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Critical consensus versus creativity

Indigo Editor, Charlotte Grimwade, considers awards’ relationship to creativity in her first editorial

It’s time to check in on your fellow film and music bu s. Emotions are running high. You’ve guessed it, it’s awards season. Whether you stay up to catch the Oscars live, or simply stick to the comfort of watching the Baftas at a more sensible time, artistic communities inevitably split around this time of year.

The past few weeks have marked the announcement of several nomination shortlists, as well as some ceremonies like the Golden Globes. It’s an odd time to be thinking about academy awards. Following the online celebrations of the art world’s finest during the pandemic, once again glitz and glam return to Los Angeles, London and other cities. With streaming services taking over the film, television and music industries, popular opinion very much seems to be shifting.

Why do awards matter to us?

There are broader theoretical issues that come with the concept of awarding ‘Best Film’ or ‘Best Album’. How are we quantifying ‘best’? Is it down to artistic merit, something undeniably subjective? Or is it according to streaming statistics? More than anything, big names seem to consistently come out on top. Steven Spielberg is back with The Fabelmans as Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis maintains an expected presence across nomination shortlists. Meanwhile Harry Styles and The 1975 have once again experienced nomination success in anticipation of this year’s BRIT Awards ceremony. Why do awards matter to us? If, in an ideal world, creatives are producing ‘art for art’s sake’, why bother with unnecessary gratification? Having recently watched 2013 film Kill Your Darlings, an energetic portrayal of literary creativity in 1940s New York, there’s something almost soul-destroying about the heightened prioritisation of arbitrary awards. The film’s characters, including Allen Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac, maintain the mindset that formal education sucks the joy and passion out of intellectualism.

CONTENT

Music (page 3), Film & TV (pages 4 & 5), Books (page 6), Stage (page 7), Style (pages 8 & 9), Features (page 10), Interview (page 11), Travel (page 12), Food & Drink (page 13), Visual Arts (page 14), Creative Writing (page 15).

Indigo logo: Adeline Zhao

Cover image: Victoria Cheng Artwork of the week: Victoria Cheng

It’s overly reductive to presume that awards are inherently bad. Awards season sometimes has the potential to highlight underrepresented stories and artists. Michelle Yeoh’s emotive speech after her Golden Globe win for Everything Everywhere All at Once is only a recent example of this. However, as we near the mid-2020s, it feels as though the art world is lacking the spark of creativity seen in artistic groups from a century past, such as Dada.

We consistently hark back to this notion of legendary, avant-garde creativity

In Kill Your Darlings, there is a noticeable romanticisation of Dada’s revolutionary spirit and inspirational creativity. Characters attempt to formulate a similarly impactful and iconic name to describe their group of disillusioned writers and thinkers, struggling to find a more memorable method than German artist Richard Huelsenbeck sliding a paperknife into a dictionary.

We consistently hark back to this notion of legendary, avant-garde creativity. You only have to look at the band boygenius’ iconic album announcement on the most recent Rolling Stone cover. Mirroring Nirvana’s 1994 photoshoot, the trio situate themselves in alternative music’s hall of fame, playing on rock ‘n’ roll’s stereotypically masculine tropes. The band’s members, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus assert their authority, clad in matching suits and each carrying a knowing smirk.

I can’t quite say that I’m being honest as I, like Kill Your Darling’s protagonists, similarly idealise Dada’s creative spirit. When I write one of my many summatives this term, I inevitably prioritise a mark scheme and my preferred grade. Though I’d love to view my attempts to grapple with academia as a wild and flowing art form, it’s clear that this isn’t always the case.

However, there’s hope. As indie favourites like Aftersun feature in the big film award categories and boygenius announce their imminent return, artistic originality seems to have a chance after all.

Despite my mainly cynical perception of the art world’s current state, this edition of Indigo is a testament to the exciting cultural opportunities the UK has to o er. As Style consider the revolutionary impact of Vivienne Westwood’s work, Film & TV discuss some of the most exciting frontrunners in this year’s Academy Awards. As always, I hope you enjoy the subsequent pages, especially because our editors and writers’ creativity shines throughout this edition.

TEAM

Charlotte Grimwade, Cameron Beech, Melissa Rumbold, Roshni Suresh Babu, Siobhan Eddie, Elizabeth Buckley, Theo Mudhir, Alexa Thanni, Amelie Lambie-Proctor, Lydia Doyle, Lily Lake, Ruhee Parelkar, Annie Pickup, James Macfarlane, Rae Rostron , Alice Purves, Emilia Williams, Isabella Harris, Tom Harbottle, Millie Adams, Eve Kirman, Agnes Shu, Caitlin Ball.

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Grammys 2023 predictions: the big four roundup

With awards season just around the corner, it’s time once again to place your bets on which artists will get their hands on music’s most sought-after trophies. It would be bold of me to attempt to predict every category as I have neither the time nor knowledge (emphasis on the latter), so we’ll have to settle for The Big 4: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.

Album of the Year

Who Will Win: Renaissance, Beyoncé

Who Should Win: Renaissance, Beyoncé

Outside Chance: Un Verano Sin Tí, Bad Bunny

The Grammys on the whole looks to be a showdown between two global powerhouses: Adele and Beyoncé. Beyoncé has the most nominations this year with nine, while Adele has seven. Adele is undoubtedly the Grammys’ darling, having won 13 out of her 15 nominations, and she could very well land her third album of the year award here. But Beyoncé is yet to win Album of the Year despite being nominated in the category five times and having a whopping 88 Grammy nominations to her name. There would also be something poetic in Beyoncé taking the trophy against Adele, as Adele famously dedicated her 2017 Album of the Year win to Beyoncé, calling her the ‘artist of [her] life’. The only thing that could upset Beyoncé’s night is Bad Bunny. Un Verano Sin Tí has broken almost every record possible, scoring the largest selling album of the year, and being the

first ever Spanish language album nominated in this category. Whilst it would be a surprising win for Bad Bunny, it would be by no means undeserving.

Record of the Year

Who Will Win: ‘As It Was’, Harry Styles

Who Should Win: ‘About Damn Time’, Lizzo

Outside Chance: ‘Bad Habit’, Steve Lacy

Of all The Big 4 categories, this one is probably the most open. Note that the di erence between Record of the Year and Song of the Year is the former awards the song as a whole, including its production, whilst the latter is just based on the songwriting. Harry Styles has won just one Grammy, and never one in The Big 4. ‘As It Was’ seems like the perfect opportunity for him to score his first big win: a smash hit with very distinct production value from his previous singles. Lizzo’s e ervescent disco banger ‘About Damn Time’ could spoil Styles’ fun, but I think the enduring popularity of ‘As It Was’ will ultimately win out. A notable mention goes to my personal favourite, ‘You and Me on the Rock’ (Feat. Lucius) by Brandi Carlile, who is nominated for seven awards this year and already has six Grammys and 25 nominations under her belt. Her alternative country-folk style has garnered a great deal of admiration from other artists and the Recording

do think it’s pretty unlikely, so I’ll settle for Steve Lacey’s ‘Bad Habit’.

Song of the Year

Best New Artist

Who Will Win: Anitta

Who Should Win: Anitta

Academy themselves, though she has never quite made it to the mainstream. I wish I could argue she has an outside chance, but I

Will Win: ‘Easy on Me’, Adele

Who

Outside Chance: Wet Leg

Who

Should Win: ‘All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)’, Taylor Swift

Outside Chance: ‘The Heart Part 5’, Kendrick Lamar

It’s hard to see Adele not taking home at least one of the main awards, and if it were to be any, it will be this one. Her moving and introspective reflection on the breakdown of her marriage is a stunning example of one of this generation’s greatest songwriters at their very best. Kendrick Lamar gets a special mention here as he’s been popular with the Grammys in the past and is nominated in 8 categories this year. However, as a hardcore Taylor Swift fan it’s very hard to overlook ‘All Too Well, (Ten Minute Version)’, which is generally considered the piece de resistance of her shimmering career. Becoming the longest song to reach the top of the Billboard charts, it’s impossible to deny its popularity. It would also be Swift’s first win in the Song of the Year category, which would seem fitting for and known most significantly for her confessional and striking songwriting. That being said, it would be somewhat astonishing for a rerecorded song from 2012 to win 11 years later, and Adele would be more than a worthy winner of this prestigious accolade.

This is another category that feels fairly open. Although Anitta already has five studio albums and is a household name in Latin America, ‘Envolver’ was her first song to make an impact in the US. It would be a thoroughly deserved win for Anitta and indeed, the reggaeton genre as a whole. Italian rock band Måneskin also have a very decent shot at winning this award, and their post-Eurovision popularity could point to them ultimately coming out on top here. The marmite British indie rock duo Wet Leg should not be dismissed in this category, and, with winners in recent year tending toward the pop genre, a switch up by the Grammys here wouldn’t be totally surprising. This category is anyone’s game, but a win for Anitta would do well to reflect the growing and global popularity

It would be impossible to speak on the Grammys without addressing the fact that in recent years, the very name has become almost synonymous with controversy. This year has been no di erent, with Drake and Silk Sonic refusing to submit their work for consideration, accusing the Academy of corruption. With that in mind, take all the eventual results with a pinch of salt and, more importantly, don’t blame me if my predictions are way o !

Bea Twentyman gives her top picks on who might win awards at this year’s Grammys

The Grammys on the whole looks to be a showdown between two global powerhouses: Adele and Beyoncé

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Celebration, Controversy, All at Once

With the Academy Awards and BAFTAs just around the corner, this year’s o erings have left neither audiences nor critics disappointed. From the parallel universes and absurd hilarity of Everything Everywhere All at Once to the emotional realism of both Aftersun and The Banshees of Insherin, it is safe to say that a number of the following films are worthy of the critical recognition that comes from awards season.

Aftersun

By Alice Purves Rating: 5 stars

Charlotte Wells’ visually striking and impressive film debut, Aftersun, has already proven its worth. From its initial reception at Cannes Film Festival in May to the British Independent Film Awards, the Golden Globes, and to everyone that has been fortunate enough to see it in the cinemas or at home, it has been thoroughly appreciated. A deeply moving and intimate illustration of the realities of family relationships, both Frankie Corio and Paul Mescal are well-suited and maintain sincere complexity to the roles of Sophie and Calum.

Set in a 1990s resort in Turkey, the film’s timeline is flexible in its linearity, oscillating from home movie shots of the holiday to the present, aptly visualised through a rave scene. This allows for more strength to the familiarity of the flashbacks, for thirty-year old Sophie as well as the audience, for whom it is perhaps reminiscent of their own childhood. The film’s low budget and anti-Hollywood style seamlessly functions alongside the thematic simplicity and exquisite acting in order to create its appeal to audiences and critics alike, helping to ensure that the treatment of di cult themes, such as fatherhood, divorce and mental health, are handled with a touching realism. The ambiguity of the present serves to

heighten the heart-wrenching nostalgia of the film, and the emotional vulnerability left with the audience at the end is a real tribute to the film’s production and writing. Having received a standing ovation at Cannes, as well as seven awards at the BIFAs, including Best British Independent Film, I am certain that Aftersun’s witty yet sombre brilliance will once again shine at this year’s upcoming awards season.

The Banshees of Insherin

By Charlotte Grimwade Rating: 4 stars

Martin McDonagh’s latest film follows the confusion Pádraic (Colin Farrell) experiences after his best friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly ends their friendship. Set on an island o the coast of Ireland, the film is a clear contender this awards season. After already winning the awards Best Comedy or Musical, Best Screenplay and Best Comedy Actor at this year’s Golden Globes, it seems inevitable that it will experience similar success at the Oscars and BAFTAs.

The Banshees of Inisherin is beautifully shot. The film’s cinematography acts as a love letter to the Irish landscape, with luscious, rolling green hills and a jagged coastline providing the setting for such an intrinsically sad story. The plot explores the universal theme of confused communication and relationships. The film’s ambiguity is charming, despite its cleverly constructed illusive quality. Its seemingly simple premise contrasts the complex ideas it chooses to explore. The comedic elements are dark yet hilarious, with Farrell and Gleeson’s collaborative history shining through. There’s a reason why The Banshees of Inisherin will do so well at this year’s awards – its simultaneously universal and witty tale makes it a must-watch contender.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

By Martha Powell Rating:

3.5

stars

In a post-pandemic world, perhaps it is unsurprising that a likely award-nominated film garnered most of its income from digital platforms, rather than from the traditional box

o ce. Despite giving the option for a cinematic experience in November of last year by showing the film for a week, the vast majority of viewers saw Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery over the festive period at home.

By changing the cast, the location, and the murder, Glass Onion is a sequel, but not in the typical blockbuster sense. Both films explore similar themes of wealth and privilege, neatly tied together by the buoyant protagonist, Detective Benoit Blanc. Daniel Craig is able to shed his previously uptight and serious reputation from the Bond series here, embracing this playful role.

Another stand out performance is Janelle Monáe, emulating a similar accomplice role to Ana de Armas in the previous film. Her comic timing is well complemented by the direction of Rian Johnson, who’s ability to peel back layers of the mystery through di erent points of view provides a thrilling and entertaining family viewing. This style of reveal, coupled with an abundance of various references and cameos, make the film that much more joyous. Although perhaps not the most intellectually compelling film looking for success this awards season, its potential for nomination shows that cinema can just be for amusement’s sake, and critics would be wrong for dismissing it.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

By Siobhan Gardiner

Rating: 4 stars

If you’ve managed to keep Everything Everywhere All At Once o of your radar this year, I would be incredibly impressed. The comedy/sci-fi/drama has burst onto the scene, following Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) as she must manoeuvre her way through di erent multiverses alongside her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) to

Image credit: Rosie Bromiley

For this awards season, Indigo contributors discuss which films will do well

defeat Jobu Tupaki (Stephanie Hsu). Nihilistic and existential considerations are a key feature of the film, which in turn allows for a focus on the intricacies of Asian-American identity and migration. Evelyn’s decision to leave China and move to the US with Waymond is handled with sentimentality, without avoiding the di culties faced by the family, most potently in the issues surrounding the intimate development of the relationship between Evelyn and her daughter Joy.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (or EEAAO) has already won accolades at both the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards. Its nominations for the BAFTAs have indicated the broad appreciation of the film, perhaps predicting its suspected performance at the Academy Awards. Despite being dismissed in the categories of Visual E ects and Makeup, which seems surprising given its extensive and e ective use of these to aptly illustrate the distinct multiverses, Yeoh and Kwan have both received awards for their respective acting accomplishments. This puts them in a secure position for the upcoming ceremonies, alongside the buzz for Best Picture and Best Director. Many are hopeful that Hsu will pick up more recognition along the way for her role too, with Jamie Lee Curtis receiving more nominations for Supporting Actress. Either way, with a story that has captivated millions around the world, even if EEAAO doesn’t win big this awards season, it’s already secured its place as a fan favourite.

Severance

By Samuel Lopes Rating: 4.5 stars

The first season of Severance was an enigma, an exquisitely packaged locked box, patiently waiting for you to watch the next season to hand you the key. Like every detail of the show, this was ostensibly by design; it ‘was always a multi-season story’, and that lack of closure may have prevented the acclaimed series from picking up as many Golden Globes as anticipated.

Severance is a show years in the making, and it shows. Ben Stiller’s expert direction lends the series an appropriately claustrophobic and unsettling air, and the show’s exploration of work/life balance is subtly handled. The premise is equally intriguing; certain employees of Lumon Industries have a bifurcated self; one for work – called the ‘innie’ – and one for life called the ‘outie’. When a former severed

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co-worker reveals themselves to an outie, the mystery surrounding Lumon begins to slowly unspool.

Like the menacing leviathan of Lumon Industries, the show looms out at you – a black, imposing, hypercomplex monolith standing out amongst Apple TV’s other lacklustre o erings. Adam Scott has left his previous roles firmly outside the show’s walls and gives his most layered performance to date, earning a nomination for Best TV Actor. The rest of the cast are equally complex, and Severance even shares some DNA with last year’s winner, Succession, in the form of Zach Cherry, who plays the wise-cracking Dylan G (surnames for innies are bad for productivity, it seems).

One of the most memorable elements of the show is the rewards that innies receive for good work, the most coveted being ‘wa e parties’. Based on this season alone, the Golden Globes think that Severance is deserving of an extra awards season bonus. But the ‘wa e party’ of a win is yet to come – we’ll have to see whether Season 2 can keep up the good work.

All Quiet on the Western Front

By Melissa Rumbold Rating: 4.5 stars

With its completely raw storyline, graphic depictions of war, and excellent cinematography, Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front comes close to a masterpiece. Edward Berger’s disturbingly brilliant drama details the life of a young, excited German soldier whose ideals and patriotism are quickly shattered by the hellish reality of the First World War. As the men in the film face increasingly harrowing situations, the lies of glory and heroism unravel as each minute of the film passes.

Berger’s take on this classic war story excellently weaves propaganda and scenes of the elite with the death and action on the battlefield, highlighting the heart-breaking di erences between young men sent to die and those in power who will not settle for unacceptable negotiations. Perhaps the first instance of truth hits at the beginning of the film when protagonist Paul collects his uniform with the name of a dead soldier still attached to it. Berger’s depiction of military leaders and politicians exposes the unflinching lack of humanity like never before.

Pierced with a reoccurring, haunting score,

the feeling of doubt and dread never leaves the audience, even for a second, as fear and tension brilliantly underpin the drama. Held together by a thread of humanity, Berger’s creation keeps the memory of young men firmly alive. All Quiet on the Western Front is a gruesome, terrifying, and realistic interpretation of the 1929 novel, and it is no surprise that the film has already been nominated for 14 Baftas, leading this awards season. Its critically acclaimed realism and the touching eloquence of the acting immediately secured its place as a favourite.

Image credit (from left): Rosie Bromiley, Anna Kuptsova

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Image credit (from left): Isobel Warwick , St. Martin’s Gri n, William Morrow

The Walkabout Project

Tully Hyams shares the story of Durham’s newest student theatre company

Immersive theatre. What is it and why Durham? About a year ago, Max Shanagher and I decided to write a play about Oscar Wilde, to be staged in Durham with a twist. This was not going to be an ordinary play with the audience sitting in the Assembly Rooms. We had a di erent idea. We took inspiration from Punchdrunk, the world-famous production company now with permanent premises in Woolwich Works in London. This group pioneered the immersive theatre genre in the early 2000s, while its founders were studying at Bristol. In our eyes, Durham could do well to follow suit, with a new kind of performance that puts audiences at the heart of the action.

Immersive theatre is all about discarding the typical conventions of drama. It gives audience members the agency to explore their own role within a story and the choice about how they engage with it. You can stand on the sidelines and observe from a distance, or get up close to a scene with the actors all around. The fourth wall is gone, and in its place we find all kinds of new creative opportunities. Costume and set design take on whole new importance with an attention to detail that can either make or break the immersive illusion. Actor improvisation animates narratives that must maintain a degree of adaptability to accommodate the whims of each unique audience. Tech must welcome new control, applying lighting and sound all with the utmost sensitivity to sustaining the immersion.

An experience beyond staged theatre

As a small city with only a few traditional spaces to perform, using non-traditional venues and drawing from the huge pool of student-writing talent in Durham seemed to us a surmountable challenge. Although it

certainly has not been an all-easy ride, we’ve been able to build a really brilliant team for our debut production, A Wilde Night. At the time of writing this article, we’re poised to pull o what we hope to be a truly exceptional three-night run in Hatfield College’s Chapel and Birley Room.

We see its potential carrying forward to new projects

While Walkabout came out of this one idea, we see its potential carrying forward to new projects, opening theatre’s doors to more people over the next years. Our focus now is on collaboration. Shows like Succession, winner of a sweep of Golden Globes and Emmy Awards, today have set an industry standard which champions more collaborative approaches to writing. Even standout independent writers like Phoebe WallerBridge have, in recent years, transitioned into much more collaborative modes of writing for feature films like No Time to Die.

Coming up for Walkabout is a writing workshop

Coming up for Walkabout is a writing workshop where we aim to showcase and explore this concept. Open to anyone, this will be a really exciting opportunity to gain insight into industry practice and collaborative writing more broadly. However, it will also, crucially, lend itself to our hunt for the next team of writers who will collaborate on Walkabout’s first ‘non-linear’ immersive play.

If you’ve missed the opportunity to go to A Wilde Night, stay tuned for future Walkabout events by following us on Instagram (@ walkaboutproductions). Also feel free to email walkabout. productions@durham.ac.uk.

“I can really see these characters, these scenes set out before me as though I were there myself”

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Vivienne Westwood, ‘high priestess of punk’

It may or may not be a surprise to learn that although she is, at the time of her death, deeply synonymous with the British fashion industry as a whole, it was never Vivienne Westwood’s intention to become a ‘luxury’ label.

Her logo of the sovereign orb encircled by the rings of Saturn that now adorn Gen Z necks on Mini Bas Relief Pearl Chokers far and wide, represented her drive for taking tradition into the future. But anyone familiar with Vivienne Westwood’s early career will know that her regard for convention would, in those days, have barely surpassed her regard for dirt on the sole of her shoe. How would 1970s Vivienne have reacted to her future popularity among the very establishments she sought to confront? To what extent has her emblem, now associated with luxury, status and influence, obscured her Clapham-based punk-rock roots?

dropped out of Harrow Art School (now the University of Westminster) in the late fifties to become a primary school teacher. Her next venture into the world of fashion came only in the early seventies, when she and her thenhusband Malcolm McLaren opened a boutique store at 430 King’s Road in Chelsea.

Despite being better known among her prolific Chinese clientele as ‘Xi Tai Hou’, that is, the ‘Empress Dowager of the West’, Westwood claimed much humbler origins. Born in a small village in Derbyshire to a mother and father who had worked in the mills and as a greengrocer respectively, her connections to the glamorous worlds of fashion weeks and Damehoods (the ceremony for which she famously went commando) were non-existent, and her success still a long way o

Su ering increasingly from workingclass disillusionment regarding the scant economic prospects of the creative industry, Westwood

‘Motifs of Rebellion’

A dress and sash from the AW 1981 ‘Pirates’ collection. The collection marked a shift in Westwood’s inspiration. Historical style and British fabrics became her new trademark.

Christened ‘Let it Rock’ by the couple, the boutique prophesised Vivienne Westwood’s eventual status as an embodiment of the cultural zeitgeist of 1970s Britain. What began with 1950s memorabilia morphed into mohair sweaters and teddy boy trousers, fetishism and finally punchy slogan t-shirts fashioned from boiled chicken bones. Such rawness and garishness signalled that the hippie era had well and truly run its course.

‘Let it Rock’ was only the first of four more reincarnations undergone by 430 King’s Road during the seventies, with the boutique being renamed ‘Too Fast to Live Too Young to Die’ in 1972, ‘SEX’ in 1974, ‘Seditionaries’ in 1976 and finally ‘World’s End’ in 1979. Every few years the boutique was stripped and reinvented, charting the subversive development of the 70s punk rock movement and establishing Westwood and McLaren as some of its most

The Mini-Crini at Vienna Fashion Night 2014

The ‘Mini-Crini’ first debuted in 1985, and was a risqué homage to 19th century crinoline skirts (structured petticoat undergarments designed to hold the shape of ladies’ skirts) merged with the modern mini-skirt.

Harris Tweed Suit, AW 1988

‘Time Machine’ collection

The collection was inspired by the eponymous H.G. Wells novel, and emulated medieval armour with detachable elements while giving o a distinctly militaristic look.

8 Thursday, 26 January 2023

Image credit (from left): Sta Photographer Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art via Wikimedia Commons, Christian Leitner via Flickr, Sargoth, Wikimedia Commons. Illustration (top): Anna Kuptsova

Style Editor, Caitlin Ball, looks back at Dame Vivienne Westwood’s life and career

Her regard for convention, in those days, would have barely surpassed her regard for dirt on the sole of her shoe

significant frontrunners. ‘God Save the Queen’ came to define an era for both the Sex Pistols- managed by McLaren- and Westwood, whose styling of the band and eponymous t-shirts developed icon status in tandem with the single’s chart success.

If nothing else the seventies had warned that as a designer, Westwood was restless. True enough, with the arrival of the SS81 Pirates

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iconic moments including Naomi Campbell taking a tumble in a pair of purple nine-inch platform heels in 1993, and Kate Moss licking an ice-cream while strutting topless down the catwalk in 1995.

Despite looking increasingly to history and tradition for creative inspiration, Westwood’s acutely political, rebellious streak never waned. For her 1989 Tatler cover, she dressed as Margaret Thatcher in the very suit ordered by the PM herself, with a headline in ransom note letters which read ‘this woman was once a punk’- a move which got the then-editor sacked. “This cover for Tatler was blown up on billboards during London Fashion Week- even I had to look twice to believe it was me”, Westwood reflected in 2012.

The 2000s seemed like something of a punk maverick renaissance for Vivienne Westwood Contempt for government and power dominated her attitude to fashion as she rediscovered its potential as an activist’s tool.

An embodiment of the cultural zeitgeist of 1970s Britain

The 1980s saw the birth of the Mini-Crini and the tartan Harris Tweed suit, and with them Westwood’s gradual ascendancy to the fashion Hall of Fame; she was named British Fashion Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council in both 1990 and 1991.

The 1990s saw Westwood fully embrace the supermodel era, with numerous

FW93 ‘Anglomaina’ collection

The pair of nine-inch platform heels that famously got the better of Naomi Campbell on the Parisian runway.

T-shirts bearing poignant anti-terror law slogans emerged for SS06, while banners were emblazoned with such statements as ‘fracking is a crime” and “austerity is a crime” for SS16, hearkening to Westwood’s intense passion for climate change activism. She even delivered a letter- with a box of asbestos- to the doorstep of David Cameron’s constituency home in Oxfordshire in a further attempt to protest fracking in 2015. If that wasn’t radical enough for you, she also made the journey through the Oxford suburbs in a 60-tonne military tank. In her own words: “financial crisis is a symptom and the herald of climate change- coming soon, apocalypse in 2020. When are we going to listen to the scientists?”

Although quintessentially British, Vivienne Westwood’s appeal was international, intergenerational. It wouldn’t be a stretch to deem her a feminist icon either. Chrissie Hynde, frontwoman of The Pretenders but better known to Westwood as a ‘SEX’ shop assistant, spoke the words the entire fashion world was thinking: “Vivienne is gone and the world is already a less interesting place.”

Image credit (from left ): Daniel Milner via Wikimedia Commons, Thomas Hawk via Flickr. Illustration (top): Anna Kuptsova Thursday, 26 January

Pharrell Williams wearing the iconic ‘Mountain’ hat from Westwood and McLaren’s AW82 ‘Bu alo Girls’ collection at Coachella 2014.

Leaving fast fashion in 2022

Jemima Henderson discusses fast fashion and the need to shop sustainably

Iwas unsurprised to discover that Shein has been named the most successful online retailer of 2022. With its a ordable prices, accessibility and choice of thousands of products, it’s hardly shocking that Shein was the most googled fashion brand in 113 countries this year, or that the company has been valued at a staggering $100 billion dollars. However, behind its popularity lies the devastating impacts of the fast fashion industry.

Increasing consumerism, perpetuated by the fast fashion industry, has devastating e ects both on the environment and on the rights of labourers. It is estimated that each year, 92 million tons of textile waste end up in landfill. This waste, for the most part made up of synthetic fibres, then takes centuries to decompose. Brands like Shein, the majority of whose income comes from online shopping, are to blame for a lot of the subsequent environmental damage. It is thought that if this cycle continues, by 2050 the fashion industry will be using a quarter of the world’s annual carbon budget. Needless to say, the statistics are astonishing.

Fast fashion, however, is di cult to avoid

Fast fashion, however, is di cult to avoid. The appeal of a cheap price tag, combined with the desire to keep up with the latest trends, has certainly drawn

me to fast fashion brands in the past, and a move to sustainable shopping will be a big personal challenge. There is no doubt that the cost-of-living crisis has contributed to the growth of brands like Shein and ASOS, as people turn to companies with more a ordable prices. Shopping sustainably, though, does not always have to be expensive. Online marketplaces like Depop and Vinted are also great places on which to buy or sell secondhand items. In terms of education, the University’s Sustainable and Ethical Fashion Society is a good way to learn more about the devastating consequences of fast fashion. However, I will admit that have struggled to find brands that are both environmentally conscious and a ordable. As

environmentally conscious brands often use organic cotton, lowimpact dyes and natural materials, their products, unsurprisingly, cost more than those from high street shops. Although not an option for everyone, it is normally worth investing in a piece from a more eco-friendly brand, as their pieces will most likely last a lot longer than cheaper items that are made from synthetic materials.

Shopping sustainably does not always have to be expensive

If you are like me – constantly influenced by what is trending on social media – shopping secondhand may pose some di culties.

A challenge I anticipate as I try to shop more sustainably in 2023 is how to update my wardrobe with pieces that fit the constantly changing trends. Growing-up watching fashion influencers definitely had an impact on how I used to shop, with the weekly haul videos persuading me to buy what was deemed fashionable at that moment. But, faced with the fact that Shein workers are paid roughly $0.02 USD per clothing item they make, the notion of staying fashionable has begun to seem absurd. As well as changing our shopping habits, therefore, we must reconsider what it means to be stylish. Instead of following the crowd, the most fashionable thing we can do now is to re-wear, rework and re-style the clothes we already have. One small change I have already made is to avoid buying a new dress for each ball or formal; re-wearing a dress I already have or borrowing a piece from a friend both saves money and benefits the environment.

It can feel daunting to try to make the switch to sustainable shopping, especially given the prominence of fast fashion in our society. The best way, I have found, is to make small, gradual changes. By making the e ort to research eco-friendly brands and rewearing items in your wardrobe, these small changes will make a di erence.

Fast fashion is destroying the planet and undermining the labour rights of millions; are we still willing to clothe ourselves with this burden?

I’m really excited to try the new vintage shop on North Road! I’ve seen some really cool pieces in the window and it looks like a great addition to the many charity shops in Durham.

One of the best activities in Durham is to go charity shopping! My personal favourite is the British Heart Foundation. With a little bit of patience, I have found some wonderful clothes!

Image credit (from top): Isobel Warwick, Verity Laycock

Siobhan Eddie

Roshni Suresh Babu

A student experience of war

Caitlin Boulton talks to Maryna Pertsovych for a Ukrainian perspective

While living in Ireland for my year abroad I was fortunate enough to share an international house with Maryna Pertsovych, a girl from Ukraine who had chosen to study for a semester far from her native country while still sharing in its fight against Russian oppression. Maryna’s position demonstrates that of a student heavily involved in the politics of conflict, an unfair reality for millions of young adults learning against the backdrop of conflict.

As a student in Ukraine, how have the demands of the war e ort a ected your education?

It is essential to understand that the war did not begin in 2022 but in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and invaded the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

My friends who lived there were forced to escape from the Russian occupation and leave their homes not knowing if they could ever return. On 24 February, 2022, the whole country woke up with explosions, rockets, and sirens.

During the first months of the Russian invasion, I tried to balance studying and volunteering. I spent days organising volunteer work on the campus of the Ukrainian Catholic University. Between receiving aid from Europe and sending aid boxes to our military and civilians in the war zone, I was also studying online.

conflict

It seemed studying did not make sense when your life is constantly in danger. My university almost didn’t take a break because they understood that without education and culture, we could not win this war. Our generation has an important role to play –to win a free Ukraine – a dream passed down as a legacy. Students have many obstacles. Due to constant Russian missile attacks on critical infrastructure objects, our electricity is cut o every day for up to 16 hours.

People must go down to the shelter almost every day during air raid alarms. Not all shelters are well adapted for students.

How do you believe the crisis is a ecting young people’s mental health and morale?

War a ects everyone, and this trauma will be passed on for several generations to come. Nobody’s mental health could be ready for such a great shock as war. There is much anxiety. Last semester, as an Erasmus student sometimes I wanted to scream from what was happening at home. I worried for my family and friends during each attack and realised that other students could not understand me. I do not blame them for this – they felt a lot of empathy toward me but not understanding. No one can teach you to understand war, and I would like none of my foreign friends to ever understand what I feel.

War is not normal, and the Ukrainian military is now fighting to ensure that Europe does not feel what war is. Russia is an empire, and empires can never rest, they must constantly expand.

You don’t see your future because Russians are trying to take your future away. Every time you see pictures of injured children being pulled from the rubble, knowing their parents are dead, you can’t just go back to living and learning as if nothing happened. You know that you could be in their place. Sometimes you just want to stop feeling. Being Ukrainian these days is a great honor, and I am proud of it, but in the end, it hurts a lot.

Ukrainian students are playing a huge role in this conflict through volunteering and even fighting. In terms of the future, how do the uncertain times of your country measure up against your own professional aspirations and choices?

Russia is trying to take away our future and has already killed thousands of young people who were changing this country and had many future plans. Many young people who should have become specialists in their field have joined the army because they feel that nothing will make sense if we lose our country. And it is true.

As for me personally, it often seems that I should help my country more, volunteer more, and not learn cultural studies at university. But it is important to remind ourselves that in the long term, we cannot build a state without culture and education. If before I really wanted to get an education abroad and travel a lot, now these dreams have lost their relevance for me. It is di cult for me to leave Ukraine now and I choose to stay here.

For students at Durham it can seem overwhelming knowing where to start with providing aid for Ukraine – are there any initiatives of specific ways to get involved that you would particularly recommend?

First, it is important to stop Russian propaganda. Russia colonised Ukraine for hundreds of years and did everything to silence our voices. If you want to learn more, you can watch Yale historian Timothy Snyder, “The Making of Modern Ukraine”, on YouTube. Speak about Ukraine with Ukrainians. Go to protests in support.

All my friends and I try to make regular donations. COME BACK ALIVE is one of the biggest and most trusted foundations which provides competent military assistance. Since 2014, this has raised over $130 million for the Armed Forces. Hospitallers is a volunteer organization of paramedics. You can donate to both foundations from any country.

Students are playing a huge role in this

travel@palatinate.org.uk

Travelling as a vegan

I’ve been vegan for over 5 years now. Although at first, I did encounter some problems finding vegan-friendly options at restaurants in the UK and when travelling abroad, now, I am pretty well versed in being vegan almost anywhere. I have learned to navigate ordering o the menu, restaurant researching and generally becoming adaptable. I would like to dispel the myth that being vegan is restrictive and di cult, especially when it comes to travelling and eating out abroad.

it without the cheese (if no dairyfree option is available). As for pasta, most menus o er a tomato or arabiatta sauce, both of which are vegan. If not, I have a 100% success rate in asking a restaurant if they can do a pasta with garlic and olive oil for me, which although simple, is always e ective. As I’ve found, especially in Italy or in the French alps, the basic ingredients (pizza dough, olive oil, tomato sauce) are usually such good quality, having basic dishes such as a marinara pizza or tomato pasta are still leaps and bounds better than anything you’d find at home.

repertoire. Apps such as ‘Happy cow’ as well as a plethora of others allow you to check whether a restaurant has plant based meals available in order to avoid the delicious yet slightly awkward adapted-carb option. Moreover, there are now so many amazing totally vegan restaurants and chains all over the world, even in places you’d never expect, for example, the vegan Shawarma restaurant I stumbled across in downtown Amman! The bottom line: never rule out a restaurant or a place because it looks as though it won’t cater for vegans. It’s 2023, you’d be surprised.

accidentally vegan or veggie. Hummus and falafel are almost guaranteed to be at any restaurant and you’ll often find a zaatar manakish, a vegetable tagine, stu ed-vine leaves, so many more dips such as muhammara, baba ganoush and my personal favourite, moutabal, on the menu. And the best thing: the bread almost anywhere in middle-eastern countries is to die for. At restaurants, its almost always freshly baked and, get this, free of charge.

When friends and family members give me a concerned look and ask ‘Is there anything here for you Cara?’ when choosing a restaurant, whereas I used to scour the menu and quite often find something vegetarian but nothing vegan and subsequently panic, after years of experience, I now know that pretty much anywhere is vegan friendly, even if it doesn’t specify this directly. In other words, every menu is adaptable to a plant-based diet in some way. Although its nice to eat at a vegan or vegetarian restaurant or restaurants where options are abundant, eating somewhere which doesn’t o er vegan options is not a crisis, as many people do believe.

I can guarantee that almost anywhere you go, whether in England or in Europe, or to be honest, anywhere in the world, there will be bread or some sort of plant-based carb, such as pasta or rice available, whether on the menu or not. If worse comes to worst, this is your best bet. The common thread: most carbs are adaptable. In most European countries, you’ll find pages of pizza or pasta dishes on the menu. I usually go for a roasted veg pizza and ask for

Even in restaurants where meat and cheese are the centre of attention, which is an especially common reoccurrence in France, particularly in the Alps, these carbs I keep talking about are still there and can still be adapted. Fresh bread with some olive oil and a green side-salad wouldn’t be the end of the world, especially when its in France.

After banging about all these basic worst-case-scenario, o the menu meals, I’ve made it seem as though eating out as a vegan in 2023 is still a sad a air, but this couldn’t be more wrong. Now, the awareness of the rise in plant-based eating means that restaurants

In terms of top-destinations for vegans, I would definitely say that anywhere in the Middle East is great. Generally, I’ve found that although its rarer to be Vegan or Vegetarian in this geographical region compared to in Europe, Middle-eastern or

I found during my time spent in Jordan and Egypt that just the whole concept of ‘mezze’ itself is a vegan saviour. Sharing lots of little dishes, (well I say ‘little’ but actually the portion sizes are huge in the Middle East), is a great way to cater for everyone’s dietary requirements, especially when there are so many plant-based mezze dishes available. Although inevitably as a vegan you will encounter some problems whilst travelling and still not everywhere has plant-based options, it is usually possible to adapt something on the menu or just be adaptable. With the development of veganism globally and the rise of plant-based cooking, travelling shouldn’t be something vegan or eat

As veganuary draws to a close, Cara Burdon shares her top-tips for vegan travel

I would like to dispel the myth that being vegan is restrictive and di cult

It is more uncommon not to find any vegan or vegetarian options at a restaurant than there be none at all

food@palatinate.org.uk

Food to get you through summative season

Food & Drink Editor, Millie Adams, serves up some deliciously refreshing recipes

STUFFED PEPPERS

Stu ed peppers are hardly revolutionary... but they are delicious and relatively cheap. The cost of my weekly food shops has been steadily increasing since September and one month o catered by mum and dad made the sucker punch of the first food shop back all the more painful.

All you need for this delicious meal is a tin of lentils, a potato, half a pepper and some soft cheese of your choosing. I go for feta because it’s easy to pop in salads and use in other meals too.

INGREDIENTS:

• Pepper (halved)

• Feta

• Tomato/ onion (optional)

• Lentils

• Potato

• Garlic

• Salt, pepper, chili flakes, italian seasoning... whatever you fancy!

• Green lentils

• Potato

METHOD:

1. Cut your pepper in half, scooping out all the seeds.

2. Crumble your feta to fill the middle of your pepper.

3. If you’re feeling fancy, feel free to add some tomatoes or sliced onion in the middle.

4. Season with salt, pepper, chilli flakes, oregano, rosemary, and add some finely chopped garlic.

5. Pop the peppers in for 25 minutes at 170.

6. Chop your potato into little chunks, coat in oil and season as you fancy. I like adding ALOT of garlic but it’s up to you!

7. Potatoes can go in at 180.

8. The easiest part... pop a tin of lentils into a bowl and heat in the microwave for a few minutes. Et Viola!

Cost of the Billy B paninis getting you down? Time for a packed lunch, my friend

New year, new you: 2023 is o cially the year for making your lunch the night before

CHICKEN SALAD

The Billy B’s paninis getting you down? Time for a packed lunch, my friend. I highly recommend Yorkshire Trading Centre’s Closing-Down-Sale (this city’s greatest loss) for some snazzy new sistema lunch boxes. New year, new you: 2023 is o cially the year for making your lunch the night before and popping in an orange because even uni students need their five-a-day. A salad is the perfect midday meal and this one isn’t all leaves... it’s packed with protein and grains to make sure it actually fills you up and keeps you going through summative season. You can easily make this meal vegan or veggie by substituting the chicken for an alternative protein source.

INGREDIENTS:

• Kale

• Cucumber

• Quinoa

• Broccoli

• Nuts (can be left out because these can be expensive

• Cooked chicken

• Lemon juice

• Sesame oil

• Salt, pepper, oregano etc.

• Balsamic vinegar

METHOD:

1. De-stem and ‘massage’ your kale.

2. Chop up your cucumber and cooked broccoli.

3. Add to your cooked chicken and quinoa and start your dressing: sesame oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and season to taste.

I hope these two recipes help make 2023 the year of the packed lunch for you. No more £4 paninis... I’ll see you in the cafe with your stu ed pepper and salads.

VISUAL ARTS

visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk

Sir John Soane’s Museum: a hidden oasis

Visual Arts Editor,

James Macfarlane,

There is undoubtedly a tri-annual exodus of students from Durham at the end of each term. Although this results in a profoundly sudden and mass emptying of Durham, it does allow for students to go to galleries and other creative institutions outside of the NorthEast. When home from university, I endeavour to visit a new gallery each time. The museum I went to for the first time this Christmas was Sir John Soane’s Museum in Holborn, London.

Named after one of the greatest ever British architects, Sir John Soane’s Museum is a time capsule of how he lived at the time of his death in 1837. The extraordinary triple-width central-London townhouse displays his vast collection of antiquities, furniture, sculptures, architectural models, and paintings; it truly is a collection of oddities and curiosities.

Well-known for his signature Neo-classical architectural design, Soane is most famous for designing The Bank of England building and Dulwich Picture Gallery amongst many others. As the Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy in London from 1806 to 1837, Soane was immersed into the upper-class creative scene of the time which resulted in him being able to fund trips and excursions to acquire new items. His well-travelled lifestyle is evident because, as you walk around, the space is somewhat sensorially overwhelming and at times claustrophobic because of the number of artefacts stu into the space.

A collection of oddities and curiosities

Soane bought the first of the three adjacent properties in 1792, followed by the second in 1806 and the final property in 1823. After buying the first of the three properties, he spent the remaining span of his life redeveloping, refurbishing, and reformatting the maze-like nest of chambers, gallery spaces, drawing rooms, and libraries that formed his once home. The museum’s key aim, of which they have clearly succeeded in doing so, is to preserve this unique heritage collection for future generations, not only as a historically and culturally educational tool, but also as an institution for public enjoyment and interest.

Unsurprisingly, the architectural ingenuity of the Sir John Soane Museum is marvellous and is a true time-warp of styles, sizes, and décor. As you enter through the door of the grand façade, you are immersed into the opulent world of the regency lifestyle. Entertaining rooms including a luxurious library and a dining room provide a stark contrast to the back rooms and lower levels

recounts details of a recent museum jaunt

which are filled with his treasures. The contrast between the di erent spaces in the house is one of the museum’s most characteristic features and adds to the unique experience of the museum.

Another interesting feature of the museum is Soane’s distinctive se of light. His choices in relation to light apply to his architectural designs, paintings, and physical spaces. Furthermore, as he extensively redeveloped the three houses himself over a long period, what we see today is the culmination of how he wanted it to be. One of the most scintillating areas of the museum for me was the breakfast room in which a light, shallow dome, which Soane preferred to call a canopy, stretches across the ceiling of the rectangular room, and is illuminated by an octagonal skylight filled with panels of coloured glass. In addition, there is also mirrored glass around the canopy, transforming the space into an optical device. The sense of architectural playfulness is certainly something Soane liked to adhere to.

However, my favourite bit of the whole museum is The Picture Room which truly is the jewel of the museum’s crown. The Picture Room contains Sir John Soane’s most treasured works of art, including masterpieces by Hogarth, Canaletto, and Turner. The most captivating part of this room is the moving picture planes which are hinged walls, allowing the small 13-by-12-foot room to house 118 paintings, a collection large enough for a room three times its size. When the picture planes are opened, it allows the compact space to be transformed into a larger multi-level space which is awe inspiring.

An absolute must-visit for any lovers of art, classical antiquity, or objects of curiosity

Amidst the thousands of artefacts and paintings, my favourite object was a big bronze bust in the Sepulchral Chamber (pictured). Described in the collection catalogue as a “a tour de force of bronze casting”, the artist of this bronze sculpture is unknown but is undoubtedly one of the most impressive things in the museum. Suspected to be Italian from the 17th century, the subject matter is up for debate. The collection catalogue labels it as Pluto but Soane himself labelled it as Jupiter. This statue’s origin is also uncertain as it is not mentioned in either of Soane’s two first published descriptions of the house in 1830 and 1832, nor does it appear in any of the myriad views of the house from that time or earlier. The mystery and uncertainty surrounding this bust’s subjective and artistic origins is perhaps why I find it so captivating.

All in all, Sir John Soane’s Museum is an absolute must-visit for any lovers of art, classical antiquity, or objects of curiosity. The eclectic collection of trinkets and artefacts come together to form a spectacular viewing experience for the visitor. I recommend anyone to visit when they can and to support independent museums in this current climate.

Sir John Soane’s Museum

13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3BP

Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm

Free entry (no need to pre-book)

Somewhat sensorially overwhelming and at times claustrophobic

Image credit (from top to bottom): James Macfarlane, Victoria Cheng

Pets in prose

Leo Li writes about the mysterious black cat in ‘Black Cat Syndrome’

Iam the black cat in the corner.

As yet I have no name, nor home.

There was a time, centuries and lives ago, when humans loved me as the Sun loves to tinge my back rust-red, and bejewels my pupils with onyx radiance; a time in which my ancestors were household gods pedestalled on lacquered-wooden pantheons, and death was not the colour black. But in this city, in this particular intersection of Dundas St. and Sai Yeung Choi St. S., memories and passions go with their times like they’ve never existed. And there’s nothing as ominous as a cat that looks just like its shadow.

So, just maybe, if I were rust-red all the time, if the Sun’s always out and night never falls, wayfarers would set their eyes on me without unconcealable disdain for once. Because I still remember their glares as cold as car roofs in winter dusks. I remember hearing their unspoken convictions –7 th February, Muriel the blue-braceleted busker was hit by a taxi, whose 56 year-old driver was high on LSD, died on the way to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Landladypawnbroker Wong at 25 Tung Choi St. called me a witch’s death-charm. 16 th March, two men in their forties fought over a Godzilla figurine in CTMA Centre; three teeth from each of them and the tail from the figurine had been broken o when the police arrived. With the figurine’s tail in his left hand and a gaping wound on his right, the storeowner almost added my hind legs to the set of broken things.

1 st April, two 16 year-olds thought April Fool’s jokes were still a thing and attempted to throw me around like a volleyball. They didn’t know volleyballs don’t have legs.

20 th July, Patrick the low-to-no-earning salaryman was more drunk than ever, mistook me as the depressive black mist that had enveloped the city for a month; also mistook me as a cockroach until he tried to step on me and realised I’m much bigger.

31 st August, people were rushing to and from Prince Edward. Some of them called me ‘damn sabo-tabby’, others wished death upon my entire nonexistent family. All their shouts and screeches and squeals of horror and ecstasy dissolved in gaseous tears. My yellow eyes were watching like gods’. Christmas’ Eve, first in about five years since nobody remembered the jocular melodies of corals. All but indistinct mutterings and death threats

against their own futures, accidentally and incidentally directed against me. ‘Back to the dark, where you belong’. Today, New Year’s Eve, I choose to hide in penumbral quiet. There is comfort in it, even without the Sun’s warmth, without the rust-red it gives, without the photonic rustling that breaks wintry silence. But tonight there are too many howls, and yowls, and disquiets from trail’s ends and roundabouts. Fling your curses at the core of malice and drive your speared chariots at time, instead of at me. Don’t you know we share mutual enemies, of the untouchable, coloured with hateful transparency?

As I walk into the reckoning light, shone upon the dirty dark by you lighthouse keepers and universal pacifists who read Szymborska and Kundera at tea, I am obliterated. Because I love you more than you do – Muriel, and Wong, and Patrick, and all the nameless ghosts your harbours fail to hold – a cat is too little to hold your kind of hatred, as big as the harsh Moon. Yet the world orphans me, like it does the truth-telling ravens on your windowsills, or the terriers whose barks are angel-songs instead of war-cries, or some of your kind, just not so fortunate that they’re casted out into the night. And we’ll stay in the night, as you wish, until you decide to step into our domain and see for yourself its borderless beauty.

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