Indigo 811

indigo 811

EDITORIAL Thursday, 15 November 2018

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www.palatinate.org.uk

TRAVEL 3 In Guatemala, all roads lead to Lanquin FASHION 4-5 The Street Style Edition: Bill Bryson FILM AND TV 6 Do you have a moral obligation to choose what you watch?

CREATIVE WRITING 7 There’s no money in poetry, but there’s no poetry in money either.

BOOKS 8 What’s waiting for us in the Brave New World?

FOOD AND DRINK 9 Please Theresa, can I have some more?

MUSIC 10 & 11 Takeo takes on Tokyo Oliver Francis. Remember the Name.

VISUAL ARTS 12 Art and Sponsorship: Where do our ethics lie?

STAGE 13 Is love for Shakespeare dying in schools?

FEATURES 14 & 15 Ode to Autumn Durham’s Secret Tower INTERVIEW 16 ‘We do not shy away from controversial speakers’

Whilst clearing my inbox this week I stumble across the update from the Opportunities Officer, Charlie Walker in which he asked ‘Where next for student media in Durham’?

It’s a good question.

Student media has always been an essential part of the student experience. Whether sharing stories, providing opinions or offering advice, student journalism is a vital outlet for self expression and exploration. Within these pages we attempt to provide a forum for discussion, provoke debate and enable students to share their views as equals.

With an Student Publication Association award already under our belts and a BBC Highly Commended in the bag, Palatinate is thriving. As Charlie points out we are lucky to have such strong student talent in Durham.

But this is more than an innate gift, or an unobtainable talent. It’s time and energy, blood, sweat and coffee that keeps this paper running. It’s also thanks to our team of over fifty people that we are able to continue to print.

However, there’s only so much that sheer enthusiasm can do. With limited resources and rapidly aging technology each edition is a battle against the computers we call George, Henry and Jeremy. This battle is also evident online as we try and adapt our recent content to an outdated template. Charlie is right, we do need web development, new software and equipment to match our competitors, and to continually beat our own success. Where this will come from is the question.

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) Frankie Reffell (deputy) FOOD & DRINK EDITORS Rebecca Russell Piers Eaton (deputy) TRAVEL EDITORS Patrick Noren FILM & TV EDITORS Hugh Johnson MUSIC EDITORS Fran Howard Tom Watling INTERVIEW Nathan Kelly Zue Wei Long

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Email indigo@palatinate.org.uk

TRAVEL 3

Thursday, 15 November 2018

In Guatemala, all roads lead to Lanquín Margo Dmochowska travel@palatinate.org.uk

Travel recounts an adventurous journey through the Guatemalan Rainforst

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fter an eventful few days in Flores, which included hitchhiking there from the Belizean border with some students, getting whiplash from a homemade rope swing at Lago Petén Itzá – as well as experiencing some more ‘standard’ touristic attractions, like the sunset hike through the monkey howling jungles that surrounded the ancient Mayan ruins at Tikal – the four of us were ready to conquer our next stop, Lanquín.

Once again ... it seems that the conversation we had with the driver got lost in translation At our hostel we were told that it would cost around $10-15 to get a direct bus to Lanquín. With the promise of beautiful cascading waterfalls and rock pools, we walked to the bus station. We got on, what the locals call, the chicken bus – no actual relation to chickens intended at this point, just a ramshackle of a minibus. The bus stopped at its final destination and we were told that we would have to transfer to a different one. Of course the bus station was across the river, so off we went to pay the local Charon to transport our innocent souls across the Styx in a boat that just about floated.

Confident that we would make it this time, we relaxed for a short while before being told that we had to get off and wait for another bus. Trying to stop cars to hitchhike proved futile so we asked a local shop for some cardboard; it was finally time to exasperate all our options and make

desperate signs in our broken Spanglish.

After finally being told that the next bus would not come until tomorrow, we tried our luck with hitchhiking once more. Waving our hands like airport traffic control seemed to be the winning tactic, and we climbed into the open back of a 4 x 4 truck.

Once again, however, it seems that the conversation we had with the driver got lost in translation. He did not drop us off in a village, or any place with human civilisation for that matter. He dropped us off on the crossroads in the middle of the rainforest. With the sun setting, hope came once again - in the form of a truck this time. There was no space at the front and he had a full load, so he took us round the side where there was a small hatch.

Funnily enough, the possibility of getting kidnapped did not seem that bad at this point if we could actually get somewhere. He opened it and to our surprise – which took a lot by this point – we heard a friendly ‘Hola!’ before seeing a lone Guatemalan man sitting in the dark hatch holding a beer.

The truck came to a stop and we got off in the middle of the rainforest, the only road before us consisted of pure mud and the driver told us that he would not be going any further. He also mentioned that the walk up to Lanquín was quite dangerous, and proceeded to emphasise his point by showing us the gun that was strapped to his side. After over an hour of hiking we were beginning to lose hope but eventually we reached a small village. We managed to spot a man outside by his car and, taking pity on

us, he said that we could sleep in his shed.

At first, the shed seemed normal. Yet after a closer look, a few aberrant things in the room started to catch our tired eyes.

In the back there were nooses. By the side lay a wooden workbench covered in bloodstains. Taking in our surroundings with a pertinent disquiet, feeling vulnerable and slightly apprehensive, something flew at us with great velocity. Naturally we screamed, frightened by the beast before us. Alas when it stood up, we realised that this supposed Goliath was of no great size after all, though it was in fact, a chicken.

Being tense from the day’s events, we broke down with bewildered tears of laughter and later on, decided to name the chicken Arthur – he made quite an impression on us.

It made our journey there feel like literary bathos - a story that no one would believe Following a short and rather restless sleep, we rose up, said goodbye to Arthur, and made our way to Lanquín on the 5 am bus. When we finally arrived at the hostel - 12 hours late for our check in - it made our journey there feel like literary bathos.

A story that no one would believe. It is still unfathomable to think that, despite becoming lost numerous times (in places that I will never know the name of) we found our way. It seems as though in Guatemala, all roads will lead you to Lanquín.

Image Credits via Google via Creative Coomons

FASHION 4

Thursday, 15 November 2018

Chiara Brogi, Butler, Anthropology and International Relations, @claire.te

George Acquaah, St. Joh

The Street S Bill B Chloe Djorbua, Hild Bede, Physics, @cerlohee and Charlie Frankcon, Van Mildert, Chemistry

By Anna Gibbs, Ana Hamilton and Frankie Reffell fashion@palatinate.org.uk

Last edition we gave you Elvet. This week it’s the best of Billy. Winter is coming! Much to our surprise, the Billy B served up a refreshingly minimalist selection of coats and scarves, complemented by impressively strong footwear game (see buckles and chunky Dad trainers). Put down the teddy jacket slide out of those air force ones and take a lesson in layering from some of Durham’s finest.

For more Durham street style, go to: www.palatinate.org.uk

Photographs: Anna Gibbs @gibbsofengland

FASHION 5

hn’s, Philosophy, @george.acquaah

Style Edition: Bryson

Ruairi Pyrgos, Cuths, Nat Sci @redkingpyrghos

Thursday, 15 November 2018

Verity Laycock, Hild Bede, History, @veritylaycock

Josh Buys, Collingwood, English Literature, @joshpbuys

Ana Hamilton, Anthropology and Archaeology, Aidan’s, @ana_hamilton_

FILM & TV Thursday, 15 November

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Do you have a moral obligation to choose what you watch?

By Ben Summer film@palatinate.org.uk

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’ve never seen House of Cards. Over the summer, I had some free time, and was ready to start a belated binge, when the allegations made against Kevin Spacey earlier in the year sprung to mind. With the new, Spacey-less series coming out, it might be time to ask - is it wrong to enjoy House of Cards, in light of what we now know about its star?

ing figures, but have hinted strongly as to its success. It remains to be seen what damage Spacey’s departure will do, but a quick (perhaps ill-advised) glance at any YouTube comments section for the new trailers indicate that the most vocal fans – granted, not necessarily the majority

When you tug on this thread, a startling amount of Hollywood starts to unravel.

When you’re scrolling through Netflix, do you have a moral obligation to know if you’re about to watch a Weinstein film?

Do we start to mix our views on films, reflecting a change in society’s attitudes, with the actions of filmmakers? Is a badly written, oddly subservient, female character equally as bad as the despicable actions of a filmmaker in a position of power?

Our viewing habits do have a moral relevance The answer is surely no, but to create such a hierarchy might be doing more damage than good. Each action of defiance, in theory, should be equally important. Both the sexual abuse prevalent in Hollywood and the outdated attitudes towards female characters are abhorrent – almost certainly to different degrees, but reprehensible nonetheless. By this logic, our viewing habits do have a moral relevance.

It’s forgivable to just feel like a drop in the ocean. When facing up against the goliath of an industry that openly tolerated Weinstein and his ilk for years (watching Seth McFarlane’s awkwardly joke about him next to an uncomfortable Emma Stone in 2013 is particularly unfortunate in hindsight), a decision by one person, on one occasion, to not watch it, can seem futile.

House of Cards will be fine without me, or without you, or indeed without quite a lot of people. Netflix are coy about view-

children of the 1980s still found the videotapes of horror movies that she tried to ban, and years later online platforms are giving rise to shows like Rick and Morty, American Horror Story, and all kinds of others deemed, for various reasons, “not for TV”.

We have the benefit of hindsight for Whitehouse’s work, and can see that she tapped into a deep sense of fear in the minds of the parents of her era. #MeToo, for all its successes, continues to fight against a silent wave of opposition.

One person, maybe two, can stop watching House of Cards. More and more wonderfully brave people can speak out every day against tyrants like Weinstein. But change seems to cope only in drops, and never in a flood. The higher up you go, the more weight is behind actions – the launching of new accusations has the power to revitalise a movement, but the firing of a manipulative TV exec can effect ground-breaking change.

Our growing anonymity ... makes the general viewer feel totally voiceless

– have lost faith in the series. That being said, we all know they’ll still watch it, which begs a further question: is any success of the sixth season still riding the wave of Spacey’s popularity as Frank Underwood?

Has a boycott of a major film or TV franchise ever actually worked?

It all makes the head spin. House of Cards set aside, has a boycott of a major film or TV franchise ever actually worked? Perhaps the most notable example is Mary Whitehouse’s moral panics in the late 20th Century. The

As consumers, it’s unclear truly how much we fit into this chain of causation. Is the dismantling of the Hollywood status quo down to its support amongst the viewers, or a one-by-one process of victims stepping up? If ever there was a way for us all to ensure we have no voice in how the industry operates, it’s by sitting back, covering our ears, and pretending we aren’t to blame.

All that being said, it’s understandable why we feel like this. Our growing anonymity in an entertainment industry that favours instant gratification makes the general viewer feel totally voiceless.

Whilst it is commendable to change our viewing habits to make even the smallest of differences, it can only be forgiven if you feel like it’s simply not worth it.

Image from Google via Creative Commons

CREATIVE WRITING Thursday, 15 November 2018

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“There’s no money in poetry, but there’s no poetry in money either” Creative Writing investigates whether writing is still relevant in modern society

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By Carys Frost

efining the nature of poetry in today’s society seems to be a difficult task. Readers perceive the purpose of poetry, and its achievements very differently. However, poetry for me is extremely valuable, and not merely due to the fact that I study its form prolifically within my degree. I view this art form as an opportunity to reflect on life, feelings and experiences. In writing poetry, I feel that I am able to consider and reflect on the positives and negatives in daily life. It allows me and writers alike to confidently articulate thoughts, feelings and opinions in a safe creative space.

I view this art form as an opportunity to reflect on life, feelings and experiences Similarly, in reading poetry we are invited to engage with experiences of poets, and/ or understand their thoughts and feelings.

Thus, the art of writing and reading poetry becomes a somewhat shared experience; an advocate for togetherness. Many argue that poetry is a dying form and has no sense of purpose within present society; I must disagree with this. Poetry as an art form is merely adapting to societal changes; in terms of its content and circulation. Since its early origins, poetry has been regarded as a means of expression. This is still the case. However, poetry also now gives voice to marginalised societal groups to comment on the tensions, taboos and issues present today; a sort of social commentary.

Poems often engage with topics such as sexuality, culture and mental health. Subjects such as these were considered by previous poets, however these topics seem to me more prevalent within modern writings.

Poetry is merely adapting to advancements in society image via pixabay

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By Catriona Inglis The subject matter of poems written today provide an insight into the minds of 21st century poets, using various images to communicate significant truths about life and experience to its readers. Its circulation now adopts a digital method. Many ‘instapoets’ such as Rupi Kaur, R.H Sin, and Samantha King Holmes, use social media as a means to circulate and publish their writing. Due to the constraints of the Instagram app, poets must compose short, brief poems, hence the short, simple verse form they use.This mode of publishing and circulating poetry has made poetry more accessible, particularly for younger generations.

For reasons discussed, I believe that poetry is merely adapting to advancements in society. Its nature is characterised by the voices of those that compose it. It articulates thought, feeling and emotion; depicting human experience accurately.

Its future existence lays in the hands of current readers. Poetry offers comfort and prompts thought, consideration and reflection. Therefore, I urge everyone to engage with this art form actively in order to uphold its value within society.

reative writing has always been an important outlet for me. My interest was first sparked in year four when I was tasked with writing an acrostic poem on friendship. At the time I very much considered this to be a work of artistic genius akin to a Shakespearean sonnet, the accompanying drawings are particularly striking I think. Creative writing quickly became a form of escape for me. As a child I was very unwell and felt very isolated from my classmates.

Creative writing quickly became a form of escape Writing, became a way I could go somewhere else, be someone else. In years five and six I was writing stories about being whisked away by fairies, or discovering my previously unknown magical abilities or living somewhere else entirely.

Looking back on my childhood writing has been an illuminating experience for me. Hidden within my ramblings about magic, unicorns and fairy dust is a hint of the deeper themes that, as a child, I was struggling to understand and internalise.

Themes of loneliness and pain and grief were prominent in the background of my writing. This is one of the reasons I think that creative writing is such a vital part of child development. The act of imagining and writing helps children to comprehend the complex emotions that they experience and develop skills such as empathy and compassion.

I still write frequently, although now the creative process is less about internalising and escaping and more about selfexpression. My poetry is still of dubitable quality and I am only just beginning to work up the courage to start sharing my work. The way I see it, the creative writing process is as much of a journey as the story you are telling and is something in which everyone should get involved.

BOOKS 8

Thursday, 15 November 2018

What’s waiting for us in the Brave New World?

‘Brexlit’ and the uncertainty of our age

By Yasmine Jiuru Zong books@palatinate.org.uk

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ith a misquote from A Tale of Two Cities, Ali Smith opens her novel Autumn, about a lecturer working in London and the world around her, beginning with the Brexit vote and ending towards November, 2016.

Reminiscing about the French Revolution classic doesn’t end here as the author uses a similar tactic in a later passage: “All across the country, people felt it was the wrong thing. All across the country, people felt it was the right thing. All across the country, people felt they’d really lost. All across the country, people felt they’d really won. All across the country, people felt they’d done the right thing and other people had done the wrong thing.” Such is the impact of one certain referendum has on the whole nation’s psyche.

No doubt dystopian horrors are playing quite a role in the new game of “Brexlit”.

Time of Lies imagined the first post-Brexit election won by a right-wing formerhooligan whose agenda seemed to be a blend of UKIP and BNP. Traditional conspiracies such as The Remains of the Way make their appearances as well – in which Brexit was the result of manipulation by a secret society originally established by Thomas Cromwell.

Beneath polarized rhetoric lies confusions and uncertainty, a sense that the known world may be sliding through our hands at this very moment

All across the country, people felt it was the right thing. All across the country, people felt they’d really lost “Brexlit” is the new media catchphrase of literature that deals with, discusses or is related to Britain’s decision to leave the European Union sometimes against the will of the books’ authors. Smith’s Autumn is already hailed as ‘the first great Brexit novel’, joined by a list of publications which seem to grow in number day by day as government negotiation drags on – Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West, Douglas Board’s Time of Lies, Amanda Craig’s The Lies of the Land, to name a few.

It’s convenient to dismiss “Brexlit” under these circumstances as a result of writers hurrying to capitalise on trending topics, soothing or stirring up emotions built up by daily news and rhetoric. The months of heated debate and the unexpected result made people suddenly realise, maybe not the first time in their life, how unreliable known policies and media reports are, how bitterly divided this country is, and how vulnerable it seems Britain will become.

the crisis. It is Brexit seen through the eyes of a middle-class family forced to downsize and move away from big cities, of small towns whose economy and patterns of life are disturbed, of many more. It is of decline, of existing tensions within society exposed rather than disaster coming from outside.

Turmoil and despair do not rise from the direct economic hardship caused by Brexit but something more. People are no longer able to understand what has happened, no longer able to predict what will happen, no longer believe that one can make real differences in one’s life and in the world.

The people of Britain have experienced their fair share of unrest and anxiety, disillusionment and turmoil; the shadow of the 2008 financial crisis is still lingering around us, yet it has been some years since a single event has triggered such an outpour of emotion and imagination. It’s maybe because it’s more of a trigger rather than causation, the most heart-felt symbol that the world and the country itself is in decline and division and out of control.

One can’t help but sense similarities between these stories and the fear caused by political events of recent years, shown by the soaring sales figures of Animal Farm after Donald Trump became president of US. But there’s also anxiety expressed in a different way, a subtler form of dystopia.

One can’t help but sense similarities between these stories and the fear caused by political events of recent years In works like Autumn, Exit West and more, there is no concrete villain such as an evil government, but there’s also no way to defeat

In Two Cities the world was plunged into a maelstrom of chaos and change and destruction. Where is the world of Autumn heading towards? Maybe it will end up in the same maelstrom, maybe a happy-ever-after, maybe it won’t go anywhere at all. Beneath polarized rhetoric and demonstrations of one’s firm stance lie confusions and uncertainty, a sense that the known world may be sliding through our hands at this very moment whilst nothing is sure about the future.

Image by Mary Cauffman via The Seattle Times

FOOD AND DRINK Thursday, 15 November 2018

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Please Theresa, can I have some more?

By Katy Freeland food@palatinate.org.uk

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heresa May has said that stockpiling food may be the most responsible action in light of Brexit. In a no-deal Brexit situation, food shortages are predicted to hit within a couple of weeks.

At the moment, less than half of the food we eat comes from Britain But I’m a student. I don’t have the money, or the space, to stockpile. What can I eat in the future EU-less, apparently food-less UK? At the moment, less than half of the food we eat comes from Britain. Around 40% of fresh produce, predominantly fruit and vegetables, are imported from our European neighbours. This means that out of season fruit and vegetables that don’t grow here can be discounted – get eating seasonally! But that’s not the end of it.

Let’s start with some student classics. Pasta, rice, tinned beans and chickpeas, tinned fish and tomatoes (in all their forms) are all gone. All those bits you put in your food to make it taste yummy – spices, chilli, herbs, olive oil, pepper, olives, capers? Yeah, they’re all out too. Sorry. Perhaps worst of all, cheese is in danger. And not just your brie, manchego and gouda, but also your cheddar as over 80% of that comes from Ireland. What a disaster.

We’ll always have Marmite, maybe you should start loving that At this point you’re understandably slightly concerned, so reach for a nice glass of wine – no that’s an EU import too. As is gin. If that’s your tipple of choice, maybe find a new one.

What’s left? Anything? We’ve still got flour, sugar, salt, oats, mustard, lentils, vinegar (although no balsamic – just apple cider)

and of course we’ll always have Marmite. Maybe you should start loving that. But that’s not quite a meal yet is it?! Using seasonal British veg, here’s a recipe that uses what we’ve got left!

Image Credit: Newtown Grafitti and Nicholas Raymond, via Flickr. Edited by Rebecca Russell.

British Vegetable Roast 1 butternut squash, 3 parsnips, 2 carrots, 200g Brussel sprouts, 4 tbsp rapeseed oil, 2 leeks, 2 sticks of celery, 1 stock cube, 1.5 litre water, 500g lentils, 1 tsp mustard, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, ½ tsp sugar, a pinch of salt.

1. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.

2. Chop the butternut squash, parsnips and carrots into 1-inch pieces. Place into a large roasting tray, toss with 1 tbsp rapeseed oil and season with salt (we have no pepper…). Place into the oven and roast for about 20 minutes.

3. Add the halved sprouts and cook for another 10 minutes until everything is soft and some of the edges are crispy.

4. While the veg is roasting, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, heavy saucepan (or a Dutch oven – wait, will we still have them?!). Gently cook your finely chopped leeks, and celery over a medium heat until soft.

5. Add in a stock cube, and water and bring to a simmer.

6. Add in lentils and cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes.

7. In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, vinegar, sugar, 1 tsp salt and the remaining oil.

Taste to check for seasoning.

MUSIC 10

Thursday, 15 November 2018

Takeo takes on Tokyo Music interviews Takeo Broadhurst on the Waseda Symphony

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

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arlier this week I spoke to Durham University Japanese student and viola player Takeo Broadhurst, currently on his year abroad at Waseda University, Tokyo. As the only international student in the 200-strong Waseda Symphony Orchestra, Takeo reflects on his fascinating musical experiences over the past two months and gives Indigo a rare insight into the workings of the prestigious orchestra. They have worked international conductors including Simon Rattle and play at the Berlin Philharmoniker every year.

on your section, and as a result everyone is more connected in the thinking. I get most frustrated when people aren’t aware that they’re playing with everyone else in the orchestra and they’re not listening to the people around them. In England you can’t tell people that they’re wrong, whereas here everyone is franker about it.

Would you therefore say that humility and respect are particularly valued or even expected of players in the Waseda symphony orchestra?

How did you join the Waseda Symphony Orchestra?

The orchestra isn’t particularly accessible for international students because all the information is sent out in a weekly email in complex Japanese. I always have to ask my viola manager for the essential information and without her help it would have been impossible to join. I’m the only international student in an orchestra of 200 people. When it came to the actual rehearsals, they use different symbols to indicate different things in the music, so I had to learn what it all meant.”

Did you have to audition as you do for DUOS and other Durham ensembles?

There is no audition process at all, which is unheard of in the best university orchestras in the UK, but I guess it’s because they expect more commitment. Only the most committed will even think about joining.

In Tokyo they don’t care about your experience. I’ve played for the longest by far out of everyone in the viola section but I’m not the best. Many students have only been playing their instruments for a couple of years. They join the freshman orchestra in their first year and sit in on all of our rehearsals. This gets you up to the standard of the Waseda Symphony Orchestra very quickly. By comparison, DUOS members have been playing their instruments for over ten years and have lots of playing experience, but they can afford to be really lazy in rehearsals.

Why do you think attitudes are so different in Japan to UK student orchestras?

Well, with every piece we play, the seating is changed. Everyone is always moving around. I think this makes things more equal – no one person is the best player in a section. There is this unspoken belief that everyone is of equal value in their contribution to the orchestra. Every single person is part of a subsection of the executive committee, with section leaders, so it’s a collective effort from everyone. The section leaders are not necessarily the best players – it’s just a managerial role. After rehearsals we have 20-minute meetings about how we can play better as a section.

Why do you think that commitment is more important than the individual standard of the musicians or their experience?

Because there’s more of an awareness about how each other is playing. The players are constantly giving feedback to each other, playing as a section and matching each other. There is a big emphasis

Yeah. I already knew you had to adjust your language when you speak to different people, but I guess that’s the same in England - it’s just more extreme here. In the orchestra you show respect when you bow to the conductor at the beginning and end of every rehearsal as a thank you.

It is a given that if you are younger in a student society, you have to be respectful of the older years by addressing them with their second name. I remember finding it especially shocking when a fourth-year girl came up to me and personally critiqued my playing in general after a rehearsal. I wasn’t used to it, but it’s not seen as negative here because you’re helping them.

So, an awareness of others and self-improvement is really important?

Yeah. Everyone is at a similar technical standard by the time they’re the oldest in the orchestra and a lot are still having private lessons, so they are in a good place to give advice. Whereas in DUOS, everyone is quick to criticise other people’s playing but won’t take it themselves.This is not very constructive for rehearsals. In Tokyo everyone puts in more effort but the result is better – they sound better than DUOS. There is also a willingness to accept advice. The sound is obviously very different from DUOS, the main reason being because there is a greater sense of awareness and listening.

Photo by Gregory Petrikovič

MUSIC Thursday, 15 November 2018

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Oliver Francis. Remember the Name.

By Michael Canty music@palatinate.org,uk

Music reviews the up-and-coming trap talent on his first European Tour

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liver Francis. Upon hearing this name, underground US hip-hop/rap does not spring to mind. In this way, the self-proclaimed ‘small-town Missouri boy’ is constantly seeking to break stereotypes. Coming from a well-to-do family who suffered from the 2008 global financial crisis, Francis, (who goes by Oli or Oliver) comes from the unique position of having had everything, to being broke. He talks about this in an almost reveal-all interview with Ben Hegarty for the YouTube channel ‘Black With No Cream’, where he even mentions his work as a janitor just a few years ago.

almost as soon as the doors of the venue closed, refusing to keep his fans waiting like other artists in the industry tend to do. He began with ‘Chernobyl’, one of his grittier songs, which places a large accent on his lyrical flow with a relatively short hook and serves to prop up his ‘bad-boy’ and self-congratulatory image. The hard bass of the song was guaranteed to pump

Oliver has certainly come a long way from working as a janitor

He started his performance almost as soon as the doors of the venue closed His reluctance to perform the archetypal role of the rapper, that of sipping ‘lean’ and carrying guns, feeds into his creative process through the creation of his beats on Fruity Loops in his bedroom, without any elaborate music-making software. Oliver certainly proves that a multi-million dollar recording studio is not necessary to create great music. It would seem that this effort to stay true to his character in his creative work is paying dividends. Oliver’s most listened to song on Spotify, ‘Aahhyeahh’, currently has over 14 million listens and with his European and American tour, ‘The Overdrive Tour’, having kicked off on the 23rd October, Oliver’s progress as a more serious artist is showing no signs of letting up. This huge success as an unsigned artist simply means that his popularity and talent cannot be ignored.

On his first ever trip to Europe, his tour began in London, at the sold out O2 Academy Islington. A small and intimate venue, this certainly played into Oliver’s dedicated and almost cult-like following.

His fans were able to be as close to their hero as they wanted without actually being on stage. He started his performance

lection. His t-shirt was perhaps not only chosen for its aesthetic appeal, given that the brand’s origin is London itself, for his apparel would have had another level of significance for his audience in the city.

Halfway through the show, the intense crowd was calmed. Temporarily, the atmosphere was altered as Oliver delivered an inspiring message to his fans about his struggles in the music industry; which of course was received warmly by the Francis loyal.

Just when the crowd thought that Oliver’s show was over, he returned for an encore of ‘Polo Socks’, a somewhat pastiche of Future’s ‘Thought It Was A Drought’ verse. Not only did Oli perform this hit, he went as far as to go into the crowd for the duration of the song, well and truly smashing the fourth wall, where he experienced for himself the ecstasy of his fans’ dedication to his art.

up the crowd and inject a high energy to the event. His excitement to be performing for the first time in Europe was most well-reflected in the actions of Oliver’s “day ones”, his best friends Aahj and Trace Thorpe, who performed on stage with Oliver, lending an added sense of invigoration.

‘Chernobyl’ ... serves to prop up his ‘bad-boy’ and self-congratulatory image Oliver was sporting a Palace skateboards t-shirt from the Winter 2018 col-

In all, Oliver Francis delivered a concert that covered all bases. He performed his songs with passion, interacted with the crowd and played all of his most popular songs. Oliver catered to his most loyal and cherished fans by playing his fan favourites, songs only those who have been listening to him from the beginning would know; a section of his fan base that he values highly. Oliver has certainly come a long way from working as a janitor to putting on an extremely successful inaugural show of his European tour. It is not for me to say whether Oliver will go on to accomplish great things in this section of the music industry, nor is astronomical success necessarily what Oliver himself wants, but the future is definitely bright for Oliver Francis. Remember the name.

Photo by Michael Canty

VISUAL ARTS Thursday, 15 November 2018

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Art and Sponsorship: Where do our ethics lie?

By Zoe Haylock visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk

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went to see the ‘Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up’ exhibition at the V&A this summer. I loved it as a showcase of Frida’s true self; an unapologetic artistic pioneer. V&A corporate sponsorship starts at £14,000 a year and so is hugely imperative to the workings of the gallery. Some of the sponsors include the Bank of America, Rothschild & Co, Brown Shipley and Ernst & Young who have been faced with controversy their CEO’s salaries, accounting policies and tax affairs. Kahlo despised the greed of capitalism and was a rampant socialist - but would she change her mind about capitalism, knowing that it allowed the funding of galleries and let people see her art? Or would she feel scorn, in the realisation that her views and beliefs have become historical tokens, with no one thinking that they have any true worth in our society? The difficulty with these gallery sponsorships is that one can easily be admiring an anti-establishment artwork funded by the very people whom the artist was trying to criticise.

up against such sponsorship. People who want to view art should not have to assess the ethical righteousness of their actions.

Yet, we must look at art galleries in the context of our own society.

Taking any of these cultural institutions as an example- theatres, museums, shops- they all have sponsorship and have gained wealth through these ethically questionable means.

It could be said that it is naïve and unequal to judge galleries based on an action that many institutions take.

People who want to view art should not have to assess the ethical righteousness of their actions On the Tate’s ‘Corporate Partnership’ web page, the gallery boasts that it ‘is one of the world’s most popular art brands’, a “brand”, not a provider of culture or education, but a business which happens to delve into art and was created purely from the profits of Henry Tate’s sugar business. The TATE have put on a variety of BP Displays, with BP being one of the oil “supermajors” and holding the 8th largest turnover of any company in the world. It therefore seems more likely that BP dabble in the art world to mask their ethically questionable work than because they have an emotional attachment to the art culture of Britain.

Moreover, the people who attend these displays are limited in being able to stand

tion of something which is traditionally about self-expression and freedom isolates people. Just like the expenses scandal in the political sphere, this type of business turns art into a commercialised sector, available for anyone to take power over it as long as they’ve got deep pockets. In doing so, art becomes even more elitist as the majority feel no sense of a relationship or can relate with it. And what does this do to the already hierarchical structure of the art world? It intensifies it. The bigger the financial support, the better the art you can acquire hence more visitors. There is a reason why some of the best art galleries in the world are located in London, the centre of finance. We live in a democracy but our art is definitely not democratised.

I want to see art for how the artist intended TATE has also had sponsorship from Ernst & Young, Deutsche Bank and Microsoft - the dependence it has on businesses that revolve around finance undermines the art industry itself, it suggests that it is merely an asset of the financial sector, rather than an important part of British culture in its own right.

We live in a democracy but our art is definitely not democratised I believe that art is elitist. Not because art itself is, but because the culture surrounding it makes it so. This corporatisa-

But is this a docile thought? Change only happens when people make it happen. Perhaps this issue is nothing, perhaps we should accept that money and lack of ethics comes hand in hand, perhaps I am overreacting. But then again, critiquing this issue may make people realise that we don’t want art to be associated with corruption and mega-capitalism; we want it to be an institution of our own. As for me, I don’t want to visit a gallery, look at the art and think, ‘I can only see this artwork because a billionaire allowed me to’. I want to see art for how the artist intended and allow my thought to fill the canvas.

Image via Google via Creative Commons

STAGE 13

Thursday 15 November 2018

Is love for Shakespeare dying in schools?

Stage explores the relevance of the Bard in the modern classroom

By Anna Marshall stage@palatinate.org.uk

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was introduced to Shakespeare in the traditional manner: Romeo and Juliet being read aloud to my class.

My English teacher’s preferred method was to take it line by line, or even better, punctuation by punctuation.

We thoroughly butchered the soul out of Romeo’s soliloquies You read it aloud until you reach the next punctuation mark. Reactions to this varied: some students would sit bouncing on their seats, relishing the opportunity to proclaim their half-sentence with full diction. More commonly, my peers would sit sweating, and furiously counting under their breath the number of full stops compared to the number of people left to read, before practising their six-word phrase. Through this fun tactic, we thoroughly butchered the soul out of Romeo’s soliloquies: if one in three schoolchildren are saved

from this, it’s a kindness, and I’m glad people can read David Walliams instead.

But I can’t assume your introduction to Shakespeare was the same as mine.

If the stereotype is true, and most Durham students really are from London, maybe your school accessed the numerous theatre outreach programmes the big city theatres might offer. More likely, perhaps, your experience is different because your school hired more than one drama teacher, and there was sufficient extra-curricular provision to let even the slow readers have a stab at being Malvolio.

In 2015, the Department for Education’s report on reading proudly proclaimed that “Nothing is more important in education than ensuring that every child can read well.” This comes alongside research suggesting our average attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013 – with goldfish continually maintaining a 9 second attention span. But if we want to avoid debating the quality of schooling, we could take a closer look at the detrimental effects of technology on young people’s brains.

In Britain, Ofcom estimates children aged 5 to 7 spend 4 hours a day on screens, and the government has recently backtracked on the 2008 guidance that promoted exposing children to technology as young as possible.

So maybe in that direction it would be nice to replace movie nights with family Shakespeare recitals.

Shakespeare maybe doesn’t have to be for all But let’s take it back a second. If we’re talking about literacy and a well-rounded education, maybe there’s less cause for panic. Shakespeare maybe doesn’t have to be for all. If Harry Potter has an age rating of 12, then maybe we shouldn’t be too astounded if pre-pubescent children aren’t being asked to re-enact the existential crisis of Hamlet, the double suicide of Romeo and Juliet or the murderous rampage of Macbeth. And if we’re thinking the

comedies would be more appropriate, it’s a question of simplifying the wording of plays which inherently rely on genius wordplay.

I don’t dispute that Shakespeare grapples with the essence of humanity: but I also reckon that existential crisis is better suited to those in their teenage years.

For infants, what’s wrong with addictive reading based on fantasy worlds?

The final point should be one of scepticism. There is a lot of literature out there, and maybe we don’t all have to love Shakespeare. How can the situation have changed so drastically since 2016, when the BBC’s arts editor proclaimed Shakespeare to be more popular than ever before? If five percent of pupils aged eleven cannot read better than would be expected for a seven-year-old, maybe Shakespeare isn’t the problem here.

Much like the rest of austerity, this could be a case where we’re confronting the problem with solutions that got us here in the first place. If children aren’t loving that whole scenes of The Taming of the Shrew are transcribed completely wrong, probably by an iambically deaf scribe, maybe we don’t have to waste hours reconsidering what might have happened in the final, missing scene...

The joy of Shakespeare seems to be in its diversity of interpretation Judging from most productions, the joy of Shakespeare seems to be in its diversity of interpretation. In a world endlessly filled with videos leaving little to be experimented with, primary schoolchildren should be allowed to take some of these words - some of these old, confusing, stumbling-block words – and run with them. Because if these stories have survived this long, surely that’s something.

What a crime, what an injustice it would be if more children lose out due to oversized classrooms meaning they never get the chance to roll the word swoltery around on their tongue.

Image from Google via Creative Commons

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FEATURES Thursday, 15 November 2018

By Imogen Usherwood Deputy Features Editor features@palatinate.org.uk

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Photographs by Abi Brown

Ode to Autumn

utumn has always been my favourite time of year. When we get to September, I always wonder how I got through spring at all because really, there’s just no comparison. I’m one of those people who has the tartan scarves, the cinnamon tea, the cable knit jumpers and the leather boots ready to go the minute it starts to get cold. Finally, a time when it’s cold enough to break out the cosy cardigans and blankets, but too warm for the first frosts to fall; when the leaves gather in rust-coloured heaps under trees and around pavements, and when Durham looks its best.

It’s the best time of year to get to know the city As a historic city, something about Keats’ ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ fits this place so well. The crunch of leather boots against crisp piles of leaves settling on the cobbles of the Bailey; the amber streetlamps that turn the pavements gold by night; the sight of the Cathedral’s immense Gothic silhouette against the cool October sky. As a fresher, it’s the best time of year to get to know the city because everything looks so much more magnificent against the golden brown colour schemes of October and November. It’s more than that; the city seems to take on a new aspect, one that makes venturing into the cool Autumn sunshine especially beautiful, and returning into the warm for a cup of tea even more comforting. As something of a home bird (a lot of people questioned why I moved so far away from home for university), Autumn’s inherently cosy and comfortable nature has always appealed to me; as such, this time of year makes Durham feel especially homely and familiar, despite the fact I’ve lived here only a few weeks. I love being able to call this small corner of the world my home for half the year.

Look around, bask in the glory that is the pale November sunlight I appreciate that a lot of people, especially sufferers of SAD (the rather tragic acronym for seasonal affective disorder) find Autumn a depressing time of year; the trees are dying, the work is piling up, and you can’t go anywhere in the evening without at least twelve layers of clothing. I would ask you to look around, bask in the glory that is the pale November sunlight, in the shades of red and orange that litter every pavement, in the cosy Sunday brunch that you should definitely treat yourself to as a reward for making it through the week. Look around this gorgeous city we live in, take those aesthetic Instagram profile pictures on Kingsgate Bridge, and enjoy this beautiful time of year before it gives way to the next.

FEATURES Thursday, 15 November 2018

Durham’s Secret Tower

By LukePayne features@palatinate.org.uk

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five minute walk north of the railway viaduct, upon a hill camouflaged by trees from almost all sides, sits a 150 year-old, 30-metre-high tower. Despite being one-and-ahalf times the height of The Angel of The North, it is less of a tourist attraction and more of an abandoned relic of the University’s astronomical research heritage.

The observatory obelisk, an impressive sandstone monument, was once lit up at night to inform Durham Observatory researchers of the location of true North. It must have been a spectacular sight.

It must have been a spectacular sight The observatory was established in 1842, and fitted with an eight-foot telescope. The official observer was full-time position requiring the incumbent to be a permanent resident at the observatory and, until 1866, be an unmarried man. Local philanthropist William Lloyd Wharton built the obelisk in 1850 to provide a northern marker for the university observatory (which is indeed located about 1 mile due south of the obelisk), but also to grant ‘employment for idle men during a bad period of depression’.

After a long period of much research, Durham University Observatory ceased astronomical measurements many years ago.

It continues to operate as a weather station and has an unbroken record of measurements older than any other station in the UK bar the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.The obelisk has long been without any purpose.

Veterans of Durham’s streets would be forgiven for not knowing of the tower’s existence. It is impressive how well-hidden this massive structure is. You will find no mention of the obelisk on the university’s

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website or the observatory’s Wikipedia page. The nearest street, Obelisk Lane, however, does taunt passers-by with its presence, despite it being impossible to spot the tower whilst standing in the street.

It is only up-close that one appreciates the scale of the structure. The base of the tower is reminiscent of Grey’s Monument in central Newcastle and is adorned with inscriptions giving its exact geographic co-ordinates and height above sea level. Even the entrance to the hidden internal stairway can be seen, which once would have allowed access to the tower’s upper echelon, although it seems it was bricked up some time ago. Standing at the base, the neck of the Victorian beast stretches wonderfully skyward with only the odd tree branch obscuring the view.

Time and neglect have not been kind The tower sits on the private land of St Leonard’s Catholic School and so is not open for viewing to the public. Time and neglect have not been kind, and though the general structure appears robust and sound, the tower has been attacked with graffiti and litter. Dense thickets of trees closely surround the site, making access difficult. Cracks have appeared over the inscriptions and a damaged ugly perimeter fence is dressed around the base.

The obelisk has long been without any purpose The university’s knowledge of the obelisk appears to have been lost to the ages. When contacted, the current director of the observatory, Professor Tim Burt, said he was aware of the structure but had never visited and did not know much about it. Ustinov College have recently begun making use of the observatory building on a temporary basis. According to their principal, Professor Glenn McGregor, Ustinov is interested in incorporating the history of the observatory into the college experience. The head

of St Leonard’s Catholic School, Mr Simon Campbell, stated that access for the public to the monument “would be very difficult with the monument being on the school site” but it was “occasionally arranged for interested visitors to have a look during holiday times.”

Photographs by Luke Payne

THE indigo INTERVIEW Thursday, 15 November 2018

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“We do not shy away from controversial speakers” indigo interviews the Durham Union President, Chris Clarke

By Nathan Kelly Interview Editor

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ounded in 1842, the Durham Union society has proclaimed itself as having “an integral role at the heart of the University” and a taste for controversy, per their website. In order to further understand these positions, and the role of the Union today, indigo sat down with current Union president, Chris Clarke, in the Union’s bar 24s. Over a £1.70 pint, we discussed the Union, free speech and his presidency.

provides a safe platform for all to express their views and have them challenged in a nonconfrontational way. I also think the Union is important in developing student’s social, academic and political views – for example when I came to Durham, I held mostly right-wing views but have now become more liberal and progressive in my outlook.

This does not mean we shy away from controversial speakers, but we prefer them in debates. In a debate we ensure their views will be challenged by other speakers and it is the easier to prevent people from presenting a hate-filled narrative to the Union floor.

What would say to a fresher to encourage them to join the Union?

The Union offers something which other societies cannot, that being a friendly and welcoming environment for all members to support one another.

What are the high and most challenging points of your presidency?

Within this environment we host a variety talks from big-name political figures such as Baroness Warsi and formerTrump advisor Rodger Stone, but also figures from sports, entertainment, social campaigning, industry and economics. For example, we have both the head of Sandhurst and Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke coming up soon, on different occasions.

Our debates, also, are topical and aim to dig deep into current issues, such as last week’s debate over whether Britain should cut ties with Saudi Arabia. The debating chamber is the perfect environment for members to engage in thought-provoking discussions and challenge their own views, and I’d encourage all to join and come along.

What do you think the role of the Union is within the wider Durham student body?

The Union is integral to facilitating discussion between students; the chamber

The Union’s free speech limits are dictated by the Universities’ overall policy on speech, which prohibits speakers who promote harm to students or speakers who would require security to the extent that hosting them would not be feasible.

An example occurred a couple of years ago when the Union chose not host Tommy Robinson, which was a shame, because the security risks were too great.

My highlight would be our LGBTQ+ panel discussion, which was a great chance to discuss the changing nature of identity and sexuality in the UK; the Union hasn’t been receptive to these issues in the past, so it was great to progress and host such a unique event.

Another highlight would be our ball which was attended by over 200 students.

The Union, however, also serves as a great way for students from various colleges and backgrounds to meet one another. Usually people would have to involve themselves in DU sports or specific societies to meet people from other colleges, the Union offers an easy and great way to mix with other students.

Would there be any limits as to who you would host?

Challenges vary as president, for example we had to be careful over the speakers at the Saudi Arabia debate given the recent news of the death of Jamal Khashoggi. However, the main challenge is to ensure the Union constantly progresses in the right direction but keeps continuity with the past. Hopefully I have done this during my tenure, and I can only hope the Union goes from strength to strength in the future, especially with next term’s president Rahul Prakash.

Image via the Durham Union