'the photojournalist' newspaper pdf 2017

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY | photojournalism@staffs.ac.uk | JUNE 2017

TRAVEL | NEWS | SPORT| FASHION 1 HONG KONG 2 ICELAND 3 PARIS 4 TRUMP 5 FEMINISM 6 BODY IMAGE, 7 MENTAL HEALTH 8 CULTURE OF PUNK 9 CATS OF OSLO 10 GRADUATES 11 SPORTS

EDITOR’S LETTER What does the term ‘Photojournalist’ mean to you?

An individual who communicates stories through photography? A journalist who’s always on the move with a camera and huge lens on their shoulder? Or are you that person who just says, “Oh that’s sounds interesting, what do you do?” For the students of the BA Photojournalism degree at Staffordshire University, the word to them means diversity. Henri Cartier-Bresson is widely known as the Godfather of Photojournalism and once said, “To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event.”

Editor’s Picks

Nathan Stirk Getty Photographer Page 29

‘The Photojournalist’ was developed with a strong idea about the diversity of the students working on it. We are also striving to change a common miss understood view of a photojournalist being paparazzi or only covering news stories. I feel this paper is filled with photographs that help to capture and celebrate the passion of the university and the community of Stoke-On-Trent. With a huge variety of stories from Fashion to International Travel – the newspaper represents the diversity of interests of each student.

I would like to thank the talented students who have worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to bring this paper into existence, from the very first discussion, to the careful consideration of the front page design. This newspaper is the end product of every Photojournalism student on the course working together, professionally, creatively and in harmony. Students have grown and developed skills during their time on this unique course and the newspaper is a window that showcases this incredible experience.

As Editor I invite you to explore our content and share our passion for story telling through Photography.

Body Image In Fashion Page 21

Hong Kong Pages 3 -5

THE TEAM PRODUCTION

Molly Woodhouse

PHOTOGRAPHY

Rich Holmes Chloe Ricketts

PICTURE DESK

Georgia Hallett Julia Windorpska

SUBS

Becky Coates Tasha Jeffs Tai McDowell

NEWS DESK

Sarah Staff Stacio Fernandes

SPORTS DESK

Philip Court Erika Wyatt Laura Harvey

FEATURE DESK

Gabi Davidson Laura-anne Reiling Adina Lawrence

SOCIAL MEDIA

Brontë Capper Hayley Towns

DESIGN DESK

Jakk Smith Chloe Lloyd

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NEWS

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST

Hong Kong Stem Cup Auction In May 2016, a small stem cup, belonging to the Thornhill collection of Staffordshire University and Stokeon-Trent, was sent nearly 6,000 miles to Hong Kong to be auctioned.

A stem cup, belonging to Staffordshire University and Stoke-on-Trent was sold for £3 million at the Stem Cup Auction.

A little stem cup from Thornhill collection belonging to Staffordshire university and Stoke-on-Trent was sent nearly six thousand miles to Hong Kong to be auctioned.

The stem cup was donated to the university by Ernest Thornhill during the Second World War. In 1980’s Professor Flavia Swann found the long forgotten stem cup and other 250 items from the collection.

Experts estimated the stem cup to have a value upwards of £2million.

The plan was drawn up to sell the item and rise sufficient funds to display the rest of the Thornhill collection in Stokeon-Trent.

Two Staffordshire University students, Laura Forrest-Sufrin, film student and Richard Holmes, photojournalism student, flew to the Hong Kong to document the auction.The auction was hosted at the Liang Yi museum, Hong Kong.

Over one hundred lots were auctioned and sold by Lyon & Turnbull and Freeman’s Auctioneers.

The Auction began at 6pm May 31, with the auction room gradually filling up as the auction went on ahead of featured lot No 84- the stem cup.

The bidding opened and after a slow start, the bidding picked up and the pace increased as well as the price, soon reaching 3.5 million HKD. Final bidder raised his hand and took the price up to 36 million HKD which is equivalent of over £3 million.

The stem cup was bought by a mysterious bidder, representing an anonymous buyer in Asia.

The stem cup provided students an amazing opportunity to visit an amazing city, as well as seeing history being made as over £3 million was raised to help the display of the Ernest Thornhill’s beloved collection.

Thornhill collection is now set for display in Stoke-on-Trent in the home of the pottery industry.

NEWS

Hong Kong Happy Valley Racecourse Photograph by Richard Holmes

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST

NEWS

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST

City of Culture Bid 6

Stoke-on-Trent, is currently bidding for the glory title ‘City of Culture 2021’, after the recent success on the status of City of Sport 2016.

It is a city that has been shaped by the culture and creativity over the past three hundred years. The city’s growth, prosperity and reputation around the world is inextricably linked to its ceramics heritage.

Stoke-on-Trent is home to World of Wedgewood, Middleport Pottery and Emma Bridgewater, which have had multiple Royal visits over the years.

Gaining the rank is a once in a generation opportunity, which will bring huge benefits not just to the six cities, but to the people who live and work in the area.

Text by Laura Mellor

News

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News

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It is predicted that the city will see approximately 1 million visitors from all over the world, international cultural events, and many other enormous benefits for the communities as well as improved educational opportunities for the younger generation.

Creative graduates from Staffordshire University, Libby Ward and Alex Allday who work as a collaboration at four MAKERS @ No. 5 in the Middleport Pottery studios, believed that the status will raise the awareness of what is going on in the city.

“It will encourage people to visit, as there is a lot to do and see here and we are a very creative and cultural city, with a strong historic background.’’

Led by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, a £300,000 investment which supports local arts and cultural organisations to team up with partners including Visit Stoke and The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, will attract visitors to the city.

Paul Williams, who was seconded from Staffordshire University to lead the City of Culture bid said, “Businesses looking to invest will find it easier when they have a sense of confidence and belief in the city.

This is easier on the back of the status, which will make a positive impact and attract more businesses.”

Councillor Abi Brown, chair to the city of culture bid said: “The city of culture is a massive opportunity when you look at how much money it has brought into Hull.

“As a city council, we are looking to improve our hotel offer. One of the things that we have is a lot of day visitors and don’t have many people stay overnight.

Photography by: Nathan Stirk, Chloe Rickett & Ali Abbotts

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST

Increasing hotels will encourage more people to stay over. That then delivers down to businesses locally.”

Whether it is eating out at the many local Delicatessens, being amongst the country’s loudest football chanters at a Stoke City match, rocking it out at the highlyacclaimed music venue, The Sugarmill, or visiting the beautifully restored spitfire at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, culture is in our senses.

Stoke-on-Trent is up against 10 other cities throughout the United Kingdom, including Perth, Paisley, Swansea, St David’s.

Sunderland, Coventry, Wells, Warrington, Portsmouth and Hereford.

Local business owner Emma Bailey who worked at Wedgwood for 16 years said: “If we get it, it will be fabulous. Not so much for me, but I have got a 20-year-old son, and Stoke needs to get back to where we belong. We have got a lot to offer.

“To me, we are already the city of culture, because there is that many creatives here.”

Creative Artist Jon French added: “We are the only city who bares the name of the industry it is famous for. Everyone knows The Potteries. I just hope it keeps the skills and the culture alive.”

Visitor to the area, Martin Hodges from Essex said: “There has been a lot on the TV recently and I think that it helped changed perceptions as there were lots of people defending stoke and that it was regenerating. Down south, the image of the North Midlands is grim, but it is a myth.”

An independent Panel will look at the bids and compare the difference and the changes between each bid. The announcement of the winner is due to take place in December.

Hanley Park Restoration

Hanley Park is known as one of the largest Victorian parks in the UK which opened in 1897 and is listed as a grade 2* in the English heritage of historic parks and gardens. The park received a £4,579,300 grant from the HLF and Big lottery fund but have also received funds from a combination of Section 106 agreement, the city council and volunteers including the Friends of Hanley Park.

The park brings more than 1 million people a year and with this investment, they are hopping to have an increase to 1.4 million people by 2020.

The refurbishment to the park include: • Refurbishing the main pavilion, which was built in 1896, to create a café, toilets and space for meetings, private functions, as well as restoring the clock tower.

• Repairing the boathouse, which could be used as a second café and a boat hire facility.

• Repairs to the small bowls pavilion and 1960s bowls pavilion.

• Improving the terraced garden including restoring the bandstand.

• Restoring the two canal bridges, including reinstating the decorative iron lighting columns.

• Restoring the terracotta fountain and pool in the Cauldon Grounds.

Hanley Park has weekly volunteers from local charities, where they bring adults and teenagers with and without disabilities to help prepare the park for the restoration.

When speaking to Carole Ware, one of the park Liaison officers about how far the project has got to, she said that they make a list of contractors and then decide which they will be appointing for each section.

The success of the restoration project was mostly dependent on the council’s lottery bid, which was given the green light for in the spring of 2016 with the project being completed in the summer of 2018 to celebrate the parks 121th birthday.

Text by Stacio Fernandez & Photography by Phillip Court

FEATURES

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THE PHOTOJOURNALIST

LGBT Community Suffers Since Brexit Anti Social

Behaviour Crack Down

Homophobic and transphobic attacks have increased by 147% since June 2016 and the Brexit vote according to LGBT anti-violence charity Galop.

The statistics provided by Galop suggest that the referendum gave a platform for long-standing hatred towards the LGBT community. One researcher said it ‘made them think that everyone agrees with them now’ when referring to the sudden increase in violence since the Brexit vote.

80% of 467 LGBT community members interviewed by Galop reported that they had experienced hate crime in the past but now ‘feel even more threatened’ since the vote.

Max Davies, who is transgender feels that ‘there needs to be tougher punishments for people carrying out this sort of behaviour. Then they will learn that the change in government does not justify their behaviour towards our communities.’

Currently in the UK, the highest possible sentence for homophobic and transphobic assault is six months. This is currently in review by the government as Galops chief executive told the guardian ‘The UK responses to hate crime are among the best in the world but our hate crime laws are far from perfect’.

There are plans in progress to make changes to the Criminal Justice Act 2003, resulting in at least doubling the current sentence time for the perpetrators.

Text by Sarah Staff Photographs by Rich Holmes

Text by Sarah Staff

Newcastle Under Lyme introduces Public Space Protection Order to tackle town nuisances.

The local community stress concern about potential harassment by small groups in the town, who have been seen drinking and taking drugs in public. This behaviour has been carried out by a minority but have affected the majority.

People who do not comply with the PSPO will be treated as a criminal and fined £1,000.

Local resident, Stuart Hibbert, stated: “We do see anti-social behaviour on the park, like people playing football on the bowling green. We have seen groups of people drinking and doing drugs.”

The new order prohibits the following behaviours in the stated areas such as; Possession or use of an aerosol or another item intended to be used to deface the street.

The carrying out of car repairs in council car parks other than in emergency break down.

The use of any council carpark as a place to congregate or for use other than legitimate car parking purposes.

The possession of an open alcoholic container.

The use of illegal drugs or ‘novel psychoactive substances’.

Behavior likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Will Brexit Affect Students?

Text by Laura Mellor, Laura-anne Reiling & Sarah Staff Photogtaphs by Chloe Rickett June 2016 was the turning point for the United Kingdom when the public voted to leave the European Union.

The terms of “Brexit” and the triggering of article 50, remains uncertain with Prime Minister Theresa May at the helm.

University executives, academic staff and politicians have speculated at length about the future of higher education in the UK. Many UK students say they were concerned that Brexit would limit their opportunities to study, travel and work elsewhere in the EU. It’s likely that in future, UK students will face higher fees in many European countries. This is because they will no longer be eligible for domestic rates and may also need to apply for student visas, and have reduced rights to work during their studies.

Throughout 2017, several Brexit strategies will be proposed by EU member states, the UK government and individual universities. But what will these plans look like, and what could these changes mean for future student intake?

Speaking to members of Staffordshire University, we discovered that most people are concerned about Brexit as Joshua Millership who is studying radio production said: “I voted to stay in the EU as did my whole family, it’s worrying to think about prices possibly going up and making life as a student in general more expensive’’. Josh stated that he hasn’t given much thought about how studying abroad could affect him but did say ‘‘I have a friend studying abroad in Italy now and they worry that in the years to come this may not be an option at all for students”.

Second year photography student, Elric Sullivan said: “I wonder what changes are going to be made to article 50 as they have free will to cut and change the article to suit them. It’s a very nerve wracking time and no one really understands what the future could hold’’.

“I voted to stay in the EU as I have noticed that most my student friends also did. It is better to stay together in the EU rather than be divided by racism”.

A week of Pies

Text by Stacio Fernandes and Photography Nathan Stirk

The week commencing 6th of March was British pie week, the one week of the year where all the pie lover’s and pie enthusiasts can go out and openly express their love for pies. We went over to our local pie shop Pieminister, Trentham to see what they did to celebrate pie week and how it has impacted their store.

We meet with Chris Taylor, the manager for Pieminister in the Stoke on Trent Café, which has been open for 8 years. We were curious if they did anything special for pie week and was astounded to find out that they sold cricket pies, which sold out by Friday. They also sold; lamb guru pies and a big cheese pie, which had a great response from the public. They are also selling mash and gravy for a discounted price of £5.

The sales were nearly doubling their expectation and it was the busiest it has been all year.

When asked what new pies he would like to see in his pie shop, he said he would like

some sweeter pies such as banoffee and perhaps some spicier options.

During pie week, the CEO of Hungry Horse, Alice Mrongovius considered piescoffing habits from Britain and found out the country’s favourite pie as well as the pie preference in individual cities.

Alice Mrongovius, CEO of Hungry House said: “With pie sales soaring over British Pie Week, we wanted to celebrate this much-loved takeaway dish by doing some digging on the nation’s pie-eating habits.

Whether you’re a fan of a traditional Steak & Ale or are barmy for a Pork Pie, our research proves Britain remains to have its eyes on the pies”.

Favourite pies by city: 1) Stoke-on-Trent – steak & potato (47%) 2) Newcastle - steak & potato (79%) 3) Leeds - steak & ale (53%) 4) Wigan - pie barm (67%) 5) Liverpool - steak & potato (73%) 6) Bristol - apple (57%) 7) Glasgow - pork pie (42%) 8) Birmingham - chicken & mushroom (56%) 9) Manchester - pork pie (71%) 10) London - banoffee (44%)

TRAVEL

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Paris on a Budget Paris on a budget seems impossible but is easily done. Overall, the trip could cost you under £200.

You can view the city very easily and it would hardly cost you anything at all.

With cheap flights and hotel, you only need a small amount of spending money to enjoy your time there.

The metro only costs €1.90 for a ticket to any stop, meaning you could visit the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, Sacré-Cœur and the Arc de Triomphe for roughly €8.

These are iconic landmarks and hotspots for spectacular photography. As well as this, the ticket to the top of the tower only costs €14.50 if you’re a student! Paris is also full of shops and café’s waiting for you that won’t break the bank. If you’re looking to visit, it is a beautiful environment for photographers. The fashion in the city allows great street photography and you meet very interesting characters. Also,

the Paris Photo exhibition takes place in the Grand Palais in November. This being the largest photography exhibition in Europe with a wide range of work and the chance to meet many famous photographers.

On the PJ trip last November, we did all this and more. We also had the chance to meet photographer Martin Parr at Paris Photo. He was happy for us to take photographs with him and gave us an autograph. Level 4 student, Bronte Capper described his work as ‘’her first real inspiration in photography’’.

However, Taimore McDowell stated that ‘’He seems extremely pretentious’’.

Text by Natasha Jeffs & Photography

by Bronte Capper, Adena Lawrence & Molly Woodhouse

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST

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TRAVEL

Reykjavik’s Culture of Punk and Street Art

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For those with an interest in the world of arts and culture, Reykjavik is the city to visit.

Reykjavik, is a unique city bursting with culture and colour. Some of the art portrays current affairs and others simply show the creativity of the city. The colourfulness of the street art brings the city alive.

As soon as you reach the centre you realise that it’s a city which takes pride in being far from the norm. Every corner you turn offers something different, inviting you to learn more about the Icelandic

Culture. To describe Reykjavik in one word, it would be ‘quirky’.

After only being in the city a few hours it became apparent that there a lot of punk culture, people free of conformity and a normal lifestyle. It was only in the 70’s that Iceland started to find its own voice in popular music. The punk scene obviously isn’t as good as it was in the 80’s and 90’s, however they have a lot of nostalgia.

A lot of artists get inspired by the beautiful weather change, the nature and of course the grime of the city. They manage to create something truly unique.

Text & Photographs by Rebecca Coates.

Exploring Iceland Iceland – a snowy, mountainous landscape, a place in which you can see one of the natural wonders – the Northern Lights, and that’s just in Reykjavik.

There are a variety of different activities to do in the city of Reykjavik and outside of the city. If you are wanting to go on a shopping spree, Reykjavik’s town center is the place to go. With a variety of different retail stores (vintage clothing and record shops) as well as a vast amount of different food places to fill your stomach.

At the top end of the high street in Reykjavik, you will find the Hallsgrímskira church which has the Leif Erikson statue at the front. On the other end of the high street, you will find the Harpa Concert Hall. The building itself is free to go into and you have access to all floors of the building. Here you can eat at the restaurant or simply sit on the benches and admire the view!

Iceland may be an expensive due to the growing economy but there are plenty of beautiful sights to see for free. For example, a lot of Icelanders are very enthusiastic about walking, so venturing the unseen city is a must. Absorb the art within colourful back streets, pick up some volcanic rock and appreciate the quirky houses located on the edge of town.

If you are more interested in the landscape side of Iceland, you can take part in the South Shore Tour. From £140 per person, you get to the sights of;

Text by Taimore McDowell Photography by Becky Coates, Taimore McDowell, Georgia Hallett, Chloe Rickett, Hayley Towns & Molly Woodhouse

Skógafoss waterfall, Black sand beach, the Solheimajokull glacier walk and finally to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. This lasts around 10 hours in total.

Have a serene dip in the hot pools of the famous Blue Lagoon, just 30 minutes from the center of Reykjavik. Offering silica, minerals and algae for your skin, a bar with pool access, saunas and a steam cave. A quick dash from the changing rooms to the steaming water was like nothing else, but once submerged in the hot water, the sensation was spectacular. For further information access: www.bluelagoon.com If you are looking to see the northern lights in Reykjavik, one good location to go to is the Grotta Lighthouse. The lighthouse is situated out of the way and is almost desolate, minimizing light pollution, meaning you will achieve better photos and an even better view.

Another activity available to do is whale watching of the coast of Reykjavik, giving you the potential to see dophins, humpback and killer whales. For further information upon the trips available in Iceland, it is super easy to research before your adventure.

Iceland is a truly unique experience offering a cultural experience like no other, with a lot of natural beauty to appreciate.

Just don’t forget to pack big boots and extra gloves, as the climate varies between different parts of the island.

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TRAVEL

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NEWS

International Women’s Day Staffordshire University plays hosts to ‘International Women’s Day, Be Bold For Change’ event.

The event was headlined by Chief Constable of Staffordshire police, Jane Sawyer, who spoke about her time within the police force over the past 33 years and how things have changed for women.

When Jane first entered the world of police, her uniform consisted of a blouse, skirt, soft hat and a handbag, in which she would carry her radio, tape measure, handcuffs and a whistle in. She also stated, if any female officer wanted to wear trousers, the stipulations for this was permission

was to be sought from their Inspector and would only be granted if they were on a night shift, and the weather was poor. This has now obviously changed to today’s world, with both men and women wearing similar uniforms apart from a difference in the head wear.

“I genuinely believe that the service is a different today. I don’t think of it as a ‘Man’s world’, but are there challenges? Of course, there are, but daily, whether you’re male or female, it is about what you do and not about your gender.”

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Liz Barnes who was a member of the panel commented: “International Women’s day is to celebrate our female achievers, within Staffordshire.

Gender Identity Max Davies wakes up some days, feeling feminine, and puts on a dress, heels and makeup. Then the next day feels an overwhelming surge of masculinity and dresses to suit this. Max Davies, 30, from Worcester identifies gender as fluid, a term that is becoming more recognised amongst fashion magazines, the public and clothes designers. Max says that ‘’society feels the need to put everyone into boxes the day that they are born, you are told your gender, your name and put into a class system into society, this is not that easy for everyone to follow.’’ Max describes how as a teenager he identified as a lesbian, as this was the only reason he understood as to why he felt feminine and was attracted to women.

After this, he struggled to come to terms with the fact that he may be transgender. ‘‘After years of research and the help of the internet and social media, I discovered that there is not just a black and white system to sexuality and gender. That clothes do not need to define who you are, your gender or who you are attracted to’’.

Young people are increasingly challenging conventional gender identities by evolving notions about what it means to

be male, female and the meanings behind transgender, cisgender, gender conforming, gender queer plus up to 50 more identities. Facebook now offers these identities for their profiles.

Scientific writer, Robin Marantz Henig says that ‘’We know that the various elements that we consider ‘male’ and ‘female’ don’t always line up neatly. This opens people’s minds to the differences between biological gender and what an individual may identify as.’’

The gender revolution is taking the world by storm. Fashion designers such as Tillyand-William are creating a platform for genderless clothing and High street stores such as Zara are now featuring gender fluid clothing, the designs and fittings are neither for male or female. Runways and casting agencies are crying out for androgynous models to become a part of the shift in gender.

The world is seeing a positive stride in the gender shift showing a worldwide acceptance of blurring the conventional gender lines.

Text and Photographs by Sarah Staff

This is an opportunity to celebrate what has been achieved but also to recognise that we still have a lot to do in terms of support across the world.”

Fleur Robinson, Commercial Director of Burton Albion, another member of the panel added: “I am hoping that as being part of that council I can try and make a difference and create more opportunities for women.”

When asked why she attended the event, Student Union president Jamie-Lee Cunningham said: “Never doubt yourself, and to make sure that the people around you are the ones who are going to support you. Follow your dreams, and do not let gender, age or anything get in your way.”

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST Text by Laura Mellor Photography by Tara Daniels and Laura Mellor

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NEWS

Social Trump

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST

Text by Gabi Davidson & Laura-anne Reiling Photography by Chloe Lloyd As early as 1988, Donald Trump announced his interest in running for President of the United States, and in 2012, he came close to running but decided against it. 2016 was when the ‘now’ President decided to pursue his desire. Many Americans did not take Trump seriously, with many of them taking to social media to express their feelings about him running for the role.

“Facebook and Twitter were the reason we won this thing.” These are bold words from Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s digital director. Instead of following traditional methods of campaigning.

Instead of spending the average $2.9 billion campaigning across TV stations, he pumped a total of $66 millions of his

own money into his campaign – However this is far from the $100 million he boasted about spending.

On November 8th, the political world was shocked when Donald Trump defeated Democratic Rival Hillary Clinton.

Through his massive social following and outlandish claims Trump was plastered onto programs which provided him ‘free’ television time thrusting himself into the mind of the voter.

Despite the help from the media, Trump soon turned against them. Branding the media as ‘fake news’ and the ‘enemy of the people’, banning multiple media organizations from daily briefings. A few who were blocked from entering included, the BBC, The Guardian and The Daily Mail.

Social media has allowed him to interact with millions across the world. With Trump having 4.5 million Facebook followers and 5.5 Twitter followers, the President of the United States can express himself to approximately 2.8 billion people in the world. Trump is also said to use Facebook to fundraise.

Ultimately, Trump’s presidency has been ridiculed to the point where he is almost seen as a ‘Social Media Star’ as opposed to the President of the United States.

Golden Glory Text & photography by Laura Mellor

A discovery of what is believed to be the earliest examples of Iron Age gold has been unearthed in Britain.

The finds of three torcs (a piece of jewellery which is worn around the neck or the arm) and one bracelet, which have been named “Leekfrith Iron Age Torcs”, have been identified as approximately 2,500 years old, dating back to 400250 BC. They were found by two metal detectorists before Christmas near to Leek, Staffordshire.

Lifelong friends, Mark Hambleton and Joe Kania discovered the gold after Mark’s late father convinced the pair to return to their hobby.

Mark said: “We weren’t expecting to find anything. I was just about ready to give up for the day when Joe said he thought he had found something. We both looked at it and were speechless.”

Part of the hoard is being held as a permanent exhibition at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley and the rest based at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Coroner Ian Smith said: “This must rank as one of the most exciting treasure finds I have ever dealt with - not quite in the same league as the £3m Anglo Saxon Staffordshire Hoard, but nevertheless exciting.”

Visitors of The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Linda Atkinson and Barbara Davies from Werrington said: “I think that it is fascinating! People should come and see it, and the gold ought to stay in Hanley too.

“The times that we have drove down the Macclesfield road, and to think gold from BC was just lying there.’’

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LEVEL 6

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It is that time of year again, where Level 6 students are preparing to graduate and move on to pastures new. The following pages give an insight into each of our Photojournalism students final major project which is being exhibited.

Ta r a D a n i e l s : “All Geared Up”

“Steampunk is an Eclectic world of cogs and Rivets. It is airships, goggles and steam. It is romance. it is adventure.” – Aether Emporium Since the 1970’s Steampunk has grown from being a tongue in cheek version of Cyber punk to becoming it’s own individual extravagant movement. Often Each individual person brings their own definition and meaning to it, adding to the diverse and eccentric elements of this genre.

Through Portraiture, this work celebrates what it means to be a steampunk, allowing those involved to show their own unique take from the more traditional Victorian styling to the more modern playful approaches.

The artist would like to invites you to look, stare and gaze up one of the most diverse subcultures in a way most of them are accustomed to in daily life and appreciate the hard work that most have gone through to find or make their outfits in such detail for you to explore.

Nathan Stirk :“The Aesthetics of Sport Photography”

“The best sport photos don’t just show us what we have missed- they put us in the moment” (Getty Images, 2017).

The skill of a good sports photographer is to make sure you capture the winning moments, the celebrations, the highs and the lows and the emotions of the event. But for the elite photographers their job is to bring back the jaw dropping and unexpected images.

Stimulated by sports photographer Bob Martin, this project focuses on the aesthetics of sports photography. “Sports photography became less about capturing the momentbecause that was easy and more about being a ‘proper’ photographer (Martin, 2015)”.

These images cannot be created in a short period of time they are the result of seeing a single opportunity, but taking numerous photographs to help with the final edit.

Thinking outside the box and being creative enables the elite photographer to make pictures, not take pictures. From an early age sport played a profound role in my journey increasing self-confidence, teamwork and leadership qualities, which has transferred to my passion of photography. My aspiration now is to develop my skills and to become an award winning sports photographer.

A special appreciation and thanks to Getty Images for the continuous support and opportunities.

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Beth Knowles: “Inside Out”

LEVEL 6

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“Places have an impact on our sense of self, our sense of safety, the kind of work we get done, the ways we interact with other people, even our ability to function as citizens in a democracy. In short, the places where we spend time affect the people we are and can become” (Hiss, 1990).This project focuses on social interactions that take place within coffee shops around England. Looking at the way people use social space within busy city environments, feeding the photographer’s interest in human behaviour.

This project was photographed through windows, adding an extra layer of ambiguity and subtlety, reinforcing the barrier between the photographer, the viewer and the subjects. The disengaged photographer portrays the unabridged natural interactions of her subjects in an observational light.City coffee houses and cafés have changed significantly over time and the way people use them has transformed. The norms and consumptions have been broken and adapted to suit the modern multicultural social era. This project highlights the array of people that use coffee shops and how they interact and use the space.The artist invites you to look through a variety of windows that represent the diversity of people and assortment of coffee shops frequented in the modern world today. This allows you to view the subjects in the same voyeuristic manner they were captured in by the photographer.

Fi o n a C o l e : “ T h i s B o d y ”

This work explores beyond the ‘usual’ size zero model we see in fashion magazines.

“Thin-ideal media promote the idea that thinness is an advantageous attribute and ascribe the attribute to the most “beautiful, desirable, and successful protagonists.” (Krayer, et al, 2007).

This work uses a variety of sixed models between six to eighteen, and explores the subject that has sparked a worldwide debate. Only this year there was uproar when it came apparent certain designers refused to dress American plus-size model Ashley Graham for British Vogue in January. Many magazines argue that the clothes ‘look better’ on slimmer models,

and designers argue that smaller clothes cost less to make as less fabric is used.

But where does this leave the everyday woman? Feeling less worthy? Less satisfied in their own skin? As one of many women who suffer feeling inadequate with their appearance due to the constant message brought to us through the media it was important to produce a set of images that work to reverse tide, showing a set of fashion images which illustrate a diverse array of beauty in the female body, whether that be a slim or curvaceous figure, showing that beauty comes in different sizes.

LEVEL 6

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Poppy Edwards: “Lost in Music” “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture” – Thelonious Monk (and others) 1979 Going to a club, being in a club and joining a club is like joining a conversation.

It’s the same thing, a form of language.

You’re not sure what the conversation is or where it started, but you know you’re waiting for a reply of some form. Parts of the experience are personal, others are shared. A war on a natural state of being is going on outside, and inside the club a response is being formed in a shared unconscious space where music is the trigger. This work is my part

in that response. I have been an observer, a documenter and a participant. This work is a document of the unique underground club music scene. It’s about the energy, the atmosphere, trying to capture the experience, but mostly it’s about the people.

To present this, I have chosen to focus on a particular club scene in Stoke on Trent, a community of people that are rare to come by.

The nightclub banner image projects a moment on the wall while the book records a story of sequences in time.

Laura Mellor: “Me, Myself & Eye” “Every man lives in two realms: the internal and the external. The internal is that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals, and religion.

The external is that complex of devices, techniques, mechanisms, and instrumentalities by means of which we live.” - Martin Luther King, Jr. For the outside world, we wear a mask to portray what it is that society requires of us; normality, the outsider to our soul.

Beneath the mask, the real you is hiding, the inner dialogue is polar opposite to that of the external.

The human body is one of the most documented forms within the creative world. Self-portraiture can give the photographer a licence in which to discuss themselves or inner ideas, offering a personal insight, a slice of understanding to the outside world.

Me, Myself and Eye is based upon

Amy-Lynne Hartley: “ The British Outdoors” ‘To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow’ – Audrey Hepburn For many a garden is often a place of peace, serenity and personal taste. It is as much private as it is to share; it is an extension of ones home where they share values, ideas and hospitality.

This series of portraits shows a variety of people in their gardens and aims to demonstrate their personality within their outdoor space.

The work depicts people of different ages, genders and backgrounds, showing the variety of British living men and women who spend time in their gardens. Pruning, planting or painting their ways to what they desire and also looking at the ways in

which we as humans utilise the outdoors and what difference having a private, yet open area can make to our personalities.

Asking people to choose their own props and space to stand in their gardens meant they could feel more comfortable and represented as whom they are. It meant they could show off their work in however they desire, express what they do, or generally to view the natural beauty of living outdoors.

There are many different ways we can represent ourselves in this world but the individuality of the human spirit is what makes us extraordinary.

the internal and external emotions, metamorphosing of a mental health condition that I battle with on a daily basis.

Around 20% of the world’s children and adolescent population have mental health disorders or problems, with approximately half of the disorders beginning before the age of 14. I was nine years old when I had a mental breakdown, and subsequently struggle with anxiety and depression.

Using self-portraiture and documentary photography, gives me as the photographer, the power and the chance to express my hidden “true self”. By photographing myself metaphorically, this work supports the examination of inner feelings, compared to that of the outer self. Using objects and subjects which have become a helping hand throughout my life to portray the most difficult aspects of living.

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LEVEL 6

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Amy Hurst: “Living a Day in Ikea” Homes are where people feel safe, comfortable and themselves. This project considers the thoughts on IKEA and how they create imaginative and innovative room sets for their customers. Allowing people to feel ‘at home’ with interactive and visual displays in the room sets.

Within this sequence of photographs, it explores IKEA’s commercial selling point and unique style.

These photographs have used a variety of people conveying how not only do younger children ‘play house’ but mature adults become almost childlike playing with the concept of these ‘homes’. Using a diverse of ages, races, ethnics and genders meant I was able to connote that this fantasy world is within everyone.

Using the style of IKEA products and the style of IKEA room sets, the artist has created their very own IKEA room set outside of IKEA. Just as IKEA is interactive and you are able to play in the room sets, the artist has also done so with their own work. However, using their own style and flair in this particular room and moving away from the styles created by IKEA interior designers.

Thank you, Nottingham IKEA staff.

Ali Abbotts: “Diverge” Diverge is a magazine designed and created to highlight and question the way in which we consume, and aims to encourage a change in purchasing habits, as mass manufactured products have a harmful effect on the health of our environment. This magazine showcases five designer- makers who are divergent: by rejecting mass production the artists have changed direction. The design features portraiture alongside making and product shots bringing small designers out of the shadows and into the limelight.

Not only do designer-makers produce stunningly unique products that could go undiscovered or unrecognised, but they are reserving materials and energy that would otherwise produce a lot of greenhouse gas emissions and toxic waste, as Daniel Miller mentioned that “We are completely unaware of their existence, let alone their significance.”

(Miller, 2008).

By displaying the work of these designers and the pride of the designers themselves the magazine informs and encourages us to make more careful use of our limited resources in a creative and proactive way.

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LEVEL 6

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Laura Davies: “ The Inked Canvas” “Sometimes the most beautiful people are beautifully broken.” - Robert M. Drake I reveal to you a skin of the imagination, to indelibly mark the body with art in the same form as an artist puts paint to canvas. The people you see are those who are marking remembrance or showing creativity. We as people want to be recognised as unique but still to this day hear malevolent words hissed because of wanting to release creativity.

View the photographs as if you would a painting and you will understand the tattoos as more of an art form. The people involved are based in the West Midlands and aged between 18 and 50 to show diversity of people who are tattooed. The

photographer has also input herself to the work to create a bond with her subjects.

The work produced, the artist sees as a collaboration between body art and photograph. Bring no judgement and bring an open mind. The magazine tear sheets produced are simple and appealing, the photographer has focused more on her photographs within the magazine pieces.

She has taken inspiration from magazines such as Skin Deep and Total Magazine which focus on the appeasing side of tattoo’s and the underground social scene. Her inspiration is the public as well as photographers such as Alan Powdrill, Mark leaver and Brian Cummings.

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Why We Should All Be Feminists

FASHION & BEAUTY

London Fashion Week

“I have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.” Rebecca West.

Text and Photography by Adina Lawrence

What is feminism? I ask this question as there seems to be a lot of different opinions on what the term means. Do feminists believe that women are better than men? Do feminists all hate the male species? Or are they simply looking for full equality?

Travelling alone has always been my thing, so when I saw LFW was kicking off, I went for it. It began with an early train at 7.40am, getting me into Euston just after 9am. After tackling the London traffic, I entered the building and I felt the fashion spirit hit me. Immediately I saw the different clothing and hairdressing stalls which contrasted with the stalls that were talking about princess Diana’s fashion history. Amongst the fashion designers, fashion students, fashionistas and fashion bloggers all day, I felt alive!

Women have come a long way since the suffragettes started in 1903. Now having the right to vote, the right to an education and the rights to our own body. Women nowadays have a lot to thank previous influential female role models for. Yet, it seems feminism still has a long way to go. Feminists want more to be done to finally have the full equality they believe they should have. Still to this day they argue that women earn less than men for the exact same job, such as an athlete, an actress or a doctor.

I experienced a front row seat to a designer catwalk by the Mother of Pearl, as well as the trend catwalk by Trend 32. Trend 32 is an online retailer who partnered with LFW to provide us with the must buy trends for 2017. This included florals, ruffles and off shoulder designs which I am completely digging. Mother of Pearl is a luxury brand designer based in east London, the clothes come across to me as bright, vibrant and eye catching. All the outfits that floated down the catwalk could be brought on the day. Overall, the day was a huge success allowing me to work on my photography skills, as well as inspiring through meeting new people and networks within photography.

Although women are better off today than they ever have been, it seems as if we have taken five step forwards and ten steps back. A man who uses derogatory terms against the female gender is now in charge of one of the most powerful countries in the world. With his extreme opinions on women’s rights to abortions, stating these rights should be limited. Many women feel as though the power of their body and their rights to their body have been given to men.

Text by Fiona Cole

Photograph by Elizabeth Illsley

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Make-up: Cheap and Cheerful, or Splash the Cash?

When shopping for make-up which new products are you putting into your basket?

Do you keep it cheap and cheerful or splash out and get the higher brands?

Everyone has their personal opinions on if it’s cheaper to splash out on the luxury brands as they claim to last longer and you get more wear out of them, or if the cheaper more regular purchases are the way to go. We decided to put it to the test.

We tried out a Hollywood smoky eye and classic red lip combo, one with the cheaper drugstore brands and compare them to high-end brands which make-up gurus swear by.

Starting with the cheaper foundation, New Look, Pure Colour in Light Beige, Retailed at £7.99. The actual coverage was minimum and didn’t cover our red headed model’s freckles, but for an everyday natural look it works well.

The Colourmax eyeshadow palette from Peacocks at £4.99 applied onto the lids well and the glitter wasn’t too over powering. The Lumiere Pucker Up lip crayon didn’t make the cut, it’s extremely dark and didn’t come off as a bright red like we hoped.

The Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Basics Palette. £39.50 it’s not a purchase to be taken lightly, but after seeing the outcome it’s worth it. The colours were really pigmented and have a wide range of different options.

The Estée Lauder Double wear foundation works well for combination skin types.

Finally, we finished it off with both a lip liner and lipstick both from MAC. It seems you get what you pay for, but don’t break the bank there are always some cheaper gems out there.

Text by Laura-anne Reiling and photography by Rich Holmes

Find out more on our social media platforms

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FASHION & BEAUTY

Adina’s Culture Clash

From Mauritius to Sweden, to Scotland and back down to Jamaica, fashion photographer Adina Lawrence has successfully managed to incorporate and contrast these various nationalities into one photo shoot. The first-year student studying Photojournalism at Staffordshire University shot models with different nationalities, and contrasted them with different cultural clothing.

Adina’s intention was to highlight Stokeon-Trent’s variety of culture; many would say that Stoke is a city that lacks culture.

The young photographer then managed to scout out various models with different ethnic backgrounds and put them in clothes from different cultures such as African, Chinese and Libyan. Describing it as a ‘Culture Clash’ shoot. Adina is very passionate about her work, not just

fashion, but about the variety of culture in Stoke-on-Trent.

Adina had invited a list of models with different ethnicities to her shoot such as a male named, Reaho Currivan who has a background of Caribbean and Irish but was born in Birmingham. A female named Lavania Vencatasamy who is a Mauritian born in Stafford.

In an article written by The Times newspaper, Stoke-on-Trent came 11th in the scoreboard for the ‘Top 20 best cultural places to live’. One comment from Adina that really stuck with me was that; “Stoke-on-Trent is already cultural, that is the point I want to make in this shoot, the people of Stoke-on-Trent don’t think that their city has culture, when it really does!”.

Text by Gabi Davidson & Photography by Adina Lawrence

DIVERSITY AT STAFFS A CULTURAL FASHION SHOW

To celebrate the growing diversity throughout Staffordshire University, on the 12th December a fashion show was held to highlight the different cultures within the University. The show included fashion choices from all over the world, including: Korea, China, India, Pakistan, Caribbean, France and America.

As well as the catwalk, there was a traditional dance put on by the AfroCaribbean society as well as a special performance from Fahrenheit Dance Studio, based in Stoke-on-Trent. Included in the event was also a LGBT+ walk to celebrate the diversity in the community.

There was also a wide range of stalls offering items such as Knitwear, the opportunity to get Henna tattoos was also available.

All the money raised from the tickets and the stalls were for Food Hub, a University Charity. The Food Hub helps students who find themselves without food and in need of assistance.

Text by Laura-anne Reiling & Photography by Georgia Hallet

With a student, based team who all volunteer in their spare times. The charity is supported by the Student’s Union and led by the officer team at the university.

Creative Director, Sasha Gray felt the event was a success. “Everyone that took part in the show were amazing they put so much effect into, I thought the LGBT section was great and the ACS smashed their dance.”

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FASHION & BEAUTY

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Body

Image & Fashion Aderike Badero spoke about the impact the media has on our perception of body image in his 2011 journal, The Effects of Media on Body Image, he wrote, “Increasingly, size zero has become the commonly acceptable trend which every young woman must aspire to attain in order to be accepted in our ever-growing social sphere and society.”

Adolescent girls frequently compare themselves to the woman they see in the media. The problem with this is that the images we perceive in the media today are unrealistic and unachievable. The thin ideal typically depicted in the media today is only possessed naturally by 5% of American females. Furthermore, most of the images we see in today’s media are digitally alerted to perceive perfection, making this idea of perfection impossible to live up to.

Marjorie Hogan spoke about how the media effects body image in her article Body Image, Eating Disorders, and the Media in 2008. In the article, Marjorie spoke about recent community surveys that suggested almost 46% of teen girls and even 26% of boys are unhappy with their body shape and size, with only 12% and 17% reported liking their appearance. What is more startling is that the models we see in the media now weigh 23% less than the average women. Researchers have found a wide variety of harmful emotional outcomes associated with negative body image, including depression and poor self-esteem.

With this in mind I have decided to go against the norm in fashion photography and widen the variation of sizes we see in the fashion industry.

I chose to include all sizes into my work to help undo the damage the fashion industry has caused by helping young girls see that every size is beautiful.

Text & Photographs by Fiona Cole

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FEATURES

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Top Places to Eat in Stoke-On-Trent Tsp.

TSP is the new craze with their cupcakes and milkshakes taking the town by storm. It’s modern twist on interior design perfectly goes with their delicious choice of sweet and savoury things. They also create their own unique and extravagant cakes for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays and much more.

Now they’ve upped their game with their latest edition called hightsp, which is an afternoon tea available for £15pp or £26 for 2 which includes as much tea as you can handle alongside, a variety of cake selections to indulge yourself with.

Location: 84 Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 1HX

Sweet

Sweet is a new dessert based café which serves a variety of naughty treats such as waffles, crepes, milkshakes and other delicious temptation. They all come with a variety of toppings which will really sort out that sweet tooth for anyone.

An example is the Kinder Bueno waffle which has parts of the kinder chocolate layered on top of the waffle and melted white and milk chocolate, yummy!

Location: 61-63 Stafford St, Stoke-onTrent ST1 1LW

Klay Pizzeria & Bar The Church Bar NOM Nom is a small stylish restaurant just New Pizza and bar situated in Hanley. and Restaurant outside the Intu Potteries, Debenhams Upon arrival, you are greeted by people f you like quirky places to eat, then this is the place for you. With amazing food and drink (especially the steak – which is to do die for if I do say so myself), it’s the perfect place to go to. Apart from the food being amazing, the actual restaurant is held inside of a church which just makes the whole experience unique. The Church also hosts its own events such as Tarot nights including a three-course meal for £24.95 on a Tuesday. They even cater for people who enjoy a lighter lunch with their vintage tea room which includes a variety of sandwiches, soups, wraps and cakes.

Location: 61-63 Old Town RD, Stoke-onTrent ST1 2JS

end. It isn’t too far too walk if you’re shopping inside the centre. Its interior design is different from anywhere else in Hanley with foliage and greenery across the walls and small twinkly fairy lights.

They offer various deals and options from there menu, the food is presented beautifully and tastes delicious. During the daytime, you can enjoy a main course & cocktail for £9.95.

Location: 95-97 Stafford St, Stoke-on-

who will take you to your sit like a restaurant. The customer service is fab, the food is unique and alongside the quirky and upbeat vibe it brings. All the pizza slices are different and filled with quirky and delicious flavours. Klay has tasty affordable food which is worth a visit!

Location: 52 Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 1EG

Trent ST1 1LS

Text by Fiona Cole & Photography by Chloe Rickett & Fiona Cole

10% Off Any Event Booking Quoting The Reference *Staffordshire University*

Get Any Topping Free When You Purchase a Crepe Just Present This Advert

Any Enquiries Contact The Lollapalooza team: INFO@WEARELOLLAPALOOZA.CO.UK

www.wearelollapalooza.co.uk

End of an Era 23

Text and Photographs by Jakk Smith

At the start of the year, Stoke-on-Trent’s premiere rock and metal club blasted out its last tunes, moshed its last pits, poured its last pint of ‘Toxic Waste’ and closed its doors for the last time. Bunker 13 was closed, citing financial hardships, amongst other factors as the reasons for its untimely demise.

Established 5 years ago after the growing popularity of monthly event ‘Devil’s Night’, Bunker 13 became the pride of the area’s rock, metal and alternative scene. Events were hosted twice a week catering to all genres under the rock and metal ‘umbrella’.

In November 2014, local redevelopment forced the Bunker team to relocate to another location. “The running costs of the new venue were considerably more expensive than the old one, and we were aware that both rent and rates were due a considerable increase” says owner Wolf Sharman.

On Friday 13th and Saturday 14th January, Bunker opened its arms to herds of devoted rockers, filling beyond capacity and shaking the ground with the stomp of boots and ear-shattering anthems. Members of the university’s own Rock, Metal and Alternative Society (RAMS), were among the thousands of people to consider Bunker 13 a home

FEATURES

away from home. As the final songs aired across the dancefloor, guests were slowly siphoned out of the big unbolted doors for the final time.

“Eventually I decided that enough was enough, and that I didn’t want to risk our happiness, health or bank accounts any further, and decided to close the club” admits Wolf, who says the new club was just never as popular as the original, causing a very hard and stressful 2 years.

“We were all unhappy about it. But there was also a sense of relief”.

Bunkers closure certainly left a large hole in the local rock scene, but bars and clubs such as the Rigger, Sugarmill and Stage Door still provide a place for the heavier music lover. After a brief interim, regular Bunker collaborator and local promoter ‘Rawkus!’ secured a new venue in place of Bunker 13 to host events, now holding weekly themed rock nights at The Underground.

When asked about his thoughts on how this niche nightlife will fare, Wolf said “I think the local alternative scene will be fine. Stoke has always had a scene disproportionate to its size. It’ll probably veer wildly in direction, and completely renew itself every few years, but it’ll always be there. There’ll always be misfits, the dispossessed, the ones who don’t fit in, and there’ll always be a scene for them to call home.”

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Fresh Talent at the Sugarmill Text and Photographs by Tasha Jeffs

Rewenge is a local, up and coming, fourpiece band from Stoke-on-Trent that I had the chance to sit down and interview at their rehearsal space.

The genre of the band is alternative rock and by often supporting other bands such as ‘The Carnabys’ and ‘Arcadia’ at places like The Sugarmill and The Exhange in Hanley, they are getting their foot right in the door of the music industry and I wanted to find out more.

The band consists of 4 members; 16-year-old lead singer Ellis Gibbons, 17-year-old bassist named Jude Smith, 16-year-old drummer called Archie Boyce and 16-year-old guitarist Harvey Magher.

Aside from rocking out at live gigs and home recording their own EPs in Ellis’ back garden, they are still in their first year of A-levels. They will be at The Sugarmill in April and are currently recording their own EP.

For second year Photojournalist students at Staffordshire University, May is going to be an exciting, yet important month for them all. On the 5th May, the secondyear students will be showcasing their documentary photographs in the Henrion Gallery, College Road. Everyone is invited to the exhibition where they can view the photographs that are inspired

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The View Finder 24

the student’s choice of practitioner. The work that the students will be exhibiting are the results of weeks spent experimenting with different photographic techniques, from shooting on digital to shooting film dependent on the student. Most of the students have shot their work using digital cameras whereas, Georgia Hallett

Text and photographs by Gabi Davidson and Rebecca Coates

studying William Klein will be using a Pentax k1000 film camera.

The various practitioners that the students have been focusing on include; Martin Parr, Vivian Maier and William Eggleston.

The students are all encouraged to update the work of their chosen practitioner to create their own

body of work consisting of 4 images, 3 of which will be displayed in the exhibition.

The photographs will be supported with an artist statement discussing how they have approached their chosen practitioner and how they were inspired.

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Cats of Oslo

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Oslo, Norway: the streets are littered with candles, the skies are pink and the coins have holes in them. The wonderful Tamita welcomed me to the capitals craziness in true bobcat style. MUA special effects artist Adrea is based at Westerdal arts studios; hidden amongst the grittycorners of the working class area of the city. Free thinking creatives sugar coat their walls with tales of free thinking socialists, optimism sparkles in the eyes of the retro coffee house workers; refusing to be sucked up by a £860 billion wealthfund…£11pintsand£18hotdogsthat leave you skint and pondering the streets; oh, the cost to be alive here.

“WE KNOW YOU’RE CAPITALISTIC PARADISE” I later learnt these buildings are used as squats; an open bubble for anarchists plotting revolutions and equal utopias. My further research revealed the government are planning to shut down the squats in the upcoming months…Under a government which proposed to ban homelessness back in February 2015, I was somewhat baffled by the Christmas presents left under the trees for the homeless…

Text and Photography by Chloe Rickett

Tattoo Tea Party

The Manchester Tattoo Tea Party is the perfect place for tattoo lovers. A diverse range of artists and enthusiasts makes the atmosphere of the convention iconic.

From black and white traditional tattoos to bright watercolor style cartoon characters, the range of styles making the experience unique.

In 2017, this event was hosted to over 350 of the country’s finest tattoo and body artists. Each artist gets their own space and tattoos customers in full view of the public, there wasn’t an inch not filled with creativity.

Alongside the artists was hypnotists, sideshow illusions and full body paintings.

This added another dimension of the experience and gave a wider range of things people would come to enjoy.

Another part to the convention was a boxing ring in the middle which, in turn, children and parents would put on fake blow up boxing gloves and have a fight in the ring. This made the whole event much more family friendly and allows tattoo enthusiast to be able to join in the fun with their children too.

Text and Photographs

by Molly Woodhouse

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FEATURES

Twenty-Seven Years in Management

John Moss has managed a local Sunday league team, Vale Hoppers for the past twenty-seven years, a 11-a-side team based in Congleton, Cheshire, competing in the Leek & District league.

John said: “The reason why I do it is for the pleasure and I enjoy the social side as well as the football. They are a cracking set of lads. I prefer football at this level, I can get more involved and the players are more passionate.”

On the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Hoppers, an event was held at the Vale Club in Canal Street. John was surprised and pleased when he and secretary Bob Walker were presented with a long service awards by the league official.

“In 1989, my son Patrick (pictured left) and his friends were playing for a local pub team. They asked me if I could help manage a new team, which they were forming. This was the start of Vale

Hoppers.”

John spoke of the Hoppers many achievements and successes over the past 27 years, highlight of which was probably the winning of the Macclesfield Sunday League Cup at the Macclesfield Town ground, in 2000. In the 93rd minute we scored a late equaliser taking us to extra time where we scored the winning goal”.

“Managing at this level there isn’t the same pressure as professional

managers, when the results aren’t going well, we just keep going. I will carry on managing Vale Hoppers as long as possible, I can’t see any end to it yet.”

Text & Photographs by Nathan Stirk

Urban Exploring: Hoarders House, Droitwhich

From the roadside it seems nothing more than an overgrown garden, however, just over a Gothic gate rests the ruins of the Cottage farm where MP David Godfrey Howells and his wife Ida Howells once lived.

The farm house on the outskirts of Droitwich, has been abandoned for the past two decades, several years after David’s wife passed away in 1990. The house was originally his parent’s house, Alfred, it was then known as a milk farm.

Approaching the house, the amount of objects the couple collected becomes apparent, bags of old toys, clothes and electrical equipment have been

abandoned on the overgrown surrounding land.

It seems as though time stands still, nothing has been touched since the house was occupied.

The floors are mounded with clothes, magazines and old documents including birthday cards, identifying the home owners.

However, the house has been subject to light vandalism, as it is set back from the road within the woodland.

This is a very interesting urban structure, filled with interesting artefacts, however from looking at past reports it appears a lot of the more interesting hoards have been removed, it’s now a memorial of a bygone era.

Text and photography by Gabi Davidson and Rebecca Coats

Mental About Health FEATURES

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Is it really considered the best time of our lives: if a quarter of students in the UK are diagnosed with mental issues during university?

One in four people suffer with mental health problems in the UK, but it is increasingly becoming more common within students. What is changing and pushing these young adults into this mental state? What help do universities offer to ensure the wellbeing of students?

A report by YouGov reveals the true extent of mental health problems at universities. It found that 27% of students report having a mental issue of some kind, the most common is depression and anxiety.

It’s also apparent that females are more likely to admit they have mental health problems, appose to males.

34% of females openly admit they suffer whereas only 19% males will discuss the issues.

45% of LGBT students suffer with depression and anxiety, compared to only 22% of their heterosexual peers.

A Staffordshire University student who wishes to remain unnamed, “I’m honestly surprised that the numbers aren’t higher! The amount of pressure put onto students nowadays its appalling. Students just can’t afford

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it, unless you’re privileged and your parents pay for everything, it’s hard.”

It’s clear change is needed. Students shouldn’t have to face these issues, but despite the high rate of mental health problems, only a 1/5th of students have made use of the Mental Health service within the University.

“Trying to juggle a job to fund university and get good grades is the most intense thing I’ve ever done, and to try and deal with my mental health issues it makes me wonder how I’ve not gone insane …

We’re all judged on how well we do and the grades we get at the end of this all can define your entire life. It’s too much pressure for young adults.”

The help is there and yet students don’t come forward and ask for help, why?

“I don’t really feel comfortable about talking to strangers about my issues, they’re my issues. There is so much stigma around having mental health problems that I feel like if I do mention them I’ll just be considered lazy or dramatic, it’s not worth justifying why I am the way I am.”

Change is needed!

Text by Laura-anne Reiling Photographs by Laura Mellor & Laura Davies

Understanding Fibromyalgia Syndrome Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a long term medical condition, where a person’s body is in continuous pain and the smallest pain is heightened to abnormal levels. Other symptoms include extreme fatigue. The condition typically develops between the ages of 30 and 50.

Getting the treatment for the illness is extremely difficult if you’re under the typical age bracket, having doctors refuse to give you medicine because they’re strong and addiction forming.

The exact cause of FMS is unknown, it’s thought to be related to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes to the central nervous system. In many cases, it appears to be triggered by a physically or emotional event.

Currently there is no cure for Fibromyalgia, the only treatments to help relieve some of the symptoms are to make it easier to live with.

Wanting to reach goals and achieve whilst struggling to move out of bed on the bad days can really knock someone’s confident but there are numerous support networks and groups out there.

Fibromyalgia Action UK is a charity that offers information and support to people dealing with the condition.

The charity also offers free online or over the phone help. 0844 887 2444

Text and Photography by Laura-anne Reiling

My 5-year-old and Me As I stumble into class, minutes late, I always dread my lecturer’s reaction.

Little do they know that I’ve been up since 5.45am preparing my 5-year old’s uniform and breakfast, as I do every morning. As I’m frantically attempting to create a school project at these ungodly hours that I’d been meaning to complete for the past two weeks. After just finishing a night shift to then spend two hours convincing my son why he should put on his own clothes, seems unnecessary and how I won’t be here forever to put them on for him. I do all this whilst he has a nervous breakdown and cries about how he doesn’t want me to die and doesn’t see the need to get ready for mummy.

If only they knew that I had just spent the whole school run debating with my

five-year-old Malachi, about who would win a fight between a snail and a whale.

After then attempting to scrub mud out of my car seats, cleaning Ribena off my window screen and doing an all-nighter in the library. My own ambitions for our future and fulfilling my degree course, traveling the world and exploring fashion photography makes all this worthwhile.

Being a mum at a young age has its pros and cons. Most people at age 19, are supposed to be in their carefree years, but for me I found out that I was four months away from meeting a beautiful, chubby nine pound nine, bundle of joy, I call my boy, and the greatest adventure of my life Text and photography by Adina Lawrence

Manchester’s Olympic Parade SPORTS

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On Monday the 17th October 2016, Manchester’s streets filled up with people welcoming home and congratulating the athletes from the Rio Olympics.

Over 200,000 people turned up to watch the event and over 350 athletes from every sport walked through the streets with 23 of the Olympic stars from Manchester itself.

The parade began at 4:30pm outside of the Museum of Science and Industry.

It then carried on through many streets such as; todd street, corporation street, and cross street. The event ended in Albert square where a show was held for the athletes at 5:30pm.

Gold medal boxer Nicola Adams, Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and the Brownlee brothers all attended the event.

Indie favourites, Kaiser chiefs got the crowd jumping, despite the typical Manchester rain. Ex X-factor contestant Rebecca Ferguson also took to the stage after the athletes were interviewed about their success in Rio. This included: 214 medals: 91 golds, 62 silvers, and 61 bronze.

Charlie Malam: Becoming a Sports Journalist Staffordshire University Sports Journalism student Charlie Malam, 20, has recently been working at the top league football matches covering minute-by-minute updates for online readers. Not only this but has done professional style reporting’s, live on Facebook, for football news nights where he covers all league and match highlights.

Charlie previously studied English Language, Media and Critical Thinking at college but he never felt clear on what his future held, until he started writing about four years ago and following a good reaction from people he decided it was what he wanted to do. After always being a lover of football, with it being a part of his life for 16 years, Charlie luckily got a chance to start writing for global website Vavel in 2014. Now, he gets an average of 1,000 readerships on his posts and approximately 400,000 views per month.

He says one of the best things about the job is being as close to football as you can be without being a footballer. The low points of the job would be the hours as they can become almost unsociable.

Charlie says, “I am lucky to have friends in the same field as it can be difficult to plan in advance but we all understand, sport can be unpredictable but it is a great job and I don’t have many complaints,

although I may do 20 years down the line.”

Charlie’s advice is if you have a specific sport that interests you, then focus on that. It is not essential but if there is a more unique sport that you like, then go for that as it could help you gain contacts, to get yourself out there. Work hard and love what you do!

In the future Charlie hopes to have a long career meeting impressive people and travelling to exciting places. Most importantly he wants people to enjoy what he writes.

Text by Amy-Lynne Hartley & Photography by Kate Hewitt

Match of the day star Mark Chapman and Blue Peter’s beloved Helen Skelton took to the stage to present and host the event.

Albert Square lit up with the colour gold as people wore faux-olympic medals around them. A huge amount of union jack flags were presented to give the athletes as a hero’s welcome.

The event ended when Albert square exploded with a magnificent show of fireworks and streamers all in the colours blue, red and white representing the colours of Britain. The whole crowd roared with congratulation.

The final song was played in tribute to the incredible artist David Bowie, in which the crowd of people belted out ‘Heroes.’

Text by Laura Harvey & Photography by Richard Holmes

Uttoxeter Horse Races

The second Super Saturday of the season was held on the 11th of February at the Uttoxeter Racecourse.

It was debatable whether the races would be taking place or not due to the cold weather affecting the grounds.

Several inspections took place in the morning, leaving everyone doubting the maintenance of the races until the very last hour before the first riders could be called at the starting block.

The fleece protecting the grass from the cold weather had to be removed as quickly as possible before the start of the races. The Executive Director David MacDonald also confirmed that, having to cancel the races would have been very costly, with the protective fleece alone costing £10,000.

The first race of the day was named after Connor’s 21st birthday. Connor is a regular rider at a local horse riding centre and the presence of the association helped raise a lot of money for; Riding for the Disabled.

Samdibien was the favourite to win Connor’s 21st Birthday Celebrations’ Novice’s Handicap Hurdle race, with Wazowski being a horse to watch out for, but both were beaten by Modulus.

The SSJ Electrical Handicap Hurdle race was the final and biggest race, having 11 participants running. Transient Bay was the clear winner, followed by Big Meadow in second place who was the top choice for this race. Midnight Tune was one to be watched but finished the race in fourth place.

Text & Photography by Erika Wyatt

SPORTS

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Interview with Sports Photographer Nathan Stirk Nathan Stirk, a third-year Photojournalism student at Staffordshire University, has already begun working for a professional photography company at just 21 years old.

After being contacted by Getty Images personally, offering him an opportunity to develop his skills as a student photographer, he joined them to progress and make a start in the photography industry.

Specialising in sports, Nathan says that the reason that he went down this route starts in his school days when football became one of the main reasons he would attend lessons. His enthusiasm for playing the sport decreased after an injury, which is when a friend introduced him to photography as a way of connecting back with the sport.

Working for Getty has given Nathan all the access that he needs to attend and photograph sporting events across the country. He stated: “There is no better feeling than capturing the winning shot, or capturing the decisive moment, it cannot be recreated.”

Advice that Nathan offers to other early students: is to remember that it doesn’t matter about being in top leagues straight away, as some of the best photographers can start from the bottom. You can do so much as a start-up photographer, so try different sports as well as the ones that interest you, as you might discover something new for yourself.

Scan to see more of Nathan’s work

Text by Amy-Lynne Hartley and photography by Nathan Stirk

Stoke City Rollers

Text by Amy-Lynne and Photography by Nathan Stirk When it comes to unique sports, Roller Derby is high on the list. Georgia Greenwood, head coach of the Stoke City Rollers, talks about the sport and what makes people want to join.

The Stoke City Rollers is an all-female team; all the women are age 18 and over, as it is a full contact sport. It appears most women join the team out of pure curiosity and want to take up a sport that is set aside from others as it is for all women. It is also a great stress release, which is what Georgia suggests makes women stay.

The Rollers have not yet entered competitions due to struggling with retaining skaters, people become scared and being the only Roller Derby team in Stoke-On-Trent now it is something that will take time settling in, with the help of Stoke winning the City of Sport bid in 2016. The team needs 14 players who have a passed skill license to play, as it can be dangerous.

The club has been running for around 3-4 years, which is very new in terms of Roller Derby. The oldest running team in England are in London and they have been playing for about 10 years, and play against the

Americans, representing the UK. In the future, they are hoping to play their first official belt with all past team members. Georgia says, “We want to get Roller Derby out there in Stoke-On-Trent and get more people joining us on our journey onwards and upwards.”

For more information scan the barcode above to visit the Stoke City Rollers webpage.

Shrovetide Football 30

Shrove Tuesday marks the legendary events of both the Atherstone ball game and the Ashbourne football game.

In Atherstone, people fight over a very large ball, up and down the high street.

The main aim of the game is to be the last person holding the ball when the horn is blown at 5pm. The duration of the game lasts two hours from 3pm – 5pm, although

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the game is known to slow down at 4:30 as the ball gets ‘hidden.’ The 27-inch ball gets filled with water before the game starts, weighing around 4 pounds.

There are very limited rules for this game, don’t kill anyone and don’t take the ball out of the town.

In the football game, the ball is slightly smaller than the ball for the Atherstone ball

game. However, it is still bigger than your average football. The game lasts for eight hours each day – starting at 2pm and ending at 10pm.

The teams for the game are decided by which side of the henmore brook you were born on. The main aim of the football game is for the ball to be ‘goaled.’ This requires a player to hit the ball against the

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millstone three times. If a ball is goaled after 5pm the game will end. Again, this is very similar as people fight over the chance to grab the football. However, you can also take the ball in local fields and in the local river.

Text & Photography by Laura Harvey

Leicester Skateboarding

Text & Photographys by Taimore McDowell 4th February 2017 saw the new local Leicester skateboard video release; Baghead Kills 2. Cameron Linford, one of the skateboarders in the video went around the city centre of Leicester skateboarding the streets a few hours before the premiere.

Cameron, originally from High Wycombe s in studying Economics in his 2nd year at Leicester University. Cameron quickly got into the local skateboarding scene in Leicester after his move to university, so much so that within the first two months into living there he was in the trailer for the Baghead Kills II video – a video which they had been already been filming for a year.

Having lived in Leicester for a year and a half now, he is well-informed on the local

street spots around the city centre and the outskirts. The local meet up spot tends to be outside the front of the cathedral where there are a variety of different ledges for warming up on.

The plan from there is to skate through the town until you find the next spot to skate.

Generally, you tend to spend about an hour to an hour and a half at each location, which gives people enough time to get their legs warmed up from the cold and allow people to film anything they want to be filmed.

In the evening skates, around half 6, you sometimes spend longer at the spots because you are less likely to be moved on by security. This is because most places are closed now meaning that the workers and security have gone home.

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Stoke Spitfires

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Having a huge impact on player’s lives, this sport has had a dramatic impact on people’s physical and mental health.

Wheelchair basketball is one of the only Paralympic sports where both able-bodied players and people with a disability can compete up to the Paralympic level.

Based in Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent, the Stoke Spitfires are one of few disabled sports teams in Staffordshire competing at a national level. They are part of the NL Third Division Midlands, playing away games in places such as Wales, Northampton, Derby, Liverpool and Bolton.

The team trains once a week at Biddulph High School every Sunday, in a friendly atmosphere with all players thriving to improve. The club is open to a variety of age groups, gender and abilities.

This sport is popular in countries such as: China, Australia, USA and Brazil. It is one of the biggest sports at the Paralympics and due to its vast popularity, there are currently 9 divisions in the United Kingdom with a total of 65 teams competing.

The game was initiated in the late 1940s when basketball players returned from the Second World War to the United States and could no longer play regular basketball. They then adapted the rules to enable it to be played in wheelchairs.

Text and photographs by Erika Wyatt

Volleyball Player Heads to Rio

Flossie Owen aged 19 from Stokeon-Trent started playing Volleyball in a small group at 13 years old and ended up a volunteer at the Rio Olympics.

She states: “I felt special to be part of such an amazing sport that not many people took part in.”

Her coach recognised her for having coaching abilities that stood out from the rest of the team and this opened

the opportunities for her. The biggest inspiration came from her Coach who once called her his biggest inspiration.

From such a young age, she set targets and goals for herself which she has later achieved by going to the Olympics. She couldn’t believe that after coming from a small place, that she would end up doing this.

She said: “sport gives me such a euphoric feeling, I can’t see what my life would be like without it.”

Flossie is now aspiring to achieve her other aspirations but Volleyball will always be the main part of her life.

Text and Photography by Bronte Capper

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The Rise of Leicester City

Leicester FC started off the 2015/16 season in the premier league as relegation candidates, with odds of winning the title at 5000-1 and under the wing of former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri.

The team made a flying start to the season, being at the top of the table by Christmas despite being bottom in the previous season, continuing their winning form after Christmas.

Their main rivals for the rest of the season was Tottenham Hotspurs, but they continued their winning form to secure their first ever premier league title,

with two games to spare and 10 points clear of the opposition. After one of the most extraordinary season in the premier league, Leicester’s players won various awards, including Mahrez winning the PFA player of the year award. In this season of 2016/17, Leicester couldn’t keep up their form from last season, being predicted to finish around the middle of the table.

The club made the decision to sack Ranieri after their 2-1 defeat by Sevilla, just nine months after he lead the team to victory in a remarkable season in the premier league.

Leicester have appointed the assistant manager Craig Shakespeare to manage the team until the end of this season.

Since his departure in February, the club has seen an uplift in form, and the fans and players have seen success. For the Foxes to come out of the UEFA champions league, after beating Sevilla 2-0 on Tuesday 14th March, making it 3-2 on aggregate which means they have made it through to the quarter finals.

Text & photography by Philip Court and Richard Holmes