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EDITORIAL Thursday, 6th May 2021
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www.palatinate.org.uk/category/indigo/
BOOKS 3 The joys of bookshopping in person FEATURES 4&5 Being Asian in Durham and The counterfeit College bar crawl FOOD AND DRINK 6 A guide to Durham’s Asian supermarkets STAGE 7 The writers’ Zoom INTERVIEW AND FASHION 8&9 “Off the screen and into the real world”
CREATIVE WRITING 10&11 Poems for Spring
MUSIC 12 Best songs to listen to in the summer sun FILM & TV 13 When the teenager on-screen is an adult VISUAL ARTS 14 & 15 Student artists honour heroism TRAVEL 16 Nature’s galleries: outdoor art around the UK www.facebook.com/palindigo Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @indigo_palatinate Have a question, comment, or an idea for a story you’d like to write? Email indigo@palatinate.org.uk Logo: Chloe Wong Cathedral Artwork: Anna Gibbs Front Cover: Adeline Zhao
As we both enter our last ever term in Durham, it is hard to look past the ongoing stress of summatives, dissertations and exams. This year will be particularly challenging for many as we have limited access to certain resources and study spaces. However, despite all of the setbacks and difficulties of the last year, it is also our last chance to appreciate all of the wonderful opportunities to spend time with our uni friends and enjoy the university experience. With the gradual easing of Covid-19 restrictions we are finally able to look forward to the possibility of events and balls and the all important trips to the Swan in the summer. In the meantime, we have been practicing summer cocktails for our freedom after exams. Our favourite so far is the Piña Colada. To make, simply use one part white rum to two parts malibu and two parts pineapple juice. Shake over ice, strain into a glass and top with a wedge of pineapple. For a non-alcoholic version, blend some coconut milk with diced pineapple and ice. Pour in a glass and top with a few raspberries and some mint. In this edition, Interview and Fashion pair up to have a chat with a young designer bringing corsets into the 21st century, Film and TV think about age appropriate casting, Visual Arts interviews up-andcoming student artists and Travel explores outdoor art. We hope that you find some interesting pieces in this edition and that they inspire you to make the most of this last term in Durham. Millicent Machell and Hugo Millard
INDIGO EDITORS Hugo Millard Millicent Machell FEATURES EDITORS Aadira Parakkat Elle Woods-Marshall Immy Higgins
CREATIVE WRITING EDITOR Millie Stott
STAGE EDITORS Charlie Barnett Issy Flower VISUAL ARTS EDITORS Carys Stallard Emma Tucker BOOKS EDITORS Millie Vickerstaff Sol Noya FASHION EDITORS Emily Potts Erin Waks FOOD & DRINK EDITORS Constance Lam Meghna Amin TRAVEL EDITORS Emma Johnson Gracie Linthwaite FILM & TV EDITORS Grace Marshall Charlotte Grimwade MUSIC EDITOR Katherine Pittalis INTERVIEW EDITORS Aimee Dickinson Claudia Jacob
BOOKS 3
Thursday, 6th May 2021
The joys of book shopping in person Tomos Wyn fondly greets the return of bookshops in his native Wales Tomos Wyn books@palatinate.org.uk
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aernarfon, North West Wales, on a sunny afternoon shortly after the country relaxed restrictions on non-essential shopping. I walk around the town in the mild heat, an ice cream in hand, looking for a birthday present for my grandmother. I wind up on Palace Street, an extraordinarily beautiful strip, with colourful decorations sandwiched between local shops supplying baked goods, ice creams, quirky ornaments and gifts, and my favourite little bookshop – Palas Print. The mixed display of books, in both Welsh and English, each with a uniquely beautiful cover, is enchanting. Each time I see the shop, I walk in and take a look, telling myself: “I won’t buy anything! I’m just window shopping!” As I’m sure other book lovers know, though, that’s never the case. I will, unfailingly, come out with at least one book. However, I feel that this experience is limited to shopping in person. I can hop on Waterstones. com, Amazon or an independent bookshop’s website at any moment, browse for 20 minutes, and not buy anything. When I purchase a book online, it is because I am searching for a specific book or one I’ve heard of from a friend or a review. The streamlined nature of online book shopping gives us a tunnel vision of sorts. We see what we want and buy it without really looking at what’s around us. It’s designed to be efficient. Offline book shopping, however, is a totally different shopping experience. Entering the colourful realm of bookstores facilitates the use of the peripheral. We see everything around us; if it catches our attention, we look. We don’t even need to have heard of the book! Sometimes, it’s as simple as a pretty cover inspiring us to give it a chance. Shopping in person allows our spontaneity to flourish. I went into Palas Print on that sunny afternoon, intending to buy a single book – Iris Murdoch’s The Bell. However, they
in those circumstances.
didn’t have it. That was fine, but seeing as I had walked there intending on buying something, I asked a few questions. I’ve recently come to resent how I’m far more well-read in English literature than I am in the literature of my mother tongue, Welsh, particularly as my favourite novel, Y Dylluan Wen (The White Owl) is written in the latter. If my favourite novel is Welsh, why do I not read more of my country’s literature? I chalk this up to a lack of information and conversation of Welsh literature in the circles I find myself in, which is no one’s fault but my own – though it doesn’t help that, since coming to Durham, I’ve met a grand total of three Welsh-speakers. On this sunny Easter day, however, I asked the question. “Which Welsh books would you recommend?” The staff member’s face lit up, and we talked about recommendations and our favourites for twenty minutes. For readers who aren’t aware of the Welsh cultural climate in northwestern Wales, we take the preservation of our spoken language particularly seriously – Gerallt Lloyd Owen’s Etifeddiaeth discusses the preservation of Welsh culture over the centuries through poetry. Beyond the spoken language, however, our literature is paid little attention outside the classroom. My favourite novel is one I read
The staff member recommended Llyfr Glas Nebo (The Blue Book of Nebo), a dual-entry diary format, post-apocalyptic novel exploring faith, hope, and loss, Llyfr Du Cymru Fydd (The Black Book of the New Wales), a short manifesto for a revolutionary independent Wales, and Tu Ôl i’r Awyr (Behind the Sky), a highlycommended romance novel by Megan Angharad Hunter, the winner of the 2020 Young Author of Welsh Literature Scholarship.
“shopping in person allows our spontaneity to flourish” Had I not visited a physical shop, I would not have asked my questions and these books would not exist in my life. Actually visiting bookshops allows us to engage with literature outside the scope of what’s popular, and share sentiments by recommending to one another the books that shaped us. We take the recommendations of others and run with them, finding some of our favourite titles in the process. It is this connection that is the joy of shopping for books in person. Welcome back, bookshops – I’ve missed you dearly.
Illustration: Anna Kuptsova
FEATURES 4
Thursday, 6th May 2021
Being Asian in Durham ‘Why the word ‘Asian’, makes me, an Asian, flinch’: Audrey Ng’s perspective on her Asian identity Audrey Ng features@palatinate.org.uk
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detest the word ‘Asian’. Whenever the word is directed at me, like an instinctive reaction, I flinch internally. The reason, partly, is because it has been used as an insult towards me, a situation I’m sure I’m not alone in, but it is also due to the lack of cultural understanding which means that there has been and always will be a stigma around the idea of being Asian and who we are, as an individual, and as a culture. When did the word ‘Asian’ become a word akin to self-deprecating jokes? Tasking me with sharing my ‘Asian experience’ is almost as difficult and full of contradictions as the experience themselves, one that is inevitably a mix of pride and guilt. What is an ‘Asian experience’ anyway? Even as I write, I have to confront this love-hate relationship I have with the word and remind myself this is not a chance to vent. Truthfully, I don’t know why I am so ashamed of my Asian heritage to the point where it becomes a weapon that I wield, but as with a weapon, I do my best at hiding it to present a more appealing side of myself. With my dad being Cantonese and my mum Malaysian (and a family living in Australia), I am Asian - one look at me and you cannot presume otherwise. But as an English Lit student, I am no stranger to this unconventionality. Despite the growing diversity in subjects like English, when you cast your eyes across the student body, it is still an overwhelmingly white and Eurocentric one. I do not, and will never, dismiss the English canon, but there remains the fear that in completely absorbing myself in this world, I will continue to lose my roots and culture, whatever and wherever they are. I often ask myself what the balance is, and whether there should even be one at all? How ‘western’ or ‘European’ can me and my interests be before I wipe out
everything but the outward appearance of my Asian identity? How do I grasp the enormity of the sacrifice of putting my passion and interest before my heritage? I often play this game with my friends where I ask them to pay attention to how I introduce myself to strangers. It is undoubtedly human nature to want to present the best sides of ourselves to be more attractive or interesting to a stranger. But why do I tell that person that I’m Malaysian? Why do I assume this different person would like me better if I introduce myself as an Australian? What do I even achieve by being so duplicitous and multifaceted?
“the expectation, albeit one that is hurtful and wrong, is to be a particular type of minority” The expectation, albeit one that is hurtful and wrong, is to be a particular type of ‘minority’. That is to say and to be Chinese or Malaysian, but to an extent that is only tolerable by society; to speak your language and teach me the slangs, or the ‘oh that food looks Asian you must know what it is’; to de-
velop more ‘western’ interests but only to the point where it does not compromise the spotlight of those ‘more deserving’. I don’t know what my multicultural future, and the future of many others like me, will hold, as I cannot foresee the person I will become, but one thing I do know is that this struggle with the interwoven nature of nationality and identity will be a continual and persistent one. But perhaps it is not so horrible to have a significant part of yourself that requires relentless reflection - is this not how we grow as individuals? Through self-examination, we question the limits of what being an ‘Asian’ necessarily means - how our use of language, the way we present ourselves, our interests and how we feel as an individual can break the very boundaries that shackles being an ‘Asian’. Image credits: Jason Leung via Unsplash
FEATURES Thursay, 6th May 2021
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The counterfeit College bar crawl With bars and pubs opening up, Josie reflects on the ways her flat made the most of last term Josie Lockwood features@palatinate.org.uk
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ithin the first few weeks of Epiphany term, time began to blur. The days bled into one another, ebbing and flowing from one to the next. The spirits of my flatmates, once buoyant and bouncy, slowly started to fizzle out. To motivate ourselves through the week, we decided to host a night-in every Friday. A unanimous favourite remains our recreation of the iconic college bar crawl. Instead of trekking the Bailey, all we had to do was stumble across our corridor to get from one bar to the next. Each of us devised the perfect theme, activity, beverage and playlist to transform our bedrooms. Endless Amazon parcels arrived, abundant with bunting, balloons, fancy dress and iridescent foil curtains.
“to motivate ourselves through the week, we decided to host a night-in every Friday” The night kicked off with a civilised start in Italy. Prosecco was sipped to the sound of the ‘Tarantella Napoletana’ and ‘That’s Amore’. Although it didn’t
quite parallel the experience of aperitivi in Rome, it was as close as I could get in my 10x10 student room. We were then transported to an American frat party, complete with red cups, beer pong and ring of fire. Next came the one we’d all been long deprived of: a trip to Spoons. Our host welcomed us wearing his old work uniform, and we enjoyed a flat-themed pub quiz as we sipped from chilled bottles of Corona, each garnished with a wedge of lime. Our spirits now high and the night in full swing, we stepped into Jamaica. Cans of Red Stripe, green LEDs and reggae tunes set the mood. Across the corridor we were transported 8000km to Hawaii. Cocktails, leis and a dangerously competitive game of limbo ensued. We found ourselves belting the lyrics to ‘Dancing Queen’ as we had an ABBA karaoke interlude.There are vague memories of a melon being involved, although the connection to the theme remains ambiguous. We ended on a high in the room of our resident Primary Ed student, enjoying a year six disco, fit with early 2000s throwbacks
“there are vague memories of a melon being involved” Months later, whenever I find a piece of caramel popcorn clinging to the carpet, or a speck of soil from the succulent that was mysteriously catapulted across our kitchen, I reminisce about this night. Attending university during a global pandemic wasn’t at the top of my bucket list, but I am forever grateful for these reassuringly ‘normal’ moments that I have shared with my Flat 15 family.
Image credit: B0red via Pixabay
FOOD & DRINK 6
Thursday, 6th May 2021
A guide to Durham’s Asian supermarkets Eunice Wu explores Durham’s Asian shops from pomelos to Korean BBQ dumplings By Eunice Wu food@palatinate.org.uk
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ne of the few things I wish I was taught before coming to Durham was a guide to the Asian supermarkets around the area. Sure, you will find the geographical locations of these stores one way or another, but I had tried to search for comparisons on their price, quality and product range to no avail during my first few weeks here. With that in mind and seven months of trial and error, I have devised an unofficial shopping guide to 3 of Durham’s Asian supermarkets, perfect for anyone looking for something Asian-inspired other than Little Moons.
Oriental Food Collection Oriental Food Collection resides on North Road, opposite to the bus station. They have the most reasonable prices out of every supermarket on this list, thus hailed as one of the most popular shopping spots among Asians I know at Durham. When they are in stock (which is one of their few flaws because they always seem to be low in stock), they have a wide range of luosifen options, which can be translated literally to river snail rice noodles. It sounds peculiar, smells worse, but tastes delicious. I would also recommend purchasing salted egg yolks from this supermarket, perfect for making golden p r a w n s ( 黃 金 蝦 球), which are deep fried prawns coated with a salted egg yolk mixture, a savoury delight perfect for dipping in some mayonnaise. You could also try their fresh cheong funs (腸粉), which are steamed
rice noodle rolls typically served as Cantonese breakfast. While the ones from Oriental Food Collection are more on the plain side, it could give you a first glimpse into Asian breakfast culture.
“something Asian inspired other than Little Moons” Everyday Oriental Food This is the supermarket that is just a stone’s throw from Tesco Metro. Standing in the heart of town, Everyday Oriental Food boasts its convenience. While being rather expensive, the supermarket does often offer discounts or bundles for different items, all displayed near the cashier. They also have the widest selection of fresh vegetables, such as king oyster mushrooms. I would personally recommend their individually packaged pomelos, a rare sighting of a tropical fruit in the UK, though it leans towards the pricey side. You could also try Bibigo’s Korean BBQ dumplings, one of the best pre-cooked dumplings I have tasted and only available here to my knowledge. The supermarket is also home to Taiwanese sausages which come in original and spicy flavours. These are perfect as a side to Taiwanese braised minced pork rice, a fantastic dish that brings a myriad of flavours to your palate.
Golden Pearl Golden Pearl is another on North Road, and it’s the only supermarket with a greater focus on Thai food. Since it sort of monopolises this niche in Durham’s market, it is rather overpriced, so we usually visit only if this ingredient is exclusive to Golden Pearl. However, if you’re looking for range, you will be pleasantly surprised. I personally haven’t bought much from them but they do have cooking sake and jjajangmyeon, both of which I couldn’t find anywhere else in Durham. They also sell ramune, a Japanese carbonated drink with a little marble in the bottle. If you’re an Asian looking for a trip down memory lane, you know where to find that childhood nostalgia now. (Side note: the staff are wonderful but just don’t try the boba tea they sell there.) It is true that these Asian supermarkets have a generally higher price range for their products, but they offer a pathway for students to explore what they like or don’t like to eat. It always brings me joy to see non-Asian faces in these stores, because in a way this may be out of their comfort zone. However, I can assure you that with a push in the right direction (a.k.a. this article), you will maneuver your way through the pinnacles of Asian cuisine in no time.
Top image via Constance Lam Other images via Unsplash
STAGE Thursday, 6th May 2021
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The writers’ Zoom Stage hears about the process of crafting work specifically for Zoom By Ben Willows and Tom Murray stage@palatinate.org.uk
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OVID forced all of us to change our plans. For me, I had several plays that I had been cast in or had written, intended to be performed live, that were shelved. Despite this, theatre continued, through radio plays and Zoom. While I loved seeing this creativity thrive, there were a few Zoom plays that I thought just didn’t translate to its new platform. Theatremakers were doing plays as written, simply transcribed into Zoom, which unsurprisingly meant something was lost from it. You can’t just thrust Macbeth into Zoom and expect it to still be relevant.
muted than if I were writing a play for the stage, with the emotions coming from gritted jaws rather than bombastic yells. We’ve seen films with this same basic premise - Unfriended and Searching come to mind - but when theatremakers approach video calls, they don’t treat the platform any differently than a stage, and run headfirst into limitations. The aim is to understand what Zoom can and can’t offer a play, and make those initial limitations work to your favour.
posters crumbling off the walls, the neatly made bed. It invites comparison. The gallery view is just that: a gallery, each individual reduced to a frame, an exhibition.
When I wrote MARTHA., I felt that in order for it to be successful and relevant, I would have to acknowledge and even utilise the presence of Zoom, rather than attempt clunkily to maneuver around it. I wanted the premise to reflect its setting, rather than be glaringly at odds with it. In short, I wanted to write a Zoom play, not a play done over Zoom. My premise came almost with the platform; two people catching up, using and referencing and bemoaning Zoom.
Likewise, we can never see what’s out of shot: the irritating noise, the oppressive boyfriend. This creates a constant tension. It fosters self-consciousness. Each member can see their own video. They touch their hair more, admire themselves, pose at flattering angles, and generally fret about their appearance. There’s something inherently Platonic about it, this sense of artifice. It struck me as immensely appropriate for a story about two actors waiting to be let in for an audition.
In writing the play, I felt that a more naturalistic style of writing and acting was necessary. With the laptop camera mere inches away, as opposed to the distanced audience of a stage, the shouting and dramatic emphasis that would suit traditional theatre would jar with the audience. As a result, I aimed for a realism that was more
It was this way in which the format demanded introspection that I think changed the very nature of my writing. Whilst my previous plays, all written for live performance, were political, this play wasn’t. The political themes of my other plays meant that, though inevitably the authorial voice seeped through, I could always keep a certain distance. Zoom on the other hand was more interrogative, personal, it magnified your own sense of self and made you question it. I couldn’t write about “other people”, but rather a veiled exploration of my own apprehensions, frustrations, isolation. There was a nakedness, an honesty, to the experience that I can only ascribe to Zoom.
“I wanted to write a Zoom play, not a play done over Zoom” A play set on Zoom is always going to be primarily about perspective. Each call member can only be seen from a single lens, a single angle, a single light. There’s a performativity to the perspective they create. Their backgrounds are a choice - they reflect something about themselves: the
Images courtesy of First Theatre Company. Illustration: Emily Oliver
INTERVIEW AND FASHION Thursday, 6th May 2021
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“Off the screen and into the real world” indigo interviews independent young designer, Harriet Feldman Erin Waks Fashion Editor fashion@palatinate.org.uk indigo.interview@palatinate.org.uk
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itting down with the designer, director and founder of Harriet Rose (independent fashion brand specialising in all things corsetry) Harriet Feldman, I had the privilege of a first-hand insight into being a young designer. The entrepreneur, exhibiting an evident passion for corset design, business and fashion, talked about her new brand. The ups and downs, challenges, experiences and, above all, what it is about setting up her own business that makes her get up in the morning. In her own words, “when I talk about what I love, there is a fire in my eyes.”
When discussing the process of establishing a new brand, she puts her driving motivation down to a strong desire to build a future for herself in entrepreneurship. “I am a broke student, but I have a passion and strong drive, and I want to be an entrepreneur. I studied business at school, and I have always known that I want to work for myself. I have always been very artistic, and art was my thing at school. So, last summer, I didn’t really know what I was doing but
Harriet is currently a student at university in Bournemouth studying costume design. “I did fashion design for two years and then changed to costume design. Everyone in the department was focusing on fashion – what is trendy, what is current. I, on the other hand, was just going back in time. I never knew, though, that I would end up wanting to do costume design! My biggest inspiration now is corsetry, which I absolutely love.”
“there is so much you can do with a corset [...] they look fabulous on everyone, and can be a massive part of body positivity”
She adds, “that’s when I started to make costing sheets, invoices, and I was just learning the whole time. Fast-forward to the third lockdown which gave me one last push. I am still learning ways to organise myself, but I want to be busy and I want my days to be filled with things. Skills-wise, I learnt in college how to make corsets. My mum is also businessminded, and she has always pushed me. I have always seen her working for herself. I have always had business talk around me. I wanted to put my passion and drive to earn a living together and make a future for myself.
“simply just seeing people in what I make is what drives me. Clothes are your voice before you speak” I set up a studio in my garage with old boxes, sewing machines everywhere, and I just started to make corsets for people, and they really liked them. I only made one design, but people seemed to really like it! I have always been doing this, without even realising I had a business. I just put a name to it. I can’t get bored of corsetry. In my creative opinion, there is so much you can do with a corset – different panels, different fabrics, they look fabulous on everyone, and can be a massive part of body positivity.”
A day in the life of this young entrepreneur, then? As a new business, she spends much of her time doing a lot of fabric sorting – “I like my fabrics to be vintage. You have to find the right fabrics.” Of course, she enjoys the business and admin side too, and is currently working on setting up a website for her brand. “I spend most of my days building things up to hopefully one day become something special.” The daily battle she faces comes in the form of a lack of understanding sur-
INTERVIEW AND FASHION 9
Thursday, 6th May 2021
rounding the bespoke industry, amidst the contemporary obsession with fast fashion. “My items are bespoke and when it comes to comparing with fast fashion, my customers struggle to understand what this means. It is hard to find a happy medium and target audience. I hope more people will adapt to this more eco-friendly way of fashion - we’re all learning. I think that this will just take time. It’s about word of mouth. I am also planning to smash the Tiktok audience! My corsets are not the same – I want them to be items people pass down to their daughters, pieces that pass the test of time.” “Simply just seeing people in what I make is what drives me. Clothes are your voice before you speak! So much love goes into making the corsets, and then when I see someone wearing it and it fits perfectly, it really is the cherry on top!” And in terms of long-term goals? Harriet explains, “my future goal is to be a bespoke bridal designer. Corsetry is an element of bridal wear. I love making people feel beautiful. It’s a cliché, but I love a big princess dress. My biggest inspiration is probably the recent Vivienne Westwood collection. Her dresses are gorgeous - that is my style through and through. I love a bit of a punky style, like from the 80s, and I could talk about it for days! I’d love to have my own studio and have brides come in to create one-of-akind dresses.”
“I would like to create my own community in design of wonderful people wearing beautiful clothes”
Hearing herself referred to as a young designer surprised Harriet. “That makes me feel extremely motivated! On the flipside, being called as such is difficult today. A lot of more experienced people in the industry don’t have much faith in us, since there are so many young designers. I would like to create my own community in design of wonderful people wearing beautiful clothes.”
“when I talk about what I love, there is a fire in my eyes”
“At the end of the day, nothing in this world is original. There is possibility and originality in looking elsewhere. I like history, books, old archives of costumes, locations. When looking for inspiration, get off the screen and into the world.” Find out more about Harriet Rose and the world of corsets at: Instagram: @harrietroselondon Tiktok: @hazfeldz Images by Harriet Feldman
CREATIVE WRITING Thursday, 6th May 2021
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First Bloom Molly Knox explores the dangers and adventures of Spring for the snail Molly Knox creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk Eye level with an armada of snaking shells. Gastropod crowd Comes to mesmerize, prized between uneven weedy slabs and unhurried shrubbery. Tilt. Gaze curious feelers towards the warm glow brushing the first bloom of Spring. Swirling delicate armour-clad congregation competed naked slugs groove Gladly as they preview the sprouting streamline shoots that twist. Up from flaking mellow mud. Nodding. Knowing with their eyes, rotating like tiny marbles that (probably) smell me lying here. Warning. Waving herbs to chase them- to surrender. The first throbbing buds tire them out, until their innocent worlds cave in. I have read, Apparently, they carry cannibal tendencies between their sage vegetation and fungi. Leafy holes add character to the nooks of a garden. Between begging The man next door to throw away that salty blow. My flawed unassuming rabble Rallied by the raw weeping delight of golden edged blossom. So aware- they pause in unison. Eyelids gasping at the marvel Botanical birth. Can they breathe the sharpness of daffodil floods? Perhaps persistence stems from that intoxicating aroma. Have they decided? I believe there is no Humane way to melt. So, I clench my face tighter As the salt-water rain pours beside open burgeon. Illustration by Verity Laycock
I could not bear to watch.
CREATIVE WRITING 11
Thursday, 6th May 2021
For English Forests Yasmine Dean invokes peaceful nostalgia in her journey through the forest Yasmine Dean creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk
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ome, leave with me, Away from the pavement’s scrutiny,
To fields, flowers and English forests, Let us be nature’s humble guests.
We shall perch upon the trees, Humming with the bumbling bees, Climb higher until we touch the twigs Dangling the smallest sprigs.
We shall make chains of daisies, Gift each other pretty posies, A dress of dandelions, and a shawl Embroidered with the leaves that fall.
Watch the trees wave away the sun Once the golden day is done, Nature lulls itself to sleep, Silence. Not a peep.
Stars sprinkled over Stygian sky, A cloudless night in late July: If these pleasures beckon you my dear, Run away to the woods here.
Illustration by Anna Kuptsova
MUSIC 12
Thursday, 6th May 2021
Best songs to listen to in the summer sun ‘This list encompasses the potential environments our readers may want to create for themselves’ Tomos Wyn music@palatinate.org.uk Observatory Hill on a sunny Wednesday morning. Overlooking Durham City, with the sun bouncing between its glorious architecture, a periodic silence finds its way into your friend group’s conversation on summer plans. If only there was a way to fill that silence..! Here, I’ll provide a handful of mixed-genre songs that’ll fit perfectly with your preferred vibe for the summertime sun. 1. Dan Y Tonnau - Lewys ‘Dan Y Tonnau’ is a smooth single from Welsh-language artist Lewys’ first album, Rhywbryd yn Rhywle. After bursting onto the Welsh music scene in 2018 with his first single, ‘Yn Fy Mhen’, Lewys has grown from strength to strength. Emulating a late 2000s indie vibe, ‘Dan y Tonnau’ is a personal favourite of mine and is perfect to play during a kick-about in the sun. If you’re a fan of Two Door Cinema Club, Vampire Weekend, Sŵnami, or the Wombats, give ‘Dan y Tonnau’ and Lewys a try. 2. Kiss Me Like You Mean It - Kate Yeager ‘Kiss Me Like You Mean It’ is a gentle song that speaks of the little joys of every relationship. With its mostly acoustic instrumentation, which only builds in the chorus, Yeager’s song is perfect to play when you and your special someone have a boozy picnic in the sun. 3. Bella Donna CATTY The latest release of the article, Bella Donna is CATTY’s first single as a solo artist. As
½ of the band Dusky Grey, CATTY already has a wealth of singles she features on. But, as her first solo single, ‘Bella Donna’ stands strong. The song fluctuates between a slow and soft vocal in the verses, and an amped chorus with rich, technical vocals and heavy instrumentation. The tones of the song reflect the lyrics - so, if you’re someone who’s getting over some tough emotions and want to scream along to something - CATTY’s your gal. 4. Missing Piece - Honey Butter ‘Missing Piece’ has been a staple in my playlists since hearing it first this time last year. The song, by student music group Honey Butter, strikes the perfect balance of complex, upbeat brass instrumentation with the riffs and runs of lead singer Alex Moster. This song is like a little capsule of sunshine and unfailingly brings a smile to my face. Thus, it’s certainly a perfect addition to any summertime playlist. 5. Real Gone Kid - Deacon Blue Casting the net for songs back thirty years, we have Deacon Blue’s ‘Real Gone Kid’. Like Honey Butter’s ‘Missing Piece’, this song consistently brings a smile to my face. The chorus is light with a sing-
able melody and piano flourishes, urging you to bop your head and think of everything good you’ve got going on. Its upbeat, cheery sound lends to its status as a staple in my summer playlist. 6. I Was a Window - SASAMI ft. Dustin Payseur ‘I Was a Window’ is for readers who are looking for a more mellow backing to their summer escapades. SASAMI makes use of synthesizers and heavy distortion to accompany her soft, almost angelic, vocals. From the emotional complexity of her lyrics, SASAMI is evidently a gifted writer and musician but would fit most with those who want to create a thoughtful ambience. 7. Perfect Places - Lorde The closing single from Lorde’s second album, Melodrama, ‘Perfect Places’ encapsulates the moment in which we commit fully to the moment. For those who miss the party scene and getting lost in the moment with their friends and chosen families, ‘Perfect Places’ is the song of your summer. With that, this list comes to a close. I hope that in taking the time to grasp at songs I’ve come to enjoy at different points in my life, this list fully encompasses the potential environments our readers may want to create for themselves. Roll on summer!
Illustration by Adeline Zhao
FILM & TV 13
Thursday, 6th May 2021
When the teenager onscreen is an adult Sol Noya Carreno explores the complexities of age-accurate casting By Sol Noya Carreno film@palatinate.org.uk
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or someone past the age of 20, I sure watch a lot of TV shows and films centred around teenagers and their exploits. Mean Girls, Elite, even Riverdale – you name it, I’ve probably at least attempted to watch it. So, I am no stranger to the puzzling mismatch between an actor’s age and the age of the character they are portraying. It’s not unusual or new, in Hollywood, for adults in their 20s and even 30s to portray teenagers. Think of Stockard Channing, dripping with scorn for “Sandra Dee” in Grease at the tender age of 33. It’s not a phenomenon that solely affects actresses either – Cory Monteith was 27 when filming the first season of Glee (his character, Finn, was 16). A lot of these shows and movies are projects that require long working hours, and it does make sense that studios would rather skip dealing with child labour restrictions to complete them. While the age gaps can have unintentionally humorous effects – Matthew Morrison, the choir director in Glee, was only 3 years older than Monteith despite their playing characters almost 20 years apart in age – casting adults as teenage characters can seem pretty innocuous. Moreover, in the age of ever-more explicit film and television, there are scenes and storylines that it seems positively unethical to ask teenagers to film. The entire cast of Sex Education is currently over 21, and while the show is (unsurprisingly) centred around teenagers’ sex lives, it would arguably be pretty awful, to require that teenage actors film the more explicit scenes for a predominantly adult audience. With Netflix not having to deal with the same content restrictions as live television, it is
unlikely that the trend of depicting the darker and more explicit side of adolescence will die down anytime soon. Surely, we cannot ask that teenage actors be required to perform these scenes, especially with adult co-workers.
‘to have a story worth telling, you must fit, nay, surpass society’s standards of beauty’ However, leaving more explicit material aside, there is a strong argument for more accurate casting: the devastating effect it can have on teenagers’ self-image. Going through adolescence is hard enough – no one is entirely sure of themselves yet, everyone is chronically embarrassed, and your body and personality are likely to be going through changes you don’t fully understand yet. Now imagine your main referent for what you should look like is a fully grown adult, usually one with an impossibly thin figure (if you’re a girl) or ridiculously defined muscles (if you’re a boy), perfect hair, and skin clearer than the air before the Industrial Revolution. Is it any wonder that teenagers struggle with body image and eating disorders when the shows and movies marketed to them often carry the message that, to have a story worth
telling, you must fit, nay, surpass society’s standards of beauty? I distinctly remember that, in my first year of university – no longer a teenager – I tried to get into Pretty Little Liars. I couldn’t mostly due to character and storytelling reasons. But one thing that stuck with me, and which probably influenced my decision to stop watching, was simply how terrible the show made me feel about my body. Every actress, save for Sasha Pieterse, was at least 20, despite the fact that they were portraying 16-yearolds, and if you told me that in between takes, they were walking the runway at a fashion show, I would probably believe you. The only reference to how unusually skinny everyone on the show was took the form of a (rather poorly handled) subplot about one of the main characters struggling with bulimia. The universe of teenage films and television tends to be populated with people who look nothing like teenagers in real life. Clearly, there is no simple solution to the issue of inaccurate age casting. There are cases in which it is completely infeasible, even impermissible, to cast an actual teenager. Perhaps the key lies in the portrayal, rather than the casting, of teenagers onscreen: the styling, the lack of body diversity, the reluctance to portray any kind of physical imperfection (to say nothing of the invisibility of disabled teenagers in productions aimed at teenagers). We would all benefit from the screen reflecting the messiness of teenage life on the outside as well as on the inside. Image Credits: Showck Experience and lalababerox via Flickr
VISUAL ARTS 14
Thursday, 6th May 2021
Student artists honour heroism The student artists shortlisted in the Student Art Prize 20/21 Visual Arts Editors visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk
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ast month saw the launch of the 2020-21 Durham University Student Arts Prize Exhibition. indigo Visual Arts caught up with some of the Prize’s competing artists to talk about their work, the practice of balancing art and student life, and the challenge of capturing heroism on canvas. The works of these artists and other competitors are exhibited outside the Billy B.
Fran Beal My submission to the Durham University Student Art Prize is a piece called ‘Upwards Gazing’, an embroidery piece based on a photo of the underside of tree here in Durham. I thought I’d take an abstract approach so this was my take on heroism as trees are unsung heroes that don’t receive
Ellen Fasham
Jasmine Cash
I painted this portrait of Steve specifically for the competition. I knew I wanted to take an alternative approach to the theme of heroism within the pandemic, and Steve was an obvious choice. He has been hailed as hero within the community and even been featured on the One Show. For me, he really represents how important community has been during this pandemic, and how there are so many silent heroes working tirelessly to keep society moving.
Art has always been one of my greatest passions, but there are ups and downs to being a student artist. Time and space restrictions can be especially frustrating. Clay is one of my favourite art materials at the moment, but it is not the most practical when you only have a small desk to work on—and when you should be using that desk to study!
“life at university encourages my artistic practice in unexpected ways” On the other hand, life at university always encourages my artistic practice in unexpected ways. In addition to art societies, competitions, and other opportunities, the books I am reading as an English student often inspire me to create artwork that I wouldn’t otherwise have thought of—including my sculpture of Icarus, inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
then started experimenting by recreating photos through embroidery, mainly landscapes, and began to sell custom pieces, working from photos sent to me. From there I decided to challenge myself and attempt to depict this beautiful tree using a needle and thread.
I am so glad I’ve been able to get involved with the student art scene in Durham. Art has always been a huge part of
the recognition they deserve. The embroidery piece itself took me over two months to complete and consists of thousands of tiny French knots. I taught myself embroidery at the start of the first lockdown, back in April 2020, after watching some YouTube videos. After practising (a lot!) I decided to document my progress on Instagram, where I met so many lovely people from the embroidery community who inspired me to try new techniques. I initially started making and selling ‘boob-roideries’ to fundraise, with 25% of the profits going to Cancer Research UK, which got a great response. I
VISUAL ARTS
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my life and I was worried about how I would be to keep up without the studio space. However, I found that there was just enough space in my room at St Aidan’s to set up my easel and it’s been lovely to have my friends watch the painting progress. I feel like I’ve proven to myself now that practising art alongside my degree is very achievable and, even though it is extremely time consuming, I will definitely keep it up because it’s a big part of who I am. Nicole Wu I studied art up until university and loved having a creative outlet alongside my academic studies. It’s definitely been harder to find the time at Durham and I miss having an art space to physically cross the boundary into a creative mindset. However, I’ve enjoyed new opportunities to create illustrations for various university groups and have started to find my own style and aesthetic. For the Art Prize, I originally struggled with determining my response to ‘heroism’: I think having the wide scope of possible interpretations caused me to put pressure on pinpointing a specific person or role that was heroic. Then, after coming across a quote from Maya Angelou, I understood that I wanted to portray a more universal version of being heroic. Thinking about the current climate and the amount of humanity people have given during this time, I was inspired to create the two abstract figures in a balanced pose of being helped up a cliff. I depicted such a simple act
of service as a metaphor showing the importance of ordinary heroes in our society and with an understanding that anyone can fit these roles in many wide-ranging capacities. Emilia Zeslawska “You will never walk alone’’ was born in March 2021. At the time, women and other people in Poland had been caught up in a continuous fight against the government regarding the nearly complete abortion ban. I could not join them – I have not visited my country once since the start of the pandemic; instead, I painted a public response, a personal reaction, and a love letter to my people and their ever-unbreakable spirit.
“in the soil tainted by injustice, the seeds of heroism yield action and change” While my work is chiefly a study of heroism inside a community, it is also about bravery and cowardice. I was thinking about how cowardly it is to pass cruel and divisive laws on the sly while strict lockdown rules are in place to prevent large gatherings, and to sweep any signs of resistance under the rug. But, in the soil tainted by injustice, the seeds of heroism yield action
and change. The three faceless women on my painting represent the kind of anonymity that is focused on serving the community, without the need for being recognised for it. ‘You Will Never Walk Alone’ were the words written on a sign carried by one of the protesters in one hand, the other hand busy holding his daughter up against his chest in a viral photograph. These words have since become one of the main mottos of the protest, often accompanied by visual signs, such as the red lightning bolt symbol and the black umbrellas brought to the gatherings. These symbols can be found in the crowd on my painting, too. While these references directly identify the crowd and their cause, it is my hope that this work will speak to women affected by the callousness and brutality of changing legislations anywhere in the world.
Image credits: Fran Beal, Ellen Fasham, Nicole Wu and Emilia Zeslawska
TRAVEL 16
Thursday, 6th May 2021
Nature’s galleries: outdoor art around the UK Gracie Linthwaite explores how sculpture comes alive in the open air Gracie Linthwaite Travel Editor travel@palatinate.org.uk
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n the monotonous days of lockdown, cultural experiences are hard to come by. Gone are evenings at the theatre, weekends spent discovering new cafes or leisurely walking around a new art exhibition. The closure of museums and galleries has been especially hard for art lovers: lockdown restrictions have caused many art spaces across the UK to remain closed since March 2020. However, a different kind of gallery is experiencing a revival - one that isn’t confined by 4 white walls. Just as many of us have taken to the outdoors in order to socialise amid lockdown restrictions, parks and outdoor galleries have also been the only places many of us have been able to go to experience art.
“there is something magical about seeing a work of art against the raw canvas of the landscape”
There is something magical about seeing a work of art against the raw canvas of the landscape: it has the unique ability to make us think in a new way about the beauty and wonder of the natural world, and the ways we mark our fleeting place within it. Anthony Gormley is the master of this: his sculpture ‘Angel of the North’ has become a symbol not only of the north-east, but of Britain itself, brightening up many of my trips along the A1. Yet my favourite of his works, ‘Another Place’ on Crosby Beach in Liverpool, is more down to earth: a number of cast-iron human figures look outwards to the horizon, and we look out with them.
The figures are made from casts of Gormley’s own body, each over six feet tall, and placed between 50 and 250 meters apart along the tideline. Their appearance change s depending on the weather, the tides, and time of day: at high tide a few of the figures disappear almost completely into the sea, others become partially buried in the sand and some are left with only their necks poking out of the water. The work in this sense is living and changing with the beach and the ebb and flow of the water, appearing differently every time you visit it. Nevertheless, art does not have to harmonise with its surroundings in order to make us rethink our relationship with nature. About an hour’s drive from Edinburgh, Andy Scott’s ‘The Kelpies’ mesmerises visitors with two imposing steel skeletons. More than 30 metres high, they are the world’s largest equine sculptures, modelled on draught horses. The work is a tribute to the engineering of Scotland’s industrial past, but it also brings us face to face with the animals that made it possible, making us re-
consider the way we use and interact with the natural world. But for an outdoor art experience that immerses you in the wild, few places rival a little-known site in the Cairngorms National Park. The Frank Bruce Sculpture Trail takes you through a woodland, with works hidden around corners and behind walls, eventually leading you to a purposefully overgrown walled garden. The sculptures are carved from Caledonian pines, appearing to grow out of the wood from which they are taken. Like nature itself, Bruce’s work is in a state of perpetual change; each piece is in a different stage of decay, eventually returning to the earth as part of the natural cycle of birth, life, and decay. In this way, the sculptures draw attention to the brutality and unpredictability of the natural world, as well as its beauty. They seem particularly pertinent in our current times, standing as living monuments to one man’s faith in an uncertain future. As well as a momentary escape from the pandemic, outdoor art can offer us the unique opportunity to see the ways in which humans have responded to the environment. In the open air, sculptures come alive in ways that aren’t possible within galleries, redefining what modern art can be. Gormley, Scott, and Bruce prove that even in lockdown art is everywhere - all we need to do is go out into nature, and find it.
Images: Gracie Linthwaite