Issue two 2010
FREE
Eliza Doolittle Pop's new den gol girl talks songs, style & soul
Underage
Festival special:
Chiddy Bang Crystal Castles Donaeo Scorcher Daisy Dares You Plus!
Secrets of a stylist
Funders of a big tower THANK YOU TO ALL the FUNDERS of hamlets futureversity 2010! summer uni 2009 Action for Bow / Baltic Charitable Trust / Bank of America Merrill Lynch / Barclays Capital / BBC Children in Need / Big Lottery Reaching Communities / Burberry Foundation / Chapman Charitable Trust / City Bridge Trust / City Challenge (Department For Education) / Coutts Charitable Trust / Credit Suisse EMEA Foundation / Eclonias / Goldsmiths’ Company / Henry Smith Charity / Hymans Robertson LLP / Jack Petchey Foundation / London Borough Tower Hamlets / Metropolitan Masonic Charity / Mediabox / Morgan Stanley International Foundation / Network Housing Group / Paul Hamlyn Foundation / Savoy Educational Trust / St. Katharine & Shadwell Trust / The City of London Corporation / Tim Jeynes & Johnathan Garthwaite / Trinity House Maritime Charity / Waitrose / Worshipful Company of Shipwrights The funders were correct at the time of going to print Registered as Tower Hamlets Summer Education Ltd. Registered office Ground Floor, 24-26 Fournier Street, London E1 6QE. Tel: 020 7247 7900, www.futureversity.org Registered company no. 2017713 / registered charity no. 1048822
Nang!Contents:|ssue2 2010
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14 The ‘Dream it. Believe it. Do it!’ issue 6 Noticeboard Memorable moments from a fantastic Futureversity summer 2010! 8 Nang! Video Music Awards Our choice of the best - and worse - videos of the year. 10 Eliza Doolittle Pop’s new golden girl talks songs, style and soul 14 Underage 2010 The Nang! team were there - armed with dictaphones and backstage passes... 20 The real cost of illegal downloads Ever asked yourself who’s paying when you download a tune for free? 21 The Mercury Prize debate We ask, does it really go to the best album of the year?
24 22 Manga fans unite! Nang! loves manga - we just can’t agree on which one’s the best.
36 Is an internship worth getting out of bed for? Nang! asks if working for free is worth it
24 Livin’ on the edge Check out our wild fashion shoot!
38 Reviews Films, books, exhibitions and theatre we love
30 Secrets of a stylist Nang! asks stylist-to-the-stars, Richard Pierce, all about his job
41 A day in the life of BYB Three young women have set up a business that benefits the community
31 Freaky fashion! Who’s behind the crazy clothes that everyone’s wearing these days? 32 Life as a young refugee Sayed fled to the UK on his own at just 16 years old 34 In the name of peace A Hiroshima survivor tells his experience of living through the hell of a nuclear bomb... and a young Londoner explains what motivated him to start what’s become the biggest anti gun and knife crime campaign in the UK ever
42 Women’s sports need more coverage! Nang! reports on the appalling lack of importance given to our female athletes 43 Olympic legacy Will the big event really benefit east London in the long term? 44 Ayrton Senna: no ordinary person We remember the greatest F1 driver ever 46 Dream on What’s the weirdest dream you’ve ever had? Nang! looks at why we dream and what they mean
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IS A futureversity PROJECT. IT’S WRITTEN BY 16-25 YEAR OLDS AND DISTRIBUTED TO SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND YOUTH CLUBS ACROSS LONDON. Interested in journalism and want to get involved? Contact Liz at info@futureversity.org futureversity (FORMERLY TOWER HAMLETS SUMMER UNI) PROVIDES YOUNG LONDONERS WITH LOADS OF FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE FUN, MEET NEW FRIENDS AND DEVELOP SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE. CHECK OUT THE PROJECTS YOU CAN JOIN: Volunteer with Futureversity and realise your potential!
Every year Futureversity works with hundreds of volunteers who ensure that our programmes and courses are the best that they can be. During the winter we will be recruiting for a group of Futureversity Advisors and Learning Mentors. Then in early 2011 we will be searching for our summer team of Peer Motivators! If you want to have your say on what Futureversity does and how it does it, then you’re just who the Futureversity Advisory Board (or FAB for short!) needs! This is a fantastic year-round accredited programme for 16-25 year olds who want to gain experience in managing and advising on projects. Our Learning Mentors volunteer at the London Marathon Playing for Success Centre in Tower Hamlets and help children in school years 5 and 6 with English, Maths and ICT. If you’re looking to become a teacher or youth worker, then this accredited seven-week programme could be the perfect opportunity for you!
Could you help Futureversity deliver over 150 courses to thousands of students across London? If you want to work with an enthusiastic team of young people aged 16-25 to gain an OCN Level 2 accreditation, then you could be one of our 30 Peer Motivators for 2011! To find out more about these volunteering opportunities and to apply, visit www.futureversity.org/volunteering or call 020 7392 7827.
Young and unemployed?
Futureversity’s 11-week accredited Job Ready scheme for 16-25 year olds will give you the training, life skills and confidence you need to get a job. Apply online at www.futureversity.org/jobready or contact Mohammed on 020 7247 7900.
Calling all budding filmmakers and photographers!
The what we want! (www!) media grants scheme gives film makers and photographers, aged 13-19, training, funding and support to produce a project on an issue they feel passionate about. For more information, visit www.futureversity.org/whatwewant or check out the www!-ers blog at www.what-we-want.tumblr.com.
enrol on a free summer course! There are over two thousand FREE Futureversity courses for 8-25 year olds all over London during the summer holidays. Courses range from Bollywood dancing to investment banking, cookery to kayaking! Don’t miss out! Enrol at www.futureversity in June.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES EMAIL info@futureversity.org TELEPHONE 020 7247 7900 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.futureversity.org
Nang!Editor’sLetter
Hello there, folks!
The ‘Dream it. Believe it. Do it’ issue! Editor: Ligita Kneitaite Assistant Editor: Marcus Emmanuel CONTRIBUTORS Rahma Abdulle Kamilla Baiden Afrika Granger Stacy Jones Jatinder Kalsi Sabiya Khatun Samalie Lutalo Eli Nelson Pooja Patel Shera Sihbudi Linda Trieu Pooja Vala Yasmina Jackson Damilare Olugbode Nang! Co-ordinator: Liz Millar Assistant Co-ordinator: Chris Nelson Designed by Troublemakers Associates Printed in the UK by THE MAGAZINE PRINTING COMPANY (www.magprint.co.uk) BIG THANKS to Shakira at The Zietgeist Agency, Alan Rutter and Simone Baird from TimeOut, Stylist Richard Pierce, Zoe Holloway, Rajeev Syal from The Guardian and Theatre Royal Stratford East for giving your time to support Nang! FUTUREVERSITY WOULD LIKE TO THANK The Nang! team, all the fantastic peer volunteers, the summer and year-round tutors and partners, Futureversity Co-ordinators across London and all the young people who make it real. SPECIAL THANKS to London Metropolitan University. Disclaimer aims to inform, entertain and inspire. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted in any form without written permission from the publisher, Futureversity. The views within the magazine are not those of the publisher but of the individual author. All information in was correct at the time of going to press.
While you were relaxing and enjoying the summer, a brand new team of Nangers came together in a basement somewhere in east London to put this wonderful issue of Nang! together for you. The theme of this issue is ‘Dream it. Believe it. Do it’. We’ve put this into action and the proof is in your hands! Exciting news! Some of our team went down to Underage Festival armed with Dictaphones and backstage passes and returned completely star struck. Thank goodness they got some great interviews with some of your favourite artists. It’s all on p14-19. A lot of us here are a bit nuts about music, so we’re proud to present you with our very own Nang! Music Videos Awards. Check out page 8 to see who we awarded the Most Boring Video to... The fashion department has been busy creating their very own shoot. What a great day that was! I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed making them! Have a look on p24. But it’s not all frivolous fun. We’ve got moving stories from a young refugee, a Hiroshima survivor and an inspiring young man who’s campaigning against gun and knife crime. We look at the 2012 Olympics, the appalling lack of coverage in women’s sports and remember the greatest Formula One legend ever. Quirky singer/songwriter Eliza Doolittle makes our cover for this issue! If ‘up and coming’ was human, it would come in a form of this young (fair) lady. She’s everywhere! Find out what all the fuss is about in our exclusive interview on page 10. I’ll shush now and let you enjoy the issue. Laters!
If you have any advertising or editorial queries please contact in the following ways: Tel: 020 7247 7900 Email: info@futureversity.org magazine, Futureversity, Ground Floor, 24-26 Fournier Street, London E1 6QE www.futureversity.org
Ligita Kneitaite Editor
magazine is a project of Futureversity. Registered as Tower Hamlets Summer Education Ltd. Registered company no. 2017713 / registered charity no. 1048822. Tel: 020 7247 7900 www.futureversity.org
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Here at Futureversity , we had the most spectacular sum mer! We ran 150 FREE courses for young people, aged 11-25, in Tower Hamlets - and they were absolutely BR ILLIANT! There were courses in practically everything - investme nt banking, cake baking, singing, sailing , creative writing, cheerleading... and the list goes on! There was even a Nang! journalism course, from which this very magazine was produced! Here are some memo rable moments from the sum mer. To find out more about the free courses and opportunities at Future versity, check out our website at www.f utureversity.org
Nang!Futureversity
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Nang!
VIDEO music
AWARDS
Forget the MTV Awards, we at Nang! have decided to hold our very own Video Music Awards, to acknowledge the great and not-so-great videos of the year (so far, that is). By Nang!’s Yasmina Jackson
inal Video Most Orig ye West an ‘Power’ K
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Most Downright Awesome Video of the Year ‘Telephone’ Lady Gaga ft Beyoncé
The two biggest, baddest female artists of the moment come together to produce a video that not only sent Donny Osmond, India Arie and various other famous faces into meltdown over its outrageous content (and that was just the incessant product placement) but, being a nine-minute epic, made videos important again. And it’s just plain awesome. For that reason, ’Telephone’ gets the prize for the best video of the year.
deo Most Underrated vi ake ‘Find Your Love’ Dr
s, but inated for a few award This video has been nom sses me ke Dra e. littl a on pt I still think it’s been sle die is of a gangster (the bad about with the girlfriend which e ovi i-m min Movado) in a played by reggae star and Set . end ky stic gly seemin sees him meet with a ents plim com op kdr bac ty grit filmed in Jamaica, the I think , for that reason alone, the song perfectly and laim. it’s worthy of more acc
Video with the Most ‘WTF?!’ Moments ‘California Gurls’ Katy Perry ft Snoop Dogg
Any video with rude Gummy Bears, Snoop Dogg in a suit with a cupcake pattern, Ms Perry squirting whipped cream from her boobs and rather suspect dancing would make anyone scratch their heads in confusion. What does all this have to do with California? Bizarre and downright silly but, then again, this is Katy Perry.
Nang!Video Video
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ideo Scariest V ’ M.I.A ‘Born Free
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Saddest Video
‘Yo’ Side of the Bed’ Trey Songz The lovely Mr Songz strays away from his usual raunchy material to bring us a video chronicling the story of those at war, giving us a glimpse of the strain this puts on families. Co-starring Keri Hilson as Trey’s wife, who goes into combat, this video will not just leave in you tears, it will also add fuel to the debate around an already very contentious issue.
o Most Powerful vide Lie’ ‘Love The Way You Eminem ft Rihanna
ic Megan Fox and Domin A video that not only has but it, in e) fam gs Rin The rd of Monaghan (of Lost/Lo ic est ge! The issue of dom also has a serious messa to e abl fort om a way that’s unc violence is depicted in the (at t tha so ch ary. So mu watch, yet also necess broken the record for the ady alre it’s ) ting wri of time e. r it appeared on YouTub most hits in 24 hours afte of eos vid t ges ing one of the big No wonder it’s becom the year.
Funniest Video
e Rascal ‘Dirtee Disco’ Dizze
nity centre Setting this in a commu disco is est lam s rld’ wo where the genius. of happening was a stroke t middle igh upt the Then watching all ir bad the h wit n dow get class people ! The rds wo for ny fun too selves is though, is that best thing about this, y’re having a the everyone looks like I - watching it, did so great time! And that is.
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‘there are too many love songs in the charts’ ▼
Her debut album wowed the critics, but 22-year-old Eliza Doolittle couldn’t be more grounded. The Pack Up singer talks to Nang!’s Chris Nelson about festivals, stage fright and being compared to Lilly Allen
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▼
Nang!: You released your debut album earlier this year to critical and commercial success. What’s been the highlight of that experience so far? Eliza: Just releasing the album, full stop. It’s something I’ve worked towards for so long, so it’s so nice to finally have it out and on a little disc for people to own. I’m just lucky that it did OK. I’d still have been happy, no matter what. So that’s really the highlight. Nang!: So you didn’t have any expectations about how the album would do? Eliza: Not at all! How can you know if anyone’s going to like it? I hoped people would like it, but you just don’t know. And then, when it did well... obviously I was over the moon. Nang!: You’ve toured the festival circuit this year. What’s been your best festival experience? Eliza: I really liked quite a few, actually. It’s been a really good festival season. Bestival was probably my favourite. It was the biggest crowd, but it was a really great atmosphere so it almost felt like an intimate gig. I also really loved Secret Garden and T in the Park was amazing. Oh, and V was so much fun as well! Nang!: I hear you used to get stage fright. Didn’t that bother you with a festival audience? Eliza: Sometimes. It depends on who’s there. If it’s friends and family I get more nervous for some reason, and if really big industry people are there. But I just see a big crowd, do it and blank out any nerves that I have. I almost don’t feel like I’m about to go on stage until I actually get on there. And then when I’m there I freak out a little bit, but then I start singing and I’m OK. Nang!: Do you remember what it was like during your first gig? Eliza: Yeah, I was shaking violently! I play the piano as well and I was shaking so much I could hardly play. I definitely couldn’t sing! It was horrible. It took me about five or six gigs to really lose the shakes, but I still get a little bit nervous. Nang!: What would be your dream festival line-up? Eliza: Ooh.... Wow! Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Vampire Weekend, Carole King, Radiohead, Blur, The Beatles, Michael Jackson… That would be a pretty nice line-up, wouldn’t it? [laughs]. Nang!: I take it those are your heroes. Have you met any of them? Eliza: I wouldn’t say I’ve met my heroes, but I’ve seen some amazing musicians from doing festivals and supporting other artists. It’s been good just to meet great musicians. I suppose I haven’t met any proper school legends. Not yet. I’m not usually a star-struck person, but if I met Stevie Wonder I might shake a little bit [laughs]. Nang!: What’s the transition been like going from a music fan to being a peer of other artists? Eliza: Well, I’ve always been singing and I’ve always counted myself as an artist whether people know my music or not so, to be honest with you, it’s not been a transition. I’m still doing what I’ve always done and I’m still a music fan. At the moment I really like Plan B - I think he’s doing something really special - and Jannelle Monae. She’s wicked. Nang!: You stand out from the majority of female acts in the charts who rely on a more electronic sound. How do you feel about artists like Lady Gaga? Eliza: I like her! I think she’s really entertaining and it’s always fun to
Eliza with her mum, actress and singer, Frances Ruffelle, and on the cover of her album ‘Eliza Doolittle’
see what she’s going to wear next. Her music isn’t what I primarily listen to, but I think it’s quite fun. Nang!: You’ve been dating someone you’ve known since you were 12. How come you don’t write love songs? Eliza: I’ve always thought that there are too many love songs in the charts. I just wanted to do something different and that streak has just stayed in me, really. Nang!: You’ve spoken in the past about being pigeonholed as another Lily Allen or Kate Nash. Do you think pigeonholing is something that female artists have a harder time with and why? Eliza: Yeah, I do, I think female artists get it all the time now. You won’t come out without being compared to another female artist. I think it’s kind of taken its toll on me a bit. It’s brought up in practically every interview I have! I think people need to listen to the music and realise that just because we’re girls it doesn’t mean our music’s the same at all! There must be [sexism in the music industry] because why would that happen all the time. I can’t get my head around it. Nang!: You’re touring the UK very soon. How are you feeling about that? Eliza: I’m pretty excited. It’s my first headline tour, so I’m a little bit nervous too. I’ve expanded the band and we’ve kind of just upped our game a little bit. We’ve added more so it sounds a bit more like the record. I think it’ll be entertaining. Nang!: You always come across as a genuinely down-to-earth person. How important do you think it is for artists to retain a sense of normality? Eliza: I think it’s pretty important. People keep asking me: ‘How does it feel to be famous?’ and, to be honest with you, I don’t really feel famous. I still feel exactly how I felt six months ago! I would feel weird if I felt different and I hope I never do feel too different. I just want to keep being myself and have my music heard and that’s about it, really. Some people crave the fame and don’t care about the more important things, but I know what I want.
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age under Nang!Festival Festival
O 1 O 2 age Underage
M.I.A, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, Tinchy Stryder... The festival for teens really surpassed itself this year. Nang!’s Damilare Olugbode reports
opinions
Nang!’s Damilare Olugbode and Kamilla Baiden chatted to the festival revellers Name: Natalier
When you hear about an event targeted at 14-18 year olds, you immediately imagine a scene of utter chaos and childish antics and Underage Festival 2010 was certainly all that! A crowd of over 10,000 teens swarmed into east London’s Victoria Park, many of them branded with colourful paint and mad hair, to watch their favourite artists perform. The teens at Underage came dressed to impress for an exciting line-up of stars from both the UK and abroad. With the likes of chart toppers M.I.A, Ellie Goulding, Tinie Tempah, Chiddy Bang, Casper and Professor Green, this year’s festival proved to be the biggest so far. The Tango Stage was the hub of the action and the big stars. The rowdy teens, in their orange sunglasses and denim shirts, surrounded the stage, many of them carrying out stunts such as crowd surfing and throwing bottles into the air. These kids made sure that their festival met the chaotic standards of the adult festivals they will one day be buying tickets to. Chiddy Bang were most definitely the crowd pleasers, performing their chart hit The Opposite of Adults and creating a quick five minute rap using words provided by the crowd, specifically for London teens. Tinie Tempah was a huge hit, with teens running from all corners of the park to watch his performance. His big entrance with bright neon lights and his contagious lyrics had the whole crowd in awe. A whole host of heavy metal rock bands and indie bands lit up the stages at the other end of the park on both the
From: Bounds Green Age: 15 Who are you here to see? Casper, M.I.A, Professor Green. How would you define your style? Unique. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Hopefully acting on stage.
Nang!’s Kamilla, Chris and Damilare with Ellie Goulding (second left)
Youth Music Stage and the Converse Stage. Thousands of teens nodding their heads and raising the signature devil horns rock gesture was an interesting sight! They seemed to take great delight in the fact that they were away from the scrutinizing eyes of their parents. The atmosphere was hectic but exciting. This year featured more artists from the pop, rap and grime scenes than ever before. There was Scorcher, Tinchy Stryder, Donaeo... A diverse range of artists catering to a wide range of teens – it wasn’t just indie or rock kids there. The final act of the day was the eccentric and controversial M.I.A. Her performance really got the crowd going with crazy dancing and endless abusive language. Throwing herself into a crowd of teens who wanted nothing more than to touch her, she seemed totally without fear. Her bodyguards had to keep leaping into the crowd to pull her out. As the teens left Victoria Park, covered in spilt food and drink, each one had a different story to tell about their experience at Underage. From the food and entertainment stalls to the exciting line up, Underage 2010 was a smash hit with the kids. Bring on 2011!
M.I.A.
Professor Green
Name: Enchenza From: Wales Age: 16 Who are you here to see? Everyone! How would you define your style? Edgy. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Pursuing fashion. Name: Alex From: Brackley, Northampshire Age: 16 Who are you here to see? Unicorn Kid and General Fiasco. How would you define your style? Casual. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Working abroad as a holiday rep. Name: Lucy From: Brighton Age: 16 Who are you here to see? M.I.A. How would you define your style? A bit of everything meshed together. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Doing specialist make-up. Name: Anthony From: Letchworth Age: 16 Who are you here to see? All the rock bands. How would you define your style? Old man-ish. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? A professional musician. 15
‘I love coming to London’ Chiddy Bang’s ‘The Opposite of Adults’ took the hip-hop world by storm. Nang!’s Kamilla Baiden couldn’t wait to catch up with frontman Chidera ‘Chiddy’ Anamege backstage at Underage Nang!: What do you think of the UK hip-hop scene? Is there any artist you’re feeling at the moment? Chiddy: Man, the UK scene is real, real dope. There’s a lot of UK artists I admire, like Tinie Tempah, Wiley, Ghetts, Griminal… But you know, I’m also into artists like Ellie Goulding and Darwin Deez. I think what’s beautiful about this Underage Festival is that there’s a lot of different artists from different genres in one area. And you know, we’re all here now in one area and everyone’s cool. Like, just a minute ago we were talking to Ellie Goulding. She’s a beautiful person, so, you know, I love it, man! I love coming to London! Every time I come to London and do some stuff I feel like I’m home. Nang!: So London is where your heart lies? Chiddy: Naa, not really! Come one! It’s New Jersey, you know! But when I’m away from home, London’s where I feel comfortable. Nang!: How do UK festivals, such as Underage, compare to the American ones? Chiddy: Hmmm… Man, the UK festivals, are just, just crazy! But also relaxed and chilled. But in America, festivals are really corporate, really like, sponsored. There are sponsors everywhere! It’s not really as laid back. You know what I’m saying? And the artists… well, you know how American artists are, you can’t chill and relax with them. Nang!: Who would you say your musical influences are? Chiddy: I grew up listening to Jay Z, you know? Blue Print Volume 1 is one of my favourite albums of all time. I’m a big Kanye West fan, too. I’m into looking at the scenes everywhere. We’ve been around the world on tour and I take something from everywhere we go. In the UK, I take something from the dubstep movement, I take stuff from Nigeria,
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stuff from America – really incorporate it all into one. Nang!: What was the concept for your ‘Opposite of Adults’ video? Chiddy: [laughs] Man, the concept of that is just... straight backwards. [Laughs] Well, we wanted to come up with a video to match the light-hearted nature of the song and we sat down with good friends who have a great production company and we were just like, ‘Yo: what should we do?’ So you know, we had a couple of drinks [laughs] and then we were like: ‘We should put our heads on little kids’ bodies.’ Those are actually our heads, but they were just on little kids’ bodies. But that’s me dribbling the ball and crossing over and all of that. I can play ball, you know that? That’s real. Nang!: Where do you see hip-hop going in the next decade? Chiddy: Hip-hop’s going to go far in the next decade because, you know, all the technology is becoming more available to everybody. We now have the tools to create music in our basements, in our cribs. You can get Cubase, you can get Pro Tool, you can get Logic.. And man, it’s going to just continue forward. If we got dropped by our record label tomorrow, we’ve always got the internet. I mean, that’s how we started – we put our first mixtape out on the internet for free and 100,000 people downloaded it in one month. So there’s always the internet. Nang!: Finally, do you feel like you’ve fulfilled your dreams or is this just the tip of the iceberg? Daisy Dares You Chiddy: Tip of the iceberg. Tip, man. We’re not even there yet. We’re just going to keep going. What will come is making more music. Hopefully the album will come out soon. You know, we’re doing alright, man. Chiddy The single just went Platinum in Australia and it did well here in the UK. Now we need to try and get the US onboard. We’re doing more tours, you know. Look, my manager’s sleeping! He’s so stressed! We stress him all the time, but you know, we just grinding man, just keep pushing at it. We’ve got high expectations, a lot of goals and dreams and s**t like that. Nang!: Thank you, Chiddy. Chiddy: No, thank you for having me.
‘There are some really cool bands here’
Teenage phenomenon, Daisy Dares You, performed her ‘bubblegum punk’ to a crowd of screaming fans. Nang!’s Afrika Granger grabbed her afterwards to ask what she thinks of Underage Nang!: What’s your personal opinion on Underage? Do
you think it’s good to have a festival for under-18s or do you think age is irrelevant when it comes to festivals? Daisy: I think it’s a bit of both. I really like the festival, it’s encouraging. Other festivals are pretty commercial but there are some really cool bands here, like Crystal Castles. I think it’s brilliant. Nang!: Do you have any advice to young musicians who want to break into the music industry? Daisy: Someone said to me a year ago: ‘Be true to yourself’, which has led to a lot of things. I’m not doing this album anymore - I’m writing a whole new album purely because I want to be myself. Number One
Enemy featured Chipmunk, that’s one extreme from who I am now - three years older I’ve found my feet and I’m different. Nang!: Do you have a dream collaboration in mind? Daisy: Yes, Badly Drawn Boy. I met him and was really star struck. He’s the only person I’ve been star struck by. Two years ago he gave me his number and I text him every now and then, but never get a reply. I asked him to play at my dad’s birthday party! How embarrassing is that? I was like ‘Ah come on...’ Nothing back. OK, I get it. Nang!: Did you direct the video for your 2009 song, Daisy Dares You, yourself? Daisy: There was an idea pitched
and I just said, ‘Why don’t I just do it at my house with a few mates, it’ll be cheaper?’ So that’s what we did and it went really well. Nang!: I know you have an eye for fashion. Are you interested in designing clothes? Daisy: Not really. I’m interested in clothes but not necessarily in designing, purely because my life up to now has been about music and being inspired by musicians and my family, not fashion designers. I think it would only be offensive for me to come out with a fashion label when there are so many young, really good designers out there who are amazing and their whole life is fashion. Nothing else appeals to me apart from music.
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Alice Glass
‘Every girl should have an electric guitar by her 13th birthday’ Known for her controversial, chaotic performances, Crystal Castles singer Alice Glass didn’t disappoint at Underage. Nang!’s Afrika Granger grabbed her backstage for a chat Nang!: What’s your experience of playing to a younger crowd? Alice: I dunno. Maybe it’s, like, something personal to me ‘cos whenever I went to shows I was, like, 15. I was used to being the smallest girl in a sea of middle-aged assholes. Nang!: I’m too short to see over the heads of most people, so this makes a change! Have you got any advice for young musicians? Alice: I think every girl should have an electric guitar by her 13th birthday. Nang!: I had one on my 15th. Does that count? Alice: That’s still good! Whatever age really, just as long as people are doing what they feel like doing. You shouldn’t listen to anyone if they tell you you’re not good enough. Nang!: Did you always imagine yourself being a musician, or did you, I don’t know, have a childhood dream of being a bus driver or something? Alice: I was always trying to start girl bands with my friends since I was, like, 12 but I never really thought it would come to anything. It was just kind of a way to piss off the guys on the scene who were, like, mega old. You got to play for a pitcher of beer, so we were like: ‘If we play twice as long we get two pitchers of beer, and we get to piss off all these assholes.’ I just really got off on it.
‘It took me 10 years to get here’ Dance MC, Donaeo, told Nang!’s Kamilla Baiden about his love of music at Underage Nang!: What inspired you to do music? Donaeo: When I was six, my dad put in a tape and, I dunno, my head just popped out of my coat and I was like: ‘This is what I’m gonna do for the rest of my life!’ Nang!: You said from when you were six... so did you come from a musical background? Donaeo: My mum used to be a performer but there wasn’t loads of music playing in the house. I think she kinda packed it in. Nang!: What sort of support did you have growing up? Donaeo: Well, my dad bought me my first stereo-type thing, and my
parents were always, like: ‘Well, if you do your schooling then we’ll support your music,’ and stuff like that. Nang!: So, who inspired you? Donaeo: I wouldn’t say ‘who’, I would say ‘what’ inspired me. What inspired me to make music was to listen to music. I listened to a lot of types of music. It would be a cliché for me to say just Jay Z or just Neptune. It wasn’t just them. Listening to music in general inspires me. Nang!: You’ve made all kind of dance tracks, including funky. Have you always been interested in dance music? Donaeo: I’ve always made different forms of dance music, so it was inevitable that I’d make funky, and it’ll be inevitable that I make the next kind of thing that comes out. Nang!: What advice would you give to young people wanting to make it with their music? Donaeo: I’d say just keep your mind open, be persistent and don’t stop. It took me about 10 years to get here.
‘I was a bit apprehensive when I played at Glastonbury’ After a spell in prison, things are looking up for Concrete Jungle MC, Scorcher, as he signs to a major label. Nang!’s Kamilla Baiden asked him all about it Kamilla: Now that you’ve been signed to a major label, do you think your music will become more commercial? Scorcher: My music will become more mainstream – it’ll be for a more general crowd, rather than just a specific underground crowd. But I’ll always make music for the underground. I’m solely just for
Scorcher
Donaeo
the underground, always always always. You can’t let go of it. Kamilla: You have a very distinctive lightening tattoo. What’s its significance? Scorcher: [Laughs] It’s a secret. Kamilla: Ooh, OK. Who or what would you say your main musical influences are? Scorcher: The family I grew up in - everyone listened to different music [takes a can of Redbull from his manager] Thanks brudda. Rah! This is cold man! Proper tings! Sorry, yeah, everyone listened to different music, so it wasn’t really about one particular genre or style of music. It’s about liking good songs from all different types of genres. I just like good music. Kamilla: What do you think you would have been doing in the summer holidays back when you were still at school? Scorcher: [laughs] I’d be hanging around with my man - dem that you can see over there. Probably doing something outrageous, probably doing things I shouldn’t be doing. Kamilla: How do you feel performing at a festival? Do you feel that your music fits into the typical festival environment? Scorcher: Definitely! Yeah, yeah, yeah! Glastonbury was the first proper festival I did and, you know, I was a bit apprehensive because the traditional festival artists were people like Noel Gallagher. It was mad when Jay Z first performed. That was the kind of mentality, the expectations people had. So I was definitely a bit apprehensive, but the audience loved it! So from there I just realised that music can fit in anywhere.
Kamilla: What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Scorcher: Everything! [pauses] Maybe getting signed. Getting signed was a pretty big moment for me. Or maybe opening up for Snoop - yeah, when I opened up for him up at Shepherds Bush - that was pretty dope, man. It was weird, but for someone like Snoop it’s just normal. Kamilla: What will we be getting from you in the future? Scorcher: Well, more singles and an album. Definitely some collaborations. Kamilla: Would you like to tell us about any future collaborations or is that another secret? Scorcher: No, I’m not going to tell you that! But I can definitely tell you that the next album is going to be very, very big. The next collaboration I do is going to be for everyone. Kamilla: We’ll look forward to that! Now this final question is for die hard Scorcher fans. Do you feel that your mixtape, Simply The Best, Volume 2, lived up the expectations of Volume 1? Scorcher: No. I think a lot of people found it confusing. I think that people thought Simply The Best 2, was meant to be like volume 1. But it wasn’t – we just put it out to buy some time while I was doing all the festivals and gigs and stuff. I think a lot of people didn’t understand that at the time. But never mind - we made it up with Concrete Jungle and gave them a free mixtape too! Kamilla: Thank you, Scorcher.
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The real co$t of illegal downloads Ever wondered who’s losing out when you get your tunes off the internet for free? Nang!’s Afrika Granger reckons it’s not who you might think
Many of you will have done it. Heard a song on the radio you liked, decided to download it, thought about buying it on iTunes but then gone onto Limewire or BitTorrent and downloaded it illegally instead. Paying for the music you listen to can get expensive, especially when you’re a student: why pay when you can get it for free, right? But what we don’t really consider when illegally downloading music is what and who are paying the price - and whether the people who claim to lose out so badly really are the losers. It’s a bit of a misconception that no one who illegally downloads gets caught. Joel Tenebaum, a 21 year old student in the USA, was fined £45,000 for illegally sharing 30 songs. Some might say that’s an incredibly large fine for only 30 songs. But this was, in fact, 10 times less than the maximum fine he could have been given. This means that each song cost him £1,500. That’s considerably more than the 89p per song on iTunes or Amazon! Presumably the record industry thinks that this is a fair amount to ask, considering the cost to the record labels and the artists in question. But how much are the artists really losing out? Lily Allen has made her opinion pretty clear, as she posted on Twitter recently: ‘People seem to think I’m a multimillionaire, and I would be - if half the people who listened to my music actually paid for it.’ However, a recent study has shown that since 2002, when illegal downloading became popular, artists are earning considerably more money from Shakira music sales than ever before. In fact, the only sector of the music industry that’s lost out is the record labels themselves (this makes me wonder if Lily Allen is just unwilling to accept that the reason she isn’t making millions is actually because her music isn’t that good). Perhaps this is why other artists don’t seem to be so concerned about the effect on their incomes. Shakira is quoted to have said: ‘It [file sharing] makes me feel closer to my fans,’ and Radiohead released their album In Rainbows online and gave fans the option of paying whatever they wanted to for it. So what’s the real cost of illegal downloading, then? It doesn’t seem as if it’s affecting the artists as much as some like to us to believe, and it’s only marginally affecting the record labels. It seems like the main cost is to the people who are caught and fined large sums of money! And, of course, it’s also virtually signalled the end of the tradition of buying CD in record stores, which is very sad. But since illegal downloading has all of benefits of CD shopping with none of the cost, it was always going to pretty much be the final nail in the coffin for record store culture.
The Mercury Prize debate Nang!’s Shera Sihbudi asks whether the prestigious award really goes to the ‘album of the year’ So, three-piece electro pop band, The xx, are the winners of this year’s Barclaycard Mercury Prize. It will only be a matter of time to see whether they will be a Mercury success story or a flop like last year’s winner. Since Speech Debelle won last year but then failed to gain any success, the Mercury judges’ method of choosing a winner has evoked scepticism. It’s prompted both critics and music fans alike to question whether the award is a relevant and reliable indicator for the best music talent in UK and Ireland. The history of the award itself dates back in 1992. It was set up to counter the more commerciallyoriented BRIT Awards. The Mercury has retained its status because the panel of judges consist of music experts - critics, musicians and even academics. Its main aim is ‘simply’ to choose the best album of the year, rather than choose from categories according to genders, genres, popularity and profile like other music awards. As well as getting the award itself, the winner is also given £20,000 prize money. On the one hand, the award can be seen as a medium to bring out hidden gems in British music by including literally any kind of music – from the usual pop and rock to the more specialist, such as jazz and classical music. This is a good thing because it brings unknown acts into public awareness and gives us an alternative to our Top 40 artists. Not many people knew who Burial was, for example, until the dubstep artist’s album was nominated in 2008 and became one of the media’s favourite. On the other hand, such wide range of variety can be problematic because how do they measure one genre over another? It’s known that the winner is determined by the album’s musical merit, but surely each type of music has its own unique strengths? In an interview with online magazine, I Like Music, one of last year’s judges, Dean
Nang!Music Music Jackson, admits that there are no fixed criteria for the albums to be shortlisted. But he assures, ‘They are all albums that symbolise where we are in time.’ But is it possible that because the Mercury is a ‘different’ type of award sometimes the judges will pick the ‘unpredictable’ winner? In certain years, they seem to have opted for the least obvious. M People won in 1994 despite albums from stronger contenders in the shortlist, such as Blur, Paul Weller and Pulp. New Forms from Roni Size/Reprazent triumphed over the critically-acclaimed OK Computer by Radiohead in 1997. And nobody saw it coming that Speech Debelle would go home with the award last year, defeating more popular choices like Florence + The Machine and Kasabian. The question is, do the judges always choose the best? Those winners might be ‘edgy’ alright, but nobody seems to have heard much about them after their victory. Ms. Dynamite was voted as Worst Urban Act by the Naomi Awards four years after she won the Mercury in 2002 and Speech Debelle experienced a quick deterioration in her career - her Speech Therapy album only reached No 65 in the chart and it was reported that only very few people turned up at her gigs. But despite the occasional seemingly reckless choice throughout the Mercury’s 18 years of history, it’s undoubtedly still the most influential award in the country, and it’s every musician’s dream to win one. The judges may make some questionable decisions at times, but these are also followed by real success stories from worthy winners – for every M People there’s been a Portishead, for every Ms. Dynamite there’s been a Dizzee Rascal. Let’s hope that this year’s winner will prove that we still have something to be proud of in British music.
The xx
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manga
unite graphic novels, such Mangas are Japanese ll Z, Bleach, Pokémon, as Naruto, Dragon Bu s on. In it’s simplest Yugio... and the list goe es Japanese comic crib des definition, manga l uish between a norma books. How to disting is nga ma all ll, nga? We comic book and a ma so... when you pick one , left to t righ from d rea up, don’t forget!
t There’s no question tha lle du Ab Nang!’s Rahma and Pooja Patel both y love manga. Shame the can’t agree on which one’s the best...
Naruto
lle reckons that Nang!’s Rahma Abdu 1 No Naruto’s himoto in 1999, Naruto Created by Masashi Kis boy striving to be ng tells the story of a you village. He aspires his in ne ryo noticed by eve t person and hopes tha to become a stronger . der lea ge villa one day he will be the that Naruto is a Many people told me things that got the of e On . brilliant manga in character. I’d never me hooked was the ma ter that could be so come across a charac able all at the same like funny, annoying and lly gripping story time! There’s also a rea become the Hokage, line. Naruto aspires to he gradually changes the villager leader and stronger and more ing as a person, becom
do you agree? ut b . .. d te o v e v a h mation, The public The potted first ani Top 5 t,
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Top 5 Manga
Top 5 cartoons
1 Dragon Ball and Naruto 2 Death Note 3 Bleach 4 One Piece 5 Pokémon
1 The Simpsons 2 Family Guy 3 Futurama 4 South Park 5 American Dad
Anime 3D films
history of cartoons
1 Avatar 2 Toy Story 3 3 Alice in Wonderland 4 Shrek Happily Ever After 5 Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
The first animated projection screening was created in France by Charles Emile Reynaud who screened his
Pauvre Pierro in public on 28 October, 1892 at the Musee Grevin in Paris. Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie starring Mickey Mouse, from
1928, is often thought of as the first cartoon with synchronized sound. But in actual fact, Max Fleischer’s My Kentucky Home, from 1926, was - but
fans
! unite to wish his dreams independent. We begin the day that this ate come true and anticip happens. manga’s that you Naruto is one of those you read it or watch it. can’t understand unless on to you. Out of all ws It’s something that gro I feel that Naruto has to the manga’s I’ve read, be the best.
Patel argues that ... while Nang!’s Pooja best Dragon Ball Z is the because it was a first 1 No is Z ll Ba gon Dra ay the action in it is tod l Stil series of its kind. lled, making it a truly unmatched and unriva of the characters unique show. The ability become a Super to to transform, for Goku the special effects and le, Saiyan, for examp tions is eye candy to used for the transforma ss appeal. the fans and has a ma c show which Dragon Ball Z is a classi r again. It’s ove and r ove can be watched manga cartoons. influenced many other hi Kishimoto cites Akira Naruto creator Masas l series as one of his Toriyama’s Dragonbal t Dragonball’s tha s influences. He say
Steamboat Willie was far more popular. Nowadays animation is created with computers, giving the animator more options. Animations made using Flash are called webtoons.
The potted history of 3D film
Nang!Manga
Dragon Ball Z
ce when he was Goku was a key influen s inspired by Goku’s creating Naruto. He wa us personality. energetic and mischievo e a worldwide om Dragonball Z has bec movies have en doz a f brand name - hal show. Moreover been produced from this ause it has the best Dragonball Z is No 1 bec occur when you ns tur storyline. Twists and op action and -st non has It least expect it. level of Super Saiyan goes on to a whole new it. when you least expect
Power of Love is the earliest known 3D film to be shown reo ste The to a paying scopic era audience. It tion of mo premiered pictures began was the at liam Wil en wh bassador Friese-Greene, Am Theatre tel Ho in r nee a pio Angeles Los in British films, 2. 192 in ent pat a d file The for a 3D movie ularity of pop s. ces pro
3D films is constantly growing and there’s also been an increase in 3D screens. In 2010, there’s been a huge amount of 3D films releases – estimated at about three per month!
manga books century with (1814–1878). tion lica the pub Modern of different manga day For works. originated le, mp exa The word during the Santo manga when Occupation ’s den Kyo translated and postk boo picture literally means i Occupation ika yuk no iji Sh ‘whimsical (1945 (1798), Aikawa years pictures’. to the early ’s wa Min The word 1960’s) in Manga manga came o kuj hya into more (1814), common use Hokusai h in the late 18t
The potted history of Manga
Japan. This was during the time that Japan rebuilt its political and economic infrastructure. It was previously very militaristic and ultranationalist.
designer young, up and coming ead! artment teamed up with orgettable fashion spr unf The Nang! fashion dep an s der rea you his inson to give 15 and has already had just Jermaine Ricardo Rob at ”, ERS NK “BO ains ion label, te to stardom, but rem rou Jermaine began his fash en s He’ ek. We don Fashion when he was seven. designs feature in Lon e t who taught him to sew ever grateful to his aun photographers and thre ng you d nte tale two k Lane with to the edge... Awww! We met on Bric you take to tow in beautiful models
Nang!Fashion NangFashion Fashion
This page top and pants by Jermaine Ricardo Robinson
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This page dress and trousers by Jermaine Ricardo Robinson
Art Direction/ Creative Directors: Kamilla Baiden Marcus Emmanuel Ligita Kneitaite Design:Â Jermaine Ricardo Robinson
This page dress by Jermaine Ricardo Robinson. Opposite clothes by River Island, accessories by Mikey
Styling: Kamilla Baiden Jermaine Robinson Photography: Jatinder Kalsi Mann-ray Powell Models: Maya Machado Denne Diana Munashay Gwendu Amy Skinner Make-up and hair: Chantelle Davis Afrika Granger Ligita Kneitaite Damilare Olugbode Assistant: Pooja Vala
Some of Richard’s work
Nang!’s Pooja Vala asked Richard Pierce - who has styled the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and John Malkovich - all about his job Nang!: What steps did you take to become a stylist? When I was 21 I assisted a stylist who was lovely and she helped me realise that I had to just get out there, play around with clothes and produce some photographs so that I could show people what I could do. I worked for many different people and it was lots of saying ‘yes’ to things - even if I didn’t want to. Nang!: Do you think it’s important to chase your dream and why? Yeah, I do. But I think the most important thing is to realise that you’re allowed to change that dream. Just because you said to everybody: ‘I’m going to do this’, you can still get to a point where you’re thinking: ‘Actually this isn’t for me’. But if you haven’t tried, you’ll never know.
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Nang!: What advice would you give someone who wants to break into the fashion industry? I’d say it’s probably going to be hard. There are a lot of people more interested in fashion these days. But I think if you can stay true to yourself, you have more chance of succeeding. I think to start off you should look at lots of magazines, think about whose work you like and try to meet those people. They’re all human at the end of the day and if you can have a conversation with them at the very least or even get work experience with them, then you can go from there. Nang!: Who has a great sense of style? Kanye West. He manages to straddle the designer world with street wear. I think there are certain designers whose
clothes are absolutely beautiful. I don’t personally love Vivienne Westwood’s clothes, but I do appreciate that she creates really interesting and unusual pieces. There are also designers like Dries Van Noten, and younger designers too, who have a way of twisting things that already exist and making them much more exciting. Nang!: Have you worked with any well-known people? I’ve worked with Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand and Ronaldinio, plus Zara Philips who’s like the nearest thing to royalty - the Rolling Stones, the cast from Lost, John Malkovich and James McAvoy. They’re all really nice actually, though some of them are a bit preoccupied. I think celebrities are used to people coming in and out of their life and meeting people for a second, so they’re very practised at being polite but not necessary really friendly or relaxed. That’s a bit of a shame sometimes. The
sports stars don’t really want to be models and it’s the same with actors – they want to be actors, not models - so when you meet them as a stylist it can sometimes be a bit awkward. Nang!: And lastly, what is your No 1 fashion rule? Be comfortable. If you’re not comfortable in something you won’t look good in it. I have lots of little rules actually - I don’t believe in having rolled up trousers and rolled up sleeves at the same time and I think less is more in terms of accessories and things. Oh, and people have to wear the right socks with their shoes. You can’t wear white socks and black shoes! Nang!: What about Michael Jackson? Well, yeah... I guess he managed to do it. Michael Jackson was probably the only person in the world who could wear white socks and black shoes. Other than that, it shouldn’t be allowed.
Nang!Fashion Grace Jones Lobster shoe by Alexander McQueen
Lady Gaga Gwen Stefani
going a bit haywire. be to em se rld wo Things in the fashion en reports Nang!’s Kamilla Baid shoulder pads, chunky the 80s with the huge Nicki Minaj
Kanye West
stepping back into en Stefani, It’s almost as if we’re show. Lady Gaga, Gw mini-est of skirts on and s top d e ‘in’. But ize om r-s bec ove accessories, made crazy clothes Kanye West have all and 0 300 dre An aj, Nicki Min n from? y getting their inspiratio where exactly are the t us wouldn’t de clothes that the res n This eccentric designer ma ee Qu e of La dy Mc som er for nd le xa sib le +++A ’s also the man respon He s. am dre est wild saw Gaga ‘Bad Romance’ video even contemplate in our d just OMG!) outfits. The (an t lian famous bril y the ngl to cki n Gaga’s most sho 0 collection, even dow ’s Spring/Summer 201 een pushed Qu ger Mc sin s from /80 ces 70s rogynous wearing pie +Grace Jones The and ++ a force ely ls. sur is hee r ce kille Gra s. yle r-st pad lobste cut and huge shoulder r hai are squ with ple ally sta eci y Gaga’s style - esp the boundaries with her see her influence in Lad can und you aro and ng h adi wit par ed , not to be reckon se Gaga went through wear. This and the pha like to you es If lov s rl she s gi u item the hooded es. ++ +H ar aj uk attributed to Grace Jon se street be ane all Jap can the rs, e lov cke ly kni in her i, then you’ll definite k of Gw en St ef an an which has become the bright, colourful loo es from an area in Jap com ly ual act ku raju Ha e nam ular Gothic anime style Harajuku. The a fusion between pop onventional fashion. It’s unc and que a fusion between is uni ze its latest cra famous for Harajuku) Barbie The ced by female hip-hop rapper +( ++ k. pun and ters charac been heavily embra x le with ‘girlie’. This has bright neon pink spande the Harajuku street sty ‘Harajuku Barbie’. With the as f sel . her shy to rs the refe for o wh not , ly j Nicki Mina this look is definite and high, high heels, e ss hav dre k o’d pin wh l bal ist wa ferthe puf leggings, a trousers up to ys Thick rimmed glasses and nye West, +++Nerdy/Geeky gu t rappers such as Ka les coo the of e som t Bu n? hio fas be a geek, be d’ look these days. To thought it could ever wearing this ‘geek/ner are 00 30 e the typical dr into An r Pharrell and any rapper or rock sta st - they can transform mu a ne are the are Go s k sse ic gla Ch d thick rimme +++Punk match! te with a rucksack to princess B ple R& com The d, t. ner tha ool us sch wn high a has certainly sho nn ha Ri r. sta zippers pop d t’ dde rfec days of the tame ‘pe toe in leather, with stu and is dressed head to r hai of the her era in aks new s stre Thi now has blonde now got mohawk hair! most importantly, she’s +++ t, fit. Bu . out tch ent ma to tem ls sta nai and black wie, is the ultimate Bo d vi Da like sts arti 70s punk chick, inspired by
Rhianna
Do It Yourself! Why not add some unique style to your clothes? Badges: These are ideal to add to any blazer or cardigan. The wackier, the better. The great thing about badges is that you can show what you’re interested in and make a cool statement! HMV has a selection for just £2.99!
Broaches: The blinger, the better. Broaches are the ideal accessory to add a classy edge to any outfit. They can be added to plain dresses, coats and scarves or hats. Accessorize has an amazing collection, starting from £6.
Customise: If you’re still bored with your plain old jeans, why not take a pair of scissors to them? You can turn them into a pair of cool, retro looking cut downs or go for the destroyed look. Rip them! And to add extra flair, you can even bleach them in parts. But make sure you practise on an old pair of jeans first!
Sayed in the UK
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Nang!Refugee Refugee
te rages on, Nang!’s As the immigration deba a young refugee why Samalie Lutalo asks what his life has been he left his country and like in the UK
in a war-torn found himself trapped At 16 years old, Sayed work had diminished unities of education and Afghanistan. His opport e each passing viv sur to were just struggling and he and his family ons, though, and arrived to escape these conditi day. Sayed managed gee five years ago. here in the UK as a refu to leave their country who has been forced A refugee is a person r and natural disasters wa as n. Horrors such due to fear of persecutio e people to flee. It’s living conditions and forc can create unbearable t for refugees in search has become a hotspo fair to say that the UK start. However, the of a better life and new part in turning the big a media has played ative one. neg a into e’ term ‘refuge ed, now 21, in I wanted to interview Say s of Nang!, why der rea order to show you, the gee and to shed refu a e om someone might bec ed’s case, coming into light on how, as in Say p transform someone’s a safe country can hel a positive life. negative experience into come to the UK? Nang!: When did you I was 16 years old. Sayed: In 2005, when
to sort myself out. shoes and information me with blankets and do? to London what did you Nang!: So when you got thing that I did was t firs the and get to London, Sayed: I managed to m who I was and why Police Station to tell the to go to Charing Cross cell for two nights, tion . I stayed in a police sta gee refu a as e her s I wa ice then took me to the a bed and food. The pol but I was thankful for , I was put in a foster s interviewed. After this Home Office where I wa e. home and started colleg eland and family? l about leaving your hom Nang!: How did you fee I was determined to to leave my country, but I Sayed: I was very sad ke new friends, which start a new life and ma s wa this come to England and ily fam my rtbroken about leaving eventually did. I was hea sure that I would from them and I was not ay aw my first time being ever see them again.
‘The young people in the area helped me a lot’
from Afghanistan? Nang!: Why did you flee ntry when the Taliban ny problems in my cou Sayed: There were ma ethnic minorities such s a lot of violence and were in power. There wa d. Public places such ete ple, were being targ peo a zar Ha the e, min as ng raided and my attack, houses were bei as schools were under leave. t option was for me to parents felt that the bes hanistan to the UK? e your journey from Afg Nang!: Can you describ elling from a group of 15 people trav Sayed: I was among mountains on the ugh thro d . We travelle Afghanistan to Europe which was a very hard Afghanistan to Turkey, foot for 10 days from had no luggage, just the I and very little sleep. journey - with no food all boat to Greece m Turkey, we took a sm clothes on my back. Fro to travel by cargo a few days while I waited where I slept rough for rough for three nights. in Italy where we slept ship to Italy. We arrived n to France, which trai a g at night and took We were mostly travellin ce in France, the group the whole journey. On was the easiest part of y from Calais to Dover tact. I spent my journe split up and we lost con four hours. hiding under a bus for What happened when s a journey and a half! Nang!: Wow! That wa you got to Dover? how to get to London I began to ask people Sayed: That first night g and I had to sleep nin was too late in the eve but I found out that it me a lot; they provided ple in the area helped rough. The young peo
g your family since leavin Nang!: Have you seen home? ve family managed to lea Sayed: Yes, I have. My n ista Pak in tled now set Afghanistan and have ce m for the first time sin the ited vis I . ety saf for r. me sum t coming to the UK las
expectations of the UK Nang!: Did you have any before coming here? land to be a good Sayed: I expected Eng ple. I did not know peo y ndl frie country, with uld be much bigger. I nd and I thought it wo that the UK was an isla fun. I had never met a er, good schools and , expected good weath what I was coming into of a I had no real ide d nce British person before so erie never exp e scary. Luckily, I have which made coming her lly nice. rea re we e leg col at people discrimination and the your life? g to the UK improved Nang!: How has movin d opportunities. My goo and nce a new cha Sayed: It has given me erstanding of other I also have a better und future looks brighter and human rights. cultures, religions and uld you be doing? l in Afghanistan what wo Nang!: If you were stil on a construction n working in a labour job Sayed: I may have bee d to work to feed nee ion because I would site, without any educat . life my for bably still fear myself. I would most pro back to Afghanistan? Nang!: Will you ever go ceful. to back when it is pea Sayed: Yes, I would like rs’ time? see yourself in 10 yea Nang!: Where do you future. In 10 years the to ard forw g kin loo Sayed: I am happy and ree, which I am deg g shed my Adult Nursin I see myself having fini g for the NHS rkin wo job d tember, with a goo about to start this Sep tinue to volunteer with plan to travel and con or a private hospital. I young people.
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Nang!Peace Peace
in the name Hiroshima survivor speaks out Sixty five years after an atomic blast completely decimated Hiroshima, Nang!’s Rahma Abdulle went to hear the experience of a survivor During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Sixty five years later, I attended the survival testimony of Mr Shoso Kawamoto, an old man from Hiroshima who had travelled to London to share his experience of living through the atomic destruction as part of a CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) exhibition. Shoso was aged 10 when the bomb hit. He was at school and, along with his classmates, was evacuated from the city to safety. Unaware of the full extent of the situation, the class could only wonder from afar at the huge cloud of smoke that erupted into the sky. It was only when they returned to the city centre that the horror kicked in. Hiroshima’s city centre was a scene of rubble and burnt bodies, some dead, some alive. Survivors tried to start a relief operation after the fire which swept through the city had subsided. Clothes were stuck to people’s skin so cooking oil was used to remove it; tweezers were used to remove the maggots that began to infest the sick bodies. Bodies buried in rubble began to decompose which made the city stink. It was predicted that Hiroshima would be uninhabitable for the next 70 years. But then, on 17 September, a typhoon hit the city centre. It washed away the dead bodies and the lingering radiation. Some people thought it was a miracle. Many children, including Shoso, had been made orphans by the bomb. Neighbours tried to help, but by December 1,000 children had died of starvation or cold. Of the others who survived, many were taken in by gangsters to work for them. But soon rival gangsters began fighting and many children died in the crossfire. As Shoso said: ‘Everybody wanted to live but, as the proverb goes, only the fittest survive.’ Shoso stayed with his remaining family member, his sister, until she died of leukemia. After that, he was fortunate to be taken in by strangers to work for them as an assistant. Eventually, he reached an age when he wanted to get married. However, he was rejected by women because the belief was that those in Hiroshima exposed to radiation would soon die and that their offspring would be disabled. Shoso was left so depressed that he wanted to take his life. But he remembered his mother saying: ‘If you Join the debate! try hard, you can always achieve your goal.’ This gave Should the UK scrap him hope and he decided to leave his childhood city and its nuclear weapons? build a life for himself where no one knew about his past. SOAS is hosting an He moved to Okayama, built up his own food exhibition which explores company and had many employees. Then, one day this critical question. he received a letter from Hiroshima. It was from an old Created by Soka Gakkai International, From A Culture classmate who was evacuated with him on the day Of Violence To A Culture of the bomb. The letter proposed that they create an Of Peace: Transforming anniversary of Hiroshima. Shoso missed Hiroshima and, The Human Spirit, raises now, at the age of 70, felt that he could finally go back. awareness about issues He’s now a volunteer in The Hiroshima Peace of peace, conflict, national Memorial Museum where he shares his experience with security and nuclear the visiting children. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial disarmament. Museum, as the name suggests, is not just a reminder Where: The Brunei Gallery of what happened in 1945, but serves as a driving force Suite, School of Oriental for peace. It carries the hope that nuclear weapons will and African Studies, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG be abolished all over the world so that no one will ever When: 25-26 October have to experience another Hiroshima again. For more information about CND, visit www.cnduk.org
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of
peace Young Londoner fights gang crime The death of one of his close friends spurred 17-year-old Alexander Rose to start a national campaign against gun and knife crime which became so successful that he was asked to advise the Prime Minister. Nang!’s Samalie Lutalo reports ‘An invisible line had been crossed,’ Alexander, 21, tells me when I ask him what made him start his anti gun and knife crime campaign. He’s talking about the boundary between childhood and violence and explains that gun and knife crime had started to become the norm. He felt that people were becoming indifferent to it. ‘Stabbings and shootings were topical and everyday occurrences, yet no one was speaking out,’ he says. At just 17 years of age, Alexander, now a student, began to establish his STOP: Solve This Ongoing Problem campaign with the aim of raising awareness about the issues facing young people today and building a brand that young people could identify with and feel a part of. The STOP campaign is the voice of young people who want to make the most of their youth and it has spread from one person to another to become a nationwide cause. Alexander was even invited to No 10 by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss ways to tackle youth crime in London! Alexander uses his skills to design T-shirts, run workshops, give speeches, mentor young people, feature in documentaries and hold events in order to spread his message. Pretty impressive. But he’s also clear that his main objective is to be effective rather than famous. This is what else he said: Nang!: What motivates you? Alexander: I have a real passion and a strong conviction that youth should be utilised and seen as an asset. I dedicate at least 10 per cent of my time towards helping young people achieve their goals through the various projects I’ve been involved in, such as ‘Education Is Key’ and teaching art and design. Nang!: What does the STOP campaign represent? Alexander: The campaign started because I felt that there was no voice for young people. Violence had become so normal in youth culture that it was the only representation that the young people in this country had. The STOP campaign essentially shows that there is a bigger ‘gang’ of young people who want a better life for themselves and it’s only a minority spoiling it for everyone else. Nang!: Who’s involved in it? Alexander: The STOP campaign has grown and has groups all over the UK who I supply with packages that they use to target key problems in their own areas. It has become an identity that people can feel a part of. The campaign is not there to demonise anyone and I feel that I can relate to young people who get into crime because I was borderline myself. I very much had the option to go down that wrong route if I’d wanted to but I chose to go the opposite way. Find ‘Solve this ongoing problem’ on Facebook and check out www.battlefront.co.uk to watch Alexander in action, giving a speech at South Thames College!
Got a cause you care about? Here’s Alexander’s top tips on fronting your own campaign:
If you want to start a movement or campaign for a cause, the first requirement is passion! Remember: you’re not by yourself. There are many people, including the adults you’re surrounded by, willing to help you and other young people achieve goals in practical ways. Networking and building contacts is important. Don’t lose sight of why you’re doing what you do. Stay humble no matter how much acclaim you get for your work. It may not always be easy but don’t get discouraged; fixate on what motivates and inspires you. Be innovative with funding ideas. STOP T-shirt sales are the main source of funding for my campaign. STAY PASSIONATE!
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is an ip h interns h wort getting out of ? for bed
g about doing an The most important thin at on your CV as gre ks internship is that it loo t bu nce. You may , erie ch exp mu rk y wo e pa it shows you hav They don’t often in the company your ckons even be offered a job Nang!’s Linda Trieu re - for many students, internship is based in ir the rth wo e ar s hip ns r completing their er int a job is guaranteed afte ’re not, it’s still a you ld if n go weight in internship. But eve whether a career is great way of finding out ..whether you’re ns. isio dec .. es. oic .ch Careers.. right for you or not. rted college, graduated ng an internship, there still at school, just sta If you do consider doi you , ion cat edu from ak uld keep in mind in or even taking a bre are a few things you sho future career r you e. ut abo g kin thin st of it. First, be on tim can’t avoid order to make the mo little confused, a o, ling Als . fee ’re one you any If s g. impres for lon Turning up late won’t internship is the best ’t rock up in jeans. don’t panic! Maybe an dress appropriately - don achieve (try to be to nt next step for you. wa Set goals that you work ary por tem a is hip tasks you want to An interns realistic) - they could be ployers to students em by red offe ent ent of a workplace. placem the future!). , do in a certain departm h they’re often unpaid you a chance es oug giv Alth o . als tes hip dua rns gra your supervisor to h inte and Doing an Have regular talks wit normally last between ation skills and nic mu com you need help, don’t r If you ss. some do pay and they p gre elo to dev discuss your pro lls ski ion cat uni mm Co . . ns because your 4-12 weeks build your confidence be afraid to ask questio lic, le in different job pub ilab in ava ng aki are s spe hip ugh rns re to support you and Inte can improve thro supervisor is always the king, media, fashion developing ugh thro and ally, it’s always good ne Fin pho sectors ranging from ban on the tele that’s how you learn! nty ple o als and will lism You rna lls. jou ski atever they are - with and museums to your reading and writing to complete tasks – wh ryone. The eve er for und ing and eth t fas som rk re’s wo itive attitude. more, so the develop the ability to enthusiasm and a pos gain work experience to ts es. den dlin stu dea for et is e me purpos pressure and to ment where they’re in a real working environ mal day-to-day tasks expected to perform nor l employees. and are treated like rea that internships are You may have heard they are unpaid, or e aus not worth doing bec s rnships are boring job that all you do on inte ing opy toc pho g and such as making tea, filin e. tim of ste wa a y’re the so who have completed ple peo But the fact is, better chance of getting an internship stand a you SHOULD do an a job. And that’s why t way to gain work internship! It’s a brillian get an insight into you e experience becaus interested in. You’ll the industry that you’re and make new friends also meet new people e good contacts in (people who may becom
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Nang!Internships
n atu r a l useum h is to ry m m a r in e zoo l og is t
TA N J
nash Linda asked some young people what they thought of their internship Profile 1
i nv e U B S stm b a nk e nt I . T.
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Name: Nash y Where: Natural Histor gist olo Zo e rin Museum - Ma aid unp , eks we two g: How lon
e s av e th n e childr cher resear
rnship? Did you enjoy your inte of the ect asp ry I didn’t enjoy eve the oy enj did I but , internship tasks. creative/design side of
did What kinds of tasks you do? logist, I worked as a marine zoo ays X-r e tak to had I ere wh fish of skeletons of different of an n ski the ove species, rem s to talk e giv and da 8ft anacon s. itor vis rn and What skills did you lea ? you ped hel it how has ted in I’ve always been interes this and y zoology and biolog lise rea me de internship ma eer in that I want a future car me to ced odu intr It tor. sec this how and s different fish specie r. afte they’re looked
Profile 3
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Name: Tanjina nt Bank Where: UBS Investme paid. , eks we 10 How long? you do? What kinds of task did l ica tor his I had to make a Access oft ros Mic ng database usi trades in s tern pat find el, and Exc tion rma and make weekly info packs for meetings.
rnship? Did you enjoy your inte it and of ond I enjoyed every sec two n tha ger lon s wished it wa weeks.
rn and What skills did you lea ? how has it helped you skills on I learnt some computer lise rea me de ma It Microsoft. ’t isn g kin ban nt me est inv that and me for the right career path ries ust ind er oth that I want to try n. isio dec eer car a g kin before ma rnship? Did you enjoy your inte about lot a rnt lea Although I had
banking, the world of investment was set. I ks tas the I didn’t enjoy e very som et me did I , However nice people!
Profile 4
Name: Lothifa en, Where: Save the Childr ce Offi London , unpaid How long? five weeks you do? What kinds of task did and ch ear res to s wa My role g isin dra fun new a ate cre Events initiative/strategy for the
Profile 2
Name: Christine sign/ Where: Bunch- a De Branding Agency s, How long: three month unpaid. you do? What kinds of task did g, pin kee k I had to do boo ce invoicing, designing, offi ch. ear res and ent em nag ma rn and What skills did you lea ? you ped hel it how has
bun c h d e s ign a g ency d e s ign e r
christine
ate a team. I also had to cre draising fun ial database of potent en ildr Ch the e events that Sav of. t par a could be rn and What skills did you lea ? you ped how has it hel s I think this internship wa d me to we allo it e aus bec ful use ethic of demonstrate my work anised, org , ted tiva being self mo s wa I nt. cie effi and e effectiv ing and lys ana use to e abl o als ve my research skills and pro ividual as ind an as rk ability to wo as a ely ctiv effe g rkin wo well as team member. rnship? Did you enjoy your inte ch mu y ver e tim my d I enjoye manager and m tea my e aus bec had fun were wonderful and I ldren’s chi how ut learning abo rk. wo s charitie You can search at internship vacancies and .uk .co www.milkround m .co -uk hip www.interns do... Whatever internship you good luck and enjoy!
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Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Inception
MOVIES Inception Rating: HHHHH Certificate: PG-13 Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine Having watched the trailer for this film a while back, I was really excited about my first screening of Inception and, luckily, the film didn’t disappoint. Christopher Nolan’s creation is a dazzlingly inventive piece of cinema. The concept of dream-snatchers is so original and the ideas that Nolan plays with leave the viewer feeling
Scott Pilgrim vs. The38 World
like they’ve been dunked in a bath of cold water. Inception is a breath of fresh air. The cast were amazing and utterly believable, and the emotional impact of the storyline was heart-wrenching at times. Leonardo DiCaprio’s gripping back-story had me hooked from beginning to end, and the rest of the stellar cast, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page, also shone exceptionally. I think Inception is a film of extraordinary imaginative power. The stunning visual effects, absorbing storylines and engaging characters left
me with only one word left to say: Wow! A must-see for everyone, especially those who have been put off by the crap book adaptations of recent times. By Sabiya Khatun
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Rating: HHHH Certificate: PG-13 Starring: Michael Cera, Alison Pill, Mark Webber This is the latest in a long line of comic book film adaptations. Based on Brian Lee O’Malley’s hugely successful graphic novels, the Scott Pilgrim comics have a massive following. Luckily, the film seems to have pleased dedicated fans and has also drawn in many more to the Scott Pilgrim saga. Scott Pilgrim, (played by Michael Cera), is an ordinary guy whose life suddenly changes after a chance meeting with the girl of his dreams, the mysterious Ramona Flowers. But dating Ramona isn’t easy, and Scott must prove himself by battling
Ramona’s seven evil exes – cue lots of action-packed fight scenes, witty dialogue and epic guitar solos. Scott and Ramona’s love story might be slightly unconventional, but this is one film that you should definitely watch – if not for the jawdropping action sequences, then for the witty one-liners, which will definitely have you in stitches. By Sabiya Khatun
DVD The Rebound Rating: HHHH Certificate: 15 Starring: Catherine Zeta-Jones and Justin Bartha After discovering her husband’s
Anjaana Anjaani
infidelity, Sandy becomes a single mother and uproots to New York City with her two slightly odd children. This is where she meets Aran, a young university graduate with little career direction, whose estranged wife only married to get a Green Card. When Aram accidently agrees to be a full-time nanny for Sandy’s children, it isn’t long before the pair start to date - which proves to be increasingly difficult as they both have to cope with the opinions of their family and friends. Throughout the relationship, a question looms: Is their relationship real or are they both on the rebound? The title may sound familiar, but this isn’t a remake of a 90s British romcom and although the plot may resemble Aniston’s blockbuster The Good Girl or Heather Locklear’s disastrous Flirting With Forty, The Rebound is far from the stereotypical housewife meets mysterious younger guy. Justin Bartha is brilliant in the role of the shy Aram and Catherine Zeta-Jones actually resembles a tired over-worked single mother rather than Hollywood model draped as she is in dull clothes and boring hairstyles. It’s a fun, fresh take on the cougar wife storyline and successfully manages to weave a little drama into a comical plot. If you consider yourself a romcom veteran, then this is a treat. It’s a lovely story that will have you laughing, crying and saying: ‘Aww!’ despite yourself. By Damilare Olugbode
book Dear John by Nicholas Sparks Rating: HHHH Dear John is yet another romantic novel by the brilliant author Nicholas Sparks and is now a major film. John Tyree thinks his life is finally on track when he joins the army hoping it will change his life. However, things take a different turn when he unexpectedly meets Savannah Lynn Curtis, who he immediately falls in love with. The plot takes a tragic turn after the events of 9/11 when John is sent to war and we see what distance and time can do to a relationship, and wonder if Savannah will be willing to wait for John’s return. The plot may be a little predictable at times, but there are moments in the story that are full of emotion and heartache. The story is well written, realistic and will make even the toughest person cry. It’s an easy read with a tremendous storyline that you’ll remember long after turning the last page. A must-read for fans of romance! By Linda Trieu
Bollywood movies to watch out for By Pooja Patel Anjaana Anjaani (Stranger Stranger) Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Ranbir Kapoor and Zayed Khan Directed by: Siddharth Anand Character names: Kiara and Akash Release date: 24 September Two strangers, who are trying
Aishwarya Rai, stars in Guzaarish
to find luck in their lives end up at the same bridge where they have both come to commit suicide. They go on a journey together, finding everything that is worth living for, and there are many hilarious moments along the way. Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra come together for the first time – and, according to the promos, have sizzling onscreen chemistry!
Aakrosh (Anger) Cast: Ajay Devgan, Paresh Rawal, Akshay Khanna, Urvashi Sharma, Bipasha Basu, Reema Sen, Amita Pathak Directed by: Priyadarshan Release date: 1 October Aakrosh is about the honour killings that occur in India.
It’s set in Bihar and revolves around love and caste barriers.
Guzaarish (Request) Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Monikangana Dutta Directed by: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Release date: 19 November A married nurse (Aishwarya Rai) and a quadriplegic man (Hrithik Roshan), who suffers from motor and sensory impairment functions of his limbs, develop an intimate bond. Critically acclaimed director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is back with this new film, and we get to see Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan together again after their amazing onscreen presence in Jodha Akbar.
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The Surreal House
ART EXHIBITIONS WE LOVED THIS SUMMER By Sabiya Khatun The Surreal House Barbican Art Gallery Entering The Surreal House exhibition is like entering a mysterious maze formed from different artists’ dreams. The exhibition is set in an architecturally constructed house, and the numerous chambers full of dreamlike films, surreal images, sculptures and ghostly music, help to create an atmosphere of wonder. The experience of travelling through the different rooms in the exhibition evokes a dream state – the house itself is essentially a ‘vessel for the latent world of dreams, fears and desires’. Yet, there is method in this madness. The lack of clear connections actually helps to support the surreal and strange feel of the exhibition, and of our dreams. The exhibit which stood out the most for me was Rebecca Horn’s ‘Concert for Anarchy’. This installation consisted of a huge piano hung from the ceiling of the house. The piano was striking, and I think it summed up the bizarre nature of The Surreal House really well. The inability to fully understand some of the works of the Surrealists is comparable to the process of understanding our dreams. This made the exhibition a truly eye-opening experience for the mind.
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Ernesto Neto: The Edges of the World Hayward Gallery The Hayward Gallery’s summer exhibitions are known for their unconventional style and colourful exhibits and Ernesto Neto’s installation definitely upholds this reputation. The Edges Of The World is a vibrant and totally bizarre experience. The exhibition consists of a series of strange and wacky installations which occupy the whole gallery. These installations wind their way around the gallery in different forms – there are giant caves, rainbow tunnels, a heart-shaped shelter, an outdoor park and a sculptural swimming pool. The exhibition seems to call out to visitors to join in with the fun. You’re invited to crawl through the tunnels and caves, play in the terrace garden and even swim in the outdoor pool! Neto’s artwork is very colourful and appealing, which makes it all the more enjoyable when exploring the surreal exhibits. The Edges Of The World is a psychedelic dream.
THEATRE WE LOVED THIS SUMMER The Beauty Queen of Leenane at The Young Vic Theatre Martin McDonough is a renowned playwright who has won numerous awards for his dark satires. The Beauty Queen of Leenane is another terrific play that explores the darker side of the human condition. The play centres around Maureen Folan, a tired 40-yearold spinster who cares for her devilishly manipulative mother,
The Beauty Queen of Leenane
Mag. As Maureen fights for liberation, both sexually and from the shackles of her mother, we witness the tragic extent of this dysfunctional relationship. Maureen cries out to be heard and the only person standing in her way is her mother, but when Maureen meets Pat Dooley, the love of her life, she will do whatever it takes to ensure that Mag does not get in her way. The cast of this play handle the tragedy, comedy and drama brilliantly, from the opening scene to the closing line. Starring two of Ireland’s preeminent actors, Susan Lynch (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) and Rosaleen Linehan (Dancing at Lughnasa, Broadway) this poignant play manages to open your eyes to the enormous suffering that takes place behind closed doors. Both of the characters were moving and their struggles and indiscretions are met by the audience with the same sympathy and shock. Mags’s devious acts, such as pouring her urine into the kitchen sink, alongside Maureen’s horrific acts, such as burning her mother’s hand with hot oil, left audiences fiddling uncomfortably in their seats. Congratulations to the Young Vic for once again providing the audience with a play that will forever be imprinted in our minds. By Damilare Olugbode
Benefits and Fags at Theatre Royal Stratford East Teenage pregnancy has always been a tough issue to tackle in Britain. The public’s perception on young parents tends to be based on what they hear on the
news or read in the papers. The ‘State of the Nation Crew’ presented a play about teenage parents by using verbatim theatre - they had recorded conversations with the public which they listened to through mp3 players and then voiced. The play was a great way of breaking down stereotypes and prejudice. The young actors showed off their talents as they played different people discussing teenage pregnancy, though I did feel it was a shame that there wasn’t a bit more action. However, the dancing at the end was quite funny and added a bit of joy to the play. The last half hour was dedicated to a group discussion with the actors asking the audience questions. This was a great way of getting the audience involved and allowing them to voice their opinions, particularly as there were many teenage mums there. It’s clear that the young actors put a lot of work and research into this play and should be praised for it. By Linda Trieu
Have your say! Theatre Royal Stratford East will be letting the public decide what will appear on its stage during the run up to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in a ground-breaking project called Open Stage. In one of the most innovative and wide-ranging consultation and public participation projects ever undertaken by a UK theatre, the people of east London and beyond will take control of the programme for Theatre Royal’s main stage, studio space, bar and any off-site productions - giving real power to the people the theatre serves. There will be a six-month season of work suggested by the public, which could include brand new work and stage revivals of muchloved shows. If you are interested in participating in Theatre Royal’s Open Stage or who would like more information about the project please email: openstage@stratfordeast.com.
Kiera, Lauren and Saffron
: young entrenpenurs byb of life e h a day in t Destiny’s Child eat your heart out! Nang!’s Damilare Olugbode meets three strong and independent young women who are doing their bit for the community in east London Welcome to a day in the life of Brooksbys Youth Booth (BYB)! I spent a fun-filled day with three young women and loads of kids, doing dance and art, and even sampling a delicious lunch. BYB is a six week summer school for children aged between six and 11. The founders - Saffron Joseph, 20, Lauren Mills, 20 and Kiera Bent, 21 - made me feel part of the team as I spent the day with them. Yes, I was a big kid for the day and I loved it! Their business all began in 2008 when the idea sparked in their minds and resonated with their close friends and family who encouraged them to pursue it further. They set about planning it, finding sponsors to fund it and then promoting it. These three had a lot of their plates, juggling preparations with university assignments. But, even with all the stress and deadlines, they still managed to make their business idea a reality. During lunch, the kids sat down in front of High School Musical 2, while I sat down with Lauren, Saffron and Kiera for a quick chat. NANG!: What inspired you to create this summer school for young children? Lauren: Well, growing up in Hackney, I noticed there wasn’t a lot for young children to do in the summer. I thought putting together a school that allows them to participate in activities like dance, drama and art would get them off the street and into a safe environment. Saffron: Also, because we’re doing these creative subjects in university (I’m doing art and they’re doing dance), we thought we could bring together our expertise and hopefully help the kids discover theirs while they take part in these activities. Kiera: There are kids’ clubs out there but the kids don’t really do much. We thought that creating a summer school that’s more intense would
allow the kids to really learn new skills as well as enjoy their summer. NANG!: What’s your USP (Unique Selling Point)? Saffron: We provide dance, drama and art on a one-on-one basis. Keira: We also promote healthy eating. I think that’s our biggest selling point. To do dance, your diet has to be healthy and well nourished. We want to teach them, from a young age, the importance of a healthy diet, which will hopefully be beneficial for the rest of their lives. Nang!: Who funds this project? And how did you go about pitching your ideas to various organisations? Lauren: Princes Trust and Sports Relief fund it. We had help from an advisor from the HCVS (Hackney Council Volunteering Service) that gave us sort of like a backbone for the project. He put us in touch with various organisations, such as Sports Relief. We filled out an application form and were invited to pitch our idea. Because we’d filled out the forms and created the project ourselves, we felt really comfortable discussing the ideas to these organisations. Keira: We already had the idea planned out, so discussing it was sort of a breeze, really. NANG!: What’s been the highlight of the summer school so far? Lauren: For me, I think it’s been the kids. Just being around them reminds me of how I used to be. But, having said that, I can also see how different kids are today compared to when I was young. They’re so mature! [She laughs]. I enjoy working with them and I’ll miss them when this is over. Keira: The fact that they call you ‘Miss’ is just too funny! I don’t view myself as a teacher and it’s funny that they do. Spending time with them has been great. Saffron: The trips, they’ve been fun.... Lauren: A bit stressful, but fun! Saffron: And experiencing things like the theatre and cinema with the kids has just been really enjoyable for all of us.
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Nang!Sport !Sport
women’s
sports
need more coverage! Ever looked at the sports section of a newspaper and wondered why it’s all about men? Nang!’s Pooja Patel has and she reckons it’s time for a change The Premier league has just kicked off, but have you heard anything about the women’s football teams? The answer is no, you haven’t. And how could you have? There’s no media coverage whatsoever. In fact,
the coverage women’s sport gets in the media is virtually non-existent. I was reading the Metro the other day and, not surprisingly, women’s sports had just one small article in the whole sports section of the paper. This
What do they get paid? England’s two cricket captains
England’s two football captains Women: Kelly Smith Age: 30 Team: Boston Breakers (US soccer team) Earns: £35-£40,000 Men: John Terry Age: 28 Team: Chelsea Earns: £7m
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Women: Charlotte Edwards Age: 29 Team: Kent Earns: £35-£40,000 Men: Andrew Strauss Age: 32 Team: Middlesex Earns: £175£200,000, plus bonuses
Golf Women: Annika Sorenstam LPGA Prize money in 2005: $2.5 million Men: Tiger Woods PGA Prize money in 2005: $11.9 million
Basketball Women: Sue Bird WNBA WNBA maximum salary: $87,000 Men: Shaquille O’Neal - NBA 2005-06 salary: $20 million
American football Women: Stacy Agee WPFL Salary per game: $100 Men: Michael Vick NFL Salary in 2005: $23.1 million
is the lack of importance given to our nation’s female athletes. Well, I think it’s about time things changed. Women’s sports deserve more coverage because the more exposure it gets, the more people will become interested and want to watch it. England’s women’s cricket team - one of our national teams - retained the Ashes in 2009, but they didn’t get the recognition they deserved. On the other hand, later this year, England’s men have to defend the Ashes against Australia. The hype has already begun. And did you know that Charlotte Edwards, the captain of the England women’s cricket team, was awarded an MBE last year? Probably not since, yet again, the media was a letdown. Hardly any coverage in the papers or on TV was given to this at all. Women’s tennis is perhaps the only sport in this country that does get coverage, but the All England Club found itself in trouble last year for saying that they put the better looking women on Centre Court to get the viewers. This is really demeaning to all the players. I’d like to know what the top seeded players such as Serena and Venus Williams thought about this. But what’s really shocking is
that none of them even spoke out! And that’s not the only controversy women’s tennis has been involved in. The skimpy outfits have been an issue as well. Earlier this year during the French Open, Venus Williams wore a racy outfit which caught headlines around the world. The outfit was discussed far more than her performance on the court that day! Even in boxing, women are feeling pressurised to do sexy shots to get media coverage for the sport and appeal to a male audience. And women footballers were recently encouraged to
legacy
olympic
Venus Williams
wear tighter shorts! The papers just seem to want to talk about the players’ girlfriends in the sports section. I thought that’s what the gossip section is for but, no, I’ve actually seen sports pages dedicated to showing what Nicole Scherzinger wore when Lewis Hamilton won the Grand Prix! But there is hope. There are countries where some women’s sports are now getting prime time coverage. In New Zealand, women’s netball is hugely popular and the players earn a lot of money. In America and the rest of Europe, women’s boxing,
given more coverage thanks to Laila Ali, has become popular. Also, women’s boxing has now, at last, been named an official Olympic sport. And, of course, the fact that women’s sports aren’t taken seriously here means that the salary difference between the genders is huge. But tennis has taken a step forward this year - both the female and male tennis players were actually given equal prize money at Wimbledon for the first time ever. Yes, equality is still a distant dream, but maybe we’re slowly moving in the right direction.
The term ‘legacy’ has been heavily associated with the London 2012 Olympic Games and describes the government’s hopes and ambitions for east London and beyond after the event. The opening ceremony is now in less than two years’ time and the momentous event aims to ‘leave a key legacy of national benefits in culture, sport, volunteering, business and tourism’. However, with reports of rising costs, can the ‘legacy’ for the Olympic Stadium and Village really be achieved? Planning for the 2012 Games may seem thorough, but could we still see a repeat of the Millennium Dome fiasco. The Dome opened to the public on the 1st January 2000, though the exhibition only lasted a year. The Government had predicted that 12 million people would visit, but the real figure came to just over half this estimate. This came as a huge blow for those behind the project, including the government who decided to show support by using public money to fund the vision. With limited plans made for the Dome’s use after the exhibition, it remained closed to the public until 2003, though it reportedly cost £1million each month to maintain. Ideas of rebranding ended in 2005 with the redevelopment of what is now known as the 02. Fortunately it seems that the government has learned from past mistakes, as post-Olympic plans have already been made. The Olympic Stadium, which will hold up to 80,000 people, will be used as a venue for community, culture and other sporting events. West Ham United Football Club is also bidding to make the stadium its new home. The Olympic Park has already regenerated a once contaminated and industrial area which will become the backdrop to the Games, dedicated to wildlife and nature. After the Games, the Village will be converted into 2,800 new homes, indicating that east London will continue to regenerate long after 2012. Local businesses and occupants in Stratford are optimistic about the extra business and new jobs the Games and the new Westfield Shopping centre will create, which is a positive thing for an area that’s high in unemployment. But before we get carried away, we mustn’t ignore what is already happening and the implications it could have in the near future. House prices in the Stratford area have rapidly increased and the budget to fund the Games, which originally stood at £2.4bn, has drastically risen to £9.35bn; along with a reported £840m tax bill. This shows that there could potentially be financial strain on citizens long after the tourists leave and the Games are a thing of the past. Paying off the cost of the Olympics could take the country years, particularly as we are still recovering from a recession and the newly-appointed coalition government is already making huge budget cuts that affect us all. The London 2012 Olympic Games will, we hope, be a great success and give Britain a new sense of purpose. But in the current economic climate, it remains uncertain as to whether this responsibility has come at the wrong time. I just hope the ‘legacy’, meant to benefit east London, lives up to its expectations.
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Ayrton
Senna no ordinary person He excelled as an F1 driver and as a human being. Nang!’s Ligita Kneitaite writes about why she’s still inspired by the late Ayrton Senna Back in the day, Ayrton Senna was uncatchable. Now he is irreplaceable. The racing car legend’s sudden death in May 1994 deeply wounded motor sport, but was also a loss to the whole world. On the list of
the greatest drivers in history, the triple World Champion comes first without competition. Formula 1 is yet to see someone with such impressive intellect, dazzling charisma and complete disregard for boundaries.
Senna The Racing Legend
The story begins when Ayrton was only four and received his first kart from his father, from then on he wanted nothing else but to race. After doing well in a number of karting championships and proving himself in Formula Ford 1600, Senna was ready for bigger challenges.
The influence of Senna on and off the track Ligita asked driver Sam Bird, a 23-yearold rising star who’s currently racing in GP2 series with ART Grand Prix, about Senna’s legacy Ligita: What got you interested in motor racing? Sam: My parents were into motor sport and that’s how I got interested. We used to watch races and the man to beat at the time was Ayrton Senna. Ligita: How has Ayrton Senna influenced you? Sam: He was a trend Sam Bird
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setter, really getting into fitness as well as being the driver who put the most work into the mental aspect of the sport. Senna set the foundations for what we have today. He put a lot of work in off tracks and it’s a shame that I was too young to appreciate everything he was. Ligita: What exactly do you admire about him? Sam: The whole character, really. If you looked up the word ‘champion’ in the dictionary, I’m sure you’d fine
Ayrton Senna’s name under it. He built the foundations for the sport and gave a lot of money away to charity. He was a real hero. Ligita: What’s the best thing about being a racing driver? Sam: Taking part in a race, the speed, the adrenaline, everything... The adrenaline you get after a bad crash is huge. I just love the speed, being competitive and achieving my goals. Ligita: Ayrton Senna pulled out some very impressive moves on the track. How hard is it to replicate that? Sam: What Senna used to do is pretty much standard practice today, but back then he could really get in the zone. I was in the zone at
Barcelona and while it might have looked spectacular from the outside, I just felt in control. It felt normal just overtaking one, and the next one and the next one... But, Senna was spectacular every lap, I’ve only managed it once! Ligita: What’s the dream? Sam: To be a highly successful Formula 1 driver - one who will be remembered by generations, not only as a great driver but also as a great person. Ligita: Which current Formula 1 driver would you want to be team mates with? Sam: Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button. I feel like they are the best drivers out there and I could learn a lot from them.
After a huge struggle he eventually secured funding from his father and a Brazilian bank, and Senna entered Formula 3, winning the championship and with it a place in Formula 1. In his first Formula 1 race, his team, Toleman, was stuck at the back of the grid, leaving the top positions out of reach. However, this was a man who was unfamiliar with the notion of surrender. Somehow he managed to take second place at Monaco under treacherous conditions. After a spell with new team, Lotus, who his former heroes Fittipaldi and Clark had both driven with, he moved to McLaren, who he won the World Championship with in 1988. He fell short of repeating it the following year to his teammate Prost, despite accumulating more wins. The relationship between the two drivers went from bad to worse, resulting in Prost moving to Ferrari in 1990, leaving the door wide
yrton
Nang!Formula1 open for Senna to win the World Championship again. In 1994 after finally moving to the team he’d always wanted to drive for, Williams, his very promising season was cut tragically short. On 1 May, Senna entered what would be his last race. He went off track at the Tamburello corner, crashing into a concrete wall at high speed and was pronounced dead. That evening, the BBC reporter called him ‘the greatest driver who has ever lived in the history of motor sport’ and said: ‘To say that his loss is tragic, is a masterpiece of an understatement.’
Ayrton People’s Champion A massive 22.6 per cent of the 35 million Brazilians live below the poverty line. Many face shortages of food and have no access of clean water. Almost a quarter live in households where the head of the family has fewer than four years of education. With no equal access to education, health and social care, little has been done to close the gap between the
rich and the poor. Ayrton was too aware of the situation and desperately wanted to help. One day, he was approached by two men who wanted to create a comic about him as a boy called ‘Senninha’. Senna loved the idea and funded the project. The first edition went out to all schools for free, teaching the children values that were dear to Ayrton himself. He said: ‘Two years ago, the idea of doing something like this came up, we examined it, and liked it a lot, and now I’m proud that we were able to turn it into reality in this way. For this project contains a lot of myself and reflects my way of thinking and living.’ Shortly before his tragic death he had spoken to his sister Viviane about going a step further and setting up a charity. ‘He could not accept that so many people were living in such awful conditions in the same way he
was unable to accept not being a winner,’ she recalls. And so, just a few weeks after Brazil lost their greatest hero, the Ayrton Senna Foundation was born. The whole project was funded from money belonging to the three times World Champion and is still running today. It helps millions of children. All the profits from the Senninha comic, which is still popular, and the licensing of Senna’s name and image continue to fund the wonderful work done by the charity. This is a remarkable legacy left by a remarkable person. His achievements were staggering. Senna took part in 161 races, started from pole (first position) in 65 of them and led an astonishing 2,982 laps. But all this just contributed to something better and a lot bigger than his World Championship wins. In 2007 alone, the Ayrton Senna Foundation helped a
staggering 1, 250, 532 children in 1,360 Brazilian cities, spending £45 million in the process. One could say that he was the best driver in the world whose death is a harsh reminder of the dangers of the sport. I disagree. I think he was so much more than that. Ayrton Senna was a true hero.
Nang!Dreams
They can be scary, shocking or just plain bizarre. Nang!’s Sabiya Khatun attempts to unlock the secret of our dreams In a typical lifetime, we spend about six years dreaming. Yet most of our dreams seem to fade away by the time we have breakfast. This doesn’t stop us from wondering about our nightly adventures, though. So, what are dreams exactly? And where do they come from? When we sleep, we go through a cycle of five sleep stages, gradually moving from light sleep to a really deep sleep. Dreaming occurs mostly in stage 5 – REM sleep, which can be noticed by ‘rapid eye movement’. During REM sleep, our muscles relax, heart-rate increases and brainwaves speed up. This results in dreaming. Our brain activity is now at the same level as when we are awake – this is why our most vivid and memorable dreams happen during REM sleep. But dreams can happen in any of the other (non-REM) sleep stages, although these dreams are not as intense. Even elephants
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are affected by REM sleep! Elephants can sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but they need to lie down for REM dream-sleep. So, what are dreams for, exactly? Well, people have always been fascinated by the purpose of dreams. Sigmund Freud famously believed that dreams are full of repressed desires. But his interpretations of dreams can be a bit creepy at times. Carl Jung believed that dreams allow us to work through our problems and think through issues. More recently, some scientists stated that dreams are nothing more than a result of some random electrical brain impulses! But how can this explain the bizarre and otherworldly feel to our dreams? Personally, I think that dreams are much more significant than some scientists believe. Dreams can be mystifying, entertaining, scary or full of nonsense - they can even be all of these things
at once! Dreaming is like reading a book – you can find yourself in an imaginative world you wouldn’t ordinarily be in. You can even fly in dreams! And I think it’s important to take notice of this surreal and sort of magical nature of dreams. Though it’s true that many dreams tend toward the nightmarish, dreams can also be a source of inspiration and creativity. In fact, many
What’s in a dream?
Nang! analyses some of the team’s: Chris: ‘I was working as a repair man in a space shuttle and when I opened the door, it opened onto a normal street where this chav riding a bike was out to get me’. Deep down you
inventors, writers and musicians were inspired by their dreams: Mary Shelley, Beethoven, Paul McCartney and Stephanie Meyer to name just a few! Stephanie Meyer was actually inspired to write Twilight because of a dream! So, next time you wake up, try not to let your dreams fade away like candy floss, ‘cos you might just miss out on something really inspirational.
want to be a chav – you had to go to space to realise that. Sabiya: ‘I was walking through my house and there were lots of fish on the carpet’. Your need to hoover your house - it stinks of fish. Ligita: ‘I was outside and there was this huge flood. I was walking though it trying not
to trip over and these medieval soldier guys were helping me’. You will meet a tall, dark, medieval stranger in a swimming pool. Rahma: ‘I was surrounded by mud, in mud land’. You have a Humpty-Dumpty complex. This is very interesting. Stay away from chocolate eggs.
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