JUNE 2022
Exploring the lives and art of young people in Halton
HALTON BOROUGH COLOURS / GLOW GROUP / LITTLE INFERNO / PRESSED FLOWER ART 1 STEPHEN YOUNG / SCORES FROM THE SCREEN ISSUE EIGHT
Meet the team
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COVER ART
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A LITTLE INFERNO REVIEW
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THE SCARLET WATCH
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SO BILLY…
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GLOW - OUR PRIDE ICONS
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PITCH - PART 2
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STEPHEN YOUNG
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HALTON BOROUGH COLOURS
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SCORES FROM THE SCREEN
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COMIC CON
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PRESSED FLOWER ART
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GET INVOLVED
Editorial Advisory Team Editorial Team Facilitator - Meg DeMar Designer - Greg Oldfield The Studio Project Manager - Louise Nulty
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COVER ART
Ellie Francesca Design Name - Ellie Francesca Watson Age - 24 Where are you based? I’m from Runcorn and work from Hazlehurst Studios, which is on the High Street. How long have you been creating art? Since I first picked up a pencil! But I’ve been running my business ‘Ellie Francesca Design’ for just over 18 months now. How did you first get into it? I’ve always enjoyed drawing. I find it relaxing. Well, most of the time! As for portraiture, I’ve no idea how that all started. I’ve still got portraits I’ve drawn dating as far back as 2005. I get a real kick out of that moment when a portrait comes to life and begins to look like a real person. It’s all in the eyes! There’s no doubt that the human face is my favourite thing to draw. Towards the end of college, I realised that if I wanted to be a successful portrait artist, I would have to have some sort of ‘commercial’ aspect to my work. Something people could recognise & relate to. That’s when I started drawing popular musicians. Music is my second love after portraiture, so to put the two together was a very natural fit. What training do you have? I studied Art & Design at Mid Cheshire College, and then stayed on to get my HND in Fine Art, I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 years there.
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What media/ software do you use? All my portraits are hand-drawn using a mix of Charcoal, Graphite and Ink. I scan the original portraits and turn them into prints. My style is very traditional. Other than removing the background, absolutely no digital editing is done to my drawings. Mainly because I’m a technophobe and I don’t know how to! What is the inspiration for these pieces? What are the aims for your art? My work is for music lovers, by a music lover. My portraits are my way of paying tribute to the musicians that both myself & many others so greatly admire. It’s a real labour of love.
My main aim is always to produce work I’m proud of. I could never try and sell work that I’m not 100% happy with myself. And of course, to improve and become a better artist as a result. If other people like my work too, then brilliant! That’s the ideal scenario! I get such a buzz when a customer sends me a photograph of one of my prints hanging on their walls or tells me how much the person they gifted it to loved it. It’s such a great feeling.
Where can people find you on social media? Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/EllieFrancescaDesign Instagram : @ellie.francesca.design Facebook : @EllieFrancescaDesign Twitter : @EllieFranDesign
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BURNING TOYS IN THE FIREPLACE: A LITTLE INFERNO REVIEW
by Owen Johnson
In this review, I will be focusing on the story of the game, the music, the art style, my opinions and what I thought of it, and the characters themselves.
Shall we start? Or do we need some time burning our toys in our Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplaces? The Game is set in a fictional town called Burnington and it’s inside a house along with the actual fireplace itself. The game starts off a little bit slow due to the lack of items and shopping catalogues which is only because it’s the start of the game. The very first item to burn in your Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace is the actual Health and Safety Manual and instructions for the fireplace, and to keep you safe! Soon after you’ve burned the Health and Safety Manual with the instructions, you will get a letter from Tomorrow Corporation CEO, Miss Nancy as she greets you and wishes you to stay warm, sending you virtual warm hugs and kisses. You’ll then meet Sugar Plumps, a girl who’s sending letters non-stop and eventually becomes friends with you.
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Finally, we have The Weatherman, but he only updates you on certain parts or events during the course of the game. I have mentioned Miss Nancy and Little Inferno only has a couple of side characters like The Mailman, the Tomorrow Corporation Receptionist (who eventually becomes Boss Lady in the next two titles which are their programming games) and the Gate Operator (who is actually the Bus Driver).
I won’t do any spoilers because I don’t want to ruin the game for new people. What did I think of the characters? Each one of them had their own personality and it was amazing to see that. The Music is incredible, as Kyle Gabler is such a great artist for the Tomorrow Corporation games and World of Goo! The soundtrack of this was inspired by John Williams (The Guy behind the Star Wars music) and Danny Elfman (The Simpsons Theme Song). The Story is quite good to read along with the letters you get from each character, though the only bad thing I have to say about it is that it can get boring once you’ve completed the whole game. You’re unable to replay the hidden adventure side-scrolling part as it can only be triggered ONCE. Other than that, it’s fun. The Art Style of Little Inferno will remind you of World of Goo (the game is made by the same people) and Tim Burton. All games made by Tomorrow Corporation have a similar style but differ slightly. I thought the game was incredible. The whole story about Little Inferno was a masterpiece to read along to and the writing has some great dark humour. Overall, I think it was one of the best games from the 2010s and it won the final Technical Excellence Award in 2013 at the Independence Games Festival. I would recommend all of Tomorrow Corporation’s games for you to play. I would rate the game a 7 out of 10, it is a very good game, but was received with mixed reviews from the critics.
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The Scarlet Watch from Elkie Atherton
DISNEY AND QUEER REPRESENTATION.. Disney has been at the forefront of our media for decades even more today with its ownership of Marvel, the Star Wars franchise and Hulu. However, its relationship with queer representation has been complicated. Over the years queer people have carved out a safe space in the Disney fandom. Disney was even awarded a perfect score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index created by the Human Rights Campaign reaching this for 13 consecutive years and becoming renowned for being a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people to work. However, Disney has recently been under fire and an increased focus has been put on Disney’s relationship with queer representation and the youth that discover themselves in these stories.
The Don’t Say Gay Bill is a recently approved legislation that bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through third grade in the state of Florida. It has been opposed by many people across all states even being condemned by President Biden himself. Disney came under fire when it was shared that the company had donated nearly $300,000 to the people who backed the bill. They didn’t donate to the actual campaign, but many people believe they didn’t do enough to highlight how harmful this bill could be. It also struck a chord as Disney has shown increasing reluctance to have openly queer and trans characters in their children’s films. Disney employees walked out, and protests took place about Disney’s relationship to the bill in Burbank, California. In Florida, there wasn’t as much of an employee response speculated to be because they are union workers and have been advised it could breach their contract. Disney companies such as Hulu, ESPN and Disney+ have all publicly expressed their support of the LGBTQIA+ community in this time but only after the public outcry.
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Villains are a fan favourite of queer people, but why? At the beginning of the boom of films, queerness and the traits associated with it were not just seen as undesirable and bad but also inherently dangerous. This is then linked to the idea of being a villain and opposed to the heteronormative hero. The Hays Code, industry guidelines on selfcensorship imposed between 1934 and 1968, made it impossible for the real stories of LGBTQIA+ people to be told so instead characters were coded with stereotypes of queer people. These characters often ended their stories in certain death (the birth of the bury your gays trope) or were made out to be villains. When the Hays Code was lifted, its legacy persisted. Queer stories were viewed as unmarketable, and villains were still coded with queer stereotypes. Nowadays, queerness is still associated with villainy as a kind of shorthand. This can be incredibly harmful and shows the long way we must go to come to terms with the way media has been corrupted through the years. This can be seen in Disney with Ursula – inspired by drag queen Divine – and Scar to name a few.
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The first character I want to unpack is Elsa. A personal favourite of mine, Elsa has no interest in the same romance her sister Anna desires. After the release of 2013’s Frozen, the queer community latched onto the possibility of the first openly gay Disney princess but after the sequel, it seems less likely. Elsa can be viewed as a closeted lesbian with the fan community thinking she may have a romantic interest in another female character in the sequel. But Elsa can be viewed as asexual or aromantic with no interest in a future relationship. The possibility for Elsa to be an inspiration for especially young girls in the LGBTQIA+ community is exciting but requires Disney to make the first step.
Mulan is one of the best Disney movies ever (in my opinion). It is hard to see this movie and not link it with being trans or in some way outside the gender binary. Mulan’s ballad Reflection has struck a chord with many people and has been viewed as a very eloquent way to describe being trans. It is also important to see how this probably wasn’t the intention of the film-makers. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have an understanding that it is unlikely they will truly see themselves in media but by relating to these canonically cis het characters, songs, media and characters can be reclaimed when it personally relates to somebody’s experience as being part of a minority group.
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Luca will be the death of me. My last breath will be about how this is the best metaphor for coming out ever made. This film’s allegory (intentional or not) can be separated into three separate themes. Self-discovery is the first theme as we see Luca develop a higher level of friendship with Alberto. They grow together and we can see how Luca feels like he belongs with Alberto in this newfound world he has discovered. He has to accept himself as a “sea monster” to live his most truthful and happy. The second theme is queer people and their relationship with their families. At the beginning of the film, Luca’s family wants to send him away, so he is not tempted to go up to the surface which parallels people’s experience with conversion therapy. Throughout the film, his parents are not hateful towards him but rather concerned he is putting himself in danger, a very real fear for many parents of queer and trans youth. In the end, they accept that the world won’t always be kind to Luca because of who he is but there will always be someone there for him.
Alberto’s family abandoned him – a very real experience for young queer people – but he finds a found family. The last theme is queer people and their relationship with society. The town views the “sea monsters” as evil and will not accept them however throughout the movie they see that Luca and Alberto are not harmful. When Luca and Alberto essentially “come out” as “sea monsters” two older women follow suit. Showing that sometimes one person being brave can inspire others and create solidarity. Overall, I love this film but it is frustrating how I am sitting here furiously typing about deeper meanings so I can dream of some adequate representation rather than actually having queer stories young people can consume.
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Howard Ashman was an American playwright and lyricist who worked on several major Disney titles in the Disney Renaissance. He wrote the full lyrics to two Disney titles: The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Howard was gay and eventually died due to complications of HIV/AIDS before the release of Beauty and the Beast. With this knowledge, people have looked back on his work on Beauty and the Beast - which he worked on aware of his positive status – and have viewed it as being an AIDS allegory. The public opinion of AIDS could be viewed as parallel to the viewpoint of the townspeople in The Mob Song. The portrayal of the Beast, lonely and isolated in his curse and illness has resonated with audiences in similarity with the experience of people who suffered with AIDS. This viewpoint is not shared by all. Some people say it's simply untrue, some say it might have been subconscious but it's important to see that the subtext of this whether intentional or not has had an impact on a lot of people. Howard himself has had a massive impact on Disney. He popularised the use of “I want” songs which are usually songs near the beginning of the musical about the protagonist’s intentions and desires. Howard also advocated for Ursula to be based on Divine and the Beast being the second main character of Beauty and the Beast. Ashman’s legacy is something we should continue to remember and celebrate. In any way you frame this, Disney has a long way to go in terms of its representation on screen. Its weak attempts in the past like LeFou in the live-action Beauty and the Beast and two different sets of unnamed background Lesbian mums in Finding Nemo and Toy Story 4 to name a few are entirely inadequate. The culture of the “first gay character” is frustrating. So many different characters have been said to claim this title when it doesn’t particularly matter who was first but rather in the future if there will be lead characters and meaningful stories and plot lines with queer and trans characters. Reclaim the media that resonates with you and imagine a future where we can all see ourselves in the media we consume.
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SO, BILLY…
The Chemical industry was a detrimental part of Halton's heritage and history. With bleach packers working down at Spike Island, Gossages' Soap Works, The ICI Central Research Laboratory and even more! It's no doubt that all of this history is interesting. I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon at the Catalyst Museum, down on Spike Island, watching old reels of film from the ICI's glory days. Also in attendance were a group of Ex-ICI workers who gratuitously provided me with an insight into what it was like to work for such an industry giant like the ICI. This is the conversation I had with a lovely gentleman named Billy. "So, Billy, what was it like working for the ICI?" "Well, we were all office workers you see, so we didn't see all the stuff going on in the labs. But it was good you know. Everyone got along. It was nice. We were like family."
"Aw, that sounds brilliant. What was your favourite part about your job?" "Oh, it was the pay for sure. No, I'm joking. Honestly, it was probably the fact that every few weeks you'd be sent to another office for a few days so you'd get to travel a lot of the country while getting paid."
"Oh wow, that sounds good, where was your favourite place you visited?" "Oh, London for sure. The city was so much livelier than Widnes."
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"Oh, I bet it was. Do you have any funny stories from when you worked for the ICI?" "Yeah, there was this time, at a Christmas party I think, where some of the guys who worked in the actual lab instead of the offices like us, were trying to explain how things worked in the lab. I didn't really understand what they meant but, it was a nice conversation all the same. Though some of the lab workers were really arrogant."
"Oh really? I wonder if you met my great uncle. His name was Geoff Owen and he worked in the Labs." "Oh, yeah. I spoke to Geoff a few times. He was an alright bloke. A bit cocky though."
"That's just how a lot of my family described him. So just before we finish up, can I ask how long you worked for the ICI?" "In total, I worked for them for about 50 years, if we include when they changed hands." "That's just how a lot of my family described him. So just before we finish up, can I ask how long you worked for the ICI?" "In total, I worked for them for about 50 years, if we include when they changed hands.""Oh wow, that's cool. Well, Billy, thank you for letting me interview you." "You're more than welcome. Though I do want you to email me the finished article." I told Billy of course I would (Hi Billy if you're reading this!) The ICI was a hub for Scientific discovery with the company making general chemicals, paints, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and specialized materials. Halothane, a chemical used as an anaesthetic for many years was discovered there in 1955. The Chemical industry shaped Halton as a whole over the years due to the massive influx of people coming from all over Europe to work in the industry from as early as the 1800s, as a bleach packer, or even a soap maker at Gossages Soap Works. All in all, without the industry Halton wouldn't be the place we know today.
BY ELI 15
June is recognised and celebrated as Pride Month, a month dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ communities all around the world. The GLOW LGBT+ youth group, were asked to share their favourite queer icons or allies. This could be someone they know personally, a fictional character, public figure; anyone who they look up to. Pride is all about being proud of who you are no matter who you love.
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Tao Xu is an ally who dates Elle, a transgirl in Heartstopper. He identifies as straight which is very important to me.
Robin from Stranger Things is an icon! She’s autistic coded and a lesbian!
I like Yungblud as he not only stands up for LGBTQ+ rights but is also one of the only artists who stands up for mental health in teenagers.
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She was the one who originally told me what LGBTQ was. She is a queer activist that recently wrote and published a book with Comics Youth. Her and her girlfriend were big inspirations to me when coming out and figuring out my identity. She taught me about queer safe spaces. Rosa is an activist for mental health, ED recovery, trans issues, Autism, etc...She gave me the confidence to fight for my issues and strive for the acceptance of my identity.
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They were a huge part of my self-acceptance. She taught me about reclaiming negative experiences and turning them into something you can use. They taught me about the struggles of being a feminine presenting queer person. Tasha made me accept myself in a way I hadn’t previously as a person who struggles with that overlap. She taught me about the joys of being a queer person and inspired me as a feminist to view my body in a positive light, not to be used by others. She inspired me to love myself in a way I had never seen before.
They are two lesbians that taught me it is completely okay to be 100% myself, despite my struggles. They are the biggest queer icons in my life and I appreciate their guidance and support more than anything.
-Bea
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Kaoru is pretending to be straight to cope with the crippling loss of his family. He likes men but is desperate for a woman in his life to replace his mother.
I love Ezra Furman because she creates amazing music. It’s not often that folk, punk and alternative music is created by a transwoman. We need more people like her. Also she’s gorgeous, like properly.
Max Balegde is a gay man who makes Tiktok videos. He inspired me to come out two years ago because he showed that being gay is ok and normal. Their coming out story is really inspiring. He was at the Ariana Grande concert in which the bombing took place and realised he could have died that day with no one knowing who he truely was. After that event he decided to come out as gay. He is very funny and makes good/ relatable Tik Toks.
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Part 2
PITCH by Tom Fairbrother
PART TWO I hesitantly turned around, but it was only a little old lady, she said "Lucy Dale?, young man." I stared at her blankly. "My room number, I need my room number, you nitwit " "Right right sorry", I said, nervously. I passed her the key and she slowly walked away, up the old rickety stairs. She was scary I thought to myself. I was on edge the rest of that day. A couple of weeks passed and the inn started getting fewer people staying and money was scarce. After a while, nobody had stayed at all so the inn went bust. Mr Ark offered to let me stay with him and his wife for a while. An unknown amount of time passed and I finally found another job. I had found work at the local butchers, he needed a delivery boy to take meat from shop to boat. It paid enough that eventually, I had scraped just enough money to live in an attic above a little local bakery. The next day I quit my job at the butchers as I'd been offered work at the bakery. A while passed and it was my 21st birthday, the owner of the bakery had a big surprise for me,
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it was a key to a little property they owned on the corner. "My own home," I said, tearing up. "You have worked so hard you really deserve this," said my boss, my friend and now my landlord. And with that, I had a place to call my own. Five years had now gone by and I had my life mapped out. I'd taken over the bakery and met a pretty girl. She was at first just someone who would come in and buy a loaf of bread every day. She'd jokingly, always say see you tomorrow handsome. One day I racked up enough courage to ask her out; Fiona and I never looked back. From that day, we were always together. A year flurried by in new love bliss, betrothed to each other, now due to be wedded in a month. Five years had now gone by and I had my life mapped out. I'd taken over the bakery and met a pretty girl. She was at first just someone who would come in and buy a loaf of bread every day. She'd jokingly, always say see you tomorrow handsome. One day I racked up enough courage to ask her out; Fiona and I never looked back. From that day, we were always together. A year flurried by in new love bliss, betrothed to each other, now due to be wedded in a month. The butcher and the baker's family all came to the wedding.
They all now being the family I'd never had. It was perfect. Not long after the wedding, Fiona fell ill, she couldn't get out of bed, after a day of this I brought the doctor to her, and he gave us the news that Fiona wasn't ill, she was with child. I was going to be a father, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I couldn't dream of being happier than I was right there and then.
Want to read the story in full? Head over to https://issuu.com/youthzine2021 and check out Pitch by Tom Fairbrother
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STEPHEN YOUNG CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HALTON BOROUGH COUNCIL FROM 1ST APRIL 2022
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with the incoming Chief Executive of Halton Borough Council even before he started! We wanted to find out a little bit about Stephen and what Art and Culture mean to him.
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Hello Stephen! Welcome to Halton! Could give us a bit of information about your new position at HBC because some of our readers might not have a clue about what Chief Executive means. SY: Yeah, sure. So I'm joining on the first of April to become the chief executive of Halton Borough Council. So ultimately, I would be what they call the head of service or responsible for all the services that the council provides. So things from ensuring the parks are in good order, and the highways are fit to drive on, to supporting schools in delivering education,
looked after children and providing services to elderly people. It's the full range of services. And right across the borough. As part of that role, we've got a key role to play right across the Liverpool City Region. Working with the other councils across Merseyside, and working with the other councils on the Cheshire side of the border. So it's quite a wide remit.
“…WE'VE GOT A KEY ROLE TO PLAY RIGHT ACROSS THE LIVERPOOL CITY REGION”
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SC: It certainly is! You've got some links with arts and culture already. So tell us a little bit about how you're connected with arts and culture yourself. SY: Yeah, I have a few connections really. So outside of work, I sit on the board of a theatre in Bolton, a producing Theatre. It produces plays, it produces outreach work, it goes out into the local community, it does all kinds of drama, it does a range of different things using culture as kind of a medium to go out into the community and improve people's lives. When I first joined the board, I assumed that theatre was quite a middle-class pastime and rather highbrow but it's not at all. A lot of the plays that they do in the Octagon, they're all professionally produced plays, but they are about the local community, about people's lives. They've been able to use that to reach out to people and people particularly in deprived areas, to help them get into art and see that as a potential career. They've supported the local university in terms of doing degrees. So there's a range of ways in which you can use art and culture to reach out to the community, particularly those hard-to-reach members of the community and engage them in a particular project. I think a lot of the time that people who benefit from those kinds of services don't necessarily at the start think art or culture is
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something for them, but it really can improve people's lives, and create jobs. Those are the things that we're here trying to do. SC: How did you get into working in local authorities? SC: I've been doing this for a long time now feels like forever. So I've been 27 years working in local government and I started when I needed it, but it was very kind of basic at the start. I needed a job, I'd finished full-time education, and I need the opportunity to work. So I started my local council at the very bottom; a grade one, which is the lowest grade that we kind of pay on a temporary one-year contract. It was during that time, I realized quite quickly that the public sector and local government particularly have a really important role to improve people's lives. I realised during the year that perhaps I wanted to have a career in local government. I then got a permanent job working at the time for Burnley council, which is where I lived and then as I got further into that, working more and more in the job that I was doing, I realised that the corporate centre, so where the chief exec works, which offers all that cultural services is where I really wanted to be.
That's what makes the biggest improvement to people's lives. I then moved from Burnley to work for Bolton, Oldham back to Bolton, and then Lancashire. Over that period of time, I've done quite a lot of things to support and improve those communities. My expertise is in economic development. What we've also been really good at doing in Lancashire, which I want to do with Halton as well is not just create these opportunities where you get people coming across the border from Manchester to get the jobs, we also use the opportunity to say to people creating these opportunities, where are the opportunities for young people in Halton? Where are the opportunities for girls who want to get into engineering, to create some apprenticeships to enable girls to get into engineering or children who were looked after by the local authority? You know, certainly, we've done a lot of this in Lancashire. I want you to give apprenticeships to people who are looked after by the local authority to give them those opportunities. There are lots of things I think the public sector can do and I certainly want to do in Halton. We're bringing forward those new economic developments, job creation, that wealth creation, to ensure that the opportunities that we create are opportunities that people who live in the borough can really benefit from.
SC: We did an interview with a young asylum seeker Ahmad, he was classed as a looked-after child, by the authority, he was talking about his culture and how he's managed to sort of survive in this unknown climate for himself. The Studio have pretty strong links with them looked after children and the care leavers team. SY: You mentioned asylum seekers and you know, obviously with what's happening at the moment in Ukraine, it’s obviously, hugely important. The council and in fact all communities across the United Kingdom I think, have a moral obligation to welcome those people into our country. You’re right, there's a massive cultural thing associated with that. So people come from other countries with their cultures and integrate into our culture.
“…to ensure that the opportunities hat we create are opportunities that people who live in the borough can really benefit from.”
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SC: Have you seen anything during Halton’s borough of Culture that's kind of struck a chord with you culturally and that you'd want to build on maybe? SY: To be fair, I did miss it as I joined after that. So it wasn't something that I'd seen. But I am friends with a number of people working in Knowsley, they are now picking up the mantle [Borough of Culture] And I've seen some of their stuff. It’ll certainly be one of the things I'm going to be looking to see when I join, some of the cultural things that take place. I'm also interested in seeing the theatre. I've seen quite a bit of stuff when I was researching for the interview, one of the tricks that somebody told me years ago, please go on YouTube, and look at the council's YouTube channel. You'll see a lot of stuff that they're doing and proud of and they want to promote. So I watched a number of videos on there. One of those was about the theatre that the council runs [The Brindley] and some of the productions that they're doing. So that's something I'm definitely looking forward to seeing.
“You get to know each other and you get to know local communities. I think those are massively important.”
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SC: Yeah, there is still a bit of a divide with the bridges, you know but we do support The Brindley, the Studio work quite closely with their technicians and offer a very small-scale alternative in terms of accessible theatre. So I think we're quite lucky in the borough that we've got this large-scale venue in Runcorn, with big theatre shows and then sort of much smaller shows in a community space over here in Widnes. SY: I think I wouldn’t underplay that, it’s massive. When you think about people coming together in groups, they come together around sport, they'll come together around cultural events that you've described, you know, they'll come together around Christmas, those are the things that get us all out and get us all together. You get to know each other and you get to know local communities. I think those are massively important. SC :Do you have any plans for Cultural development in Halton? SY: As I've said, I think culture and cultural events are really important It's a great way to bring communities together. I think that's one of the areas that perhaps we can build on, is really looking at that kind of cultural offering and not just highbrow theatre.
So again, from previous lives, when I was at Bolton, we did a big food and drink festival every year, that was huge, it attracted hundreds of 1000s of people into the town. That was a big cultural offer around food around celebrating different foods from different parts of the world. Things like that, obviously, really, really important. Then you've got things like celebrating cultural events like Christmas, Christmas light switch on, Easter, all different religious festivals, again, which I think are culturally very important. I want to spend quite a bit of time looking at what already takes place there, but trying to build on it. Absolutely SY: Can I ask you a question? So ultimately, I'm going to come and be the Chief Executive of the Council. In effect, I work for you. So what do you want to see me do?
important. SC: What was your first exposure to, or experience of art? SY: I think it was in school. So when I was at school many, many, many, many, many years ago, I can remember, the school produced a large mural outside and I can remember that, and it was quite bright. I mean, it was done 2 professionally, and it was just celebrating all the different elements of that particular community. I remember vividly, I'm going back a long time now, but I'd vividly remember the colours being really bright and vibrant. I remember the guy that did it, each group coloured a bit of it in. It was certainly there for the whole time I was at that particular school. SC: Many thanks to Stephen Young for the interview, we wish him well in his role and look forward to experiencing culture alongside him in Halton soon.
SC: ( Elkie) I think I'd love to see lots of things with young people, especially in school, I think I've been very lucky to find the local people outside of school. [Serial Culture] SY: So have you seen a decline in art and art and cultural activities? Do you mean in favour of maths and English? SC (Elkie) Yeah, well, I don't know. I don't know if it's a decline. Really. I've never seen it before I guess, in primary school, it's very important that you learn a lot of things, but definitely, in secondary school, it's not really seen as
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HALTON BOROUGH COLOURS BEING BOLD IN THE BOROUGH!
On Wed 1st June 2022, Halton Borough Colours had its first parade in Victoria Park Widnes. The Studio ran the project to explore and give visibility to the diversity of our youth groups in Widnes and Runcorn. We asked GLOW to be a partner and worked with the young people in the group to shape and plan the project. Taking inspiration from the material banners already hanging in The Studio the Glowsters decided to work with their original artist Georgina Ridehalgh.
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We then reached out to youth groups in the area to see who was available to create their own banner with Georgina. Funded by Halton Borough Council ‘5 Ways To Wellbeing’ grants we made 8 new banners including GLOW’s own. Georgina led the sessions enabling the groups to explore their identity, how they benefit from being part of the group and how they should be represented in banner form.
The sessions were fabulous, great fun and sometimes quite moving, working with GLOW, Ella Together, Halton Young Carers, Halton Play Council, 8th Widnes Scouts, Halton Youth Cabinet (VIBE), Four Estates, and with young people currently living in Daresbury Hotel awaiting the decision to their family’s asylum claim.
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For the parade groups could come along and carry their banners, create some noise and follow ‘Are We Alien?’ and our Squid friend ‘Cali Mari’, street entertainers from Artemis and Fool’s Paradise chosen by GLOW. We hope this will grow into an annual event, and maybe merge with other groups who would benefit from having more visibility in Halton.
HALTON BOROUGH COLOURS BEING BOLD IN THE BOROUGH! 32
HERE’S WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS HAD TO SAY. I enjoyed seeing people who are speaking out and telling people who they are, Community togetherness Very therapeutic Connecting, socialising, and learning new skills Brings community together for a new activity, concentrating on colours and materials, gives a chance to talk to each other while creating. Trying something new and being creative, being part of something bigger Proud LGBTQIA+ We got to do what we wanted to do Working together, making things out of material Working as a team and with new people Working with friends as a group Community spirit
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THE LORD OF THE RINGS SOUNDTRACK ANALYSIS
Howard Shore's award-winning orchestral scores for Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy are just as tense, moving and epic as the films themselves. With memorable melodies and appropriate use of instrumentation, each piece perfectly suits the scene, adding to the fantastical atmosphere. Originally performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, this intricate collection of music continues to be performed by various artists around the world to this day.
With many characters, places and creatures within the film trilogy, the soundtrack helps the audience to navigate the plot. This is done through the use of leitmotifs (recurrent themes throughout a musical composition associated with particular people, ideas, or situations), of which there have been over 100 identified such as the theme from 'Concerning Hobbits'. This is arguably one of the most famous pieces in the soundtrack, sounding folk-like and airy due to instruments including the tin whistle and strings, which play jovial melodies. It is then developed into new variations like a slower version that acts as a theme for the character of Frodo Baggins. Other notable themes include the Rivendell theme and the Riders of Rohan theme, each signifying what will happen on screen.
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Some of the most epic music in the soundtrack occurs during the battle scenes. These pieces typically include heavy brass that almost sound like a fanfare, an abundance of strings, and pounding percussion driving the music forward while simultaneously adding tension. An example of this is during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where the King's speech and chants are accompanied by dramatic brass playing, and his army's charge on horseback is matched by a rhythm driving it forward.
My Top 3 From The Soundtrack: 1) Hope And Memory 2) Concerning Hobbits 3) Prologue: One Ring To Rule Them All
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SINCE CONVENTIONS ARE BACK UP AND RUNNING, THE SELFCONFESSED NERDIEST TEAM MEMBERS OF THE SERIAL CULTURE, PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER AND SHARED THEIR FAVOURITE CONVENTION EXPERIENCES.
ALIVERPOOL COMICON 2018 WAS MY FAVOURITE. I GOT LOTS OF HUGS AND HEAD PATS FROM PEOPLE IN FURSUITS, I THINK I WAS A TARGET BECAUSE I’M SMALL BUT THAT WAS GREAT. I WASTED PLENTY OF MONEY ON THE STALLS THERE BUYING THE DEATH NOTE FROM THE MANGA OF THE SAME NAME AND I ALSO BOUGHT A COMPANION CUBE FROM THE VIDEO GAME PORTAL. MY ADVICE WITH CONVENTIONS IS DON’T GO FOR THE GUESTS, GO FOR THE EXPERIENCE.
OWEN AND FRIENDS WITH STEVEN OGG
OWENMY FAVOURITE WAS LIVERPOOL COMICON 2021. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOLUNTEER THERE, HANDING OUT BROCHURES AND MAPS OF THE EVENT FLOOR. THERE WERE LOTS OF COOL GUESTS THERE AND I EVEN GOT TO MEET SOME OF THEM LIKE CANADIAN ACTOR STEPHEN OGG. HE PLAYS TREVOR PHILLIPS IN GTA V. I’VE YET TO COSPLAY* AT A CONVENTION, BUT I HOPE TO TRY IT OUT IN THE FUTURE. *THE PRACTICE OF DRESSING UP AS A CHARACTER FROM A FILM, BOOK, OR VIDEO GAME.
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vecteezy.com
ELIMY FAVOURITE SO FAR HAS TO BE DOKI-DOKI JAPAN FESTIVAL. IT’S A 2-DAY CONVENTION THAT TAKES PLACE IN MANCHESTER, CELEBRATING BOTH MODERN AND TRADITIONAL JAPANESE CULTURE. THERE WERE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC PERFORMANCES AND LOTS OF STALLS SELLING INTERESTING THINGS SUCH AS KIMONOS. LOTS OF STALLS THAT THEY DON’T USUALLY HAVE AT OTHER CONS. I ALWAYS GO TO CONVENTIONS TO COSPLAY AND WORE DIFFERENT COSTUMES EACH DAY. I WENT AS MONAKUA MAN FROM DANGANRONPA AND DAZAI OSAMU FROM BUNGOU STRAY DOGS. THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THE FESTIVAL ARE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY DUE TO COVID, SO PLEASE SUPPORT THEM. THE NEXT DOKI-DOKI CONVENTION IS 27TH-28TH AUGUST.
ELI AS DAZAI OSAMU
WE THEN ASKED THE ADULTS WHO WORK ON THE ZINE FOR THEIR COMMENTS BUT ONLY THE NERDIEST ONE HAD SOMETHING
ELI AS MONAKUA MAN
MEGI WENT TO MY FIRST CON AND DID MY FIRST COSPLAY IN 2015 AND THROUGH THAT MET SO MANY PEOPLE AND MADE CONNECTIONS. MY FAVOURITES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE INSOMNIA GAMING FESTIVALS THAT TAKE PLACE AT BIRMINGHAM NEC. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING LOTS OF AMAZING CREATORS AND CREATIVES, NETWORKED WITH MAJOR GAMES COMPANIES AND EVEN LANDED WORK THROUGH BEING PART OF THE SCENE, WORKING AS A COSPLAYER FOR BLIZZARD GAMES WORLD OF WARCRAFT. COSPLAYING IS A VERY EXPENSIVE HOBBY, SO LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF AND REUSE STUFF YOU ALREADY OWN.
MEG AS WARSONG COMMANDER (HEARTHSTONE) PHOTO CREDIT: MIKE WILKINSON
WE ALL AGREE CONVENTIONS ARE A GREAT WAY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND CONNECTIONS. IF YOU FEEL YOU DON’T FIT IN WITH SOCIETY, 37 YOU WILL FIND SOMEONE THERE WHO IS LIKE YOU.
PRESSED FLOWER ART LARRISSA BURTON
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My latest work has been focused on bringing manmade and natural structures together, showing how they can complement and work in harmony with one another. I look towards local buildings like St. Mary’s Church and Halton Castle in Runcorn. I also include some flower petals from my own garden. I use a fine liner to capture the detail of the rough eroded sandstone that makes up the castle walls and concentrate on specific areas rather than the whole structure. This allows me to capture the aged feel of the walls and often certain aspects of the building such as arches, doorways and windows. In this piece, I draw part of the ruins at Halton Castle. I contrast the dark monochrome tone with bright vibrant bursts of colour from the natural world. Pressing flowers takes a few weeks to prepare and some very careful handling. The colours and patterns in the petals are unique and inspirational. I love that this captures a physical piece of a moment in time that otherwise would have been lost forever.
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GET INVOLVED! A word from the editor Meg DeMar
Serial Culture is a place for your stories and your art! We can feature your sketches, painting, photography, graphic designs; whatever your art form is, we want to see it! Share with us your poems, short stories or articles. Been to a GIG, PLAY, SHOW, EXHIBITION, EVENT? Send us your review. Need some assistance? We can interview you about your life experiences. We can feature organisations that have supported you as a young person. We can shine a spotlight on your charitable and community activities such as raising funds and collecting for food banks. Whatever your Culture is we can give you a platform. serialculturezine@gmail.com
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT MAGIC YOU CREATE.
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Serial Culture Zine
Origin Story!
Serial Culture zine has been created to provide a pla�orm for the young people of Halton aged 11-25 to share their artwork, cultural ac�vity and lifestyle loves. Through Halton Borough Council’s youth provision programme, young people responded to our survey and call out for contributors. A small team has developed the zine from scratch with a larger community of young contributors. The editorial team changes and grows as the zine reaches more people, we welcome those who want to stay for the whole project or just add an ar�cle every now and then or a one off. If you want to add your cultural voice and artwork contact serialculturezine@gmail.com The views expressed are those of the contributors. LOOSE has been crea�ng opportuni�es for the people of Halton to perform, record, share and develop crea�vely since 1997. In 2010 LOOSE opened The Studio in Lacey Street, Widnes. This community venue is home to a variety of funded community and youth focused art and culture based projects. It is also home to partner organisa�ons, community groups and college courses. To find out what we currently offer, or suggest a project or event yourself visit: www.thestudiowidnes.org.uk
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COVER ART ELLIE FRANCESCA DESIGN
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