SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1 by SUBCULTURE

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

issue 1

celebrate the overlooked inform the oblivious The People behind the stories

Dear Reader, We were asked recently what actually set us apart from other arts and culture magazines, you know we’re creating this and dropping it into a sea of print magazines whilst everyone is telling us that ‘print is dead!’ so what actually is the point? We answered that we were bringing together people and stories you’d never hear about anywhere else in a publication, at least not at these early stages of their careers. I mean, you might be reading an article in here thinking who is this person, I don’t know their music I don’t know their work why would I care about hearing about them but that’s exactly the point. You’re reading and discovering these people before anyone else, you’re gonna be able to relay stories in this magazine and people won’t go ‘oh yeah I’ve read about that’ because it’s very unlikely that they have. Our writers aren’t journalists, we come from various backgrounds and we’re all students, the people we feature aren’t famous and they struggle just like so many creatives out there but everything in this magazine deserves to be there and is worth reading about. We’ve had a wonderful team working on this and connected with some incredible illustrators and artists who’ve helped bring the stories to life but it hasn’t been without its difficulties. This magazine has taken a long time to make, a lot of blood sweat and tears have gone into it and really it’s hard now to see it as something you could just throw away if you wanted but that’s ok. Even if this ends up in the bin we hope that you at least take something from it, a story, a change in perception, some inspiration or even a photo to stick on your wall, use this for whatever you need. We don’t know for sure where this is going but we know that at least for now, we think it’s important to bring you these stories and to celebrate and empower people that are constantly overshadowed. We hope that you absolutely love reading this and keep it on a shelf until it’s dusty and worn out but either way thank you for picking it up, thank you for giving it a chance and thank you, eternally, for supporting us. Jerin Micheal Editor in Chief

Sam Mackulin Head of Editorial

jerin micheal editor in Chief

Samantha MAckulin head of editorial

stacey harris

evan hess

Emma lindsay

tilda lindsey

lee robert bouzida

A special thank you to all of our visual artists for this issue aino neuvonen

sorby brown

@thedarkbunnylord

@sorebeans

www.ainodesign.com

callum welsh

tom peake @_tompeake tompeake.co.uk katie jessop - emmins facebook.com/katie

COntact & find us dis tribution: so cial@sub c u lt u r e on li n e .c o.u k edito r ial: jerinmich eal@su b c u lt u r e on li n e .c o.u k w w w.subc ultur eonli ne.co.u k @ s u b c u ltu re _ u k

jessopemminsillustration hazel boxall @pink_flamingo_girl_7000

@callumwelsh_ callumwelshphoto.com amara eno @ amaraeno www.amaraeno.com arabelle zhuang yu ru @arabellezhuang www.arabellezhuang.com

samantha mackulin

daniel adams

@oldladyhandsart

@danieladamsphotography danieladams.format.com

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

WILL HAW KINS supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

unori ginal songs

W e chat to Fa l m o u th b a s e d m u s i ci a n W i ll Haw k i ns a b o u t h one s t s o ng w r i ti ng, Fr a nk Tu r ne r a nd st e p pi ng o u t i nto the b i g w i d e w o r ld

Wo r d s E m m a L i nd s ay P ho t o sEvan H ess

t’s a balmy afternoon when we meet in his flat, the sound of The Clash is drifting down the hallway and Will is feeling decidedly chilled after a day spent in the sun. Emma Lindsay: So you are in third year, just about to graduate? Just graduated? Will Hawkins: A graduand! E: How are you feeling? W: Kind of anti-climactic really. I’ve gone straight from uni to working a full-time job which isn’t as fun as it sounds! I’ve had a day off today though, spent the whole day sunbathing, so things are looking good. I’m excited for graduation. E: So what’s next in terms of music making? W: Writing music, singing, playing gigs is always something I’m going to do, always something I have done since I was 15. Now I’m more passionate about it than I ever have been. I’m hoping to explore the industry a little bit more, hopefully do an internship at a label.

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

I’ve also written more songs since the release of that last record and I’m planning to record a new EP over the next couple of months. No matter what I do, even if I’m working in Tesco I’m going to be making music. I’m more passionate about it than I ever have been. E: So three years is over now! How would you describe the development of your music from the beginning of your degree to now?

ing at it. With the topics I write aboutpolitics etc, I think it is really important to be honest. There is no point in d**king around with what you mean because you want to get your views across. I think that now, in this political climate, it’s more important than it has ever been in my lifetime to sing about these kinds of things. E: Did you have any major influences when making this recent album?

W: I’ve learnt a lot more about myself. When I first started writing I would take a long time and want it to be very particular. But with the latest EP, Unoriginal Songs, I wanted it to be the most honest thing I’ve made, and that turned out to be very cathartic. Actually one of my friends at the EP launch described the album as an ode to the last three years, a homage to everything we’ve been through, it was quite emotional. So yes, I’ve learnt to be honest and individual with my lyrics I think.

W: Yeah, big time. Every time I play a gig there is someone who will say I sound like a young Billy Brag and I love that because I love what he sings about, he was one of the first artists to sing about politics in a ‘pop’ way. So he is a big influence contextually, but sonically I am more influenced by Frank Turner, artists like Will Varley, Beans on Toast. A lot of folk-punk which is the genre I am trying to integrate myself into, but I have a lot of different influences, for sure.

E: Do you think it is important to be honest when song writing?

E: So, artists like Frank Turner, Will Varley are very much working in the light of people like Billy Bragg; some work is more politicised, some less so.

W:Yes. There are different ways of look-

Do you ever worry that making your work more political will divide the audience? W: I have thought about that, but I’m singing about my views and I’ve never not wanted somebody to listen to my music because they don’t agree with me. Music doesn’t discriminate, it’s there for everybody to listen to regardless of what you think. If people don’t enjoy my music because they can’t appreciate my views then I’m not that bothered. Having first heard Will perform at Word Zoo, a spoken word event in Falmouth, his work seemed to meld perfectly with the politically aware soul searching that so often emanates from Word Zoo events. Anger towards the establishment is common in poetry, but perhaps more unusual in today’s music scene. Listening to some of Will’s folk-punk tracks, it is refreshing to hear music that is so politically aware and I am keen to learn more about his standpoint; E: I personally feel that being up front and saying, ‘this is how I feel’ is lacking in the general pop-scene at the moment. W: Yes, I’ve noticed that. It amazes me how few people do sing about political issues, because it matters. There has always been a link between politics, social issues and artists. It’s present perhaps more with visual artists, but I don’t see it very much in music. I wonder if it is because people are afraid of singing about politics or dividing their audience, but I think you’ve got to look past that. E: Yes. I think it is interesting that looking back through history; music has always been a really pertinent indicator of what is going on in the wider world, and a good mirror of the political context of that era. Thinking about a lot of the current chart music, it kind of worries me that it is a reflection of the times! W: That’s a good point, but there is so much good music coming out now, so much good punk music, it’s just not getting the exposure it needs. If you only use the charts as an example of the political climate then it would be hor-

rendous! But there is stuff that is making an impact.

It is an art in itself, to be obvious E: Just thinking about my work as a visual artist, wanting to engage with politics is very important to me but there is some awareness that it might become didactic or too obvious. Maybe that idea of ambiguity is just perpetuated in fine art? Do you struggle with this when making music? W: Absolutely, yeah definitely. When I first started writing I had song writing lessons which I wouldn’t recommend because I think it’s far too subjective to teach, I was taught to think about what symbolises what etc. Of course for certain topics and genres that style of writing works, but for me it’s easier to sing about exactly what I mean and be obvious. I think that is an art in itself, to be obvious. E: So how would you describe your song writing process now? W: It’s really interesting because I can write a song in minutes now, whereas I used to spend ages. What is funny is that the songs that I spent ages working on, I now hate! When you approach writing a song you are in a certain mind-set, and if it takes days to write a song, you go to it the next day and you are in a different mind-set and it goes on like that indefinitely. You never actually achieve a strong, simple reflection of how you were feeling when you started. On the new EP, the song ‘Devon Boy’ which was released as a single, is all about my hometown. It was written in about two minutes, I just sat down, wrote the lyrics and played it back. Then you play it a few times and it is like wearing a new shoe, it starts to fit, starts to mould to your foot and then it makes sense. It is like wearing a new shoe, it starts to fit, starts to mould to your foot and then it makes sense

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

E: So we talked about audience responding to your work, do you think the response might be different down here in Falmouth, to say in London? W: Possibly. I think the response would be different in my hometown because obviously we are blessed down here to have such a bunch of different artists and like-minded, congenial individuals. But there is always going to be somebody that will appreciate my music and respond to it. I’m hoping to move up to London eventually, but as long as people are responding to it, whether its thousands, or you can count it on your fingers, it’s just nice to know that you are doing it for somebody else other than just yourself. E: We are in a very creative part of the world. Do you find that there are other art forms that influence your work, or that you do alongside making music? W: It is nice because I have always lived with artists from other courses. My best mate is a graphic designer, I’ve got a really good friend on illustration and you do learn about their work. In fact my friend Tom on illustration designed that last EP. Yeah, there is definitely some influence - I had about three months where I was obsessed with surrealist art! E: Finally, do you have any recommendations for our readers? W: Well, my favourite album of all time, which is really underrated, is ‘Sleep Is for the Week’ by Frank Turner. It was his first album that he wrote when he was quite young and it has had a big influence on me. It is honest. It is about him going out, getting f**ked up and singing about how the government pisses him off and how he is not quite mature enough to understand what it means, but he is going to sing about it anyway. It’s a great album.

‘Unoriginal Songs’ is a catchy but inappropriate title for the new EP, which is far from dull in that it provides a timely outburst of political awareness in the contemporary folk/punk scene. The album title does however emulate the modest and understated approach Will seems to take when music making, which adds a uniqueness and clarity to his song-writing and composition. We wrap up the conversation and head to Will’s room for the shoot. Amongst him are various musical instruments, a record player and an assortment of albums. Bob Marley looks down on us from a poster on the wall and Will instantly grabs his guitar, it is clear that he is not joking when he says he will always be making music. In ‘The Fisher King Blues’, Frank Turner sings ‘lovers don’t be sparing with the truth, break their hearts if that’s what you must do.’ It is clear that just a heart-break can produce excellent music, so too can being pissed-off. If when writing songs, Will continues to be unsparing with his truth, I am excited to hear what will emerge next from this graduand.

U n o r i g i n a l

It is about him going out, getting f**ked up and singing about how the government pisses him off and how he is not quite mature enough to understand what it means, but he is going to sing about it anyway. S o n g s

i s

o u t

n o w

www.facebook.com/WJHawkins soundcloud.com/willhawkinsmusic-1 SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

Lost Letters

In each issue of we've decided to include a letter written by a member of our team or a contributer to someone that could never read it, for a variety of reasons.

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

The letters are personal, imperfect and opininionated, exactly as they should be.

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

Reimagining Culture

Oriental clash

sian culture has influenced fashion for a long time and now, even more so. ‘Chinoiserie’ and ‘Japonisme’ are the Frenchified terms for the influence of oriental aesthetics in the western fashion industry. With so many world top designers such as Prada, Gucci, Fendi and Dries Van Noten taking inspiration, we are seeing models taking to the runways with embroidered kimonos, lavish silks, asian florals and traditional motifs. Fashion is continuing to blend cultures and draw on global inspirations. With that said, retailers such as TopShop and Zara are producing everyday wear pieces that feature these oriental influences.

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

used vintage and retailing pieces to create these oriental looks. I have been seeing a lot of oriental inspired clothing coming back into fashion, with embroidery, materials such as silk and oriental prints. The idea for this project came about with me just wanting to have fun styling pieces that I already had in my closet, together. I also wanted to show the people around me a bit of myself, my take on styling these pieces in the modern day setting and my photography. I think it was also a reminder to myself of my roots and culture too; where my great grandmother was Japanese and my ancestors were from China. I am proud of my ethnicity. Most fashion magazines you flip through show you photoshoots de-

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

signed to show current trends or upcoming designers. Beautiful nonetheless, but I feel like it’s lacking identity and proper representation of the different races & cultures in the world. With fast fashion brands coming up with ‘tribal’ collections and what not, I question whether or not that’s okay. There is definitely a lack of exploring the origins of the specific motifs in any depth. With that said, I think with this body of work, I just hope that readers will want to find out more about the different traditional clothing and where these influences derived from. I was so excited while shooting these set of images in the studio. Being able to just have creative control, no restrictions and to do whatever I wanted. I’m not the kind of photographer who

plans too much before a shoot, especially for a fashion shoot. I just go with the flow and put some banging tunes on.

“

I think when you’re having fun, that’s when something special happens between your model and lens. This set of images are one of my favourite thus far in my body of work.

”

Words & Photos Arabelle Zhuang Yu Ru

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

VENTACORP. The artist collective who only concern themselves with what’s important: dinosaurs, space adventures and our impending doom W o r ds Em m a L i n d say P ho t o s Evan H ess

entacorp is an artist collective formed of four fine art graduates; Tom Austin, Rob Ive, Oscar Lyons and Eddie May. Born out of friendships formed during their first year at university and a common interest in sci-fi dystopia, Ventacorp allows the four artists to meet, share and collaborate on each other’s work. It’s the last day of their degree show on Woodlane Campus and we’re lucky enough to get a tour while talking apocalypse, woodlice, new approaches in art and the FTSE 100… Tom Austin stands amongst a large purple Stegosaurus, a bust of a Diplodocus protruding from a wall and a painting of the videogame character Bowser. The gallery space feels oddly surreal in its clash of primary colours, playful nostalgia and quirky projection but Tom is clearly unfazed as he explains the origins of his work.

Tom: This work stems from a desire to get back to this childlike idea of creativity, which I felt I had lost a bit over the course of my education. So the bright colours and dinosaurs are a symbol of my childhood, when I went to the Natural History Museum all the time. And this is a monument to the Diplodocus at Bramley’s - an adventure

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

playground in London I used to go to as a kid. The whole space is pretty sentimental. While making the work I was really worried about disasters happening and I was watching the news on Trump, Brexit, this, that, whatever. So, for the first time in my life I was really worried about the future of the planet. At the same time I was getting more involved in student politics and realised there was a lot of deceit coming from the people I previously thought were quite responsible. Bowser is dedicated to all those menacing authoritative figures that are making things worse - and have castles they can hide in! The movie I made is about two dinosaurs: a Triceratops and a T. rex. It’s after a meteor hits, but they come back to this weird, postmodern, capitalist world. But because they’re still these incredibly savage animals, they are working out how to live and exist in this world which doesn’t have very much depth to it. So for me, it was about wielding two separate forces; the first being extinction and death, the other being creativity, playfulness and childhood.

The rest of the collective are listening in and it’s not long before others voice their thoughts. Rob: It’s like looking to the future as a starting point for thinking about the present. I think that links to what Eddie is doing too with his work. You’re both making work with an apocalypse looming, and that almost produces the work for you. Tom: The reason that I chose to make the dinosaur is that it links together the two separate ideas I talked about: extinction and childhood. When everything is hopeless you kind of revert back to mindless euphoria. e move into the adjacent room, housing two life-size metal figures, a film playing on a television screen, three abstract paintings, a cluttered shelf, a table of reading material and four canvases displaying text. The mix is eclectic and creates an immersive space reflecting Eddie May’s style of working: varied and contextualised. He begins by describing the figures displayed in the centre of the room:

Eddie: So one of the figures is digging some turf and the

other is holding a bag. It is supposed to represent the idea that we humans are taking and holding things from the earth. That is fundamentally what makes us human in my eyes, the ability to take and hold. There are also books and magazines in the installation and I think they are a good representation of this age. I obviously have very limited knowledge about relevant things such as artificial intelligence and genetics and other elements that define our contemporary world, so to have other people’s writing contextualises what I am trying to say a bit more. Despite having worked with each other for three years, it is clear that, with so many overlapping themes in their work, the rest of the collective are attentive and interested in what eachother are saying, creating a continual discussion that each of them are perpetually eager to enter.

Tom: What is the relationship between the information you have presented and the abstract paintings? How do they speak to one another? Eddie: The name of the in-

stallation references both the sensory and the cognitive and so I was playing with the idea of how we can create things that are dealing with both cognitive, i.e. the information and sensory experiences, represented by the paintings. One of the things I was influenced by was a book on installation art: there was a quote in it which basically said that in this current age, where we are given so much information, traditional ways of working are maybe not appropriate. The text on the canvas is referencing the idea that art in this era must be objective, factual and textbased in order to elicit some sort of response. here seems to be a real swathe of text in art at the moment, and there is much debate as to whether it can stand as a valid art-form on its own. I wonder if Eddie’s work is responding to this, or if it has just arisen through osmosis from the zeitgeist.

Eddie: At the time of conceiving the work, I was looking at articles online and information from exhibitions and noticing that the text accompanying the artwork was usually very factual and objective. So it was like ‘this bit relates to that, and that relates to this, so it must be about this’ rather than something like ‘maybe it could be

related to this? Or maybe it could be about something else?’ I think that’s kind of linked to the world becoming more … Rob: Object focused? The way in which objects interact with each other. That’s a big area of thought right now. What is more important: the human experience, or the objects interacting with one another? Maybe in your practice Eddie, you are more interested in objects? Tom: And you are actually treating humans as objects. Eddie: So yes, that’s why I am drawn to creating these figures and cutting them down to very abstract shapes. That is my way of saying that maybe the physicality of a person is not everything. I think creating abstract forms is just as important as photorealism. My writings are summarised in a leaflet in which I have laid out what I believe to be the most important aspects of human existence throughout history: survival, consciousness, and status. Alongside this I have described what I believe to be the most defining features of life in 2017 - information, technology, Anthropocene, economics, politics etc. I was working on this document up until the installation of the piece; I think it ties everything together.

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

n the wall are four of Eddie’s canvases, printed with differing block colours and overlaid with text giving short definitions of survival, conscience,and technology. Lined up, the canvases are reminiscent of plaques you might see in the street, or engravings, giving the information an almost religious quality. The presentation also has similarities to info-displays found in museums; the overall impression I get is of a struggle with defining information as the truth, as opposed to merely faith.

Elsewhere, a set of shelves house a range of objects; spiritual and academic texts, photos from the artist’s own childhood, a range of widely-used tools, as well an assortment of personal belongings - including food - that hints at a visual representation of the contemporary concerns explored in Eddie’s leaflet. Next we are introduced to the work of Rob Ive and Oscar Lyons, an immersive and collaborative piece describing a sci-fi, dystopian future. The two artists, along with the rest of the collective, combined their practices to produce the film Orbis, recently shown at the Poly Arts centre in Falmouth. The gallery space, which feels den-like and other-worldly, showcases some of the props and set

used, alongside videos of the production process and the film itself. Oscar: We are all addressing this apocalyptic future in very different ways. Tom is working with a definite ending to the world, but Eddie’s work addresses the fear of the end. Mine and Rob’s work is enquiring more into … Rob: We are presupposing there is an apocalypse and thinking about how we might respond to that. Tom and Eddie’s apocalypses are perhaps more real and looming - environmental collapse, etc. alking to Ventacorp, it’s clear that they all have very different practices, but find enough common interest to allow them to support and inspire each other. Through gentle critiques blended with firm recommendations, the collective engage in a vital dialogue, which will perhaps be even more important now they are coming face-to-face with the art-word as graduates. After Orbis, I am excited to see what will emerge next from them, individually and as a collective.

BLOOD SPORT

Mixed martial arts (MMA) has been one of the fastest growing sports of recent times, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood. Fusing various styles and disciplines from around the world, to many it’s the most complete combat sport. To others it’s a gladiator-esque bloodsport. Perhaps through the misconstrued image of a ‘cage fighter’, the cage itself is an unfortunate semantic object due to the negative connotations it draws. In fact the cage is a safety precaution preventing fighters from falling out of the octagon causing injury which could be seen in a more traditional boxing ring. Superstars amongst the likes of Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey have helped elevate the sport to new audiences. Fighting in the Ultimate fighting championship (UFC) headed by Dana White, lucrative licensing deals are seeing elite competitors enjoy desirable rewards. The University of Surrey’s MMA society oversee’s one of the largest grassroot competitions. Having grown in size each year the ‘Triumph’ series caters for K1 kickboxing bouts alongside MMA, having currently hosted four events. The latest of which saw seven universities represented and one independent fight gym compete. Invited by Brunel University’s Daniel Evangelista, who was competing in the main event, a heavyweight clash against Mavericks fight gym’s Henry Grimble. I was stuck by the camaraderie and humbleness shown by the Brunel team who were placed in a small training room backstage to warm up and prepare. Despite appearing to be a individual sport, the coaches and training teams are an essential component. Not only there to teach technique but offer guidance from the corner whilsts fights take place. Given the diversity of student populations competitors also have their own unique training history, providing the societies with a range of styles and techniques.

W o rds & P ho t o s Ca l l u m W el sh

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

S T ORYT IME

THAT TIME I WENT TO NORTH KOREA

f o RT

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

This is not clickbait Or whatever the zine form of that may be

et with sweltering heat, shopping galore and more food options than you can imagine, last summer, myself and two friends ventured to South Korea’s capital, Seoul. Having been once before, I was fairly familiar with most of the sights of Seoul and thus desired to travel a little further afield to tick off a much anticipated bucket list adventure; North Korea. The mysterious nation is synonymous with being simultaneously a bit of a joke yet also a wormhole of the fearsome unknown; somewhat a 2016 Trump if you will. As nothing more than a mindless millennial, curiosity masked any fear I could have felt towards such a place and before our trip, we snapped up the bargain price of £66.50 per person to partake in a tour of the border. When the day rolled around, we arrived at the unsavoury hour of 7am at Camp Kim, a US manned military base in Seoul. Surrounded by many a loud, ill-fitting shirt wearing, camera wielding peppy American tourist and having signed a waiver to say that the tour company were not liable for any lost limbs, we knew we were in for an interesting day. After having our passports checked, we were escorted by our slightly overly enthusiastic tour guide onto the bus to travel north to our first stop. It was admittedly still rather surreal at this point to be willingly travelling towards such a blackhole of media sensationalism, nuclear weapon touting and communist rule. Unperturbed by this however, we still managed to be excited, albeit wearily, about what lay ahead (and the bragging rights the visit came with). Following a briefing in what seemed like a glorified lecture theatre by an unnervingly earnest US soldier, we began our tour of Panmunjeom, AKA the Joint Security Area in the heart of the border’s Demilitarised Zone; the only place where the two Korea’s can negotiate. We were assigned our minder in the form of, who I like to call GI Joe, a stationed US soldier with a penchant for dark sunglasses, hypermasculinity and trying a little too hard. As we were lead through the ironically named ‘Freedom House’ in single file, we were reminded to not point at anything or make any other potentially offensive gestures. As we were under constant surveillance of the North Koreans at this point, whom we were informed may use footage of us as propaganda about how deprived and depraved us westerners are. After a short wait for our turn, we were lead out the back of Freedom House to be faced with what became the most stark reminder of the reality of the ongoing unrest. In front of our eyes lay three blue cabins with a raised line on the ground in the centre running perpendicularly through them. A domineering, 1980’s-esque building sat

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

opposite us at the other side of the cabins, where a North Korean guard was present. Between us and the North Korean soldier, playfully named ‘Bob’ by the US soldiers, stood a line of around 6 stationed South Korean soldiers facing the opposing side. Informed that this was a constant standoff, the scene encapsulated the very present nature of the separation of the once unified countries. The eerie tension was enough to drown out the voice of our guide, leaving what felt like a deafening silence where time was still. It felt wrong to be allowed to photograph the scene, like we were violating something sacred but I put that unease to one side and too pulled out my camera, if for nothing else, as a reminder of the strange situation before us. From feeling at a loss for words to shamelessly snapchatting, I too quickly became swept up in the theatre of it all as we were allowed into one of the three cabins, which turned out to be a conference room. Inside were two unarmed South Korean, or ROK, soldiers stood in first Taekwondo stance ready for battle, juxtaposing the overexcited tourists scrambling over one another to take selfies with them. A border line was present dissecting the room in half, which in theory allowed us to take our steps into North Korea, this being the only point we could legally cross the border. What a pity that Boomerang was not an Instagram feature at the time as we’d have gone to town on capturing taking that all important step for the world to see. We were informed that disrespectful behaviour in the form of wiping noses and boots on the array of UN flags by the North Koreans led to their side being locked except for when they were in negotiation with the opposition.

Such childish behaviour sounded more like antics from a primary school than actions of Government officials, playing up to the character of them being Kim Jong Un’s cartoon villain-like cronies

e were next lead to our last stop in the JSA; a fairly small viewing platform from which we could see into North Korea and catch sight of the ‘Bridge of No Return’ connecting the once unified nations. Used freely by North Koreans until the murder of two stationed US soldiers in 1976 in an incident known as the ‘axe murder incident.’ The Bridge of No Return once posed as a point of repatriation following its use in 1953 after the Korean War where at this point prisoners of war had the choice to remain or return to their homeland. Aside from the infamous bridge, we could spot the Propaganda Village from our vantage point, from which blaring messages were being broadcast. Having reached an agreement to stop using propaganda loudspeakers between 2004 and 2016, tensions arose following nuclear testing in the months before our visit leading to them resuming operation. The strange fake settlement with its obnoxiously large flagpole (world’s 4th largest) sits within the DMZ and is supposedly thought to be a decoy for luring South Korean defectors. This ironically North

Korean named ‘Peace Village’ is fooling no one however. My camera zoom alone proved enough to foil any chance of thinking it was legitimate as it was easy to spot the buildings were just shells with no actual windows and no life. I did however manage to spot some brightly dressed farm labourers and a couple of people on bikes. Like the strangest peep show imaginable. It felt a bit like peering into a snapshot of the past and verged on making me feel very uncomfortable at being so fascinated at watching people go about daily life like we were in some sort of surreal human zoo.

ust when we thought our JSA stop was over, we were lead to a gift shop. A Korean border gift shop. A souvenir shop at the border of two countries technically still at war... It appeared this concept was only obscure to my friend and I as we watched our fellow tourists leap at the chance to buy military themed clothing and other quaint curiosities. As if holding a tour at such a sensitive location was not exploitative enough already, it appears capitalism really has made people jump on any opportunity they can find to make money. We quickly fled the store after a confused glance at what was on offer to have a chat, in typically British style, about the weather with some American soldiers before we made our way back to the coach. After a brief lunch stop and a quick visit to the last train station before North Korea, Dorasan Station, we headed to a camo coloured observatory, that was arguably not the most incognito of buildings. Plastered with the phrase ‘End of separation, beginning of unification’ on the South facing side, this served as a stark reminder that the issue is ongoing with no solution yet to have been found and that unification is still a desired end goal. The observatory was decked out with English seaside-esque tower viewers that would allow you to get a magnified look into the vast countryside dappled with small villages. One of the most poignant sights was the point at which both the South and North Korean flagpoles could be seen, stood facing one another within close proximity of the border line. Last stop of the day saw us visit the ‘Third Infiltration Tunnel’. One of only 4 discovered, out of a predicted 20, the incomplete tunnel sits just 27 miles from South Korea’s capital, Seoul and is thought to have been designed for a surprise attack from the North Koreans, with the tunnel capable of accommodating around 30,000 soldiers per hour. Found in 1978 following detection of an underground explosion, the tunnel took 4 months to precisely locate. Although less of a threat now compared to the widely promoted nuclear weapons of the North, ROK specialists are still deployed to try and locate the remaining undiscovered tunnels. Our only warning before entering the tunnel was to stay out if we had heart problems or were pregnant which to say the least, baffled us as we had no idea as to what we were about to come across. After dumping all of our possessions in lockers, including phones, we followed the directions to the tunnel and were met with a very steep ramp going down underground. Unfortunately for us, our tour price didn’t cover the nice, easy train ride into the tunnel but instead

just the walk, where the thought “what goes up, must come down” had never been more daunting. Having put the thought of the climb back up to the back of our minds, we bounded down the ramp that, for a worryingly long time, seemed to have no end in sight. We eventually scaled the almost 300m ramp to find ourselves 73m underground in a dark, claustrophobic space that we walked into as far as we could until we met the barricade, the first of three built by the South to protect themselves. This being the turning point, we then were faced with our own personal wars in the form of getting back up to top. From memory, the slope must have been around 40°, which may not sound that bad until you actually have it in front of you. I genuinely remember thinking I would not make it out alive as we passed about 3 people looking like they were on the brink of cardiac arrest and I was bracing myself to be joining them. After more rest stops on the conveniently provided benches than I’d care to admit, we finally saw the light of day again and quickly found our coach to pass out on for the duration of the journey back to Seoul.

ooking back on our visit, it still doesn’t seem real in any way, shape or form. Nowhere else on Earth, will you find a border of warring neighbours turned into a somewhat tourist attraction. As much as I selfishly appreciated the insight into such a mysterious place and its relations with its once counterpart, I am terrified by the thought of what we are not shown, the parts kept firmly hidden away from the prying eyes of the public. Whilst we had an enjoyable day out, only temporarily experiencing a glimpse into the conflict that is still unsettled, the people we were observing from our point of safety are stuck in that reality, knowing nothing other than the dictator reigning over them.

It was chilling to see the words ‘freedom’, ‘peace’ and ‘unification’ so frequently in a place that only ever seemed to scream dissonance and disparity.

Wor ds S tac ey Harri s Illustr ation Ai no Neu vonen

or ds rt

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

A gallery of

Minor Inconveniences

WE ARE SO LUCKY, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT? Nothing I suppose except…it does kind of annoy me when that happens and ugh it’s so irritating when…ok it’s minor, but it is still an inconvenience! Words S amantha M ac ku l i n Illustration Haz el boxal l

The Notorious Toilet Paper Thieves Anyone living with a few other people will know the shock and horror you feel when there’s no toilet paper left. You literally bought some the other day! How much do these people shit?

The Burning Hot Drink Of Doom A hot drink on a cold morning, or that first cup of coffee in a day is so important to us. So why, oh why do they have to fill them so damn high sometimes. We’re left with a choice between licking it up like a cat or facing the burning hot music.

The Hair Cut By Glasses It’s a nice summer day, you’re looking fab, you go to take your glasses off and oww! Hair has been pulled out and any left in there seems to be well and truly tangled. Great.

The 3p That Just Ruined Your Day When you’re filling up your car, a few pennies can make a difference between making or breaking your day, we all want that perfect round 10.

The Flooded Shower of My Tears Call Noah because we all need saving from these stupid showers that seem to flood literally every time we step into them.

The Selfish Seat Stealer This is a public service announcement: Your bag is not a human, it does not need a seat. Be considerate people.

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

The Constant Spillage Problem Are you prone to constantly spilling food on your nice clean clothes? So are we, so don’t feel bad.

The Great Plant Escape Plants, we all want them in our homes right now, sounds great until you move em. Soil everywhere. No thanks.

The Tear and Tears of The Barcode ‘You can easily get off a barcode with toothpaste or warm water or…’ blah blah blah, we don’t need those tricks, we have got this…we didn’t have it.

The Awkward Cashier Encounter We’re ready to pay for something, we all hate social interaction so we prepared for this moment. The cashier wasn’t on our wavelength, we miss her hand and it all clatters to the counter. Awkward.

The Tragedy Of Burnt Toast Toast is such a quick breakfast, so low effort, a perfect start to the day except no because now you’ve burnt it and it tastes like death.

The One Day Too Late Sale You built yourself up to splurge on some new clothes and you go for it, a day later it’s...it’s on SALE! Oh hell no.

The Demon Coffee Customer Anyone who has worked as a barista will know the pain of dealing with those annoying customers that reel off drink orders you didn’t even think existed.

The Spinning Wheel Of Death This needs no explanation, it is both an inconvenience and completely terrifying to behold.

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

Why is your english so good? Racism is still a widespread issue in the United Kingdom & Ireland. Minorities from all walks of life experience it in a multitude of ways in an ever evolving fashion. Malaysian photographer Daniel Adamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; series focuses on the testimonies of fellow Malaysians living or studying in the UK who have experienced racism and ignorance.

By Daniel Adams

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

Imported Goods “I was walking home from work with a colleague at around 7pm, up Guildford High Street. A white male, visibly drunk, in his late 20s to early 30s maybe, approached us and asked my colleague for directions to a bar, to which my colleague gave a half-assed response just to brush him off. As we walked away from the man, he shouted back at us “Is she your import - uh, girlfriend?” ASHLEE LIM GUILDFORD, ENGLAND

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

Trophy Girl “I met this guy in a pub. We spoke all night and got on together really well. When he asked where I was from, I naturally said Malaysia as that is my country of origin. We spent the whole night together with no issue. But the next morning when he asked why I could speak English so well since I was Malaysian, I answered that I was half English. To which he replied. “That’s cheating, I thought I was sleeping with a full Asian chick.” And proceeded to get dressed and leave.” EVELYN BEE WADEBRIDGE, ENGLAND

Space Bound “I was outside a nightclub called ‘Space’ in Leeds during 1st year in the queue waiting to get in. The bouncer wasn’t saying racial slurs or anything to me, but he was giving me a really hard time for no reason when it was like another casual night. I found out from people that the bouncers there are known for giving asian people a hard time.” CONNOR JACKSON LEEDS, ENGLAND

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

One Country, One Language “Most days I walk home from university but sometimes if it’s a long day, I catch the bus. My first experience with xenophobia was on one of these occasions. On the bus, I answered a phone call from a friend and began speaking in Malay, my mother tongue. The man who was sitting opposite me glanced in my direction but I didn’t pay it too much attention; maybe I had been speaking too loudly. When I finished my phone call the man turned to me and said, “If you come to our country, you should speak English.” “I’m sorry?” “Oh so you can speak English? Bloody foreigners!” DYANNA SANDHU LONDON, ENGLAND

An Ode To Slavery "In my first year, while discussing why so many Asians are intimidated by White people to the extent of locking themselves in their room to avoid conversation, I reminded by English housemate that through colonisation, many of us are still aware of the power that the UK hold over it’s previous colonies. To this my housemate responded, “Well, I’m sure you guys enjoyed the slavery.” My housemate, a Politics student, thought it was appropriate to joke about slavery to a table of Asian and Jamaicans. He did not apologise, and assured us that it was a joke." TASNEM ALJOFFERY LONDON, ENGLAND

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

t’s a commonly held theory that the best time to learn a language is when you’re a child. Research suggests that the brain’s neuroplasticity, its ability to adapt in response to new experiences, is something that decreases with age. So why is it that foreign language classes are so densely populated by the older generations? In a bid for answers, I turned to my mum and her experience of six months at a weekly French class. My mum grew up in Jersey where both English and French were spoken but despite having a French mother, English was the only language they spoke at home. She told me that it left her isolated from her extended family and she often felt like an outlier with a ‘natural disadvantage’ within her bi-lingual peer group. French was taught at her school and she gradually built up an A-level equivalent standard but those skills have since worn thin.

Th e people wh o ar e r eturni ng to edu cati on d ecades af ter leavi ng s ch ool

Old Dogs reclaiming their old tr icks

As a single mother and a carer for our live-in

As it turns out, the younger students are mostly

granddad, it was a surge in free time following a redundancy and prior to the start of a new job that led my mum to reclaim her lost French skills and begin to meet people with a similar childhood story. While she was an anomaly during her school years, she’s now one of several who weren’t taught their parents’ second language in these evening classes. To me at least, it’s inspiring to hear of whole groups of people taking for themselves what they were never given in youth and refusing to give in to the difficulty of learning languages beyond school years. Writer and nurse Sharon Perkins attributes the different levels of difficulty between adult and child language acquisition to three things: ‘brain readiness’, ‘self-consciousness’ and just how much there is for an individual to learn at their age. While neuroplasticity decreases with time, the self-consciousness of the individual increases and leaves adult learners more cautious of mistakes. Along with heightened caution comes an increase in the amount of language to learn, with Perkins claiming that ‘very young children don’t need to master the complexity of language that older children and adults need to communicate well.’ The members of my mum’s French classes, whether they’re just out of education or are now retired, are all fighting back against these odds.

there starting fresh with a certain end point in mind, be it a holiday, job or the like that requires language skills, and these young people attend the sessions in the evenings after work or further education. The older generations, however, share my mum’s drive for revisiting an old skill. Whilst the ‘newbies’ filter out once sufficient knowledge has been gained, the older members of the classes stay on, working towards fluency, expanding their social circles and enjoying their time-filling hobby and return to education.

In considering age, my mum began in the pre-intermediate classes and found that her classmates were predominantly between the ages of 21 and 40, but moving up to the intermediate classes saw a shift in demographic to the 40-plus generations. What exactly happens in the stepping-stone between the two standards?

It makes me wonder what I would return to if education were offered to me in the far future. Alongside an opening up of time, one of my mum’s main motivations was the search for clarity of grammatical issues she never quite got her head around in school. The creative in me would like to think that I would return to education to explore the art forms I never fully pursued, but perhaps it would actually be something I would never be able to grasp. Maybe a subject like chemistry awaits me somewhere down the line. Regardless, there’s a beacon of hope somewhere in the distance for every person who didn’t understand, wasn’t supported, didn’t feel good enough or just didn’t have enough time to learn more about the things that fed their curiosity. In the words of my mum, ‘it’s not a case of teaching old dogs new tricks, it’s about old dogs reclaiming their old tricks’ - what trick would you reclaim?

wor ds ti l da l i nds ey illustr ation Tom P eake

The answer, I believe, lies in the consideration of time and purpose.

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

The 25 Percent

The 25 Percent is a photographic commentary exploring the single parent family dynamic.

W or ds & P ho t o s Am ar a En o

pproximately a quarter of households in the UK are single parent families and this figure has remained for over decade. The project aims to raise awareness for and empower both mothers and fathers who do it alone, promoting the idea that growing up as part of a single parent family, while tough at times, can be an extremely rewarding experience, contrary to a lot of the negative stigma that often surrounds one parent families. The 25 Percent all really started as a result of and in a sense, a response to my own upbringing. Whether it was me essentially moving house every other weekend to spend time with each respective parent, to having two birthdays and two versions of any major public holiday; being raised by a single parent from as early as I was able to formulate my first proper sentences, made my experience of growing up quite different to the majority of my peers. I was always – and still am - hyperaware of the negative stereotypes that hang over my head and the heads of other one-parent families. Negligence, custody wars, uneducated school drop outs, messy divorces, to name a

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

few from an extensive list, are all misguided narratives that come with growing up with one parent. I say misguided, because looking back, I do not feel that any of those descriptions accurately echo my personal experience. Of course, the path did not always seem so bright. So many times, I witnessed my mum’s struggles caring for two kids, whilst my peers who lived with two parents had that load split. It was by no means, easy for my mum or easy for me to watch. I saw her working full time, holding down more than one job to ensure that finances were stable and she could put diner on the table. But the one thing I feel is most important to say is that she always made time for us. For a long while, I did believe that there was some enormous advantage to living with two parents full time.

‘When you constantly see messages such as “breakdown of the traditional family” and “poverty” infiltrating the media, it does make you second-guess the quality of your reality.’ And that really confused me, because I stayed in school. So many role models that may well have been my father surround me. We live in a safe neighbourhood.

I have made it to university. Nothing in there remotely whispers ‘negative’ or ‘unsuccessful’. That being said, the thought did cross my mind, that maybe my situation was just an anomaly as I had never really come across anyone else in my immediate circle of contacts that was in the same boat as me. So when I read a statistic that approximately 25% of households in the UK are single parent families, I was genuinely surprised. Ever since, I have been fascinated by the concept of what I like to call the ‘single parent family experience.’ For if my experience is so different, what are other single parent families like? I also saw it as an opportunity for me to finally meet those who also only grew up with one primary parent. Hence The 25 Percent was born back in January this year. Embedded in my mind, albeit involuntarily, was this view of what a single parent should look like. I kind of assumed that there would be a telling characteristic, an indicator of their ‘unfortunate’ background. Yet, I found myself constantly shocked every single time I met a new family. The irony is that not one of the families I have met so far has met any of the negative stereotypes. Many of them are facing personal struggles, yes. But is that not true of any family, regardless of whether or not they are headed by one or more parents? All of them are dealing with it and getting on with every day life, putting all of their energy into making their kids’ upbringing as positive as possible. And they couldn’t be more diverse if they tried. I’ve met Capoeira competitors, teachers, fashion illustrators. Whether it is their parenting strategy, the temperament of their kids or simply their story of how they came to be a one parent fam-

ily: the only thing that really does unite any of them is my knowledge of the fact that they are raising their kids independent of a partner. Since beginning the project, it’s become reinforced in me, the need that there is to move away from the assumption that this defines who we are and determines our prospects in life. I have spoken to many people, from family members, to friends, to strangers throughout this journey and one particular quote from one of those many exchanges really sits with me and expresses exactly what I am trying to illustrate with The 25 Percent:

‘It’s easy to say that growing up in a single-parent family puts you at a disadvantage when you’re looking at it from the perspective of someone who grew up with two parents.’ So far, I have been working with families in the South West, however, this is a project I plan on continuing and in doing so, I plan to expand my reach across the UK. I am also really hoping to meet more single fathers. All too often, we assume that the full-time parent is the mother, however, 10% of single parents are fathers and I would really like to see them represented.

t o G et i n vo lv ed co n tac t A m a ra h e l l oa m a ra @o u t l o ok.c om Instagra m : @a m a ra en o 0 780 73 651 84

Rebecca & her daughter “The hardest part of being a single parent for me is trying to be everything for Nell that I needed growing up, whilst feeling like a bizarre legal process/finances are constantly making my job harder. I feel strength in single parenting and a bond really difficult to explain. I love my relationship with my daughter, she’s my everything and I don’t imagine anyone at the moment being special enough to be a part of that. I hope one day I’ll believe again that someone could!”

Jasmine & her daughter “The thought of having to do this on my own never crossed my mind until that became a reality when I was 24 weeks pregnant. In that moment, I realised that I had this new life that would soley rely on me; that I would protect and love for the rest of my life. But here I am 3 months in and I wouldn’t change my situation for the world. I am proud of myself for what I have achieved and have a whole new strength as a person. If I had the option to change anything, I wouldn’t. She has made me who I am.”

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

Jessica & her son “Personally, I haven’t slept since the birth of my boy. I find my life is a fight to clean the house daily (if lucky), listening to tantrums, being hit and watching him hit himself. Single parenting is - to say the least – physically and emotionally exhausting... but we also see all the joys too.”

Melisa & her kids “Being a single parent can be challenging daily, trying to keep all four children happy, making sure my children have everything they need. I have been a single parent on and off for four years. I do get blamed sometimes because their dads do not live with us. The greatest thing about is that I get four times the love. I am proud of all four children and I am told by passers by how polite and well mannered my children are.”

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

Samantha & her kids “I imagined having a perfect little family. Not doing it all on my own and having to deal with their dad when he has contact... and courts and social service and the police – this was NEVER the plan. I convinced myself I wasn’t going to fall in love again because I didn’t want to bring lots of different people into my children’s lives as I couldn’t imagine that would be good for them! The kids probably fell for my partner before I did – climbing all over him and hanging off his legs. Now it does feel like I’ve got the happy family I’ve always wanted...”

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

Illustration Kaitie Jessop

Words Tilda Lindsey

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

STORIES OF

DRAG words & photos Evan Hess

Peeking

behind the curtain into

the veiled world of drag to catch a glimpse of the their

Queens taking Crowns.

off

ROLAND BRAY hat do you see when you think of drag or drag Photography? You probably think of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ the photos with half natural, half drag makeup or maybe some behind the scenes of flashy drag clubs.

I wanted to learn about drag and show a new side, or rather both sides. While researching drag photography and talking to people in the community I got the chance to educate myself on what drag is to people. It’s a form of expression, but beyond that it’s a part of everyone in the community. Drag is often perceived as a character and not a lot more, but I discovered that even though it may be a character, it’s also a big part of their identity. So how do I show this without just remaking the same old studio portraits with half the makeup wiped off? I decided instead to situate the drag queens in their bedrooms, in drag but in their everyday spaces. That way you could see them as their drag personas but also get a sense of the other side of their identity, bringing these two people who have never meet into one room.

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

When did you start experimenting with drag? My first experience performing in drag goes back a long way - I must’ve been about 10-11 years old and it was a school talent show and I performed “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush. I remember vividly wearing a long (very straggly) brown wig and a bed sheet tied round the waist. Since then things have become more sophisticated for sure!

How did your LGBTQA+ community welcome you? I’ve always been lucky to have been really accepted. Everyone I know - friends and family - have been so supportive, especially with the things I’m doing with my drag. I am very fortunate to be living now with an older gay couple who are incredible - living in such an accepting house definitely helps a lot. They're used to me flouncing around in some sequin adorned kaftan or the like. I’ve also been really lucky to have hosted Cornwall Pride for two consecutive years which has also had an immensely positive response. It’s safe to say I’ve been very lucky.

Why do you think drag is important? Oh, where do I start?! Drag, to me especially, has so much power. Obviously one of the main reasons for doing drag is to entertain people but I also believe that drag has the power to really challenge people’s ideas of gender and sexuality. Also, a lot of drag kings and queens use drag to satirise socio/political topics which is great, it leaves audiences really questioning some serious issues but also not feeling like they've been lectured. I also use drag as a form of escapism. Sometimes if I’ve had a terrible week I can become someone else and hide my problems under a fabulous wig, it’s great!

ROXIE MORON 34

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

KEIR CLYNE When did you start experimenting with drag? his is always a tricky question. From a young age, I would always experiment with my gender in different ways. I used to stay round one of my mum’s old friend’s places while she was at work and her daughter always decided to dress me up in a pretty pink tutu and fairy wings, so being in drag was never a weird thing for me. It wasn’t until I grew up a bit more and began to notice the amount of binary that there was in gender. The only time I ever saw a drag queen was either a fleeting moment in a Sunday morning cartoon where a male character would dress up in “Female” clothing for comic effect or (when I got a bit older) in shows like “Queer as Folk.”

I think the first time I dressed up for drag in a performative way was for one of my friend’s birthdays. I had wanted to dress up properly as a queen for a while and you find that you do it first either during Halloween or a birthday party. So, I borrowed my friends “sexy prisoner” outfit that did not fit in the slightest, grabbed the cheapest £1.50 pink party wig and stole my mum’s blunt eyeliner pencil and got all dressed up. I looked horrible by the way. The outfit didn’t fit, I had no makeup on apart from blunt smudged eyeliner on the bottom of my eye but I felt beautiful. From then on, I started to experiment with makeup and looks to become the not so serious queen I am now. My makeup still isn’t the best but that feeling of beauty every time I get ready in drag has never left me.

lassan

How did your LGBTQA+ community welcome you?

Why do you think drag is important?

here I grew up, in the middle of the country, there was no gay scene. It wasn’t until I went to University and discovered a local LGBTQA+ night that I started daring to go out in drag. Surprisingly everyone was really lovely (If not a bit shady about my ‘unique’ attempt at contouring.) I began to make friends with beautiful queens and kings with amazing pun names: Roxie Moron, Madonna Kebab, Emo Geisha, Hugo Bust, Rivera Reverse Cowgirl & Pache de Aqua to name a few, who each had individual looks and aesthetics that did nothing but inspire me. I was welcomed into open arms as a little drag gayby known as ‘Lassanya.’

honestly think that any kind of gender expression is important. More and more we see people, especially in the LGBTQA+ community, being pushed into a box and I think we need to see more and more creative and intelligent people being their true and honest selves. Even if you have horrible makeup and a busted dress you can feel nothing but beautiful for a night and I think that’s something important to have. Especially identifying personally as a non-binary person (someone who does not feel like they are ‘completely’ male or female) I found drag allowed me to figure out myself a lot more and who I wanted to be. Plus, sometimes it’s fun to put on a pair of heels and dance around to some Lady Gaga and life should be about having fun.

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

i l l u st r at i o n To m P eake

rian is a self-employed bricklayer in a relatively ordinary town. He is frustrated by how much cheap foreign labour has affected his business, as he can’t afford to charge such low prices in order to compete in the market.

He read in both the Daily Mail and The Sun that immigrants were the reason for this and banning immigration was the only way to help small proudly British businesses to flourish. Leaving the EU would help this to happen. So, Brian voted conservative despite his children wanting to go to university in the near future imploring him not to. However, by 2020, after a Conservative majority and the opposition being wiped out as part of Theresa May’s ‘mandate,’ there are now no longer any universities for his children to go to, well except the ones that cost £30,000 a year to attend. In fact, there wasn’t much of anything,

wor ds l ee robert bou z i da

as the Tories cut EVERYTHING. Austerity was apparently necessary to ‘reduce the deficit’. The NHS no longer had the facilities, staff and funding to help the increase of health problems, in fact it had to shut down and has been sold off to Apple and Google shareholders.

Brian has no work at all anymore. In fact, he has nothing. Brian is a zombie and so are his family. But at least the deficit is being reduced.

WHEN A ZOMBIE EPIDEMIC BROKE OUT, NO ONE COULD STOP IT AS THE HOSPITALS COST WAY MORE THAN A ZOMBIE COULD AFFORD. Most hospitals were now golf courses for the rich, enclosed from the Zombie ‘common people’ that surrounded… well…everything. The police couldn’t do anything either, as there weren’t any. The EU wouldn’t help, as a ‘hard Brexit’ actually meant that the UK separated itself from absolutely everything.

Socialism sold by Jeremy Corbyn was not what it was supposed to be. Upon his first day, as prime minister, the Bolshevik flag was raised high above Westminster. All large corporations were banned, all production was to be internal, and profits went ‘to the people’. Laura had a sneakng suspicion this was not socialism anymore…

aura is a twenty one year old student living away from home. She is upset at the extortionate student fees she has had to pay at university. Laura also suffers from diabetes and is frustrated by the waiting times and difficulty in getting appointments at the NHS. She is an active animal rights activist, peace protester and a very social being.

Laura voted Labour as they vowed to scrap student loans altogether, pump an awful lot of money into schools, the NHS and put large tax on massive corporations operating in this country. Also, she liked that Jeremy Corbyn planned to

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

scrap nuclear weapons. She was not at all put off by the propaganda saying that we would ‘go back to the 70s.’ Whilst her family are determined to vote Conservative in this election, she felt betrayed by them as they were not thinking of her future, and just their own, as it was obviously significantly shorter and less important than hers. Originally she had considered voting for the Liberal Democrats, but all of her friends had convinced her that ‘a socialist government is the future!’ This was a compelling enough argument to fully convince her and she didn’t want to feel like an outcast.

EVERYTHING BECAME NATIONALIZED, JEREMY CORBYN EVEN TRIED TO NATIONALIZE THE SEA AND THE MOON, CLAIMING IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT ‘THE PEOPLE HAD A RIGHT TO THEM’. By 2020 the government was no longer really in existence, and oppression had became obsolete as no one really had a clue what was going on. To solve all issues, Jeremy Corbyn actually made it law that everyone must grow Afros and exclusively wear flares and oversized shades. All music was banned other than disco. Laura used to enjoy the seventies idea. Laura now hates the seventies.

amish lives in a remote town in the North of Scotland. He is very fed up with Westminster as he believes that everyone in the ‘British Parliament’ doesn’t give a monkeys about Scotland.

lice has been working most of her life, in and out of different jobs and is now an executive assistant in a large distribution firm. She has supported most Liberal Democrat policy for most of her life ‘understanding’ politics.

He loves Scotland, all its history and culture, and believed if everyone were more Scottish, they would be better people. Upon the 2017 election, He believed once again voting SNP was the right thing to do, and did not hesitate to put his cross in the SNP box and put Nicola Sturgeon right back into power. However, what Hamish failed to predict was that this time, Sturgeon had put SNP on the ballot in all English, Welsh and Northern Ireland constituencies too. Unlikely it may have been, but SNP won every seat bar a few in the UK. Immediately, Sturgeon fought for independence from the UK, and Scotland actually BECAME the UK instead. From Cornwall to Belfast, became Scotland. Sturgeon became unstable with this power, and pushed through for independence from Europe as a continent (Hard Scexit). And it became true.

HOWEVER, THIS STILL WASN’T ENOUGH. STURGEON SOUGHT OUT AND ACHIEVED INDEPENDENCE FROM PLANET EARTH. THERE WAS NOW PLANET EARTH AND SCOTLAND.

However, when the 2017 election came around, she believed that even though Brexit needed to be stopped or at least given another vote and other such legislation, there was no way the Liberal Democrats would win, or even gain any significant part of government, to change anything. In fact, Alice was pissed off with every party. She felt that the Tory austerity was ridiculous and terrible for her as a 30+ workingwoman. The Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn was a ‘wet blanket’ and couldn’t be trusted. UKIP are just Tories who say what they actually think, she thought, and Greens? Please. Therefore, Alice did not vote in the general election.

THERE WAS A HUNG PARLIAMENT. NO ONE LIKES A HUNG PARLIAMENT. HUNG PARLIAMENTS ARE SHIT. Alice was pissed off. Nothing happened for five years.

Hamish found this very lonely. Hamish no longer liked being Scottish. He merely wished to be human again.

supp or t us by leav i ng feedb ac k at sub c ultur e o n line .c o.uk

Illustr ation S o rby Bro wn

Support us by leaving your feedback at subcultureonline.co.uk

SUBCULTURE ISSUE 1

supported by the university of exeterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual fund and the amata edge award