Venue 365

GUS EDGAR-CHAN Venue Editor

JOSEPHINE DOWSWELL Venue Deputy Editor

Well, here we are. It’s been fun, stressful, and entirely worthwhile, but this is our last edition of Venue for the year. No, stop crying. As always, all good things must come to an end (see: Pimp My Barrow, Cloud Dog, our hopes and dreams of graduating with a First).

What’s that? The last edition of this year’s Venue is the 365th edition? The number 365 seeming to mark the end of a year, the end of an era, a nice clean numerical motif? Fantastic. Like a bit of that.

Derby Day has come and gone, highlighting once again 1) how pointless it is competing against a Uni that’s below us in every possible, conceivable way and 2) how easy it is to smuggle alcohol onto the square. Despite my lanky, entirely un-athletic demeanour, and the fact that I’m an English student, I *am* actually into sports - just as well I’m graduating in the Sportspark (ignore the fact that I’ve never once stepped foot inside the gym).

Our first issue of Venue was for the Freshers’ - this last issue of Venue is for the leavers. Turn to page 7 for your very own guide on how to combat fear of the future, which I know has plagued both myself and many of my friends. And I haven’t gone an editorial without mentioning our sudoku, so, have at it then. This is Gus, signing out.

Johanne Elster Hanson

02

Shelby Cooke

Jordan Hunnisett

Gabriela Williams

But you know what I don’t like a bit of? Mostly graduating in the Sportspark. And I do confess, the cancellation of Pimp my Barrow. Despite the fact that I’ve never been, I do still think it’s a huge shame. I have found memories of the bizarre sight of students dressed to the nines and pushing a precariously decorated wheelbarrow.

It’s getting ever more difficult to feel proud of UEA as a whole as we hurtle towards graduation: as if organisational convenience has been placed over the will of the students. Is it really impossible for a university to safely organise a campus-wide charity event? To let us graduate in a beautiful (see: cathedral, the lake) or at least Norwich-themed (see: Carrow Road, even the damn Congo hall) instead of... the Sportspark? It riles me right up, I say! Perhaps I should relax a little. And why not relax by reading a nice bit of Venue?

Nick Mason

Icons courtesy of Vecteezy

Rabbit by Fay Austen

Jodie Bailey

Gus & Josephine

Womanhood: Adorning the Body An SRU-exhibition

The MA students of the Sainsbury Research Unit have spent the year studying the regions of Africa, Oceania and the America’s with a focus on what the Sainsbury Centre itself has to offer. Every year the MA cohort create an exhibition which is displayed in the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Library, using objects from both the Teaching Collection, and the collections of the Sainsbury Centre.

The students each proposed an idea for the exhibition using the database of objects in the collections. After selecting a proposal to work on, they reached the eventual title together. Each student took roles to ensure the run up to the exhibition and the exhibition itself ran efficiently.

This exhibition is acting as practical experience for the students, should they wish to go into museum curating or working with museum collections following their masters. It gives them a greater understanding of the work that goes into an exhibition and the different roles needed for it to be successful.

This year the exhibition is called Womanhood: Adorning the Body, and explores body adornment throughout Africa, Oceania and South America through objects from these regions. The objects in the exhibition are ones that have been used by women or show cultural tradition associated with women. This theme was chosen to explore the concept of womanhood cross-culturally and challenge preconceptions of women in these cultures.

There are a variety of objects that can be found in this exhibition, from masks only used by women to figurines that depict bodily adornments. From South America, more specifically Brazil, there are three masks on display

04

Images: Rachel Glaves

that were collected by a member of the Sainsbury Research Unit staff, Aristoteles Barcelo Neto in 1998. These colourful masks were used in Wauja society for dancing accompanied by Kuwakuho flutes, and are both made and worn by women.

Among the African objects is a range of depictions of female adornment. One is of stretched earlobes, which can be seen on a wooden figure from Kenya (which was likely made for the tourist industry). This figure of a female highlights a cultural tradition of the Massai community where women would stretch their earlobes as part of their initiation into adulthood.

From Oceania, the objects range from headpieces to representations of life cycles. One of the objects is a headband (known in Māori culture as a tīpare), which is worn by women and often made by them as well.

There are numerous objects in the Sainsbury Centre Collection and Teaching Collections, so sadly not all could be exhibited in the limited library space. However, the objects that were selected by the MA course effectively illustrates the concept of womanhood throughout these regions.

The exhibition will open on 8 May. It will remain in the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury for a year – until the 2019 – 2020 MA cohort create their own exhibition!

Rachel Glaves

Q&A with UEA’s Molly Naylor, writer of Lights! Planets! People!

So, tell us a bit about the play…

Lights! Planets! People! is a one-woman show about Maggie Hill, a world-renowned astronomer. The show begins with her giving a lecture to a group of 16-18 year old women, to inspire them into the world of science. However, Maggie is terrified: she’s suffering with anxiety and doesn’t know if she can get through the lecture, due to her recent heartbreak, and the fact her career has gone up in flames. We then flash back to her therapy session and parts of her life, to build a picture of who she is and what’s going to happen next. Maggie is also bipolar, so it’s a play that grapples with mental health, science and women in positions of power.

What inspired the first idea for the play?

I was asked to do a residency with a group of other artists called This Is Tomorrow, run by a theatre company called China Plate.

They paired us up with producers and academics at Warwick University, in a range of different fields, each of whom gave us a lecture on their subjects. One of these was space science, which was the one that really blew my mind, and I knew it had potential for a performance piece.

So I went away and did some work on it and eventually Warwick Arts Centre commissioned the idea, and I started making it. I decided I wanted to be part of the collaborative process myself, rather than just writing it.

What was the process of developing the play with your actor like, and how did you find directing it?

It was really rewarding because I feel like I became a better writer from the development process. From working in the rehearsal room, you get a real sense for which lines work.

That back and forth process of having Karen (who plays Maggie) perform early drafts of the text was so informative.

We worked through it together to figure out which parts of the script didn’t work, and which could work with the right direction and performance. I think this made us both better, especially as we were the only ones in the room together, which was quite intense, but it meant we were

able to be honest and trusting with each other. From this, we definitely developed a language to improve on both sides.

By aiming the lecture towards young women, did you hope to highlight the relationship between women and science?

I know that there has been more discussion around the lack of women in science, and questioning why that is, which is a great first step. But the reason I created this conversation between Maggie, who’s 60, and the girls, was because I wanted to ask questions about legacy. I wanted to show where this leaves Maggie, who has come to the end of her career and hasn’t achieved the things she wanted to, despite having had all this ambition and ego, which is made more intense by the fact she is a woman.

I think the lesson that she needs learn is that it’s not all about ‘being the best’. It’s about how she has contributed to the field, and how we can edge close to the things we wanted to achieve, but maybe we can’t achieve them all in our lifetimes. I feel like with many things, having that pressure of ‘changing the world’ is so overwhelming, but we can at least make one positive step, which is better than doing nothing.

So what do you think audiences will go away thinking?

I would really love for people to go away thinking about the themes of play, like communication, mental health and women’s responsibility in terms of their ambition and the weight that is on them in positions of power. But I would also like them to go away having learnt something about space science - even if it’s just one image. I think space is something that captures all of our imaginations.

You can catch ‘Lights! Planets! People!’ at Norwich Arts Centre on 8th May, 8pm.

Ella Dorman-Gajic Image: Wikimedia Image: Dave Gutteridge

05

Book review:

Botanical Folk Talkes of Britain and Ireland by Lisa Schneidau Lisa Schneidau’s collection of folk tales was a peculiar pick for me in The Book Hive; it’s an unassuming small volume, with a slightly clunky title, supposedly offering a botanical riff on the perennially popular folk tale genre, and yet Schneidau’s work couldn’t be timelier. Throughout Easter and prior to it, we have become witnesses to a powerful new environmental movement, embodied in the likes of the youth climate strikers and Extinction Rebellion.

Public awareness of plastic pollution and human-induced climate change has never been greater, and shows such as Blue Planet have sparked legal reform on plastic usage.

Such shows have made way for many more, as well as articles and podcasts all focused on the unavoidable issue of human impact on the environment.

Environmental concern is the stuff of what this book is made of, but Schneidau also illustrates that our current preoccupation with nature and the environment is not a fleeting one: each and every story revolves around a species of flower, tree, or plant, utilising traditional folk tales, folklore, and (once) common knowledge of British and Irish plant life.

It’s important to know that Schneidau herself trained as an ecologist and has worked in nature conservation for the last 20 years in the UK; her passion for nature and the flora and fauna of the British Isles is apparent in every story. The central focus of each narrative is the botanical element within it, the human characters are peripheral – even if they have been given names, most of these figures serve allegorical purposes.

As Schneidau states in the Introduction to her collection, her interest in folk tales lies in their abilities to pass down ‘old ways and old wisdom’, consequently we see moral messages and environmental philosophy come to the fore in her retellings. As a prologue to each story we are treated to a little information about the history of the legend or the folklore surrounding the plant, and from that Schneidau crafts her own retelling organically.

06

Photo: Pixabay

Her language and voice, albeit simple as is typical for the genre, is very telling. There is an ecocritical edge to all that the narrator says. Characters are good and bad folk tales tend to stick with such binaries - but Schneidau’s understanding of good and bad often rests on how humans treat nature just as much as on how they treat each other. The best characters have ‘a love of the land, of nature, and of the old ways’, prioritising their enriching experiences with nature, even if their lives are lacking in material things.

Structurally, the collection is organised in accordance to ‘the wheel of the year’ with the text encompassing the cyclical nature of the seasons, beginning in the depths of midwinter. Starting with a dark tale with the ominous yew tree at its heart, expect to meet the usual suspects of British and Irish folklore: faeries, leprechauns, witches, goblins, pixies, and the like. Not all Schneidau’s yarns end happily, but some of these didactic stories do.

Highlights include: Mossycoat, an ecocritical spin on the Cinderella plot that also treats its female characters in a satisfying way, quite unlike the popular Disney version; the malevolent Crooker, that has a distinctly disconcerting modern flavour that serves to remind us of the dangers that nature can pose towards us; and perhaps my personal favourite, the humorous and brief tale from Kent of The Travelling-Tree, the eponymous being of which makes clear that trees are not merely the resources of humans.

Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland is a collection of stories told plainly, designed with all readers in mind and with an evident respect and reverence for our heritage and the natural world. For fans of folk tales and natural history, it will enrich their understanding of plant life in Britain and Ireland. However, it is also an ideal means for anyone wanting to learn more about how humans interact with the natural world, and to help them appreciate the often taken-for-granted joys of our local plants, trees, and flowers.

Jodie Bailey

THE FEAR OF THE FUTURE

The future is very scary, and there are times in the year where this fear spikes. The end of the academic year is one of those instances, especially for third years. I, as a second year with a whole year still ahead of me, cannot even begin to understand the apprehension that the impending big bad world instils in people, but the future is still utterly terrifying.

I am a very indecisive individual, and those closest to me will not mince their words when backing that up. Choosing a university course was the most longwinded, stressful decision-making process of my life.

I lacked enough interest in a topic to study that one subject for three years, and now, over halfway through, I know why that was. The idea that things might not go to plan, or that one may be unhappy with their life, is not exactly the most comforting thought, and this is what has been in the back of my mind for a while now. We are engineered from school to have a quite structured idea of where we are going in life and what we want to do, but what if that plan falls through? What if we decide in the process that this is the wrong path? The possibility of everything grinding to a halt and changing is something that can restrict how we live in the moment, because the future is that daunting.

“The idea that things might not go to plan, or that one may be unhappy with their life, is not exactly the most comforting thought” There is also the fear of being unsuccessful, or not reaching our goals. Then what? Careers are becoming increasingly more competitive, the things we want to do and achieve are the same things as a lot of others out there, and this, unfortunately for us, reduces our chances of “success”, whatever that may be. The idea of having to resort to a Plan B, C or D is crippling to me, and the chance that my plans may not unfold in the exact way that I would like is probably the main factor

in my personal fear of the future, and I can imagine that this is the root of a lot of prospective graduates’ fears also.

“But not having a structured path lined up leaves us open to trying new things, exploring more options and spicing our life up a little” I, however, do not necessarily believe that a lack of a plan, or plans being switched up, is a terrible thing. Not having a structured path lined up leaves us open to trying new things, exploring more options and spicing our life up a little. I for one, have benefitted from this through writing for Concrete for the past academic year, which has sparked a love of writing and a career path that I would love to pursue. There are people out there who would tell you that everything happens for a reason, and all of those clichés. I am not one of those people, but a change allows for more change, which could be for the better, even if in that moment things seem bad. Change is exciting, the unpredictability of it all is exciting as well, if you choose to view it in that light. New passions can be discovered, incredible experiences can be had, and life lessons can be learnt, all of which can be good, contrary to the fearful and pessimistic mindset we usually adopt when thinking into the future.

So, to somewhat conclude, the future is terrifying, and no one will ever discredit you for believing that, but it is equally as exciting, which is something that we all need the reminder of from time to time. For every scary possibility there is a great possibility that accompanies it. Essentially, we all need to refrain from being pessimistic, but I realise that saying this is like preaching to a brick wall in most cases. Pessimism and fear innate for a lot of us, including myself, so, disregarding the blatant hypocrisy in what I am saying, be more positive about the future, there is a lot out there to look forward to.

Sam Hewitson

Images: Geograph, Unsplash.

07

Shelby’s: Shame (2011) In a bizarre turn of events, the 23-year-old feminist film student considers one of her favourite films to be a movie about a sex addict who uses women just for his pleasure and has incestuous feelings towards his sister... I know, it’s bizarre.

Shame follows New York executive and long-time bachelor Brandon (Michael Fassbender) through his life as a sex addict. We see him viewing pornography, hiring sex workers, seducing women with expensive dinner, stalking his prey late at night on the subway, having orgies at sex clubs. But his lifestyle is halted when his sister (Carey Mulligan) unexpectedly turns up at his front door to stay. Brandon attempts to curb his addiction, but the affliction makes him spiral out of control.

There’s something about Shame that continues to draw me back in. Every time I watch it, I find something new and seemingly beautiful in it. The film stuns with gorgeous cinematography; it has an unconventional style to it, which, in a way, makes the film slightly easier to digest. The editing of the film, intertwined with its emotional score, really evokes a strange set of feelings within the viewer that they probably

08 Image: Fox Searchlight

didn’t know they had. But I think what keeps me coming back to this film time and time again is the complexity of the characters. Abi Morgan and Steve McQueen have written such dynamic and raw characters that each time I watch this film I feel like I understand them a little more, but also a little less.

Fassbender and Mulligan give tour de force performances that are grossly underrated. In particular, Fassbender conveys so much feeling and emotion in so little. His performance is heartbreaking, and he makes you feel sympathy for a character that you would otherwise disgust you.

He’s so captivating and raw in this role that I think he is the only actor who could have done the character justice. Personally, I think this is one of Fassbender’s greatest roles, and it is highly underappreciated in his filmography.

But I think what really draws me back to this film is the statement it makes.

A signature of McQueen’s films is social issues. The four films that McQueen has made have all been centred around a prominent social issue in society: nationality, justice, addiction, loneliness, racism. He doesn’t make films for entertainment.

He makes films to make a statement, to get a reaction from his audience, to make them see the world from an unpopular perspective. McQueen pushes the boundaries of his films not to be vulgar or obscene, but to make an impact, to remind the audience that their world isn’t the whole world.

To me, this is what filmmaking should be about. Shame is bold and daring; it wasn’t made to make money at the box office or to win the audience’s favour (trust me, it did neither of those things). McQueen doesn’t make films to be enjoyable; in fact, you’re not supposed to enjoy his films. You are supposed to leave his films feeling something for the protagonist and his cause; you’re meant to leave a McQueen film looking at the world differently. Shame, for me at least, achieved that goal.

There is a lot more to Shame than the labels the media has unjustly given it.

Yes, it may be a bit extreme, but that’s McQueen’s style. His films are bold and controversial. He’s creating a conversation about the world we live in rather than just adding to the noise of insipid movies.

Shelby Cooke

Jude’s: Inception (2010) Calling Inception my favourite film is hardly a controversial statement. Lots of people, myself included, consider it to be one of the best ever made.

I could gush for hours about the beauty of Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack, the intricacies of the dream levels the protagonists make their way through, or the ending left intentionally open to make the viewer question the reality of everything that took place in the film. All of this helped make Inception great, but what made it my personal favourite revolves around one character: Robert Fischer.

As the son of a wealthy business emperor, he is targeted by the main cast in an attempt to create ‘inception’: planting an idea so deep within someone’s mind that they believe it was their own idea (in this case the idea to break up his father’s energy conglomerate when he inherits it). As it turns out, Fischer is more than just a victim of this mind heist.

Early on, we observe Robert and his father Maurice together in his office, the latter on life support and clearly nearing the end of his days. The cinematography in this scene perfectly illustrates the relationship between the two: Maurice acts as though his son isn’t there at all. Robert stares unwaveringly through the window a good distance from his father’s bed.

There is no connection between them, at least not anymore. However, what I

find more important is how the scene continues. When Robert and Maurice make eye contact the latter looks at the former like a stranger, like an intruder. Robert is receiving no love, or even acknowledgement, from his father and yet when he is approached about taking the initiative with his company’s assets he refuses to do anything. He is waiting for his father’s decision even if Maurice may not be capable of making one anymore because he fears that any other decision would wrong.

It was a theme that resonated with me strongly as I watched the film over and over again. I thought about how I had shaped a huge portion of life around satisfying my parents and trying to be like them. My education, my hobbies, my career paths, my social life. When I wanted to express my stance about one thing or another that conflicted with theirs, I was generally met with disapproval or simply convinced that I was wrong. To me, the fear of disappointing my parents in how I chose to live my life was a greater force than any happiness I may get from doing so. It was a mostly selfinflicted mindset, as like Robert, I was perceiving how my family would treat me based on a couple of negative occasions.

Eventually, the heist crew are able to reach Robert after Maurice’s passing to begin working their way into his

mind, slowly developing the idea they wish to plant. For Robert, the inception is represented in the form of his father, appearing to him in a deep dream level, repeating the word Robert associated so closely with his father’s perception of him: ‘disappointed’.

Robert begins to apologise for disappointing Maurice by not being like him, however, his father responds with a line that still gives me chills: ‘I was disappointed that you tried’.

Of course, this was all a dream concocted by a group who were offered a lot of money for their service, but whether or not what the dream projection of Maurice told Robert was honest doesn’t matter.

What matters is that Robert was freed from the constraints of his regret and could now lead his life exactly the way he wanted to without that burden.

Inception made me think about how I could really do the same thing. I didn’t need to keep worrying about what my family might think about my choices, because they were my choices. It was one step to independence which took me a long time to comprehend, but I have this film largely to thank for that. Inception will likely remain my favourite film for a long time, due to how these scenes impacted me, as well as the near perfection elsewhere.

Jude Davies

Image : Warner Bros. Pictures

09

Johanne’s: The Trollhunter (2010) Nordic TV and cinema has been in vogue for quite some years now – from the grimly entertaining SwedishDanish collaboration The Bridge to the Danish political thriller Borgen. Last year’s Ingmar Bergman centenary was celebrated worldwide, Alicia Vikander won an Oscar in 2016 and a new, star-studded version of the Moomins is currently in the making. Someone with a keen eye for Scandinavian culture and geography (which rules out most non-Scandinavians) will notice that whereas Norwegian literature, particularly crime fiction, is flourishing abroad, there is a distinct lack of Norwegian films and television series on the international market.

Norwegian TV and cinema have a rather halting reputation in Norway – the acting is often a little too intense, the plotlines a little too unrealistic, the productions a little too keen to emulate the formulas from Hollywood blockbusters (many of which Hollywood abandoned long ago due to their predictability and ‘hammyness’).

It is therefore refreshing when someone goes ahead and makes the most Norwegian film imaginable, seemingly without a thought for any market outside Norway (ironically, this often seems to be the recipe for success). André Øvredal’s The Trollhunter (in Norwegian Trolljegeren) from 2010 is such a film. It was well received in Norway, and even garnered a favourable, albeit very short review in the New York Times, in which Mike Hale complemented the film’s ‘ultra-dry Nordic humour.’

A classic case of ‘found-footage mockumentary’ in the style of The Blair Witch Project and REC, the film follows three media students wanting to make a documentary about a mysterious, eccentric man who they believe might be poaching bears illegally. The film soon takes a surprising (a highly Norwegian) turn, as the man turns out to be a hunter of trolls. As we learn more about this well-kept secret, we also come to understand that common features of the Norwegian landscape, such as rock formations and power lines, are all related to the existence of trolls and the government’s attempts at concealing them.

10

Image: Wikipedia Media

Otto Jespersen, one of Norway’s finest (and at one point, most controversial) comedians, is brilliant as the lonely and eccentric troll hunter Hans, who grudgingly carries out the dirty, thankless job of seeking out and killing sick or stray trolls. Although initially unwilling to take the students with him, he eventually decides to divulge the secret about the trolls and the conspiracy surrounding them, hoping that this will finally grant him proper remuneration for his hard work.

The, otherwise over-used, technique of framing the film as an amateur documentary is very effective, as the audience is introduced to the fantastical existence of the trolls together with the three students.

The night-vision footage of gangly, snarling, three-headed trolls sniffing their way through the forest is both scary and strangely fascinating.

The trolls are never presented as predatory or evil – instead, Hans speaks of them as a wildlife expert would of any large, dangerous animal. The film contains some lovely references to Norwegian culture and folklore: as he decided to take the film team with him, Hans asks if any of them ‘believe in God or Jesus’, as according to the fairy tales trolls can smell a Christian man’s blood. We are also presented with different species and subspecies of troll, most notably the Mountain King (famous from Ibsen’s Peer Gynt) who serves as the dramatic climax of the film.

The Trollhunter is unique not only in its refreshing premise, but in the way the trolls are presented: the skilled animators take their cue from old fairy tale-illustration, and many of them look as though they are based on drawings by the famous Norwegian artist Theodor Kittelsen. Kittelsen’s trolls are enormous, drawn in hues of rock-grey and mossy green, as if the rough and bulky Norwegian mountainside came alive and started gobbling up fair maidens. As the film also contains many long shots of the fjord-landscape in western Norway (much to the dismay of some reviewers), it’s easy to see how the trolls might fit into this dramatic scenery. While many of the Norwegian inside-jokes may escape English viewers, it is a must-see for any fan of supernatural thrillers with a twist.

Johanne Elster Hanson

Designer brands contribute to repair Notre Dame Watching the spire of Notre Dame fall live on television was something I doubt I’ll ever forget. One of the most famous buildings in the world gutted, almost irreparably.

Thankfully, the cathedral will be rebuilt. It must be. As one of the most important pieces of architecture in the world, it is vital that it is not left to crumble.

That may well be, but how does this relate to fashion? It is widely known that the majority of the funds raised, now in excess of £650 million, came from private donors, with only a fraction of the cost being footed by the government. Many have heralded this as evidence of capitalism facilitating charity. But cynically, these are tax deductible donations, by at least 60 percent, so the French government will be footing much of the bill.

As the owners of Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Arnault and L’Oreal donate a cumulative total of roughly £300 million, the French government pays £180 million. The PR and clout provided to those who run vast empires built on the exploitation of workers on poverty wages across the world give the money they insist they could never pay to their staff to a French cathedral. Except they aren’t, given much of it is offset in taxes.

The fashion industry likes to paint itself as bringing joy to the world, with exciting new designs and social commentary that you can wear. Behind this veneer are sweatshops, exploitation, environmental devastation and greed. It is a shame that a Christian place of worship, a religion partially-founded on anti-elitist gospel and the righteousness of respecting one’s peers, will be renovated with money generated through exploitation.

As the profits of the fashion industry continue to grow far beyond the means of those on its lower rungs, the vulgar display of wealth that are the donations to the cathedral reeks of neoliberal insincerity. The state provides a subsidy for what amounts to little more than a PR campaign.

Meanwhile, those working within the industry receive limited state support or rights, for fear that jobs will go somewhere else more accommodating to exploitation. The French should rebuild Notre Dame. If the government is paying for it one way or another, it should not be an advert for unethical fashion brands in the process.

Nick Mason

Image: Pixabay iankelsall1

11

Summer sun: is your foundation protecting you?

Putting suncream on in the summer is annoying to do, easy to forget and can mess up your makeup routine. But with so many foundations and powders offering SPF coverage these days, isn’t a foundation with SPF a simple solution to caring for your skin and looking good? Well, probably not. Currently no major dermatology organisation in the UK recommends the use of makeup products with SPF for sun protection.

melanomas, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. If the product doesn’t have UVA protection, it isn’t protecting you from melanomas. Based on the British Association or Dermatologist guidelines the only way to safely use a foundation is to choose one with at least factor 30 SPF and UVA protection, apply it in a thick layer (think NikkiTutorials) over your entire face, neck and ears then reapply every two hours.

But perhaps they are behind the times, so what do make up products have to offer for sun protection? Many foundations advertise an SPF of 15 and some 30 SPF meaning they offer some protection from UVB rays, the ultraviolet rays in sunlight known to cause sunburn and ageing.

Remember, even if you are using standard sunscreen as a base under your foundation you still need to reapply every few hours, a powder with an SPF simply won’t cut it as a top up due to the thin nature of the product. I would recommend using a 30 SPF +UVA sunscreen with tint to get decent sun protection without forsaking a bit of colour and coverage.

Experts have concluded that it is damage from UVA rays that lead to skin cancers particularly malignant

Evlyn Forsyth-Muris

Top 5 summer essentials

Here are my top 5 summer essentials to get you through the heat with practicality and style.

Shorts

Shorts are such a staple piece for anyone in the summer months. With so many different styles of shorts out there, it’s impossible to go wrong! Why not try a white colour to make your tan pop.

Sunglasses

A pair of sunnies are such a classic piece for a summer look. Not only do they offer you protection from the sun, if you fancy a day off makeup but don’t feel confident to go completely bare faced, some cute sunglasses can be perfect.

Denim jacket

A denim jacket is an easy way to elevate any summer look.

Lighter denim stands out in the summer and can keep you cooler than darker denim. It’s always helpful to have one in your wardrobe, whether you are travelling in the summer or needing some protection against England’s unpredictable weather.

Sandals

Perfect for the sunny weather and letting your feet breathe!

To make the look even more stylish, paint your nails a matching colour to your outfit. Sandals can be dress up

12

Leia Butler Image: Pexels Tommy Huang

or down any look depending - you can choose a casual style or a more detailed one. Primark is always fully stocked with lots of styles, however if you are looking for a shoe to depend on more consistently, try brands such as Schuh.

A hat

Whether a sun hat or a cap, a hat is essential for providing you protection from the sun on hot summer days. Straw hats are great for dressing up a summer day look or for holidays, but if you want to keep it casual, a cap is great.

JD sports and ASOS have got some great ones stocked.

Always remember to carry some sunscreen for ultimate protection! A personal favourite is the Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect Sun Lotion. It’s perfect for protection whilst giving you a lovely, glowy shimmer!

Aloe sunshine! skincare routines for summer Until recently I thought I had a skin-care routine but apparently splashing water on my face twice daily doesn’t count. My most glamourous housemate almost fainted when I told him I used a cosmetic wipe ‘when I was feeling fancy’. Since then, I’ve been exploring affordable skin-care products available at local drug stores - these recommendations range between £0.99 - £5.99. While I’m clearly no dermatologist, I hope both naked faces and those brave enough to battle foundation in 30 degree heat can read this and find something worth trying… or at least learn from my mistakes.

It turns out sunscreen is a daily necessity during the summer months, even if it’s breezy and cool outside you are still going to burn. In fact, harsh winds can contribute to painful burns on your skin so it’s important to find a factor that works for you and apply it religiously. The importance of sunscreen will be obvious to most people, but I learnt it the hard way last summer after a breezy day at Hunstanton Beach. I tried Savlon and Aveeno cream but neither soothed my angry skin. My saviour was Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel. It cools burns, offering instant relief and softens skin to kickstart the healing process. It’s a great alternative if you don’t own your own aloe plant at home.

I avoid exfoliating face-masks in summer. Yes, exfoliants leave skin feeling soft and the fruity ones smell amazing, but sun-damage puts pressure on your skin and the extent of it isn’t always noticeable until the next day. It’s

not a great idea to aggravate your skin in general and doing so in hot weather is only going to make you feel more uncomfortable. Try a cooling additive mask instead – Manuka honey is a firm favourite of mine as my skin dries easily in hot weather and honey is a fantastic moisturiser.

You can buy a range of peel-off masks from Superdrug, all of which are cruelty-free.

I’m a very light sleeper, especially in hot weather so I’m always open to ideas on how to cool my skin before bed. My friend recommended I buy a ‘jade-roller’ facial massager. The jade is supposed to have its own spiritual connotations, but if you’re not into crystal healing I can ascertain that it does seem to have had a positive effect on my under-eye swelling. There’s no way it’s so incredible that charging £40 for one is justifiable, but it does feel lovely and cool on my skin. Mine was £3 from Tiger. It didn’t come with a Goop branded drawstring bag, but hey-ho.

I often use my jade-roller with facial wash and pretend I’m fancy enough to know what it’s like to go to an actual spa. It forces me to take the time to properly clean my skin, rather than reach for a cosmetic wipe and leave the bathroom before the word ‘self-care’ enters my head. I use the Pink Grapefruit facial wash from Superdrug’s tea tree skin-care range. It’s long-lasting, gentle on sensitive skin and smells great as it foams up. I’m filling my bathroom cabinet with fruity masks and gels to get excited for summer and my skin has never been so happy!

Anna Deas

Image: Pixabay Birgit

13

How it felt getting my senses deprived A flotation tank review As much as it may have become trendy in the last few years, the sensory deprivation tank remains a mysterious and elusive form of relaxation.

Upon seeing the Float Norwich building while lost in town, I certainly felt its mystery. So minimalist, the wording of its function so straightforward, and yet the experience itself intangible. I walked away into the night never to understand why it popped out of the ether in the first place. What’s particularly strange is the fact I have actually been to one before.

Cast your mind back to 2015. Every bad thing that was happening felt manageable. Billie Eilish wasn’t a thing.

Bitcoin felt realistic. I, as many a middle-class teen, was interrailing with my best friend. (Disclaimer: one on one interrailing is a no-go! For your own health and safety go at least in a four otherwise you are at risk of having an immature and unjustifiable blow up in an English pub in Prague).

We were in Berlin, recovering from a brutal hangover, courtesy of the local Pride event that we stumbled upon the night before. We stewed in a café where I thought I’d find restoration in a sodden limp salmon sandwich before drifting through the sun. And that’s where we found the Float Tank Berlin.

We walked in and could feel the bustling city fade away in the beach-like décor, sandy walls and baby blue lighting. Everything felt calm and cool as we were ushered into the changing room. My friend and I had decided on a couple’s float tank, given that it was much more affordable at around £60 for the two of us. (A quick investigation revealed the Norwich Float Tank centre comes to about £50 per person).

We stepped into our chosen room. Lavender lamps illuminated the tiles. A dim mirror hovered over the sinks. Our flip flops squelched over to them and we washed our faces. Then, we laid ourselves out upon the

PRICE: Flotation tank: £60 for two Ticket to Berlin: ???

Total: £30 minimum.

14

thick water. The shimmering lights above us only lasted a moment before darkness fell instantaneously. Drips could be heard. Then, they fell away. Everything fell away.

The whole idea of sensory deprivation tanks is that you float in the salt water until it feels like your mind and body are separated. This is certainly how it felt in any case. Occasionally, we’d bump into each other or would lost our balance and break the spell but honestly it wasn’t as impactful as it sounds on the overall experience. Then the visuals started.

The first thing I started to notice was what look liked a silent crack of lightning across the darkness. I would find out later this was actually me blinking. This precipitated a whole host of pleasant things to appear, varying from a slow-motion bat flapping its wings to a Dracula-esque castle, and to what looked like a kind of sock puppet troll face. My brain seemingly gave up on the goth theme after the first two. But a cavalcade of random images and colour flashes continues to bound across the ceiling before me, never threatening or uncomfortable. It was like star gazing but every star has just drained three cans of Red Bull.

Then, a yellow ambient light flashed three times. Clearly a sign to exit? Not for us! We lay in the water as it slowly drained away out of the big bath we were lying in. And then we still stayed there for another ten minutes, abruptly exiting when the cleaner came in, thinking we were done.

CONCLUSION: Essentially, if you take anything from this article, take that sensory deprivation tanks are a really fun, different day out. I wholeheartedly recommend it if you wanna try something pretty bougie and surreally relaxing.

Daniel McKeon

DIY float: relaxation YOUR way My dear friend Daniel McKeon had the pleasure of undergoing a flotation tank outside of Norwich. But here, in this fine city, Float Norwich is not a cheap affair. I thus thought it my duty to compile a method for a DIY flotation experience, and test it out. So here it is: how to experience floaty sensory deprivation in the comfort of your own home. My magnum opus of sorts. Many steps have to be taken for you to undergo a budget DIY flotation tank experience. Here is, what I consider, the fool-proof method:

1. SALT.

Morrison’s table salt (750g) is only 35p. If you’re feeling fancy, Saxa table salt is £1 for the same amount. But let’s stick to basics: for your average bath, let’s say you want 6 things of salt. 6 x 0.35 = £2.10. Lovely. Not doing those sort of prices in Norwich Float, ay?

2. DON’T TELL YOUR HOUSEMATES.

‘Isn’t all that salt going to mess up the pipes?’, ‘How long are you going to be in there for?’, ‘I need to have a shower before I go to my lecture, please snap out of your deep meditative state’, etc etc, please. There’s no way you’ll be able to reach mindless nirvana if there’s a possibility your peace will be disturbed.

Don’t tell them what your plans are - for God’s sake don’t let them see all that salt. It’s best if you make sure you’re home alone, or at least do it in the dead of night when they’re all asleep. So, uh, 6am.

3. CLEAN THE BATH.

Clean the bath, you disgusting student. Touch some cleaning supplies for once in your miserable life. Bloody hell, look at that. Get rid of that strange grime on the rim. And is that - Christ, is that a clump of hair tangled around an old razor cover? Jesus. Just - just clean it. You can’t meditate in filth.

4. CULTIVATE AN ATMOSPHERE.

What kind of vibe are we going for here? You can modify to fit your personal tastes, but I bathed at night time - lights all off and dark sky, real sensory deprivation stuff. I lit a dusty incense stick, and had the window open slightly to let in that night air smell. The water was steamy and scalding. We need music too: maybe you’re fancying a touch of the ‘8 HOURS RELAXING MUSIC FOR STRESS RELIEF {Completely Beat Insomnia} Music For Deep Sleep Meditation’?

Or perhaps the classic ‘lo-fi hiphop radio - beats to relax/study to’? Open youtube. Look, Simba: everything the light touches is your kingdom.

5. REAL-TALK DEPRIVATION.

Unless you have blackout curtains, getting the FULL float experience is of course difficult. But worry not: I’m pretty sure Sinsins in town sells one of those total sensory deprivation hood things.

CONCLUSION:

Did I float? I, uh - well, I think that’s a question of interpretation. I was very relaxed: the inner mind floated, and is that not why we are here? It may not have been completely dark, but the lapping of the water, the smell of the incense, and the relaxed music was enough for me. I slept pretty damn well that night, too. Looking at the highest potential bill, this ended up no cheaper than Dan’s Berlin experience. So the question is: do you float well in a bath already previously used by several Europeans? Or float badly in the comfort of your own home? Now you have the facts, and can come to a decision yourself. Happy floating!

Josephine Dowswell

PRICE: Salt: £2.30 Incense stick found in your room: £0.00 Sensory deprivation gimp mask: £30 Potential bill if the salt fucks up the pipes: ???

Total: £32.30 minimum.

Images: unsplash, Josephine Dowswell.

15

Lights are flashing, cars are crashing: Epilepsy, music and me The title of this article is pretty significant, for they are the words of Joy Division’s tormented lead singer, Ian Curtis. There is a thing that Ian and I share. I am, and he was, an epileptic, who when surrendering to the plight of a seizure, could have unpredictable and severe consequences. I find these words apt because this is the sort of mental scenery that befalls in the mind when the brain’s electro-activity is at its limit. Being diagnosed as an epileptic was, of course, worrying, how could this have come so late on in my adolescent youth? Were there any signs of these triggers before?

Questions like these were rushing around my mind and no easy answers were going to be found.

As a passionate music admirer (that, to be frank, has become my life), I knew full well that this would impact greatly on how I’d observe

the live music experience and still to this day it does; the flashing lights don’t trigger my seizures, but they have at times unnerved me, the endless clicks and flashes aren’t an encouraging thing to engulf you while you try and immerse yourself in the joyous trance of a gig. My experiences thankfully haven’t led to anything traumatic; it is something that so far has had luck on my side. However, I feel that even with the echoed warnings of ‘this performance may contain flashing images’, it is a concern of mine that not enough has been focused on those who suffer seizures while attending gigs.

Epilepsy takes on many forms and all triggers are different for the kinds of seizures we have. I suffer from Grand-mal or ‘Tonic-Clonic’ seizures that can occur at any time and have numerous triggers notably: a metallic taste in the mouth, prolonged absences, that

evolve into a fit and sometimes claustrophobic spaces, live venues being a sad example of this.

Live music should cater for everyone’s needs. It’s a blindingly obvious fact. However, I do worry that live music is sometimes a put off for sufferers, who worry that having a fit at a live venue will have very serious effects.

However, I think this pressure shouldn’t ultimately be a barrier, but a warning of not knowing when it’ll strike. Highlighting it is key to ensuring that epileptics as myself are not left out of the experience, but offered an open hand to be a part of live music.

Lewis Oxley

Singles for the Netflix age I found the wait for the third episode of this season of Game of Thrones agony. I have never been particularly patient and the Netflix binge culture has not helped in this regard; traditional series which take place over months typically lose my interest until they come in box set form. As I reflected on this, I realised that the Netflix era has had a profound effect on our consumption of media, including music.

There was a time where a ‘surprise drop’ of an album was near impossible. Physical distribution involved hundreds of people coming into contact with an album and it was impossible to keep major releases under wraps. The

16

traditional cycle of lead singles allowed for announcements to be made before physical releases of anything more than that single were prepared. It allowed for hype to be built through print media, allowing for word to get around and album sales at release to be maximised. But this is a bygone era now, so why are we still so in thrall to single cycles?

I avoided the singles, as far as possible, for my albums of the academic year overleaf, PUP ’s Morbid Stuff and The 1975’s A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, because I wanted to binge the album, not be drip fed cuts of it.

With everyone being aware of an

album’s release the moment it drops through social media, the existing hype cycle could be ignored with a short announcement period and the release of the entire album.

As we consume music as playlists more and more, the coherence of an album is something I still greatly value. It allows artists to say more than they could in a single song or EP, to experiment and craft instead of aim for consumability and guaranteed radio play and Spotify playlist slots. Rather than dissect parts of an album for earlier release, I hope the music industry will come around to the model which has reformed television: let them eat all the cake all at once.

Nick Mason

Albums of the academic year The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships Their third album, from the most polarising band to come out of Manchester since The Smiths transcended genres, encouraged us to look on the bright side, then reminded us how the world is currently falling apart. Blasphemous as it is, ABIIOR invites Ok Computer comparisons, not for sound but for its ability to push sonic boundaries and tackle complex lyrical subject matters without becoming needlessly philosophical.

From the opening staccato piano on The 1975, through to the ambient dance How To Draw/Petrichor and dramatic Love It If We Made It, to the closing arena anthem of I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes), Matt Healy and Co crafted a potentially timeless album. Inviting forensic dissection as much as does listening, ABIIOR is the smart pop record of the year.

instrumentals, and frontman Stefan Babcock’s strained clean vocals and barking choruses, Morbid Stuff is the perfect next step from 2016’s The Dream Is Over, having already provided sold out tours and latenight TV slots in the US. A raucous and bouncy effort, but with its fair share of experimentation, you’ll wish you could jump in a mosh pit the second Free at Last, featuring Stranger Thing’s Finn Wolfhard in his third PUP music video, hits your ear drum. With straight-up punk anthems like Full Blown Meltdown, dramatic basement rock with City and enough catchy chorus to make a Taylor Swift album, Morbid Stuff is the punk album we never knew we needed.

‘I was bored as f**k, thinking about all this morbid stuff. Like if anyone I’ve slept with is dead.’ So begins the third album by Canadian punks PUP. Combining the band’s trademark wit

and

cynicism,

trashing

As a chamber of raucous dance hits and sleazy basslines, Serfs Up lets you boogie while simultaneously being laden with dread: the perfect metaphor for this time of year.

Callum Gray

Nick Mason

Fontaines DC - Dogrel The debut album of the 5-piece Irish punk outfit has come to emulate a great sense of the revival of punk. The album combines a fast, energetic sound with its humble lyrics of growing up in Dublin set to epic sounds influenced from the likes of The Undertones and The Clash.

Fat White Family - Serfs Up

PUP - Morbid Stuff

released this academic year, but its soundscape fits uncomfortably well.

Fat White Family’s Serfs Up is a remarkable soundtrack to the end of the academic term, with charming soundwaves to carry revision sessions into the evening.

Befitting of any student exhausted by deadlines and social celebrations, Fat White Family’s cacophonous rumble ‘Fringe Runner’ might be the medicine to drag you across the line into summer. Not only is it one of the most stand-out records to be

Fontaines DC have certainly tried to reshape punk and make it fit for the 21st century and, not only that, but shape the new scene in Ireland, returning it to the raw and powerful identity that the country is famous for. Tracks like Too Real and Big are pulsating and anthemic, guaranteed to get any mojo working. This is definitely one of the freshest debut albums to have hit the airwaves. It’s gonna be big!

Lewis Oxley

17

Derby Day Anthems The Killers - Mr Brightside Just like every LCR night has to include Mr. Brightside, it wouldn’t be Derby Day without The Killers’ sublime indie anthem. One of the most vivid memories I have of a UEA Derby Day is hearing Mr. Brightside being chanted in the Square, impressive given I was in Suffolk Terrace at the time, and going to check it out.

Brightside)? With this little ditty, that doesn’t matter. “Na na na na na na na na na na na hey Jude”. If you forget that, you should probably be worried for exams.

The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army The ultimate sporting anthem.

Endlessly modifiable, allowing the crowd to create any chant required. A catchy riff which can be chanted regardless of familiarity or knowledge of the rest of the song, Seven Nation Army is the easiest way to slander Essex at Derby Day.

Gabriela Williams

The Beatles – Hey Jude After a few bevvies, how many of us can really recall all the lyrics to any song (with the exception of Mr

Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out

Day another one?

A bunch of students drinking snakebite – UEA is Wonderful Arguments about the formal contents of the third line aside, this poetic epic charts topics of great philosophical complexity, from whether UEA is wonderful, to which three things the university uniquely possesses, back to a whole-hearted assertion of UEA’s wonderfulness.

Quite remarkable that a song which grapples so many transcended themes is also a sporting anthem, but expect to hear it in full voice.

Nick Mason

The dark horse of Derby Day, not as instantly recognisable or chantable as the others on this list, but, as far as hype songs go, the jabbing guitar, pounding drums and downright funkiness produced

by Scottish indie-rockers Franz Ferdinand has soundtracked many a moment in the lives of millennials and gen-Zers. Why not make Derby

Festival rundown It’s that time of year where we get to look forward to the days of muddy fields and sitting through bands we hate to get to the bands we love.

Festival season is becoming more crowded by the year, with smaller and newer festivals emerging as alternatives to the goliaths of Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, and Download.

The staples of Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, and Reading and Leeds have all been bestowed eclectic lineups this year, with Reading and Leeds having main stage billings including

pop-messiahs The 1975, with Foo Fighters and Post Malone claiming the remaining headline slots.

Like it unusual? In addition to the above mentioned Download, Arctangent brings together every band under the sun with unusual time signatures, heavy or gentle.

2000 Trees is a tour de force of the modern pop-punk and rock scene, with a headline bill that makes me wish I started driving lessons earlier so I could get myself there.

Further

adding

to

the

pack

Whether you have a day free or the whole summer, there’s no shortage of opportunities to sip overpriced Pimms from a can and get sunburnt whilst seeing the bands you love.

is

the bizarre pairing of pop-punks the new wave of 1 day festival Bowling for Soup and series. Leading the pack is British Image: Andreas Hagstrom, Wikimedia Commons

18

Summertime in Hyde Park, with Bob Dylan, Robbie Williams and Florence + the Machine all appearing at the most relaxed festival the capital has ever seen. All Points East is bringing Bon Iver to the city, in addition to Bring Me The Horizon, The Chemical Brothers and The Strokes.

Nick Mason

NEW RELEASE: Devil May Cry 5 The last few years have been lovingly named by fans as ‘the Capcom Redemption Arc’. The development team has been steadily recovering after a number of blunders and started giving its flagship titles the treatment they deserve. 2018’s Monster Hunter World brought peace to a series marred by regional exclusives and finicky online services.

Earlier this year the Resident Evil 2 remake was met with critical acclaim after numerous divisive prior entries.

Devil May Cry 5 completes the trinity, delivering the first satisfying instalment in the demon-slaying ventures of Dante since 2008. After the disappointing sales of Devil May Cry 4, hope for the series had diminished, and a poorly constructed Western reboot starring a more ‘edgy’ Dante only added salt to the wound.

Needless to say the announcement of 5 at E3, under the direction of series veteran Hideaki Itsuno, was a nearmiracle celebrated by fans.

Devil May Cry 5 stars a trio of fun and varied characters to play as: from the series’ past comes Dante, demonkiller for hire who’s age hasn’t slowed down his reckless behaviour one bit, and Nero, the straight-laced disciple who isn’t too chuffed about recently

20

Image: steamXO, Flickr

having his arm stolen. Joining them is the mysterious newcomer known only as V, a poetry lover who quotes more Blake than an A Level English essay. With each character comes a wholly unique style of gameplay, as well as another thread to the game’s bizarre story. Without wishing to spoil much, I can say that the plot is heavy on demon invasions and characters treating incredibly absurd and horrifying situations like a bus delay, all beautifully rendered in Capcom’s RE Engine.

But Devil May Cry has never been adored for its plot. The focus of the game, like the wardrobes of its cast, is being as stylish as possible. The player will find themselves in battles with hordes of demons in each level, culminating in a boss fight against a powerful behemoth that isn’t averse to verbally beating the player as much as they do physically. Mastery (and enjoyment) of the game comes from wielding the full array of combos each character can perform. Chaining and switching up these combos will not only allow for the swifter defeat of foes but also contribute to your ‘Stylish Rank’ which ranges from D (for ‘Dismal’) to SSS (for ‘Smokin’ Sexy Style!’). The greater your style, the higher your end

of level rank.

The Stylish Rank isn’t just for bragging rights though. It accompanies one of the most invigorating aspects of the game in my opinion: the dynamic soundtrack. When you start a battle, you may feel the music that comes with it sounds rather lacking to begin with. As you slowly raise your Stylish rank during the fight more and more layers of the song will be introduced, going from simple bassline, to drums, to the entrance of the full melody and the vocals. Reach an S Rank and the completed song rushes to the exciting chorus, making your skilful playing sound as good as it looks.

Devil May Cry 5 is definitely a complex game, but is by no means a punishing one. You are given ample time to get to learn the playstyles of Dante, Nero and V as well as a list of combos to look over any time you need to refresh your memory. It can be fun to work out what mix of attacks suit you best as you start to develop more and more advanced barrages. If you own a PS4 or Xbox One, I would recommend the free demo to test the game’s functions out for yourself.

Jude Davis

UEA’s favourite games of the academic year Thimbleweed Park Yet another great game to come out of a crowd funded campaign, Thimbleweed Park really does feel like a labour of love intended to get people interested in the point and click genre. It really is an allinclusive package, interesting and witty characters, puzzles that push you at times without feeling too hand-holdy and just enough mystery to keep you wanting to find out just what is going on. Even as a newcomer to this genre I had a great time puzzling my way through and would recommend it to anyone looking for an intriguing mystery, and a gruelling time on hardcore mode if you’re that way inclined.

Joe Pallace

The Missing: J. J. Macfield and the Island of Memories Coming in with a lot of scepticism about the latest game by surrealist developer SWERY, I was instead met with an excellent platformer that inverts the concept of dying in a game and a plot which hit me on a very personal level. The Missing tells the story of a type of person who, in media, is almost always doomed to an unhappy ending or worse. But in this case they make it through their struggles, and for once it seems they may have a good future ahead of them. The Missing handles a difficult topic in a way I have never seen done so respectfully.

Marvel’s Spider-Man Spider-Man is an underdog studio in both gameplay and story. Peter Parker’s efforts to quell the chaos in New York caused by Wilson Fisk’s arrest only serve to tangle up his two lives as his sense of responsibility is stretched to its last thread.

Apart from being one of the best representations of Peter Parker put to screen, the game boasts incredible polish as combat, traversal and even the small details that bring New York to life are fleshed out to create a fluid, versatile environment and playstyle.

Joem Opiña

Jude Davis

Image: BagoGames, Flickr

21

A year of UEA Media Collective’s Platformer The UEA Media Collective has continued its gradual branchingout into all manner of media and entertainment this academic year, particularly with the new online show on video games, Platformer, being released bimonthly on UEA TV. As Venue draws to an end this semester, let’s look back on the Let’s Play series - directed and presented by James Penny, and filmed and edited by Alex Viney - discussing the games played, and why you should check out the show.

(a very impressive piece of headwear, I must say), all chaos breaks loose as the guys fight as various Nintendo legends like Link, Princess Peach and Falco Lombardi.

Perhaps the series’ most impressive feat, though, has been their 24-hour Twitch stream in aid of Jailbreak. The team played LEGO Star Wars: T h e

perfect excuse to play video games with my friends and not feel like I’m wasting my life,’ jokes Simmons. ‘In all seriousness, the show is always a delight, as everyone works so hard to make it the most professional, enjoyable experience for both the audience and crew.’ When asked about Platformer’s future, Penny claimed, ‘I’ve still got

Every other month, Penny has been having guests join him in reviewing and entertaining themselves with a selection of popular gaming titles from the last decade. In the first episode - a spooky Halloween special - we watched him play the multiplayer survival horror game, Friday the 13th, with Livewire programmer Alex Dalton. From there, Penny has been checking out titles such as the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Super Smash Bros Ultimate, with Viney, Dalton and co-presenter Jacob Simmons making regular appearances.

With a running time of roughly ten minutes each, Platformer’s episodes give a brief insight to some of the biggest gaming titles available at the moment as well as an opportunity to kick back, have some laughs, and take a break from the hectic schedule of day-to-day university. The episode on Super Smash Bros Ultimate - the stunning crossover fighting game released in December 2018 on Nintendo Switch - was one that particularly demonstrated how picking up a video game with friends makes a fun change of pace from studying in the library or getting smashed at the LCR. As Penny, Simmons, Dalton and Viney take to their Switch consoles in a battle for The Flat Cap of Fortune

22 Image: AntMan3001, Flickr

Complete Saga - one of the classics in modern multiplayer games. ‘While it certainly wasn’t without its problems (the 21 hours spent in a non-ventilated room being the prime issue),’ Penny shares, ‘it was just an amazing experience bringing in society members to play the game, engage with the Twitch chat, and just generally having a laugh together.’

The team are certainly excited to go further with the series. ‘Platformer has been an absolute joy to do, as it’s the

another year left at UEA, so there is plenty of opportunity to do more things with the team. The equipment for livestreaming on Twitch is just about there, so expect some more content over the summer!’

You can keep an eye on Platformer’s Twitch channel at: www.twitch.tv/ platformer_james

Jordan Hunnisett

The end is nigh...

It’s the end of an era. 23 years since A Game of Thrones was published, eight years since David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ TV adaptation premiered, and now we’re in the final stretch. It’s been fascinating tracking how the show has changed from its clear-cut word-for-word book adaptation of Seasons 1-3 to a massively (and much needed) edited version in Seasons 4-5, and now the new territory as of unpublished material in Season 6 onwards. The global reception of the show that began around Season 3 has only increased as the show has gone on, alongside a slow but gradual shift from intelligent political intrigue and genuinely shocking storytelling choices to a much more crowdpleasing Hollywood-style production.

This isn’t to say that the later seasons of Thrones have been a complete failure. The show has successfully managed to subvert the trappings of fantasy tropes, particularly the aggressive patriarchal power structures that Robert Baratheon, Tywin Lannister and Ned Stark embodied at the beginning of this journey. The show has steadily moved from using female bodies as sites of trauma and sexual objectification to presenting viewers with multiple options for matriarchal rule. Daenerys Targaryen, Sansa Stark and Yara Greyjoy all stand as viable rulers in their own rights, Cersei Lannister rules as Queen in King’s Landing, Arya Stark and Brienne of Tarth have transitioned from being ridiculed for

wanting to take part in battle, to now being vital, and respected, warriors in any conflict.

The most satisfying element of Thrones’ final season is its clear acknowledgement of everything that came before. Later seasons have piled on plot and reduced complex and intelligent characters down for plot mechanics to operate. However, the first two episodes of Season 8 took their time in bringing the show’s widely dispersed cast together; a combination of ensuing reunions and first meetings that eagerly dive into events stretching across the show’s entire history. The premiere, Winterfell, is masterfully shot and structured to parallel the show’s first ever episode, Winter is Coming, forcing viewers to call back to how much the remaining characters have changed in the interim.

So what can we expect from the remaining batch of episodes? The battle between the survivors against Cersei, Euron Greyjoy, and the Golden Company (and very likely one Daario Naharis). We can only hope that the show doesn’t continue its trend of sparing principal characters, something that has arisen since the show’s departure from the books due to the popularity of these characters among the fans. To approach a final season and play by storytelling convention would be a huge disappointment considering it was the informed shock of events such as the

infamous Red Wedding that cemented Thrones as more than just a Tolkien knock-off. Personally I hope the show continues its strong relationship with gender politics, to have undergone this whole journey just to put Jon Snow on the Iron Throne would be a bitter note to end on and would undermine the progressive engagement with gender and power that the show has proficiently depicted over the last few years.

Post-Thrones TV gold:

Westworld: HBO’s sci-fi western is a superb follow-up to a Thrones comedown (and I would argue it’s a significantly better piece of TV).

Westworld is a sublime synthesis of genre storytelling that drags you through the dirt; a relentless and unforgiving philosophical examination of human nature, slavery, and free will. Engaging with gender and race (something Thrones has always had multiple issues with), we will look back at Westworld in twenty years and consider it literature.

American Gods: A huge improvement on Neil Gaiman’s book, TV is a format that allows this story to thrive. While it is prone to taking narrative detours, not unlike Thrones, a compelling A-list cast, strong visuals and an unflinching gaze at the horrors of American history and religion all work together to make American Gods certainly worth a try.

Frederick Zennor

Image:HBO

23

Pose: ‘simultaneously nostalgic and poignantly relevant’ The category is…fierce, diverse, emotional! And the grand prize goes to, Pose. Premiering in the United States around this time last year, the full eight-episode box set was uploaded onto BBC iPlayer at the end of March and is the most important and easily binge-watchable series to grace our screens so far this year.

There has recently been increasing mainstream interest in the queer cultures of particularly African-American communities. It seems we needed the likes of RuPaul’s Drag Race to introduce a commercially viable snapshot of this larger than life community to – dare I say – make it a more palatable interest for those initially unfamiliar with it. After hundreds of thousands of us have now successfully invested ourselves in RuPaul, it’s important to now understand the nuances and struggles of those that allowed such series to exist at all.

Pose is the perfect introduction for just that purpose.

Claiming to have the largest ever transgender cast of a scripted series, among the main cast and its production team, the FX produced historical drama boasts some pretty impressive credentials. It’s also credited with multiple awards, including Golden Globe nominations and a win for Billy Porter’s performance of Pray Tell for TV Performance of The Year.

If the facts and figures of its undeniable success don’t have you convinced, the raw emotions of a cast who have likely lived through the experiences that they’re representing will have you hooked. It’s rare that I genuinely laugh out loud at a TV show, but Pose achieved this and more. I laughed, I cried, I was angry, sad, empowered, and everything in between. There is something intensely emotional about watching the unforgivable discrimination of a vibrant and inspiring community portrayed by the very people who would have been the victims of such discrimination. There are no issues with ‘playing gay’ going on here…

Centred in the ballroom and voguing scene of late 1980’s New York, Pose succeeds in being simultaneously nostalgic and poignantly relevant. It is interested in exploring the issues surrounding the AIDS epidemic and the discrimination faced socially and from health insurance companies. It tracks the development of Trump’s empire and the toxic ethics that it harboured. It unashamedly presents an array of racially, sexually and individually diverse characters in the foreground of a cut-throat yet equally beautifully nurturing community. It is infinitely important and successful in educating a shamefully uneducated mainstream audience on the major strides taken in the queer community just a generation or two previously.

Becca Allen

Line of Duty - the epitome of good TV ‘Bent coppers!’: it’s the endless refrain of Line of Duty this series, in any other show it would grate on you in no time at all - yet season five of Line of Duty just about gets away with it. The return of Jed Mercurio’s Line of Duty follows comes after the amazing success of his show Bodyguard in 2018, and the fifth instalment of Line of Duty picks up threads from even as far back as the show’s first series, showing that the extent of the ‘H’ conspiracy reaches further back than anyone could have imagined.

This series is somewhat different to its predecessors, as the team in AC-12 initially start investigating an organised crime group (OCG – there are far too many acronyms in this show, so be prepared for jargon overload) that has had links with corrupt officers. DCI Ted Hastings, DI Kate Fleming, and DS Steve Arnott return to our screens and begin their investigations after an explosive opening scene in which a hijack of a seized drugs transport convoy leaves three officers dead and one severely wounded. From there we find that another police unit has an undercover officer embedded in the organised crime group responsible for the hijack as part of operation Peartree. However, said operation has gone, well, pear-shaped.

After the initial shocker for the audience of

24

OCG boss John Corbett (Stephen Graham) being the rogue undercover officer and not his right-hand woman Lisa McQueen (Rochenda Sandall), the surprises just keep coming. But what else are we to expect of Line of Duty?

This show is perhaps one of the most unpredictable on our screens, in part due to Mercurio’s excellent plotting and script, but we also have to recognise the importance of intelligent and regularly misleading camerawork and editing. Whilst I do wonder whether the use of misleadingly editing scenes and the regular use of cliffhangers to imply certain characters’ guilt and corruption (*cough* Ted Hastings *cough*) are merely cheap tricks, I can’t deny that the production choices certainly keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

That’s the thing with Line of Duty. With its weekly broadcast on the BBC, the series isn’t binge-able like shows on Netflix or other streaming and catch-up services. Line of Duty has to work that bit more, raise the stakes that bit higher, in order to compete in an oversaturated television landscape where we can watch TV shows on tap. Line of Duty meets the challenges of our current television landscape and reminds us just how good television can really be.

Jodie Bailey

The philosophy of... One Day at a Time

Netflix’s reboot of the 1970s TV show One Day at a Time has come to build a small but extremely passionate fanbase during its time on the streaming platform. I haven’t seen the original show, so I can’t compare the two, but the most recent version of the show is excellent. Arriving on our screens in 2017, early 2019 saw the third and regrettably final season of the show be released to Netflix. #SaveODAAT has been bouncing around social media, but so far to no avail.

It looks like viewers could be saying goodbye to the show, and this time for good.

The sitcom, which is delivered in hard-hitting yet enjoyable 25-minute episodes, focuses on the lives of a Cuban family living in LA. We follow single mother Penelope, an ex-military woman who works in a doctor’s office, and lives with her two teenage children and elderly mother (Rita Moreno).

Frequently featured is the singularly named Schneider, the Alvarez’s affable and quirky landlord who becomes an adopted member of the family. The adoration of the fans of the show stems from the contemporary nature of One Day at a Time. It addresses a wealth of social issues, but rarely feels forced or overdone.

The aspect of the show that seems to be most valued by viewers is the presence of LGBT+ characters, and the discussion of the struggles which members of this community can face. The discussion is headed by Elena, the eldest Alvarez sibling. She comes out as gay fairly early on in the show, and the opposing reactions of various family members are well-documented on screen. This is one of the opportunities that the show takes to play with familial relations. Whilst some of Elena’s biological family reject her sexuality, she is supported by many characters throughout the show who become part of the extended adopted Alvarez family, highlighting that it’s okay to choose your own family and step back from harmful relationships. The show is also praised for its introduction of Syd, a non-binary character who becomes Elena’s ‘sydnificant other’ in season 2. Their presence in Elena’s life means that important conversations about pronouns, and the adversities which the pair face when they are out

in public together, are explored in an educational way to older members of the cast.

Elena’s character is generally used as an avenue to introduce social issues, something which her grandmother often mocks her for. However, the introduction of these topics is used for productive debate, where the views of older and younger generations can interact and develop.

For example, Elena urges her mother to act when she faces sexism in the workplace, whereas her grandmother still believes in old-fashioned notions of romance and the power imbalances of gender. These conversations are incredibly valuable, and always handled in a sensitive and respectful manner.

The only uncertainty that I have with the show lies with its mental health representation. One Day at a Time is one of the few shows that explores mental illness, addiction, and the roles of therapy and medication. However, at times, the inclusion of mental health discussions can feel a little rushed. For example, Penelope struggles with anxiety and depression. Whilst the presence of anxiety seems more consistent throughout the show, the topic of depression appears to be looked at and ‘dealt with’ in only one episode. Anxiety and depression are often paired together and can come across as far more similar than they really are. As someone who deals with one of these disorders, I can’t speak from entirely personal experience, but I found that it came across a little uncomfortably and think that the discussions should have been further separated.

I think this is an incredibly current and important show and I am disappointed that it has been cancelled.

Unfortunately, it seems that people who were searching for representations of themselves on screen have sought out and enjoyed the show, but those who may benefit from the education it provides have failed to come across it, meaning that it has a smaller viewership. It is a fantastic exploration of modern-day life, and the existing series should definitely be viewed, even if there will be no new ones to follow.

Ellie Robson Image: Netflix

25

Tea I am sitting on the sofa next to you My tea is luke-warm Your shirt is un-ironed I noticed you’d chosen from the few I hadn’t bought for you.

Maybe you were worried I’d Tear it from your body Maybe you wondered if I’d ask for it back.

Perhaps you felt guilty As if you Owed me.

But our relationship is the receipt You’re handing it back to me While I cash it in Working out it’s worth.

Returning the memories Like out-of-date groceries Now all that’s left is two broken people On a sofa Where you and I used to eat bagels.

I offered you tea You politely declined.

You won’t be here for enough time To let it cool.

Perhaps you drank tea Only because I Always offered.

Maybe You don’t like Tea. You used to feel comfortable here.

Now you sit rigidly, unwillingly, As though under obligation As if under interrogation Blinking under the bright white Accusing light The expiry date came long Before it was due My avocados turned black And the raspberries blue It’s all I can do To keep you here While we complete The transaction.

Robbed of last comforts, Tiny redemptions.

I look at you, I can tell You’re ready to run You’re the prey in the hunt Yet you hold the gun I am the bird, You are the Mouse.

I didn’t choose to be the bird Wings clipped, feathers Snipped Tongue ripped Starving quietly in a tree

I watch you, Go, Flee from me.

I think of Augustine And his theories on time Time exists to cease to exist.

The present is the past We reside in the liminal Always on the threshold Of the next moment.

I will for time to stop For you to feel What you felt Forget the cards You dealt The king and queen of the land Are now the unluckiest hand You bartered with them For the two and the ace Now no one has won.

From the look on your face You still don’t quite know the Rules of this game You put too much in and Took too much away.

Now the person I sit A mere inch from Is as cold as my tea Sat out for too long.

Ella Louise-Rowdon

Images: Pixabay

27

back when we were still white teeth there was no plaque, no rot, no ache – we lay in snuggled rows within the floor, in blankets. we were the great devourers, cocky in our enamel, gingerbread regiments unstopped by gloop and gumdrop, ruthless conquerors of gobstoppers.

Little Boy

The little boy strips off in full view of his bedroom window For the second time this week, as if it’s on purpose, A youthful streak, a rebellious act.

And downstairs there are two figures, two fingers point At each other and one storms off, leaves china broken, I think, but it’s difficult to make out from this fence I’m hiding behind.

for years we nested sweetly glazed in chainmail, blushed in love-cries of mint – us the strong white bone that was for years still as hard candy, wobbling only slightly in the stringy pink gum, unfermented in our toothpaste skin.

but eventually the syrup buries in like a jaundice, fuzzed and livered, blanching the gum flesh, rubbing clammy fists into the molar like a teenage boy on a plaster wall – years of saccharine neglect have tilled their holes and germs, engorged like sated ticks tack onto the enamel; with a swipe of our tongues we can taste the rot that warps the dentin long before you yank the tooth clean out.

Dylan Davies

So I leave this fence behind And into the window I climb, his routine broken Up by my purpose, My point.

I act.

And we both see the dawn of the second act, A sun-soaked stretch visible through the window, For this was the point Of both of our actions. We will refuse to look behind But instead towards a new and prosperous purpose, Leaving our old life heaving and broken.

(I too had had an abusive father he had wanted me broken And once my mother had caught him in the act And he paused for a moment as if he hadn’t done it on purpose And took his fingers out from behind But that’s just a memory a snapshot a window To my past sorry I was meandering I’ve lost the point.)

The little boy traces my eyeline and meets at the point, Or perhaps through it where he can see that I’m broken, And he motions me back to the window, A youthful streak, a rebellious act, So I leave him behind And there goes my purpose.

Though did I ever—did we ever really have a purpose, A reason to look out to that sun-soaked stretch and make a point, To leave our heartache and our memories behind, To not let them leave us aware of how broken We are, and here we reach the final act.

It’s like looking through a concrete window.

I paused in the window, because what was my point, His parents caught me in the act, left my bones broken, He did it on purpose, I can’t leave him behind.

28

Gus Edgar-Chan Image: Pixabay

X I find I think best in the third person.

I find I think best in lists. Like the time I found a kiss behind my ear. Two lines, signing off, Like a tree 1nce blistered with initials.

Handwritten across, it wouldn’t wash off, and the Little crosses worsened.

I think she’s just the kind of person Who would miss having them there, an X to mark the 2nd s spend missing what is now readable from a distance as kisses along her collarbone, a colour-by-numbers along her spine

sliced between her breasts is a line and the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen is an asterisk on her ribcage. Map this in the third person. Little crosses worsen, journeyed out into an atlas of loving. I find I struggle with the first person.

I find I think best like this, signing off as

1. I am not

2. a treasure map to

3. anywhere you’re looking for.

Lucy May

Snowdrop After the forest fire only the snowdrops remained, Skirts unstained from the blaze, and dusted In a curtsy of guilty survival, Abandoned lampshades ashen With the fragments of their Goliaths.

They search the copse with their downcast green eye For rodents once feared, now feared for.

When God dropped the matchstick the sky fell into the sun.

Every flower trembled, Anchored by blood to the soil, As fire blots their petals like a thumb.

The world ended for a thousand sycamores in a roar Inseparable from rotary blades and burning rubber, Erasing one endless trail after another, each Stretching like roots towards Creation – And in minutes only the snowdrops are left, Still as photographs, Framed in black by the husks of trees.

Oliver Jay Shrouder Image:s: Flickr (Steven Johnson), Publicdomainpictures

29

30 Image: David Kirkham

4

3

8 9

9

8

8

8 5

8 2 7

3

2

4

6

2

9 7

7

4

6 2 1

1 2

6

8 9 7

Image: Gus Edgar-Chan