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EDITORIAL Thursday, 18 October 2018

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www.palatinate.org.uk

FEATURES 3 The Many Faces of Anxiety FILM & TV 4 Whittaker Shines in Who Debut FASHION 5 Burnburry TRAVEL 6&7 No Longer Barce-alone-a MUSIC 8 Pop ballads and Unfulfilled Potential STAGE 9 How to make it big at the Edinburgh Fringe FOOD & DRINK 10 & 11 New Year, New Meals Sustainable Shopping in Durham VISUAL ARTS 12 & 13 What is the meaning behind Banksy’s shredder-stunt?

Should galleries ban the use of mobile phones?

CREATIVE WRITING

14 Independence, Individuality & Identity BOOKS 15 Chinua Achebe: ‘The Father of the African novel’ INTERVIEW 16 ‘The margin has become the centre’ - in conversation with Simon Armitage

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he fundamental basis of the collegiate system is to promote security, support and safety for each student. Primarily this is achieved. However, over the last week due to a lack of communication and a clerical error my college successfully disposed of £1,200 of my possessions. I’m not writing this to complain, but instead to use this experience as an example to illustrate a more epistemic problem. With an increased number of students comes an increased level of anonymity. The college system in its current state will not be able to provide the same level of care and support it has previously.

With expansion underway this is already evident. My college office no longer supports only University College, but also manages the running of Hatfield. Added to this is the increase of one hundred students to our JCR. No wonder my bedding got lost in the transition. This problem is only set to get worse as college resources are stretched further than ever before. College staff are overworked and underpaid for their increasing responsibility.

Meanwhile for students this means longer wait times for support or guidance.

Ultimately this leads me to question who is this expansion for? And will Durham be able to cope with such a drastic increase in students in the coming years? Whilst I’m not confident I will ever see my possessions again, I am reassured that if we as students continue to lobby for increased resources, counselling services and student support outlets a change will come. The student voice is essential, and we must take this opportunity to exercise it before it is too late.

However, we must also take this opportunity to thank our college offices, and university staff who go above and beyond to try and provide the core values that our university was founded on. Despite the changes set to come we must not punish our college offices for decisions made by the university. They are never to blame. So thank you Castle for the last two years, but let’s hope you find my sheets soon.

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INDIGO EDITORS Adele Cooke Alex Leggatt (deputy) FEATURES EDITORS Kleopatra Olympiou

CREATIVE WRITING EDITORS Rhiannon Morris Susie Bradley (deputy)

STAGE EDITORS Kishore Thiagarajan Martha Wrench (deputy) VISUAL ARTS EDITOR Stella Botes Jo Chandler (deputy) BOOKS EDITORS Freya Neason Shauna Lewis FASHION EDITORS Anna Gibbs Ana Hamilton (deputy) FOOD & DRINK EDITORS Rebecca Russell Piers Eaton (deputy) TRAVEL EDITORS Patrick Noren FILM & TV EDITORS Hugh Johnson Sander Priston (deputy) MUSIC EDITORS Fran Howard Tom Watling INTERVIEW Nathan Kelly Zue Wei Long

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Email indigo@palatinate.org.uk

FEATURES

The Many Faces of Anxiety

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Thursday, 18 October 2018

By Mary Bradshaw

‘Anxiety’. Why does that word have to have that haunting, hissing ‘x’? Why does it need those four syllables that drill into your skull and linger in your mind, festering at the back and blinding you at the front?

Anxiety is not feeling it possible to actually breathe deeply enough Anxiety is hot blood filling your cheeks.

Anxiety is a spider’s web which becomes a metal gauze transforming into a car clamp over your chest. Anxiety anxiety anxiety anxietyanxietyanxiety. Not knowing how to hold your mouth when walking through the street. Overthinking every single social interaction and decision you make. Your mind never switching off. You work but you should be relaxing; you relax but you should be working. You suddenly notice that, even alone in your room, you haven’t been breathing for goodness knows how long.

Anxiety is not feeling it possible to actually breathe deeply enough.

It’s that fuzzy black-and-white thing the TV screen sometimes does, only in the pit of your stomach. Anxiety feels like the fairy-lit walls of your bedroom getting nearer and nearer to each other until you can’t see, can’t breathe. In your head there are so many thoughts, so much noise, but at the same time complete emptiness. You worry instead of doing; think instead of being.

It’s a funny thing, anxiety, a very strange concoction of opposites. You can go from saying absolutely nothing in a group of people, to thinking you’re saying too much and making it all about you. You could find yourself making excuses for your success and letting your failures engrave themselves in your mind which, incidentally, everyone would be aware of all time. It’d be all they think or

gossip about. So, here is some advice to try and deal with it all: • Try to be inspired by others rather than intimidated. How great it is that as Durham university students, we get to be surrounded by and make friends with such clever people! We have the chance to hear first-hand, on a weekly basis, someone whose books are read internationally.

• A cliché that works well: being grateful.

Be grateful for the rustling leaves beneath your feet, the huge expanse of calming sky you can see if only you look up, the beautiful faces of the buildings, the smile a stranger gave you on the pavement today, the cute fluffy dog you saw this morning and the warm cup of tea you get to clasp your hands around, the soft blanket you can cuddle up in and the fresh air you can breathe.

Be grateful for the rustling leaves beneath your feet • Refrain from looking at Snapchat stories, if they make you feel left out. It may seem difficult to stop at first, as with any habit, but soon it won’t even occur to you to check.

Remember that people are, generally, only showing carefully selected (and, often, edited) highlights of their lives. You are only seeing a selection of the ‘best bits’.

• Try your best not to isolate yourself, have a chat with your friends and talk to the people serving you in shops and cafes. It is so easy to shut yourself away without always realising it. And remember, socialising comes in many forms. It isn’t necessarily going clubbing every night, but it can be, too. At the same time, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t feel like being sociable.

• I’ve found recently that opening my curtains and window as soon as I wake up really

helps, as well as having a cup of tea straight away!

• Go outside. I try to make myself walk along the river, along Durham’s beautiful wooded footpaths and concentrate on the feeling of the ground beneath my feet. How my weight redistributes across the balls of my feet, my arches and heels.

While autumn is still underway, listen for the crackle of fallen leaves as you tread and count how many different shades of brown and green surround you.

• Get comfy in the evenings. There’s nothing I love more than snuggling up in my pyjamas and dressing gown, putting on my fairy lights and using my diffuser once the day draws in. I’m trying to make this into an everyday thing, and I think that’s the key: make rituals and celebrate the key parts of the day.

• Remember that this is your degree and nobody else’s. So what if somebody reads faster or more slowly than you, speaks more or less than you in seminars, takes notes more quickly or less thoroughly in lectures? So what if you do work earlier or later than them? We all have our own way of doing things. Life isn’t a race.

Life isn’t a race There is no ‘right’ way to live and something I’ve come to realise is that it’s okay and also inevitable if what makes you feel good, what gives you the energy to face each day is different from the next person’s. There is nothing wrong with feeling, thinking and acting the way you do. If you feel upset, comfort yourself as you would a friend.

Illustration by Anna Thomas

FILM & TV 4

Thursday, 18 October 2018

Whittaker shines in Who debut Film & TV considers the impact of the first female Doctor

By Ben Summer film@palatinate.org.uk

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hen Jodie Whittaker fell onto our TV screens on the 7th of October, she instantly glimmered with the familiar spark of the Doctor. Whilst not all were pleased - some citing “cheesy” writing and somewhat unoriginal villains - the episode was undoubtedly a crowd-pleaser. Indeed, it had a very large crowd to please: 8.2 million overnight viewers, the highest for a series opener since the iconic David Tennant took the role in 2005.

New showrunner Chris Chibnall’s first effort seems to have done the impossible, satisfying diehard fans and new audiences alike. Crucially, Whittaker’s initial naysayers seem to be growing fewer in number, and the days when a female doctor was predicted to be a death knell for the series are long gone.

Gill, and – surprisingly to many – Bradley Walsh all delivered stellar performances.

Crucially, audiences were left already caring about their characters, with the relationship between youthful Ryan, caring grandmother Grace, and shunned step-granddad Graham bringing a tear to the eyes of many when the episode reached its emotional climax.

Cynics and zealots alike should go into this series with caution The whole thing was beautifully shot, and the new score brimming with excitement. Every layer of sheen has been applied, but for some this was not enough.

To many, the “I’m the Doctor” spiel (along with yet another explanation of how the Sonic Screwdriver works) is getting old, the Doctor making jokes about the pronunciation of the villain’s name (“Tzim-Sha!” “Tim Shaw?”) felt more like a weird sci-fi Morecambe and Wise than the return of the country’s favourite time traveller. It could be the case that the “clunky” writing was nothing more than an attempt to woo uninitiated viewers - but, if Chibnall maintains the same franetic yet expositional tone for the next nine episodes (plus the Christmas special) it could get tiresome quickly.

The episode was undoubtably a crowd pleaser It may, however, be too soon to be heralding the return of the “golden age” of the 2005-2010 era.

The glasses of said period’s die-hard fans can be so tinted that they often fail to see some pretty major flaws – cheesy writing is nothing new to Doctor Who. Whittaker’s already-iconic “I’m the Doctor” moment came several episodes earlier than her predecessor Capaldi’s, and the traditional Who theme blared as she made her entrance. Previous writer Moffat had arguably forgotten how to please the fans, and Chibnall has certainly done that.

But fan-pleasing moments do not a full ten-episode series make.

The crown jewels in The Woman Who Fell to Earth were undoubtedly the supporting cast – Tosin Cole, Mandip

against the vast backdrop of intergalactic adventure, rather than making everything about the latter. Moffat’s critics will not hesitate to remind fans of his inability to sustain an arc - but to see a Doctor being flung around the universe on standalone adventures, with the lives of Ryan, Yaz, and Graham as the only common thread, is an exciting prospect.

It may be too soon to be heralding the return of the ‘golden age’ of the 2005-2010 era With a potential new audience, and even the Doctor taking on a more human persona, it might be best for Chibnall to keep it human. Sci-fi can be at its best when, like the original Star Trek series, it tells profoundly personal stories

It is very easy to fall into one extreme or the other when it comes to Whittaker’s debut. Some grinned their way through the episode, overcome with childish glee.

Others: not so much. Cynics and zealots alike, though, should go into this series with caution. If the viewing figures stay high, and if Chibnall delivers on his promises of a fresh start, this could be the beginning of an exciting new era for Doctor Who. Image from Google via Creative Commons

FASHION 5

Thursday, 18 October 2018

Burnberry

By Ana Hamilton Deputy Fashion Editor fashion@palatinate.org.uk

A frank exploration into the not-so-Instagrammable side of the Fashion Industry

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he need for sustainability within the fashion industry is becoming ever more apparent in light of recent revelations regarding its main players. The fashion industry is responsible both for bringing billions of pounds into the global economy and, not so positively, creating one of the largest negative carbon footprints in an industry, a mark which has been building for years. High fashion brands are the main culprits of this crime against the environment, where the detrimental impacts caused come secondary to their image and profit.

But why not sell on or donate their excess supply? What is the purpose of the destruction of unused goods?

The recently rebranded British fashion brand, Burberry, has been under the public microscope for their shocking statistics of the disposal of unused merchandise. The BBC noted that the net worth of the destroyed Burberry clothes and perfumes amounted to £28.6 million in the last year. Taking a step back, over the last five years that total is over £90 million. Lu Yen Roloff from Greenpeace noted that Burberry “shows no respect for their own products and the hard work and natural resources that are used to make them.” Although Burberry claims that the “energy generated from burning its products was captured, making it environmentally friendly,” the sheer amount of wasted material, labour and energy supplies in the production of the items made from natural resources undeniably will be contributing significantly to the environmental crisis we are approaching.

But why not sell on or donate their excess supply? What is the purpose of the destruction of unused goods? ‘Haute couture’ brands, such as Burberry, rely on an image of exclusivity and superiority in the world of fashion. Therefore, from their perspective, the merchandise that they do not sell is redundant and must be destroyed, rather than be sold at a lower price. Particularly in Burberry’s case, their classic print has been used in many counterfeit products, lowering their image and brand value. Maria Malone, a professor of fashion business at Manchester Metropolitan University commented that many counterfeiters have been “sticking the Burberry check on anything they could”. This gives a reason as to why Burberry have perhaps felt the need to overcompensate their stock in order to encourage their re-branding.

The driving need to constantly possess the latest trends puts enormous strain on the environment.

The term ‘fast fashion’ defines this decade’s view on purchasing clothes. Recently, the frequency of buying of new clothing has increased to weekly, instead of seasonally or even monthly. The driving need to possess the latest trends puts enormous strain on the environment.

In contrast to the detrimental effect fashion can have on the environment, there are increasingly more brands who are becoming more sustainable in both the production and the re-use of clothing. Primark, for example, has begun to include fair trade cotton in their clothing. The brand Reformation includes recycled material, as well as plant forests in order to almost compensate the environment for helping them make their clothes. H&M offer clothing bins where you can bring unwanted clothes to recycle. It is these companies that are working to reduce the impact the fashion industry has on the environment, but is it sincere, or purely to satisfy increasingly environmentally aware customers?

Images by Anna Gibbs @annagibbsillustration and Frankie Reffell @frankiereffell

TRAVEL

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Thursday, 18 October 2018

No Longer Barce-alone-a Rosa Bruce recalls the au pair nightmare turned good that changed her whole perception of language, people and the world.

By Rosa Bruce

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inspiring to see a minority language so widely spoken.

As the Welsh language has been facing an enormous decline in the past decade, it was fantastic to see that so many people still speak Catalan. I later discovered that a whopping 73% of Catalonians can speak Catalan, whilst only 23% of the Welsh population speak Welsh. Catalonia’s strong sense of identity has clearly succeeded in keeping the minority language alive.

ithout a doubt, my favourite time of day was around 8pm. The burning heat of the day had passed, and a cool breeze came in from the sea. When I could, I would often head down to the seafront of the Spanish village at this time. The sun would be setting over the sea and I would walk along the promenade, listening to the rhythmic crashing of the waves. The pebbly beach would be almost empty, apart from a couple of fishermen and a small yoga class who added to the serene feeling of the evening.

A week after I began my search online for a host family, I was catching a flight to Barcelona to meet them.

It is a beautiful village that hasn’t been ruined by tourism like a lot of Spain. It is a place that I would never have ventured to if I hadn’t suddenly decided to be an au pair this summer. Despite this, my month as an au pair was one of the most challenging experiences I have had. Like many of my travel plans, it was very last minute.

A week after I began my search online for a host family, I was catching a flight to Barcelona to meet them.

They lived in a small village along the Eastern coast of Spain, in Catalonia. They promised to help me with my Spanish as long as I helped the two children, age five and ten, with their English. It seemed ideal. But one thing I didn’t think through well, nor was I told about by the family before arriving, was the fact that the family solely spoke in Catalan to each other.

I knew that Catalan was very widely spoken in Catalonia, but I had not quite grasped the extent to which it is spoken. Having grown up in Wales and spoken Welsh from a very young age, I imagined that Catalan was spoken to a similar extent as Welsh. I was very wrong.

No doubt, it was very refreshing and

Nonetheless, I can’t look past the extreme sense of isolation I felt due to it. I thought I would be able to understand a lot of Catalan, because of my understanding of Spanish.

But when the family would chat to each other, especially at mealtimes, I could barely understand a thing.

There wasn’t much more I could do than just sit silently.

But regardless, throughout my stay I felt disconnected from the family I spoke to the parents directly in Spanish and I would, on occasion, be able to join in with the conversation.

But regardless, throughout my stay I felt disconnected from the family. I always felt separated from them by this language barrier.

The week I arrived, the village was celebrating an annual fiesta. Every night the family went out to the promenade where there would be bulls, dancing, singing and a children’s fair. It was wonderful to watch, and I enjoyed being asked to join them. Everyone from the village was there, and the mother would constantly come across her friends.

The meal endured for ages, and after many hours of staring at my plate, I decided that I couldn’t carry on like this But every time this happened I felt almost completely ignored. I was rarely spoken to, just spoken about in Catalan,

TRAVEL Thursday, 18 October 2018

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The mother didn’t react to this very well, telling me that it’s “normal not to know anyone who’s the same age whilst being an au pair”, and that if I “tried harder to listen to the Catalan would actually understand”. I was certain this would mark the end of my stay in Spain. However, this was in fact the turning point that made this trip such a valuable experience.

The German au pair spoke almost perfect English and we became close friends, bonding over the ups and downs of au pairing.

and I

couldn’t join in.

Of course, it was my fault that I hadn’t learnt enough Catalan, but there wasn’t much I could do about it at this point.

This reached a climax on one night when my host family asked me to join them for supper at a restaurant with some friends of theirs. I attempted to ask their friends about themselves in Spanish, but after this, the conversation remained exclusively in Catalan. I barely spoke or understood the conversation for the rest of the evening. The meal endured for ages, and after many hours of staring at my plate, I decided that I couldn’t carry on like this.

I was rarely spoken to, just spoken about in Catalan, and I couldn’t join in To try and solve the problem, the next day, I asked the mother if there was anyone she knew that was a similar age to me that I could meet up with. Explaining that I was feeling lonely and that I was struggling with the Catalan, I thought that getting to know someone my age, and making a new friend, would stop me from feeling so excluded.

Clearly aware that I was upset, the mother decided to contact two people: a local girl of a similar age to me, and another family who had a German au pair. Both of these girls got hold of me, and I met up with them several times. Communicating with the local Catalan girl through Spanish, I joined her and her friends as they went to celebrate the last night of the fiesta.

I experienced Catalan culture with them whilst, at last, feeling included. The German au pair spoke almost perfect English and we became close friends, bonding over the ups and downs of au pairing. I’m fairly certain that it was this friendship that made me stay in Spain.

It felt amazing to have learnt a language that allowed this to happen I continued to meet more people who I could finally talk to in Spanish. On a free day, I went to Tarragona, but when I decided to return home, my bus didn’t appear.

Beginning to worry, I asked for help in Spanish from a woman standing nearby who was waiting for the same bus.

It is a place that I would never have ventured to if I hadn’t suddenly decided to be an au pair this summer It turned out that she had been living in Brighton for the past three years but was home to visit her family. We talked about all sorts of things, and I felt so lucky to have this connection with a stranger at a random bus stop in Spain.

It felt amazing to have learnt a language that allowed this to happen.

The highlight of the trip was my stay in Barcelona. With a couple of free days I met up with a friend in the city, staying in a youth hostel where so many young people from across the world were staying.

MUSIC Thursday, 18 October 2018

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Pop ballads and Unfulfilled Potential

Music reviews Jorja Smith at the O2 Academy Newcastle

During the first half of the gig, Jorja Smith didn’t seem particularly invested in what she was singing. It came across as very pre-rehearsed and lacked the freedom, adaptive qualities and spontaneity of a live performance, instead attempting to imitate the airbrushed recorded tracks.

By Fran Howard Music Editor music@palatinate.org.uk

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ecently shortlisted for the Mercury Prize last month, alongside the likes of Sons of Kemet and Everything is Recorded, singer-songwriter Jorja Smith has attracted much critical attention for her honeyed vocals and masterful lyricism, showcased in her much-anticipated album Lost and Found. The Walsall-born 21-year old is playing around the UK this month following her debut album release before continuing her tour overseas.

She plays it safe, while ultimately guaranteeing its success Earlier this year Smith was announced as the recipient of the 11th Brit Critics’ Choice Award, certainly well-deserved after an impressive year of releases, which included collaborations with Drake on two tracks of his album ‘More Life’ - ‘Get it Together’ and ‘Jorja Interlude’ - followed by a couple of guest appearances at his shows. In January, Smith released the single ‘Let Me Down’ featuring Stormzy, but some listeners may be more familiar with her feature on the Kendrick Lamar’s soundtrack album for Black Panther as cowriter and singer of ‘I am’. Jorja Smith has made some powerful friends in the industry but has since moved onto bigger things in her solo career; she’s certainly come a long way since releasing her debut single ‘Blue Lights’ on Soundcloud in 2016.

I was fortunate enough to catch her performance at the Newcastle 02 Academy. The sell-out gig attracted quite a young crowd of eager 19-year-olds, many of whom knew all the lyrics. Her heavily R&B and pop-inspired album certainly appeals to the generation of ‘sing-along’ fans. She plays it safe, while ultimately guaranteeing its success.

Nevertheless, the gig was an enjoyable experience. Jorja Smith brings a sense of

She carries a quiet confidence, keeping her cards close to her chest self-assurance and serenity to the stage, aptly accompanied by the incense sticks rested on drummer Femi Koleoso’s kit. Six large, retro lamps were placed behind the band with soft light beams, carefully curated for soft silhouettes and an ethereal backdrop for Smith’s graceful entrance. In contrast to the dark, brooding and highlycharged performance of her support act (South East London’s reggae artist Mina Rose), Smith opted for a more statuesque pose and let her vocals do the work. She displayed incredible control in her upper range during ‘Goodbyes’ – showing off her classically trained vocals with astonishing fluency and ease – supported by a pareddown guitar accompaniment of open and broken chords.

It came across as very prerehearsed and lacked the freedom and spontaneity of a live performance...

It goes without saying, her voice is incredibly mature and versatile, yet it is also the connective tissue which brings the album together. Smith grew up listening to reggae, Neo-soul and has previously listed Amy Winehouse and Mos Def as two of her musical heroes. Sometimes her soothing vocals are reminiscent of James Blake and Lauryn Hill, while at other points, take ‘Don’t Watch Me Cry’ for example, her vocals are notably more ‘Adele-esque’.

About halfway through their set during ‘Lifeboats (freestyle)’, the band (who up to this point were incredibly tight but seemed a little despondent) really came into their own, with the drummer and the guitarist taking short solos.

They seemed to be enjoying the gig more and were interacting with and playing off each other. At the end of the song, longstanding drummer Femi broke into an energetic improvisation demonstrating his incredible technical virtuosity, something which I felt had been missed in the rest of the set. Benjamin Totten’s subtle guitar solos occasionally emerged through the texture in earlier songs, but here he took centre stage. His solo began as a soulful reflection with strong jazz influences, but quickly erupted into some heavy metal shredding. These glimpses of the sheer talent of the band members, with their plethora of musical influences, felt like an opportunity missed – something which Jorja Smith could have drawn on.

So, where next? Attending her gig at the Newcastle 02 Academy confirmed what I already knew – Jorja Smith is incredibly talented singer and a real joy to listen to. But to put it plainly, Smith has found herself stuck in a rut, performing the same songs every night with very little artistic freedom. She’s playing it safe, but she also carries a quiet confidence, keeping her cards close to her chest. Perhaps her most ambitious work is yet to come.

Image by Justin Higuchi via Flickr Creative Commons

STAGE 9

Thursday, 18 October 2018

How to make it big at the Edinburgh Fringe

By Kishore Thiagarajan Stage Editor stage@palatinate.org.uk

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ach summer thousands of budding thesps descend upon Edinburgh for a month of jampacked theatre, bipolar weather, and ridiculously overpriced alcohol. But amongst the hundreds of shows, ranging from comedy to cabaret, what is it that makes a student show stand out in Edinburgh? We talk to four student directors from Durham whose Edinburgh shows all had success this summer.

interviewed and talked about our creative vision for the show and the difficulties we confronted in directing such a convoluted script.’ This was a very fortunate opportunity for Chambers and Snider as they were met with critical acclaim for their interpretation of one of Kane’s most divisive works.

“Use the contacts you might have”

“Keep emailing - you will get a reply” ‘I originally went to the Fringe when I was 18 in the summer before I started at Durham’, says Hetty Hodgson, director of Fourth Wall’s Yen which enjoyed a successful Fringe run this August. ‘We did a school production of Sartre’s No Exit, and I loved it.’ It’s no surprise that Hodgson opted to return to the Fringe this year, taking Anna Jordan’s Yen to C Venues. ‘We were really lucky because Anna Jordan herself sent us an adjusted script of the play, cutting it down to 75 minutes to make it fit a Fringe venue slot.’

Along with making sure that the show fit the demands of the Fringe, Hodgson made sure get the word out there – ‘it’s so important at the festival to contact press agencies and reviewers. We were really lucky to get in some good reviewers which massively enhanced ticket sales.’ The only way to do it, Hodgson admits, is to ‘be persistent and not take no for an answer.’

Equally proactive and hard working to get the ball rolling were co-directors Alice Chambers and Helena Snider, who took Crave by Sarah Kane to The Space Venues.

They specifically chose a studio theatre with thrust seating owing to their intimate creative vision for the play. ‘Our producer, Katie O’Toole luckily had contacts within Edinburgh University’s Television department. They do short videos at the festival which are uploaded online’, remarks Chambers. ‘Myself and Helena were

for a more exciting show. A performance at one of the big venues certainly gives you a head start at getting your show out there. However, this is not the same for the Free Fringe and Andrew Cowburn, president of the sketch group, Keith, who notes that ‘the personable selling of the show is paramount for audience size.’ Cowburn adds that ‘like every other show, you find yourself needing to commit spending a lot of your time on the [Royal] Mile, promoting and canvassing your show. But, with the Free Fringe, there is an added difficulty due to the fact that other venues have the ability to put more money into publicity campaigns.’ They overcame this through the positive reception of ‘Keith Presents Kevin’ which meant that word got around and the troupe could spend more time tightening the show.

“Focus on the work and the show you’re there to do” Unlike Yen and Crave who enjoyed their Durham student debuts this year, The Durham Revue are Fringe veterans, and have been performing at the Underbelly for quite a number of years now. Hamish Lloyd Barnes, current president of the Revue, says that the sketch troupe have a good working relationship with their venue staff. He even mentions that in one sketch this year the ‘venue manager came on stage in one our sketches and played a dead body.’ Having these familiar faces makes for a nice change at a festival full of thousands of unfamiliar faces and competing comedy shows. This is one of the major challenges: ‘You do constantly get compared to previous years of the Revue and other university sketch groups’ says Lloyd Barnes. The Revue are lucky to have people come see the show every year, but sometimes there is the tendency to compare it to previous years. He mentions however that the main thing is to focus on the work. ‘We keep it fresh each show by adding in some new bits and bouncing off each other.’ Lloyd Barnes says opting for a ‘rougher and ready’ approach makes

There is no set formula for the Edinburgh fringe, but this unpredictability can lead to one of the best experiences of your year. Durham routinely support shows to go to the Fringe, so make sure you don’t miss out and get thinking on ways to get involved yourself – either on or off-stage – at the biggest arts festival in the world.

Images via Durham Student Theatre

FOOD AND DRINK 10

Thursday, 18 October 2018

New year, new meals Food and Drink reveal the kitchen cupboard basics they could not go without

By Piers Eaton, Constance Lam and Rebecca Russell food@palatinate.org.uk

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e students haven’t much time to plan our meals, and we have even less time to cook them! When we’re in a rush, it can be helpful to know you have ingredients in your cupboard that will transform any haphazard meal into a truly delectable dish.

Herbs and spices are so easy to use, and get this: they actually make your meals taste of something. Paprika is an absolute must have, and you can chuck a bit over macaroni cheese, hummus, chilli con carne or roast potatoes to add a bit of oomph. Oregano is essential when it comes to veggies, and spreading generous amounts over roasted butternuts, broccoli, peppers and onions (before sticking the veg into a lasagne or risotto!) guarantees top notch flavour with very little effort.

Condiments are absolutely not a waste of money; they can be used as main components in your meals, rather than just a dip.

Wholegrain mustard: Add a teaspoon to mashed potato, to pasta sauces, or to ANYTHING with sausage in it. You can even stir some into plain yoghurt to make a quick dressing for boiled potatoes or salads.

What student kitchen would be complete without a bottle of soy sauce?

Hint: light soy sauce can be used in larger amounts in a stir fry, whilst dark soy sauce is the real punchy stuff added almost last in the stir fry process. Soy sauce and honey (in

a 2:1 ratio) is a winning marinade for chicken. Throw some over chicken thighs, roast for 25 minutes, and you’ve got a flavourful accompaniment to those weekly stir fries!

Stock cubes make everything more flavourful.

Sesame oil has become an essential for me. It is surprisingly useful, allowing you to easily add flavour to a variety of foods, ranging from tofu to peppers to straight to

wok noodles. It adds flavour to foods that are otherwise lacking in it and enhances the present flavours in any food. It’s perfect for a stir fry, for frying up white meats or even as a dressing.

Melt a beef stock cube into bolognese or chilli for a more earthy flavour, and boil rice or risotto in stock as opposed to plain water for more satisfying grains. Stock is also, obviously, the essential component of soup, soup being the key dish for clearing colds, and for throwing all your leftover food into and blending, to save on food waste!

Breakfast cereals are an easy snack option, so they are worth having around, and go well with non-dairy milk. Soy, almond, cashew, oat milk have longer shelf lives than dairy milk, so are great in trasit. They can be kept out of the fridge until opened, and they are rich in protein and minerals, and low in fat.

Raisins (or a dried fruit of your choice).

Need to make your cereal more exciting?

Want to impress your mates with yet another veg curry?

Raisins make everything interesting, mainly because we don’t expect to find them in half of the dishes you can legitimately use them in. Coronation chicken? Add raisins.

Literally any sweet Christmas recipe? Raisins are a must. Spiced couscous? Go on.

Stick some raisins in. If you don’t like raisins, dried dates or apricots are just as valid an addition to any of these dishes.

Flour.

Sounds hilarious, but you’ll be thanking us when you fancy a quick, cheap pizza.

Mix flour, salt, water and a little oil together to make a dough, roll out, plonk whatever you fancy on top and bake for 20 minutes.

Job done. Flour is also essential for emergency procrastibaking sessions, and for thickening soups and sauces.

Instant Noodles: Maggi, Mi-Goreng, Instant Ramen, Tom Yum soup noodles … there are so many varieties of instant noodles available which make for an easy meal in a pinch.

Image credit: Creative Commons

FOOD AND DRINK Thursday, 18 October 2018

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Sustainable Shopping in Durham Food and Drink gives their five easiest ways to shop for food sustainably

By Sioned Graves food@palatinate.org.uk

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ustainability has been a bit of a buzz word in recent years, and most shops or companies nowadays have some kind of ‘sustainable’ or ‘green’ growth plan. It’s no surprise considering all the environmental crises that our consumer society is currently facing, but for the average student on a tight budget, trying to live sustainably can often seem too daunting a task.

However, my proposal is that shopping sustainably as a student in Durham is not as unattainable as it sounds, particularly in the realm of food. We live in a thriving market town where there are almost as many independent food shops/stalls as there are chain supermarkets. These small businesses often supply more ethical options than the average local supermarket.

As well, there are still ways of making the best out of your local Tesco’s or Sainsbury’s that still invest in sustainable practices.

Here are five ways you can adopt a greener approach to your food shop:

1) Buy meat less often, and when you do, buy quality.

3) Go plastic free as much as possible

The corporate meat industry has some practices that seriously threaten the environment. It’s also widely hailed that the Western diet is far too meat heavy, and that we should all cut down on the amount of red meat that we eat. Why not kill two birds with one stone by buying less frequently and going for the free range or organic options when you do?

Although going completely plasticfree may be unrealistic for many of us, there are still easy ways of cutting down.

When you can, buy loose fruit and veg, choose glass/paper packaging over plastic when you have the option and invest in some sturdy tote bags instead of having to buy new plastic ones every few months.

2) Shop independent We are blessed in Durham in that we have an extensive indoor market, weekly outdoor markets, and many independent grocers and bakeries. By supporting these businesses, you will not only be supporting the local economy in a way that you couldn’t by shopping in a chain supermarket, you will also be supporting businesses that often supply more ethical options, such as local, seasonal produce and less plastic wrap.

4) Go organic Even though this may be the hardest practice for students on a budget, it’s still worth highlighting the enormous benefits of buying organic. Organic food follows strict regulations that mean that farmers and growers very rarely use any chemicals in the growing/rearing process, and practices tend to be far more sustainable and environmentally friendly. It’s also claimed that organic foods are better health-wise, as pesticide traces often still make it into our mouths when we eat non-organic foods. Even though you may not be able to stretch your purse to always buy organic, consider what foods you can afford.

5) Buy local and seasonal.

This is a tip that shouldn’t make a large dent in your bank account, but does make a huge impact on your carbon footprint.

Know what is in season and shop accordingly, whilst looking out for local food.

My general rule is that I always try and buy British produce when possible, I will stretch out to other European countries when not, and then only buy from countries further afield when absolutely necessary.

I would urge you to give at least some of these a try, and as you get more and more into the habit of thinking ‘green’, maybe

branch out into the harder options. A big part of university education, after all, is the process of becoming responsible citizens, and environmental issues are some of the biggest problems that our generation will face in future.

Image Credit: Max Goebel via Creative commons

VISUAL ARTS 12

Thursday, 18 October 2018

What is the meaning behind Banksy’s shredder-stunt?

By Harriet Willis visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk

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he self-destruction of Banksy’s £1 million painting immediately after being purchased at an auction has sent the internet into a flurry of debate as people try to search for the real meaning behind this dramatic stunt. The anonymous artist’s iconic ‘Girl with Balloon’ was bought at Sotheby’s in London last Friday, however the transaction did not go smoothly. Instead, after the winning bidder was declared, the piece was destroyed by a shredder concealed within the picture frame. In true twenty-first century style, Banksy later posted a photograph on Instagram that was fittingly captioned “Going, going, gone…”.

the price of art is becoming a way to facilitate self-indulgence; Videos circulating the internet understandably focus on the million-pound piece being helplessly torn into tiny little strips. However, the main spectacle is really the panic on people’s faces when they realise their money is worthless, now that the original, intact piece is impossible to buy. Alex Branczik, the senior director of Sotheby’s was in the same state of disbelief, commenting “we just got Bansky-ed”.

In this sense, it’s possible to argue that Banksy is suggesting that art is becoming consumed by money, where every piece has become synonymous with an assigned monetary worth. Or, that the price of art is becoming a way to facilitate self-indulgence; all of the money offered at the auction for this piece could have been used for something so much more important than a shredded masterpiece.

Our obsession with the creator and not the quality of what has been created, has given Banksy a Midas touch Other speculators have differing views, believing that Banksy in fact was trying to help the art market through increasing the worth of his painting. The famous – yet half-destroyed – piece is now believed

Listings:

to have doubled in value; it is no longer merely an image in a frame, but it has instead become part of a performance, meticulously orchestrated by Banksy.

Yet, even this debate about whether or not the painting is worth more torn into bits has undertones of insanity. Our obsession with the creator and not the quality of what has been created, has given Banksy a Midas touch. Rather than being assigned a new price depending on the quality of the artwork, it seems the worth of anything he touches immediately increases. Although I am lacking in artistic skill, others must surely agree that no one wants to pay over £2 million for a halfshredded bit of art?

Images from Google via Creative Commons

Rasheed Araeen, A Retrospective at the BALTIC: The first survey of the Pakistani minimalist artists work, this two-level exhibition explores the development of his work over 60 years. Accessible by train from Durham station to Newcastle. Opens 19th October.

Exposed: The Naked portrait at the Laing Art Gallery: A series of nude or semi-nude portraits by an extensive range of photographers, from David Bailey to Tracey Emin, from the National Portrait Gallery collection. Accessible by train from Durham station to Newcastle. Opens 27th October.

Auckland Tower Opening Day at Auckland Castle: With music, tours and talks by curators, the opening day for the new Auckland tower and its panoramic views will inaugurate the site with community artwork and activities. Accessible by the 6 Bus from Durham bus station to Bishop Auckland Market place, 20th October.

‘To Serve King and Country’: Exploring the role of Teesdale in the First World War at the Bowes Museum: Exploring life at home and in the front, this exhibition displays research into the community reception and response of the first World War in Teesdale. Accessible by train from Durham Station to Darlington, followed by the X75 bus from Darlington to Galgate. Opens 20th October.

VISUAL ARTS 13

Thursday, 18 October 2018

Should galleries ban the use of mobile phones?

FOR: Jasmine Kaler

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he digital detox that has emerged in 2018, with the sale of dumb phones and the like, is easily dismissed as the grumbling of technophobes; yet ignoring the preaching that encourages us to ‘look up’ can mean important questions are ignored. The appreciation of art requires time and attention, two things we are giving to our smartphones in greater quantities at the expense of the world around us. It is necessary for galleries to prohibit the use of mobile phones to restore the once responsive and attentive audiences to our galleries.

In 2016 a photo by Gijsbert van der Wal of a group of children in front of a Rembrandt masterpiece went viral. The image of a dozen kids staring down shows how easy it is for children and adults alike to look down instead of up and miss a masterpiece right in front of them.

The energy of a gallery will invariably sound clichéd but its importance should not be underestimated. The presence of art (this can apply to other forms of expression) and engaged, contemplative people creates an atmosphere in which the art can achieve its full potential. In many ways, it is unfair to deprive artists of this audience (and placing the responsibility to recapture this on the doorsteps of galleries seems reasonable). Marina Abramovic banned the use of phones during her performance piece at the Serpentine saying “We want people to come as they are, with nothing, as I am… From that energy, every day is different”. If we compare this to the approach of Yayoi Kusama, whose dots created an Instagram rage and undoubtedly benefited from the publicity, it seems that the artist may be the best authority on this matter.

It will be called archaic and patronising to impose such a restriction, but it is time for galleries to confront the impact of phones head on. The idea that technology reigns free and unregulated is not an unfamiliar concern.

It is becoming increasingly common for artists to ban the use of phones at concerts. Jack White recently banned them from his upcoming tour, his manager saying in a statement “we think you’ll enjoy looking up from your gadgets for a little while and experiencing music and our shared love of it in person.”

Is it better for selfie enthusiasts to be in the gallery and look, however briefly, at the art that surrounds them? The answer is no.

It is one thing filling an Opera house with people but if the sounds of the orchestra are reduced to background music or become a snapchat video the value of the art is impacted.

AGAINST: Stella Botes

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efore writing this, I had been distracted by approximately 4:43 minutes worth of Tasty videos. However I was also able to get the low-down on Frieze London in my email inbox, and to listen to a podcast discussing Banksy’s recent auction-shredding stunt (covered below). When we disparage technology for all its new-age distractions and pollutions, we overlook vast and valuable caches of information.

This approach is perpetrated when galleries and museums ban phones from their exhibitions. Notoriously reluctant to change, theswe institutions cultivate a cultural lethargy towards the integration of technology and culture, an integration ever more important in our modern era. Rather than sweeping the issue out of mind with blanket bans, galleries should be grasping the opportunities offered by phones with the excitement they accord; Smartify lets users scan works via their phone camera for more information, galleries can offer sitemaps to save users losing themselves in their labyrinthine complexes, audio guides could be transferred to phones to save money and material.

Not only technological permission but technological integration and innovation are of paramount importance to the art industry. Accusations of inaccessibility and elitism have consistently plagued the art world - if institutions are to be truly publicserving, then they must serve the full spectrum of the public. For those who find visiting galleries difficult, digitised collections are a cultural oasis and source of comfort. Audio description could help blind people to engage with work, with similar mediums being used for learning disabled children and adults.

Furthermore, as noted in the governments Culture Is Digital report published earlier this year audiences are ‘no longer passive receivers of culture’.

Much contemporary art requires or is enhanced by the use of mobile phones as young artists recognise the power of their work across various mediums. Taking a photo is no longer simply an act of personal preservation, nor commodification or commercialisation; it is an artistic practice and dialogue between artist and consumer.

Without acknowledging and celebrating the potential of phone use, our galleries and cultural institutions will be left floundering in an antiquated and out of touch ether of our culture, consistently trailing at the heels of technology. This is not a palatable vision for the galleries of 2018.

Images from Google via Creative Commons

CREATIVE WRITING Thursday, 18 October 2018

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Independence, Individuality & Identity Old Start, New Start

By Abigail Smith-Buckle It was around that time, when she had to leave home yet again, that the feelings of anxiety gripped her, twisting her insides as if they were to become luscious plaits.

She was the only one from her island, and no less catapulted into a totally different sea. Far from the haven of the capital, she had to face a stark truth; she was definitely unique to the eye. She was a copper coin on a glass table.

Here lay the struggle within: ought she to be herself completely, without fear, or yield under the pressures of standard, assumption and myth? It was challenging, because everything she did was far more pronounced, far more obvious, and far more likely to be judged.

Who are you? And me, I am your soul, your being I lie in wait, within, inside To endorse your awakening, no more shall you hide In the bleakness, the sorrow or the joy Of the shadow you followed, let the former die Are you scared to surrender The person familiar To your loved ones, family and friends?

If you think you can feed this façade any longer I’m here to inform you, here lies its end You are made beautiful Not a moment too early or soon Indeed, the margins are fine Shaped in a haven

A Place That Is Mine

By Holly Parkinson you will adopt her bricks and mortar that crumble and you find debris in your court shoes ten years later with spires etched into your skin spring gentian pools at your ankles always your beautiful stronghold the walls that take you in when you first meet to tell you of safety and longing and wanting, wanting you will cry for her when you hear her bells sing the flowers that seed from you make their own pilgrimage, flanked in soft palatinate you reach out for her countless times, give her all you can bleed. she will match you she will catch you every time, every time.

Identity of an Hour-Glass

By Izzy Rubens My identity trails vanity and strives for verification, I want to drip admiration.

I seek and long to stand out, alone, woven of golden thread, ambrosia of modernity.

But I want to be a cog in the clock of the crowd.

I want to fit in, suit the love which others dole out in strict dosages.

My individuality is a battered box under the stampede of the masses.

Bend here, flex there, tighter, tighter, harder, harder, move your body until your heart burns and cries.

An apple a day keeps the pear hips away.

Sit for too long and morph into the endo, Become soft playdough, a lump of it, pricked with four legos.

But careful now, stretch wrong and fall into the ruler, the banana, the bad fats, the wrong thins.

Hour-glass, the sand trickles and falls from your workout.

You twist your waist into petite, you thrust your legs into sexy.

You become the forbidden fruit through forbidding yourself.

BOOKS 15

Thursday, 18 October 2018

Chinua Achebe: ‘The Father of the African novel’ Books explores the impact of Achebe’s work on the Western Canon

By Katie Fraser books@palatinate.org.uk

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lack History Month gives the opportunity to celebrate and remember the efforts made by black people in the past that have been overlooked due to systematic racism and prejudice. Along with acknowledging those important figures that have been forgotten, it also is the chance to reflect on our own ingrained societal racism and the Western predilection towards white history as opposed to human history.

obliquely contrasting the customs of Igbo culture with the knowledge that Western readers will be alien to this; it was his intention to create an uncomfortable dichotomy between past and present, forgotten and remembered that exists between Europe and Africa.

Achebe created a voice, a cacophony of truth that reaches beyond the confines of the page Achebe purposefully manipulates these differing perceptions through a careful stylistic balance between Western and African notions of time and spatial temporality. In Things Fall Apart, the instability caused by missionary arrivals parallels the political turmoil of 1950s Nigeria.

‘I realised that was not me, and that the story had to be told again.’

Achebe, the ‘father of the African novel’, created a voice for the previously unheard and evokes this human history in his work.

His writing focused on the perspective of the colonialized, rather than the imperialists. In Achebe’s view, Western literature needed to be effectively rewritten: ‘The moment I realised in reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness that I was not supposed to be part of Marlow’s crew sailing down the Congo to a bend in the river, but I was one of those on the shore, jumping and clapping and making faces and so on, then I realised that was not me, and that the story had to be told again.’

Things Fall Apart is an archetypal example of his work. Written from the opposing perspective – that of those who were forced into slavery, rather than the guilt of those who perpetuated the evil. Achebe manipulates the reader’s sympathies throughout the novel by

or compared to any religion. Instead, it is a symbol of love in its most virtuous yet desperate form. Refugee Mother and Child is a microcosm of Achebe’s writing as, like all his work, it is a form of remembrance, he gives those that are forgotten and cannot speak a voice – one that is infused with the anger of being too long unheard.

His work transcends any formal boundaries of time as the unification of past, present, and future removes it from any rigid historical context.

Achebe’s poem Refugee Mother and Child is perhaps one of his most haunting reflections of the Nigerian Biafran War that finds echoes in the current Syrian and Rohingya refugee crises. It addresses the worst pain a mother can endure – watching helplessly as her child suffers.

Achebe draws from Christian imagery of the ‘Madonna and Child’ to demonstrate that such a relationship holds a purity that cannot be ascribed

In Vultures, the morality of the Nazis is dealt with alongside the capability of love and evil to co-exist. His work transcends any formal boundaries of time as the unification of past, present, and future removes it from any rigid historical context. In doing so, Achebe created a voice, a cacophony of truth that reaches beyond the confines of the page to fill the gaping silences of historical and fictional writing.

Image by United Nations Photo Flickr via Creative Commons

THE indigo INTERVIEW 16

Thursday, 18th October 2018

‘The margin has become the centre’ - in conversation with Simon Armitage

By Shauna Lewis and Aimee Dickinson books@palatinate.org.uk

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rior to his talk at Durham Book Festival, Simon Armitage discussed with us the influences on his poetry, the London-centric nature of publishing and how it feels to be known as a GCSE text across the UK.

How much of your poetry is influenced by your childhood in West Yorkshire, is it important for you to retain that influence in your work?

Do you think that idea is still there now?

No, I think that’s all gradually broken down and the scene is far more dispersed now. The idea that the margin has become the centre, is one that I’ve taken a lot of confidence from.

I think it has become more important than when I started writing. I came back to the North after I’d been at Portsmouth University studying Geography and I came back home through a kind of complacency. I didn’t have much ambition and it was an easy place for me to come back to. I think it suited me at times to be nonmetropolitan and it tied into a lot of the anti-London sentiments that I had back then. The longer I’ve stayed in the North, the more intrigued I’ve become and the more I travel it’s become a place I come back to. I’ve noticed that I write mostly about the North when I’m not there, it gives me chance to fantasize and mythologize about it.

The publishing industry is quite London-centric, how important do you think events like Durham Book Festival are?

I think the North is a much more confident place than it used to be, especially in literary terms. That’s been bolstered by publishing firms like Carcanet and Bloodaxe. When I started, there was a sense that you needed to be in London, you needed a London publisher, you needed to be seen in the right bars and you needed to network.

A lot of students will know your work from the school curriculum. How do feel about your works being deconstructed in an academic context?

It definitely opens up new audiences.

Students have been studying my work at GCSE and A-Level for the best part of twenty years now. That’s a delight, it’s a privilege to put work in front of people.

Especially younger people, who don’t have the tramlines of literary criticism and will often respond personally to a poem in the spirit of which it’s been written. I’ll often point out to them that these poems weren’t written with the idea of being studied, that’s a happy coincidence.

I don’t know whether it diminishes the experience of the poem or not, it didn’t for me when I was at school.

For those people in the class whom it appeals to, I think having a relatively contemporary poet on the syllabus can only be a good thing.

There’s a big spoken word scene in Durham, do you have any advice for aspiring poets?

Image via Wikimedia Commons

If you write poetry you write with a sense of identity, which is centred in your idiolect. The idiolect comes from your upbringing and you’re trying to be true to yourself. I’m not saying there aren’t prejudices any more, that there isn’t still a strong London scene, but I think it’s a bit easier now.

About ten years ago people were always telling me young people weren’t interested in language and I refused to believe that.

It’s always seemed to me that younger people are ferociously interested in language, it just might not be the language that I speak or my contemporaries speak or write. Whether it’s texting, blogging or spoken word, the energy and the appetite for doing intricate things with language seems to be as prevalent as ever. I think it’s really energized the whole poetry scene. I don’t have any advice other than if it feels good do it. God that’s terrible, it’s like something you’d have on a t-shirt.