Issue One | Winter/Spring 2014 | Free
Monday Your career | Your culture | Start today
EDITOR’S LETTER. The words ‘learning curve’ have been thrown around a lot whilst we’ve been putting together this issue of Monday. In fact, I feel as though I’ve been around the curve so many times I’m now slightly dizzy. But here at The Mix our motto is ‘embrace uncertainty’ and by doing so we have put together a first issue that our contributors can be proud of. There is a lot of young and undiscovered talent here in Suffolk and Monday is a platform where we can showcase and celebrate our home grown creativity through the words and images of our young contributors. In this issue we profile local double-barrelled photographers Tegan Allard-Austin and Henry Curtis-Williams whose works play around with themes of nature and fantasy respectively. We have interviews with Mischa Pearson from Busking for Breakfast on her musical projects in Ipswich and Andrew Whittaker from Salvation Furniture on the trend of upcycling along with a step-by-step guide by Shannon Quirke on how to transform your own used furniture. We also have a run down of the films and games to look out for in 2014 and an in-depth discussion with our contributors on the trials and tribulations of applying to university. So here’s to the unknown, to following our own paths and taking these learning curves and turning them into a great story. Louisa Shanks Editor
Monday magazine: a platform for young people We exist to amplify the voice of all young people We promote the new, the raw and the undiscovered talent that exists in our local community We present our work in a professional accessible way to promote discussion, interaction and change We believe in self-belief and portraying young people positively through media #beyoung
Image: Grace Lambert. Produced at The Mix Photography sessions, Stowupland High School
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themixstowmarket.com/monday
Monday’s Creative Mascot - Morris
contents 06 Contributors
Find out more about the team behind Monday.
08 The Mix - A History
Space, creativity and enterprise opportunities for young people in the heart of Suffolk.
10 Mischa Pearson
Talks open-mic nights, the Suffolk music scene and playing pool with Mumford and Sons.
13 Monday Think Tank: Starting University Our panel discuss everything from application stress to the excitement of becoming independent.
18 Henry Curtis-Williams
We give our full focus to the young photographer who created the Alice-inspired wonderland on our inaugural cover.
26 Living with Panic Attacks
We talk to Megan, 18, who tells us what it’s like living with anxiety.
28 Upcycling
Local business Salvation Furniture turn disused trash into treasured objects. Monday takes a peek at the process.
30 Project: Chair Decoupage
Shannon Quirke demonstrates how to brighten up old furniture.
34 So you Wanna Work in... PR?
Monday’s resident careers researcher Lizzy Craig chats with Crafted’s PR consultant, Laura Tipp.
36 Portfolio: Tegan Allard-Austin.
The 17 year old Stowmarket based photographer explains what inspires her.
40 Ones to Watch in 2014
Film fanatic David Newman reels off his most anticipated movies of the year.
42 Game On
Gaming guru Ryan Davies gives his top four tips for exciting game play in 2014.
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winter / spring 2014
Contributors Ryan Davies
David Newman
Shannon Quirke
Lizzy Craig
Henry Curtis-Williams
What are you studying?
What is your favourite
If you had to pick one
What magazines and
What advice would you
Maths, IT, Psychology.
memory of volunteering
song to represent you
websites do you use for
give to anyone who is
Tell us one strange fact
at The Mix so far?
what would it be?
inspiration?
wanting to
about yourself.
Mass discussions for the
Bon Iver – Creature Fear.
Empire magazine,
apply to The Mix?
I have a really big fear of
magazine.
If you could interview
HelloGiggles.com and
Make sure your work has
sea urchins.
If you could interview
anyone for Monday, dead
Caitlin Moran
a sense of voice and is
What advice would you
anyone for the magazine,
or alive,
in The Times.
interesting as a story, we are looking for original
give to anyone who
dead or alive,
who would it be?
Tell us one strange fact
is wanting to apply to
who would you choose?
Andy Warhol.
about yourself.
and exciting
volunteer at The Mix?
J. Robert Oppenhemier,
Where do you
I’m terrified of sharks
material to print.
Be yourself.
father of the atom bomb,
see yourself
but Jaws is one of my all
What do you intend to do
just to see what he’d
in the next year?
time favourite movies.
after you have finished at
think of the world now.
Studying Graphic Design
If you could interview
What advice would you
at Lincoln University.
anyone for Monday, dead
The Mix? I would certainly like to use it as an opportunity to grow, boosting my portfolio with tear sheets before approaching photographic agencies.
give to anyone who
or alive, who would it be?
is wanting to apply to
Walt Disney.
volunteer at The Mix? Just throw yourself into it.
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Monday is produced by young people for young people with the support of The Mix staff.
Nadene Chandler What are you studying? English Literature, History, Health and Social Care. If you could interview anyone for the magazine, dead or alive, who would it be? You Me At Six or Michael McIntyre. If you had to pick one song to represent you what would it be? Icona Pop – I Love It.
Charlotte Dunningham What advice would you give to anyone who is wanting to apply to The Mix? Go for it! It’s a great experience and great fun. What do you intend to do after you have finished at The Mix? I’d like to go off to university and study to become a translator/ interpreter. If you could interview anyone for Monday, dead or alive, who would you choose? Definitely Derren Brown I want to know all his tricks!
Tegan Allard-Austin What are you studying? History, Art and Photography. If you could interview anyone for Monday, dead or alive, who would it be? Paul Cadden. What websites do you use for inspiration? I use Colossal as inspiration for my photography.
Max Johnston If you had to pick one song to represent you what would it be? Deez Nuts - Stay True. Why did you get originally involved with The Mix? I was spotted by one of The Mix team during a college project that we were working on for The Mix, one thing lead to another and now I am enjoying illustrating for the magazine. If you could interview anyone for Monday, dead or alive, who would it be? Hunter S. Thompson.
Editorial Louisa Shanks Editor Leah Kurta Publisher Design Thomas Coleman Art Director Lucy Selina Hall Staff Illustrator Selina Taylor Staff Photographer Henry CurtisWilliams Cover Supporting contributors Nicole Drury Sherry Fry Suzanne Rhind Media Sales Ben Jacklin Advertising Accounts Stuart Leader Finance Director Thanks to: Crafted Media, Alex Potter, Grace Lambert, Laura Tipp, Franklin Neilson, Suffolk County Council. Printed by Five Castles Published by The Mix Feb 2014
The Mixa history. It’s been six years in the making, with threats of funding withdrawal and conservation criteria to overcome but The Mix Stowmarket will finally open its doors to the public in spring 2014 and join the other 62 MyPlace centres across the country that are providing world-class venues for young people. The MyPlace initiative was set up under Gordon Brown’s Labour government in 2008, when a need for good quality youth services was identified in order to combat growing levels of boredom and antipathy among the younger generations. Rebekah Green, a board member of The Mix, explains that ‘when the initial bid for The Mix was proposed there were high levels of anti-social behaviour within Mid Suffolk, homelessness amongst young people was problematic and people were generally bored stating they had nothing to do. For this to change an investment had to be made and that came in the form of The Mix, a central point where young people can access services and engage in high quality activities.’ Stowmarket won the initial internal bid within Suffolk with a video put together by local young people explaining why The Mix is so essential for the town. Suffolk County Council then took the bid forward to the Department for Education and The Mix was granted £4.75 million to become a part of the MyPlace community. The initial concept for the building was put together by a group of local teenagers who worked with designers and architects to dream up the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme that runs throughout the build. The idea developed from Alice’s adventures down the rabbit hole, with the narrow Ipswich Street entrance opening out into an expansive structure that reveals more surprises the further you venture in. As construction progressed, The Mix team wanted to acknowledge the history of the project and the initial ideas that have grown alongside it. Within The Mix you will find rooms with names such as The Looking Glass, The Unicorn and the Cabbages and Kings café, which will provide cooking and enterprise opportunities for young people. The housing unit adjacent to The Mix will be run by YMCA Suffolk. The six bedroom block will cater for predominantly 16-18 year olds and aims to address the short-term housing problem that continues within Stowmarket. This unique set up will provide opportunities for those within the housing unit to become part of a new creative network and take part in the workshops that will run throughout the week. Personal wellbeing is part of the mission statement at 08 themixstowmarket.com
The Mix ground floor plan.
The Mix and alongside the creative output, the integrated youth support service for Mid Suffolk will be running out of the building. In the build up to the opening, activities have been running from the Childer Road community centre and within local schools. Whilst outreach activities will continue, come springtime Ipswich Street will be the hub for all of The Mix’s main workshops including magazine production (the result of which you are holding right now), photography, event management, film and music production. Using state-of-the-art facilities in the media suite, recording studio, performance hall and art room, The Mix aims to build up a network between working creative professionals and local young people.
As The Mix progresses, each room will become its own self-sustainable mini enterprise with young people in the driving seat and taking ownership of their projects.
fyi
In the last 12 months The Mix team have been working with young people in the local community. Here are just some of the highlights -
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brand new creative workshops and industry-led projects.
1600
hours of youth-led sessions provided.
132
young volunteers supported, who continue to work with the organisation.
Providing creative support and career focused advice is a primary focus of the organisation, with an aim to combat youth unemployment and address the skills gap between education and work. As The Mix progresses, each room will become its own self-sustainable mini enterprise with young people in the driving seat taking ownership of their projects. One of the first young people to become a board member for The Mix, Ryan Duce, has attended trustee meetings, been part of planning permission campaigns and recruited new young members for the board. ‘I have learned what it’s like to take responsibility. That’s the key, I think’ explains Ryan, ‘Being on the board has meant that you show up to meetings, follow up on actions and check that The Mix is fulfilling the terms of it’s grant funding. I’m really proud that all the hard work has paid off!’ If you want to get involved or keep up to date with anything Mix related find us online at: themixstowmarket.com Facebook: TheMixStowmarket Twitter: @MixStowmarket Or you can email: hello@themixstowmarket.com
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young ambassadors who now help to develop and grow the charity. To get involved in The Mix as a young volunteer, please see details on page 43.
(Not so)
Dazed and confused. A conversation with Mischa Pearson set up Boho Daze in 2012 with Ipswich based musicians Gavin Mitchell and James Morgan. The trio felt that the amateur live music scene in Ipswich wasn’t being catered for, so they decided to create a new open mic night. Boho Daze provided a platform for emerging artists to play their own music and a space for people to come and listen to what Suffolk was producing. After a year of touring and packed out gigs, Mischa sat down with Monday’s Nadene Chandler to chat about the success of Boho Daze and what new projects she has up her sleeve. 10 themixstowmarket.com
Mischa Pearson
What inspired you to create Boho Daze? Honestly? I was having a pint too many with a friend at The Swan pub in Ipswich, having a conversation about our love of music. We both agreed that in the absence of any open mic nights that we were currently aware of, we should run at least one so we had somewhere to play. The night grew from there and before we knew it our original line up of three were being asked to hike out to various venues on a weekly basis. How long has Boho Daze been running? Well over a year now! We celebrated our birthday over two evenings in August as we were hard pushed to fit everyone in to just one night. It was a great success. People travelled
“I will never look back and consider Boho Daze to be anything but a total success.”
from London and we were able to see over 20 musicians play. Do you feel like Boho Daze has become more successful than you thought it would be when you first set it up? Absolutely, I had no idea it would become as big as it did. It wasn’t long before local press and radio picked it up and printed our story. The project itself however, has always been a labour of love. There’s not the revenue in it to afford anyone a black Amex. But what do you consider success? The friends I’ve made along the way, musicians I’ve witnessed and experiences I’ve had have by far outweigh the monetary value. I’ve played pool with Mumford and Sons because of the people I’ve come to know and respect in my line of work with Boho Daze. I’ve met each of my band members at various Boho Daze events and I will never look back and consider Boho Daze to be anything but a total success.
What challenges did you face when promoting Boho Daze? I think many people knew what Boho Daze was all about but some weren’t inclined to visit live music events. Whilst planning for my new project, I recognise there is still an untapped audience and reaching them is always a task. Promoters, musicians and venue owners work tirelessly in Suffolk to bring live music forward. I am also working on concepts to widen my audience by moving into the media world. My plans have very much been inspired by the work of a well known entrepreneur Jamal Edwards. (I recommend his books, the content and substance certainly make them a worthwhile read.) Ultimately though, it’s a knock-on effect: the more people that know about what’s going on; the more people may just take a chance on one of our events. The more that happens, the more people will come back to see future events. That’s what our musicians need and certainly deserve! Do you think the music scene is evolving in Suffolk? If so, how? I’d like to think so. When we started Boho Daze, not much was going on but by the end people travelled far and wide to come along. I think
there’s a danger of saturation with many others following suit and unfortunately there is still a certain amount of apathy to the live scene in Suffolk. I would urge anyone to go along and experience live music events and support them.
“Unfortunately there is still a certain amount of apathy to the live scene in Suffolk.” What are your most memorable musical moments? Wow that’s a question! Watching one of my best friends, the very talented musician Lydia Redmon, performing ‘Hit the Road Jack’ with a rap solo from The Fresh Prince is certainly a highlight. The birthday event when Horse (the band, not the animal) broke into the crowd and had the whole place jumping and singing the words to ‘Sex Slave Zombie’ also deserves a mention. What is the weirdest thing that has happened at one of your events? Actually, the weirdest thing happened at an event that I wasn’t even at! Because I couldn’t
get to the venue one of my closest pals, Carl Best, made a Mischa toy with a photo of my face on it and put it on stage in my absence. My face is in the background in loads of the pictures. Very weird! If you could have anyone on stage at your event, dead or alive, who would you choose? The guy from the Go Compare adverts! Definitely dead, if that’s an option. If it’s not, then I’d settle for the world’s angriest guitarist. You can find him on YouTube. I’d give him a hug and a new guitar. Can you tell us about any big plans you have for 2014? I’m going to carry on making music with my band Busking for Breakfast which I’m very excited about. I’m also working closely with a large collective of creative people and a local record label owner, Pete Thompson, on a new project @LIVE which will formally launch very soon.
To stay in touch with news from Busking for Breakfast or @LIVE you can subscribe to updates through the label: www.ohmercyrecords.net
Mischa with Carl Best performing at Snobs Coffee, Ipswich
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These hybrid animals are a visual representation of our panel’s conflicting feelings about university.
expand
Ryan:
enjoyment
MONDAY THINK TANK: STARTING UNIVERSITY. Making the decision to pursue higher education after sixth form is one of the biggest choices that students across the country have to make as they enter their final year of education. With the graduate job market consistently portrayed in the media as uncertain and ruthless, factors such as increased tuition fees and the cost of living plus having to choose between a degree that is vocational or one that allows you to explore your passions and interests, means finding the right course can be a bit of a minefield. With students everywhere currently waiting for those essential conditional offers on UCAS, Monday held a panel discussion with six contributors to find out about their experiences of applying to university and their feelings surrounding work experience, fees and the reality of higher education.
comfortable Shannon: growth/ development excited
Charlotte: tough
hard David:
beneficial worried Tegan: encouraging
independent Nadene:
fresh start 13
L – How did you find the whole experience of applying?
L – Do you think it’s expected of you?
T – Terrifying.
R – We are offered alternatives but not with the same level of enthusiasm. It’s almost as if it’s assumed everyone wants to go to university so other options aren’t given much emphasis.
C – Horrible. It was tough for me to make work experience and things that I’ve done relevant to my course as I want to study languages and making maths relate to French is quite difficult! D – It’s hard as the people in charge have never met you, don’t know anything about you and all you have is one A4 sheet to convince them that they should give you an offer when there are other people who have the same qualifications. S – With graphics courses you have an interview and present your portfolio so the panel do get a chance to meet you and aren’t just judging you by your personal statement which is good.
T – I think it’s good that university is promoted in this way because it’s encouraging you to get a really good job in the future. I think if you want to have a good job, you need to have a degree. L – Do you think a degree is something people expect you to have as standard? T – I think if there were a group of three candidates and two had a degree, then the two with degrees would be more likely to be picked for the job. L – Would you consider not going to university?
T – With creative subjects you definitely need to have an interview so they can see your work, as that’s what’s important. When it comes to more academic subjects it must be so hard to compete with everyone else as all you have is your personal statement and predicted grades. Having an interview and showing your portfolio can definitely give you an edge over other people who are applying. L – How much do you think university is pushed on to you by the education system? All – A lot. T – As a sixth form student you are forever asked if you are going to apply and I felt like the decision had to be made really quickly.
T – If I could go straight into a job I wanted without a degree, then yes. B – What strikes me as unusual for creative careers is that it’s drilled in to you that university would be the next step. I understand that you get a few years to develop your skills but the first thing people are going to look at is your work and how good it is. Is that something you’ve thought about? T – Yeah I have, but a freelance job as an artist doesn’t provide me with a permanent job [Tegan wants to pursue a career as a fine art lecturer]. I would be under so much pressure to keep bringing in work and I wouldn’t want that. I’d hate to not know if I could pay the bills.
S – I don’t think other options are really explored.
fig 1. Fresh Start
Nadene’s hybrid animal: The Leopox
fig 2. Independence
L – Nadene, you are applying for a course in journalism. Would you consider the work route?
S – I think with graphic design work, experience is more important because obviously within your degree you aren’t within a real working environment. Projects will be presented to you differently at university and the way in which you learn will differ from when you’re in a professional job.
N – Probably not because all of the universities I’ve applied for say you won’t get a job in journalism unless you learn shorthand along with the other basics. I don’t think I’d get far without a degree.
L – Do you guys think about the financial aspect of it?
L – Do you think there is a lot of pressure to chose a degree that is going to get you a job rather than something you enjoy doing?
T – No. I’m forever being told ‘it’s not a debt’ because you pay it off without even realising it. The people I know who are paying it off say that they don’t notice it coming out of their accounts.
R – I’ve changed from maths to computer science as I enjoy learning about computers a lot more than maths now. For me enjoyment is a big factor to take into consideration.
L – What do you think was the point in the government raising the fees?
fig 3. Tegan’s hybrid animal: the Liocoon
T – In my opinion it was so the government could get more money from the people who could actually afford to pay the higher fees upfront. Also, it was probably to stop people going just for the sake of it. I think if it was free everyone would go for the social life. L – Do you think the fees are fair? R – When you look at the amount you are paying in fees, I don’t think it’s right that most courses will not provide you with vital textbooks that are often very expensive. C – I’m a bit unsure about the year abroad as I don’t pay a fully priced year but I still have to subsidise myself to live in another country for a year, which I don’t think is particularly fair.
T – I think from a creative point of view, if all you want to do is promote and sell your art work then a degree isn’t the right route.
L – Do you think the experience of living in another country counteracts that though?
B – So you guys have agreed that a non-vocational degree doesn’t automatically lead to a job but does provide some sort of long-term security, although there are examples of this not happening. In my opinion it seems like even after graduating you can still go back to square one and have to scrabble around getting freelance work before you get a permanent position.
C – Yeah I guess so and that’s the main reason I chose a four year language course, as that’s really what’s going to push me to learn the language. I think the experience will be brilliant long-term but it is still a lot of money!
C – You still have the step-up of having a degree though. D – Sandwich placement years are really beneficial. I know people who had those during their degree and then carried on working with the company after they finished university. I think that is definitely something to look out for when applying as it can offer that security which might not be there otherwise. I specifically sought out a placement year in my degree. L – How important do the rest of you think work experience is alongside your degree?
fig 4. Ryan’s hybrid animal: The Pupparoo
T – For my dream job I think it’s very important as someone with experience will always get picked when up against someone with just a degree. With one of my university choices you get the chance to work alongside your degree and do a teaching placement to practice teaching your chosen [artistic] pathway. 15
B – If for some reason you couldn’t go to university, do you still feel you could be a success?
L – Are any of you nervous about going? What are you looking forward to?
S – I don’t think it would stop me from getting where I want to be. My aunt is a photographer who is well known; she has her own business and she doesn’t have a degree, she just built herself up through work experience. I also have a cousin that worked his way up in the music industry without a degree.
C – I’m nervous about being thrown in the deep end and having to do everything for myself, like managing my finances. But I’m also really looking forward to getting out there and being my own person. I’m also very excited to go to another country.
T – I’d be interested to know how everyone picked their universities as the idea of looking through every uni was quite overwhelming and I wasn’t sure how to approach my search until Nadene showed me the league tables. N – Yeah I looked through all the league tables and that helped me to come to a decision about where to apply. C – I looked through the league tables and ranked them on my subjects and what I was looking for from a university, like whether or not the university was campus based, then I reduced my choices based on my predicted grades. D – Oxford was my main choice but of course that only takes up one space out of five so I did look around for the others. My choices were divided into two that were really aspirational, two in case I screwed up and then one was that was achievable but not necessarily somewhere I really wanted to go. S – I didn’t do any of that, I don’t really believe in league tables. I think it comes to down to where you feel comfortable. I went to a lot of open days and also spoke to family members and older friends who have gone to university to find out what they enjoyed and what they thought would be good for me.
T – I’m worried about fresher’s week as I don’t really understand what happens and it all seems a bit daunting but I’m really looking forward to going and improving my ability. D – I’m mainly worried about money and I can see myself going in the opposite direction to everyone else, making sure I don’t spend any money and going weeks without eating…maybe. However, I’m really excited about going as I want to do postgraduate study and the prospect of working on something that no one has ever done before and to think I’ll hopefully be able to add to all of the previous work that has been done in the field is very motivating. R – I’m looking forward to getting the chance to expand on my ideas that I’ve had for a while which have never really come to fruition because I haven’t had the resources or specialist knowledge. S – I’m looking forward to growing as a person. You think you know yourself before you go to university but when you’re on your own in a new place without anyone you know, it’s going to be a big learning curve. N – It’s a chance to start afresh and I’m looking forward to being independent.
fig 5. Beneficial fig 6. Hard
David’s hybrid animal: The Zebitten
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Do you want to earn while you learn in a creative work place? Are you interested in working with artists and developing creative activities for communities? Do you want the chance to develop a career in the arts? We currently have a great range of internships and apprenticeships coming up, including: Marketing - in Bury St Edmunds at the Theatre Royal and Smiths Row and in Ipswich at Eastern Enterprise Hub. Arts Administration – in Halesworth at New Cut Arts Centre and at The Poetry Trust, in Sudbury at Gainsborough’s House and near Stowmarket with Arts Consultants and with Mid Suffolk District Council. Event and music management - in Stowmarket at The John Peel Centre and coming up in Ipswich at Neon Street. Print Making or Museum management – in Sudbury at Gainsborough’s House. Running a café - in Halesworth, at New Cut Arts Centre. These opportunities have been developed to help young people who are unemployed get into work. They are therefore for people between 16 and 24, who are currently unemployed and if 18 or over, on Job Seekers allowance. To find out more about these and other opportunities please talk to your Job Centre Plus Adviser or go to: www.suffolkartlink.org.uk/cep visit www.suffolkartlink.org.uk/cep Contact Alistair on 01986 873955 alistair@suffolkartlink.org.uk
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HENRY CURTISWILLIAMS Henry Curtis-Williams is an 18-year-old photographer currently learning his craft in Ipswich. He intersperses college work with frequent trips to London, to immerse himself in the working world of fashion and build up those all-important contacts. Henry’s life behind the lens started when he was 8 years old. The landscape of the ski resort Morzine in the French Alps provided the inspiration to begin documenting his surroundings. →
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the undiscovered
(Above) Hatter’s Tea Party. (Left) Shipwrecked in Rendlesham Forest.
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Whilst talking about these early experiences, Henry recalls,‘as well as taking pretty, frosty pictures of the snow covered woodlands I also took family portraits. It helped me learn the art of composition and framing and I was just fascinated by the whole digital photographic process. ‘Inspiration for photo shoots comes in many guises but artists such as Mary Ellen-Mark, Richard Avedon and Tim Walker are particular artists who I constantly revisit for inspiration. I am mainly influenced by fashion photographers but I am also greatly interested in those who deal with documentary.’ The images selected for Monday include photographs from a recent trip to Canada and a shoot in Rendlesham Forest. The influence of Tim Walker’s grand and magical imagery is clearly recognisable, with Henry turning the local woodland into an Alice in Wonderland themed spectacle. ‘I imagined a world outside the book in which the characters pictured could have lived. I considered what they could have been doing prior to Alice’s visit to Wonderland; did they have a party every day and what would this look like?’
On the day of the shoot however, a torrential downpour disrupted the proceedings and only one tea-party shot (our cover image) survived. This unscheduled act of nature then forced the concept of the shoot in a different direction. ‘Ten minutes later the sun began to shimmer though the clouds and with determination to carry on, the models emerged from the van in new clothing and became the shipwrecked explorers ready to tell a new story.’ A recent internship with Hilary Alexander OBE (ex fashion editor of The Telegraph) involved working on the annual ‘Fashion For The Brave’ charity fashion gala which Henry describes as ‘an educational experience’. He explains further, ‘Hilary was a kind and very helpful lady with a wonderful eye.’ The internship involved assisting with the model fittings and generally being on hand throughout the co-ordination and execution of the final show. This also provided an opportunity for Henry to photograph the event and capture the glamour and excitement of the evening, with open access to the inner workings of backstage.
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Henry’s documentation of the Alberta flood
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The next few months will see Henry travel to New York as part of his art foundation course at Suffolk New College. ‘I am certainly hoping to capture some interesting pictures there. I dream for something magical to unfold when I do documentary photography.’ On completion of the course in the summer, the decision of whether to go to university or to dive head first into work will be the main priority but there are already plans in motion to assist photographers in London, as well as co-ordinating his own shoots locally. To see more of Henry’s photography, check out his Facebook page: Curtis Williams Photography.
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(Above + left) Shipwrecked in Rendlesham Forest.
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LIVING WITH PANIC ATTACKS So Megan, could you tell us when the attacks started? I had experienced them in high school but they got more frightening when I started college. When I came to college, I’d just left school and I didn’t want to leave. I was scared to move on, so college was a big step for me. The first few months were absolutely fine and I really started to settle in, until after Christmas, when the pressure of the workload really hit me. Then I lost my aunt Stella. This was when I wanted everything to go back to normal and how it used to be. I started stressing more and more. I According to NHS statistics one in daydreamed a lot and the tutors made a big deal about ten people in the UK will experience it. I tried forcing myself not to drift off but doing this occasional panic attacks and made it worse and the panic attacks started again.
approximately one person in 100 will suffer with a chronic panic disorder. As with many mental health conditions the causes are not fully understood but it is thought that a mixture of physical and psychological factors, such as traumatic and stressful experiences or genetic links can trigger an attack. Though this varies from case to case, there are classic examples such as dealing with a parents divorce, the death of a loved one or leaving school. Megan’s disorder started at 15 and whilst it has mellowed since her transition from high school to further education, she has had to overcome many personal struggles along the way. Megan wanted to share her experiences with Monday in the hope that it will help others understand their own or a loved ones mental health issues. 26 themixstowmarket.com
Can you describe your symptoms? My head starts to pound and I feel sick, then my breathing goes out of control and I begin to hyperventilate. Getting no oxygen then makes me shake and I get pins and needles in my hands and feet. My legs start to feel like jelly and I can’t support myself or move so I end up in a heap on the floor. I just feel like I’m going mad to be honest. Do you know what triggers them? I don’t really know. They just happen. I have only experienced panic attacks at college and at high school so really only at places where I get the most stressed. Anything can trigger them. I guess it’s like being shot; it’s so sudden there is nothing you can do to prevent it happening. They obviously take a toll on you physically, but how do they make you feel emotionally? I hate that people see me have one, so I cover my face. I always feel bad and when they were at their worst I started to hate myself. My confidence got so low that I was starting to worry about my image, which I never really did before. I started to become obsessed that how I looked made me stand out. I was so depressed that I never felt like eating and I was always conscious of how I made people feel. One thing I hate is feeling like I have upset or offended someone, whoever they may be. I felt bad that I was taking up people’s time at college and it killed me inside when teachers started saying that I was affecting the learning of others. I felt bad for my friends as it was an awkward situation. Some people just made me feel silly and stupid when support was all I needed.
Support must be a key element in dealing with this type of disorder. What help did you receive, if any? The college’s support was awful. They thought a first aid kit would solve it! They got everything completely wrong, they just didn’t understand. The teachers used to be overdramatic and took things out of context. They assumed things they shouldn’t have. I think the whole thing got out of hand, everything had been taken too far, and in my opinion the lack of understanding on their part was the reason my anxiety got worse. Every time I had an attack I would be sent home. Therefore I was worrying more as I was missing out on so much work. When I was home I was just stewing things over, it made me get so low and that wasn’t me. I went to stress control classes every Monday for six weeks but they were useless. There was a member of student support though who really made an effort and I liked her being there. The doctor gave me leaflets and showed me websites that could help. In a way I was left to deal with it myself but the doctor did help with college as he explained to the teachers that I could still go and attend my placement, which had previously been stopped. How often do you have an attack? I had one pretty much every day at high school but over the summer they seemed to stop. However, when I started college they came back and the worst time was before Easter, when I was having about three a day, it was awful! What do you do to try and control them? Does anything help? My teacher from high school helped me so much. She showed me a breathing exercise so that when I have an attack I can control my
Words: Nicole Drury Illustration: Lucy Selina Hall
breathing. The one thing that makes me feel better is when I know that someone is there to talk to me about random stuff that I like. I can focus on what they are saying and this slows my breathing down. What helps you take your mind off them? And what makes you feel better about suffering with them? There is a girl named Zoella on YouTube who made a video about panic attacks. She’s a similar age to me and is someone I can look up to. She understands and I can relate to her. She also writes a blog (zoella.co.uk) and gives advice. It’s nice to hear from someone who has actually been through it. At college I have my friends and if they weren’t there I wouldn’t be. How have things changed? And how do you feel now? I panic less now as things have settled down around me and people are a bit more understanding. They know what it is and what will happen. I do feel back to normal, I feel like the real me again, I want to show what I’m made of and that the person others have seen over the past few months wasn’t me at all. So out of all of this I’m getting to know myself more and am starting to gain the confidence to speak up for myself. It’s made me a much stronger person and has been a good life lesson to set me up for the future.
If you or a friend is suffering from the symptoms of panic attacks, don’t suffer alone. Support and advice is available from the Suffolk Young People’s Health Project: 4yp.org.uk
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celebrate
Upcycling: Trash To Treasure Whether it’s the result of today’s economic climate or that people are simply looking for a new creative outlet, the act of reusing and reinventing your old furniture has become a popular design trend and business venture in the UK. Upcycling offers an interesting and fun way to save money and as we become more conscious of our green credentials, it offers a chance to help the environment by reusing furniture, instead of sending it to the scrap heap. Kirstie Allsopp has become the recent face of craftiness and upcycling with her Channel 4 TV show Kirstie’s Homemade Homes. Kirstie’s programme sets out to combat what she calls, ‘a throwaway culture’ encouraged by stores like IKEA which result in people wasting money on disposable furniture and unoriginal interior design. Upcycling however, gives you the chance to present your creativity within your home
and if you don’t fancy doing it yourself, you can always go to your nearest salvage centre to find some unwanted gems that are waiting to have a new home. Upcycling is one aspect of the wider retro/vintage furniture revival that has taken over the world of interior design. Increasingly, people have become interested in retro and vintage furniture due to its unique characteristics. The popularity of this type of furniture is evident in the high number of new, independent boutique shops that specifically cater to this market; and as charity shops have become more mainstream, they too are a hot spot for stocking up on old furniture at affordable prices.
“We recently made a bench using reclaimed floorboards from Romford railway station... after having cleared off a century’s worth of dirt left by millions of footprints, we found that the wood underneath was a beautiful, rich, red colour.” Due to upcycling’s surge in popularity, designers have noticed the potential it has as a business venture; managing to make a living upcycling old furniture which they find themselves, alongside taking commissions from people who want their old furniture transformed. Monday spoke to Andrew Whittaker from upcycling business Suffolk Salvage, to find out about the trend.
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(Left + Right) Upcycled pieces from Salvation Furniture.
Why do you think there has been a surge of popularity for upcycling? I think it’s down to a combination of factors but two in particular. Firstly, the ‘look’ of upcycled furniture has become really popular. People realise that you can take a nice old piece of furniture (or as we do at Salvation Furniture, a piece of characterful old wood) and re-imagine it as a new table or bench. They see how fantastic it will look alongside their more modern items. Secondly, upcycling has an important ‘green’ angle, it’s great to reuse and reinvent rather than simply throwing old stuff – from furniture to clothes – into landfill.
How do you think upcycling has transformed our perception of old furniture? I think it’s made us more aware of the possibilities of old stuff. And how, with a bit of imagination, creativity, and no small amount of hard work, you can create something that transcends the original item to create something new but which also retains a history, character and visual charm that you can’t simply manufacture from new. Have there been pieces of furniture where your initial design hasn’t worked?
What inspires you when you’re redesigning furniture pieces? The character of the wood helps lead the design. We get inspired when we find old lumps of wood (no, really!) Some of which are centuries old and we start thinking about how they might work in some of our furniture designs. The knocks, bumps and scrapes of the wood, along with the aging, weathering processes that you just can’t really recreate give the materials a unique appeal. We then marry this wood up with the steelwork designs of our furniture bases.
Because of the way we work at Salvation Furniture, combining old wood with new, there’s a bit of head scratching (and much tea sipping) whenever we create a new design, as we consider how these two elements will fit together. We’ve had designs where we’ve needed to add in extra features to make sure the blend between the old and new looks right – but generally, we’ve managed to make this work without too many problems. Playing around with the designs (including the odd failure here and there) is all part of the fun!
What’s your favourite piece of furniture that you’ve re-created? We enjoy making all of our designs and because we use upcycled wood each one has its own character and story. But there are particular materials that we like working with, perhaps more so than individual pieces of furniture. So for example, we recently made a bench using reclaimed floorboards from Romford railway station. These were thick old floorboards from the Victorian waiting room and after having cleared off a century’s worth of dirt left by millions of footprints, we found that the wood underneath was a beautiful, rich, red colour. We sanded this down, matched it with a sleek, modern steel frame and came up with a really nice bench. We love that a combination of history, reinvention and aesthetic appeal that can come with upcycling.
If you fancy having a go at yourself – check out our step-by-step tutorial on how to transform your old chairs into beautifully upcycled items. If you’d like to find out more about Suffolk Salvage or look at any of their furniture, go to: salvationfurniture.com Words: Shannon Quirke
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start today
PROJECT: CHAIR D E C O U PAG E Shannon Quirke demonstrates how to turn your old chair into a new and unique item of
furniture in this step-by-step guide. You will need: an old chair that you want to upcycle, sand
paper, fabric, magazine cut-outs or photos, a brush, warm water mixed with washing-up liquid, a cloth, PVA glue and an old sheet.
1. To begin, cut up your magazine pages or pieces of fabric. Try cutting out different sizes and shapes to make the finished look more interesting.
2. Find a suitable place to
work and place your old sheet underneath the piece of furniture. Make sure you choose somewhere with enough room to move the piece of furniture around. Sand down the chosen areas that you wish to cover, making sure there are no rough surfaces. Once you’ve finished sanding, wash down all the areas to remove any dust or dirt.
3. Using the PVA glue, stick
down the fabric working your way inwards to the middle of the chair. When gluing the fabric down, smooth it out before securing it permanently. Layer the pieces of fabric on top of each other to give a patchwork effect.
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2. 1.
5 Words and Photography: Shannon Quirke
3.
5.
4. When working on difficult areas
such as the chair spindles, cut the fabric to size before gluing to make sure it fits neatly.
5. When you’ve finished applying your fabric or photographs, look over the chair and check for any small gaps that haven’t been covered.
7.
6. Cut off any fabric that is
sticking out at the edges and glue down any pieces of fabric that hasn’t stuck correctly. Leave the glue to dry overnight.
7. Finally, cover the chair with the
varnish. While painting the varnish on, smooth any more pieces of the fabric down using the brush. Apply two or three coats of varnish before leaving to dry overnight.
4.
Warning: your finished chair may evoke feelings of jealousy from friends and family.
6.
Share your decoupage projects with us on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #starttoday
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start today
So you wanna work in... Public Relations? Laura Tipp is the senior PR consultant at Crafted, a full service digital marketing agency in Ipswich. Laura works to promote Crafted’s clients and manage their repuations across a wide range of media, including online, print and broadcast. Monday’s Lizzy Craig quizzed Laura to discover everything you need to know about getting into PR and securing that first interview. For those who are just curious, can you explain what PR actually entails?
So now you’ve piqued our interest, what sort of work experience should we look into if we want to secure a job in the industry?
PR is working with the media to gain positive media coverage for you, your event, your business, or – if you work at an agency – your clients. This can range from news stories to features, radio and TV interviews. It can also involve dealing with the media when there is bad news, to prevent reputations being damaged.
Work experience in a PR agency or any kind of media organisation is definitely a big help, as it shows that you understand what the media want. Also, volunteering for a local magazine or your parish newsletter will show prospective employers that you can write and that you have taken the initiative to get involved.
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For those entering university, what type of degree would benefit this area other than specific PR qualifications? There are many people working in PR who studied journalism (me included) as a lot of the skills needed in this industry are very similar to those in PR. So any kind of journalism – print, broadcast or online qualification – would be a big benefit. Subjects like Media and Communication Studies, English, and research subjects like History are also beneficial if you want to move into PR. Is it even necessary to have a degree for this type of work? Are entry level jobs available or are they few and far between? You don’t have to have a degree to work in PR. Although I have a degree, I’ve worked with people who have done apprenticeships (although these are rare) and there are assistant and trainee positions at larger agencies or at companies with a big communications and PR team. What should people expect from their work experience placements? Is there more than just making tea and photocopying involved? Work experience placements can really vary. There are less interesting jobs like checking through magazines and newspapers for coverage and compiling media contact lists but generally, if you show real interest and initiative and come up with some good ideas, you should get some jobs you can get your teeth into. Don’t moan about the boring jobs though and even offer to do them – it never hurts to ask. Also if it goes well, stay in contact with the organisation and remember to ask for a reference. Is digital marketing now the most important aspect of PR? Are classic methods still effective? Classic methods are definitely still effective, picking up the phone and talking to a journalist to find out what sort of content they are interested in is vital. It is however, important that people working in PR understand digital marketing like uploading videos or links to content on your website. An understanding of how search engines and content marketing work are also helpful as there is a lot of crossover between PR and search.
How important is it that young people start to explore social media as a career boosting tool and not just for ‘selfies’? What would you encourage us to look out for on the different platforms? I’d recommend following people in the PR industry, agencies or companies you’d like to work for. Also follow lots of journalists and people in the media on Twitter. The more you understand about the industry and how people like this use social media the better. Is it worth mentioning if you have a personal blog on your CV? Having a blog is definitely a plus. If you are writing content and making an interesting site that people want to visit, you are effectively doing PR for yourself! Also don’t restrict yourself to just one social media site, use a blog and a range of social media sites to promote what you are blogging. Would experience working at events, perhaps within a theatre or charity benefit a CV? Events like openings or launches are a part of PR, so understanding events and planning them is definitely good for your CV. Being good with people is also important and working at these kind of events can really help your career prospects. Crafted is a very philanthropic company. Is involvement in charity work and helping out in the community a good way for us to gain beneficial experience? Charity and community work is great experience. If you can get involved with telling the media about what the charity is doing and get experience of PR this way, then all the better. Can you tell us about one of your favourite PR stunts? Although this is what many people recognise as PR, for me it isn’t really about stunts as they can often backfire. The main thing is to have a story to tell that people are interested in.
To find out more about Crafted visit: crafted.co.uk
monday
the undiscovered
Tegan Allard-Austin
Tegan is a young photographer and artist from Stowmarket who combines her interests in nature and surrealism to create striking and beautiful images. Monday is pleased to present a selection of photographs that explore seasonal changes alongside an explanation of the work in Tegan’s own words. The type of photographs that interest me the most are subtle and experimental, images with an understated colour scheme that have a surreal effect to them. I am intrigued by photography that is bold without being garish. My photography and art operate on different wavelengths, as I experiment with both separately and try to keep them as different as possible. My photography explores the themes and colours of nature whilst incorporating experimental digital editing to achieve a surreal outcome. 36 themixstowmarket.com
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(Continued) My art on the other hand uses mixed mediums and a mainly artificial colour palette, to create interesting portraits that present conflicts between my subject’s inner and outer selves. Artists and photographers I really admire and draw inspiration from are Chuck Close and Paul Caden, whose hyper realistic drawings I think are truly amazing.
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Tegan AllardAustin’s experimental themixstowmarket.com photography.
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monday
the new
Ones to watch in 2014 From Channing Tatum to cult Japanese monsters, David Newman counts down his top cinema picks for this year.
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel - Starring Ralph Fiennes and Saoirse Ronan Legendary director Wes Anderson’s latest offering, The Grand Budapest Hotel (TGHB) looks certain to be a tour-de-force when awards season comes round again. The film follows the adventures of a hotel concierge (Ralph Fiennes) and his love interest (Saoirse Ronan) in Anderson’s distinctive slick and stylish fashion. The film features an eye-popping ensemble cast including several of his regular collaborators such as Owen Wilson, Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton. TGBH has already received rave reviews and universal acclaim during it’s début showing at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival, suggesting that those who worship at the altar of Anderson will not be disappointed. Released March 2014.
2. 22 Jump Street – Starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill The reboot of the 1980s series continues as the two young cops (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill) move onto their next undercover assignment. So far the plot details and casting have been kept under wraps but rumours suggest that the action has shifted to college and regardless of setting it’s guaranteed that the hijinks from the first film will return. One member of the cast is rumoured to have turned down a role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to appear in the film so it appears those involved are enthusiastic and believe 22 Jump Street to be a 2014 summer blockbuster. If it sticks to the formula that made the first film a hit then it is safe bet the film will prosper, especially amongst the lucrative teenage market that propelled the first film to international success. Released June 2014.
4. Godzilla – Starring Aaron Taylor - Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen The “King of the Monsters” smashes his way back into western cinema after a 14 year hiatus. With the USA under threat from man-made monsters, it is up to Godzilla to become an unlikely anti-hero and save humanity from itself. Our protagonist Aaron Taylor-Johnson, a young man in wedded bliss with his on screen affection Elizabeth Olsen, is a member of the military who must help contain the madness slowly engulfing their surroundings. The special effects previews so far are very promising; this could be a visceral epic of a calibre similar to the Transformers film franchise. The crew of the film have been quick to say this will erase all memories of the 1998 version that was universally ridiculed by critics and public alike so this could be a spectacle more true to the Japanese cult movies. For all those people who look for cutting-edge graphics and immense carnage in their films then Godzilla is going to be the first port of call. Released May 2014.
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Starring Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson
3. Lilting – Starring Ben Whishaw and Cheng Pei Pei For those looking for something a bit more low-key then Lilting is the one for you. The plot revolves around a Cambodian/Chinese woman (Cheng Pei Pei) living in London and dealing with the death of her son. An English speaking stranger (Ben Whishaw) unexpectedly arrives on her door step thus triggering the narrative for the film and with the help of a translator they slowly come to realise how they both cared for her son. This is a bold first step into British cinema for director Hong Khaou and in Ben Whishaw he has managed to entice one of the biggest British stars of the moment. If this film receives the right amount of advertising buzz then this could be an unexpected hit that really touches hearts across the nation in a unique culture clash that is full of emotion. Released June 2014.
Words: David Newman Illustration: Max Johnston
The next film in the Marvel Cinema franchise focuses on Captain America (Chris Evans) supported by Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), as he takes on a mysterious foe from his past and uncovers a conspiracy that will test him to his limits. With Iron Man 3 showing Tony Stark suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after Avengers Assemble, it will be interesting to see how the patriotic Steve Rogers reacts to a post-World War II environment where the lines between good and evil are becoming increasingly blurred. There are hints being dropped that this will have more emotional depth than other Marvel films and if you combine that with the action we all expect from this then it will pose to be a cinematic smash. For me Captain America: The Winter Soldier will be the one I most look forward to in 2014. Released March 2014.
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the new
Game-on. With big releases such as GTA V, Pokemon X&Y, Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us, 2013 is a tough act to follow for gaming. What can we expect to see this year? Ryan Davies runs down the four games he is most looking forward to playing in 2014.
4th - Watch Dogs (Most Consoles) Watch Dogs is an open world actionadventure stealth game where the player hacks into various electronic devices through a smartphone. The concept of sneaking around hacking electronics sounds promising as the games’ developers, Ubisoft Montreal, are responsible for Assassin’s Creed and also, more importantly in this case, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell games. The Splinter Cell games revolve around stealth; hiding in the dark, shooting out lights and sneaking through guarded areas. Assassin’s Creed always has good free-roaming features mixed with strong parkour elements so hopefully we can find a mixture of the two in Watch Dogs. 3rd – Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (PC, PS4, PSVita) Hotline Miami, a top-down action game with heavy themes of violence and drugs. What made Hotline Miami initially stand out when 42 themixstowmarket.com
compared with other recent games was it’s simple stylised art, brutal speed, graphic violence and perfectly fitting music. On top of this, the story was cryptic and well-paced. The game takes the 3rd spot on our list as we hope it wil give us another twisted story, be just as fast and challenging and more creative with its weapons and kill moves. 2nd – Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS3, PS4, Xbox360, XboxOne) As a big fan of the MGS franchise, I look forward to more ‘Tactical Espionage Action’. The MGS stealth aspects are always enjoyable and the boss fights of previous MGS games have always been unique with their own special gimmicks. Ground Zeroes will apparently play more like MGS: Peacewalker in the sense that it will feature Base Building and Weapons research.
1st – Super Smash Bros (Wii-U/3DS) For those of you who have never played a Smash Bros game, it’s an arena based free-for-all fighting game between some of Nintendo’s most popular characters, the idea being that you knock the opponents off the screen. The main appeal of this game is that it is a fast paced fighter where we can pit our favourite Nintendo characters against each other, Bowser against Pikachu or Link versus Fox McCloud in a fight to the end. The vast selection of characters from various different franchises coming together is a feat within itself and Nintendo have announced that Sonic is returning to Super Smash Bros, so we will soon see Mario and Sonic battling it out. I’m looking forward to the new characters like Animal Crossing Villager, Megaman and anyone they are currently keeping secret!
Words: Ryan Davies
Illustration:
Thomas Coleman
Do you want to be part of Suffolk’s biggest youth-led culture magazine? Are you an aspiring photographer? Do you have a way with words? Are you 14-19, bursting with ideas and looking for a place to present your work to a large audience?
Come and join our team of writers, photographers and illustrators every Monday evening for a chance to push your creativity and have your work viewed by thousands of people locally. To get involved contact: hello@themixstowmarket.com Please include your age, area of interest and an example of your work if you have one.
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