Indigo 822 by Palatinate

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EDITORIAL Thursday, 14 November 2019

www.palatinate.org.uk

BOOKS 3 The New Northern Poets VISUAL ARTS 4&5 All eyes on Lumiere

FOOD & DRINK 6 Beyond Food

TRAVEL 7 An Arctic Adventure CREATIVE WRITING 8&9 “A poem is an audacious thing” MUSIC 10 Recomposing History FEATURES 11 The Count’s House FASHION 12 & 13 Time’s Up: Two Years On & Diet Prada: Fashion Exposed? STAGE 14 “Oh no it doesn’t”... “Oh yes it does!” FILM & TV 15 Is “woke culture” the death f comedy? INTERVIEW 16 Celebrating sustainability

www.facebook.com/palindigo Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @indigodurham Have a question, comment, or an idea for a story you’d like to write? Email indigo@palatinate.org.uk Logo: Chloe Wong Cathedral Artwork: Anna Gibbs Front Cover: Lizzie English

I like to think that indigo looks at the lighter things in life. The arts, the things we enjoy and the things which interest us. Generally, it carries a lightheartedness which comes from people writing about the things they love. That’s not always possible though; the arts and the things we love often disappoint us and we have to examine them critically and ask ourselves, can we really continue to love them? This week, Fashion looks at the impact of Time’s Up on the industry two years on, and Diet Prada’s place in callout culture (p. 12 & 13); Film examines whether comedy can still be made in our “woke culture”- spoiler: it can (p. 15). It’s important to remain engaged like this and be aware of the flaws within the industries and institutions which shape our cultural, online and physical lives. Bearing this in mind, it may be within your interest to attend the Durham University Climate Strike this Friday. Holding the university to account is something Palatinate as a whole prides itself on and I think it’s something we should all be trying to do, as much as we can. Along with this political and social engagement though, our surroundings are host to some beautiful pieces of history and at the moment, some rather illuminating artwork. Features uncovers the history of the Count’s House (p. 11) and Visual Arts goes behind the scenes of Lumiere (p. 4 & 5). Although this issue does engage with our political and environmental climate, it doesn’t always have to be in a critical way. Music looks at LGBT+ composers of history, and shows how other people’s defiance can be something in which to find strength. Shauna Lewis

INDIGO EDITORS Shauna Lewis Imogen Usherwood (deputy) FEATURES EDITORS Kleopatra Olympiou Mary Bradshaw (deputy)

CREATIVE WRITING EDITORS Catriona Inglis Meadbh Ni Mhorain

STAGE EDITORS Martha Wrench Gabriella Sills (deputy) VISUAL ARTS EDITORS Faye Saulsbury Florie Moran BOOKS EDITORS Clara Knight Lotte Hall FASHION EDITORS Molly Goetzee Freya Ellingsen(deputy) Hugo Millard(deputy) FOOD & DRINK EDITORS Elle Woods-Marshall Imogen Higgins TRAVEL EDITORS Abir Mishra Alex Bicknell-Cummins (deputy) FILM & TV EDITOR Aadira Parakkat Madeleine Rosie Strom MUSIC EDITORS Matthew Prudham Theo Golden INTERVIEW EDITORS Kiara Davies Rachael Brown

BOOKS 3

Thursday, 14 November 2019

The New Northern Poets Books applauds the 2019 winners of The Northern Writers Awards By Rosie Catcheside books@palatinate.org.uk

By Chloe Waugh

enny Boxall, a borna n d raised Northerner, has recently gained recognition and acclaim for her poetic contribut i o n s. The Northern Writers’ Award for poetry has selected three poets in recognition of their talent. Although this accolade is a grand achievement, it is not the first award Boxall has received for her work, and most definitely not the last.

“Unexpected, refreshing and original” Boxall was the winner of the Women’s Poetry Competition just last year, for her poem ‘The Wedding List’. This poem offers a refreshing point of view, excellent understanding of the effect of rhythm and visuals, and a playful yet honest insight into her mind. These attributes are also present in her poem ‘The Dub Artist’, which won The Poetry Society’s Stanza Poetry Competition for 2019. Alongside the many awards and achievements under Boxall’s belt, she has published two collections of poems: Ship of the Line in 2014 and Who Goes There? in 2018, with a new collection, Lights Out, under way. Considering the recognition and awards received for her formerly published work, there is no doubt her new work will not disappoint. Many words and phrases have been used to describe Boxall’s poetry: unexpected, refreshing and original, to name a few. But perhaps the most important thing to remember about Boxall is that she is just getting started.

By Anna De Vivo

B u c h a n - Wa t t s is the youngest of the three winning poets, yet he has already established himself as one to watch in the poetry scene. At 31, BuchanWatts has won the Eric Gregory Award, received an AHRC Fellowship at the Yale Centre for British Art, and is co-editor of clinic press. In 2015, he was announced as a Faber New Poet, beating around nine hundred other applicants to be published. His work is not confined to this collection however; he has also published poems, essays, and interviews in a myriad of other publications, including the Poetry Review, Chicago Review, and Poetry London. Buchan-Watts is currently completing his PhD at York, and is deeply engaged with the contemporary poetry scene. His book Try To Be Better challenged contemporary artists to respond to extracts from W.S. Graham’s notebooks through poems, art and installations, among other mediums. The project demonstrates how each generation of artists inspire the next, and showcases the incredible talent in contemporary art today. In his own poetry, Buchan-Watts has a talent for taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary. In poems like ‘The Dentist’s Chair’ and ‘Car Game Logic’, everyday scenes are made beautiful through minute observations and highly sensory depictions. Whilst he uses more conventional poetic forms in poems like ‘The Dogs’, he is particularly skillful in his prose poems. These more experimental works are so replete with images and associations that readers may find themselves feeling disoriented. BuchanWatts takes an innovative approach with his expert command of poetic language to create work which is simultaneously highly readable and immensely clever.

h e

multi-talent ed Rommi Smith is a poet, playwright and performer. Smith has also received the Hedgebrook Fellowship in the United States and its Elizabeth George award. With a calming yet firm command over language, Smith’s style is unique, fusing the creative power of language and music in what she has called her “creative crossroads.” Her focus on musical composition is reflected in her highly meditative verse on sexual and identity politics. She also has an astute focus on metrics and sound, ideas which she explores in her collections Moveable Type and Mornings and Midnights: A Collection in Progress. Smith has held a large variety of writing residencies which range from the BBC to the British Council to California State University. Smith’s work has also been commissioned by the BBC in multiple programmes such as From Fact to Fiction, Poetry Please and Woman’s Hour. Above all of this, Smith is also a qualified secondary school teacher who has worked in various educational settings, such as mentoring students at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and The Royal Opera House. She has also trained aspiring slam poets for the most notable poetry slam competition in the world, Brave New Voices, which was filmed for the award-winning documentary, We Are Poets. Submissions for The New Northern Writers Awards 2020 open 20th November. Student submissions are eligible. Images by Topher McGrillis courtesy of New Writing North

VISUAL ARTS 4

Thursday, 14 November 2019

All eyes on Lumiere Visual Arts speaks to Fenella Dawney, producer of Lumiere 2019 By Imi Marchant visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk

umiere is one of Durham’s cultural crowning glories. This year, the UK’s largest light festival returns with a particular resonance; Lumiere’s 10th anniversary will provide a stunning end to Durham’s Year of Culture. We spoke to Fenella Dawney, this year’s producer, about maintaining Lumiere’s appeal, co-ordinating both local and global perspectives, and what we can expect from this decennial celebration of light and art.

with an audience of over three million, Fenella expresses her delight at the festival’s enduring power to attract and inspire. She attributes this to the uniquely immersive nature of the festival, pushing the idea that it allows you to explore the city, but also to re-interpret it. This seems particularly fitting given the increased emphasis on active audience participation, which we are seeing in the modern art world.

It is Fenella’s first time producing Lumiere. She has previously worked with Artichoke - the company behind Lumiere and other public art displays in a freelance capacity in 2017. Her enthusiasm to be part of Lumiere at such an integral point in the show’s history is obvious. When asked what the team have added to distinguish this year’s festivities from the others she states, “there’s a really exciting programme this year. We’re bringing back ten much-loved artworks and we’re also introducing a new permanent artwork to Durham.’

As Lumiere’s appeal continues to grow,

“Both international and local artists” Fenella also highlights the importance of Lumiere’s timing. With its colourful creativity and celebration of light, it would almost be natural to associate Lumiere with summer. However, for Fenella, the thing that really makes Lumiere “worth getting out of the house for” is the way that it encourages us to step outside in spite of the encroaching winter evenings.

“Total audience of over three million”

There will be a total of 37 artworks displayed, including some of Fenella’s personal favourites: Adam Frelin’s ‘White Line’, ‘Keys of Light’ and ‘For The Birds’, as well as some new innovative pieces at the Cathedral. There will also be a number of interactive installations exhibited, alongside renowned works from both international and local artists such as Mr.Beam from the Netherlands, Javier Riera from Spain and NOVAK from Newcastle.

entirely novel, audience-based immersion.

Fenella stresses the importance of the festival as a unifying force. This is certainly true; Lumiere provides an opportunity for the university and town communities to come together in spaces which usually serve as backdrops to our busy lives. Fenella also expresses the importance of “the ability of light to inspire that childlike sense of wonder”, something which will be heightened by the sheer diversity of the pieces displayed this year.

This phenomenon has largely been generated by the growth in popularity of immersive art installations such as Anya Hindmarch’s ‘Weave Project’, shown at London Fashion Week; but the effect of social media on audience response has proved integral in making this shift. Audience involvement is not something that Lumiere shies away from; Squidsoup’s ‘Wave’ combines modern-day technologies and lighting techniques to create an

On the challenges of producing Lumiere, Fenella expresses the excitement of “making sure [the festival] is in sync with the life and activity of the city”, coordinating the city’s historicity with its rapid development, something she hopes is reflected in the range of pieces at this year’s show. The enticing appeal of works which “beckon you down alleyways” and the magical quality of literally lighting up a city indicate that this year will quite possibly be “the best Lumiere yet.” Images via Artichoke Publicity.

VISUAL ARTS Thursday, 14 November 2019

FOOD & DRINK 6

Thursday, 14 November 2019

Beyond Food Alex Abbs talks to us about Durham society ‘Beyond Food’ and how to get involved By Immy Higgins and Elle Woods-Marshall Food & Drink Editors food@palatinate.org.uk

s the winter months approach, it feels apt to feature the Durham Foodbank and the university society which supports its work, Beyond Food. We spoke with Alex, the President of the society, about the importance of the Durham Foodbank, how to get involved and what volunteering at university means to her. 18,666 emergency food supplies were given to people in crisis last year by the Durham Foodbank. Set up in 2011, the organization provides three-day emergency meal packages for people in County Durham who need them. It is part of a larger network of 428 foodbanks built by The Trussell Trust across the UK. Alex emphasised how crucial the foodbank’s support to its service users is, and the high volume of supplies that are distributed. Alex told us about how Beyond Food is a way for students to become involved in the vital work Durham Foodbank does. Last year, the society was able to send student volunteers to help in the Foodbank. However, this year the Foodbank is well staffed and oversubscribed so Beyond Food are channeling all of their support into donations. The Foodbank liason officer suggests that, although they would love and appreciate monetary donations, food donations are the most helpful.

Consequently, the primary aim for Beyond Food is to increase food donations from colleges by promoting food donations boxes. They are also planning to start donations before formals too. If you wish to donate food in college, the box will either be in the reception or JCR. The society has also assigned a Beyond Food representative for each college to keep track of donations and involvement. There are still a number of colleges which need reps, including Jon Snow, Chad’s, Hild Bede and Stephenson. If you would like information or advice on what kinds of food to donate, check out the Durham Foodbank website. Alex suggests tins, pasta, rice pudding, custard and long-life milk. This year, the Feeding Families project is teaming up with Beyond Food. This project creates Christmas hampers for similar service users of the Foodbank. These hampers contain the usual key items as well as extras such as hot chocolate. Unlike last year, students can get involved in making these hampers and are aiming to raise £1000 in funding by Christmas. If you want to get involved with any of these projects, please email beyondfood.sca@ durham.ac.uk. We asked Alex about what volunteering in Durham means to her and the role

it plays in her life. After getting involved with a lot of charity projects last year, such as work in her college and the DUCK Rag race team, she was really keen to take more of a leadership role in the DSCA. Last Easter she volunteered on a week-long Durham For Refugees warehouse project where her work ranged from clothes sorting, helping with tents, wood-shop and volunteering in the kitchen. Her involvement in the kitchen fuelled her interest in Beyond Food, as it allowed to her see how valuable food donations are. The prominence of homelessness in Durham is noticeable to us all, and for Alex this has become a driving force in her charity work this year.

“Being able to get out of the Durham bubble is important” She thinks that to create a connection with the local community is a key part of being a student in a new city and said, “Durham is such a bubble, being able to get out of that bubble is really important.” One central aspect of Durham she loves is the fact that charity work and volunteering play such a key role; she views this work as part of being a student here. Alex encouraged everyone to get involved in this project in anyway you can, emphasizing that you can put as much into it as you wish. We all have busy degrees, but a role with Beyond Food is flexible and does not take up a lot of your time. In doing it, you can help harness the support and donations needed for this incredibly valuable organization. Illustration by Yasmin Hatton

TRAVEL Thursday, 14 November 2019

An Arctic Adventure

Niamh-Patersoon Moody takes away research and more from her trip to the Arctic By Niamh Paterson-Moody travel@palatinate.org.uk

he Arctic: a location deemed wild and pristine with land so far North that woolly jumpers are mandatory year-round. As a Geography student, I was offered the chance to explore a part of the world which I previously hadn’t given a second thought to. Part of a module exploring the governance of the Arctic, the field trip took place in and around the Tromso area in Northern Norway. It focused on the impact of climate change on the Arctic and its people - all of whom are experiencing the effects twice as fast as the global average. The trip included a visit to Tromso Museum and presentations from the Arctic Polar Bear Research Institute and the Arctic Secretariat Council. For me, the museum was of particular interest: it focused on the cultural discrimination which the Sámi have faced, highlighting their recent recognition by the Norwegian government. We moved out of the city to Skibotn a few days later, staying in a field centre that gave the rustic chic aesthetic a whole new meaning – the most obvious example being the cosy wooden cabins dotted around. In a desperate search for the Northern Lights, each evening was spent by the fire; but, alas, nothing but a slight streak of green was found. Keen as we were, this did little to dull our spirits. From the field centre, we drove towards Steindalsbreen (translated to Steindals Glacier). In the space of a 4-hour hike the seasons seemed to shift, forcing us to layer up as we moved. I had never seen a glacier before- other than on the Discovery Channel- and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was taken aback by its sheer size, as it engulfed the mountain and spilled outwards, melting at the snout into a stream that rushed through the valley. We were told that its size paled in comparison to what it once was, having retreated over 200m up the mountain since the 1980s – the impact of a warming world on the Arctic’s glaciers. From Skibotn, we crossed the border into Finland, where the landscape shifted from mountainous to the tundra. This sec-

tion of land was considered amongst the best to graze reindeer for the Sámi, with it being far enough inland to not experience wet weather from the coast (consequently freezing the ground). We were able to cross a footbridge into Sweden, effectively journeying into three countries in one day. I stayed on with a friend for an extra five days to carry out my dissertation research, interviewing the indigenous Sámi population of Norway and seeing how climate change was impacting their traditional ways of life. The Sámi are the indigenous peoples of the northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula and much of the Kola Peninsula. Through my research, I was found that industrial development has had a terribly negative impact on reindeer husbandry in the region, taking up land otherwise owned by the Sámi for their reindeer to graze on.

greeted by a pile of antlers, reindeer pelts strewn around and what appeared to be a fish skin hanging up outside the front door! Raising an eyebrow, I turned to my friend and said, somewhat cautiously, “perhaps it’s a good omen?” A good omen it was. Before the trip I was unsure about what it was I wanted to do once I graduated – to say this is no longer the case would be an understatement.Two weeks surrounded by fjords and valleys enveloped in an orange hue, driving on the wrong side of the road, and meeting people so willing to open up about their culture has made it absolutely clear; pushing yourself to experience new things can be the most rewarding

“I came to realise just how much left there is to experience” My friend and I had planned to go for a hike on a miserable morning in Tromso, doubtful the weather would clear. As we moved away from the city and onto the fjord of Kvaloya, the sun started to burst through the clouds. Our supposedly dreary walk up Brosmetinden became much more exciting. Looking down at the clear blue ocean and across the mountains peaked with snow, after a decently long walk, I came to realise just how much there is left to experience. Just 10m away, for example, a herd of reindeer rested and milled about – one of many instances confirming what a magical place this was. Pulling up to one of my interviews, I was

Photography by Niamh Paterson-Moody

CREATIVE WRITING 8

Thursday, 14 November 2019

“A poem is an audacious thing” Poet and English lecturer Kayo Chingonyi on Durham, his influences and recent work By Fahad Al-Amoudi creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk

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Poetry is almost the currency of feeling in language,” ponders Kayo Chingonyi, Durham University’s very own English lecturer and Dylan Thomas prizewinning poet. “The poem is an event, a happening. A poem is an audacious thing, it demands to be read with the same weight as a thousand-page novel.” In a corner of Café Capriccio, Chin-

gonyi reflects on being back in the North East; a place he is all too familiar with after a childhood spent around Newcastle, County Durham and Teeside. “The North East is an imaginatively rich place; having the opportunity to interact with it regularly as a teacher is really important to me and quite special. I’ve been really moved by some of the conversations I’ve been able to have with students, about a specific North East identity and how to capture that in poetry.” In his year spent with the English department, Chingonyi has taught the undergraduate Creative Writing Poetry module and is currently leading the English Literature MA poetry module, in which he is specializing in the African American canon. “We become too blinkered in our own discipline,” Chingonyi says, moving onto the importance of inter-disciplinary study in English and his plans to weave the humanities and arts into his teachings. After this, it doesn’t take long before the conversation moves to music and poetry. “A poetry collection is very similar to a DJ set,” Chingonyi comments, “it is composed of discrete parts which eventually form a whole.”

Music has been a profound influence on Chingonyi, both in recorded form and as a live experience, ranging from Lynnée Denise to Kendrick Lamar to Jean Grae. As a DJ, Hip Hop emcee, and essayist, his influences are incredibly diverse and inform his poetics as well as his personhood. This extends to the poetry world; his biggest influences have come from writers who have an appreciation of poetry as a narrative and as a “sonically engaging form.” These include his mentors such as Malika Booker, Roger Robinson and Jacob Sam-La-Rose - the list could go on. He talks a lot about the power of the live experience and how it has parallels with poetry collections. “I’ve listened a lot to the Floating Points and Four Tet closing set at Plastic People in London. They played something like a five-hour set and they travel in that set between a kind of collective mourning for this shared space that no longer exists, and a joy and exuberance and celebration of the nightclub as a space of communion. I think that set is very special in that regard because in those five hours you’re taken in all sorts of different directions.” For Chingonyi, a collection should aim to achieve the same emotional range which can be experienced both collectively and individuallya testament to the musicality of his work.

“We become too blinkered in our own discipline” When discussing his debut collection: Kumukanda, Chingonyi remembers how much the book developed organically from its original intention. What was meant to be a study in received notions of black masculinity and British identity became

CREATIVE WRITING 9

Thursday, 14 November 2019

much broader as the project matured and incorporated several other themes which pillared the collection. “It was a history of musical culture and in some ways became a celebration of the poetics of place”; Celebration is an apt choice of words.

“Space and time is collapsed in poetry” Something that often features heavily in his work has been the elegy - celebrating life - and how these experiences of joy come from places of intense conflict and hardship. “There’s a pressure on writers who are immigrants to a place to represent a monolithic experience, often in the popular imagination these experiences are skewed towards negativity. The difficulties of assimilation, the difficulty of the crossing, the legal wrangling.” While Chingonyi acknowledges that these narratives are valid, Kumukanda explores the stamina of hardship and the creativity and joy which comes out of these experiences; “Creativity, humour: these are the technologies of survival.” Another unique facet about Chingonyi’s work is his ability to capture those moments that exist outside the text, sounds which cannot be described or musical notations which cannot be scored. “Why the colour of James Brown’s Scream?” A silence passes that could easily have been filled by Soul Brother No. 1’s iconic outburst. “It captures that extra textual moment, it’s a riff, an adlib; someone could not accurately re-create that sound. [It is] a gesture to what is outside language.” When asked if this can elicit a physical response in the reader, Chingonyi answers, “There is a ceremonial quality to poetry, it is incantatory.” He gathers himself, “Anything which pushes the listener to suspend their disbelief and create worlds in their mind is trafficking in magic, it is the connecting medium between various artforms, it is the means by which we can create and inspire.” We take it back to the beginning. When

discussing his early career, Chingonyi explains what it was about poetry that drew him in and inspired him to experiment with its form and music. “Space and time is collapsed in poetry, there’s an urgency. Other mediums refer to an event, the poem is an event.” It was a deep admiration of the narrative element of poetry which pushed him to explore it as a career alongside his childhood passion for music. Chingonyi explains that ultimately poetry can be seen in terms of literary sampling, perhaps best summed up by an Oddisee quote cited in Kumukanda: “When you sample you’re not only picking up that sound, you’re picking up the room it was recorded in.” “My writing is a celebration of reading, the weirder the two elements are in relation to each other the more unique the thing that’s created. If I’m listening to the Smiths, DJ Shadow and free jazz, then something different is created.” Poetry is not solely about the text, it is about, “the atmosphere that you conjure in your poems” which can be heavily influenced by what you reference. “What I aspire to be is to be half as good as the people whose work I like.” There’s more than humility in that sentence. There is a drive and fascination to keep evolving as a writer which comes with complete devotion and appreciation of the craft. His most important piece of advice for young writers is to “remember what you found joyful” in the act of creating; to give your ideas the time and space to develop, because the career side

of things is often smoke and mirrors. The industry is often more focused on product than process and marketing is valued more than artistic development - something that a number of prominent poets have vocalized recently.

“The means by which we can create and inspire” His message to writers is to have a rationale when it comes to your career. Always question yourself. Be specific and intentional. Images via Kayo Chingonyi

MUSIC 10

Thursday, 14 November 2019

Recomposing History The trailblazers of queer classical music By Theo Golden and Sam Rees music@palatinate.org.uk

n 13th September 2019, Sam Smith came out as non-binary. The responses were mostly positive, and I am delighted that Smith can live as their most authentic self, despite their spotlight in the public eye. However, Smith is just the latest addition to the queer musical storyline. You may not realize it, but the western musical cannon is littered with LGBT+ composers. Examples can be found as far back as Jean-Baptiste de Lully, who was King Louis XIV’s court composer. Despite his exalted position, he engaged in several affairs with men and women, but in 1685 scandal broke out about his liaisons with a page named “Brunet”. This heavily contributed to his fall from the King’s favour, but Lully’s nonchalant approach to his sexuality has made him a bisexual icon. For me, the most interesting figures are Francis Poulenc, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Benjamin Britten and Ethel Smyth, because of their use of music in the face of prejudice and discrimination. Poulenc was an openly homosexual man, after the decriminalisation of homosexual activity in France. However, this came into conflict particularly early on in his life, with his devout Catholicism. He is reported to have said: “You know that I am as sincere in my faith, without any messianic screamings, as I am in my Parisian sexuality”. In other words, “I have no qulams, why should you?”

Poulenc, in his Sinfonietta, uses fragrant “camp” musical gestures, which would suggest that it is a celebration of homosexuality, unashamedly revelling in and foregrounding the music as “camp”. The most remarkable part of Poulenc’s story is that he survived the Nazi occupation of France. Some argue that this was because he was actually a supporter of Vichy France, but I find this hard to fathom, particularly because of his “Figure Humaine” (1945), which takes poems with lots of resistance subtext by Éluard. Unfortunately, Tchaikovsky’s life is a much sadder case. He was deeply closeted about his sexuality, and for years details of it had been censored in Russia. The Tchaikovsky Papers: Unlocking the Family Archive, edited by Marina Kostalevsky, shows Tchaikovsky’s struggles with his identity but also his compositions. It has long been understood in the West, but as Kostalevsky told The Guardian “it is still a subject of heated and often ugly public debate” in Russia. His Sixth Symphony is often regarded as his “coming out” work because of its dedication to a supposed lover. Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony is similarly infused with his sexuality. The first theme can be said to represent a projection of his inner desire to express his sexuality and the horn-call may represent his sexual repression.

Britten is now well-known as a homosexual figure, despite his apparent discretion. Britten’s most famous relationship was with the tenor Peter Pears. The partnership is said to have lasted from 1939 right to Britten’s death in 1976. Britten’s stunning Canticle I: ‘My Beloved is Mine’, composed in 1947, was performed by Pears. Using Francis Quarles’ poetry, it uses the line “I my best beloved’s am – so he is mine”. This explicit reference of love cannot be lost on anyone, and it is especially important when one considers that same-sex relationships were illegal at this time. In Donald Mitchell’s 1980 biography of Britten, Pears said it wasn’t “the story of one man. It’s a life of the two of us.” In fact, after Britten’s death, Pears received a letter of condolence from the Queen. Last, but in no way least, is Dame Ethel Smyth. A fervent suffragette, she wrote ‘The March of the Women’, arguably the movement’s anthem. She lived under Queen Victoria, who did not even wish to acknowledge the existence of lesbian relationships. Smyth is wellknown to have fallen in love with prolific women of her generation like Emmeline Pankhurst and Virginia Woolf. These icons from years gone by act as a precedent for all musicians. They allow our contemporaries to perform as their authentic selves, and with the confidence of those who trailblazed before them. Image Credits: Hans Wild; JSSGallery.

FEATURES Thursday, 14 November 2019

The Count’s House Tracing the history of this overlooked structure in Durham By Victoria Verdesoto features@palatinate.org.uk

he footpath that circles round the south of the Bailey is by far one of the quieter and more scenic places in Durham. At some point between the Prebends and Kingsgate bridges, a small house- resembling a miniature Greek temple- stands next to the footpath, partly hidden by the surrounding forest. It does not seem like much at first – to be honest, its sandstone walls covered in white graffiti and four Doric columns are somewhat underwhelming. The Count’s House, however, is what remains of a trivial yet curious part of Durham’s history. This small building has no apparent functional purpose – with such small dimensions, it is actually very difficult to imagine anyone living there. Little is known about when it was built, but it possibly owes its name to Count Boruwłaski; a Polish musician who had dwarfism and toured European royal courts playing the violin and the guitar for a living. Józef Boruwłaski is a bit of a Durham celebrity. If you’ve ever been into the Town Hall on Market Square, you will have seen the 2ft, life-size statue of him, along with his violin and other personal possessions. He accepted an offer to live in Durham from Thomas Ebdon, then the cathedral’s organist, and was made an honorary member of Durham Granby Lodge in 1806. He retired and died in Durham, and is buried in the cathedral, in a grave inconspicuously marked ‘JB’.

“Boruwłaski is a bit of a Durham celebrity” Boruwłaski did live on the South Bailey, just not in the house that bears his title. He lived where St. Cuthbert’s Society’s tennis court currently stands, metres away from the Count’s House. It appears in

some late 19th-century maps of the Bailey under different names, described as a summerhouse. It was probably built as a folly to decorate Boruwłaski’s garden, hence the name and size of the building. In an 1860 map of Durham, the building appears under the name of ‘Shipperdson’s cottage’- Reverend Shipperdson was a member of the county’s nobility and also lived on the South Bailey. Then, the 1881 census reports a family of eight living in ‘Miss Wooler’s Cottage Court’s corner’, presumably the Count’s House as well. Throughout the last century it has been pictured multiple times, certainly in better condition than it stands today. More recently, the Count’s House was featured in the 2017 Lumiere Festival, where it hosted

Finola Finn’s installation ‘Know Thyself’. It may be hard to imagine, especially as a student, a time where the Bailey was not dominated by the university, and in the grand scheme of Durham’s history, this tiny construction is insignificant. But it serves as an important reminder that every day we encounter quirky relics of the past which are unique to this city. It is easy to overlook these relics, but paying attention to them gives us access to visions from Durham’s history, such as the image of a small and talented musician walking along the Wear in the 1800s. Photographts by Mary Bradshaw

FASHION 12

Thursday, 14 November 2019

Time’s Up: Two Years On Joey Yip looks into whether fashion is more accountable in the social media age By Joey Yip fashion@palatinate.org.uk

n the two year anniversary of the ‘Time’s Up’ movement, it’s important to look back and reflect on whether the fashion industry has improved in the wake of this movement. Largely an extension of the ‘Me Too’ movement, which dealt with sexual violence, ‘Time’ s Up’ focused on eradicating sexual harrassment and assault in the workplace. Both movements have played out mostly on social media, with fashion industry watchdog Diet Prada dominating Instagam feeds in 2019.

an influential power on the internet due to acknowledgement from designers and brands; for example, Kim Kardashian issued a public statement after Diet Prada compared her childrenswear line to Vetements and Comme des Garçons. Other celebrities, such as Ariana Grande and Gigi Hadid, spoke out after the photographer scandal, publicly expressing their disgust towards the situations. This combination of celebrity endorsements and pop culture’s ‘call-out’ obsession contributes hugely towards Diet Prada’s credibility.

The instagram account is most wellknown for calling out brands on copycat designs, though it has also been known to expose designers for cultural appropriation, lack of model diversity and, most famously, the toleration of sexual harassment and abuse in the fashion industry.

Diet Prada’s success is due to society’s craving for the next scandal. So yes, although Diet Prada contributes towards speaking out against sexual harassment, it isn’t enough to change the fashion industry.

Earlier this summer, Diet Prada shot to fame when the account wrote an exposé on predatory celebrity photographers, including Marcus Hyde and Timur Emek. This occurred after LA based model Sunnaya Nash exposed Hyde’s inappropriate conduct via instagram DM. Emek had allegedly been sexually assaulting models during photoshoots, with LA based model Haley Bowman accusing him of forcing her to grab his crotch. Both photographers were high profile in the industry, Hyde having photographed the likes of Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande in the past, and Emek having shot for the popular lingerie brand Victoria Secret. Diet Prada’s posts in July 2019 attracted well over a hundred thousand likes and majorly boosted their social following. As of October 2019, Diet Prada has 1.6 million followers on instagram. It’s meteorical rise can be attributed to the ever-increasing popularity of instagram, not just for entertainment but also as a source of gossip. It also helps that the ‘call-out’ nature of the internet fits Diet Prada’s market perfectly; they spill the tea and instagrammers drink it eagerly. The account is

The fashion industry has a history of failing to remember scandals. For instance, Dolce a n d G a b b a n a ’s temporary downfall in November 2018 was extremely shortlived. After releasi n g racist advertisements prior to a runway show in Shanghai and the exposure of Stefano Gab-

bano’s racist messages, consumers across the globe exploded with outrage and promptly ‘cancelled’ the brand. Yet despite this outcry and calls for boycotting, D&G remains firmly plastered all over celebrity bodies. Evidently, being ‘cancelled’ online is only temporary. The incidents with Hyde and Emek in July 2019 are not isolated incidents. Predatory photographers are extremely common in the fashion industry, where models are abused by agents and designers. The ‘disposable’ nature of models is what makes them most vulnerable. In an industry where supply is higher than demand, any model can be easily replaced if they are deemed too ‘difficult’. The temporary nature of the internet’s ‘call-out’ obsessions shows that it isn’t up to accounts like Diet Prada to make the fashion industry more accountable. It is up to the essential cogs of the machine that make up the industry: agencies, brands and des i g n e r s. Image Credit: Flickr

FASHION 13

Thursday, 14 November 2019

Diet Prada: Fashion Exposed? Mary Harvey-Crawford looks at fashion’s power duo By Mary Harvey-Crawford fashion@palatinate.org.uk

or those who have never heard of Diet Prada, it would not be unreasonable to describe them as the Instagram account which holds the fashion industry to account. If you thought the evidence of a big night out on your bank account status was hideous, you are yet to behold some of the reveals posted by Diet Prada. Their slogan describing their content is ‘ppl knocking each other off’ but considering the variety in the scandals they have posted, this may be a little oversimplified. The account started anonymously in 2014 but has since been revealed as the love child of fashion school graduates Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler. The pair have no fear of offending giants in the field. One of the most prominent figures Diet Prada has offended is Stefano Gabbana. The feud started with a Diet Prada’s comparison between Dolce & Gabbana’s promotional pictures for a new collection and Gucci’s old ‘Gucci Ghost Collection’ featuring similar doodle and graffiti backgrounds. This then spiralled into Stefano Gabbana labelling everyone as ‘idiots’ in the comments section. Diet Prada’s response was to make T shirts with Gabbana’s comment on them reading ‘please say sorry to me’. Gabbana retaliated by producing t shirts with ‘#please apologise 2 me’ printed on them for a meagre $481. Since then, Diet Prada has continued to ensure that Gabbana are held accountable for their copying and offensive comments.

“There is no excuse not to express a point of view” After proving themselves unafraid of the bigger names, they spotted the Fashion House Loewe producing bags copying a

traditional Ecuadorian print as a signature design. Diet Prada put up a not so subtle post about how much it reminded them of obscure Ecuadorian traditional prints and then showed a side by side comparison of the basically identical designs. This has been followed up since with a scourge of posts exposing fashion houses for taking advantage of traditional cultures for fashion. Essentially, holding the business accountable for decades of making money off the backs of other cultures. Lastly, it wouldn’t be fair to forget the biggest perpetrators of this; the Kardashians, who have been chastised multiple times by Diet Prada for their cultural appropriation. They also seem to have a bad habit of copying other designers such as Vetements- according to the account. Not always critical though, Diet Prada actually commended Khloe for improving a past Yves Saint Laurent leather dress in her Good American collection. The Kardashians recent

crimes con-

sist of copying anything Rihanna wore circa-2000 to the blatant copying of Naomi Campbell’s runway outfits for Versace. For this reason, Naomi Campbell is a massive fan and often reposts them on her own social media account. One of the most shocking and more serious accusations ever to be released by Diet Prada, is evidence of Kim Kardashian’s photographer friend Marcus Hyde trying to coerce a young model into sending him nude photographs. Although this is not necessarily what everyone would deem effective in treating sexual harassment, Diet Prada have proved they have no qualms in confronting fashion industry giants and providing a platform to the underrepresented voices in the industry. To end with their own words on the current state of the fashion industry: “There are major issues coming to a head and there is no excuse to not express a point of view.” Image Credit: Polimoda via. Flickr

STAGE 14

Thursday, 14 November 2019

“Oh, no it doesn’t!” ... “Oh, yes it does!” Does Pantomime contribute effectively to the UK’s theatre scene? By Gabriella Sills Deputy Stage Editor stage@palatinate.org.uk

t’s that time of year again, when theatres up and down the country are announcing the Z-list celebrities starring in their annual Christmas pantomimes. The pantomime industry is huge in the UK, with around three million panto tickets being sold every year and income usually surpassing £60 million. In a theatre like our local Gala, the takings from the yearly pantomime is the only reason they can afford to stage other in-house work. It is a yearly phenomenon unique to the UK, which can seem entirely bizarre to foreign visitors. However, it is also often known as a time for “serious” theatre enthusiasts to stay away from and let the “rabble”, who wouldn’t normally think of entering a theatre, appreciate the lowest form of drama. But why is there a preconceived snobbery around theatre? Is this a trend which is slowly beginning to change, or is pantomime now forever condemned to be seen as worthless?

mimes both early in their careers or even at the height of their fame. Ian McKellen played Widow Twanky in 2014 at the Old Vic, thus rejecting the misconception that pantomime is not for “serious” actors, and therefore not for “serious” audiences. On the other hand, it has been argued that high-profile actors do not have the natural comic timing needed to perform in pantomime - it is an art form in its own right.

“The power to inspire” It would be unusual to hear the award for Best Musical at the Olivier Awards going to Cinderella, and it appears the genre is entirely locked out from this type of award ceremony. There is instead an annual Great British Pantomime Awards, but it does beg the question - why is it considered as such another entity? As well as the economic impact pantomime has on the theatre industry, both for theatres’ takings and for the performers who can earn far more doing a pantomime run than a normal touring production, it also has major social implications. As John Barrowman has commented, “I’m really passionate about pantomime because it is often the first introduction for a child to theatre, and if that child has a great experience at a pantomime they will continue to come year after year.”

“A yearly phenomenon unique to the UK” “Stunt” casting can often cause great distress to performers in the industry – Joe Sugg’s newfound role in the hit Waitress for example – as it takes away opportunities from trained performers who have put time and effort into honing their craft. However, this does not seem to be an issue that transgresses into the pantomime industry. Perhaps the snobbery already inherent about pantomime not having a high level of artistic value means it is a theatre genre which can allow for “stunt” casting. It used to be said that actors would rather be on the dole than starring in panto; however, this is changing. Respected actors such as Elaine Page and Celia Imrie have taken on roles in panto-

Maxine Peake playing Cinderella, Andrew Scott as Buttons and Simon Russell Beale joining Mark Rylance as the Ugly Sisters.)

Indeed, many actors have acknowledged that their experiences with pantomime as a child is what drew them towards theatre. Pantomime has the power to inspire children, whether that is in theatrical aspiration or even moral guidance. With theatre regularly trying to update pantomimes for modern audiences, removing the colonial connections and gendered roles which were so entrenched in the pantomime’s creation, productions can be highly inspirational experiences in one way or another.

Mark Shenton has gone so far as to suggest that he would like to see a production of Cinderella cast purely from actors who play Hamlet. (He imagines the likes of

Whether you will be watching a pantomime this year, maybe think twice about panto’s place in popular culture. Image via Creative Commons

FILM & TV 15

Thursday, 14 November 2019

Is “woke culture” the death of comedy? Charles Kershaw discusses Joker director Todd Phillips’ recent comments By Charles Kershaw film@palatinate.org.uk

he year is 2019. It is a bright cold day in October, and the clocks are striking thirteen. All free speech has been banned. Comedy is no longer possible, because if it offends a single person in society the comedian will immediately be “cancelled”. In this woke culture, the only media that survives is pre-approved by Twitter, so sanitised and inoffensive that it has absolutely nothing to say. Except that is not the society we live in, contrary to what some might lead you to believe. On the contrary; comedy is alive, well, and - dare I say it - thriving.

“Comedy is alive, well, and thriving.” So why does Todd Phillips, director of the new Joker movie, believe that it’s no longer possible to be funny? There has been much debate recently over the concept of “cancel culture” - the idea that, in this day and age, angry mobs on the internet can “cancel” people - as if they were a television series - if they do or say things that they perceive as even slightly offensive.This is simply not the case, and “cancel culture” as a concept doesn’t actually exist.

I won’t deny that over the past few years people have become more sensitive when it comes to topics concerning race, gender identity and sexuality. We have seen some important benefits due to this. Granted, we still have a long way to go, but we have made great strides. And because of this, we have become more aware of how jokes can harm - for example, by reducing a group to a single, inaccurate stereotype.

his laments at the danger of upsetting the “alphabet people” (his term for the LGBTQ+ community), his most recent Netflix special was heavily promoted and made him 20 million dollars richer. Critics haven’t rated it quite so highly as previous specials, but it’s not, as many claim, because they’re overly offended “snowflakes”, but rather because the material is lacking compared to his previous work.

As a result of this increase in “wokeness”, comedians have been affected; Kevin Hart was meant to host the Oscars this year, yet stepped down after tweets and a stand up routine emerged of him being homophobic; similarly James Gunn was fired from directing Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. Yet before you point to these people as victims of “cancel culture”, may I point out to you that every one of their careers is continuing to flourish?

Where previously Chapelle had given us an insight into life as a black man in America in a manner which was both poignant and hilarious, now he resorts to “punching down” with his comedy. His jokes aimed at the transgender community have absolutely no depth to them, relying solely on the tired “what if people identified as x” joke. It’s easy for him and his fans to hide behind the “you’re all too offended” excuse, but perhaps he and others like him should learn that it requires more than offensiveness to be actually funny.

Kevin Hart is about to star in Jumanji:The Next Level, a sequel to a blockbuster that he was also in, James Gunn is set to direct a new Suicide Squad with a star-studded cast, The only comedians’ careers that have truly suffered are Louis CK and Bill Cosbyboth of whom were “cancelled” due to allegations of sexual assault and harassment, not due to the jokes they made on stage. And what of Dave Chapelle, whose stand-up routines regularly mention the sensitivity of the current climate? Despite

So, if you want to watch something which “couldn’t be made today” that was, watch South Park, watch the new movie where Taika Waititi plays an imaginary Hitler, or any of the comedians I’ve mentioned - they’re all still around. If you’re a comedian, don’t expect to get any sympathy if people don’t find your casual racism and bigotry as funny as you do. Image by Madeleine Rosie Strom

INTERVIEW 16

Thursday 14, November 2019

Celebrating Sustainably Elsa Kent, President of Durfest, talks about fighting the climate emergency with music By Rachael Brown Interview Co-Editor Interview@palatinate.org.uk

ack in May of this year, the UK government voted to formally declare a climate emergency, driven by the pressure London-based activist group Extinction Rebellion. With the Amazon and large parts of central Africa on fire, hoards of plastic polluting the ocean and summer temperatures rising to scorching heats, the natural response to this decision was: about time. A sentiment shared by Elsa Kent, creator and organiser of environmental charity festival Durfest, who praises their efforts, saying “It’s about time we took the welfare of our planet seriously.”

ent vibe, as a “different, open minded space” which uses art to “make sustainability fun and the norm” .She confesses that making sustainability a norm, within Durham alone, has proved a challenge. This is evident through Durfest’s endeavors to get the university to replace disposable cups with student-assigned

And how to take it seriously? By throwing a festival, of course! As someone who grew up going to festivals - “Glastonbury before I could walk” - Elsa is driven in her conviction that “festivals are powerful events” in their capacity to captivate, providing a creative, innovative and explosive platform for artistic expression.

“The vibes at Durham? Very sterile.” she says, cringing slightly, while considering how many students utilise drugs and alcohol as escapism from the humdrum Durham bubble. She makes it clear that Durfest is aiming for a radically differ-

“I think it’s important when you organise events to get into the mindset of the artist, what the story is, what it means to them.” Elsa says, having devoted time to growing her own experience with music in order to be truly representative. From watching rockumentaries on Nirvana, bopping to songs from funk to 2000s pop, and mellowing out to the crooning melodies of Nick Mulvey, I assume her housemates must be in a constant state of uncertainty over what they will hear next.

“The vibes at Durham? Very sterile”

Platforms which this university in particular lack, according to Kent. A fact I can’t help but agree with, apart from life drawing, open mic nights and a sprinkling of smaller societies, our university culture is dominated by listening to ‘Come on Eileen’ for the sixteenth time in Jimmy’s.

“Festivals are powerful events”

her engagement with music. The lineup for Durfest is eclectic and diverse, alternative and theatrical, bolstering big bands and shacking up with slam poets.

Actress Emma Thompson recently endorsed Durfest, a major accomplishment which I mention to a warm smile from Elsa. “That woman is incredible,” she says, defending her against the criticism she got for flying to the Extinction Rebellion London protests by plane, by considering the gravitas of her putting her face to the movement. re-useable ones. It’s a financially and environmentally beneficial change which should be easy to implement, but has proven frustratingly difficult. She sighs at the memory of witnessing university recycling bins emptied into the landfill, and I get an acute sense of the genuine emotional investment and palatable vexation she feels at flippant attitudes toward our planet. Naturally, this passion also bleeds into

When I ask her who her favourite public figure is, her response of “David Attenborough is an absolute gem” makes me consider the value of celebrity endorsement for environmentalist movements. Especially from people considered national treasures, it leads me to wonder if back in his younger days he would have endorsed, or even joined in with the festival. Photography by Emma Harrington