INDIGO 2
F EATUR E S 3&4 A look at the internet’s new lingua franca: internet memes 5 On New Year’s resolutions F ASHI ON 6 Style resolutions for the year ahead BOOK S 7 Best books of 2016 T R AV E L 8&9 Best travel destinations for 2017 M U SI C 10 & 11 Little known music acts to watch out for this year F I L M & TV 12 Exploring issues of representation and adaptation in film F O O D & DR I N K 13 The decline of pubs, and rise of cafes A recipe for a warm Italian style soup STAG E 14 Dramatic deja vu: why are some plays consistently overdone? C R E A TI VE W R I TING 15 Great Things Await V I S UAL AR TS 16 2017 without John Berger
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Thursday, 26 January 2017
016, a year which some have described as the worst year ever, has ended. And 2017 has begun. Does it look like it’s going to get better? Who knows. We’ll have President Trump, and the imminent triggering of Article 50, along with the wave of elections in continental Europe amidst the backdrop of a massive ‘rightwing’ uprising in the cultural sphere. These events are too big to be ignored. But for most of us, we’ll be viewing and interpreting these events through the lens of the internet and social media, and that means memes. It is impossible to wade through the waters of cyberspace without encountering memes. But why should we care about memes? For one, the dangerous man himself Milo Yiannopoulos has claimed that he and his team have “memed (Trump) to the presidency”, which – if true – shows just how effective memes can be at affecting real change in other spheres of society. Deplorable as he might be considered, President Trump may indeed be most akin to the mischievous everyday internet user at home – trolling and lolling his way through cyberspace. Indeed, it might be this that House Speaker Paul Ryan was referring to when he said that Trump had been able to speak to the average voter in a way that no other candidate was able to. Only contrast Trump’s disastrously effective tweets with Hillary Clinton’s undeniably cringey “pokemon go to the polls” comment to see the difference. Indeed, memes are very much a part of our everyday life. Look at Harambe’s death inspiring a candlelight vigil on Palace Green last year, and Gabe the Dog (rip) appearing on Japanese television to see its far reaching effects. It is in this light that Features analyses the nature and history of internet memes – how they came about, manifested themselves in society, and also looks at their implications. As emojis have taken over the medium of texting, internet memes are beginning take over the forms of discourses happening online. Only time will tell whether this is a good thing or not.
IND IGO E D ITO R S YC Chin Olivia Howcroft (deputy) FE A TUR E S E D ITO R S Sophie Paterson Matthew Chalmers (deputy) C R E A TIVE W R ITING E D ITO R Anna Gibbs S TA GE E D ITO R Alison Gamble V IS UA L A R TS E D ITO R S Lolita Gendler Lucy Sara-Kelly (deputy) BO O KS E D ITO R Aaron Bell FA S H IO N E D ITO R S Victor Schagerlund Emma Denison (deputy) FO O D & D R INK E D ITO R S Divya Shastri Robbie Tominey-Nevado (deputy) TR A V E L E D ITO R S Naoise Murphy Charis Cheesman FIL M & TV E D ITO R Simon Fearn M US IC E D ITO R Bethany Madden
YC
Cover illustration: Faye Chua
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FEATURES Thursday, 26 January 2017
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What do you meme? Meme Culture: the saving grace of 2016
By Nicola Eardley and Caitlin Allard features@palatinate.org.uk
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ou may have fallen out with your best mate over their Brexit vote, or even in disagreement over the best Christmas movie of all time (Love Actually, naturally), but there are some things which bind us all together no matter what, a kind of understanding that truly will stand the test of time. These, invariably, include: a distaste at the rising cost of university, the dread of filling out graduate scheme application forms, and, most importantly, an absolute adoration-come-obsession with internet memes. If you’ve been living anywhere but under a rock, you’ll have come across memes. Memes are everywhere. Scattered across our Facebook feeds and spiralling out of control on Reddit and Tumblr, they have surely captured the imagination of our generation in a way that our degree subjects never could. Memes reached unprecedented levels in 2016, dominating social media, advertising campaigns and
even the news. Their spread is unpredictable, with little to no financial backing, and their meanings often ambiguous. How have such seemingly nonsensical pieces of humour come to be so prevalent in our society, to the extent of manifesting in their very own ‘meme culture’? Is our current interest in them at all healthy? For those of you less in the know, according to the Oxford Dictionary an internet meme is “an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations”. It’s basically a massive cultural in-joke, being a reference to something enough people know of, understand or can relate to that it can be shared from one person to another with astonishing speed. The term ’meme’ was originally coined in 1976 by Richard Dawkins in his book ‘The Selfish Gene’. Derived from the Ancient Greek ‘mimeme,’ meaning ‘imitated thing’, he was not referring to the style of internet memes today. His meme resembled a piece of culture or type of behaviour which was
passed from person to person through imitation or other non-genetic means – such as fashion and catchphrases – and it is easy to see how this laid the foundations for what we associate with the word meme today. With some of the first internet memes, such as Pepe the Frog, cropping up as early as 2008, they have only grown in popularity; websites such as ‘knowyourmeme.com’ provide an extensive library of the internet meme cult, and the topic has spawned numerous academic studies. As a generation hooked on social media, it is pretty unsurprising that this has become the breeding ground for the specific type culture which sharing a meme involves. But there are a number of more specific reasons as to why they have become such a hit. Internet memes are highly adaptable; anyone can make a meme, and, just like the common cold, they mutate as they pass from screen to screen, with people changing taglines or morphing memes together as they go. This broadens their appeal, as they can be adapted to fit a whole plethora of humour, cultural understandings and ages. Internet memes are a way to feel connected with others in our increasingly computerised world, which, in turn, is what makes them able to spread so fast. They also fit with our increasingly short attention spans; many memes have a shockingly short shelf- life, as their virality catapults them to fame before they are quickly adapted and then forgotten about altogether, drifting into the abyss of forgotten memes somewhere deep in the heart of the internet. They have evolved to become heavily diverse and, at their most popular, inescapable. They have revolted from captioned still images into planking, Rick Rolling, animated frogs on unicycles to mourning the death of a gorilla, a miniature Drake being edited onto different locations and CBBC’s Arthur clenching his fist. 2016 in particular was a boom for the meme industry, often regarded as ‘the Year of the Meme’ But why did memes take off with such force last year in particular? Well, the answer is indeed hardly surprising. Given the year we were dealt, we collectively really needed a good laugh. The value of the pound plummeted as we voted in a poorly planned Brexit, and we saw the deaths of many much-loved celebrities and cultural icons. Floods swept the continent and we faced the prospect of irreversible global warming with the hottest year on record. The number of people killed in terrorist attacks rose, and the election of Donald Trump was the icing on the cake to many. Even the Queen got ill. In a year of loss and devastation, protests and strikes became the order of the day. End-of-year quizzes were brimming with the sorrow and loss we’d faced in the year just passed, and with these global events often so far out of our control, we often felt helpless, powerless. Continued on page 4...
FEATURES 4
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Continued from page 3... So how did we cope? We memed it of course. We took everything bad from the year and turned it into a meme, and laughed until we could cry no more. Harambe, Evil Kermit, Melania, and the BidenObama memes hit our screens and we jumped at the chance to join in, in whatever way we could. We shared them and linked them and modified and tagged them ‘till our fingers were sore. And thus, the reach of the meme world spread. They provided a distraction from reality, offering solidarity in the face of political travesty. Sadly, as with any good thing, it cannot last forever. One of the strengths of memes are that there are no rules; anybody can make anything, and provided they catch people’s eye or make them laugh, they will be shared. They defy control and are often frustratingly hard to track. As a result, Pepe the Frog, an innocent green cartoon animal, has been the first victim of a somewhat more sinister turn in meme history. The alt-right, a loose collection of people with extremely right-wing views, have claimed Pepe as their own, exploiting the popular meme to propagate their own twisted ideologies. Many of these include White-supremacists or neo-Nazis, and as a result, Pepe has been seen in a variety of anti-semitic and racist depictions. This perpetuates prejudices by using a seemingly ‘acceptable’ format. He has since been placed on the Anti-Defamation League’s hate symbols database, and despite campaigns to #SavePepe, his future isn’t looking so bright. Through distancing us from reality, there is a danger that the public will become dislocated from current events, reducing our ability to take seriously events with global impact. The rise of memes about Donald Trump, including ‘Trump Pepe’, softens his image and clouds the reality of his status of power over the US, accompanied by scandal and sexual assault allegations. The dangers are also evident in the recently viral Obama and Biden ‘bromance’ memes: the end of Obama’s presidency has ended with a focus on their ‘friendship’ rather than reviewing their political actions taken over the past 8 years, thereby reducing their accountability.
Memes simultaneously soften politics and have the ability to influence it. They spread ideas, with potential to go far beyond the humorous tag of a friend. The contentions that Ted Cruz, Republican Presidential Candidate 2016, was the ‘Zodiac Killer’ of the 60s was just one of these such instances. On the platform of a Facebook page with 47,000 likes, this became a meme. Although seeming absurd to some, it was not so much to the 38% of Floridians who voted that they believed it was possible for him to be the genuine Zodiac Killer, with 10% for sure and the remaining 28% unsure. Taking into consideration the influence of this in Florida alone, this meme could have had an influence over the American Presidential election. Memes can be used for good as well as evil; they are just as fallible as we are. It is important to bear in mind that any cultural phenomenon will inevitably leak into all corners of society, and we must be careful of how we use them. Brighten up each other’s days, by all means, and spread a little happiness. The meme trend has already made the transition into 2017, with the variations of the Hollywood sign and the man sprinkling salt having enjoyed a rise in popularity, so for now it seems here to stay. But remember, kids: meme responsibly. Photographs: Naughty Memes, Evil Kermit, Dat Boi, Dank Memes melt Steel Beams, Harambe via Facebook
FEATURES 5
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Top memes of 2016 According to TIME
Resolutions without a cause Are short-term annual goals helpful or harmful?
By Julia Atherley features@palatinate.org.uk
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1. Harambe 2. Damn Daniel 3. Pokémon Go 4. Dat Boi 5. SpongeBob Caveman 6. Michael Phelps stare 7. Donald Trump 8. Making a Murderer Memes 9. Ken Bone 10. Birdman
very year we resolve to make improvements to our lives. We swear that 2017 will finally be the year we get healthy, lose weight, join the gym, quit smoking, drink less, save money, read more, the list could go on. But research shows that most of us give up our resolutions by 17th January - they do not even last a month, let alone a whole year. So why do we keep making them? The ancient Babylonians were the first people to make New Year’s resolutions. Every New Year, which for them was in March, when the first crops were planted, they would make promises to the gods in return for good favour. When Julius Caesar established the 1st of January as the start of the New Year, the month of January was named after Janus, the two-faced god who looked both forwards and backwards. Sacrifices would be made to the god for good fortune, and to improve on the failings of the last year. We have been setting targets at the beginning of the year for over four millennia, and we still can’t stick to them. There are of course some positives to setting resolutions for ourselves. The motivation needed to finally give up smoking or lose weight might finally appear when the New Year begins. We are a generation which is never satisfied with our lives as they are and on one hand this ambition can lead to positive and active changes. Our want for selfimprovement stems from recognising our own potential. On the other hand, our desire for a fresh start is often based upon false perceptions. We have a tendency to want to believe that 2017 will be infinitely different to 2016 and we will finally kick those bad habits. As much as I would love to close the door on 2016, the New Year will not sweep away the problems which emerged last year. David Bowie, Harper Lee, and Alan Rickman sadly aren’t coming back. Brexit means Brexit, Trump means Trump. So what’s the point in setting targets? Won’t 2017 just be as bad as last year? In some ways yes, but bad things didn’t happen last year because it was 2016. They just happened. Instead, let’s focus on the good things that happened. Leonardo Dicaprio won an Oscar. There are now no known cases of Ebola in West Africa. I matriculated at Durham University. While many people might find it useful to focus on what went wrong last year and make an effort not to repeat their mistakes, it is much healthier to focus on the positives. The influx of advertisements for gyms, juice makers, and weight loss supplements at the start of January is almost suffocating. With Theresa May announcing earlier this year that mental health should be a focus for the NHS, it should not be overlooked how much of a negative impact such adverts can
have. Being more active and eating healthier are not negative in themselves but the self-hatred engendered by the failure to meet unrealistic targets is harmful for our mental health. The poisonous effects of extreme dieting, whilst present all year round, are especially potent in the first few weeks of the year. So is there any point in trying to make positive changes in January? If there is one thing that 2016 has taught me, it is that progress is not linear. If you give up on your resolutions in mid-January then you may as well have never set any to begin with. If you recognise that self-improvement is more of a journey, then 2017 could be a really positive year for you. I plan to spend the year recognising the difference between what we can change and what we have no control over because 2016 was not perfect and 2017 won’t be either. But instead of setting ourselves ridiculous, life-changing targets, let’s focus on the good that happened last year and try to build on it in the year to come.
Every year, consumers are flooded with dieting and weight loss advertisements. Illustration: Charlotte Way
FASHION 6
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Palatinate’s fashion editors tell us how they will step up their style game in 2017
Style Resolutions
Victor Schagerlund Fashion Editor fashion@palatinate.org.uk
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f only I dedicated half as much time and effort into my degree as I do in curating my closet I would be a first-class student. Believe it or not, looking effortlessly elegant is more time-consuming than you’d imagine. Yet, despite my dedication and enthusiasm for style I have never mastered the art of vintage shopping. It is with admiration and awe I listen to my most elegant friends rave about their finds: a Harrods fur for a fiver at a local flea market, a beautifully tailored Saint Laurent jacket for practically nothing in a Parisian thrift shop and Louboutins for half of the original retail price. If only these were purchases I had made. Therefore I vow to this year overcome my fright of stressful and stuffy thrift stores, not only for my personal economy’s sake but also for the environment’s. Who knows, maybe even for my vanity’s- what would suit my romantic soul better than garments from times passed? Illustration: Victor Schagerlund
‘Fashion is the most powerful art there is… It shows the world who we are and who we’d like to b e.’
Emma Denison Deputy Fashion Editor deputyfashion@palatinate.org.uk
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t seems to be taken for granted that come the first of January, we are all meant to have made a commitment to radically change some part of ourselves. ‘New year, new me’ - the expression so readily thrown about often in guilt-inducing Instagram posts of someone’s selfie on his or her way to the gym. The question remains however as to why this radical change must wait until January. It may be a more obvious starting point, but can we not make progress in what we do and who we are every day? 2016 saw the fashion world revolutionise itself from the inside out. The tradition and previously unquestioned norms of catwalk shows, long standing Heads of Design and clothes that a consumer would never be able to buy started to be destroyed by the industry itself. ‘A Brave New World’, one may crudely even say. It takes courage to make any change and to make progress. And maybe that’s what my fashion resolution for this year is. Instead of New Year New me, New Year, Same me albeit a braver version. And most importantly, not just on January 1st when the buzz of New Year’s resolutions is in the air, but every day. It is often so easy to let yourself fall into a rut; whether that is in what you do or even in what you wear. I can’t count the number of times I have seen a look in a magazine or even on someone on the street or in fact on one of my friends, but somehow - and maybe it’s just me- I have always ended up convincing myself that I would look stupid and it would never work if I wore it. But why not? Why wouldn’t it work? As corny or stereotypical it may sound, maybe this year is the time to start challenging that question. Try something on I wouldn’t normally wear; find and buy something that last year I would have ended up putting back on the rack. What is there to lose? Not everything is going to look great on everyone but you don’t know until you try. And if it makes you happy when you wear it - makes you feel confident - isn’t that the most important thing? Whilst it may have been heard during a post-Christmas TV show binge and Blaire Warldorf is definitely a fictional character, it makes it no less true that ‘Fashion is the most powerful art there is… It shows the world who we are and who we’d like to be.’
BOOKS Thursday, 26 January 2017
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Read these in 2017 Our writers talk about their favourite books from 2016 By Julia Atherley, Alex Hewitt, Eloise Carey, and Helena Chung books@palatinate.org.uk
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e get through a lot of books here, at Books. But, we each have one we remember, one that resonated with us at a particular moment. And for whatever reason, be it a character we saw ourselves in, a time-period that moved us, or a plot that kept us up all night, it stays with us. With that in mind, we asked our writers to tell us about a particular book they read in 2016 that stood out, and why you should read it too. The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes, chosen by Julia Atherley
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he Noise of Time is Julian Barnes’s latest novel and his first since his Man Booker Prize winning The Sense of an Ending. I read it last year in the midst of my A-levels. I was supposed to be revising the 1973 oil crisis and Gorbachev’s reforms but it is fair to say that I found Barnes’s most recent book far more interesting. Barnes dedicates this short novel to the life of the Russian composer, Shostakovich. It is based on fact but Barnes has not written a biography; instead he tells the story of a man trapped between power and reality, art and fact, courage and submission. It is a compelling narrative about how art interacted with the Soviet state, alongside the envisaged inner development of this revered composer. Julian Barnes never writes the same book twice and you can’t read The Noise of Time expecting to find a second The Sense of an Ending or Arthur & George. Despite being a short read, Barnes succeeds in illustrating The the battles fought within the comLast poser’s life. It is a monumental Tycoon novel capturing the strugby F. Scott gle of art and the artist Fitzgerald, chosen under the hand of by Alex Hewitt totalitarianism.
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hope it’s not cheating to say that of the books I read in 2016 my favourite was one that was never finished. When F. Scott Fitzgerald died in late 1940 he left 60,000 words of The Last Tycoon, a novel charting the personal and public trials of powerful Hollywood producer Monroe Stahr. Picked up as a healthy diversion to my reading list (I wouldn’t complain if Bleak House had been left unfinished) Fitzgerald packs even more into the incomplete life of Stahr than that of Jay Gatsby, along with some surprisingly effective imagery with Ping-Pong balls for good measure. There is of course a frustration in such a novel being left unfinished. That said, I found a peculiar enrichment in having the familiar comfort of a conclusion being stripped away, forced to connect to Fitzgerald’s characters in new and interesting ways in an attempt to predict their ever clouded fates. What’s more, the plot of The Last Tycoon is directed by Stahr’s battles
‘If I could tell you just one thing’ by Richard Reed, chosen by Eloise Carey
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ailing to succinctly summarise the atrocities of 2016, it’s safe to say we’ve had a bit of a shocker. However, as my newsfeed candidly pointed out, the death of several well-loved celebrities, Brexit and Trump could not quite add up to 1665, in which several million died from the Black Death. My brother clearly sensed this, and for Christmas this year I received a particularly special book, one which quickly silenced the moaning around the dinner table. In recommending it, my only criteria would be literacy. The author who has managed to span this vast audience of ‘the reader’ is Richard Reed, and has achieved such a feat not with his own words, but with those of other people. ‘If I could tell you just one thing’ is a book compiled of pieces of advice from persons of note, whether celebrities, chefs, holocaust survivors, authors, poets, dancers, musicians… the list goes on. A concept
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, chosen by Helena Chung
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choose Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale as my favourite book of the year, for despite its predictable plot and slightly cliché characterisation, Hannah manages to pull off a balanced combination of fearless courage and feminine sentiment that leaves readers unable to put down the novel until the last page. This is no small feat considering how the love-hate relationship between two sisters with different if not opposite personalities has been the subject of way too many historical novels, with a scandalous romance thrown in occasionally to increase the drama (but who, really, can deny the pleasure of reading The Other Boleyn Girl). To be fair, The Nightingale did spend a significant part portraying the different kinds of love experienced by the mature Vianne and the hot-blooded Isabelle. However, the male characters are never the focus of the plot, as the main functions of the sisters’ romantic relationships are to reflect how they change as the war forces women to make unwith imaginable choices in order a to protect the ones they c h a n g love and the beliefs ing and chathey will die deotic world - all the fending. more relevant to 2016. Indeed, Hollywood in the novel represents the world at large and there is a poignant resonance in the narration of Stahr’s daughter Cecilia: ‘It can be understood, too, but only dimly and in flashes’.
that arguably has been done before, Reed creates a new take by drawing out each piece of advice and weaving around it a witty narrative of how he came to meet the person, their response to his questioning and a little about them. Each interview is accompanied by a beautiful illustration by Samuel Kerr, bringing the teller to life, and each section of the book demonstrates the vast diversity of the human voice. Only an author who has experienced such a wide and varied career as Reed could pull off such a feat, through co-founding innocent smoothies and later working in politics, the art and media he has had the unequivocal opportunity to meet some of the world’s greatest and most interesting talents. I thought Bear Grylls was a bit of an arse before I read his interview, and I knew Judi Dench was wonderful but had no idea of the strength and emotiveness of her views on Brexit. This book gives an insight into the human psyche that is unprecedented.
Through this recommendation of The Nightingale, I would like to raise the issue of lack of female voice in the creative industry. There should be more works depicting dimensional female heroes whose stories are often forgotten and neglected, and hopefully the coming film adaptation of The Nightingale (which will be directed by Game of Thrones’ Michelle MacLaren) will serve as an encouraging example for more diverse works with women playing important roles.
Three Word Reviews “Beautifully, horrifyingly human” – Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (Becky Percival) “Murderous teenage rebellion” – Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Jess Derwent) “Lots of maths” – Advanced Mathematics for Economists by Peter Lambert (Anon)
TRAVEL 8
Thursday, 26 January 2017 Photograph: Anna Ley
The 2017 Travel List There’s no better way to beat the January blues than to plan your next trip out of the bubble. From Hull to Tanzania, we’ve got you sorted. Charis Cheesman, Naoise Murphy, Anna Ley, Aaron Bell and Claudia Mulholland present their picks for 2017.
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ou may or may not be surprised to hear that Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, is this year’s city of culture. Despite being the butt of many a joke, it would be rude to omit it from our travel destinations of 2017 compilation with that crown. Hull may not be top of your ‘to visit’ list, but perhaps if you’re ever going to visit this would be the year? Situated where the River Hull meets the Humber estuary, this city holds a population of approximately 258,000 people. If you’re an art snob, note that the Ferens, a renowned art gallery in Hull, has opened again after its face-lift. Another thing to look out for this year in Hull is a beautifully vivid film about how different cultures have shaped the city, displayed dramatically on the sides of the Deep, Hull’s aquarium. Though a staggering 68% of Hull voted to leave the EU last June, their city has been shaped by many waves of immigrants over the centuries… and this film emphasises that well! (see above) – Charis Cheesman Photograph: Dom Fellowes via Flickr
he fabulous new Elbphilharmonie concert hall is the star of the show in Hamburg this year. Architecturally it’s a stunning sculpture of shiny, wave-shaped glass, dumped incongruously on top of a warehouse building, and it has certainly been controversial, going massively over budget and taking ten years to complete. And aside from its impressive musical legacy, Hamburg is brimming with culture of all kinds, from abandoned trainyards turned into creative spaces and the five
galleries of the ‘Art Mile’ to the infamous party scene in Reeperbahn, which hosts the largest club festival in Germany. The industrial-chic feel of the city and its plethora of coffee shops and multicultural eateries means it offers all the trendy German hipster-ness of Berlin, minus the capital city price tag. Get there in 2017 while it’s still cool. – Naoise Murphy
Hamburg
Hull
Photograph: Jan O via Flickr
TRAVEL
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Thursday, 26 January 2017
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Tanzania
his East African country has got to be the most diverse of destinations. Trek up Kilimanjaro, visit the Maasai tribe, or join the safari circuit, and if you’re lucky, gape at the wondrous spectacle of the Great Wildebeest Migration, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. The animals begin their movement between July and September; with the whole of September off, university students can consume the scene when peak tourists have retreated back. For a cheaper option, head to one of the lesser known parks (a great example is Tarangire, which boasts the greatest density of elephants - that’s the one everyone really wants to see, right?). And another perk of a smaller park is seeing the beautiful creatures up close! Throw yourself into the thriving Southern capital, Dar Es Salam and follow the Tanzcat regatta’s Zanzibar Raid (a 4-day annual sailing sprint from Dar to Zanzibar and back) to the crystalline currents of Zanzibar’s shores. This island is drenched in history, and you can also swim with a pod of dolphins in this world-ranking shallow diving destination. Multicultural, tribal and unique, Tanzania offers a plethora of possibilities to the explorer, trekker and nature lover. - Anna Ley
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Aarhus
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Photograph: Anna Ley
Photograph: Leon Yaakov via Flickr
Photograph: Aaron Bell
t’s only by strolling through the cobbled streets of Aarhus, past bars and cafés, craft shops, record stores and art galleries, that you’ll realise Aarhus could have been founded to be the ‘European Capital of Culture.’ You can take in the sights from the rainbow viewing platform of ARoS, the modern art gallery in the
Croatia
ompetitive in price and popularity, Croatia is quickly becoming Europe’s hub for young people. The country is littered with National Parks, like Plitvice Lakes. Hike the forest pathways that meander through the six pools of turquoise, collapsing upon each other in a symphony of waterfalls for a mere £21 in peak season. For a notably quieter and more accessible option, if you are staying in the South towards Dubrovnik or Split, Krka National Park offers a similar experience for the same price, and here you are able to actually swim in the waterfall! Dubrovnik is a place everyone should visit. This Adriatic city welds history to happening nightlife. Take a stroll around the medieval walls, absorb the familiar sights of Game of Throne’s King’s Landing, wander through the doorways nestled within the city walls, sip a cocktail against breathtaking sea views or party against a panoramic backdrop on the terraces of 360 Degrees. For cheaper beer and crazier scenes, head North to the clubs of Zadar, Zagreb and the islands of Hvar. Why not weave Pula’s Outlook Festival (7th-10th September) into your itinerary, Europe’s biggest sound system festival, which is celebrating its 10th birthday this year. The waters are as crystalline as the Caribbean and Croatia does in fact have some white sand beaches: soak up the sea breeze on beautiful Brac Island and laze upon Zlatni rat, it’s uniquely shaped sandy beach. Pure paradise. With EasyJet flights to Split from £52, Croatia is a country of boundless beauty and bustling nightlife at a bridled price - surely every student’s dream combination. - Anna Ley
heart of the city, or visit the new dockland area with the striking ‘iceberg’ style residences, bars, and hotels. There has never been a better time to see this Scandinavian idyll: expect plenty of music, arts, cooking, and events throughout the year and no more so than during the beautiful Danish summer. Snakker du Dansk?! - Aaron Bell
Matera
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he second you step off the train at Matera Centrale station, it’s not hard to see why this city in the Italian province of Basilicata is a UNESCO world heritage site and set to be the European Capital of Culture for 2019. Brimming with history, spectacular views and unadulterated Italian culture, breath-taking Matera offers visitors the chance to step back in time and off of the well beaten tourist track to experience life in a prehistoric troglodyte settlement. Matera is yet to be discovered by the throngs of tourists that keep Rome and Naples booming throughout the hot summer months- it’s not a hard hitting, party heavy holiday destination. But what Matera lacks in city bustle, it makes up for with authentic Italian charm. Pass the days peering into perfectly shady cave dwellings and spend the evenings sampling homemade Italian cuisine as you watch bare foot children dance, ice cream in hand, to the music of accordionists who line the narrow, cobbled streets. To experience the untainted Matera, fit to fall off the screen of a Fellini film, visit in 2017 and beat the crowds that will make the journey south to Basilicata as the city is, justly, crowned Capital of Culture in 2019. - Claudia Mulholland
Photograph: Claudia Mulholland
MUSIC 10
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Music acts to listen Ray BLK
By Bethany Madden deputy.music@palatinate.org.uk
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ailing from South London, Ray BLK’s sound infuses soulful R&B with hip hop beats. She hasn’t been around for long, only releasing her debut EP Havisham on SoundCloud last year; and yes, that is a Great Expectations reference. The singer-songwriter quotes the lives of herself and her friends as inspirations, after taking years to understand her own musical identity. The EP, taken with break-through single ‘50/50’, the late-2016 EP Durk and recent Stormzy collaboration ‘My Hood’ have earned her the title of BBC Music’s Sound of 2017. The 22-yearold also has support in the form of rap and grime star Wretch 32, who joined her for her recent BBC Live Lounge performance. While it may seem like things have happened almost overnight for Ray BLK, she insists that she has worked hard and got here by herself, stating that her family are not massively into music, “not even as listeners”. Her self-starting attitude is exemplified by her refusal to sign a record deal, preferring to remain autonomous and put her music out on her own label. Her honest lyrics and soulful sound, as well as her down-to-earth persona only serve to enhance her appeal.
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Maggie
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Rogers
fter going viral in a video where she left Pharrell Williams in a state of stunned silence, Maggie Rogers has been propelled into the limelight. He described her sound as “singular”, and her unique folk infused R&B sound, intermittent with dance didn’t just happen by accident. Rogers has spent years perfecting her sound, with two albums already under her belt: 2012’s The Echo and 2014’s Blood Ballet. Having already mastered the harp, piano, guitar and song writing before leaving high school, it seems as though Maggie was destined for success. She has an authentic essence (Maggie describes herself as an ‘environmentalist’) which comes through in her videos as well as her music, and has an ability to make even her Facebook bio sound poetic. Now That the Light is Fading is the title of her upcoming EP which will be released on the 17th February, and if you want a taste of what the album will be like you can listen to her latest single, ‘On+Off’.
You might also like... Laurel, The Japanese House
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Declan McKenna
ot one to shy away from the big issues, Declan McKenna was only 15 years old when he released his first single, ‘Brazil’ in 2014; a song about the corruption of FIFA, which earned him a lot of attention. After winning Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Prize in 2015, he has since gone on to release singles ‘Paracetamol’, regarding the lack of media coverage surrounding transgender issues and ‘Isombard’, inspired by the poem “next to of course god america i” by E. E. Cummings. The upbeat, indie melodies of his music do not at first suggest such hard-hitting lyrical content; a device, he says, he has taken from inspirations such as Bowie and The Beatles. Also citing Sufjan Stevens, St Vincent and TV on the Radio as influences, McKenna demonstrates a vast musical, as well as cultural knowledge and with an EP set for release later this year we can look forward to more funky beats and sharp rhetoric from the teen, but until then, check out his two 2016 EP’s Stains and Liar.
You might also like... Tom Grennan
MUSIC Thursday, 26 January 2017
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n out for this year
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Loyle Carner
ith heavy backing from BBC Radio 1, Loyle Carner might be a name you’ve heard before. The London-based rapper has been praised for using rap to tackle more sensitive issues such as family; something the south London rapper holds in high regard. Apart from 2014’s A Little Late EP, Loyle Carner had only released singles, frequently collaborating with Tom Misch, However his second EP, Yesterday’s Gone, was very recently released on the 20th January. With this release much attention will undoubtedly ensue for the rapper; however, with previous gigs including supporting the likes of Nas, Kate Tempest and Joey Badass, as well as a much coveted Glastonbury slot back in 2015, it seems that he is already well on his way to success. His live shows are not to be missed, exhibiting his abundance of energy, and the rarity of an artist who sounds even better live.
You might also like... Tom Misch, Jamie Isaac, 808 INK
Nadia Rose Alongside other female MC’s such as Lady Leshur and Little Simz, Nadia Rose is taking the male-dominated UK hip-hop and grime scene by storm. Her recent win at the MOBO’s for Best Video for ‘SWOD’ has led to much more mainstream exposure. Citing American hip-hop legends Missy Elliot, Lil Kim and Eminem as big influences, the 23-year-old aims to merge her American influences with her UK ones such as Ms. Dynamite and Lily Allen. She’s proven that she’s got the lyrical mastery to make it big, after freestyling on Radio 1 Xtra for both DJ Semtex and Toddla T and it’s no wonder, considering her background. With Stormzy for a cousin and a father who was also an MC, musical ability clearly runs in the family. Her sharp, witty lyrics are brimming with confidence and, after recently co-signing with Alicia Keys as well as opening for Busta Rhymes, it’s no surprise.
You might also like... Dave, Aminé, Princess Nokia, Little Simz
The Amazons Reading favourites The Amazons are a rock band who formed in 2014. Originally, the quartet made electronic music but decided to switch to rock after a particularly inspiring Foals gig at Alexandria Palace where they were supported by Cage The Elephant. Their debut EP Don’t You Wanna was produced by Catherine Marks who has also worked with artists such as Wolf Alice and The White Lies. The band have made waves on the UK indie rock-scene, and have recently supported The Kooks on the German leg of their tour, as well as frequently performing alongside fellow Reading band Sundara Karma. Their most recent single, ‘Little Something’ showcases their gutsy, guitar-driven sound.
You might also like... Cabbage, VANT, Sundara Karma, The Magic Gang, The Big Moon Photographs: Facebook
FILM & TV 12
Thursday, 26 January 2017
New year, new me? In 2016 the film and TV industries got many things wrong. Will they learn from their mistakes in the new year? Wonder women By Simon Fearn Film & TV Editor film@palatinate.org.uk
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n the surface, 2016 looked to be a promising year for women in film. Star Wars delivered another fantastic heroine in Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso, whilst even Disney – that bastion of feminist values – appeared to get their act together with Moana, described by some as featuring “the first feminist Disney princess.” But let’s not forget the misogynistic abuse directed at the cast of Ghostbusters, and the fact that aside from Erso, women seemed entirely absent from Rogue One. If not outright excluded, last year’s women still found themselves cast in passive ‘love interest’ roles. For instance, in the Deadpool comics Wade Wilson’s girlfriend Vanessa is a badass, shape-shifting mutant, whereas in the film she is reduced to a damsel in distress whom Deadpool has to save. 2017 will see the first femalefronted superhero blockbuster in Gal Gadot’s Wonder Women, though judging by the other films in the DC Extended Universe, I wouldn’t hold out hope
Fantastic representation and where not to find it By Johanna Farr film@palatinate.org.uk
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or something with a plot centred around young people’s resistance to fascism and bigotry, the Harry Potter series hasn’t had the best record with LGBT characters. In last year’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them graphorns and billywigs abound; gay and bisexual people are – unsurprisingly – nowhere to be found. The movie is set in New York in 1926 – during the time of the Harlem Renaissance, a black literary and cultural movement incorporating a strong gay and lesbian subculture – and still managed to feature overwhelmingly white and straight characters. True to form, the two main female characters, sisters Porpentina and Queenie Goldstein, are conveniently set up as romantic interests for the two male leads, Newt and Jacob. Fantastic Beasts goes further than merely ignoring the existence of gay people however: it picks up the story of one of the only two gay people to exist in the Harry Potter universe, Gellert Grindelwald (disguised for the majority of the film as Collin Farrell’s Percival Graves). Grindelwald is a deliberately queer-coded character and it is hinted that he has been in a relationship with Dumbledore (in the books their conflict
that it will be any good. It’s one of the few blockbusters to be directed by a woman (Patty Jenkins) – last year female directors helmed just 7% of the top 250 films and 2017 doesn’t look to be much of an improvement. Meanwhile Disney continue to show their more progressive side with the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, in which Emma Watson’s Belle is an inventor like her father. On the small screen Sherlock has already drawn criticism for not only killing off its only major female character (Amanda Abbington’s Mary), but then having the famous detective defeat Sian Brooke’s villain by giving her a hug. Weirdly nobody ever thought that Moriarty just wanted to be loved. The BBC will hopefully redeem themselves with new BBC3 campus thriller Clique. Louise Brealey (Sherlock’s Molly Hooper) stars as Jude McDermid, the unofficial leader of a disturbing group of ‘alpha females’. Creator Jess Brittain says it’s about “the different ways ambition plays out in young women at university;” whether it rings true remains to be seen. Meanwhile Netflix are taking on Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian drama set in a repressive patriarchy where women are literally the property of men. Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss stars as Offred, and we can expect it in April.
ends with Grindelwald “conjuring a white flag from his wand and coming quietly”). Given this knowledge, the intensity of Grindelwald’s relationship with Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) shifts from being merely creepy to become an explicitly homophobic trope: a gay man as a sexual predator preying on a much younger person. There is of course nothing wrong with writing a villain who happens to be gay, but when the only explicitly non-platonic physical contact between people of the same gender in the entirety of the Harry Potter franchise comes in the form of a violent and bigoted older man manipulating a young, vulnerable, abused teenager – it might be time to pause and think about why that is. 2016 provided J.K. Rowling with the opportunity to up her game and provide much-needed representation for same-gender-attracted and transgender people. Instead, LGBT characters in the wizarding world remain as stubbornly invisible as demiguises, with the striking exception of morally corrupt and manipulative white men. Perhaps in 2017 Rowling’s ability to imagine real life diversity will finally catch up with her otherwise delightfully creative world-building skills. Until then, this gay trans fan remains disillusioned. Photographs (left to right): Moana (courtesy of Walt Disney); Wonder(courtesy of Lionsgate).
Better than the book? By Hannah Woods film@palatinate.org.uk
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iterary adaptations: get them right and they can form an iconic piece of film history: Silence of the Lambs, Trainspotting (the sequel is due on 27th January), and the Harry Potter franchise to name but a few. Get them wrong and it can permanently taint the book, actors and producers. 2016 has definitely been an interesting year for literary adaptations. While Room and Nocturnal Animals received impressive reviews, The Girl on the Train managed to annoy both those that had read the book and those that hadn’t. So the question is, what makes a good literary adaption and what have we in store for 2017? Adapting a book into a successful film is a difficult task for any filmmaker. The success of a literary adaptation relies on striking a fine balance between individuality and continuity: stick to the book too much and the film risks becoming forgettable; try to deviate too far from the original and it may result in an outcry from loyal fans and film critics alike. 2017 presents us with a wide array of potentially successful literary adaptations. This includes Wonder by R.J. Palacio, a book based on a young boy who is born with a facial deformity. Coming to cinemas in April, the film centres around Auggie Pullman who struggles to fit in at a new school. It promises to be a heart-warming tale similar in some ways to Room (especially since Jacob Tremblay plays the lead role in both films). It features a strong cast including Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson and will hit cinema in April. Another film to look out for is Agatha Christie’s iconic Murder on the Orient Express, a whodunit detective thriller in which an American tycoon is found dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times. Scheduled to be released in November, Kenneth Branagh directs and also stars as the famous Belgian detective Poirot, while corralling a big name support cast: Penelope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Olivia Coleman and Derek Jacobi to name but a few.
FOOD AND DRINK 13
Thursday, 26 January 2017
In with the Brew By Reece Moore food@palatinate.org.uk
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urham is blessed with some of the finest coffee establishments the North East, and I would argue, in the UK. Most students will visit a coffee shop at some point in their day, whether this be for a chat, relaxation, or study, and places like Flat White, Starbucks, Lounge, and 9 Altars are perfect for just those occasions. But, this doesn’t just apply to Durham. As a recent BBC development has shown, ‘coffee culture’ is on a significant rise, and is even starting to creep towards the very British ‘pub culture’ – which is declining. The BBC reported that between 2011-2016, the number of town centre bars, pubs, and nightclubs fell by about 2,000. On the other hand, cafés, fast food outlets, and restaurants have gone up by 6,000 across Britain. This shows a significant shift away from ‘pub culture’ which seems to have been ingrained in Britain for a very long time. Of course, ‘coffee culture’ is not quite at the height of ‘pub cul-
ture’ and it will most likely take a long while to catch up, but these figures are interesting, and they raise some intriguing questions: why has ‘coffee culture’ engulfed so many people? and will the presence of a strong ‘coffee culture’ lead pubs, bars, and nightclubs to change their approach? In Durham, as indeed around the country, Wi-Fi has become a necessity. Most people would agree that checking to see if there is Wi-Fi in the building you are in, is one of the first things you do. Coffee shops and cafés know this. That’s why so many offer complimentary Wi-Fi to their customers, and a lot of these customers will be students. However, it isn’t very common for pubs to offer Wi-Fi, especially if it is a family pub. This means that during the day, at least, people would opt for an establishment that offers Wi-Fi, and these tend to be cafés and coffee shops. Furthermore, as already alluded to, there is a strong correlation between the time of day and the establishment a person is likely to visit. During
the day, from 06:00-17:00, most people are at work, commuting, or not at home, and this is when cafés and coffee shops are most often open, and when pubs are most often shut. Therefore, for a big bulk of the day, coffee shops have access to a vast number of potential customers, thus leading them to offer ‘coffee-to-go’, quick service, pre-order, drink customisation, Wi-Fi, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. It tends to be in the evening (on working days) that people go to pubs, whether this is for an after-work cool down, a quiz, a game of darts, or for a good time. But, unfortunately, less people are out in the evening than in the day. Cafés and coffee shops operate at the perfect time of day, and often take advantage of people’s daily routines – could you imagine getting a ‘Fosters-to-go’ from your local pub? A big question is whether pubs need to change though, or should they accept that they are establishments for different occasions? If you go to a pub, it is unlikely that your objective is to get some work done. Instead, it will be to have a wind-down and a chat. Therefore, café elements such as speed of
Minestrone Soup Recipe By Robbie Tominey-Nevado deputy.food@palatinate.org.uk
Deep into the Durham winter nothing can revive you faster than a steaming bowl of soup, and you won’t find a dish that fits this bill better than Minestrone, that quintessentially Italian staple. This recipe can easily serve 6 people and will keep in the freezer for months - plus it’s vegetarian and incredibly cheap to whip up. Minestrone is a soup that is all about leftovers, providing the perfect opportunity to revive any fading veg that might be lurking in the darkest recesses of your fridge. 01. Chop all the veg finely and sweat it down on a low heat for 10 minutes or so, covering with a lid so that the onions become perfectly soft. Then add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes. 02. Tomato time. Add them in with the bay leaf, breaking them up as you go. Pour in the stock and add the vinegar, then turn the heat down, putting the lid on and cooking for 20 minutes at a low simmer. 03. Add the pasta and the beans, following 10 minutes later with the spinach (frozen works well here.) 04. When you’re ready to serve, stir through the chopped parsley, plate up, and sprinkle over some Parmesan.
service and Wi-Fi aren’t necessary. Pubs also get a great deal of business during the weekends due to football and ‘pub grub’. It’s hard to imagine these two quintessentially British things finding their way into a lot of cafés and coffee shops. On the other hand, ‘pub culture’ is still the dominant force in the UK, and students are big contributors to this, with drinking and clubbing being a big part of many students’ lives. It seems that the most likely reason for the rise in ‘coffee culture’ in the UK is due to its relative affordability, its speed, and the services offered alongside it. But, it should be seen as a ‘day culture’, because the evenings are definitely dominated by pubs and clubs. This, for me, is where the two will continue – as it reduces competition, which both coffee shops and pubs have in high quantities. ‘Coffee culture’ is the daily culture, ‘pub culture’ is for the evening – I think most would agree.
- 3 tbsp. olive oil - 3 small onions - 2 carrots - 2 celery sticks - 3 garlic cloves - a big bunch of flat-leaf parsley - 1 bay leaf - 2 x 400g tinned plum tomatoes - 800ml vegetable stock - 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar - 2 x 400g tinned Cannelini beans - 75g soup pasta (any bashed-up pasta will do) - 200g spinach - Parmesan to serve (anything veggie is fine too)
Photograph: Mike Flemming via Flickr
Photograph: Robbie Tominey-Nevado
CREATIVE WRITING 14
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Great Things Await A Word From The Editor By Anna Gibbs Creative Writing Editor creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk
A Slow Journey By Jenora Vaswani They say you don’t appreciate what you have until you lose it. Your health is one of those. Go on, journey forth in life. Great things await you, so they say. You potter through the mundane. Laundry. Groceries. Bills. Deo confidimus when your knee goes, when your eyes blur, when your bones ache, when your mind fogs over Diminished to a shell of yourself, the reality is far less musical than the words suggest. degeneration, n. You recall its Latin roots. The word itself was first recorded in the English language in 1607. But what does education matter when articulating mere words beyond the barrier of your mind becomes an impossibility? articulate, v. Also Latinate. First used in the mid-1500s. You muse over that thought, but it doesn’t make it past your cracked lips. You no longer see yourself in the mirror. Not that it matters - the details once so clear are unclear, indistinct. Trapped in your mind, you meander in circles. Your mind is a maze you have yet to figure out. A childish finger traced the backs of cereal boxes; an adult mind nudges thoughts along synaptic pathways. Synaptic plasticity eludes you, but never mind, no matter. Then what are you? A thought. Intangible, unbounded, fragmented and A headache. An interruption. Pain intrudes. How rude. The needs of the body outweigh the mind? Yet there is more. Memories slowed to a crawl, breaking thoughts apart, then a brisk walk past well-trodden ground, a life is laid out. Judgement awaits. Death looms, ever abstract, while the seconds tick by. A child totters past; a parent reassures. Don’t you worry, dear one. It’s just a mind losing control - nothing you need to fret about. Swathed in pillows, the left side of your face twitches into a smile. Perhaps you don’t have to be whole to contemplate the answers.
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s a synesthete I perceive 2017 as written sharply in a clean, light yellow, and almost glowing from the insides of the numbers. I feel like everyone gave a collective sigh of relief as soon as the last second of the-yearwhich-shall-not-be-named had tocked. Although we still have to deal with the consequences from said year of sighs in 2017, it seems that everybody is stubbornly deciding to look after themselves this year, to heal the broken wing of our optimism, to come in from the unsympathetic cold. 2016 was such a confusion of a year that it feels acceptable to simply draw an uncompromising line under the bumbled thoughts and events past, to turn over a fresh, blank page. I awoke on the morning of the first of January to gentle yet firm sunbeams filtering through the blinds of my friend’s Greenwich student house. I was snuggled up on the settee in a cover-less duvet, with heavy eyelids. My pebble grey vintage men’s jacket lay crumpled on the floor beneath me, beside the low table filled with mismatched bottles creating a glass skyline. Once I’d left the house, on a quiet suburban road, I walked towards the leafy idyll that is Greenwich park. As I walked up the winding hill towards the Royal Observatory, it began to rain. Typically, I didn’t have an umbrella, so sheltered bashfully under the trees for a time. Perhaps some would have seen rain as a bad omen for the coming year, but it felt like the weight of the year now (thankfully) gone was being washed away. 2017 didn’t have time for the smothering smog of despair, and it was already getting to work clearing the air. I later found myself leant against a bus stop advert, with a podcast on. The hope in the calm voices, alongside my view of young Londoners pouring out of minimalist cafes after brunch, and the fresh vibrance of the Village Flower Shop across the road seemed to verify my sentiments on the New Year. 2017 was not going to allow us to expect little of it just because it had a disappointing predecessor. And then the bus came - delightfully not a glumly faded almost peach coloured one as usual- and everyone gladly stepped into the warmth. Illustration: Anna Gibbs
STAGE Thursday, 26 January 2017
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Dramatic Déjà vu Can a play or a playwright be overdone? Tania Chakaraborti takes on reproductions, and explores why we just can’t seem to shake off Shakespeare. By Tania Chakraborti stage@palatinate.org.uk
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n unchallenged assumption made by our society is that, in order to be cultured, one must be nuanced in the theatrical canon; ‘the best’ of our literary past. If you want to build up a successful theatre company, then of course you must dabble with Beckett. Want to make it as a director? Simply litter your career with Shakespeare. Kenneth Branagh has clearly tried to enhance his own prestige in this way, recently staging two successful Shakespearean plays at The Garrick. These so called ‘great plays’ permeate our dramatic culture, being reproduced thousands of times. But is this not to the detriment of 21st century playwriting talent? Let us take the well-known example of Shakespeare. Our society is hell bent on insisting the mystical qualities of the Great Bard. Yes, most of Shakespeare’s 37 plays are indeed phenomenally written. His tragedies are highly emotive, his comedies often downright hilarious. However, what compels theatre critics like Michael Billington to insist that six of his plays be featured amongst ‘The 101 Greatest Plays’? What gives newspapers like The Telegraph the right to publish online lists entitled ‘Best plays of all time’, in which Shakespeare dominates? There is undoubtedly an air of pretentiousness that surrounds any casual references made in our society to Shakespeare, Marlowe, Chekhov and the likes. However, the words ‘greatest’ and ‘best’ are thrown around far too eagerly in my opinion. Here in Durham, student theatre companies are themselves often guilty of ‘playing it safe’ and resorting to traditional ‘classics.’ Plays like The Seagull, A Christmas Carol and The Crucible all graced the stage in Michaelmas term, and Shakespeare’s own Richard III was staged just last week. Meanwhile in London’s theatre circuit, five Shakespearean plays are also being re-staged. These include Othello and Much Ado About Nothing – but most notably another adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet by the Almeida Theatre Company. Ah yes, Hamlet: if one wanted to see the syndrome of ‘trying too hard’ in action, look no further than its recently performed adaptations. In 2008 there was great excitement when it was announced that David Tennant would play ‘the Prince of Denmark,’ but the media had another field day in 2015 when Sherlock sensation Benedict Cumberbatch stepped into the role. Seemingly anyone who’s anyone just has to play The Great Dane, or are they even a legitimate theatrical actor? But the problem with Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the so-called Holy Grail of theatre, is this: the actors are itching to play the one part that will skyrocket their careers, the reviewers are hungry to criticise the protagonist in comparison to his predecessors, and the details of the play itself? Immemorable. Deadline’s critic Joe Utichi stated simply that the 2015 production ‘knows Cumberbatch’s star is going to draw people,’ and therefore ‘doesn’t bring any-
thing drastically new or profound to the material’. If no one truly cares about the play itself, what is the point in staging it? The accolade of putting on a play like Hamlet – a production seemingly loaded with outdated cultural worth – seems to be enough to drive directors to put on the same overdone material. However, if regurgitation is the norm, there must be something in it. If lack of creativity is the disease, is simple re-invention the cure? There is obviously something appealing about moulding the oldest of texts to reflect the issues of today’s society. Tracking the metamorphosis of Shakespeare’s The Tempest is perhaps the easiest way to test this theory. First performed in 1611, the playwright’s island setting acted as a microcosm for assessing the nature of power politics, whilst also reflecting the outlook of contemporary audiences towards Native Americans, after the establishment of an English colony in Virginia. However, as times moved on, so did the nature of the play. In 1988, Cheek by Jowl’s production transformed the male character of King Alonso of Naples
Want to make it as a director? Simply litter your career with Shakespeare into a woman, who embodied the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. No doubt audiences fully gauged director Donnellan’s pointed political message. 2016 then saw something absolutely radical. A production by the Torn Out Theatre Company, featuring an all-female nude cast, was performed in
New York. Gina Marie Russell, who played Prospero, stated that by acting in this performance she was ‘making a statement about female sexuality, female nudity and really trying to normalise that and make it non-sexual and non-threatening’. In light of this, perhaps it can be stated confidently that the mal-
If no one truly cares about the play itself, what is the point in staging it? leability of Shakespeare’s play is unquestionable. Done in the right way, should there theoretically be no such thing as ‘old material’? But let me shift away the pretention of playing devil’s advocate for just a few moments. In reality, we know why the West End and student theatre companies are eager to deliver (and indeed do deliver) successful adaptations of ‘the best of the best’. Classics do not appear from nowhere: they withstand because each generation deems them worthy of note. The continued and innovative re-inventions of enduring texts on stage ensures that new audiences are seldom ever bored. The themes change in accordance with society’s relevant political and socio-economic issues, whilst the technical aspects of these productions always aim to break boundaries by utilising the latest equipment and technology. Yes, dramatic déjà vu certainly does exist, but this is only when a production truly fails to deliver to audiences something novel and unique. Photograph: RSC’s The Tempest (1993), Wikimedia Commons
VISUAL ARTS 16
Thursday, 26 January 2017
‘The blind leading the blind’ John Berger 1926-2017
Booker prize winner & art critic John Berger taught us the ways of seeing; is the art world of 2017 blind without him? By Lolita Gendler Visual Arts Editor visualarts@palatinate.org.uk Artifice, materiality, exploitation, appropriation, these are themes Berger saw as the undercurrent of our age. In protest, his life’s work told of the beauty of truth; the reality of the world around us, however grotesque it may at first appear. For Berger, artists are no more than actors, not a far cry from the words of Shakespeare; “all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” An age-old idea given new life in Berger’s hands. In his essays on Rembrandt, Berger instructs his audience to leave the museum and visit an emergency hospital. He explains that it is only then that we can truly understand the beauty and intelligence of Rembrandt’s depiction of the fragility of existence. This is just one example of how Berger’s work contextualises Art. Not just making the practice and observation of art more accessible but also reminding the (often) elitist art world that Art lives in and is inescapable from the every day. Publishing his last book, ‘Landscapes: John Berger on Art’, in 2016, the publication fittingly gives the reader an insight into how Berger came to attain the way of seeing that made him such a visionary. He explores and exposes the creativity in all walks of life and throughout history. Using landscapes as a metaphor, Berger brings to the forefront that which is so often considered nothing but mere background. Earlier the same year Berger brought out ‘Confabulations’, a collection of essays focusing on language and the way in which language is inextricably weaved into society. Like much of Berger’s writing, it considers its subject from a holistically contextualised stand point, a unique feature of his way of seeing. Berger, though so entrenched in the subjects o f his writing, needed distance f o r true observation. He spent the end of his life in self-imposed exile in the Alps, leaving his Hackney birthplace synonymously with his surge in popularity in the 1970s. This is where the genius of his perception lay; the ability to be both in and outside his subject matter.
There are a number of strong ideological influences key to Berger’s interpretation of art, often it is difficult to know whether art is merely the chosen vehicle for his philosophies. Often appealing to great thinkers that had proceeded him, Spinoza seemed time and time again to be of particular interest to him. Perhaps the irony of Spinoza’s lens-grinding side occupation is what attracted him. Undoubtedly Berger’s Marxism underpins much of his work, and has often been a source of great media cynicism for him. In his later years the strength of this commitment did not alter, but with the popularisation of the term Berger began to specify his position. Stating that if he was asked whether he was a Marxist by someone wellversed in Karl Marx’s publication then he would agree, on any other occasion he preferred to keep a sceptical distance from the term. This may seem to crack Berger’s anti-elitist-bureaucratic veneer, but for me it only serves to show the rigour of Berger’s desire for truth and understanding.
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Accept the unknown. There are no secondary characters. Each one is silhouetted against the sky. All have the same stature. Within a given story some simply occupy more space.
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ohn Berger first entered my life as a simple little book in a large collection of my artist mother’s, observed but not seen for many years. From the outside, it was nothing more than any other coffee book you may come across. But inside this little book lay the basis for a generation’s cultural understanding. This year on January 2nd John Berger passed away, a man who will be remembered for his profound impact on the art world. John Berger’s insight into the world around him paralleled, if not exceeded, those in history who we often romanticise; Kafka, Austen, Warhol, & Bacon to name a few. Instead of hoarding this talent, Berger spent his career spreading the gospel, lending his glasses to the new generations he saw around him. Berger’s work concerns itself with the visual world and its representations, because it was the human presentation of the human condition that fascinated him.
It is hard to cover the scope Berger covered in a life time, in a single article. It is also hard to convey the power and significance of Berger’s writing. Art-lover or not, Berger has a way of speaking to a multitude of interests under the guise of a single topic, and I implore you to seek him out. During an interview with BBC reporter, Jeremy Isaacs, Berger stated,“I feel that I’m a story-teller, that is all”. In doing so he was doing himself a disservice; he modestly underestimated the power of his authorship. Berger told the story of past generations through his artist accounts and he exposed the story of the present to a generation unaware of itself. It is the revelations of Berger’s story telling that will enable the future to be its own author.
Berger gave cultural contact lenses to a generation and for this, 2017, and every year after, is indebted to him.
Photograph (edited): Creative Commom