Indigo 859

Dwelling on Valentine’s Day

Deputy Indigo Editor, Melissa Rumbold, reflects on how we view love this Valentine’s Day

With the season of love fast approaching, this edition of Indigo has plenty of Valentine’s Day content. Whatever your relationship status this time of year, it’s impossible to avoid the shelves loaded with gifts and the influx of social media posts to come.

In previous years, Valentine’s Day has been a rather funny occasion. From poking fun at the day to celebrating Galentine’s, the day can mean di erent things for everyone. As someone who is celebrating this Valentine’s Day in a relationship, it is certainly a reminder of the love I give and receive each day from my partner.

Valentine’s Day can be the perfect excuse to spend that little bit of extra time with each other

Though it is easy to become caught up in student life, it is important to give ourselves space to breathe, and to enjoy one another’s company during this busy time of year. Whether that means a dinner date, exchanging gifts, or a night in for two, Valentine’s Day can be the perfect excuse to spend that little bit of extra time with each other.

Love comes in many forms

Undeniably, Valentine’s Day can often bring with it a great deal of pressure as couples may feel obliged to make the day special and memorable. I know I have especially high expectations thanks to the media and the commercialisation of the day, which can be di cult to live up to given the costof-living crisis. This year more than ever, it is vital to keep in mind that love and a ection is at the core of Valentine’s Day. It should not come along with unnecessary pressures or stress – taking a step back to truly appreciate loved ones should be our main priority.

CONTENT

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

Indigo logo: Adeline Zhao

Cover image: Maja Kobylak

Artwork of the week: Isobel Warwick

As well as an opportunity for a date night, this time of year is also a reminder to give thanks to all those who care for us. No matter your plans for this Valentine’s Day, it’s important to remember that love comes in many forms, and that it’s possible to show appreciation and a ection to people beyond romantic partners. Friends, family members, pets, and even oneself can all be the recipients of love and a ection on Valentine’s Day. By focusing on the love that exists in our lives, the occasion can be turned from an arguably stressful day into one that is filled with joy and positivity.

Whatever you’re feeling this Valentine’s Day, this edition of Indigo has something for everyone

In this edition of Indigo, the theme of Valentine’s Day and love is certainly prominent, with some fantastic pieces from our talented writers you’ll be sure to enjoy. On pages 4 and 5, Features collect some thoughts about Valentine’s Day and what is means to their contributers. Meanwhile, Food &Drink look at whether food truly is the way to one’s heart on page 15. However, it’s not all romance and date nights. Film & TV and Music have plenty of content to take your mind o the day as Durham students’ industry favourites are revealed on pages 6 and 7, followed by an interesting discussion on the di erent e ects of climate change by Visual Arts and Travel on pages 9 through to 11. Whatever you’re feeling this Valentine’s Day, this edition of Indigo has something for everyone.

Artwork of the week by Isobel Warwick

TEAM

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

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Image credit: Adeline Zhao

Tackling isolation at City of Sanctuary

Interview Editor, Lotte Micklethwaite, talks to Jasmine Moore about City of Sanctuary

This week I sat down with Jasmine Moore to discuss her work with Durham City of Sanctuary, the refugee crisis and how we can play our part when it comes to helping our community. Jasmine is the Project Lead of the City of Sanctuary kids club in Durham. City of Sanctuary is a national charity that supports refugee and asylum-seeking community, encouraging inclusivity, solidarity and compassion for people from a forced displacement background.

Tell me about your work with City of Sanctuary.

I got involved with City of Sanctuary nearly two years ago at the end of my first year at Durham University when I applied to be Project Lead of the Kids Club, a job I share with Ross, another Durham student. The kids’ club is part of a drop-in centre that runs every Saturday afternoon that supports refugee families from across County Durham. There are two parts to the drop-in centre: one is the adult conversation classes and the other in the kids’ club, which we run. The two parts really complement each other as it supports the adults to develop their English and get help with any questions they may have, whilst we occupy the kids through activities such as arts and craft and sports. Recently we have set up a tutoring scheme, where children are partnering up with a university student who helps tutor them through certain subjects, as lot of the children who came to the kids’ club really wanted.

What are the biggest challenges the people that City of Sanctuary works with are facing?

The continued impact of COVID-19 on the families and people we work with has been really significant. Families who

were resettled prior to COVID coming into a very unfamiliar environment when they moved here, were then faced with national lockdowns. This served to really isolate people and families which put a massive strain on their integration into the community. Unable to go out, speak English, meet people in their communities, a lot of the people we work with have had their confidence impacted. If people don’t have confidence in their ability to communicate, things as simple as getting on a bus can become really di cult, further isolating them, which is a particular issue in the the north-east many of the families live in rural communities.

Learning english is an opening of a door for the refugee community

Speaking to people at our drop-ins, it is really clear that all the families feel that they can improve their lives if they can improve their spoken and written English. This has meant we’ve really placed extra emphasis on English learning classes for adults and the tutoring for the children. Learning English, but education more generally, is an opening of a door for the refugee community. It opens the door to di erent experiences, to integration, to confidence, to communicating in their community.

What are your thoughts on how the ‘refugee crisis’ is discussed in the media and in politics?

The refugee crisis, especially the two major events of the last decade - the 2015 refugee crisis and the current Ukrainian refugee crisis – has been have been heavily politicised in the media with huge coverage across many platforms.

It is on the radio, on TV, in the news, it is being discussed in parliamentary debates. Yet as we saw in 2015 and its aftermath, the media eventually goes dormant on the migrant issue. New stories come about which are seen as more pressing and more relevant, and we move on. To an extent, this is the role of the media, but it makes you think, what is a ‘crisis’ actually about? I would argue that a crisis, in the way it is framed in the media, is actually about politicians, governments, policy makers; it is crisis of politics. When the refugee agenda is no longer considered the major crisis in politics, it is then side-lined. Here lies the problem with calling it a ‘refugee crisis’. In the media, a crisis is seen more or less having a beginning and an end. For refugees, and the charities and organisations supporting them, there is no such thing as one moment of crisis. Yes, the Ukrainian war and the events of 2015 were times of heightened refugee activity, however the challenges facing refugees and the supporting organisation are situated on a much broader spectrum of time that must continue to be addressed.

What would you say to people who are interested in getting more involved in charity work?

The main thing I would say to people, especially students, is just to be involved in your community. Giving back to your local community is really something I think everyone should be doing. Yet, it doesn’t have to be in a role like mine that requires a lot of your time and energy, it can just be donating clothes or volunteering an hour of your week.

Just tutoring a child once-a-week may not feel it could be massively impactful but it can absolutely

transform the opportunities of those you are helping. The same goes with donating clothes. A lot of refugees arrive in the UK with only what they are wearing, in flipflops in the dead of winter, and the one set of clothes you can donate can give them such a breath of life.

We must remember that breaking a huge issue like the refugee crisis into small, tangible actions is really important and that making a di erence, even if it is just to one person, can be very

The media representation of the refugee crisis is actually about politicians, governments and policy makers

Valentine’s Day: love it or hate it?

With February 14th just around the corner, Indigo contributors reflect on what Valentine’s Day means to them

By Siobhan Eddie

Valentine’s Day, believe it or not, used to be a religious festival. It originated as a Christian feast day to honour two Christian martyrs (both named St. Valentine). Since then, however, it has become an almost entirely secular celebration – a day to celebrate love. Along with this secularisation has come extreme commercialisation. No doubt the name conjures up images of red roses, chocolate boxes and expensive presents, and social media has played its role in intensifying these connotations. Come 14th February, timelines are flooded with photos of couples celebrating their love in the most extravagant of ways.

the importance – even amid our busy lives –to spend quality time with the people I love. A film night with my friends, a cosy evening in with my partner or even just a phone call with my mum are all great ways to mark the day. After all, Valentine’s Day is not really about money, roses or chocolate, but simply about cherishing those relationships that mean something to you.

By Holly Downes

February the 14th is almost upon us. Cue the loved-up couples, a Tesco chocolate section rampage, and seductive red roses overtaking your Instagram feed. Valentine’s Day has become a celebration of romantic love, and manwy people think that it is a day reserved only for those who have found the one. A day dedicated to the lovers amongst us, and so, a day that excludes those that aren’t loved up. Yet, many forget that love takes all forms: yes, it can be romantic, but there is also philia (love of friends), philautia (self-love), and storge

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gifting me a card every year from “x”, who despite having the same handwriting as him is “definitely not him”. It’s a tradition which has continued during my time at University, with the card now arriving one to two days either side of the 14th rather than being mysteriously posted through the door. It’s a reminder from him that my sister and I are always worthy enough for a secret admirer.

capitalist construct, it’s also for

So while the day may be a capitalist construct, it’s also for family and traditions, even when I am no longer living at home, and a way to

Image credit: Rosie Bromiley

The day is a reminder of the importance - even amid our busy lives - to spend quality time with the people I love

make sure, every year, that I know what day it is.

By Elif Karakaya

A push and pull between the rose-tinted image and the stark reality, Valentine’s Day has always been my favourite holiday. Colouring the whole month in shades of red, it leaves its mark in February, asking if you will partake in it. Perhaps they are right - that this is a capitalistic delusion - and yet I cannot help but fawn over the fact that I can paint my nails red and wear my favourite outfit, almost as though it’s a festival. The stores are filled with bouquets of red roses, and the sweetest heart shaped décor you can only get once a year (even measuring spoons!).

features@palatinate.org.uk

However, like Christmas, the day is never as sweet as the build-up of the month. The flowers, the necklace, even the homemade cake, each gesture hollower than the next, as though you are forced to give these things to your partner on this day, worse even than Christmas presents as the answers are given to us from childhood. I suppose there’s a di between observing and partaking in Valentine’s Day. I prefer to savour it alone, to maintain this image of it in my head, to keep my glasses on, as a witness from the outside.

By Roshni Suresh Babu

In the midst of the winter blues, the strange martyrdom of St Valentine emerges as a day to celebrate love. I admit, when I was younger, I never saw the appeal of Valentine’s Day (though this may have

Image credit (from top): Rosie Bromiley, Isobel Warwick

has been time spent laughing about the occasion with friends or celebrating a ‘Galentine’s’.

love or loathe the day, it is a day steeped in tradition, marked by the celebration of love in its many forms – familial, friendship and romantic. From heart-shaped chocolates to red bouquets,Valentine’s Day is a time to express love and a ection for those closest to you.

Now, as Valentine’s Day comes around again, I’m spending my second year with my partner, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the holiday. As much as I’ve somewhat ignored the festivities in the past, it’s a wonderful opportunity to spend more time together and make

In the past, I have often viewed Valentine’s Day with a sense of comedic cynicism and have often celebrated a ‘Galentine’s Day’ with friends instead. In many ways, Valentine’s Day has become a highly commercialised construct, with companies utilising the day to market a mass of ‘Valentine’s products’ to consumers.Yet, despite this, it is important to remember that the true essence of Valentine’s Day transcends this materialistic aspect. While gifts can be a beautiful way of expressing love, it is not the only way, and simple acts of kindness, such as cooking a meal or taking the evening o to spend some quality time can carry far more meaning.

For me, Valentine’s Day has become a special day to spend time with my partner, creating memories that we will both cherish forever. Whether it’s a night in, a meal out or a trip to the bowling alley, the day serves as a sweet and welcome reminder of the love that we share, although we don’t need Valentine’s Day to remind us of that.

However, like Christmas, the day is never as sweet as the build-up of the month

Valentine’s Day is just an extra little reminder to give love and to remember how much I am loved

film@palatinate.org.uk

Film and music: artistic symbiosis

Film &TV Editor, Alice Purves, talks to Durham about their industry favourites

Indigo’s Film & TV and Music sections undertook a questionnaire of Durham students to find out their all time favourite films, TV shows, music artists and movie soundtracks. We wanted to think about the interplay between students’ top tracks and viewing selections. We saw a wide diversity of choices but felt that a common feature in film choice was the strength of the soundtracks that underpinned them.

Durham students’ top films include both critically acclaimed cinematic masterpieces and family favourites

From musicals to biopics, music videos to soundtracks, the reciprocal and influential relationship between film and music is one that heightens both genres as adaptable and entertaining art forms. Each distinct form expands franchises and defines the tone for which each can be appreciated. The intersection between music, film and television

Durham’s favourite films:

1. Whiplash

2. Parasite

3. Lord of the Rings

4. The Shawshank Redemption

5. The Imitation Game

is vital. Soundtracks, scores and intros can characterise the success of the cinematic art, in the same way that music videos can expertly express motivations behind songs. It’s certainly di cult to hear the song ‘I’ll Be There for You’ without thinking of Rachel and Ross and the

Music videos simultaneously entertain audiences and expose bands and singers for what they truly are: artists. The Beatles’ ‘Strawberry

Durham’s favourite musicbased films:

1. Singin’ in the rain

2. Amy

3. Supersonic

4. Bohemian Rhapsody

5. La La Land

iconic 90s New York of Friends.

In this way, the responses of Durham students laid out in this article are somewhat unsurprising. With Whiplash coming out as a resounding favourite film, and the scores created by Hans Zimmer and John Williams receiving the appreciation they deserve, it’s clear that the relationship between music and film is one beloved by all.

The popularity of music biopics seems to have prevailed. Combining well-known icons of the music industry with the creative visions of incredible directors, this genre has cemented its position within both blockbuster productions and smaller indie projects. In the last few years, we have seen the unparalleled success of Bohemian Rhapsody and Elvis, and we can see this biopic love from our student response, celebrating 2016’s Oasis biopic Supersonic and Val Kilmer’s 1991 depiction of the singer and poet Jim Morrison in The Doors.

Fields Forever’ 1967 video heightens the vision of psychedelic funk that defined the mood of the counterculture music of this period. In more contemporary times, The 1975’s ‘Love It If We Made It’ hails a powerful construction of

Image credit Anna Kuptsova

The popularity of music biopics seems to have prevailed

footage to function alongside the lyrics, making the song more politically charged and evoking the contentious Matty Healy’s confrontation of modern society.

Soundtracks often operate in a similar way. Whether it is the popular score of films such as Guardians of the Galaxy or Pulp Fiction that serve to entertain and appeal audiences, or the perhaps more malign connotations

MUSIC

music@palatinate.org.uk

Mamma Mia, La La Land and Oliver!, it is undeniable that the storylines of each are heightened, and the emotions intensified, by the music that runs throughout the characters’ lives.

Durham students’ top films include both critically acclaimed cinematic masterpieces and family favourites. Ranging from the 1958 Marilyn Monroe classic, Some Like it Hot, to 2020’s best picture winner, Parasite, it’s clear that contemporary and thus perhaps more accessible films are not fast-tracked into young people’s repertoires. Films that we have grown up with seem to retain their place as firm favourites, with Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter reoccuring throughout our responses. Student responses show us that film doesn’t have to be pretentious, or even clever, for it to entertain and cement its position in the ratings.

The Beatles’ timeless talent and portfolio of albums shone through the responses

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s complex and witty British satire, Fleabag, secured its place at the top of many of our students’ responses. And there would be little point arguing with this. Her writing and acting style is modern, meaningful and above all, funny, making the show an easy re-watch for its many accolades. In any case, who wouldn’t want to relive Andrew Scott’s certainly e ective portrayal of the ‘hot priest’?

Durham’s favourite soundtracks:

1. Pulp Fiction

2. Guardians of the Galaxy

3. Harry Potter franchise

4. Kill Bill

5. Call Me by Your Name

her shows selling out in seconds, and being resold for thousands, it seems that we really are living in Taylor’s world.

The desert island discs had perhaps more consensus amongst students than other categories. The Strokes’ Is This It had consistent appreciation, alongside Taylor Swift’s Folklore and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club These albums again illustrate the versatility and scope of listening among the student body. Personally, I cannot imagine listening to Folklore on repeat, however, it is exactly because opinions range and di er that makes this such an engaging point of discussion.

Soundtracks, scores and intros can characterise the success of the cinematic art

behind the closing scenes of Donnie Darko being heightened by ‘Mad World’, soundtracks cement the motivations behind cinema.

On-screen musicals, with their timehonoured family viewership, have also proven the popularity of the seamless collaboration between music and film. With hits such as

Image credit: Anna Kuptsova

The consensus on students’ favourite artists pays testament to the diverse scope of bands and singers that young people have access to. Once again proving that we are not stuck in the contemporary world, The Beatles’ timeless talent and portfolio of albums shone through the responses, alongside the brilliantly inventive Loyle Carner. Taylor Swift, however, led the ratings, with almost half of our selected students putting her in their top five. With tickets for

Our findings from this survey undoubtedly highlight the ways in which music and film can compliment one another. The variety of musicals, soundtracks and music biopics listed indicates the love that Durham students hold for the industries of cinema and music.

We hope that these findings inspire you to listen to new music or watch a new film after a long day at the Billy B, and to perhaps further appreciate the craft of collaboration between the two.

Durham’s favourite music artists:

1. Taylor Swift

2. The Beatles

3. Harry Styles

4. Fleetwood Mac

5. The Strokes

6. Loyle Carner

7. Billie Eilish

8. Wolf Alice

The lion, the Kardashian, and the wardrobe

Fleur de Bono discusses the controversy surrounding Schiaparelli’s latest collection

Paris Haute Couture Week reached fever pitch when Kylie Jenner arrived at the Schiaparelli show wearing a dress from the designer’s collection featuring a fake lion’s head. The show season may often bring unexpected surprises, but I think it’s safe to say that giant, fake taxidermy was not on anyone’s bingo card.

The black velvet bustier dress worn by Jenner was also worn by model Irina Shayk down the runway, and the show also featured the life-like heads of a snow leopard and wolf attached to garments worn by Shalom Harlow and Naomi Campbell, respectively.

Responding to, or perhaps anticipating, the criticism in the comments section, Schiaparelli posted an Instagram video of Jenner, explaining the materials used to make the lion: “Hand sculpted foam, wool and silk faux fur... hand painted to look as lifelike as possible.” The brand added in capital letters: “NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN MAKING THIS LOOK.”

Is fashion selling its soul to social media?

Within minutes it was clear that social media couldn’t make up its mind. Some animal rights activists accused the brand of promoting animal cruelty and glamorising trophy hunting. Other groups saw no issue. The first camp included Carrie Johnson, who took to Instagram to call the designs “Grim”, adding “Real or fake this just promotes trophy hunting. Yuck”.

Conversely, PETA, an animal rights charity, unexpectedly came out in support of Schiaparelli. They called the animal heads “fabulously innovative.” The charity’s president Ingrid Newkirk said “[The look] celebrates lions’ beauty and may be a statement against trophy hunting, in which lion families are torn apart to satisfy human egotism… These fabulously innovative three-dimensional animal heads

show that where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Whether this show is going to encourage trophy hunting, or simply promote more faux-fur innovation, we may never know. It’s hard to tangibly measure the repercussions of a moment like this. Instead, I think there’s another simple and salient question at play. Is fashion selling its soul to social media?

In the last six months there have been

dresses in champagne velvet or black satin wool. It was at these moments that the brand’s trademark surrealism pervaded. I found the animal heads, dare I say it, a gaudy and unnecessary addition to an otherwise stunning collection.

Brands feel they must be increasingly outrageous

In the show notes, Creative Director Daniel Roseberry cited Dante’s Inferno as his inspiration. On seeing the pictures, my first thought was not so much Dante’s Inferno, but more “they’ve stu ed Simba”. The Divine Comedy has been creatively reimagined for centuries. Just last year, William Blake’s watercolour depiction was expertly distilled by Sarah Burton into Alexander McQueen’s SS22 collection. I think any intent and meaning behind this Instagram-era interpretation was always doomed to get lost in the online noise.

It’s a shame that brands feel they must be increasingly outrageous to make an impact.

I still remember Chanel’s readyto-wear fall show in 2014 for all the right reasons. A major fashion house had turned the runway into a supermarket with brilliant success. Their shows are always my favourite to watch because the sets create a spectacular sensorial experience without ever compromising on the collection itself.

marketing is very Emily in Paris. When I saw the pictures from Schiaparelli, one of my immediate reactions was *sigh*. A design choice as much about going viral as anything else. I don’t want to be a fashion puritan, but I miss the not-so-distant days when fashion week was about, well, fashion.

For me the real triumph of the show was the exceptional tailoring and exquisite evening

A turning point for fashion was Viktor and Rolf’s SS 2019 collection when pictures of dresses emblazoned with slogans such as ‘No photos please’ or ‘I’m not shy, I just don’t like you’ permeated the Internet. These designs were ripe for sharing on social media. Since then, it has felt as if couture week is turning into a meme-factory. It must be a good thing if fashion is reaching the masses, but this modus operandi feels very volatile.

Did the gamble pay o for Schiaparelli? There’s no doubt that brands face a tough balancing act between provocative marketing and the changing tide of consumer values. If you believe the adage “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”, then this show was a triumph.

visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk

Climate change: jeopardising art

Holly Downes soliloquises on the absurdity of climate change protestors’ methods

At long last, you’ve finished. The painting that was once a mixture of ideas has come to life; another one to add to the collection. After it is finished, you fall more in love with its artistic realm and the freedom and peace that it provides. And yet, the intimacy between you and your artwork can never last. Soon, it will share a room with infamous artworks and become the talk of the city. Critics will come sauntering in and stare at your painting, whilst you timidly await their reaction. As an artist, their lurking haunts your nightmares.

But recently, an even scarier figure has appeared. They come in, throw paint, oil, food – anything they can get their hands on – onto art and begin chanting climate change facts to gobsmacked onlookers who simply wanted to admire art. They feign peace and then, suddenly, they reveal their coordinated Just Stop Oil t-shirts, ready to ruin the tranquillity of an art gallery. Welcome, climate change protestors.

Recently, an even scarier figure has appeared

Over the past six months, protestors have started to think more outside-the-box. The conventional stop-all-tra c and annoyevery-commuter protests have been proven colossal failures. Extinction Rebellion has realised that smashing windows and gluing themselves to the road is unproductive, so instead, they will “temporarily shift away from public disruption”. Their nonsense preaching going a little something like this: “artwork is protected better than the planet, so, artwork should be ruined to spread awareness. All hail the destruction of precious, culturally valuable art!” And collective chanting follows.

Dernière Rénovation (Last Renewal), a French activist group, got the ball rolling last October. In Paris, two young activists, Rachel and Arunau, doused Charles Ray’s Horse and Rider (2014) sculpture with orange paint. They then redressed the horse’s jockey in a white t-shirt reading “we have 858 days left”. An alarming figure, yes, but rather comical when worn by a motionless, steel statue.

The same month, more attacks followed. At Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria, Extinction Rebellion campaigners glued their hands to Picasso’s Massacre in Korea (1951). Shortly after, Just Stop Oil activists chucked Heinz tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888) at London’s National Gallery. Then in November 2022, Letze Generation (Last Generation) sloshed black, oily liquid over Klimt’s Life and Death (1910), at the Leopold Museum in Vienna.

This list continues, but you get the point; famous artwork is being vandalised to voice the climate change crisis. 21-year-old Phoebe Plummer, who threw tomato soup over van Gogh’s £72.5m painting,

explained “What is worth more? Art or life? Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?” They reason that art is respected more than the planet, so, art should be vandalised to make people realise such absurd, muddled priorities.

Phoebe does speak some half-truths. Art is an invaluable, priceless object that society protects like a new-born. Every art museum is dotted with beady-eyed security guards, paintings are protected by Perspex, and taking a flash photo is a heinous sin.

So, when we compare the treatment of art to the treatment of the planet, something seems o . The planet – a place that fosters our very existence – is not prioritised by the government that has the power to shift these priorities. Rather, the government subsidises the extraction of fossil fuels, the planet is warming at an alarming rate and, inevitably, we are amid the mass extinction of our own making. Although there are current pledges for action by 2030, even if delivered in full, this would mean a rise in global heating of around 2.5C.

So, action must be taken for you, and me, and future generations, but vandalising artwork is not the way to do it. Art and the climate crisis are completely unrelated. Art is a creative release; a blank canvas that gives artists the freedom to simply let go. The climate crisis is a global emergency; something that a ects everyone and so, only collective action will reduce its impact. Throwing Heinz tomato soup at art to spark collective action is simply irrational, especially in a society that respects the artistic realm more than anything.

Art and the climate crisis are completely unrelated

All in all, it simply paints climate change protestors as selfish individuals who go around trashing beautiful artwork for a release, not people trying to save the planet. These protestors will do anything to achieve their goal, and I do salute them for that. Ruining one of the most intimate, beautiful things humans have created is not the best approach. Stop taking climate change out on artwork. It does not achieve anything.

All hail the destruction of precious, culturally valuable art!

Image credit : Victoria Cheng

The last of the winter escapes?

Sa ron Corcoran discusses the impacts of climate change on winter travel

While some enjoy escaping to the sun in the cold winter months, many of us dream of or indeed do jet o to even chillier locations; some even see this as a right of passage going with school, college, or university. However, climate change is threatening your chance of these holidays.

Now we know scientists have been ringing alarm bells about climate change since the start of the century, but the impacts are now becoming clearer. Not only are storms becoming more violent, sea levels rising, and hotter summers but areas that were once cold and snowy for a significant amount of time are shrinking meaning winter holidays are being cut short.

Winter holidays are being cut short

Recent research from Aberystwyth University change project that covered the entire European Alps region used a model to investigate what the glacier’s response will possibly look like due to climate change Spoiler Alert! It’s not good. The research outcome was clear; 92% of the alp’s glaciers could be lost by the end of the century and

dream? Well, we can certainly say it’s going to cost you more; with the ski/winter period becoming shortened each year and more resorts closing and the industry knows they can charge more for the same thing due to lack of availability. Crystal Clear holidays revealed that a ski trip shopping basket had gone up on average by 22% from 21-22.

Another thing is if you’re a skier, snowboarder or just like snow and you’re going to a resort you might not get actual ‘snow’ much rather artificial snow. Several popular resorts in the alps have been making up for the lost snow with an arsenal of snow guns to create and spray artificial snow on the mountains. While Laax’s (Sweden) 430 machines are reliable in the short-term, the long-term reliability? Not so much. This is due to the gun’s expense to run, specific operation conditions and impacts on local resources and the environment. So, despite how deep the pockets are of the resorts or the army of guns they have, they can’t hold back the change coming.

Climate change is going to impact the traditional resorts in terms of when they are open and if they even reopen at all

While this all sounds like doom and gloom, there’s no denying it is bad, there are some positives – snow holidays may become based closer to home, to be precise 223 miles closer in some areas of

This isn’t going to take away from the fact the cost is going to go up, and without

be expected to rise more. However, it does mean snow holidays will become more accessible to the British public and for skiers no more dry slopes.

You’re going to be in for a fight though. Already this year, Blue Skies Scottish ski resort was so busy on the 2nd of January that they had to stop selling passes due to ski resorts in Europe delaying their opening (because of lack of snow) or in the case of my first ever snow holiday, this December, the resort only partially opened.

The real question is does this mean this is the last of the winter holidays? The short answer is no, but the true answer is a lot more complex. Climate Change is going to impact the traditional resorts in terms of when they are open if they even reopen at all. The shortened season will make for more customer competition ergo rising the costs. It will also put a strain on the European Alps’ resources in terms of water to generate snow synthetically. However, it does mean we can expect resorts to start springing up closer to home and many more people the opportunity for winter holidays.

Does this mean this is the last of the winter holidays?

SKI SEASON

Top destinations recommends her favourite ski resort

estled in the Tarentaise Valley, just a 30 minute drive from Val-d’Isère, lies the village of Sainte-Foy. A fairly new resort – having only been established in the late 90s – Sainte-Foy remains somewhat of a hidden gem, generally unheard of and untouched by the masses.

A bucolic setting straight from a postcard, Sainte-Foy is a family-oriented resort, with all of its runs returning back to the village, making it safe and easy to navigate. Despite only having four chairlifts, the resort’s anonymity means that you never queue for longer than three minutes to go up, spoiling you with more time spent

erent runs, but Sainte-Foy’s real lure for more intrepid skiers is the hundreds of kilometres of freshly powdered o -piste, spanning ering jaw-dropping views across the Tarentaise and Isère valleys, and even all the way to Mont Blanc. If you fancy going a bit further out, the resort of La Rosière is only a 20 minute drive; here you can ski over to Italy and get a taste of la dolce vita in the form of the most indulgent hot chocolate on earth. Sainte-Foy carries lots of sentimental value for me, having celebrated Christmas there annually for over a decade now. The village is idyllic, with the locals having become familiar faces in this tightly knit yet welcoming community. Restaurants er the finest Savoyard cuisine (I recommend the tartiflette), and you can sip on the most delectable local wines whilst soaking up the stunning views. The fact that the same faces are seen in Sainte-Foy every year is a testament to its appeal, and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore a wonderful new resort with all of the charm and none of the crowds.

Mont Blanc

One of the many sites visible from Sainte-Foy

Books on a budget

Cameron McAllister o ers tips for how to read more while staying on budget

Reading is an expensive habit that I can’t seem to break. Cookbooks, textbooks, reference books, classics, plays, poetry anthologies... I’ve got them all. And, unfortunately, books cost money. Out of a sense of self-preservation I’ve been forced to find and refine methods I will now share to reduce the financial burden of reading, which involved picking the brains of my reader-friends, scouring the Internet, and a lot of trial and error. Ironically, I didn’t find any of these tips in a book.

Let’s start with the obvious: the library. Library membership for Durham County Council libraries entitles you to a vast horde of books covering all 40 of County Durham’s libraries. As a member, you can also buy withdrawn surplus library books online, with lists of withdrawn books being updated monthly. There’s quite a lot of Adult NonFiction (read: Victorian railway history), but there’s likely to be the occasional treasure.

Perhaps the best way to read cheaply is not to read at all –rather to listen

Perhaps the best way to read cheaply is not to read at all – rather to listen. Many local libraries (including those in linked to free apps like BorrowBox, which allows you to listen to a regularly updated selection of hundreds of free audiobooks. I prefer to read on paper, so I use BorrowBox solely for the audiobooks, but there are also eBooks. The BorrowBox app can be downloaded on Apple, Android and Kindle Fire devices.

In terms of apps, there’s also Libby, which also allows you to borrow eBooks and audiobooks, as well as magazines. Linked to a Durham County Council Library account, the selection is heavy on magazines and graphic novels, nicely complementing what’s available on BorrowBox. I like New Scientist and New Philosopher

magazines, the latter of which I discovered on Libby.

There’s nothing better than charity shops

In reading for free, copyright (or at least copyright expiry) is also your friend. Websites like Project Gutenberg host tens of thousands of books that can be read online or downloaded in eReader-friendly formats, with Project Gutenberg having a particular focus on works for which the US copyright has expired.

however, tend to find more books on the smaller shelves of North Road’s charity shops, like Age UK and the British Heart Foundation.

I also like the relationship you can build with a book’s previous readers. These can be formed via forgotten bookmarks, shopping lists or notes left in the book, or by the books that have been donated at a particular shop – to the person that donated multiple Kazuo Ishiguro books to the North Road British Heart Foundation last summer that I hastily nabbed: thank you, A Pale View of Hills was stunning.

1 January is Public Domain Day, the day copyright terms expire and books enter the public domain. Many significant works have joined the public domain in recent years: in 2021, The Great Gatsby; Winnie-the-Pooh in 2022 (hence the low budget Winnie-thePooh slasher film, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey); and in 2023 Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse, among many others.

If you, like me, prefer to read physical books,

If you’re looking for something more specific that you can’t rely on finding in a charity shop, try manifesting it. Otherwise, try online. AbeBooks is very cheap, but is a subsidiary of Amazon, and charges for delivery which can o set the apparent cheapness. Personally, I like Wob, the company formerly known as World of Books. Wob o ers free delivery and is a Certified B Corporation which means that they, according to the Wob website, “meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance.”

Stay away from Waterstones, avoid Saddler Street entirely

There’s one final piece of advice I have for reading on a budget, but may not want to hear it, look away now anyone with TBRs that could themselves be short novels: read the books you already own. Stay away from Waterstones, avoid Saddler Street entirely if you must. Don’t even think about watching a book haul. Maybe that way you’ll find out that one of the classics on your bookshelf you’ve been shamefully avoiding eye contact with turns out to be a classic for a reason.

Many significant works have joined the public domain in recent years

Fantastical fiction

Charlie Williamson takes us on an adventure with fairies through a child’s eyes

Looking back on that time I pushed through the little door in the bottom of the tree trunk, I remember feeling rather lost as to how I got there.

I had been repeatedly warned against wandering o on my own until one time they relented and I skipped on my jolly way to the trees and flowers and freshness beyond my own room. I could easily walk, I wasn’t too young as to stumble. But whilst I wasn’t very quick, the trees loomed up much faster than I’d expected. The ground still seemed to rush beneath my boots and suddenly the canopy enveloped me in a secretive green wonderland.

The trees each had their own name as I ran past. It gave them life I felt, and a story like in the books I had been reading. One particular tree, that I now know to be an oak, looked particularly interesting. Bathed in a rare pale glow, the bark was softer to touch than others.

enough for a rabbit – or me.

The old saying, “curiosity killed the cat” is one that I have avoided repeating during adulthood, knowing full well my hypocrisy is cemented in the pushing through that rough door.

There was little change on the other side besides pure bewilderment: the trees were still steadfast in their grandeur and the sun still shone far above in the blue.

But there was a certain feel in the air, an enchanted music that rang through every fibre of the land and thus myself. It felt as though I had deserved a place here by finding that door.

it scuttle o into the swathes of grass and wildflowers.

Her pre-Raphaelite-like dress floated gently on the breeze

The music of angels floated upwards and my gaze followed the trail of heaven. I need not have stumbled in quick desire for that flicker, for there were hundreds of them. I do not think they took much notice of me in the beginning but my eyes widened to fit all the little fairies in my vision. Several flew to my height in greeting and they could not have been much more than the size of my head.

My hand reached out and she dropped down, so light I could barely feel her tiny feet. Her pre-Raphaelite-like dress floated gently on the breeze, so transparent I could hardly see the purple hue that enveloped her. Dragonfly wings slowed to a stop as others kept the rest buoyant on the air in front of me.

She looked at me with such a sincerity I felt everything slow. The musical voice rang one long, everlasting note still etched into my imagination. I suppose I was accepted by them, for I remember dancing in a way I never had before, my heavy feet rarely touching the ground. I was independent and myself and also existing as one of the many, shedding any loneliness I had possibly felt in my short years. I swung from the blades of grass reaching higher and higher with the fairies. I said nothing. I simply laughed.

Their homes were the trees and I could not forget it

Their homes were the trees and I could not forget it. Round and round the toadstools and the forest I went, a dizzying excitement where only an adventurous satisfaction eventually brought me back to my home.

Every colour was saturated and flowers seemed to have bloomed just a bit bigger

stage@palatinate.org.uk

Freshers’ diary: Hello Dolly!

Freshers Al Palmer, Charlie Holliday and Alexandra Tyler guide us through Gala week

Enjoy an insight into DULOG’s Hello, Dolly!’s rehearsal process from a fresher’s perspective! These were written during the show’s Gala week just before Epiphany term. The show just opened on 8 February in the Gala Theatre.

TUESDAY

After our first social on Monday night we got to know a little bit more about the show and to see pictures of the set (so exciting!). Tuesday morning rolled around and I turned up to a very cold West Gym for our first rehearsal. I was particularly excited as I hadn’t been in a musical since the pandemic and I’d missed it so much! We got stuck in straight away doing probably the ensemble’s most complex choreography sequence in Hello, Dolly! which quickly got my brain switched back on after the Christmas break. I really enjoyed the tap-inspired section and I think it’s still my favourite choreo in the show. We then took a trip to Tesco to stock up for the week as catered college meals hadn’t started yet and then to do some of my summative due the following week (ugh). As my first DULOG musical, I was blown away by how organised the rehearsal schedule was and how professional the rehearsals felt. It was so exciting to be around so many talented people who all love musical theatre too. We did some more blocking and then headed to Spoons for some more getting to know each other.

- Al Palmer, Ensemble

WEDNESDAY

Thanks to various transport disasters, I arrived late to Gala week, waking up at 6AM to make it to the 9AM dance session. Despite not being members of the dance ensemble, both Archie and myself were required to learn

the polka that Ermengarde and Ambrose dance. It was definitely a challenge trying to keep up with the more qualified dancers, but with a bit of practice it started to become really enjoyable, and we managed to survive the morning with no major collisions. After an angelic-sounding rehearsal of the opening numbers, most of us headed to the Library Bar to make the most of ‘Wing Wednesday’!

We all returned to learn choreography for the Act 1 finale number, ‘Before the Parade Passes By’, which was surprisingly di cult when you had to synchronise every movement of your leg to the other thirty people.

In the evening, we didn’t have much time to hang around, as it was time for the ‘Anything but a cup’ house gallop (special mention to Damola for drinking out of a rubber glove – a real testament to Gala dedication in all its forms). The gallop was a great opportunity for getting to know the cast members and also revealed some highly incriminating ‘silly fresh’ stories!

- Charlie Holliday, Ermengarde Vandergelder

THURSDAY

Thursday morning started o with a lie-in as rehearsals began at 12PM for ensemble that day. The energy provided by some nourishing cocoa pops gave us the boost we needed before heading over.

West Gym was verging on Baltic, but it was a perfect excuse for everyone to bring excessively cosy hot water bottles and blankets. Even certain castmates who had previously claimed to be, ‘warm people’ were spotted wearing gloves and scarves! After some quick blocking for ‘It Only Takes a Moment’, we started a warmup with Hannah and Daisy (our choreographers) before running through the ensemble numbers.

Once we spent time recapping our numbers and tidying up dances, it was time for lunch. Most of us trekked down to Tesco for a gourmet meal deal. The break was longer for the ensemble, so most of the cast turned to dissertation work, catching up on reading and summatives, or (arguably most importantly) writing new musicals.

The entire cast and creative team put so much e ort into the show

Along with other castmates, Xanthe and I had to come back from our break a little early to film interviews for a Hello, Dolly! promotional video. The day before, we were sent questions that the interviewers were likely to ask. All of us reassembled by 4PM to put together the singing and choreography in, ‘Put on Your Sunday Clothes’, with Monty and Elysia (our Orchestral Musical Director and Assistant!) before learning the ‘Finale Ultimo’. The day ended with a sweet little feast/potluck at Stephen’s house. DULOG social secretaries, Izzy and Stephen, really made the week so welcoming, especially

for us freshers who didn’t know a lot of the cast before Gala week. The entire cast and creative team put so much e ort into the show, and we can only hope you’ll love watching it as much as we’ve loved being involved in it!

- Alexandra Tyler, Ensemble

FRIDAY

The big thing scheduled for Friday was the stitching together of Act 2 Scene 2, which is essentially the scene where all the di erent storylines of the show converge in a big tangle at Harmonia Gardens. This was a really di cult scene that relied on both spatial awareness to know where various actors were sitting and a good memory to remember where various pieces of set were marked. This took up most of the morning due to its complexity, but we all eventually figured it out, much to everyone’s relief.

In the afternoon, we brought together probably my favourite number of the show, the Finale which incorporates all of the songs from the show into one. Once this was achieved, we’d rehearsed all the scenes and songs from the show, and that meant it was time to celebrate with a truly bonding cast visit to the most iconic club in Durham, Jimmy Allen’s.

- Charlie Holliday

Image credit: Rhyen Hunt & Joyanne Chan, DULOG Theatre Company

food@palatinate.org.uk

The gnocchi to my heart

Anna McCormack discusses whether the way to the heart is really through

He sent me a message on Tinder: ‘let me win the Gnocchi to your heart with a dinner for two’. The pun is admirable. Durham’s own Paul Hollywood ringing on my door, suggesting that he plans on winning my heart through my stomach. Maybe I would have been more convinced if he had looked like him too. So, I entertain this message: ‘dinner for two, what are you cooking?’. Worst case scenarios start to flash through my mind. A bottle of Tesco’s ‘Zesty White’ wine, sausage and mash that he has picked up from the reduced aisle, and maybe the treat of 39p garlic bread. Naturally, he responds with, ‘well, what’s your favourite food?’. Disappointed by another Tinder match having a lack of initiative and inability to make a single decision, I am left wondering: what is the best first date food?

He plans on winning my heart through my stomach

Instantaneously I scour the internet for the perfect response, hoping to be simultaneously witty and appetising. Taking caution from Lady and the Tramp and hoping to avoid a situation where he rolls a meatball over to me with his nose, I immediately cross most meat dishes o the imaginary list I began to form. Whilst I enjoy a chicken balti and a chili con carne, especially when accompanied with microwavable packaged rice, I felt uncomfortable about the prospect of his pained face when trying to deal with the spice. So, I crossed o any other polarising foods: garlic, anchovies, mushroom risotto, and pineapple on pizza. I had formed a large list of foods I have decided the guy from Tinder would not eat. By the time his second message had appeared, I had decided that he detested green olives (but could stomach black ones), he had an inability to handle anything hotter than the lemon and herb spice at Nando’s, and that his favourite food was a well-

Editors’ Picks for Dates in Durham

done rib-eye steak.

Conversation progresses. I suggest that my favourite food is pasta, which whilst slightly ambiguous, ensured that I was not making too many assumptions about his limited palette. In one fatal swoop he argued that he had consumed more pesto pasta than me this term. Whilst I am pretty sure I would win a nation-wide termly consumption competition, his tedious response revealed that this would not be a candlelit dinner with a gourmet meal. Rather, I should lower my expectations to a Chicago Town on his living room floor. Returning to the start of the whirlwind romance, a mere four messages previously, I chuckle at ‘let me win the gnocchi to your heart’. I began to question whether he even knew what gnocchi was, or whether he had just read an article entitled, ‘Punny Food Pick Up Lines’.

Looking over our romantic exchange, I conclude that the way to my heart is absolutely through sharing and eating food. However, as arguably the sixth love language, it is important to me to eat and share food that makes us happy. Not to change our ideals to impress someone else. My favourite food is lasagne, I adore all olives, and would happily maintain a diet of pineapple pizza and anchovies for the rest of my life. When asked about our favourite food, we are often faced with the question, ‘what would your death row meal be?’ We are forced to choose between Mum’s Sunday roast or the seafood linguine we had on a trip to Tenerife in 2015. The idea of our favourite food being exclusive to our hypothetical time on death row almost

La Spaghettata

An absolute classic in the Durham dating scene, the fettuccine al salmone (despite potentially messy) is not one to pass on for a great date.

the

stomach

So, perhaps we should change the rhetoric. When asking what someone’s favourite food is, his be the food you would want to have on a first date? Regardless of whether the food is astronomically spicy, or whether it has an inherently divisive nature due to its smells and textures, when thinking about your favourite food, consider whether you could share it with someone on

The way to my heart is absolutely through sharing and eating food

A recent study that proved that consuming enjoyable food and having fuller stomachs corresponds with more romantic cues. With the brain’s dopamine system becoming active when people look at someone they love or their favourite food, it is easy to conclude that everyone should be eating the food that they like on a date. So, if you get a message, ‘let me win the gnocchi to your heart with a dinner for two’, avoid jumping to conclusions regarding the punning ability of the respective person, but also what they like to eat. However, if you promise to cook a splendid meal for someone else, be confident in your cooking ability, otherwise I hope you do look like Paul Hollywood. k

Flat White

For a brunch date, Flat White’s pancakes arguably live up to the hype. Coming in a range of options, including savory, these staples of Durham culture are guaranteed to make a date memorable.

Image credit (from top): Miranda Wilkins, Eve Kirman

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