Arts Supplement of
The Gryphon
Fashion - Blogs - Lifestyle -
Issue 5
In the Middle
Music - Clubs - Art - Culture
In the Middle
Contents In the Middle Associate Alex Gibbon
Music & Clubs 5
Women of inspiration: Poly Styrene
Elle Palmer
6
Playlist: Our favourite up and coming female artists
7
Fern McErlane Ishmael Silvestro
A woman’s place is in shoegaze
Liam Cattermole
Fashion 8
Internation Women’s Day vs. international women
Arts and Culture 10
Queens of arts
11
Where are the women? The gender gap at the heart of Britain‘s blue plaques
12
The women directors who make Hollywood
Blogs & Lifestyle 16 17
2
Real talk about contraception Ask Aunt Bonnie
Bella Wigley Faye Clayton
9
Spotlight on: Winnie Harlow
Lizzie Wright Ruby Mae-McAuliffe
Delphie Bond
13
Emily Parry
What is the deal with Crypto-Art and NFTs?
Owen Frost
14 What have the world‘s museums 15
Rory Yeates
The female gaze turns towards literature
18 19
Phoebe Walker
been up to during the pandemic?
Sinead O‘Riordan
Anushka Searle
It’s time to support small businesses run by women
Beanna Olding
Femininity as performance: I made the decision to grow out all my body hair
Front cover
Page four
Illustration by Sian Pitts @art.bysian
Poem by Emily Rosette @mlyrstte
Georgie Wardall Lucy Abbott
Back cover Illustration by Molly Coathup @mupdesigns
Listen
Contents
Full Frontal
Alex Gibbon
Being gay isn’t just about fancying men, it’s about adoring women. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that gay men would be absolutely no where without women. We owe our wellbeing to the female English teachers whose af-
NTS
above our Queer-bashing ulate taste for culture to the divas and icons whose torch
MERKHABIA W/ KeiyaA Singer-songwriter KeiyaA monthly show on stress
with the smoothest beats around.
wear
the likes of Judy, Cher, Janet and Gaga give us the strength to carry on. We all owe many a fun night to ing asymmetrical fringes and never-ending glasses of the sunrise. Don’t get me wrong, Queer men can be I like to think that the bond between us and our gals
crooked clan. twins are being born than ever before with one in every 42 children born a twin. It brings me endless joy to think that there are more siblings out there that will in class or the comfort of having someone else that genuinely gives a shit when it is your birthday. My twin he is so similar to me *winks*) and I am extremely grateful to have him. Before we conclude, it would be very un-Aries of me not to mention my win in the LeadLUU elections. Yes, -
went on what was meant to be a three-day binge; I haven’t seen her since. So, if anyone sees a wench with
about fancying men, it’s about adoring women. -
Depop
Patchwork
and sexist bullshit of the both the monarchy and the
Who would have guessed that your Nan’s rag bag would be the key for killing the ness are all the rage right now.
-
see
very on-the-nose shot of Prince Harry frolicking with the rehomed hens that directly followed Meghan declaring that she “loves rescuing things.” Mind you, as disturbing as it is that there were concerns in the Royal Family over how dark Archie’s skin would be when he was born, I found Harry’s shock at the revelation a tad undraw.co
is making more of an effort than anyone else in the
Meet the editors Death Becomes Her
In each issue we will be getting to know a member of the team a little bit better. This time it’s the turn of Arts & Culture Editor Phoebe Walker What are you currently studying and why?
star as love rivals who both drink a magical anti-ageing elixir that make them immor-
I am currently studying English Literature because I love books!
vehicle to satirise female beauty standard and society’s obsession with youth.
the all skills and insights I’ll need.
do
What is your best piece of life advice? I know it’s easy to say, but don’t worry, you are smarter than you way to manage to do it. Have fun and enjoy life!
If you could go back in time, where would you go? Golden Age and live the Gatsby life, so I’d do that. Slightly more randomly, I’d like to go back in time to the Restoration when Charles II came back to the throne and see how different life was after the Puritans and see how society changed. I’d also go and check out just how luxurious a life Marie Antoinette was living. What is your favourite drink? When I’m working, I’d have to say mint tea is my absolute favourite. But in terms of cocktails, a Margarita is my go-to. bartenders and their abilities to make cocktails. I’ve tried to make loads during lockdown, and none of them have been
Join Pink Matters free of cis men to discuss sex, relation-
What did you want to be when you were growing up? When I was about 4, I was obsessed with Bad Luhrman’s Mouing out I have absolutely no rhythm whatsoever, I was forced to
“Pink Matters” on Facebook to join. age of 11, I wanted to be Rory Gilmore, so journalism came to the forefront.
3
Do mothers and their children and their children’s children Just spiral outwards, ever widening? It starts with our hips when we are at that age where our body becomes something other than it was before and then it happens generationally, too At my age my Nana’s hands were making magic on a pottery wheel And here are my hands now bearing that beige and blue speckled bowl The world is bigger than it was to my mother And I don’t just mean geographically Or digitally We are all so connected these days But there are, there has always been, a thousand Women behind each of us a long line, a running stitch teaching one another, extending their arms offering soft palms sharing the fruits of this world. There is so much within the word: WOMAN It greets us once when we are at that certain age and then always again, in new ways. How curious to me that the crescents of my nails match so perfectly my mothers and hers that our same tooth sits crooked in our mouths and somewhere within each of us, there is, has always been, something dangerously wild and free
Emily Rosette
women of inspiration: polY styrene An often overlooked figure in music history, Poly Styrene has recently reappeared in the
media, with the newly released documentary I
am a Cliche. Benjamin Forrest takes a close look at the Sky-produced biographic show which explores her legacy... In many ways, Poly Styrene has fallen into a certain degree of within the new wave/ punk scene in late 1970s UK, X-Ray Spex produced some of the greatest, most profound lyrics of that era. Despite this, the music press only seems to remember the Sex Pistols – the punk equivalent of a manufactured boy band – and the likes of X-Ray Spex are largely forgotten. Or so it was thought. Clearly, many people still remember the force of nature that was Poly Styrene, real name Marianne Joan Elliot-Said. I am a Cliché telling her story, was recently crowdfunded. It aired on Sky Arts.
A stand-out point within the documentary is the period of time Television and Talking Heads to name but a few. Spending the huge prevalence of advertisements and consumerism. These themes were obviously prevalent within her lyrics - for instance, “It’s 1977 and we are going mad / It’s 1977 and we’ve seen predict how advertising has shaped or damaged the lives of people in the modern day.
Styrene’s time with X-Ray Spex, though that section of her life is undoubtedly fascinating. It also deals with her childhood as a child of mixed-race heritage in the UK and how it caused Marianne to feel like an outcast. The prevalent racist attitudes in the UK during 1960s and ‘70s with regard to the rise of the National Front and Enoch Powell’s infamous
daughter of Poly Styrene, as she retraces her mother’s steps and tells the incredible (and at points, heartbreaking) story of colour to front a successful rock band in the UK, a tortured genius, and undoubtedly one of the coolest people of the 20th century, but mainly of a mother and how her relationship with daughter Celeste progressed over the course of Poly Styrene’s career. The story of the documentary is told mainly through diary entries (voiced by Ruth Negga),
biracial perspective, however this documentary deals with the topic in a very informative way. It is an important story to be told in terms of the social history of the UK and is far too often glossed over.
fellow musicians and those who knew her.
Her struggles with her own mental health, her unsuccessful (or rather, unappreciated) solo career, her dedication to the Hare Krishna movement, and her glorious early 00s
the shots of Celeste looking through her mother’s personal belongings are cut together with an unbelievable amount of brilliant archive footage, photographs and artwork - of which Poly Styrene created most. It truly is a visual treat to watch.
a story about a pioneering and gifted poet and lyricist, it is simply a very interesting and important story. The fact it credit she is due is a cause for joy. I am a Cliché is one of the most interesting and well put together music documentaries in recent time. If you are a fan of the band, feminism, music history or social history in general you will likely enjoy this
X-Ray Spex cannot be overstated, and this is shown within the documentary, if only through the people who speak
playing catch up with Poly Styrene, not the other way around.”
Le Tigre, and The Julie Ruin. Pauline
Benjamin Forrest
of Sonic Youth. Rhoda Dakar, of The work of Poly Styrene was to them, and to the greater music scene. Without her possible that the Riot Grrrl movement of the period including Vivienne Westwood and Don Letts, interspersed between the personal diary entries. Image: Channel 4 Image: Falcon Stuart
Music and Clubs
A woman’s place is in shoegaze Cocteau Twins Scottish dream pop favourites Cocteau Twins are known for their incomprehensive lyrics and heavenly soundscapes. Elizabeth Fraser’s soprano vocal acrobatics are arguably what make the band so uniquely recognisable, swinging from deep to high, effortlessly. Fraser also contributed to several tracks on Massive Attack’s Mezzanine, wide today, from teen movie soundtracks (‘Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drops’ featuring in Perks) to modern dream pop-inspired artists such as Babeheaven. Listen to: ‘Sea, Swallow Me’ My Bloody Valentine It would be disrespectful to discuss shoegaze without mentioning My Bloody Valentine. Vocalist and guitarist Bilinda Butcher is one of the most prominent women in the genre and for good reason. Their 1991 release Loveless in music production today. The tracks was wonderfully covered by Japancakes in 2007 and Kenny Feinstein in 2013, though neither could possibly rival the original. Dissonant, distorted and dreamy, MBV are at the heart of shoegaze for a reason. Listen to: ‘Soon’ Lovesliescrushing Slightly lesser known, Lovesliescrushing’s 1993 album bloweyelashwish is one of my more recent shoegaze discoveries. With fuzzy, apart from their comparison to the shoegaze classics. At times droning and at other times dreamlike, the album has become the perfect unconventional study soundtrack for rainy days. Listen to: ‘babysbreath’ Blonde Redhead Blonde Redhead are most well-known for ‘For the Damaged Coda’, their instrumental track which gained traction on the internet after its use in Rick and Morty, but behind it lies a discography well worth exploring. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kazu Makino incorporates shoegaze and dream pop elements with fuzzy production on tracks such as ‘23’, airy vocals and repetitive lyrics cementing the band as, at the very least, dream pop-adjacent. Listen to: ‘23’ Hatchie A more accessible and contemporary addition to the genre, Hatchie unites indie, dream pop and shoegaze. Sonically soothing but lyrically riddled with the anxieties and uncertainties of being a young woman, lamenting “Do you even think about me?“ on ‘Sure’, her 2018 debut EP Sugar & Spice cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain and Hope Sandoval’s ‘Sometimes Always’ last year, though they never overpower her original sound. Listen to: ‘Stay With Me’ Elle Palmer
Image credit GHE20G0TH1K
In The Middle
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN‘S DAY VERSUS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN An insight into fast fashion‘s capitalisation of IWD and why it simply isn‘t enough
Image: PrettyLittleThing
‘Girls supporting girls’ proclaims a PrettyLittleThing t-shirt, while another from BooHoo keeps it simple with just ‘International Women’s Day’ on the front in cute pink letters. The proceeds of the former even go to GirlsInc: an organisation that empowers girls facing economic and social barriers through mentoring relationships. However, it is not very ‘girls supporting girls’ when the hands who make these t-shirts face unsafe and dangerous working conditions. According to the Open Society Foundation, approximately 80% of those in fast fashion factories are women and of these most are women of colour living outside the US and UK. For a povertylevel wage, they work in what Anannya Bhattacharjee of the Asia Floor Wage Alliance describes as “inhumane“ factories, where there is a “norm“ of gender-based violence. Wage theft and a lack of health and childcare are commonplace. PrettyLittleThing’s own labour rating is “very poor“ according to the Good On You directory, and its Fashion Transparency Index of 0-10% starts to make sense given the lack of information that they supply in terms of their supply chain. Are those tops looking so feminist now? BooHoo, which owns PLT, doesn’t do much better. In the Leicester below the minimum wage. They have since denied any wrongdoing, claiming to have been unaware their clothes were being manufactured there. But if companies don’t know what conditions their clothes are being made in, how can they be held accountable? And without accountability, how will this ever change?
Besides, it doesn’t take a brainiac to realise that maybe there is something not quite right about an 8p black dress from PLT in the Black Friday sale or BooHoo’s £3 ‘International Women’s Day’ t-shirt. COVID-19 has unsurprisingly worsened the situation for these mostly female workers, as Global Labour Justice reported, with gender-based violence increasing in the workplace. In May, PLT orders jumped from an average of 120,000 shipments a week to 400,000, just as workers needed more space, more time and more safety. PLT continued its policy of non-disclosure and still has yet to lay out what it has been doing for its labour force abroad in these challenging and dangerous circumstances. While donations to charity and the promotion of International Women’s Day are welcome, when it comes from fast fashion brands - whose very existence relies on the forced labour of women - it can leave a bitter taste in the mouth. The lip service they are paying to this day, rather than actually helping and aiding the women that work for them, displays the hollowness behind their consumerist approach. As BooHoo expands, seen in its purchase of Nasty Gal, these work practices are going to continue as their success displays how it clearly ‘pays off’. Again, white feminism is shown to be lacking: the middleclass Europeans and American women who purchase these items remain unaware of the damage their relationship with fast fashion causes. But, after all, what can you expect from a brand whose very
The lip service they are paying to this day, rather than actually helping and aiding the women that work for them, displays the hollowness behind their consumerist approach
8
Sacha Rines
Fashion
Spotlight on: Winnie Harlow For as long as we’ve known, women have been subjected to high and often unattainable beauty standards which has led to widespread struggles with body image and self esteem. This is exacerbated by the beauty and fashion industry facade which often lacks diversity and inclusivity. For most women, we’ve grown up seeing copy and pasted models who fit into a size zero with luscious locks of hair, evenly proportioned eyes, a “perfectly“ shaped nose, blemish-free skin and long legs. Although there’s still plenty of progress to be made for the beauty and fashion industry to be representative, a range of women have broken barriers by challenging conventional standards. This encourages people in society to appreciate each other and themselves despite differences, and paves the way for a variety of women to participate in these industries. These are significant achievements that should not be written out of history, as it is often done when a woman accomplishes something spectacular. One of several exceptional women who has contributed to the changing face of beauty and fashion is Canadian model, spokesperson and activist with vitiligo, Winnie Harlow. Vitiligo is an incurable, long-term skin condition where colourless patches develop on the skin due to insufficient melanin. It can appear on any area of skin but more commonly on the face, neck, hands and in skin creases. Winnie Harlow, born as Chantelle Brown-Young, has dealt with vitiligo since she was four years old. At the present age of 26, she has come a long way from her tough childhood. Harlow was bullied for her appearance, being called nasty nicknames such as “cow” and “zebra” by her peers at school. The bullying intensified to the point that she had to transfer schools and eventually dropped out to be homeschooled while also experiencing suicidal thoughts. However, fast forward to 2014 and Harlow’s successful and uplifting career was about to begin. She began working in beauty and fashion as an Instagram model, which led to America’s Next Top Model host, Tyra Banks, inviting her to compete. Harlow’s popularity grew from her participation as a contestant on ANTM’s 21st cycle, where she became one out of fourteen finalists. Although she was eliminated in the second week of the finals, she competed in a show known as the Comeback Series. This series consisted of other eliminated contestants whose objective was to return to the main show. Harlow won the highest amount of audience votes which led to her return to the main competition. However, she was eliminated again.
Nonetheless, Harlow attained subsequent achievements which makes her one of the most prominent models today. After ANTM, she signed a contract with the Spanish clothing brand, Desigual, and became the face of their brand. In the same year, she walked for the spring/summer collection of UK clothing brand, Ashish, in London Fashion Week. Over the years, she has featured in numerous magazines such as Ebony, i-D, Dazed, Glamour, Complex, Cosmopolitan as well as the fashion websites of Showstudio.com and Vogue Italia. She also starred in advertising campaigns for Diesel, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Swarovski, Steve Madden, Nike, Puma, Mac and Victoria’s Secret. Moreover, she has appeared in several music videos and commercials as well as been nominated for and won several awards. Although she expresses her gratitude towards ANTM in a 2018 interview with Teen Vogue, she attributes her success to Nick Knight, an acclaimed British fashion photographer who reached out to Harlow online. In a 2016 interview with CNN, she described modeling as a hobby prior to and during ANTM but after receiving an email from Knight, “That shoot gave [her] the confidence to continue modeling as a career.” Alongside her triumphs in the beauty and fashion industry, Harlow has been an advocate for people with vitiligo even before her career jumpstarted. In 2011, she uploaded a video on Youtube titled ‘Vitiligo: A Skin Condition, not a Life Changer.’ Three years later, she gave a TED talk about her experience with vitiligo. Harlow’s most recent work is her global ambassadorship this year with Paul Mitchell, a hair care and styling brand. This is the first since the brand was founded in 1980. Throughout her career, Harlow has shown us that she is multi-talented and unafraid to take on different opportunities. In light of International Women’s Day, Harlow is an inspiring woman who should be celebrated as she has proven to us that failures are not a setback but rather motivation to work harder and rise from a low. She has also encouraged us to embrace our differences as she has demonstrated and said herself that “beauty can come in many forms.”
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9
In The Middle
QUEENS OF ARTS: A CELEBRATION OF THE WOMEN WHO HAVE SHAPED OUR CULTURAL LANDSCAPE The tagline of this year’s International Women’s Day was #choosetochallenge. The tag encourages people to tackle gender-based inequality on a personal and collective level. Equally, the tag draws attention to the numerous women throughout history, and in recent times, those who have dared to take up space and have helped steer change. Many women have enriched the arts over the years, with these being just a few:
Munroe Bergdorf is a British model and activist. Bergdorf
Sally Rooney is an Irish author who has achieved prominence for her novels Conversations with Friends and Normal People. Normal People in particular, with THAT TV adaptation last year, has proved to resonate with a great number of people for its accessible, yet important subject matter. Rooney’s writing covers questions of class, assault, sexual identity, mental health and more - and this is done in such an intelligent and sensitive manner that Rooney has proven herself to be a great writer with universal appeal.
Amanda Gorman became famous overnight after Joe Biden’s inauguration in January, for which she, aged 23, was the inaugural poet. Gorman’s poem, The Hill We Climb, drew attention to a number of systemic issues, such as racism, that the US must grapple with and overcome. The poem was also overwhelmingly a message of unity and solidarity following Trump’s tumultuous term as president. Gorman’s poetry has since been bought by major publishing houses, with a collection being tipped for release soon.
transgender model in the UK for L’Oreal, but was dropped for stating that white people are complicit in many aspects of racism; “most of y’all don’t even realise or refuse to acknowledge that your existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, blood and death of people of colour.” Bergdorf vehemently maintained her stance despite the weight of the tabloids against her and the loss of her job, and was quick to call out the double standards of L’Oreal’s message of solidarity during the BLM protests last year. Bergdorf still enjoys a number of other successful modelling contracts and is an activist and champion for a number of causes such as racism, trans rights, and intersectional feminism. Her instagram page is well worth a follow!
Artemisia Gentileschi, who worked largely in the early 17th century, was a highly successful Italian Baroque painter. Despite being barred from learning life drawing and other painterly techniques the conventional way, Artemisia’s skill was extraordinary and she became revered across Italy. Artemisia later woman admitted to the Academy of the Arts in Florence and patronage - both internationally and from powerful magnates such as the Medicis.
Reni Eddo Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (2017) rose to number one on the UK book charts last year, making Eddo British woman to top the UK book charts overall. Eddo Lodge described this achievement as “a horrible indictment of the publishing industry”, pointing out “the fact that it’s 2020 and also paid homage to a number of other Black British authors. Eddo Lodge’s statements and book vitally underline how institutional and systemic racism in the UK is perpetuated and exists. Eddo Lodge continues her career as an activist and journalist and, again, is well worth following.
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter active in the early 20th century. Kahlo was a queer, disabled woman and her
Megan Thee Stallion has risen to great acclaim and popularity as a rapper over the last year, culminating in her number one singles Savage, and W.A.P with Cardi B. Megan’s music explores topics such as sexuality, identity, race and self-expression. After being shot in both feet last year, Megan came back against her attacker through her song Shots Fired and wrote a piece for the New York Times addressing both the incident and the prejudice Black women in the US face, particularly in light
rations of life and self identity. Kahlo’s portraits also explore a number of other crucial themes such as a Mexican national identity, class, and post-colonialism. Kahlo reached tion within her own lifetime, and has long since been celebrated for her bold style and powerful explorations of complex contemporary subjects.
of the election.
Mia Fulford Images: Wikipedia, The Guardian, BBC, New York Times, Teen Vogue, Getty Images, Twitter
Arts & Culture
Walking around UK cities, you have most likely noticed the small, circular blue plaques on the front of buildings. But have you stopped to consider who they commemorate? Starting in London, and continued in other cities by various organisations, the ‘blue plaque’ schemes aim to commemorate famous people by highlighting their connection, having resided in it, to a sigstarted in 1866 and now has over 950 plaques around the city, aiming to “link the people of the past with the buildings of the present.“ English Heritage, who run the London scheme, state that the person must have been dead for at cant attachment to an existing building. from the public, which are then considered by the organisation. Despite the considerable number of plaques created, and the scheme's there is still a glaring gender imbalance at its centre. By 1905, there were only and currently only around 14% of the existing plaques commemorate women. Anna Eavis, Curatorial Director and Secretary, says this gender imbalance “a historic blindness to both the role women have played in our society and the types of roles deemed worthy of celebration.“ English Heritage is, however, trying to solve this problem. In 2016 they launched the ‘plaques for women’ campaign, aiming to increase nominations
impact, and 2020 saw more women
space to be represented alongside the
Amongst these was WWII spy Noor Inayat Khan, and recognition for the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies and the Women’s Social and
A Woman Lived Here: Alternative Blue Plaques details the forgotten women overlooked by the scheme. But should women have to create a separate space to be commemorated? By creating plaques only for women, you are setting them apart from men and creating a scheme which is automatically inferior to the iconic, nationally recognised Blue Plaques. It is also important that not only representation of women is increased, but also representation of ethinic minorities
change which needs to happen. In 2018, English Heritage reported that over the past two years only a third of nominations were for women. As they rely on nominations from the public, English Heritage have said that in order to see a “ “ in plaques commemorating women they “will need more suggestions.“ us to the question: why are we suggesting considerably more men than women? Across society women are consistently under-represented, and this lack of awareness of successful women in everyday life creates a culture which automatically values male achievements women association aims to address the gender representation gap in civic statues around the country, and they acknowledge how part of the reason for under-representation is due to the doesn’t mean that there are less women worthy of celebrating, just that they are less visible than their male counterparts. Some people suggest that creating a scheme of women-only plaques could provide a solution to the gender imbafairly represented and would perhaps widen the variety of representation,
relevant and engage a modern audience, it is the current scheme which must adapt to represent all of the British population. gap, the launch of ‘plaques for women’ is having a positive impact. It is important, however, that this is continued and built upon to create fairer representation within the scheme and not allow any more courageous and inspiring women to be forgotten. Maddy Murdoch
In The Middle
Lights, Camera, Action: The WOMEN Directors who make HollYwood It has been well discussed over the past few years, ever since the Harvey Weinstein allegations and the founding of the TimesUp movement, that women behind the scenes in Hollywood are not afforded the same and the industry for the future...
Born in Nairobi, then a British colony, Gurinder Chadha‘s family moved to London in the sixties. Whilst growing up, her father, in particular, faced extreme prejudice for his appearance as he was a Sikh Indian wearing a turban and a be-
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life she experienced when she was younger. Films like Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice explore the relations between two seemingly different cultures. From an early age, Chadha cast off some of the more traditional aspects of her life, refusing to learn how to cook and to wear traditional clothing, as she felt it was oppressive for the women to be bustling around whilst the men sat. Chadha sat with the men and was largely outspoken. Chadha career started creating factual entertainment for radio and then moved -
decided she wanted to create her own stories rather than report on another. Like
Ava DuVernay has become one of the most multifaceted directors working in Hollywood, turning her hand to many different genres, including historical dramas and fantasy adventure. DuVernay began her career as a journalist and was assigned to cover the OJ Simpson trial, but
room, so she created her own, opening her own production company. family as a means of exploring broader social criticisms surrounding one‘s herit-
This Is
The Life
the tone they create, Chadha said she feels it is her job to challenge and subvert expectations. Chloé Zhao does not have a vast body of work under her belt yet. But what she has made so far are beautifully crafted, intimate and insightful stories of people marginalised by society. Zhao is making waves with Nomadland and is widely expected to win Best Director during awards season, meaning that she would be only the second woman to win the award if she were to win. Zhao was born in Beijing. She has described herself as a lazy student and loving movies and was drawn to western pop culture. Her parents sent her ca to high school in England, and she later attended college in the States. She studied political science but decided whilst working in a bar, she
Middle of Nowhere was one of these scripts, and when funding was gathered, it was presented at the Sundance Film Festiwoman to win the prize.
Selma nominated in that category.
Frances Ha and Mistress Ameri
king was the right path for her after being turned off by politics. She then pursued Film Production at the Tisch School of Arts in New York. Zhao
each project having a personal resonance or the desire to seem personal. Songs My Brothers taught Me, Zhao became inspired after reading a news story about the worrying levels of teen suicide on the reservation next to Pine Ridge. With the help of a producer, Zhao travelled to Pine Ridge and began interviewing and banging on doors, meeting people to hear their stories rather than write based on assumptions. The cast was also made of non-pro actors. Authenticity is at the heart of all her projects. Zhao‘s next venture seems a world away (literally) from her indie roots, helming Marvel‘s next super team, The Eternals shows Zhao has a voice that has reached the top of Hollywood.
Curated by Phoebe Walker. Illustration by Syuzu Chen (@rosychenart)
Arts & Culture
What is the deal with Crypto Art and NFTs? The art world was recently slapped in the face by Crypto Art when musician Grimes sold her digital work for almost $6 million in only 20 minutes online. In the same week, Mike Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, sold a digital work for $6.6 million. All of this comes only a few on house sale of online art, in which one of Beeple’s Crypto Artworks, , was sold.
bergasted by Banksy’s self-destructing print back in 2018.
as a way to purchase Crypto Art creates a blockchain which states the transactional history of the work. This means that there is no physical ownership of the work,
-
week the art world caught the attention of a group on Instagram called BurnBanksy who purchased the $33,000 work entitled Morons -
comparison. Would a collector rather own a Banksy print to - Just like the half-destroyed Banksy of 2018 holds more
-
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about the work, but about playing and manipulating the market. It can be argued back and forth for hours about works of art. This is great news for Crypto artists and for whether Crypto Art constitutes art or not. Whether or not it is good or bad art. At the end of the day, in the premeans more demand and more opportunities for trade.
but only for around 3 years before completely collapsing.
collectors and more of a contemporary market thrill ride.
Bella Pickard
In The Middle
What have the world’s museums been up to during the pandemic? If you have watched Night at the Museum, you are no stranger to the idea that museums are living creatures. During this pandemic, a lot of activity has been going on behind their locked-down doors. Only this time, it isn’t an ancient Egyptian curse that’s bringing items and artefacts to life, but the passion and commitment of essential workers, including curators, cleaners, art handlers and security guards. Take the Louvre, for example. Since the pandemic began, several renovations have been taking place. Teams of artisans and conservators have relentlessly been working on refurbishing various collections, such as the Persian collection, overseen by curator Julien Cuny. Although Julien is painfully aware of the drop in attendance (and revenue) for the museum during the past year, he also admits that the extra time at his disposal has given him the opportunity to rethink certain aspects of the collection and to better prepare it for its reopening. At the end of the day, the artworks “were made to be seen,“ he reminds us. Until then, he and his team can try and make the most of this experience to ensure that the public enjoys the display, once that becomes possible. curator at London’s Natural History Museum, talks about how privileged he feels to have had the majestic space of the museum all to himself during lockdown. He’s been cycling to work two days a week to check on the ‘wet collections’ – preserved in alcohol and formalin – making sure that there were no water live beetles living in the museum. But apart from preserving already existing specimens, which is no easy feat itself, what is striking is that new collections have actually
been born as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Natasha McEnroe, a historian working at the Science Museum in London, is currently collecting items related to the pandemic as part of a new project. The aim is to capture this undeniably historical moment as it happens, although Natasha admits that „this is the collecting project we never wanted to happen.“ She has already secured the vial and will stand as testament, she says, to “human ingenuity in the face of adversity.“ In a way, that is also the story of our pandemic-stricken museums, which have demonstrated resilience and adaptability throughout this crisis. We can see this in the practical choices regarding new ventilation systems in museums across the US, as well as the wide range of digital initiatives that have been launched, from online exhibitions to virtual activities for children (our very own Leeds Museum is part of this trend, with exquisite exhibitions such as Fast x Slow Fashion.) Finally, it is also visible in decisions that were made as a result of the social and racial turmoil of 2020, such as the New Orleans Museum of Art closing its Greenwood Parlour, which had been criticised for seemingly glorifying slavery. With renovations, creativity, new projects and initiatives, museums are coping with these exceptional circumstances, as we are. But then again, museums are living beings, just like all as a storytelling tool for present and future generations. At the same time, the passion and curiosity of their visitors and the commitment of their key workers keeps them alive. There is no ancient curse in that. Only a blessing. Giulio Bajona
Arts & Culture
THE FEMALE GAZE TURNS TOWARDS LITERATURE April: Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson (April 6th)
March: Of Women and Salt by
Gabriela Garcia (March 30th) This is a story of immigration, detailing cigar factories from 19th century Cuba to present day detention centres in Miama. Jeanette, daughter to Cuban immigrant Carmen, is determined to discover more about her family history from her reticent mother. Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her Grandmother and discover the secrets of their family history. This is an intergenerational novel that tackles betrayal, addiction, legacy and motherhood.
How far will a mother go to save her baby? Bree ignored the dread she felt when a witch-like woman appeared at her window, but she could not ignore the woman’s presence in the parking lot of her daughter’s private, especially when her infant son mysteriously vanished from his car seat. All that was left was a note. She is told that she is being watched; if she wants her baby back Bree must not contact the police or deviate from the instructions that follow. To get her baby back, the woman makes Bree complete one task, but it is not that simple. The task leads Bree into a tangled web of tragedy and secrets that risk tearing her world apart.
May:
by Victoria Aveyard (May 4th) Written by the author of the New York Time’s bestselling series Queen. In her small town at the edge of the sea, Corayne an-Amarat discovers she is the last of an ancient lineage, and the last hope to save her world from destruction – but she cannot do it alone. Corayne unites with unlikely companions: a squire, forced to choose between home and honour; an immortal, avenging a broken promise; an assassin, exiled and merciless; an ancient sorceress, whose riddles speak an important prophecy; a forger, secretive and mysterious; and a bounty hunter, who has a score to settle. Together they must band against a callous opponent and his colossal army unlike any other.
June: An Emotion of Great Delight by From the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling series Shatter Me, arises a tale of love and loneliness, dual and immigand discrimination. This story is set in 2003, several months after the US declared war on Iraq. This is a terrifying world for our young Muslim protagonist, Shadi, who is too preoccupied with her own grief to deal with bigots. Her world is falling apart. Her brother has died, and her father is dying, and she only has herself for comfort. Shadi gulps down the pain – again and again – until her emotional box
July: Such A Quiet Place by Megan Miranda (July 6th) Hollow’s Edge was a quiet, idyllic, friendly town until the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. The residents of Hollow’s turned, and now she must face the neighbour’s that accused her -
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August: A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins (August
threatening notes, and soon realises that she must uncover the truth of the murders before the killer returns and it becomes clear that not everyone told the truth about the night of the Truett’s murder.
31st) From the author of the #1 New York Time’s Bestselling novel The Girl on the Train. Laura has spent most of her life being judged by her peers, because she is seen as irritable, troubled, a recluse and few even call her dangerous. All of which becomes extremely note-worthy when Laura is witnessed leaving ves Laura is innocent because bitter experience has taught her how easy it is to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Carla, overwhelmed with grief, is reeling from the brutal murder of her nephew, but how far will she go to discover the truth? aged enough to kill.
Anushka Searle
Neon Genesis Evangelion I watched Evangelion
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In The Middle
Real Talk about contraception Lauren Woodley gets frank about contraception and the conversations around sexual health. A woman I know recently had surgery. An unknown infection caused a painful, tender swelling on her upper glute, which required an operation to be removed. Upon inspection, the cause of the swelling was found to be from the contraceptive injection, which is usually administered every 3 months to prevent pregnancy. However, during the procedure, the injection site was not cleaned effectively, and it left a small opportunity for bacteria to get into the body. As a result of a woman’s own choice to use protection, to prevent herself from pregnancy, she now has to pay prescription funds for her own dressing to heal the wound every week – yet this is through no fault of her own. She now feels discouraged from getting the contraceptive injection again, even though she had taken the injection comfortably for the past 12 years. This is a risk that many people may have to take and unfortunately this experience, whilst rare, can happen amongst dangers of other infections. Take the contraceptive IUD, the ‘copper coil’, which is inserted into the womb and releases copper to prevent pregnancy. Whilst the IUD when inserted correctly can be 99% effective, it can also expose patients to a higher rate of pelvic infections, which may lead to infertility. As such, it is not always a suitable choice for everyone. Despite this, finding the right contraception for you is a process which requires a lot of reading into, or perhaps you may choose not to use contraception at all. It is ultimately your choice and your right.
ld not be the case. Throughout my time on the pill so far, I have been given multiple dif-
Image: Insider
ble stores could have helped to prevent a lot of unplanned pregnancies during the national
If I could change anything surrounding sexual health, what would it be?
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In this article I’ve barely touched the surface with the scope and complexity of women’s sexual health, so please just keep researching, talking and stay safe (and protected) out there!
1 in 3 young women will experience a sexual health problem at some point in their life
Blogs & Lifestyle
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In The Middle
BLOGS & LIFESTYLE
It’s Time to Support Small Businesses Run by Women Louisa Polack
Now, more than ever, it is hugely important to support women-led businesses. Not only have women been disproportionately affected economically by the COVID-19 pandemic, with women being around a third more likely to work in a sector that was shut during the various lockdowns, but women’s businesses are also more likely to have been affected by the pandemic than those run by men, as women are more likely to work in fields hit the hardest by the pandemic, such as beauty and fashion. It is also no secret that large firms, in particular those within the fashion industry, are not very sustainable. duce the industry’s environmental impact, the big brands’ attempts at sustainability are dwarfed by figures ducts, with the fashion industry being responsible for 20% of all water pollution worldwide. So, what is the porting smaller brands, who work on a much smaller scale and are able to have greater control over their
Despite investing large sums of money into innovation to rehighlighting the implications of the production of their prosolution? While a quick fix will not occur over night, by suppollution levels, we can each help to have a positive impact.
For all of these reasons, I have listed below just a few women-run small businesses, to showcase the type of products available to you to keep a clear conscience through supporting women business owners and the environment. Supporting your local has become a popular ethos across a range of sectors, and there is no reason as to why it should not be used in the fashion sector. Therefore, bearing in mind the potential environmental impacts involved in the shipping of products, I have kept this list to UK based brands, with one even being based in Leeds.
Slow Garments
Neo Jewels Especially among the student population, the y2k style seems increasingly popular. Neo Jewels has embraced this trend, producing beaded phone bracelets. With a variety of designs to choose from, and customisation available, not only are these a great accessory for your phone, they are also very useful, particularly for those prone to dropping their phone. Originally founded in Paris by friends Chloé and Nina, as Chloé is a University of Leeds student the business has now also expanded to the UK, with Chloé producing the UK orders from her Leeds bedroom. Neo Jewels are currently selling through their Instagram.
23-year-old Tiffany is a self-taught seamstress, with a passion for sustainable, slow garments. Using sustainable fabrics, Tiffany makes all of her products herself, selling only a few at a time due to the time-consuming nature of the work. Selling pieces in sizes from XXS to 4XL, she has also recently released Valentine’s themed tops, one of which is shown below, and there is still a few left. Depop: @slowgarments Instagram: @slowgarments
Instagram: @neo.jewels
Credit: Depop - @slowgarments
Emma’s LovelY Creations
ROSAYAB
Based in Derby, Emma personally handmakes her “lovely creations,” selling a variety of dainty, as well as quirky, jewellery. In particular, the shop focuses on earrings, but they also sell other types of accessories, such as enamel pins. With flower-pressed earrings becoming increasingly popular at the moment, Emma’s 5-star Etsy shop should definitely be the first port of call for this kind of product, with a range of styles and designs on offer.
Founded in East London in March 2020, Rosie Bishop works singlehandedly, producing all of her garments herself. Not only are the products made to order, making them a perfect fit for any body shape or size, they are also made from locally sourced fabrics which are combined with offcuts and repurposed deadstock materials – Rosie has taken sustainable fashion to another level. I originally found her on Asos Marketplace, but she also has a Depop account and her own website, with a lookbook perfect for inspiring you on how to style her garments. Website: rosayab.com Depop: @rosayab Asos Marketplace: ROSAYAB
Etsy: EMMASLOVELYCREATIONS Depop: @emmaslovelycreations
Credit: rosayab.com
Credit: Etsy - EMMASLOVELY CREATIONS Credit: rosyab.com Credit: depop - rosayab
Blogs & Lifestyle
image: Healthline
Femininity as Performance: ‘I made the decision to grow out all my body hair‘ Recently, I made the decision to grow out all of my body hair. Since then, I have experienced a whole array of reactions from family and friends. These have ranged dramatically between open disgust on one end of the spectrum, to very enthusiastic support on the other, with some others ambivalently resting somewhere in the middle. Though I thoroughly appreciate all the body hair positivity cheerleaders and queens I’m blessed with in life, I do especially cherish these middle-of-the-roaders. It is comforting to know that there is at least one audience for whom the exercising of my bodily autonomy isn’t totally radical – especially considering that my initial reasoning for growing out my body hair wasn’t founded in any radical intentions at all. Student showers are largely to thank for this. For, my personal epic lows amongst the many triumphs and defeats of the student accommodation experience have come in the form of my continuous hopping in and out of my own shower each time I wish to be cleansed. Each time, I send out a silent prayer to whichever entity above assumes control over my shower’s temperatures. Yet, on frequent occasion, I – naked and sud-soaked – must sit and wait with resign on my bathroom floor until that wondrous moment when the shower decides to provide a temperature tolerable to the human body once again. From this, it’s only made sense to cut ‘shaving time’ out of my mildly torturous shower time – for the sake of convenience, if nothing else. Despite this, while convenience did cause the initial re-growth of my body hair, reasons extending far beyond convenience have led to my continuation along this path. For one, my attention since then has been far more sharply drawn to existing concepts surrounding gender; in particular, to disparities between the performance of genders. For a cis man to express his femininity outwardly, he must add things, whether that be paint on his fingers, makeup on his face, or a skirt or dress on his body. Contrastingly, for a woman to express her masculinity outwardly, she presents as she naturally appears; she doesn’t make so much of an effort to ‘dress up’, she doesn’t wear her makeup and she doesn’t remove her body hair.
It begs the question: how much of our femininity is inherently performative? When for women to show up just as they are is so often perceived as ‘masculine’? Is “femininity” therefore even real, or is it just another word for “expressionism” – just with the added bonus of shaming more outwardly expressive men? Insidiously, the hair removal of women also goes hand in hand with the infantilisation of women: the only state wherein we are quite so hairless as when our hair is purposely removed is when we are prepubescent. Our resultantly more “youthful” appearance could be argued as providing further subconscious justification for men to belittle us, thereby keeping us fixed in our more submissive role within the patriarchy. This not only benefits the systemic evil that is the patriarchy: it also significantly benefits capitalism, as capitalism’s continuation is largely founded on manufacturing insecurities – especially in women – so that big companies can make us pay to “fix” things about ourselves that never needed fixing. It is borderline manipulative how companies such as Estrid will encourage women to have “self-love” through the act of shaving, when true self-love cannot be marketed and sold to you, it comes in the form of accepting yourself completely as you are. Such tropes are especially harmful for hairier, non-white women. For these reasons, I will continue to bear my hairy armpits, legs and other ‘sensitive’ regions for as long into the future as I can see. Nonetheless, this isn’t to say that I will never shave or wax again and, more importantly, neither is it to say that this is the only valid way to fight warped beauty standards, the patriarchy, or capitalism. This is because, in a society that loathes the comfortability of women and other similarly marginalised groups, the most rebellious or radical thing you can do is to simply be yourself as is the most natural to you.
Imogen Greenwood
In the Middle
