as being the most listened to female artist on Spotify, and #2 most listened to artist after Ed Sheeran with 4 3 million listeners. Which is pretty impressive considering she only released her album in January this year.

Camila Cabello has become the third female artist to have a first week as number one on the Bill board 200 at the same time as being number one on the Hot 100. The last artists to do this were Beyonce with ‘Crazy in Love’ and Dangerously in Love in 2003, preceded by Britney Spears with track and al bum with the same name ‘...Baby

Chris Glover -— Nintendo Switch

What we know:

What we know:

2018 is set to be a great year for PC gaming. We have shooters like Far Cry 5 and Metro Exodus on the way, as well as some RPGs like Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire and Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord. Last week, FromSoftware announced the Dark Souls remaster PC gamers have been waiting for, finally allowing 4k 60FPS gameplay without having to use third-party mods or fixes.

Consoles

Destiny 2 is in trouble after the latest DLC, Curse of Osiris, failed to introduce worthwhile endgame content, and alongside microtransactions in the Eververse store, has resulted in players abandoning the title in droves, some even returning to The Division.

What we predict: The continued success of battle royale games: Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds is as big as ever, and recently free-to-play Fortnite clocked 2 million concurrent players. It seems more battle royale clones are inevitable.

With some luck, developers will finally get the message about microtransactions – we don’t want them! EA’s microtransaction U-turn in Star Wars Battlefront 2 hopefully signals a chance of tact from AAA developers.

What we want: I crave some good RPGs in 2018, with some particular titles in mind. Any news regarding Cyberpunk 2077 from CD Projekt Red would be good, given their exemplary record from The Witcher series. It’s rumoured gameplay will be shown at E3 this year.

I’d also like to see a new Fallout title announced, but made by Obsidian Entertainment, not Bethesda. Whether it’s Fallout: New Vegas 2, or a game set elsewhere, Obsidian know exactly how to nail the Fallout vibe.

What we know: E-sports is increasingly being reported on by mainstream media, and is moving from a niche sector of the games industry to one its main attractions. From Football matches with players having a game of FIFA at half time (I think I remember Eric Dier and Daniel Sturridge) to full-scale events, televised competitive gaming is here to stay.

Photo: Olivia White

drum breeze of ‘Inside Out’, where she swerves between English and Spanish. She puts her heart into her lyrics, particularly evident in songs such as ‘Something’s G otta Give’: “Counterfeit emotions only run skin deep/Know you’re lying when you’re lying next to me, next to me.”

This is a new chapter for Cabello, and we are listening to her story-telling, personal diary. Part of the speculated reasons for her leaving Fifth Harmony is that Cabello felt the group were “too sexualised”. Her song ‘Into It’ proves you can be sultry without going overboard: “I see a kingsized bed in the corner, we should get into it.”

Cabello sounds comfortable in herself. It’s hard to carve out any unique space in the crowded female vocal market, but as the first female in history to have a debut al bum go to # 1 in 100+ countries, Cabello will be just fine.

The Nintendo Switch far exceeded all predictions last year, and was recently named America’s fastest selling home games console. Many attribute the Switch’s success to the regular releases of high quality exclusive games like Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 and Breath of the Wild, and with fan favourites Yoshi, Kirby and Donkey Kong making their way on to the console in 2018, I wouldn’t expect Nintendo’s success to slow down any time soon.

Jeremy Bijl, Games Editor — Publishers What We Know: With the dust settling on a turgid 2017 for consoles, things are starting to return to normal.

EA’s stock value is recovering at a remarkable rate, and social media backlash is starting to even out.

Indeed, every major publiclytraded European publisher has posted strong numbers in the market. No matter how unpopular some of the decision for console games have proved this year, it is clear sales are still high.

What we predict: For e-sports to emerge as the main obstacle for publishers introducing gameplay changing microtransactions, a la Star Wars: Battlefront II. Publishers may have to choose how to monetize their games outside of the the initial sell, and e-sports and purchasable gameplay advantages are mutually exclusive. I wouldn’t be surprised to see publishers attempt both, but I think it’ll ultimately have to be one or the other.

What We Predict: For Ubisoft to emerge as the new consumer-friendly company of console gaming. It’s a sad time we live in that pro-consumerism is now a niche that is very much up for grabs, but the signs are there that Ubisoft are primed to fill that gap. 2017 saw longer development cycles, a renewed determination for bug-free launches, retrospective fixes for games and an overall higher quality of product following their rebrand.

The success of Origins will have sent a clear signal to Ubisoft that

doing all these things can be a viable business model. Much of this will depend on the popularity and commercial performance of Far Cry 5 , but I see 2018 being the year of Ubisoft, from a popularity point of view if not a financial one.

What we want: It would be good to see disney rip the Star Wars license from EA. The metanarrative of the Star Wars franchise is one where the EAmpire and Emperor Andrew Wilson are winning. It’s time for the rebellion. Also, Skate 4.

What we predict: GameFreak have confirmed there’s a Pokémon game in development exclusively for the Switch, but stated in late 2017 that it may not released for a year. Expect a potential release date to come in 2018, and expect it to be big news when it does; there has never been a core RPG Pokémon title on a home console, so we’re going to see the franchise changed drastically for better or worse.

What we want: Nintendo understood early on that one of the biggest draws of their system is that older popular games can be ported on to the switch and played on-the-go with minimal loss of graphical fidelity. LA Noire, DOOM and Skyrim all went down a treat with players, and I’d like to see some more old favourites like Fallout 3 added to this growing library.

Danny Jones — Conferences and Events What we know: Dates first and foremost. We’re not going to list them for you, but the big dogs — E3, Gamescom, GDC and so on — have all set their dates and put tickets on sale, so if you’re planning on going, get a move on.

Microsoft will be making waves this year. Their head of Gaming, Phil Spencer, has recently been quoted as saying that there “will be some positive changes” in how they conduct their presentations this year. Does this mean a new IP? Fable 4? Halo 6? That we don’t know, but expect something big.

Felix Hanif-Banks — E-sports

Cabello sounds comfortable in herself and more than capable of going alone, writes contributor, Ruth Foran

One More Time’ in 1999.

Originally meant to be called The Hurting, The Healing, The Loving, Camila provides a rebirth for Cabello. Breaking away from the sexualised pop-hits from Fifth Harmony, Cabello has writing credits on every track. Cabello’s longawaited solo debut is a personal statement, low-key and mellow even when it’s infused with the rhythms of her Cuban-Mexican heritage.

Compared to previous songs, Camila is stripped down, focusing on Cabello’s biggest asset: her voice. She doesn’t go for ‘ bangers’, and the album is dominated by slower, intricate songs. ‘Havana’ is the nearest Camila comes to a dance track, yet even that song is a bittersweet reverie of diaspora romance. She gets intimate in the reggaeton lilt of ‘She Loves Control’ and the light tropical steel-

David Uncle — PC gaming

Akin to GTA V, sadly I predict the highlyanticipated Red Dead Redemption 2 will be delayed a year after console release. If it means a great, stable port, it’ll be worth the wait.

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January exams are done, and summer exams are a far distant thought, time to celebrate and or unwind. Here are just a few feel good songs to put you in that happy mood, and singing every word.

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by Hannah Brierley

and tragic demise of Mark E Smith.

A true Post-Punk band, Mark E Smith’s Mancunian drawl and cryptic lyrics can be heard through the powerful guitars, an underlying rockabilly riff mixed with an abrasive punk sound.

His tense music lives on to teach anyone who will listen about reputation, life and drugs.

Mark E Smith is a true legend of musical history, influencing bands including The Arctic Monkeys, LCD Soundsystem and Sonic Youth. Since his death on Tuesday 23rd January, artists including Billy Bragg have been paying tribute to him calling him a “cultural icon”. Another tribute, came from Smith’s former Fall band mate Marc Riley, who was dj-ing on BBC Radio 6 when the news broke.

He recalled to his listeners live how Smith had “taught me a lot about life and he taught me a lot about music”.

Mark E Smith died aged 60 after suffering from respiratory problems for the past year. His declining health meant that shows in America had to be cancelled and for his last shows in England, he sang in a wheelchair.

He was the personification of what people expected from punk music, single handedly releasing more albums than there have been punk bands. He was erratic, sporadic, and enigmatic: his reputation became iconic but Smith never gave up on the music and had an admirable and fierce passion for his art.

i s)

Top 5 Celebration Songs

Games 14

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANURARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

ISSUE 13 / 29th January 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

What we predict: Lots of VR. Virtual Reality has come a long way since the gimmicky feel of the Oculus Rift, and whilst it is by no means perfect, we expect even bigger strides to have been made for this year in gaming. Whether its seeing how the technology has been improved and fine-tuned at the more in-industry events such as GDC (Game Developers Conference) or Develop: Brighton, or simply seeing what new VR games are on offer when E3 rolls around.

Speaking of, if we can guess at what game will dominate this year’s conventions and take home all the silverware, we’re putting money on Red Dead Redemption 2. Do we really need to explain why?

What we want: Keeping gimmicks in mind: it is perhaps our one wish that this year’s conventions – namely E3 – take a step away from the overly-flashy, yet often poorly executed presentations of the last few years. After last year’s famous missed high-five and that YouTube presenter’s meltdown when introducing Need for Speed, we’re not sure we can talk anymore cringeworthy moments and the barrage of memes that follow. No more gratuitous celebrity appearances either: we don’t need Snoop Dogg and Terry Crews to demo a game for us, we beg you.

What we predict: Expect battle-royale games Fortnite and PUBG to continue to dominate discussion, particularly because the latter has every possibility of breaking its temporary Xbox One exclusivity this year and making its way over to PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Speaking of domination, PS4’s exclusive line-up this year is looking very strong, with titles such as God of War and Spider-Man likely overshadowing Xbox One’s Sea of Thieves and Crackdown 3. Finally, I would be surprised if a Borderlands 3 announcement didn’t come very soon — I can feel it in my bones.

What we want: It’s about time we heard something about Diablo 4. There have been a few rumours over the last couple of years about Blizzard hiring for the project, and a few leaks about announcements that never materialised.

As has been the case for seven years, I want Elder Scrolls VI. Admittedly, even the leaks and rumours suggest a release of around 2022, meaning it’s possible that we could expect to first see a Fallout game but I’m so desperate that at this point I’d settle for a whisper from a guy who knows a guy who says it might at least be in development

P.S. We were just kidding about the memes, we’ll take them all please…

Chris Glover — Releases What we know: Currently, the big-budget AAA games likely to be contending for biggest game of the year are Red Dead Redemption 2 and 2018’s Call of Duty title. We know absolutely nothing about the latter, but having seen the franchise win back fans and make WWII the highest-selling game of 2017, it seems like a safe bet that they could potentially replicate that feat this year.

As for Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar proved with 2013’s GTA V that it has perfected its open-world model. Hopefully, the $1 billion brought in by GTA V’s microtransactions doesn’t tempt Rockstar to overdo it with monetization in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Sarah Johnson — Mobile What we know: We know mobile gaming is big, and profitable.

According to a report by gamesindustry.biz, mobile games now occupy 43 per cent of the total market value of games — a staggering 14 per cent higher than console. This may be due in part to the popularisation of AR (Augmented Reality) Games, which has been helped by the release of IOS 11, which gives developers a much easier platform for developing such games.

The release of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is being highly anticipated as the next best thing since Pokémon Go , and hopefully it will be better considering the game is made by the same developers, Niantic Labs, who will have learnt from their successes and mistakes.

What we predict:

What we want: Across E-sports, management of events has been a recurring problem. Production companies have little accountability and many events feel rushed or unprofessional. Growing e-sports and bringing it into the mainstream needs a more streamlined and accessible approach to tournaments as a whole. E-sports is on the brink of becoming something huge, and the industry need to do its best to facilitate that.

What we want: When I revisit the app store every now and then, I am greatly disappointed by the lack of indie games released in 2017, as they’re usually the ones I enjoy most. I want a game that lives up to the standards of Limbo or Thomas Was Alone to make some sort of appearance. Anything!

Runescape Mobile is pegged for release later this year, so fingers crossed it manages to stay on schedule.

Almost everyone either played Runescape to excess or knows someone who did, so it will be interesting to see if it manages to entice older veterans back to its MMORPG world.

Given the huge commercial success of mobile games in 2017, we might expect to see a concurrent increase in quality. With the platform offering sustainable revenue through the use of a free-to-play, microtransactionbased model, critical acclaim can take mobile gaming to the next level. Developers will be aware of this, and the potential of a game which finds the happy medium between profitability, playability and popularity is immeasurable.

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Fashion & Beauty Time’s Up – Back to black at the Golden Globes ISSUE 13/ 29TH JANUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Amy Nguyen reports on the black uniform of Hollywood’s finest at the 2018 Golden Globes in support of Time’s Up Campaign

Photo:kevinrsantiago@flickr

Fashion is a configuration of culture and identity and it has often proved to be a powerful tool. This was very recently demonstrated by the most powerful and influential figures in Hollywood at the 75th Golden Globes on 7 January 2018.

2017 was the year that saw the film industry riddled with multiple accusations of sexual harassment from Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein to its acting network including the likes of Kevin Spacey and Ed Westwick. It created an impetus for the #MeToo campaign — founded by Tarana Burke — which has morphed into a global

movement tackling sexual violence, encouraging victims of abuse to speak out, and has received heightened attention since the recent scandals came to light In recent years, awards ceremonies such as the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes have been scrutinised by many participants and the public at large for being under representative of gender as well as race, and the focus of workplace injustice. The story and empowering message behind this year’s Golden Globes is arguably the most powerful stance against old traditions to

date.

A sea of black swarmed this years red carpet by celebrities, actors and actresses in support of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund. This is a campaign and fund that provides subsidized legal support to those who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, or abuse in the workplace.

With a girl gang made up of Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Reece Witherspoon and Natalie Portman leading the troops, the call for drastic change has been heard all over the world.

It was decided five weeks prior to the ceremony that women would be dressed in black from head to toe by the world’s finest designers and fashion houses in solidarity of this campaign and to raise awareness. Prior to the show, people turned to social media channels to explain and promote the cause reasoning “Why I wear Black today: Because we are grateful to the many survivors and allies who have spoken out and forced the conversation about sexual harassment, sexual assault and gender bias into the spotlight” quoted the ‘timesupnow’ account on Instagram .

The unanimous support of this campaign and its deeply rooted messages was felt throughout the ceremony, hosted by Seth Meyers. Oprah, upon collecting her Cecile B.de Mille Award, delivered a truly moving and compelling speech.

Her narrative spoke of the history of the United States in resisting injustice mentioning Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist. “The time is up” she cried to standing ovations and calling out that this was for all the girls watching, promising hope “that a new day is on the horizon and when it dawns it will be because magnificent women and phenomenal men have fought hard to become the

leaders that take us to a time where nobody ever has to say “me too” again.” I urge you to watch the full 9 minute speech with a box of tissues at the ready. This momentum dominated the show as whilst presenting the ‘Best Director’ category Natalie Portman chimed “and here are the all male nominees” – the sass level was absolutely off the charts! It was an evening that witnessed HBO series and story of a strong group of Californian women “Big Little Lies” awarded four trophies including “Best television limited series or motion picture made for television” and “Best actress in a limited series or motion picture made for television” awarded to Nicole Kidman.

The attitude and solidarity displayed at this year’s Golden Globes, I’m sure will be remembered for decades to come, adorning a black dress is one thing but the unity this displayed and the promotion of the Times Up Fund raised and accumulated $13 million dollars from over 16,000 donations to date is phenomenal. Worth nothing following of these events is Matt Damon’s donation of $1.5 million to the fund, the disparity of the wage between himself and Michelle Williams received for new film “All the Money in the World’. It has also drawn contention from Liam Neeson and French actress Catherine Deneuve who have condemned the witch hunt against Hollywood males.

Whilst the forceful message of the Time Up Fund is clear, I am sure many are as intrigued as I to see how this develops not merely for the remainder of the Awards season but for the foreseeable future and the degree to which a thoughtful dress code can positively impact issues of harassment and inequality throughout the world.

New Year, new Céline

Ella Searle discusses what’s in store for the fashion powerhouse Céline following the appointment of Hedi Slimane as Artistic Director Despite an incredibly strong Paris Fashion Week, it seems it was the politics behind fashion houses that took centre stage. The news that Kim Jones was to leave his exceptionally successful post as Artistic Director at Men’s Louis Vuitton shook the circuit before his final collection.

If this wasn’t dramatic enough, the news that Hedi Slimane was to replace Phoebe Philo at Céline, being appointed to Artistic, Creative, and Image Director sent social media into overdrive.

This move signifies the ever-present comercial demands of the fashion industry, and leaves us asking questions as to where this leaves the value of the aesthetic and creative expression.

“This move signifies the

ever-present comercial demands of the fashion industry, and leaves us asking where this leaves the value of aesthetic and creative expression.”

Photo:N08@ flickr

Since rumours of Philo’s departure from the Parisian house surfaced at the beginning of last year, her legacy has been continuously reflected upon. Philo can be accredited with transforming Céline, the house founded by a woman (Céline Vipiana) into the ultimate label of chic femininity, overhauling a struggling, stagnant brand to one with an iconic sophisticated aesthetic, boosting sales from €200million to €700million a year.

Philo has redefined how women dress for a generation, championing elegance and style to transcend trend. Her work boasts intelligent femininity, and champions the idea of a ‘uniform’ by creating key staples that can be worn for a lifetime. Her work at Céline has transformed the house into an icon of the woman-power era, bringing an empowering style against the

grain of skinny jeans and sexy mini dresses, favouring oversized, fluid pieces, outerwear and neutral palettes alongside architectural leather accessories.

Céline is a brand designed by women, for women, with Philo reflecting that, “I have no problem with a woman wearing anything as long as she has chosen to wear it for herself.” It is this authenticity which is much coveted by customers. In a world of see-now, buy-now and e-commerce, Céline’s nonconformist restraint to stick to tradition, mirrors Philo’s personality, being notoriously private about her life away from fashion. Thus, Céline’s transformation blooms out of the integrity of Philo herself, and her no-nonsense attitude has cultivated an IT brand founded upon integrity and

timeless glamour.

Thus, the news that Hedi Slimane is to take total control of the feminist Parisian house — tasked with introducing Menswear, fragrance, and couture — inevitably came as a shock across social media.

The central concern is how a dark androgynous, celebrated menswear designer is able to continue the true feminine aesthetic of the Céline woman.

Slimane came to critical acclaim as a menswear designer following his celebrated stint at Dior Homme until 2007, where his iconic skinny suits boasted his signature dark, and rock and roll aesthetic. Yet, it is Slimane’s last stint at Saint Laurent, most notoriously rebranding to drop the ‘Yves’ from the house name, which established him as one of fashion’s most celebrated and

profitable designers.

Slimane wholly reinvented Saint Laurent to become an edgy, L.A.-inspired brand, focusing on a much younger millennial customer. This transformation paid off, transforming YSL from a modest house to become one of the most lucrative cash cows of its parent company Kering’s luxury catalogue. In February 2015, Kering announced that Saint Laurent had doubled its business since Slimane’s hiring three years earlier, taking annual revenues in the region of $600 million.

Yet, despite his undeniable commercial success, the controversy following his move to Céline signifies the unusual pairing. His skinny, typically non-diverse, and young ‘cool’ aesthetic seems entirely opposite to the inclusive, modern and authentic femininity championed by Philo, and many are concerned about how Slimane will interpret and honour the house’s legacy to work with his seemingly opposed conception of femininity.

Yet, perhaps we should consider this move for what it is, a wholly commercial move rather than a solely aesthetical one. Slimane’s posting at Céline is of great commercial significance, as the luxury LVMH conglomerate group reclaim Slimane following his success for their rivals at Kering.

LVMH is hoping to cash in on Slimane’s nondisputable commercial appeal, hoping to boost Celine’s revenues exponentially to establish the house as a billion-dollar brand.

LVMH Chairman Aranult expressed, “I have been a great admirer of his work since we collaborated on Dior Homme, which he launched to global acclaim in the 2000s. His arrival at Céline reinforces the great ambitions that LVMH has for this maison.”

In the increasingly competitive luxury market, where the Kering Group is thriving from ownership of the booming ‘it’ brands of Gucci, Balenciaga and YSL, a ramp in commercial success for the LVMH group is key. Slimane’s typically controversial aesthetic being incorporated into the ‘grown-up’ fashion house of Céline is set to be interesting, and no matter what the critical response, will be guaranteed to be profitable.

On Thursday February 22nd we Reclaim the Night…

Bring your glow sticks, bring your friends and bring your voices.

Owen’s Park 7PM

We’ll be raising our voices and After Party: 9PM Students’ uniting our energies to stand Union DJ’s, cocktails & more up to street harassment, sexual violence and victim blaming.

22nd February 2018 www.facebook.com/reclaimthenightmanchesteruk

Film

18

Review

Feature

In conversation with HOME's film programming team

All the Money in the World Ridley Scott’s gripping truestory drama escapes from the shadow of Kevin Spacey’s omission, and does so with great aplomb Jamie McEvoy Deputy Film Editor

Photo: Home.org

“I don’t think cinemas should only be there to provide entertainment. They also need to educate, enlighten, provoke, stimulate.”

Eloise Wright Head Film Editor By reaching out to all demographics of its area, independent arts organisations are a wonderful way to build community in large cities. Here in Manchester, we have HOME, a place where film, theatre, art and dance converge. But how do film societies work, and what do they do?

A core element to building a film society is its programming, which involves developing an audience through the venue’s choice of films and events. Independent arts organisations such as HOME work on a basis of consent and consensus between the staff and the audience, meaning that the films and events put on must reflect the audience’s taste by finding a balance between the familiar and the unfamiliar, the old and the new, the popular and the obscure.

It is that balance that the film programming team attempt to perfect with every season though multiple facets.

A crucial one is the lengthened running time in the cinema, or a slower turnover of what gets screened. HOME’s Cinema 5 allows there to be a rotation of films, a room able to seat around 40 people, and is a unique space that allows opportunities to approach artists through Q&As (although these can take place in any of their cinema rooms), which is a step towards making the cinema goer’s experience an immersive and enlightening one.

Being a part of a large city, the people working at HOME take it upon themselves to reach out to different demographics/ communities in the area. It is important for any film society to develop an ethos surrounding their film programming. HOME Mcr has done so by limiting the amount of Hollywood/Blockbuster films, ensuring that a certain number of films are UK/World cinema, showcasing a proportion of documentaries and animation each film calendar, but also by making sure each season to programme a film which reaches out to a certain community in the area. For exam-

Film 19

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ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

ple, hosting half of the Jewish Film Festival, discounted tickets for students in Manchester, a £1 ticket scheme for people from an impoverished background, or hosting a workshop in January for creatives with disabilities.

By installing such initiatives, HOME has seen results, and proven how important programming is within the building of a film society’s audience and their loyalty to the organisation. There is a real creation of community, and the volunteers within HOME help this community function and thrive. Film societies depend on a large staff of both employees and volunteers, who either indirectly or directly tend to the audience’s experiences, by greeting the

“A cinema that was

truly a space for independent thought and filmmaking” audience, introducing them to the concept of HOME or simply talking about the event they are about to or have just seen.

Places like HOME make it their duty to prevent certain films from falling into the abyss, or not being widely shared with future generations – Planned well in advance, “States of Danger and Deceit” had been in the making for over a year in order to coalesce with the one hundredth anniversary of the Russian Revolution. This is when the idea to showcase a retrospective of European thrillers came up. Senior Visiting Curator for HOME and Film Studies Professor at MMU, Andy Willis expressed his personal concern that some canonical, pivotal films of his generation had never been heard of before by his film students.

At the centre of the film team is the Film Programmer for HOME, Rachel Hayward,

and is pivotal to the smooth running of each film calendar. Her role involves a great deal of public relations, connecting and creating links with people in the industry, as in Arts organisations, the employees are all trying to share the art, whether that be theatre, paintings, or films. “Everyone tries to help each other” Rachel explained, when talking about the process of putting together a film season for HOME, locating often niche material and obtaining the rights to showcase it.

HOME’s Artistic Director Jason Wood started off as a film maker, but after co-directing three films, realised “it was going to be quite hard to make a career out of”, then moving on to work in distribution. At Entertainment Film Distributors, Jason worked on releasing independent films, including Paul Thomas Anderson’s first two films, and Se7en by David Fincher. Progressing to work in exhibition at Picture House cinemas for 10 years as programming manager, he then joined the team at Curzon Artificial Eye as director of programming for 5 years, and during this time began to write film articles, notably for Sight & Sound and The Guardian. What appealed to Jason about Curzon in the beginning was that “they were a cinema which showed almost exclusively independent films, not many of the Hollywood blockbusters”. It was when “they wanted to go much more mainstream with their programming”, partly due to financial benefits, that Jason knew he couldn’t work with them anymore.

“A film programme which is led by culture, not by commerce”

Photo: Allocine.fr

All the Money in the World will arguably be remembered just as much for the Spacey controversy as it will be for its brilliance.

The film had just finished shooting, with Kevin Spacey donning liver-spotted prosthetics to become John Paul Getty. However, after numerous sexual assault allegations were made against the Hollywood titan, Ridley Scott decided to remove all of traces of the disgraced Spacey from the film. Christopher Plummer was brought in, and extensive re-shoots took place, costing an estimated £7.5 million.

Both director and studio were insistent the film met its original release date, and understandably there was suspicion the re-shoots would appear hurried. Thankfully, and presumably to the immense relief and satisfaction of Scott, Plummer is without a doubt the tour-de-force of the movie.

It is 1973, and a young American teenager walks the streets of Rome at night, to be intercepted by a group of men and thrown into a van, blindfolded. The mobster kidnappers demand a 17 million dollar ransom, and it just happens that young John Paul’s grandfather is the billionaire oil tycoon John Paul Getty — the “richest man in the history of the world”. The deal is simple — Getty pays up, and the boy lives, yet the kidnappers and the boy’s mother, Gail (Michelle Williams) underestimate the greed, malice and

pride which have consumed the old man.

What follows is a battle of wills between the hostage’s mother, the Italian mob, Mark Wahlberg’s secret agent Fletcher Chase, and Getty. The story itself is compelling enough, and it is surprising a screen adaptation has not been envisaged earlier (although later this year a Danny Boyle-directed TV series will air on FX which follows the same story). Yet Scott has not coasted on the tale’s pulsating narrative arch, and is back to true form after the woeful Alien: Covenant (2017).

The tension and authenticity of the film’s events and setting is outstanding, rivalling that of the Oscar-winning Argo (2012). There is a strong resemblance between All the Money in the World and Affleck’s equally slow-burning thriller, yet the time-shifts in the former give Scott’s most recent blockbuster the edge in terms of depth and intrigue.

Plummer will doubtlessly draw the majority of attention, which may or may not be amplified somewhat by his predecessor’s transgressions, but Michelle Williams by no means plays second fiddle. An actress who is criminally underused in Hollywood cinema, her portrayal of a mother caught between grief, desperation and rage could be described by an endless list of superlatives.

Wahlberg falls somewhat short as a two-dimensional spe-

behind places like HOME...have shown what cinemas can be like if you treat your audience with respect ” the programming team to programme their venues as well, such as the Art House in London.

The people behind places like HOME are truly committed to the idea of culturally led entertainment, and have shown what the cinema-going experience can be like if you treat your audience with respect, sensitivity, but also financial inclusion.

4/5

Review

The Post

Previously, Jason had been involved with the Cornerhouse in Manchester and their film programme, and gradually much more affinity with their agenda than the one Curzon developed. The opportunity then came up at HOME for Jason to take one the role of artistic director, in “a cinema that was truly a space for independent thought and filmmaking”.

What Jason, Rachel and Andy work towards developing at HOME is a “film programme led by culture, not by commerce”, showing films that might have an alternative point of view from the mainstream or an urgent commentary regarding race, class, gender and/or sexuality. HOME has “proven that you can show a film programme which is led by culture and not just a need to make money”. In fact, as HOME’s cultural led programming has been so successful, other venues have reached out to

“ The people

cial-ops agent hired by Getty to facilitate the recovery of his grandson, but it is a nice change to see him returning to quality cinema once more after starring in last year’s blockbuster monstrosities Transformers: The Last Knight and Daddy’s Home 2.

The plot at times is forced to cave slightly in order to pave way for narrative progression (a monumental decision by Getty towards the film’s final act appears somewhat out of the blue in order to trigger the resolution), but this is a minor pitfall in what is otherwise an expertly crafted film.

Scott’s forte now clearly lies in the real world – his days of fantasy and science fiction are behind him – yes we’re looking at you Exodus and Covenant.

Likely to be remembered for all the wrong reasons, despite the controversy, All the Money in the World is everything a crime-thriller should be. Scott gambled in order to save the project, and it paid off spectacularly.

Meryl Streep shines in an entertaining yet sentimental political thriller from Steven Spielberg

Photo: Allociné.fr

Lucas Hill-Paul Film Critic When it comes to cinematic output, Steven Spielberg is showing no signs of slowing down, having released almost a film a year this decade. Many may have forgotten his middling effort to adapt The BFG a couple of years ago, and The Post comes presented as a more mature filling for the blockbusters sandwiching his push for a Best Picture nod, with his hotly anticipated foray into nostalgic cyberpunk, Ready Player One, hitting the big screens in just a few months. Sadly, though his filmography is stacking exponentially, the passion for his craft seems all too often absent from this perfectly pleasant yet ultimately disposable detailing of the Washington Post’s publication of leaked Pentagon papers.

Penned by exciting new talent Liz Hannah, the script feels disappointingly lose and disjointed when applied to Spielberg at his laziest and editing that doesn’t seem to know when the best, wittiest and most impactful lines are hitting. Had the seasoned

director chosen to acknowledge the script as the driving strength behind the film, The Post would have been a thrilling celebration of Meryl Streep’s best performance in some years, instead of just about being saved by it. A scathing turn as Katherine Graham, the overwhelmed yet ultimately capable head of The Washington Post, this is the first time Streep has out-acted each of her fellow cast members for some time. Not only are they out-acted, but they are seemingly all blessed with a chance to compete tête-à-tête, with Streep invariably emerging victorious.

This is indeed Meryl Streep’s film, but not always because the other performers simply aren’t good enough. Though it’s true that Tom Hanks’ Ben Bradlee is too growling and gurning to leave a positive impression, inconsistently accented, too, and the usually likeable Alison Brie disappoints by essentially delivering a roughly approximated imitation of her superior cast mate portraying Graham’s daughter, much of the cast is simply painfully underused.

Leeching from some of the year’s best character actors, Spielberg gloatingly waves Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name) and Bradley Whitford (Get Out) in front of the audience, yet never demands much more from then than an opportunity to stand among Streep and Hanks. Additionally, the casting of comically-inclined performers David Cross and Bob Odenkirk in an attempt to wring out some comedy that the script doesn’t really have is woefully misjudged for a film that is also striving for poignancy and relevance.

Luckily, the narrative is paced well enough that, when events start picking up in the latter forty-five minutes, it doesn’t feel as if you’ve been sitting for twice as long as you have. This is a dialogue driven picture, and its tension is at its most successful when characters are verbally sparring round tables or at the end of phone lines that have extended to five or more people. These conversations and arguments stand as The Post’s real meat, and stridently overcome the whimsical montages of the printing press that, when accompanied by John Williams’ sentimentally dated compositions, feel more like the contraptions in Edward Scissorhands than the machinery responsible for delivering “the first draft of history”.

Sentimentality has frequently been a criticism of Spielberg’s efforts as a filmmaker, though luckily his older projects have been genuine enough to wave this away as cynicism. However, within The Post emerges what is almost a paradox, in that the proven

director is demonstrating a sentimentality for the mature, when it usually manifested as childhood nostalgia.

Seemingly fuelling an almost egotistical regret that his directing in the 1970s veered towards action and science-fiction rather than standing in the ranks amongst the likes of All the President’s Men and The Conversation, Spielberg applies the same misty-eyed reverence to journalism as he did to aliens and sharks, yet clumsily combines this with the same voyeuristic camerawork and grainy, muddy colour grading as the 1970s espionage flicks. It’s unfortunate that more time was spent ensuring that The Post looked like a film from the 70s, rather than it being a successful film about the 70s with some much needed modern flair.

The final act is compelling and timely enough to warrant its status as a loving tribute to the free press and forgive some missteps, and Meryl Streep is admittedly wonderful when given a chance to shine above Spielberg’s rough direction. Despite this, The Post too frequently feels like an impersonation of the 1970s rather than a representation of a world that feels tangible and lived in, and the attempts at a step in the mature direction seem wrong-footed on Spielberg’s part with Ready Player One and an Indiana Jones sequel following in the next couple of years.

3/5

3RD FEBRUARY, 9 FEBRUARY 2018 Celebrate diversity on campus with a week full of events and activities www.manchesterstudentsunion.comIglobalweek

Food & Drink

22

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Review: V-REVOLUTION

2018 Manchester Scran Update Felix Sanders Contributor Another year, another mouth full. What will we sip upon this year? Where will we eat? Which food delivery service will we collectively take advantage of via loopholes in their ordering systems?

What will be, will be.

So, Odd Bar has closed all three of its sites.

Say goodbye to Odd on Thomas street, Oddest in Chorlton, and the Blue Pig on High Street. Odd was opened in the Northern Quarter back in 2005 and was the brainchild of a lovely lady called Cleo Farman. MCR Confidential referred to Odd as one of the Northern Quarter’s “longest-standing bars” but that part of town is getting competitive and the tone is somewhat shifting.

Somewhere like Tib Street is still representative of what makes the NQ the NQ. It has a mixture of culture, craft, and sex shops. It’s like the Soho of Manchester.

Odd was at one time very intrinsically NQ, but are places like it becoming outdated?

In 2018, Chorlton will be getting a fantastic new restaurant and bakery called The Creameries. Having worked with both of the lovely people behind this restaurant, natu-

rally I am very biased towards it. It will be a great success, and everyone must go and spend their student loans there when it opens.

Manchester Beer and Cider Festival returns on Thursday the 25th of January. Manchester may just be the beer capital of Britain, if not the world. Tired of your four pack of Tyskies? Try something weird with loads of sediment and mad flavour at this festival, which is held at Manchester Central Convention Complex.

Hatch is a pop up next to Manchester Metropolitan University made of old shipping containers where you can get coffee, beer, and street food.

Just in case you haven’t spotted V-Revolution, everyone’s favourite vegan diner has opened its new site. They currently hold the Mancunion Award for the best burger name in the city, the Whopper Flocka Flame.

Bricksquad Monopoly!

Stockport, which is fast becoming its own food destination, has a new Korean BBQ place called Baekdu. Seriously, Stockport is killing it.

Speaking of Korean, the people behind Ban Di Bul are opening a new BBQ place with claims of “the Northwest’s biggest Korean BBQ house.”

Daisy Tolcher Editor As a meat eater I am generally quite skeptical towards vegan restaurants that aim to serve convincing replicas of fast-food meat products. Nonetheless, as it is ‘Veganuary’, myself and a vegan friend decided to give this popular Manchester joint a try to see if the dishes convincingly competed with the real deal.

On arrival it was very evident that V-REV is a popular diner and although it was 14:30 on a Thursday we had to wait a few minutes to be seated. The menu consists of seitan burgers which are either deep fried to replicate and taste like fried chicken or mixed with soy and moulded into patties to replicate beef burgers. In addition to burgers V-REV also offers a range of vegan sides from ‘mozzarella’ sticks to loaded ‘cheesy’ fries, all at a very reasonable price.

I decided to order the Kenan and Kale burger which was spicy fried ‘chicken’ with avocado, vegan mozzarella and Siracha. For two pounds extra I also added some poutine fries which were topped with vegan gravy, cheese and fried onions. My companion ordered the Whopper Flocka Flame burger and buffalo ranch fries.

Her burger consisted of ‘beef’ patties topped with vegan cheese and bacon and her fries were also drenched in vegan cheese, bacon and ranch dressing. Both meals were less than ten pounds and the portions were very generous.

However, after trying both dishes we both felt that the

‘beef’ burger was a bit of a disappointment. The patty was thin, did not have a convincing texture and did not taste of much. Most of the flavour derived from the sauce and the vegan cheese which was generously lathered on top.

Nonetheless, the Kenan and Kale burger was delicious and could of passed for a real, albeit less greasy, chicken burger. The fries were also tasty and a steal at only two pounds for such a large portion.

Although V-REV has made a good effort at providing vegan diners with an alternative to beef and chicken burgers, the food I tried has not convinced me too give up the meat. However, the diner is a good place to meet with friends and is reasonably priced so I will be visiting again.

Photo: Daisy Tolcher

Review: 1761

Recipe: Crispy Bacon and Mushroom Risotto Anokhi Shah Editor By nature, I am a rusher. I do everything fast. It is programmed into my brain that tasks must be completed as speedily as possible, even if that compromises the quality of my essay.

It is a trait I am trying to let go of. The art of the perfect risotto is giving it time to soak up every ounce of flavour, therefore I thought the risotto and I would clash. However, I found the whole process — adding ladle after ladle — extremely calming and satisfying.

A good mushroom risotto is hard to

come by. Either the rice hasn’t been cooked properly, or the risotto is far too rich and lacks a deep mushroom flavour.

However, when a mushroom risotto is done well, it is the most comforting and satisfying meal there is. I hate to blow my own trumpet, but I think I may have mastered the skill. This mushroom risotto is the perfect balance of creaminess to mushroom flavour and the crispy bacon bits on top add depth of salty, smoky bit of bite.

Serves 4 Ingredients: 300 g Arborio rice 1L chicken or veg stock Medium glass of white wine One pack of shitake mushrooms One pack of chestnut Mushrooms Eight rashers of streaky bacon Three cloves of garlic One onion Knob of butter Splash of single cream (optional) A handful of grated cheese of your choice (to the dismay of Italians I love a bit of Cheddar but traditionally it should be a hard cheese like parmesan)

Photo: Anokhi Shah

Method: 1. Cut the rashers of bacon up into 1cm strips 2. Fry off the bacon until crispy in the large deep frying pan that you will make the risotto in 3. Remove bacon from pan and put onto a kitchen towel to soak the excess fat 4. Add a little bit of oil to the fat in the pan and sweat the garlic and onion for 5 minutes 5. Add the mushrooms with some salt, pepper and dried herbs and cook for around 8 minutes (at this stage I pop in some chilli flakes but that is dependent on your taste buds) 6. Add the rice and give a good stir to incorporate all the ingredients 7. Add the glass of wine, let the alcohol evaporate 8. Once the rice has absorbed the wine add a ladle of the stock 9. Once the rice has absorbed the first ladle add another, repeat until all the stock is used up 10. Take the pan off the heat and add the butter, cream and grated cheese 11. Stir thoroughly 12. Plate up and add a handful of the crisply bacon to garnish

Food & Drink 23

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Review: Sapporo Teppanyaki Charlie Baskerville Contributor Upon entering Sapporo Teppanyaki I was taken back by an atmosphere of excitement, sprinkled with explosions of fire, followed by uproars of cheer. We were shown promptly to our seats where we awaited our five course Suki set menu. The first two courses were served together, the first being a deliciously crunchy Namasu salad and the second, a beautifully balanced Miso wakame soup. The contrast of textures was the perfect way start the meal. The chef then entered the middle of the Teppanyaki table, where he started frying slices of potatoes and flicking them into the mouths of customers.

We were then served our third course of duck rolls and chicken gyozas, the latter being exquisite and genuinely some of the best I have ever experienced, but these were unfortunately let down by the bland and unbearably doughy duck rolls.

I was quickly distracted, however, by the spectacular theatrics that were taking place in front of me including dazzling displays of fire, egg juggling and even the odd practical joke (I won’t ruin it for you). This was followed by spring onion wrapped in chicken fresh from the hot plate, served with mixed vegetables and sliced potatoes.

Finished with what can only be described as the most disappointing professionally cooked scallops I’ve had in a long time. I can’t say I was too surprised as cooking approximately seventy unevenly sized scallops will hardly ever result in the meltin-your-mouth scallop we all desire. I would have much preferred something a little less ambitious and easily executable to compliment what was a promising dish.

The timing between the different components of the main course arriving took

far too long and led to most of the course being cold. The generosity of the chefs was not to go unnoticed here though, as they were happy to serve more on my friends prematurely empty plate.

Onto the finale — the dessert. On offer was a choice of three desserts; an Oreo cheesecake, chocolate spring rolls and green tea ice cream. Being in the fortunate position of having three of us, I was able to try each of them. The Oreo cheesecake was average at best, the standard being comparable to the frozen section at your local supermarket.

Even more disappointing was the white and milk chocolate spring rolls which were wrapped in pastry about 4 times too many, making the desert nothing but ‘bouncy’.

Finally, the green tea ice cream was surprisingly very pleasant and refreshing — something I would definitely recommend.

Sapporo Teppanyaki would be great for a fun, informal meal out with a big group of friends but otherwise it would not be an ideal destination for delicate and good quality cuisine.

Photo: Charlie Baskerville

Anokhi’s 15 minute meals: Prawn tagliatelle Anokhi Shah Editor

Illustration: Freddy Hill @ https://www.behance.net/fred95

Felix Sanders Contributor If you ever hire a van from the Manchester Students’ Union you have to sign a waiver that says, “I will not take this van to a picket line.” The Union gives you a good rate on minivans, and if you ever need to take a bunch of people somewhere I’d recommend it. Though, I can’t say I thought much about the Union or the University’s stance on striking until I went for dinner last Wednesday, where a group of friends and I began to talk about last October’s University staff strike.

Organised by The Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), academics refrained from teaching on a Monday and Tuesday in late October to protest compulsory redundancies as well as inefficient redundancy proposals.

I remember feeling a bit hard done by. You spend X amount of time reading a novel or novels only for it not to be taught that week. Then come January you still get examined on that topic.

But the strike worked. On the 8th of November The Mancunion reported that “the University of Manchester has announced that there have been enough voluntary redundancies to avoid compulsory redundancies in three faculties.”

Needless to say, my dining companions told me to pull my selfish head out my ass and show some solidarity, as I cowered behind my napkin.

So, from industrial action to industrial revolution. 1761 is a new eatery on Booth St and the name is the year in which The Bridgewater Canal started bringing coal into Manchester, being a key point in Manchester’s industrial timeline. On 1761’s website a statement reads, “drawing inspiration from the Industrial revolution and that warm Mancunian spirit.”

There is always a funny relationship between restaurant’s online narratives and what actually goes on in the restaurant. Another of their web tag-lines is, “Fresh, Seasonal, Locally sourced, Homemade, British Food.” This is the kind of mission statement I want to hear from Mancunian restaurants, places that are looking around us and within us to drawing inspiration. However, and I don’t want to be a dick, but you can’t claim British sea-

sonality and then put asparagus on the menu in January. They come chard along, with cobnuts, Parma ham, and a crispy duck egg. Admittedly, that dish was off the night we went, along with all the oyster and one of the steaks. Perhaps they are rethinking the January asparagus dish, that comes with ham, from Parma, in Italy.

But, and this a big resounding turn the ship around but, a large part of the menu is unequivocally Brit, and the snacks and starters present these icons of Brit eating in a brilliant, innovative and moorish manner. And if you want to gorge of moorish things, just go to 1761 and surround yourself with the entirety of the snack menu. The popcorn cockles are brilliant, surprisingly clean and well battered. I’d never had a pickled onion before, I can’t say murky jars in pubs and chip shops leave one wanting, but the onions they do here are small, baby onions pickled in IPA. They are sweet, crunchy and above all things tasty.

I feel very deeply about scotch eggs, as I’m sure a lot of people do. I have eaten more supermarket grade scotch eggs then I care to think about. It was nice to see a scotch egg on the menu that was built with fish rather than sausage meat or black pudding. It was a lovely dish, a perfectly cooked egg wrapped in a salt cod, fish cake mix and lightly battered. The whole thing was cut well by samphire and tartare sauce.

Weirdly, much of the publicity that surrounded 1761 before it opened was to do with a giant 118,000 litre marine fish tank that’s being built in the restaurant’s subterranean bar, Lily’s. A nod to Lily Bollinger, member of the Champagne family and empire. MCR Confidential seemed pretty sure the tank would be full of Steve Irwin’s nemesis, the sting ray, but as the tank and the bar are still in the final stages of construction we will all have to wait and see what goes behind the glass.

What Lily Bollinger and exotic fish have to do with the industrial revolution is anyone’s guess but 1761 and Lily’s is unequivocally a good thing for Manchester’s ever emergent food scene.

A lot of money has been funneled into an enigmatic, charming, and independent food and drink outlet, and a piece of great real estate has gone to something Mancunian, and not to an offshoot London chain.

The service was ace as well.

Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals have come under lots of criticism. He uses ingredients that people have said are “hard to source”, and some complain that he uses “too many pans”, the recipes “take half an hour” and has often left people “flustered, hungry, and stressed out”. However, I think the concept of 15 minutes meals is excellent; day-to-day suppers should not take long at all.

Serves 2 Ingredients: One pack of frozen prawns A small bag of spinach Two cloves of garlic Bunch of coriander (optional but adds good flavour) A teaspoon of chilli flakes or one fresh red chilli finely chopped (depends on your heat tolerance) Tablespoon of oil Two tablespoons of butter Tablespoon of single cream of full fat milk (Optional) Eight balls of tagliatelle (Salt and pepper to season)

As students, the problem often isn’t time, it’s a ‘can’t be arsed’ attitude and lack of knowledge about how to whip up a quick dinner that often leads us to order a takeaway or buy a ready meal.

I hate ready meals, as their price, quality, and portion sizes are usually sub-par. In my opinion, they’re a massive rip off. I am on a mission to show that cooking doesn’t need to be laborious.

Tasty, nutritious meals can be cooked in less than 15 minutes.

This garlicky prawn tagliatelle is super easy and costs less that two ready meals!

Method: 1. Put tagliatelle into pan and cover with just boiled water, cook for around eight minutes 2. At the same time, in a separate frying pan, add oil, butter and garlic and cook for around three minutes on a low heat 3. Add the prawns and chilli flakes and cook until prawns are pink 4. Add the spinach to the prawns 5. Once the spinach has wilted add the cream and a ladle-full of the starchy pasta water 6. Drain pasta 7. Take frying pan off the heat and stir in the pasta 8. Once the pasta is coated in the sauce add coriander and serve

Photos: Anokhi Shah

Review: The Patron Felix Sanders Contibutor There is one person who I’ve eaten out with more than any other, a young Mr. Hill. In 2016 we spent 6 weeks in Japan and ate out once, twice, even three times a day. But that’s when we were in the city, the rest of the time we lived in tents at the foot of mountains and shores of lakes.

It’s funny to remember the stark contrast of our indulgent city eating and Spartan camping diet. We had a gas burner and one small pot, for breakfast we only ate rice boiled with a stock cube, like a savoury porridge. We added crunch by picking the wings of beetles, then washed it all down with dew that condensed on palm leaves. Oh Mr. Hill and I saw some things... some say we will see them again one day.

As he was visiting Manchester for the day to see an exhibition, I had the infinite pleasure to dine with Mr. Hill once again.

When reading the canon of restaurant critics in Britain, Dent, O’Loughlin, Coren, Rayner, Maschler, you rarely see anything written about music. Is it not important for them, are they perhaps hard of hearing? Often times the restaurants themselves can seem ambivalent, they put on the radio or a generic playlist, and the whole dining experience suffers for it. But when a restaurant gets it right and whoever is curating the music’s taste aligns with yours, it’s a fine thing.

The newly opened Patron on Oldham Street did just that, an old Nicholas Jaar tune here, some William Onyeabor there. Who knows, maybe it was a Spotify playlist, maybe they have a group of aspirational first year DJ’s locked in a basement somewhere, honing the sounds and subsisting entirely on a diet of Facebook likes and rice. Either way, the music set a wonderful tone.

We drank a 2016 Merlot by Jean de la Roche,

“The Patron is the latest facet of Hatter Hostel empire” which goes for £19 for a bottle or £4.50 for a medium glass. It was gentle, not too strong, sufficiently delicate and very drinkable. We’d come from Common, where we’d been drinking the house ale, and it made me think, if beer is 80mph, then wine is 40mph, but in a far nicer car. This Merlot will get you were you need to

go, and at a more comfortable pace.

The menu is split into big and small plates, and between 12-3pm and 5-7pm, 3 small plates will cost you £13.50. This is a really good deal; if you’re out in town and want some ballast whilst drinking, then this is a fantastic way to snack. We had the heritage carrot with red onion, fennel, dukkah, and beetroot. The carrot itself was well cooked, but all the myriad accoutrements stole the show. It was a mixture of charming purees and pickles.

For a meat option, we went for black garlic & chilli shortribs with smoked swede. The ribs were reliable, hearty bits of cow, but I was much more interested in what they were going to do with the swede. We are deep in December and all manner of root vegetables can be found on menus, celeriac, pumpkin, the squashes. But who’s doing swede, who I ask, WHO? Swede tends to conjure images of mixed bags of frozen veg served at school lunches. However, Patron’s swede was presently surprising. It was a soft orange colour with a light texture and sweet taste.

Lastly, we had black pepper tofu with macerated watermelon and cucumber. A classic cooking adage is that you can test a chef by their eggs, but as Asian food becomes more prevalent amongst menus across Manchester, we now judge chefs by their tofu. It is so easy to have bland and lacking tofu, with a texture that inspires gags. The tofu here was inspired, a wonderful crust on the exterior, complemented beautifully by the cool, waterfall-like refreshment of the watermelon and cucumber.

It was really the stand out plate.

The Patron is the latest facet of Hatter Hostel empire. They have conquered a whole block of Stevenson square with West Corner, a brunch joint, a new upmarket hostel, and now Patron.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Romin Farahini previously of Hawksmoor, is at the helm of Patron’s kitchen.

We had great service and some genuine personality came through from our waitors.

The place has been open two weeks, and it doesn’t really show, as everything appears pretty seamless. Some snag with fish deliveries meant that no seafood was available, but I wasn’t particularly bothered. A venue is opening downstairs in the next few days, so here we have another NQ triple threat of music, food, and drink. But something felt a little different here, the decor was sharp and impressive but it wasn’t overdone. There was no air of pretence, more like confidence in an interior design well done.

All in all, it’s a mighty fine place to be a patron.

Recipe: Chicken Ramen Sam Pigott Contributor Ingredients 1 chicken breast 3 tbsp dark soy sauce 3 tbsp each of grated fresh ginger and finely chopped garlic 1 tsp Chinese five spice ½ tbsp runny honey Zest of 1 lime 1 pack of egg noodles, cooked as per packet instructions 1 lemongrass stalk 1 red chilli ½ red onion finely sliced 1 spring onion Vegetables of choice, for example broccoli, sugarsnaps, bok choi and beansprouts 1 small bunch of fresh coriander with the leaves picked off and the stalks finely chopped Juice of 1 lime 2 tbsp sriracha sauce

Photo: Sam Pigott

Method 1. Begin by finely slicing the chicken breast.

Add 1 tbsp each of the fresh ginger and garlic, 1 tbsp of the soy sauce, the five spice, the honey and the zest of the lime into a bowl. Add the chicken to this mixture and leave to marinate for at least one hour.

2. Preheat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, chilli, spring onion, lemongrass, coriander stalks, and the remaining garlic and ginger and fry for 5 minutes, or until the onion and spring onion begin to soften.

3. Add the vegetables to this mixture, along with the remaining soy sauce. Fry these for approximately 2 minutes.

4. At this stage turn the heat up to high and, once the pan has begun to heat up, add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken pieces on each side, but only until they are white instead of pink. It is important at this stage to not overcook the chicken pieces so do this for approximately 3 minutes only.

5. Add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and, once simmering, add the noodles. Cook this mixture for approximately 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are cooked but maintain a crunch.

6. Serve into a bowl and garnish with the chilli sauce, the juice of the lime and the coriander leaves.

Arts

24

Feature

Event Review: Review: John Stezaker ArtBox

As we look ahead to the new year, we also look back at the successes of the last one with ArtBox - a student-run collective’s silent charity auction

John Stezaker showcases his unique brand of artistry as the Whitworth is taken over by his surreal photographic collages

Florrie Badley Arts Contributor

Eleanor Forrest Arts Contributor

The o pportunity to buy affordable art is a rare one, particularly for students and young people. The ArtBox silent auction, hosted

by Funraising at the end of December 2017, made this experience a reality, whilst raising money for a good cause.

Funraising — a collective platform for creative fundraising — should be applauded for delivering such a well-tuned event, which raised a staggering £1119.81 for the charity Manchester Mind.

At the very least, ArtBox offered an important platform for local and emerging artists. Although each piece was displayed anonymously (unlabelled), the array of artworks available served as a reminder of how much good art is being made at streetlevel.

Even for people who attend arts-based events regularly, there is always the fear that they might feel slightly hostile or unwelcoming. This couldn’t have been further from the truth at ArtBox. The evening was cosy and inviting, and the intimacy of the bidding space made for a light-heartedly competitive atmosphere.

For those who aren’t sure how a silent auction works: anyone can place a bid on an item by writing down how much they would be willing to pay for it, along with their name and phone number. Whoever puts down the highest offer wins the item in question.

At ArtBox there were over fifty artworks

Conceptual artist John Stezaker has arrived at the Whitworth , showcasing work that challenges the assumed conventions of photography and aesthetic sensibility.

The exhibition is a combination of 19 pieces gifted by Karsten Schubert to the Whitworth, as well as the presentation of three more collages by the artist himself.

The focus of this exhibition is a collection of studio portraits, actors’ headshots, postcards, and book illustrations.

Combined, this collection unsettles the context of the original photograph.

By splicing dissimilar imagery and weaving them together, these collages communicate a mood of distortion and evolution

Collage by Tam Millar Photo: Florrie Badley

charity Manchester Mind.

On the night, Joe Brennan, Ronald Raygun and Persian Hugs played live music, which brought additional layers of warmth, artistry and relaxation to the occasion. Bids were beginning at £ 5 and under, with some exceeding the £ 50+ mark.

As the evening went on, an additional £303.81 was raised by postcard sales, donations, and the ‘PostBox’ after-party – which took the event from Solomon’s Café Bar in Withington to Indigo Cellar Bar down the road. ArtBox proved wholeheartedly that art doesn’t have to be ‘serious’ to be taken seriously.

“Art has, and will always have, the ability to transform lives — not just for the artists who are making it.”

John Stezaker Photo: Eleanor Forrest

In the space provided by the Whitworth , a sense of interruption was certainly felt.

With nothing decorating the walls and the space, save the portraits themselves, it crystallised this pause.

The act of taking a photograph preserves a piece of time within an image, and this was communicated in the exhibition room — time felt as though it was on hold.

Though it initially appears to be a random collision of imagery, Stezaker’s work is incredibly precise — there is method in his madness. Each collage is linked, starting with the original image and through to the secondary image.

These collages force the pictures to evolve in conjunction with each other, as Stezaker’s use of them imbues them with a new life and purpose.

By organising the imagery in this manner he creates a sense of renewal within the frame, a studio headshot being innovated from its original purpose.

This theme of renewal is most evident in images such as Mask XII (2005) that features a landscape picture of a bridge paved across an actors’ headshot.

The positioning is purposeful, the two arches within the bridge resemble that of the eyes when combined with the man’s face underneath. The image of the actor becomes useful when combined with the landscape of the bridge and vice versa.

Stezaker’s work also contains an element of mischief. By crafting imagery in this manner his work misleads the viewer’s brain as it scrambles to find a face within a faceless image and familiarity in an unfamiliar image.

This challenge to the viewers’ brain, to find a pattern in something alien and unrecognisable, creates a communication between the artist and the viewer through the medium of his creation.

In an article in The Guardian, Stezaker commented on the unnerving nature of cutting through a photograph — likening it to cutting through flesh, and perhaps that is why his work is so surreal but so enrapturing.

The viewer is hooked by the interesting and unusual image that contradicts the assumed rules of a photograph. But this is refreshing as it serves to challenge the viewer, forcing them to analyse and understand Stezaker’s work.

Theatre 25

ISSUE 13 / 29th DECEMBER 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

ISSUE 13 / 29th DECEMBER 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Reviews

UMMTS’ Into The Woods

The Vaudevillians

Marina Jenkins reviews the musical theatre society’s production of the modern classic

Izzy Lewis reviews Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales’ old-school cabaret with a modern twist at Contact

Once again, UMMTS have outdone themselves.

Their most recent production, Into the Woods , proves how a student-run society can make professional and inventive theatre, especially when dealing with a budget which is bean-sized compared to many other university musical theatre societies.

Into the Woods interweaves a selection of Grimm’s Fairy Tales to seek a modern message through their narratives. The story follows The Baker and his wife whose only wish is to have a child. When they learn this cannot happen because of the Witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break it.

Along the way, they meet Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Jack, and a whole host of recognisable fairytale characters. The musical takes the audience on a journey of morality and magic, in one of Sondheim’s most musically sophisticated pieces.

Emily Oulton directs the show with an imaginative and artistic eye. The modernisation, on the whole, brings a refreshing take to these cautionary tales and allows the audience to question the implications of our actions in today’s society. Oulton, alongside Catriona Darroch as the assistant director, has directed a show that exudes an tangible energy: the stage never stops buzzing with life.

The aesthetics of the production are spectacularly simple. The decision to strip back the staging means that a greater emphasis is placed on the sound and lighting. The production has an immersive quality to it, with Rapunzel’s tower being placed to the side of the auditorium and the shadow of the Giant’s footsteps coming over the audience. We are made to feel as entrapped as the characters onstage, also suffocated by the Witch’s curse.

Each member of the ensemble, bar a couple of accent inconsistencies, brings nuance and depth to their characters. Ben Pointon carries the musical as the Narrator, leading the audience into this world of mystery and peril. Matthew Quinn and Georgia Brown both bring an incredibly humane quality to their roles as The Baker and the Baker’s Wife.

It was also pleasing to see the comedy being fully drawn out in Act 1, particularly

by Jordan Jones and Hugh Summers as the Princes duo. Jessica Wiehler shines as Cinderella, as does Freya Parry as the inquiring and innocent Red Riding Hood.

The musical direction, lead by Charlie Perry, is outstanding. The complex rhythms combined with lyrics are executed with precision by both the cast and band.

“ a three-hour,

enchantingly eery adventure. ” Despite there being some technical issues with the microphones, which cannot be helped, each number is performed with an infectious musicality.

Alisha Staley must also be congratulated on her design of the production, particularly the creation of Milky White, Jack’s endearing and life-like cow.

Into the Woods is nothing short of a musical extravaganza. The audience is taken on a journey of twists and turns, humour, and pathos. The cast, crew, and band of fortyfour talented individuals, have created a show that leaves no stone unturned and allows the audience to be whisked away on a three-hour, enchantingly eery adventure.

Review

to choose from — all with no guidelines nor recommendations as to the prices that should be paid for them.

All fifty-four pieces sold with at least one bid each, which really says something about the quality of the artworks on offer. All bases were covered, with artworks varying from thoughtful and emotive paintings, to sketchy still-life mantelpiece prints, to boldly coloured illustration pieces.

For £30 I became the proud owner of two very different pieces: a dark memento-mori collage by Tam Millar and a sixties-style redhead (reproduction of a painting) by Madison Kelley.

The auction alone raised £816 for the

Funraising as a whole have successfully raised the issue mental health and well-being within the creative community. The event’s choice of charity brought these two things into alignment: creativity is essential to making a difference. Art has, and will always have, the ability to transform lives — not just for the artists who are making it.

It would be great to see this initiative transformed into more than just a one-off event. We need more friendly spaces for young friendly faces to buy and sell artworks at affordable prices.

Funraising’s returns to Indigo on Thursday 8th February for PostBox: Second Delivery, for a night of funky sounds and the opportunity to win exclusive art.

Hatch Home

“ quirky, funny and outrageous...exactly what they are expecting to see: Monsoon’s charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.” the show for you. No-one is safe from Kitty Witless, as we see audience members sat on, licked and pulled up onto stage. The lights are brought up on the crowd to remind us that even those sinking into their chairs are only drawing more attention to themselves; you can’t help but feel sorry for those chosen to join in with the show and it is this relief at not being chosen which, when mingled with the comedy, gives the humour more impact.

Anyone entering Contact Theatre expecting a low-key, relaxed night of smooth jazz might be somewhat horrified watching The Vaudevillians . If, however, you fancy a dazzling 70 minutes where microphones are deep-throated, headstands and splits are performed simultaneously, and there’s a good chance you might have fellatio simulated on you by a drag queen, then this is the show for you.

The Vaudevillians is quirky, funny and outrageous and Jinkx Monsoon shows Drag Race fans exactly what they are expecting to see: Monsoon’s charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.

Female creatives launch campaign to buy theatre Sophie Graci Theatre Editor

Grace Johnstone Contributor

John Stezaker Photo: Cicely Ryder-Belson

range that made her famous, from manly grunts to incredible falsetto highs is well demonstrated throughout and whilst Major Scales is understandably overshadowed by her, the show would not be the same without his excellent arrangements and jazz piano improvisations.

A warning: if audience participation sends you out in hives then The Vaudevillians is not

News

Photo: Al Conteh

Portrati by Madison Kelley Photo: Florrie Badley

Since 2009, RuPaul’s Drag Race has been shaping the popular face of the drag scene, moving the art form away from an underground club culture and towards mainstream television and Netflix repeats. One of the show’s most memorable winners, Jinkx Monsoon, ‘Seattle’s premier Jewish narcoleptic drag queen’ — her own words — has gone on to tour the world since her 2013 win with the old-Hollywood glamour and incredible set of pipes that made her a star.

The Vaudevillians , Monsoon’s queer comedy cabaret extravaganza with musician Major Scales may have been on the road for four years, but the actors’ endless energy keeps the show feeling fresh and new. We follow touring jazz-age musicians Kitty Witless (Monsoon) and Dr. Dan Von Dandy (Scales) who, having been frozen alive during an avalanche (don’t ask) in ‘nineteen-bigotry-two’ have found themselves defrosted almost a century later and ready to perform their show again.

The show plays upon the musical trend made popular by acts such as Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, with contemporary pop hits — of which The Vaudevillians were, of course, the original artists — being performed in a swing style. Where we see this mixed up, however, is through the pair’s comedic chops; Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’, for example, becomes a darkly comic ode to Marie Curie that has the audience rolling about in their seats.

The script is hilarious and expertly executed by the actors; references to Henrik Ibsen are intercut with endless cocaine jokes and add to the crazy cabaret feel of the show. As a result, The Vaudevillians can be seen to lack a little cohesion as we leap from one topic to another and there is very little in way of plot throughout the show besides a vague link used to string the scenes together.

Jokes aside, the talent exhibited by both artists is undoubtedly unparalleled. Monsoon is undeniably the star of the show and the vocal

Eight young poets dressed all in white formed a tight-knit ensemble, each taking their turn to speak their poetry. ‘Happiness is here if you want it’ was a recurring line which linked the poems together, giving the piece focus and grounding.

The poems covered such ground that there was something there to resonate with everyone. Some spoke about the government, some talked of coming of age, and I haven’t decided what some other poems were about.

The language was so beautiful, and their metaphors were so carefully constructed that I think in order to appreciate their work fully, I would

A group of female creatives are crowdfunding to buy the West End’s Theatre Royal Haymarket in order to encourage and support female-led work.

The collective, Bossy, was founded in 2016 by Jonna Blode Hanno and Laura Thomasina Haynes to provide a forum for women in film, theatre, and the performing arts and has over 13,000 members on its Facebook group. Recently, the group has become a supportive online space for positivity and empowerment in the wake of campaigns such as #metoo and #timesup. Now, the group is launching their own campaign: #bossybuyout.

It was announced this week that the

have needed to pause and think about each poem for a good few minutes before watching the next one.

But that wasn’t the evening was about. The poems were stitched together seamlessly, and the performers bounced off one another so well that, for me, it became a piece about the collective rather than the individuals. The ensemble work was subtle; the cast were always on stage supporting what was being said, sometimes offering a gentle movement or echo of a line to create impact. But for me, the most memorable thing about Hatch Home was the passion with which every performer spoke their lines, and the wealth of talent which was so evident in their poetry.

Photo: Andrea Vail @ Flickr

68-year lease for the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London’s third oldest playhouse, is to go on sale. The theatre has been owned and run by three generations of the same family since the early 1970s. The freehold of the theatre is owned by the Crown Estate with Louis I Michaels Limited’s subsidiary Theatre Royal Haymarket Limited holding the lease. Arnold Crook, the chairman of LIM has said of the sale, “it is now time to hand over the reins to

“The support on Crowdfund was immense and I thought, ‘why not?’”

the next generation of dream-makers.”

The campaign to buy the theatre on behalf of Bossy began life as a Facebook post discussing the news of the sale. The crowdfunding page itself was started by group member Natalie Durkin, who says, “I put out a jokey question to see if anyone would be interested in crowdfunding, but the support was immense and I thought, why not?”

The aim of the GoFundMe is to raise £3M, and whilst the asking price for the theatre is currently unknown, within 22 hours the group had already raised nearly £3000. If unsuccessful in raising sufficient funds the money will go towards a female arts festival in London, with theatres already offering space for this event.

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Lifestyle

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Lifestyle 27

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Art on exchange: Copenhagen’s best exhibitions in 2017

How to apply for mitigating circumstances Thinking you might need to apply for mitigating circumstances but not sure what to do? Senior advisor, Rebekah Ollerenshaw, advises how it should be done

Calypso April, a student abroad, talks of her experiences in Copenhagen’s thriving art scene of the exhibition featured a Moomin forest drawn on the walls, which guests were invited to colour in and elaborate on — a fun touch which played on the childhood nostalgia that the Moomins invoke for so many people.

Calypso April Lifestyle Contributor

Photo: Advice Service

Rebekah Ollerenshaw Senior Advisor Hopefully everything is going well for you and you are able to focus on your studies. However, sometimes things happen at the worst possible time and you find yourself struggling to meet an essay deadline or unable to attend an exam.

This is where the university’s mitigating circumstances policy can help you. Whilst filling out a form might not seem to be your top priority, it really should be.

Submitting a completed form and supporting evidence in time for the deadline is the best thing you can do to protect your studies. If at a later point you are unhappy with a mark and have not submitted mitigating circumstances at the correct time, there is no guarantee that the university

will consider them.

Mitigating circumstances can include a wide range of issues. You might be physically ill, struggling with mental health issues, or had a close family bereavement. Severe financial difficulty may also be considered if it is having an impact on you.

To meet the university’s criteria, the circumstances must be unforeseen, unpreventable circumstances that have had a significant adverse effect. You must also be able to submit independent evidence of the circumstances. This might be a death certificate or a letter from a doctor or support service.

How to submit mitigating circumstances will vary depending on your school. You might need to complete a paper form or submit one online. It’s best to speak to your

school support office or a tutor to check what you need to do. There may also be guidance in your course handbook.

The deadlines for submitting the form and evidence usually coincide with your academic deadline, so you would need to submit before your essay deadline or before the exam period starts.

For circumstances that arise during exams, a few extra days may be given, so check with your school what the deadline is.

Remember, everyone experiences difficult circumstances at some point and the university has these policies in place to help you. If you have any questions about mitigating circumstances, contact the Students’ Union Advice Service and our professional advisers will be happy to help.

I arrived in Copenhagen in mid-August, which I was thrilled to find landed me in the middle of Copenhagen Art Week 2017.

Not only was this a wonderful introduction to the city and a great way to socialise, but it was also a fantastic introduction to the vibrant and diverse art scene that Copenhagen has to offer. This first week inspired me to explore all the galleries and exhibitions that Copenhagen has to offer.

Here are some of my highlights so far: Tove Jansson: Art, Love and Moomins at GL Strand I find it hard to imagine that there is anyone who doesn’t love the endearing tales and illustrations of Moomins and Moominland. Tove Jansson’s Moomins are loved universally and this exhibition was an exploration of their charming world, featuring a vast array of Jansson’s original sketches, illustrations, posters, and more. The final room

was Abramović’s first major European retrospective, and it made for a challenging yet powerful viewing.

Rineke Dijkstra’s ‘The One and the Many’ at Louisiana

Marina Abramović’s ‘The Cleaner’ at Louisiana For those who have never heard of Abramović, she is a performance artist who has shocked and delighted audiences with the powerful use of her body in performances. She is famed for her early works, such as Rhythm 0 (1974) in which she provided her spectators with a variety of objects (think — loaded gun, knife, razor blades) and allowed them to do whatever they wished to her for the six hours that the performance lasted.

The appealing thing about Dijkstra’s photography is its deeply personal nature. Her focus is on people in transitional periods of their life, such as bullfighters after a big fight, mothers just after childbirth, or a refugee child who has just arrived in Holland. Most relatable to me was her beach series, in which she photographed teenagers on various holidays, awkwardly positioned for the camera.

The photos are bright, bold and comically reminiscent of the awkwardness of adolescence — or mine anyway!

More recently, Abramović was recognised for The Artist is Present (2010) in which she spent almost three months in the MoMA’s atrium, sitting silently opposite a member of the public. Although The Cleaner did not include live performances from Abramović, I was captivated by it because it offered a vast and meticulously curated display of her life’s work, spanning over fifty years. The exhibition

An unconventional gap year Aisha Rodriguez discusses how you could get involved with ICS, a government-funded programme, which aims to meaningfully help developing countries Sophia Macpherson Lifestyle Editor Aisha Rodriguez is an environmental consultant embarking on a journey of a lifetime to Kenya. She has taken a six month sabbatical from her city job in London to volunteer with a social enterprise called Balloon Ventures via the International Citizen Service (ICS) Programme. Balloon Ventures works with micro —entrepreneurs in African communities to help bring them out of poverty through economic empowerment.

Q: What is ICS and how did you hear about it?

A: International Citizen Service (ICS) is a UK government-funded volunteer programme that brings together young people to make a difference in some of the poorest countries across the world. ICS aims to bring about three things: projects that deliver a positive impact, personal

development of volunteers, and the creation of active citizens. ICS partners with organisations and charities which work across the globe. Each of these focus on different issues, ranging from education, climate change, health, and hygiene.

I found out about ICS through a friend who had been on a placement with the charity, VSO, two years ago. She said it was “the best experience of her life” and after hearing all her stories, I was sold!

Q: How does one apply to ICS? A: I would first visit the ICS website — https://www.volunteerics.org — and have a good read through the profiles of the different partner organisations and charities. Once you have found two or three organisations who fight for a cause you’re passionate in, and once you’ve roughly figured out when you can take some time off to volunteer, fill in the application form online — a crucial question will be

why you’d like to volunteer with ICS. Have a good think about this, treat it like a personal statement. The better the quality of your application, the more likely you will be invited for an interview!

entrepreneurs in Africa over the last 6 years — it embodies the old proverb “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day.

Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Q: Tell us about the organisation you will be volunteering with.

Q: Have you got any tips for those who are interested in volunteering with ICS?

A: Balloon Ventures (BV) stood out to me the first time I researched ICS. They work with micro-entrepreneurs in Africa to help develop their business through giving them the skills and ideas to grow.

I had always wanted to learn more about how social enterprises work, so it really is a win-win situation as we get trained in the BV tried and tested entrepreneurship curriculum as well as gaining hands on experience.

A: Sign up ASAP! ICS is funded through the UK Government which has announced it will stop funding the programme from summer this year. This doesn’t mean the opportunities to volunteer will stop then, but it does mean that the funds will dry up soon after, so get those applications in! This is an opportunity of a lifetime you don’t want to miss! Also, you can help keep this incredible programme going — sign this petition to ask the government to continue to fund ICS: https://petition.parliament.uk/ petitions/203939

As volunteers we will help train the entrepreneurs in this curriculum and test different business ideas. Balloon Ventures has helped thousands of micro-

Follow Aisha’s journey on Instagram @wheresaisha

Photo: Aisha Rodriquez

Photo: Calypso April

Photo: Calypso April

Photo: Calypso April

The Village Angels: The everyday heroes of Manchester’s Village star in new documentary Mancunian charity front national initiative to make nightlife more LGBT inclusive in new film James Huyton LGBT Contributor A community safety initiative set up by a Mancunian charity is now the focus of a new documentary and national initiative to make UK nightlife more LGBT inclusive.

The Village Angels are a group of volunteers who keep nightlife revellers safe in Manchester’s Village; it might be that someone has had a bit too much fun and needs help ordering a cab home. Maybe someone has been made homeless and doesn’t know where to turn. Maybe someone needs a shoulder to cry on. Whatever the problem, the Angels are the everyday heroes on hand to provide this support.

Set-up by LGBT Foundation in 2011 — the charity that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in the UK — the Angels have offered a non-judgemental street service for visitors to Canal Street and the surrounding areas of Manchester for six years. Following the success of the initiative, the Angels has expanded into the Village Haven. This is a newly opened space in the Village, that offers support and a safe space for those who are unable to stay safe or get home without coming to harm. It operates each Friday and Saturday until 5am.

In 2018, the ambition is to expand the operation across the LGBT community, working with Smirnoff to make nightlife a safer, more inclusive and understanding space for everyone.

The work of the Angels can now be seen first hand, in a new documentary made in conjunction with LADbible.

The documentary follows Josh, who got involved with the Angels after a member of his rugby team was punched in

a homophobic attack and the Village Angels helped him.

He now leads a group of volunteers every Friday night allowing him to absorb the fun and energy of the Village without having a hangover on the rugby pitch the following afternoon.

It’s not an easy job, but as you see in the film, the volunteers remain upbeat and positive and are always full of compassion for those they encounter having a bad time.

One minute they’re an information service for tourists to this LGBT mecca, the next they’re responding to an assault in a nightclub.

“ The team’s hard work

and dedication to helping others is inspirational.

But their goodwill can span further with more volunteers and donations. ” The team’s hard work and dedication to helping others is inspirational. But their goodwill can span further with more volunteers and donations, allowing for growth of the

street teams, development of the Haven and expansion outside of Manchester.

Josh Sanderson-Kirk, the star of the documentary and Village Angels shift lead said “We need as many people as possible to volunteer with us. And obviously, of course, it also comes down to money.

“We need money for equipment, we need money for the things we hand out - the plasters, the foil blankets and those big ticket items like the defibrillator. We need more of those to make sure we can do the job that we want to be able to do.”

“I’d love to see the Angels in London, in Birmingham and other big cities with gay and LGBT quarters. If they ever want any help [in setting up the scheme] I’m sure the Angels would be more than happy to help.”

Jessica White, Community Safety Coordinator at LGBT Foundation, said: “Our volunteers are at the heart of our work and are the lifeblood of our organisation. Many of our vital services would not exist without the support of our amazing volunteers. This is especially true of the Village Angels and Village Haven programmes” “In the New Year we’re hoping to make new additions to our amazing team to continue and expand the work we do. We need as many people who are willing and who are able - and also enthusiastic - to do the role that our brilliant volunteers do”.

Following the release of the documentary LGBT Foundation are on a recruitment drive to add more people to the Village Angels team, they are particularly interested in recruiting students onto their team.

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Where will Alexis Sánchez fit in at United?

The Chilean winger has departed Arsenal in a swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan but how will José Mourinho use him?

Sam Cooper Sports Editor

EXEC ELECTIONS

One of the most protracted transfer sagas is over as Alexis Sánchez has completed his move to Manchester United. The winger adds some much-needed quality to this United side, and the pace and skill of the player is a dangerous weapon to add to United’s attacking lineup.

Lone Striker

Left Winger

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The most natural position for Sánchez is on the left wing.

He is naturally right footed meaning he can cut in and fire off shots with his stronger foot but his left foot is also good enough to be able to deliver accurate crosses from wide areas.

His pace out wide will also put him into one-on-one situations against fullbacks and, given the player’s skill, it is likely he will be able to win the majority of these.

A position Sánchez adopted on occasion during his Arsenal days was that of a lone striker. He has the pace and finishing ability to be a success in this position but this also limits the amount of time he will be on the ball. If Mourinho believes his midfielders are good enough to consistently pick out Sánchez then he could deploy the player in this role but it is more likely he would favour another so that Sánchez has as much ball exposure as possible

Strike Partner Photo: иKirill Venediktov @Wikimedia Commons

Number Ten

Left Inside Forward

The little and large combination is one rarely seen in modern football especially at an elite level. However, Chelsea’s public search for any English player over the height of 6ft 3 shows the tactic is not entirely extinct. With the aerial prowess of Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimović in the team, Sánchez can operate as the receiver of the knockdown.

Running onto the end of headed passes and may give United a sight at goal especially against difficult-to-break-down teams.

An alternative to the left winger model is to sacrifice the width and play more as a left inside forward. This will create an overload in the centre of the pitch which will cause problems for the defence. They will not know whether to go out to meet Sánchez or to continue marking Romelu Lukaku.

If they choose the latter, space will open up for the Chilean to get shots in at goal. This does, however, increase the attacking work of the left fullback.

Alexis against Arsenal Manchester United - Arsenal 28th April 2018

If you wanted to maximise the best of Sánchez’s passing ability, the most suitable role would be a number ten. On the other hand, this would limit the use of his most dangerous skill — his finishing. Jesse Lingard has flourished in this role despite being seen as a conventional winger in the past while other wingers such as Raheem Sterling have struggled. If given the chance, time will tell if Sánchez can perform in this role. Given the form Lingard is in, however, it is unlikely Mourinho would drop him.

Formations created using https://www.buildlineup.com

WRITE FOR US Mancunion Sport 17/18 Contributors Group Email: sports@mancunion.com

www.manchesterstudentsunion.com

Meeting time: Tuesdays 4:30pm, Students’ Union

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Sport

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Do we care more about transfers than the actual game?

The transfer hype machine has reared its head once more in this winter market.

Sport 31

ISSUE 13 / 29th JANUARY 2018 WWW.MANCESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

England’s Cricketers: a tale of two teams The test team took a thumping in the Ashes while the ODI squad won their series in just three matches

Sam Cooper Sports Editor A brief scrawl through Twitter during January can sometimes seem like you have stumbled into the gossip section of BBC Sport. This player is going there, that player is going there, these two players are both going to this club but only if this player goes to this club first. The endless speculation surrounding the world’s finest players in the winter transfer market can be insufferable, climaxing in a yellow-tie infused Sky Sports “Deadline Day” bonanza.

It is easy to forget that there are actually games going on. January is one of the busiest months in the footballing calendar, and yet 90 per cent of the mainstream media this month will be focused on who’s going where.

There is a distinctive pull to the transfer market that seems to capture a modern audience. In the age of 10 second goal highlights, gifs of the latest Neymar skill and fans sledging each other through a variety of tediously created hashtags, perhaps the transfer market allows for immediacy of content that the game itself does not.

No longer do you have to wait for a Saturday or a Tuesday. Transfers can be brokered at any minute and this satisfies the impatience of the 21st century audience. Some fans see transfers as just important as matches themselves and when two clubs go head-to-head for the signature of a player, the “winning” team’s fans will celebrate with the same joy as if they had just won a local derby.

The emotion swings both ways though. After the announcement of Ross Barkley’s transfer to Chelsea from Everton, a Merseyside resident rang talkSPORT and told the presenters Barkley can “rot down in London with all his snobby friends”.

The appeal of the transfer market is directly

linked to the obsession with money that has crept into football over the past two decades. To see a totaliser tick over the 100, 200, 300 million mark is exciting, once disconnected from what a ludicrous amount of money that is. Plenty of fans will enjoy Paul Pogba’s excessively high £89.3 million transfer fee, but will also use it to bat him over the head should, heaven forbid, he has one bad game.

In the midst of the build-up to the Liverpool — Manchester City game, Pep Guardiola was frequently asked about his plans to acquire Alexis Sánchez. The coach also commented on how the English media is vastly different from the Spanish media in that they will spend months talking about transfer speculation even when the window is closed, whilst the Spanish prefer to analyse what actually happened on the field.

This obsession has not been helped by the clubs themselves though. Whereas in the past, they would bat away any transfer gossip, now many of the major clubs embrace it with dedicated “media watch” pages on their website. The most bizarre ones come in the form of speculative articles written by in-house journalists, but if the journalist in question were to move to another side of the very building they work in, they could find out for definite.

For some, the transfer market is just as fun and important as the game themselves and any matches played during January are simply two hour long breathers before we can get back to the real business of if Mesut Özil is going to Manchester United.

The future looks cemented in this style. The TV companies will continue to pour billions of pounds into the Premier League clubs’ wallets and this money will continue to power certain journalists

Photo: Nic Redhead @wikimedia commons & Ben Sutherland @wikimedia commons

Photo: Antoine Dellenbach @flickr

keyboarding tapping fingers while fans continue to lap up every morsel of speculation.

Those inside the game must grow tired of this.

Given their press commitments, Premier League managers can face the assembled media north of four times a week and when every conference focuses around one subject, it is sure to drive you up the wall. Arsene Wenger has called for a scrapping of the winter transfer window and from next season onwards, the summer window will end before a ball has been kicked but that still won’t put a stop

to the rumours.

The months when the window is closed is merely the opening act for the headline event. A time when the matches take a back seat and play the John Peel Stage while Jim White dons his favourite yellow tie and prepares to headline the Pyramid Stage crescendoing in a glorious rendition of his most famous hit, “IT’S DEADLINE DAY”.

Top Ten British Sportswomen of 2017

2017 was a fantastic year for British women in sports

Sam Cooper Sports Editor The final day of the fifth test can be used as a symbol of England’s fortunes in the Ashes. With day-4 temperatures reaching a record 47.3C, England faced another defeat and an overall 4-0 loss in the series. Test captain Joe Root was not present at the start of play due to a bout of severe dehydration that left him hospitalised and although he eventually returned, he was forced to retire ill. His side succumbed to Australia’s bowlers and finished the match 123 runs behind the hosts having played an innings more.

The series was a brutal one for England. Bereft of any encouragement, players were forced to rely on the hope that “we were better than the scoreline suggests” but the reality is Australia were a class apart. Steve Smith comfortably batted away any chances of an England win and the final ball of the series brought questions of the future of English cricket.

The mood of the nation was understandably low but the adventure down under was not over just yet. England and

Australia would come together to compete in a five-match ODI series. Joe Root was one of few test players to make the ODI squad but he was liberated from the captaincy, as long-standing ODI captain Eoin Morgan took control.

For fans used to waking up and checking their phones to see yet another English collapse, the morning after the ODI was a welcome relief. Headlines of “Mitchell Starc takes four wickets as England fall to another defeat” were replaced with “Jason Roy hits record-breaking 180 as England win the first ODI”. An opening win was the perfect antidote to the Ashes hangover and a convincing one at that.

The second ODI was another English win. Aaron Finch was the only Aussie to score highly and Joe Root took two wickets to give England a 2-0 win in the series. A fantastic batting performance from Jos Butler saw England win the series in the third match and, at the time of writing, they have the chance to complete the 5-0 whitewash.

The disparity between the test and ODI side could not be bigger at the moment. The ODI squad is full of young, inform talent while the test side is plagued with senior players living on past glories. Stuart Broad and Alistair Cook

were largely anonymous aside from the occasional good day and James Anderson was the only senior player to be consistently good throughout the series. Meanwhile, the less said about Moeen Ali’s performances, the better.

It’s not as if the young talent made the most of their chances either. Jake Ball, James Vince, and Gary Balance failed to impress and although Tom Curran and Mason Crane looked bright, it was not enough for test fans to be overly optimistic.

Perhaps it is time to give the ODI squad a chance at test level again? While Morgan has made no secret of his belief his test days are over, players like Roy deserve a second chance if their stellar ODI form continues.

The next challenge for the test side is a four-match series against New Zealand. The first two matches will be played in New Zealand before the England squad return to home soil at Lord’s and Headingley respectively. This could be the chance for a freshen up of the squad. Preparation must begin now for the 2019 Ashes Series because, although it is on home soil, Australia looked good enough in the series gone to mount a serious challenge for the urn.

7.) Bianca Walkden

In her second World Championship, Walkden recreated the feat of her first. Winning gold in the heavyweight category, she defeated American Jackie Galloway to become the second Briton in history to defend a taekwondo world title. The gold was the ninth of her career and she also become the first to win all four Grand Prix events in a single season.

6.) Elinor Barker

Barker’s exceptional 2017 can be attributed to her relentless work ethic. 2017 saw her win eight out of 15 races including a World Championship and she began the year by being awarded an MBE. Studying for an Open University degree and learning sign language shows she is one of a growing number of athletes looking to better themselves outside of their discipline. A role model for all young cyclists.

Sporting events coming up in Manchester Back in Manchester and need a sport fix? Well look no further

5.) Johanna Konta

British fans’ hopes of a competitive female tennis player were finally satisfied as Konta reached the semi-final of Wimbledon. She was knocked out by Venus Williams but she became the first British woman to reach this stage since 1978. Konta sparked new life into the future of British women’s tennis and the hope is real for this Australian born Brit to go one step further at 2018’s Championships.

4.) Tammy Beaumont

Photo: RichardJames1990 @flickr

Sam Cooper Sports Editor

10.)England Women’s Rugby Union team

The despair of losing a World Cup final is one that will stick with the England squad forever, but the team can take pride in the fact that they forced eventual winners, New Zealand, all the way. Losing the final 32-41 should not detract from the achievement of reaching the event in the first place. The year ended on a high with a 3-0 whitewash over Canada.

9.) Team GB Women’s 4x100m relay team

If you ever need a reminder of the sheer emotion caused by sport, look no further than the final of 4x100 metres relay at the World Championships in London. The quartet of Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith, and Daryll Neita secured a superb silver just 0.3 seconds behind winners USA but that did not stop them dancing in delight in front of a home crowd.

8.) Jodie Taylor

2017 for English footballer Taylor can be described by one word: goals. Whether it was in the red of Arsenal or the white of England, the 31 year old was never far away from the back of the net. Her goals powered England to the semi-finals of Euro 2017 and Arsenal to third in the FA WSL Spring Series, just one point behind leaders Chelsea and Manchester City.

The safe hands of Beaumont mixed with her appetite for runs made 2017 a year to remember for the Kent player. Her total score of 410 was the highest at the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup, a tournament which England won, and she along with Sarah Taylor set the highest 2nd wicket partnership in the history of the tournament. A phenomenal year was capped off by being awarded an MBE.

3.) Hannah Cockroft

The undisputed queen of T34 wheelchair racing, Cockroft became a ten time world champion with three gold medals in the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships. At only 24, she set her sights on the 2019 Championships stating it would be a no-brainer to come back and defend her 100% record. She has also made waves away from the track, highlighting issues such as athletic disability tests and unemployment.

2.) Elise Christie

One day Christie will look back on the 2017 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships as the pinnacle. Winning the world title in the 1000m and 1500m, she became the first British and European woman to win the overall gold in the event’s history. The feat landed her the title of Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year, an experience she described as if she “just won the World Championships again”

1.) Eniola Aluko

During a shameful for year for the FA, Aluko fought tirelessly to ensure justice was done. Whistleblowing on her once manager Mark Sampson caused fractions within the squad but when The Department of Culture, Media and Sport confirmed Sampson had made discriminatory marks, Aluko’s actions were vindicated. For a woman with past achievements such as being the first female Match of the Day presenter, this may be her finest hour.

Gung-Ho (Saturday 7th Apr 2018 — Heaton Park)

If regular running isn’t providing the level of adrenaline you’re after, how about running a 5K that features “ten of the greatest inflatable obstacles on the planet”. There’s foam, inflatables, slides and more to mix it up from your standard road run.

Great CityGames 2018 (Friday 18 May 2018 — Deansgate)

This free to spectate event gives viewers the chance to see some of the world’s best athletes up close. The track will be constructed through the streets of Deansgate which adds a level of drama to the event that you wouldn’t get elsewhere.

The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run ( 20 May 2018 - City centre)

One of Europe’s biggest races returns to Manchester. With the option to run the half-marathon or 10K, the race hassomething for everyone. A 10K can be a good starting point for runners looking to complete their first race while the half-marathon offers experienced runners to test themselves.If you don’t fancy running yourself, you can spectate for free and contribute to the famous Manchester support! Sir Mo Farah will also be starting the race this year.

The LTA Manchester Trophy (10 - 17 June 2018 — The Northern Lawn Tennis Club Didsbury) One of the world’s finest women’s tennis tournaments returns to Didsbury. Previously voted Manchester’s event of the year, the tournament sees some of the greatest female tennis players compete and at just £14 per ticket, it represents great value for money for any tennis fans.

England v Australia ODI (Sunday 24 June 2018 — Old Trafford)

Fresh from receiving a tonking in the Ashes, England’s ODI squad will be looking to gain revenge as they host their eternal rival at Old Trafford Cricket Ground. Steve Smith and co. will have something to say about that though. Given the event is June, there is hope of a sunny day despite it being in Manchester so even if it is another embarrassing day for England, you’ll get a nice sun tan.

Photo: Christine Johnstone @geograph

World Black Pudding Throwing Championships (Unconfirmed — Oaks Pub, Ramsbottom)

Yes, this is a thing. Drawing its roots back to the War of the Roses where it was alleged warring factions of the House of Lancaster and the House of York began launching food at each other due to a lack of ammunition, this now annual event has become increasingly popular. With thousands of spectators descending on the Oaks Pub, it truly is a unique event and let’s be honest, when else are you going to get the chance to see black pudding thrown competitively?

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Photo: Yellow Jersey

UoM student wins nationwide triathlon scholarship Laura Rose Smith won the inaugural Yellow Jersey University Triathlon Scholarship and spoke with Head Sports Editor Sam Cooper about her success and hopes to increase the popularity of the sport at UoM. Sam Cooper Sports Editor “I didn’t think I would get it at all, I knew there’d be a lot of strong athletes going for it. I was pretty shocked to be honest.”

For Laura Rose Smith, a dental student at UoM, it was more an application of hope rather than expectation. “I follow Yellow Jersey on Instagram and social media and it was all over Facebook and Instagram and I was like ‘ooh, I’ll have a look what that entails.’ Read it and thought I might as well apply, it’s a really good opportunity.”

The scholarship aims to encourage more students to both take up and keep up triathlon as research shows a significant drop off at University level.

The judges made up of professionals and business heads from the triathlon world were looking for a student who could demonstrate how they would increase participation among their peers and community, as well as someone who is passionate about the sport. That student was Laura.

“They wanted someone who would take friends with them and get over people involved. I’ve done a lot of stuff for the cycling brand Liv. I was a Liv ambassador, promoting and getting women in sport. I set up a triathlon club at David Lloyd. Getting newbies involved. I’ve set up my own coaching business with my partner. They said they liked the entrepreneur side of things and the fact I was so passionate about not only my training but getting other people into it.”

Laura is studying dentistry at the University but began her higher education in Birmingham and it was here that a love of triathlon matured. “I was a runner since a really young age.

My dad was a middle distance runner so I followed suit. The interest [in triathlon] arose watching the London Olympics.

My mum was like ‘you should give that a go’ and I was like ‘there’s just no way I can swim for that long at all.’ I couldn’t believe how quickly they were getting their shoes on and off! How the hell do they do that? That got put to bed for a couple of years but there was always a little bit in the back of my head that was

like ‘oh, I do want to give it a go’. Then I started uni at Birmingham in 2014 and they’ve got a really established tri-club and I thought ‘you know what, give it a go. University, prime time, try something new.’”

While the first session was understandably a little daunting, Laura said the welcome she received encouraged her to continue. “I went to the first swim session, I felt like I was drowning the entire time to be honest but I really loved it. The nice thing about triathlon is it just attracts people from elite to complete novice. There were people that couldn’t even swim at the training and then people that were competing at an elite level. Everyone was so friendly that I was like ‘you know what I will see what the run and bike sessions are and I’ll sign myself up’. It started from there and didn’t stop really.”

The love of the sport developed into an interest in coaching and in November of last year, Laura along with her partner Luke Pollard started their own coaching business, Rocket Coaching. “I set up a tri-club in David Lloyds and while I was in Birmingham, I worked there part time while I was studying for my first degree.

It was a real success and I made real strong bonds with the athletes.

It was really sad when I left actually, I was getting a lot of messages. My parents are part of the tri-club so I was getting feedback from them like ‘people are missing you.’ Me and my partner were like ‘you know what, we kind of have a clue what we’re doing. Why don’t we set something up?’”

Laura’s work around the sport is what impressed the judges and it is something she hopes to expand on in 2018. “Part of the scholarship is they want me to get students involved. Especially as Manchester doesn’t have a tri-club maybe try and set one up. I’m going to be trying to do that other the next year so anyone that is interested or fancies trying it out. You can enter beginner aquathlons and duathlons which are run and swim or bike and run, just to give you a taste of it. Get in contact with me. Even if you’re a runner, it’s really good cross-training. They all crossover.”

The balance of university and triathlon can be difficult but Laura believes it is worth it. “I think my day starts and finishes just a little before everyone else (laughs). I swim with City so their training sessions are at quarter to six in the morning so it’s in the pool at quarter to six which means a 5AM wake up which is always nice. Then uni in the day and then I usually try and fit something in when I’ve finished uni. Try and work it best I can, just juggling things around really.”

Laura’s aim is to become a dentist but she hopes triathlon remains a big part of her life. “I do want to be a dentist. I think triathlon will hopefully always follow me. I would still like to do it at a fairly competitive level when I’ve qualified.

Keep the coaching business ticking over as it’s something I do enjoy.”

In terms of 2018 goals: “For the past two years, I’ve come fourth at the British Triathlon Champs so it’d be really, really nice to squeeze on that podium. It’s very annoying fourth place so I definitely want to tick that one off this year. I’d like to be selected for the U23 Elite Great Britain Team for the World or European Duathlon Champs, that would be pretty good because it’s my last year of being U23s. So it would be nice to finish that on a high. I think Europeans are in I biza so it’d be quite a nice post-race celebration after. Finally, a podium at the Elite British Duathlon Champs.

A non-performance goal would be maybe set something up at Manchester.

Just increase the participant level as much as I can.

It’s a great sport and it’s brought so much to me, it would be great to see something develop in Manchester.””

If you want to get involved with triathlon at university, Laura has given The Mancunion her contact details and asks anyone to get in touch whether you’re a complete novice or an established runner.

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