Motley - Volume XIV - Issue #7 - The Future of Work

Volume 14. Issue 7 JUNE 2021

A CONVERSATION WITH WOLF ALICE

A CHAT WITH IRELAND'S FOREMOST CREATIVES

INTERVIEW WITH RICK RIORDAN

THE FUTURE OF

WORK

Masthead

Editorial Staff

MOLLY KAVANAGH Deputy Editor-in-Chief

HILARY BARRY Designer

ALANA DALY MULLIGAN Current Affairs

NIAMH BROWNE Features & Opinions

Molly is a recent UCC English graduate who is now doing an MSc in Government and Politics. She's also our former Deputy Current Affairs Editor, and is overseeing Motley's brand new Wellness Section!

Hilary Barry is currently a student of Music and English and co-host of the Break it Down Podcast. As the the new graphic designer she hopes to bring her love for design and illustrations to the pages of Motley.

Alana Daly Mulligan is an award-winning spoken-word “artivist” & filmmaker of Déise extraction. With work tackling social issues by playing with heartstrings, she hopes to apply her artistic formula to her role as Motley current affairs editor.

Prolific writer and notorious flirt, Niamh Browne is currently completing a BA in art history and philosophy and is this year's features and opinion editor for Motley Magazine. Winner of the HotPress outstanding achievement award in 2018, she has since been staff writer for Motley.

DEPUTY EDITORS Current Affairs Features & Opinions Entertainment Fashion

Stephen Moynihan Emer Walsh Rebeckah McCarthy Kaia Purcell

STAFF WRITERS Head Staff Writer Current Affairs Staff Writer Fashion Staff Writer Contributing Staff Writer

Jack Coleman John Hunter Emma Treacy Conor Daly

ONLINE TEAM Online Editor Social Media

Kevin Quane Erica Shelly

KANE GEARY O' KEEFE Entertainment Kane is in his final year of Film and Screen media with English in UCC. His passions are for all things film, music, video game, and literature related, which makes him a potent competitor for that one artsy round in the table quiz.

Kane is still waiting patiently for his emo phase to end.

GRACE CLARO Fashion Grace Claro has been a fashion photographer with Motley since 2018.

She is taking the MA in History this year.

Working with the magazine all began with a zealous email to the editor. This is something which she encourages everyone to do, as Motley is a wonderful platform to amplify student voices .and creativity.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Carly Fitzgerald Rebecca Dineen Diego Leon

CONTRIBUTORS Clíonadh O’ Keefe Caroline Veiga Dr. Emer Clifford Baneen Talpur Eoin Shortiss Ana Mc Guire Hannah Emerson

Conor Daly Ronan Waters Philip Corkery Declan Foley Orla Leahy Cian McDonnell Natalia Karolina Gawlas

This publication is made from 100% recycled paper. Motley welcomes letters from readers, emailed to editor@motley.ie. Motley is published by Motley Magazine, The Hub, UCC, Western Road, Cork. Printed by City Print Limited, Victoria Cross, Cork. Copyright 2021 Motley Magazine. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All efforts have been made to ensure that details and pricing are correct at time of print. Motley magazine does not take responsibility for any errors incurred. This magazine can be recycled either in your green bin kerbside collection or at a local recycling point. Images provided by Unsplash.com, Pexels.com, Pixabay.com.

Vectors provided by Vecteezy.com and Freepik.com

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from the

Editor's Desk

Matthew Moynihan

Editor In-Chief

PROTECTING OUR STUDENT MEDIA ECOSYSTEM REQUIRES COLLABORATION

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here is, I must admit, a ludicrous level of irony in the writing of this month’s editorial. By publishing the last editorial of my tenure as Editor-in-Chief of Motley, I am making myself, albeit temporarily, unemployed.

A perfect starting point for an issue themed on “The Future of Work”. It occurs to me that this is a fitting end to a year like no other for this publication, etched in novelty and growth in equal measures.

Personally, I am delighted that I will be taking on a new position with the University Express in September as News Editor. Given the spirit of cooperation myself and Fiona Keeley, as Editors, have attempted to foster between our two publications, I believe that this is a positive move both personally and professionally and is an extension of that work.

The unity of student media outlets within our university, as symbiotic organs, is crucial. UCC’s student media is broad, diverse, and of course competitive, but the future funding and operation of student media requires us all to remain collaborative, and to pool our collective influence to prevent any financial or administrative cuts whether that’s at Motley, UCC FM, the University Express, Breac, Stíl, Campus Narrative or Polity.

We have in Kieran Hurley, an incredible advocate for the power of student journalism, and we have him to thank for the continuing funding we receive as publications and entities. He is a tireless supporter of our work, and I don’t think he gets enough recognition for this. From all the team at Motley, thank you!

Questions often get raised about the purpose of student media. Most commonly queries postulate as to what end it serves, for whom’s benefit and at whom’s cost. The answers we derive must be clear, consistent and continuously battled for: that is, that the unique selling point of UCC’s student media ecosystem is that it helps students develop their voice and develop the personal, professional and graduate attributes required of them by their future professions. These are the values espoused by the University itself, and as such, any attempt at cutting future funds should be viewed as an undermining of our University’s core values.

Student media offers our community the opportunity to be active citizens, to hone their thoughts and to pose an opposition to the societal challenges they face on

a daily basis. To our readership here at Motley, and on behalf of the entire student media ecosystem, our message is clear: we will continue to fight to protect these vital and valuable resources and build on the major investments the University has made in recent years, particularly with the new radio station.

In my three years at UCC, I have seen the power our media apparatus has to propel the careers of young journalists. I started my journalism career at UCC as a cowering and nervous wreck who hadn’t the confidence to articulate myself, to trust my own voice or to even attempt to help others develop that same voice.

I finish my degree with a personal landscape, “all changed, changed utterly” and I attribute this to the hard work of all those who placed faith in me, and as Editor-inChief, I have sought to pay this faith forward. We have given creative space to countless new voices, which greatly aided Motley’s feat of receiving fourteen SMEDIA nominations in 2021; more than any other student publication in the country.

For Motley, the future of our work is transforming.

The digital landscape offers huge opportunities, but the supremacy and prestige of print remain imperative cogs in our journalistic engine going forward. September will likely see a return to print, with a “vaccine bonus” allowing for the beautiful smell of fresh ink on freshly bound pages to return.

This publication and its incoming editorial team, will both be shaped by and shapers of the employment landscape that emerges post-pandemic.

For each of this year’s team, I can say with certainty that their futures are unfathomably bright. Until then I want to thank my colleagues and our readers for giving me this amazing platform and opportunity to develop personally and professionally - it has been life changing.

I want to thank my team individually, Rebeckah, Kaia, Molly, Kane, Grace, Nicole, Jack, Hilary, Tim, John, Emma, Niamh, Rebecca, Emer, Stephen, Alana, Diego, Erica, Carly, Cian, Kevin, Ronan and Conor. The magazine has grown so much with your hard work. I thank you all, and look forward to seeing a Pulitzer out of one of you some day.

For now, slán agus sláinte.

Editor out.

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ISSUE No7 - JUNE 2021 MOTLEY.IE

CURRENT AFFAIRS

FEATURES

ENTERTAINMENT

FASHION

Motley chats with some of Ireland's foremost creatives about covid and their artistic process

Cian McDonnell helps us see into the sometimes notso-bright-future of work

Kane Geary O'Keefe speaks with the Mercury Prize-Winning band Wolf Alice

'Reading The News' by Philip Corkery, featuring David Ogumefu & Immanuel Söla

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P. 19

P. 28

P. 38

WANTS YOU

MOTLEY MAGAZINE IS NOW HIRING FOR THE 2021/2022 ACADEMIC YEAR

POSITIONS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF * GRAPHIC DESIGNER *

IF INTERESTED PLEASE SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING: -Three pieces of work -Up to date CV -A reference -One page creative vision for the year ahead

Email editor@motley.ie for further information *This is a paid position, previous experience preferred

Current Affairs

‘Lite’ Work TECHNOLOGY AND REMOTE EMPLOYMENT POST-COVID

GRACE CLARO EXAMINES THE FUTURE OF IRELAND’S PANDEMIC-TRANSFORMED JOBS MARKET AND EVALUATES HOW A YEAR SPENT ONLINE CAN AFFORD THE CLASS OF 2021 THAT EXTRA EDGE IN THE EMERGING REALM OF REMOTE EMPLOYMENT.

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he idea of remote working or part-time office hours was a distant and underdeveloped concept in the years leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While Ireland was yet to embrace the working-from-home revolution, workplace innovations were underway during the 2010s in Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Denmark. Reports and statistics filtered through about how productivity in a “work-from-home environment was mostly on the increase even when work hours were reduced to three to six-hour workdays as opposed to the standard nine-hour office shift.”

Industries like accounting, human resources, software engineering, web development, content and copywriting, business management and sales had all been transitioning to remote-based work in the decade before the pandemic. The increased availability of personal computers, smart devices, and improved broadband across Europe instigated this change. The growing diversification of employees in all sectors coincided with a rise in female representation in STEM, and also a growing emphasis on worker rights and a movement agitating for the improvement of conditions for both maternity and paternity leave. Some keen-eyed employers have clocked the increase in employee satisfaction and have also noted that productivity levels of those working from home were equal to or better than those confined to office spaces in high-rise buildings in crowded cities.

The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated some of the issues present in modern society such as urban sprawl, traffic congestion, rising rental prices, and the long commuter journeys experienced by many who work in large cities like Dublin. Pollution associated with commuter traffic and inner-city transport was temporarily alleviated by the mass lockdowns enforced across the globe last Spring. The enforcement of dramatic public health measures instigated a change in the way we work. With employees forced to work from home, the apparent success of which shifted attention to new possibilities for the real-time improvement of living conditions, work-life balance, and reduction in

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traffic congestion. Working from home became a buoyant reality which led to an increased public feeling favouring decentralization and rural regeneration in the interest of sustaining a better quality of life outside of densely populated urban areas.

As a response to the increased demographic of remote employees in the country, the government of Ireland introduced a ‘right to disconnect’ workplace code on 1st April 2021. This code, drawn up by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and signed off by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar gives employees the right to disconnect from work activities outside of their designated hours. There are three worker’s rights enshrined in this code: 1) The right to work routinely within the designated hours.

2) The right to avoid a penalty for not attending work-related duties outside of normal working hours.

3) The right to disconnect from work, including the duty to respect another person’s right to disconnect after hours.

This is good news if you are not privy to answering late-night emails or phone calls after hours. Employees are also required by their employer to only work a maximum average of 48 hours per week. These new changes made to the code of work in Ireland are significant, especially within the confines of the current restrictions, during which employees are still encouraged to work from home where possible. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar commented: “Although much of the impact of the pandemic has been negative, particularly for those who have lost jobs, income or whose businesses have been closed, it also offers an opportunity to make permanent changes for the better, whether that’s working more from home, having more time with the family, or more

flexible working hours."

So it seems that some of the changes to the way Ireland works are here to stay. The pandemic has been interpreted as a major catalyst in the revamping of work conditions for those employed in some tertiary sector industries like financial services and education. However, the biggest change has been experienced by those employed in the quaternary sector, dominated by large software development companies, media outlets, publishing organizations, and research. Almost all employees in this sector now have the capacity to work remotely or with minimal office contact. Increasingly, with the (sometimes notorious) investment from overseas by large tech companies such as Google, Facebook, and the Irish Silicon Valley-based software development company Stryke, large echelons of Ireland’s economy have been transforming into knowledge-intensive or knowledge-based services.

This will inevitably lead to a rapid advancement in technological innovation and a boom in indigenous

science and technology industries, ultimately growing in profitability in the coming years.

However, there are going to be some pitfalls as a result of this seismic shift in the way we work. An over-emphasis on ‘pure’ or knowledge-based industries like those developing in Ireland now, can lead to the threat of obsolescence and depletion of primary and secondary industries which involve more manual labour such as food production and construction. Primary industries are essential to the maintenance of a healthy and robust domestic economy and therefore the drive for highly skilled workers in an ‘information society’ may pose detriment to the overall Irish jobs market.

So how do we apply these new realities to our prospects as students and graduates? Never has the phrase ‘the jobs you will work in haven’t been invented yet’ been more true than in today’s world.

The future is global and very much digital. With increased communication and trade networks across the world and universities teeming

with eager graduates, the jobs market is becoming oversaturated and the workforce overqualified.

Increasingly, employers are looking for candidates who display ample extracurricular activities and skill sets gleaned from engagement in such activities.

In order to meet the criteria to succeed in this panorama of digital employment, extracurricular activities in tandem with problem-solving and adaptable skill-sets will be in high demand from employers. One way to gain experience and add merit to your CV during these challenging times may just be available to you in the form of student journalism.

Journalism and the written word are accessible to every university student. Student media platforms can be harnessed in order to expand critical thinking, time management, proofreading, and organisational and communication skills.

Student journalists develop a robust range of transferable skills which in turn will reap their own benefits in the competitive sphere of graduate employment.

The added challenge of having to run operations remotely and digitally can also be viewed as an asset.

The pandemic has increased the interest and interaction with student publications this year. On a month by month basis, Motley website views have increased by 59% when compared with 2019 figures. The magazine has a wide reach and most readers are from Ireland, the USA, France, Norway, UK and Belgium. Experience in journalism also indicates to future employers that students can meet regular deadlines and coordinate large-scale projects all from remote and disparate environments.

It remains to be seen just how quickly the global economy will bounce back following the ravages of the pandemic and its after-effects. However, in following the current trends it can be speculated that remote working and off-site employment will certainly be on the cards for many UCC graduates in the coming years.

CURRENT AFFAIRS | 7

Building Better Graduates UCC’S PROGRAMMES FOR DEVELOPING ACTIVE CITIZENS

AS MANY STUDENTS GET READY TO FACE LIFE BEYOND THE GATES OF UCC, THE BYSTANDER INTERVENTION PROGRAMME & THE GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES PROGRAMME SHOW STUDENTS HOW TO TAKE ON THE ROLE OF GLOBAL CITIZENS AS THEY EMBARK ON THEIR FUTURES. WRITTEN BY CLÍONADH O’KEEFE OF THE UCC BYSTANDER INTERVENTION PROGRAMME WITH ADDITIONAL WRITING SUPPORT BY CAROLINE VEIGA (GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES PROGRAMME) AND DR EMER CLIFFORD (UCC BYSTANDER INTERVENTION PROGRAMME).

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f late, it has been impossible to escape discussions pertaining to femicide, sexual violence, harassment, and misconduct. Dominating international, national and local media, these conversations and indeed gender relations in general, have grown increasingly polarized, with ensuing debates fraught with passion, frustration and downright ire. The recent kidnapping and brutal murder of Sarah Everard whilst returning home alone at night, sparked fear and anguish across the UK and Ireland, yet #NotAllMen flooded social networks, and in so doing at times overshadowed the murder of the young woman. Let’s be clear, not all men are murderers or perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence against women, but those who shared this hashtag missed the point entirely; gender inequality is the root cause of all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, and by gender inequality we mean any legal, social, or cultural situation in which sex and/or gender determine different rights and dignity for women, men and all other genders. These differentials are reflected in people’s unequal access to and enjoyment of rights – including bodily integrity and freedom from violence, as well as the assumption of stereotypical social and cultural roles, responsibilities, and behaviours. They permeate every aspect of life, whether that be public or private, in the family or the workplace, in political life, in power and in decision-making. In almost all societies, women are afforded less respect and assume less power, making them more vulnerable to sexual harassment

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and violence, to which certain groups of women are at even greater risk, depending on the intersections of gender with race, ethnicity, religion, class, ability, sexuality and other identity markers.

The #MeToo movement shattered the silence surrounding sexual harassment against women in workplaces, a phenomenon to which the higher education sector in Ireland is not immune. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace or learning environment. Our professional environment is not too different from other professional environments and therefore is subject to such issues. For some time, many working in the sector have been aware of prevailing gender inequalities and uneven power structures giving rise to incidents of sexual harassment against female staff. Not least are those manifested in the differential when it comes to salaries, promotions, funding and publications.

The case of Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, assistant professor in STEM at UCD who was repeatedly harassed by a male professor has very recently put a spotlight on sexual harassment in Irish third-level institutes.

The #NowWhat movement - a follow up to the #MeToo movement - aims to bring into public debate ways of addressing sexual harassment and its prevalence in the workplace. Reforms are commencing in Irish Higher Education in response to the National Framework to End Sexual Harassment and Violence, and if we bring the same rigour that we apply to teaching and research, we can implement programmes that are effective in preventing sexual harassment in our workplace, including student work placements and our learning environment. However, the

commitment must seek to eliminate harassment and its root cause, not simply meeting legal standards to reduce workplace liability. Cultural change is necessary and mandated.

One such effective tool in demanding a zero-tolerance approach through engaging the community as a whole is the bystander intervention approach which recognises that we are all responsible for addressing sexual violence, and are responsible for our own actions, interactions, reactions and, indeed inactions, when it comes to issues of sexual violence, harassment and misconduct.

Premised upon the core values of UCC, including equality, respect and integrity, the UCC Bystander Intervention Programme is currently being undertaken by both students and staff across the university campus. This 5-module training programme educates and upskills participants to recognise inappropriate and potentially harmful behaviours, and safely intervene in such situations. The aim is to bring about cultural change in our attitudes and behaviours to prevent sexual

harassment and violence not only in UCC but in other learning, work and personal environments. On completion of the programme, graduands become Bystander Ambassadors and are awarded a Digital Badge.

This is the UCC community’s way of acknowledging their role as local and global citizens and their valuable contribution towards preventing sexual violence and harassment, be they staff or students transitioning through UCC, or on to professional environments.

This is precisely why the Bystander Intervention Programme ties in so well with UCC’s Graduate Attributes Programme (GAP) whose objective is to equip students with enabling distinctive values and attributes that will empower them to become courageous community leaders, who won’t stand by but rather who will stand out, stand up and be counted.

We live in uncertain times, socially, politically, climatically, economically and culturally, and the Bystander and Graduate Attributes Programmes enable our students to become independent and creative thinkers who challenge the status quo; to be

socially responsible, impactful, global citizens who recognise and challenge inequality and be part of a community of civically engaged individuals who embody and epitomise the core values of respect, ambition, compassion, resilience and integrity. Aligning closely with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the overarching objective of the Graduate Attributes Programme is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, competence and attitude that will enable them to contribute to a more equitable, just and respectful society, as well as a stronger economy and a cleaner environment. Becoming Bystander Ambassadors is a very tangible and powerful way for students to nurture their graduate attributes and live their values, to effect cultural change, challenge embedded norms and make a difference at individual and societal levels, where and when it matters the most.

Find out more about UCC Bystander Intervention Programme: https://www.ucc.ie/en/bystander/ Find out more about the UCC

CURRENT AFFAIRS | 9

PE O P L E AT WO R K S E R I E S

HARSH REALITIES OF THE SEX INDUSTRY Spotlight on the Irish Legislation in an Obstinate Society NATALIA KAROLINA GAWLAS BREAKS DOWN SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF SEX WORK IN IRELAND, AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE THE SPACE SAFER FOR SEX WORKERS.

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ex workers cannot feel safe by working in an unregulated environment, a drug dealer would not reach out to the authorities for help if their illegal drugs were stolen or tampered with. This is the unfortunate case of the Irish legislation, the state has a duty to protect persons from unjust attack in order to protect the right to work and earn a livelihood, yet the sex industry is not recognised as employment, being under unjust attack by the state and its citizens. Through criminalisation of this work, there is a further attraction to conducting criminal acts, hence sex trafficking weaved into human trafficking is a silent pandemic, constantly ongoing within the world, the only vaccine for which is proper legislation.

The Nordic model of regulating the sex industry is used in Ireland.The stigma of the sex industry is viewed through a narrow lens and people are often quick to judge rather than acknowledge that sex workers require protection and labour rights.

Emphasis must be placed on bodily integrity and safeguards instead of moral views and beliefs. Creating this social divide between society and sex workers, without legislation and normalisation, only serves to cement the lack of societal awareness of this issue. The protection of public naivety

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and perspectives is placed on a higher pedestal than the protection of sex workers.

There is a difference between prostitution and sexual exploitation and this necessitates recognition. The contemporary debate surrounding the existence of the sex industry is human trafficking-based. Instead of solely portraying prostitution as a job against one’s will, there should be a recognition that it is not the prostitution aspect that is problematic. Human trafficking allows ‘pimps’ to gain profit through the treatment of women as objects – trafficking is without the consent of the victims, and that is where the issue lies, prostitution is a choice, exploitation is not.

As the matter is placed under further examination, there is a need for clarity on why the sex industry gets different treatment from any other industry where people are employable.

Guided by logical thinking, in order to excel at a job, attitudes change over time and room must be provided for identifying the issues and benefits surrounding certain employment. This is applicable to every job, complaints surrounding employment occur at every place of employment, why should the sex industry sector be treated any differently? Nobody ever wants to save anyone working in the finance sector or

restaurant setting.

If a person made a complaint about a situation at work in the sex industry there would be societal uproar because they chose to work there and decided to put themselves out there.

Yet, when a waitress or waiter gets yelled at for forgetting someone’s drink or mixing up an order, it’s completely acceptable because they decided to take that job and need to pay their bills. There is a drive for equality on a global scale, yet society does not even treat employees of different industries equally, which is ironic because the sex industry could be taxed, and used to benefit the economy. In fact, many sex workers are established as sole traders and actually do pay taxes!

There is always more to consider, between the feminist debates, the stigma around sex work and the connections of human trafficking and prostitution, the modern-day sex industry which is overlooked as an industry. One can conclude that Irish legislation is unfit for purpose and requires immediate reform. Along with the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (as the harm reduction approach and decriminalisation are favoured), Irish governing bodies should consider the safety and protection of its citizens who wish to work in an unconventional way, until it becomes orthodox in society.

Society is ever-changing and adaptation to societal developments is the key to success for Irish lawmakers.

PE O P L E AT WO R K S E R I E S

Selling Sex During COVID-19 CURRENT AFFAIRS EDITOR ALANA DALY MULLIGAN CHATS WITH UCC PHD RESEARCHER DORIS MURPHY AND DIRECTOR OF SEX WORKERS ALLIANCE IRELAND KATE MCGREW ABOUT THE SITUATION FOR SEX WORKERS DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND HOW WE NEED TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY. “We are the hugging/kissing/spitting labourers,” Kate McGrew, Director of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) tells me. As 80% of sex workers reported their income decrease drastically during the Level 5 lockdown, the last year saw sex work change dramatically with more workers moving business online. SWAI encouraged people to make the move to digital, although it was not an option for many people: “While we have good information in our harm reduction leaflets about good ventilation, extra cleaning of surfaces, and keeping faces away from each other, people will do what they need to to survive.” 50% of sex workers have been forced to work during the pandemic out of financial need, working in potentially dangerous situations.

For those choosing to work online, sites like OnlyFans have gained popularity for selling explicit content.

Motley’s Sex Survey of UCC students in February 2021 found 1.7% of respondents had used OnlyFans for sex work. The reason, UCC researcher Doris Murphy notes, is because it’s viewed as safer than full-service sex work (FFSW). “The technology required is minimal, and it is a way for people to earn money outside of traditional parameters. Thus, people who find it harder to work 9-5 jobs, find they can make money to support themselves and their families with fewer hours, and the work can be done from home.” However, Murphy remains ambivalent about OnlyFans as a whole: “... people should have full autonomy over their own bodies, and that includes making money from them in whichever way they see fit. People need money to survive, and if OnlyFans is seen as the most viable option to do this, then I think we need to take a good hard look at the economic and social supports available in our society.”

SWAI established a Hardship Fund which raised over €26,000, which McGrew explains was an effort to flatten the curve. “Another reason we want to be able to work legally and without stigma is so that we could avail of government support during an emergency like this, a health crisis, no less.” Governmental supports for sex workers are limited.

Many still see sex work as a loaded topic and not a labour rights issue. The Nordic Model (the means by which Ireland regulates sex work) seeks to criminalise the purchase of sex rather than the service providers.

However, there are areas in Irish law where sex workers can be prosecuted. The Sexual Exploitation Research Programme in UCD’s Geary Institute published a study, finding the 2017 law made a promising start in interrupting the demand for sex-for-sale in Ireland. The study was restrictive because it didn’t speak with any freely identifying sex workers. “The authors of the report were strong supporters/leaders of the TORL campaign. There has been a wealth of research carried out by members of the Irish Sex Work Research Network in conjunction with SWAI, which tells a very different story to the SERP report.” The statistics report a 92% increase in physical violence against sex workers following the introduction of the law. Further, the findings show a 20% decrease of sex workers reporting to Gardaí when they face difficulty, meaning the recently established prostitution unit cannot operate at its full potential until a genuine relationship of honesty, trust, and mutual respect exists between Gardaí and sex workers. For that to happen, sex work must be completely decriminalised. At the moment, disruptive policing is in full swing – confiscating condoms and lubes is one of many ways Gardaí make life difficult and unsafe for sex workers.

Despite the obstacles of the current law and its defenders, SWAI continues to go from strength to strength.

A meeting with Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has been a recent stepping stone, as SWAI reaffirmed their position on their Sex Work Bill. Further, McGrew reports that SWAI’s correspondence with the vaccine rollout committee was “very encouraging” with the possibility of sex workers being moved higher up on the list as a vulnerable group.

The future for sex workers post-pandemic will see the industry expanding. This includes online sex work as people look for alternative means of income to combat Ireland’s economic haemorrhaging in the aftermath of the pandemic. For McGrew, she looks forward with some optimism: “The sex industry...will continue to exist, and continue to thrive because sex is the most enjoyable thing in the world. Looking forward to it. I, for one, am very horny.”

Read the full interviews with both Doris Murphy and Kate McGrew at motley.ie.

CURRENT AFFAIRS | 11

Worker exploitation and the dark side of “isms” WHEN CASH PILES HIGHER THAN MORAL STANDARDS

CAPITALISM, COMMERCIALISM, AND CONSUMERISM HAVE COMBINED TO MAKE MORE PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT LOWER PRICES THAN EVER BEFORE, BUT WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY COST? CURRENT AFFAIRS STAFF WRITER CONOR DALY WRITES.

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Wespite what the above introduction may lead you to believe, this will not be a socialist manifesto, far from it. Capitalism itself is, arguably, not necessarily the “wrong” market structure. However, the way it is currently operating in the context of neoliberalism is totally unsustainable, both economically and ecologically.

Adding socialist policies to a capitalist economy does not inhibit people’s freedom or turn that country into an authoritarian communist state. It is simply recognising that the current distribution of wealth globally points to where western economics has lost its way over the last number of decades.

Ireland currently has seventeen billionaires despite the fact that we are merely a small and isolated island on the edge of Europe.

The Irish global influence far exceeds what our stature would suggest and the number of Irish billionaires is also disproportionately high in that regard. In comparison to the US,

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it would seem that we still place a greater emphasis on small businesses, however, comparing Ireland with the US is problematic as the nations’ institutional structures are markedly different. Third-level education is largely state-funded here and we have access to public healthcare, whereas American colleges often have exorbitant fees and healthcare can be so unaffordable that it drives people to bankruptcy.

For many, it is the disparity between billionaires and the “average” citizen that causes frustration. It’s not just jealousy or a begrudgery for success, it is the righteous expedition aimed at redressing severe inequality. Healthcare should never be commercialised.

Health is a human right and access to necessary healthcare should not be class-based. Asking people to choose between inflated rent and medical bills is indicative of the real opportunity cost of modern capitalism.

Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and CEO, is often at the centre of discussions on these topics,

and rightly so. He is reportedly set to become the first-ever trillionaire by the year 2026, should current trends of business growth continue. As consumers, we have an understanding of money and its relative value to products. For example, using the euro as the currency in this case, we know that a cup of coffee usually costs between €3 and €6 and the latest iPhone costs about €900. Moving up the scale, an Audi A4 might set you back around €45k while a detached property in Cork could be somewhere in the region of €500k. These kinds of numbers are understandable in the sense that we have a grasp on the value of various amounts of money relative to everyday goods and services. We have all heard the word “trillion” before, in recession news headlines and whatnot, but it is difficult to wrap your head around how much money that actually is. Here goes a potentially arbitrary attempt to clear that up. It is $1 million multiplied by a million, or twelve zeros before the decimal place, or one thousand billion.

Use whichever one of those examples is less mind-boggling. To put it into a slightly different context, a trillionaire could make every person in Cork, circa 200,000 people, a millionaire and still

have roughly $800 billion dollars to their name. Or, using one final example, $1 trillion could be distributed among all 7.6 billion people in the world and give each individual $131.57. It really does beggar belief, and yet it is somehow a not too distant possibility.

To compound this, there have been numerous instances where Amazon has been exposed for being an employer that does not treat staff very well. At the time of writing, Amazon workers are planning to unionise so they can address some of the issues they have with what is one of the largest companies in the world.

Thus far, these attempts to form a union have been emphatically denied.

Recent reports show that warehouse workers still endure highly stressful working conditions while delivery drivers are discouraged from taking bathroom breaks as a means of increasing efficiency.

This has even resulted in drivers urinating in bottles to avoid the consequences of making an apparently unnecessary stop, something which seems to be from a different century.

This is the real crux of where capitalism finds itself in 2021. One of the wealthiest companies in the world treating employees poorly in order to maximise efficiency and increase profit margins.

Those with the most power and wealth use their position to take advantage of those who are simply looking to have enough money to live their lives.

This is not merely an attack on Amazon, it just comes into the discussion because it is the primary way that Bezos has amassed his hundreds of billions of dollars. You

could just as easily replace Amazon with another large company and have a similar discussion. Take Apple for example, which sell phones for around $800 a unit, while Foxconn, their manufacturing company in China, has on several occasions in the past been reported to have high rates of staff suicide. More recently, in November of 2020, the tech firm suspended production at another manufacturing plant in China over the poor treatment of workers. Capitalism needs to stop putting employee welfare below profit margins. No employee is expecting their employer to give them handouts; fair remuneration and working conditions that don’t drive you to depression hardly classify as

charity. These are basic worker rights, and it is time that companies are held accountable for how they treat their employees.

Unfortunately, it seems we have gotten to the stage where some of these big tech companies are wealthier and more powerful than sovereign nations. The whole €13 billion debacle with Apple is a testament to this. Obviously, this was a highly nuanced case, but the fact that people were hypothetically willing to let Apple “get away” with it to prevent them from pulling out of Ireland, shows the power these companies have. Businesses should not have less accountability for their actions just because they have cash piles higher than their moral standards. If an SME is held to account for how they carry out their business, a massive corporation should be too. Buying your way out of trouble is truly one of the dark, shady aspects of neoliberal economics.

Ethical standards should not dwindle as profit margins and wealth increase. If anything, multibillion dollar companies have fewer excuses for treating staff poorly. If a local business can pay employees fairly and provide them with decent working conditions, why can’t the behemoths that are swallowing up said local businesses do the same?

CURRENT AFFAIRS | 13

CA X ENT

WHERE ART WE NOW?

IN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN CURRENT AFFAIRS AND ENTERTAINMENT, ALANA DALY MULLIGAN AND KANE GEARY O’KEEFFE CHAT WITH SOME OF IRELAND’S FOREMOST CREATIVES ABOUT HOW COVID “UTTERLY CHANGED AND CHANGED UTTERLY” THEIR ARTISTIC PROCESS, WHAT NEEDS TO GO BACK TO NORMAL, AND WHAT SHOULD STAY.

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n the 17th March 2020 in a most-theatrical television moment, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar took to our screens to announce that the “St Patrick’s Day like no other” was here for the long haul. There was a closure of coffee shops and restaurants, hotels and tourist hotspots. Festivals, despite their initial optimism, cancelled their hot girl summers, as the arts began to get familiar with Zoom. Meanwhile, movies delayed their cinema premieres

as Disney+, Amazon Prime and Netflix cashed in on the growing number of nations confined to their couches looking to kill off brain cells. As we have all sat at home looking to connect, it has been creative arts in their many different forms that have brought us together in the last year. Motley wanted to talk to the people behind the art and see what their experience of the pandemic has been.

VISUAL ARTS

materials and artworks to Direct Provision centres, to hosting small socially-distanced workshops in the gallery spaces for people experiencing homelessness, we have tried to ensure that our commitment to ensuring access to art for all ages and abilities continued throughout the pandemic.

What has been the artistic highlight of COVID's impact on your process?

Realising we can connect with audiences digitally who really engage with us online and become part of our creative community. Seeing the extraordinary creativity of artists who continue to imagine new ways to connect with audiences, as well as providing creative respite, humour and critique of the pandemic experience.

What do you think the future of the Glucksman and the visual arts community at large looks like?

I think we all hanker to have more in-person events and live encounters with art, but I hope that the pandemic has given us the tools and enforced pause to consider how our cultural programmes can be developed in a more sustainable way. This is really important for the Glucksman as we have identified climate action and sustainability as a priority in our own Strategic Plan. I’m an incorrigible optimist, so I’m also choosing to believe that the way in which the arts and culture have to the fore during the pandemic will encourage more people to become creative participants as well as enthusiastic audience members.

Fiona Kearney Glucksman Gallery How has COVID affected the way you work in the visual arts?

It has accelerated our move to digital, both in terms of audience engagement and working with artists. Our online workshops and talks are now attracting participants from all over the world from Malaysia to West Cork, and Canada to Australia! We are commissioning artists to create works for our website, and later this summer we will launch this series with a new work by artist Rajinder Singh. We have also focused on off-site work, from the billboard project we did last year with Cork Midsummer, to forthcoming projects that are going to take over Finn’s Corner on Washington Street and the creation of a road mural on Oliver Plunkett Street, we are looking to the city as a canvas and a way for people to safely enjoy art outdoors.

What work have you done to adapt?

As well as our award-winning digital programmes – we won Best International Museum at the annual UK Kids in Museums award for our Creativity At Home programmes developed in response to COVID. We focused on supporting communities who might need additional support to participate in creative activities, from sending out art

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DEFENDING THE ART Azzy O’Connor Communications Officer, Praxis Artists Union How has COVID shown the need for an artists union?

Praxis was born out of a month-long event in early 2020.

During the final meeting the few dozen of us artists and art students involved unanimously voted to build a union for artists - the next week, the first lockdown began - so there was already a desperate need for a union to fight for better working conditions and pay for artists in Ireland.

The resulting collapse of the Arts and Culture sector in the following months made the justification for a union all the more pressing. The global pandemic has, for artists, highlighted the precarity of working in Ireland, often without contracts, secure hours, or a basic rate of pay. Under these conditions, many artists struggled to get by. The last year or so has been an eye-opener for many in the sense that relying on precarious work, particularly in the private sector, cannot build the sustainable art ecosystem that Ireland needs.

What has been the response thus far to the union? What challenges have you faced?

The challenges so far have been primarily around the administration and building of a union from scratch.

Lockdowns have unfortunately prevented us from organising in-person or on the streets, but it has allowed the development of a membership and officer-base which is spread across thirty-two counties, without the costs accrued by travel expenses. We're very lucky that many involved come from trade union, community/tenant and political organising experiences, so the union quickly took shape - all while addressing members' workplace disputes as they came up.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive by the press, the public, and by artists, even from the Arts Council of Ireland, of whom we're actively campaigning for a more artist-centred funding application system.

What needs and rights do you find need the most representation in the arts community?

To start, basic workers rights are (often illegally) being sidestepped throughout the industry, by organisations both privately and publicly funded. Working for 'exposure' or 'experience', i.e. without pay, and other types of free labour is rampant and drag us all down. Many artists are forced to cover travel or material expenses for work, very few receive actual contracts, fewer still have pension schemes or securities should they become ill or suffer an injury. For our arts community to thrive, for an Ireland where art students actually want to stay and create, a basic living wage and basic working rights are paramount.

Students often face difficulty as artists in negotiating wages and fair treatment because of ageism and the "pay your dues" mentality in the arts. Does Praxis have any plans to go

into universities, and if so, how do you plan on educating young creatives / working to redefine arts scenes to open doors to younger people?

Students make up some of our founding members and will always play a vital role in what we can build collectively, for all of us. Ageism, or discrepancies in pay/rights based on age, must be stamped out in our industry. However, employers will almost always attempt to pay as little as possible, or nothing at all, regardless of age. We must demand the respect and wages our labour deserves and refuse unpaid internships, or 'experiences', and reject the race to the bottom of pay and conditions. Any older workers in the industry should be ashamed for justifying subpar working conditions on young people, just because someone disgracefully inflicted it on them. We all must work together to demand better.

Ideally, we'd like to see basic workplace rights incorporated into universities and colleges of further education. Working groups for art students are on the cards and we've kept student unions in our communications and outreach.

What do you think the future of the arts community in Ireland looks like and how do you see Praxis being part of that?

Many of our members have commented on how the founding of Praxis has been a light of hope in an otherwise miserable fifteen or so months. We are the first union in Ireland to represent all artists, understanding our interconnected struggles and united strength. We remain as positive as we can facing an uncertain economic future. What we know for definite, however, is that we refuse to accept precarity and exploitation, be that pre or post-COVID. If we want a sustainable arts community, it will come from the ground up, from us artists ourselves.

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Ben Kavanagh Independent filmmaker & UCC Graduate How has COVID affected the way you work as a filmmaker?

Filmmaking is a collaborative process, a team effort. How do you reckon with that in a time where groups of people are unable to gather? That was the question I found myself asking when the first lockdown was announced last year.

All of the projects myself and my production team had been working on ground to a halt. Initially, we focused on setting up work for the future, when the pandemic was over and we would be able to mount large productions again; done through zoom calls with my producer Patrick Cronin.

However, it soon became apparent that the virus was here to stay, so we began to plan ways that we could continue producing work in the safest way possible. The way I work as a director has definitely changed - when I begin a new project, my first thought is no longer how to make the best video possible, but the feasibility and safety of the shoot.

What work have you done to adapt in the wake of the pandemic?

My creative output has definitely shifted. Whilst my previous music videos were usually narrative-based, making use of actors, we started to lean more towards performance-based work, featuring musicians themselves to keep the numbers on set low. We also kept crews as small as possible, usually no more than five. Where possible, we tried filming outdoors, where the chance of transmission is significantly lower. It was an interesting challenge, having to create unique narratives around the performance as opposed to being able to tell a story with actors, but one that myself and my team relished.

What has been the artistic highlight of COVID's impact on your process?

I’m proud of the fact that we not only managed to stay

MUSIC AND FESTIVALS Derek Nagle Producer at Bo Media

How has COVID affected the way you work at Bo Media?

We now have people working remotely, live on Zoom! you need to consider your locations more carefully. For our crew ideation sessions we need to be mindful of current regulations, as there’s no point coming up with ideas that current government guidelines won’t allow.

What work have you done to adapt?

The usual. We use sanitisation stations, and all crew members have a COVID pack at all times . Last year we built a set over twenty-meters bigger than usual to allow for social distancing. We’ve also adopted the use of glass and crystals

16 | JUNE 2021

productive during the pandemic, but also managed to grow and improve our abilities. The artistic highlight of the pandemic came about in a two-day music video shoot in Dingle for a project I’m really excited about (but not allowed to announce yet) which was the culmination of the skills we honed on performance music videos throughout the year.

What do you think the future of your work as an independent filmmaker and the film industry at large looks like?

The pandemic allowed me to build a team of collaborators I really trust and enjoy working with. While we’re starting to expand our productions again, with each project proving bigger than the last, I expect that core team to stay the same.

In a wider context, I imagine that smaller crews will remain in fashion until the majority of the country is vaccinated.

My one major hope is that we can start doing more indoors/ studio shooting again - filming outdoors in Ireland is a nightmare. I can’t tell you how many scheduling issues a random bout of rain has caused.

on sets to make people appear nearer to each other.

What has been the artistic highlight of COVID's impact on your process?

We pitched a five-minute Christmas special involving over thirty contributors. We had to keep everyone safe and still make the best product we could. We had loads of meetings with our safety officer and commissioner, and we planned out a shoot that worked a treat. The special went on to win an award in America in March.

Mary O’Donnell Out of Orbit digital festival How has COVID affected the way that arts management operates, especially in the area of festival production?

I'm not sure if anything has been left untouched by COVID over the last year. Festival production is completely different to what it used to be. Planning for anything now involves having several back-up plans for online, inperson and hybrid scenarios. It's all been heavily dependent on restrictions put in place by the government, and trying to figure out what those restrictions might be by the time your festival actually comes around. For most festivals this requires having a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C relative to the various levels of restrictions that might be in place, and being ready to adapt that programme or plan at the last second.

What work has Out of Orbit done to adapt and what makes this festival unique from its contemporaries?

Out of Orbit has been in the pipeline since September of 2020, and we've adapted our overall mission more times than I can count as we've gone through the production process under constantly changing restrictions.

Working under an institution such as UCC also means that we have an added layer of restrictions to that implemented by the government, so we were constantly revising our plans and mission to suit this.

Out of Orbit is unique in the sense that it was produced completely online for an online platform. When we were defining our festival, it seemed apt to label it a "virtual arts festival" because we had at no stage been able to meet in person as a group of producers.

Similarly, we were not allowed to film in person due to university restrictions, so we were forced to reimagine creative producing.

What has been the artistic highlight of COVID to your

process?

People often say that limitations can sometimes spark or encourage creativity, and I think that everything we've seen from artists all over Ireland since COVID hit has proven this, but it doesn't mean that it's easier for us.

For me, I was immensely proud to be able to work with so many fantastic artists for my own production as part of Out of Orbit. I think the highlight of all of this for me is not having to "think outside the box", but instead being able to think inside of a very small and claustrophobic box, if you will. I would never have chosen to produce a festival or a documentary under these kinds of limitations, but I've learned a lot more than expected from the process this year, and I imagine it'll have a serious impact on the way I think and create in the future.

What do you think the future of Out of Orbit and the festival circuit at large looks like?

Out of Orbit was a once-off virtual

arts festival produced online, for online, under incredible limitations.

I think it will live on only as a sort of time-capsule of the arts and creativity during a global pandemic. So in terms of the future of Out of Orbit, I think it will be a reminder for us all of the strength and resilience of the arts and artists, but I hope that the future of arts festivals exists beyond the boundaries of the internet. The festival circuit at large has the potential to be completely reimagined. Some festivals have managed to adapt quite well to current conditions. I think some online elements will exist for all festivals, and I predict a lot more interdisciplinary works being created now that almost every artform has become reliant on filming for online streaming, so I'm excited to see what will come from that. While the last fifteen months have been gruelling for artists, I am looking forward to seeing what will come from the silence, and to return to our darkened stages and venues once more.

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STAGE & SCREEN

Sarah Stafford Actress, Quercus Talented Students’ Programme How has COVID affected the way you have worked as an actor?

For me, the sudden halt of all productions both on and off stage meant that work disappeared overnight. Like many others, as actors, we have had to rethink and reinvent the way we work to ensure we can survive due to the unique nature of what we do.

What have you done to adapt and how challenging was that?

To quote Shakespeare that ‘all the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players’ seems to sum up our collective experience of this global pandemic. From having several callbacks, auditions, and events lined up to suddenly having nothing was a shock initially. Casting directors and agents were all equally uncertain and confused about how to deal with this pandemic and how long it would last. For me developing my technical skills has been essential [to adapt] as everything has gone online, with virtual training, self-tapes, live streaming, and pre-recordings. If you do get called for a role you need to do multiple COVID tests, wear PPE and be two meters apart. While adapting to living with COVID I gained a new appreciation for the ‘great outdoors’ and I became more innovative in making self-tapes with stacked cardboard boxes, recording voiceovers in a wardrobe or under blankets and in makeshift studios.

What has been the artistic highlight of COVID to your process?

One of the highlights for me has been the feeling that we’re all in this together and the shared understanding that this is a difficult time in this industry. Due to a sudden halt in the production of films, one significant ‘benefit’ of the pandemic is that many Irish actors returned home and were

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more available. Upcoming Irish actors had the opportunity to speak and receive guidance from these experienced professionals – which would not have been possible under normal circumstances. However, the biggest takeaway of this has been the increased focus on this industry as the lack of live theatre and new films being produced has highlighted the importance of the arts in our society to everyone and why they need to be supported.

What do you think the future of acting for stage and screen at large looks like and what can Ireland do to support young actors?

How this pandemic will impact the industry long term is unknown. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of overseas productions being filmed here and Irish talent is growing from strength to strength. I think that Ireland should continue to invest in the Arts sector, in drama schools, and in acting classes to help support young actors and make training accessible to everyone – we have a lot to offer. I think Government policy can help support artists and performers and help us as a country to redirect our focus back into the life enhancing force that is our entertainment industry.

NEVER STOPPED & ONLY STARTING

OVID has been a thorough beast, leaving no stone unturned in shutting down all facets of the arts across the last year. The voices of Ireland’s artists and creative bodies testify to the fact that with restriction comes adaptation, and a healthy dose of resilience. The clamouring for a return of physical venues is widespread across theatre and the visual arts, even as many acknowledge the benefits of online

18 | JUNE 2021

and hybridized programming and presentations as ways of reaching a wider audience. Many are of the opinion that online art experiences shall remain a staple of the ‘post-pandemic’ world, allowing for interactive experiences on the web to go with the welcome return of physical performances.

With the hottest of hot girl summers about to claim revenge upon the online Zoom quizzes of last year, the reopening of public art venues shall

offer spaces for reflection upon the importance of the arts in Irish life.

We here at Motley can look past the six euro festival pints if it means that communal experiences can once again be a part of our lived adventure. As we welcome the positive changes that online arts may bring to audiences at home and abroad, we also look forward to experiencing the changes that Irish art has undergone in the wake of this pandemic, and in-person too.

Features & Opinions

Motley's Monthly

HOROSCOPE THE FUTURE IS FULL OF UNCERTAINTY, BUT ASTRONOMER-TURNED-ASTROLOGER CIAN MCDONNELL HELPS US SEE INTO THE SOMETIMES NOT-SO-BRIGHT-FUTURE OF WORK.

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Aries:

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Taurus:

Capricorn:

June is the month of summer solstice, and thus the Sun is far out of your sphere, making you tired and drowsy all throughout this month. Or so you’ll tell your workplace when you don’t come in for a week straight.

Astrology makes a wonderful excuse, for those gullible enough to believe it.

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Virgo:

At your next meeting, your co-worker will happily swoop in and snatch up all the credit for the contributions you’ve made recently. But this will be a valuable lesson for life in general.

What’s the point in making an effort in anything at all?

Scorpio:

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Sagittarius:

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Aquarius:

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Cancer:

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Leo:

Acting out of pity, you’ll invite the co-worker that nobody likes to your weekly Friday night drinks.

It’ll go about as well as you’d expect, and you’ll even learn something interesting! That you were the hated co-worker all along, and everyone was just too nervous to say. Until now.

In an attempt to create a “Google-like” atmosphere, your company will organise a mandatory fun day at work.

On a Saturday. And you better get sharing some LinkedIn posts of it, or it’s bye-bye job and hello unemployment! The future of work is as bright as the piñatas they’ll bring in to make things “fun”.

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Tired of being “always connected”, a fit of frustration will end with you throwing your phone in a river. The €1000 phone that was given to you by work.

Have fun explaining that one!

After applying to 40 entry-level jobs that require 5+ years of experience, you’ll finally get an interview! Unfortunately, you need other skills to be able to work, such as knowing the basics of how to interact socially.

It’s a pity your degree was in Sales and Marketing.

Pushing towards a greener workplace, your boss will tell you to stop using the air conditioning, and to turn the brightness down to the minimum on your laptop. Through the window of their giant Land Rover that never leaves the city.

GEMINI

Mars exerts a powerful, warlike influence on you this month, coming to a head when someone demands to see your manager because you wouldn’t give them a special offer for no reason. You will give them exactly the response they deserve, despite all the consequences. You didn’t need that job anyway...

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Pisces:

A cyber attack forces your workplace to shut down for a few days, while all the critical systems come back online. If only that Nigerian prince had been telling the truth. You’d have a million euros and wouldn’t need to sit around, hoping that the attack doesn’t get traced back to you.

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Libra:

Your workplace’s summer party will go horribly wrong when your boss takes off his shirt and starts dancing to no music. If you don’t want to be traumatised for the rest of your life, just keep drinking and hope it’s enough to make you forget.

You will no longer be able to conceal the fact that you do no work whatsoever for the first hour of the day. Hiding behind your laptop and browsing Facebook could only go on so long. But the future will always bring new ways to procrastinate.

An expansion of automatic checkouts in your supermarket threatens to make you redundant. You’d better hope your boss is a Leo too, because they actually think astrology works and will probably fire anyone who gives them “bad energy”. Or something.

FEATURES & OPINIONS | 19

STOP WORKING FOR THE MAN

Start Working For Yourself WITH STAGNATING WAGES, LESS JOB SECURITY THAN EVER AND THE EVER CIRCULATING #GIRLBOSS MEMES, BANEEN TALPUR TELLS MOTLEY WHY WE NEED TO STOP WORKING FOR THE MAN, AND START WORKING FOR OURSELVES.

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ll my life, I was told that if I got the right grades, did enough extracurricular activities, I would be guaranteed a good job. I worked hard at school, went to college, saw many of my peers graduate, but everywhere I looked I saw these highly talented and capable individuals, fresh out of college, face the same problem.

Unemployment.

Over the course of my gap year, I have applied for countless jobs but all I seem to be getting is rejections on top of rejections. The dream of being successful with my own home, or even remotely financially independent seems far away. I am aware there were many people out there who were sold this idea and now have had their dreams broken. The excitement and desire of young people with fresh ideas, looking for a way to make their mark on the world have fallen face-flat with lockdown, isolation, and depression kicking in. The world we want to go out in has now become a ghost town of zoom calls, muted mics, and blank camera screens with faceless names.

All of this can take a toll on someone’s mental health as rejection is not easy. Your worth is determined by a tiny face-cam and two pages of a CV. It’s even worse when the idea of working for yourself is not even brought up in school. We’ve been taught from a

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young age that we have to go to school, college, get a job and then get married.

We are not told we do not have to work for someone else, we are not told that there is a reward behind taking that risk to work for yourself.

You see, independent learning stops at school. As soon as a child sets foot in a class after preschool, their curiosity is shunned. Not seen as something to encourage and flourish, but merely an annoying habit which distracts you from the core curriculum.

The only facts that you learn are the ones accepted in a marking scheme.

Students are presented with box after box, and told to fit our thoughts into it. The independent learning that was encouraged at this early age has now become a rote learning façade.

You cannot think for yourself so why would you even consider working for yourself?

The idea of self–employment has come to the fore with people earning online. Getting an income from YouTube has skyrocketed over the past few years. Children are now no longer thinking of becoming engineers or architects, they now want to be YouTubers and filmmakers. The education system hasn’t caught up though; subjects like music and art are not seen as “real” career options even though they’ve kept us going in the

pandemic.

The future of work relies on the future of education. Education is going to have to encourage young people to work for themselves; with the rise of tax dodging multinationals, and the decline of the small to medium sized company, we need to stop producing corporate clones. Education needs to adapt to suit the needs of that future filmmaker like helping them to produce that show, or for that future researcher to do their own projects.

I encourage everyone to look within themselves. What is unique about you? What do you have to offer?

Now do that thing for yourself. Offer your service, make that product. Invest in yourself, for yourself. The benefits of being self-employed and starting your own business far outweigh that of a typical job. You are doing something you actually like. You are your own boss, yes it is actually possible for people to be their own boss!

Young graduates are talented. We have gained skills from academia, societies and internships.

We spend hours researching topics and articulating perfect arguments for that 1:1. These skills are valuable so why do we feel we can only offer these skills to someone else as an employee? Our worth should come from within, not by the way a potential employer sees you through a zoom meeting.

Is There Enough Virtual Space for All Aspiring Influencers?

SOCIAL MEDIA, IN ITS ESSENCE, IS A REPRESENTATION OF SOCIETY. OF US. ALTHOUGH AUGMENTED AND AIRBRUSHED, IT REFLECTS HOW WE THINK, HOW WE FEEL, HOW WE ACT, WHAT WE CARE ABOUT. HANNAH EMERSON WRITES FOR MOTLEY SAYING A WORLD THAT IS CHANGING SO FAST WITH SUCH POLITICAL AND SOCIAL TURBULENCE, WILL CONTINUOUSLY MOULD TO ACCOMMODATE AND REFLECT THIS CHANGE. WHERE WILL THE INFLUENCERS BE LEFT IN ALL THIS?

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s the world begins to desperately drag itself out of the arms of the covid-19 pandemic, with it is the altered mindset of the people. First of all, we now appreciate something as small and unassuming as a freshly pulled pint of stout. Beamish being only one item on a long list of exiled joys of the unprecedented age. Looking past this newfound appreciation we all now have for “the small things”, there has also been a certain alteration in our frames of mind.

As we begin to emerge out of this, bruised and broken staggering to the finish line, we ask ourselves how do we live our lives once we get them back? What do we want our ‘everyday’ to look like? For example, we begin to question the usually unquestioned rituals of getting educated and entering the workplace. Give or take a few details, a 30-minute commute to sit at a desk from 9 to 5 is the conventional working life lived out by so many.

However, with the seismic adaptation of remote working, the landscape of working life changed dramatically. For many, this change has complemented their lives, more time with their family, less time spent driving, the list goes on. Ergo, I think it will be unsurprising when a few of these initially temporary changes remain in place long beyond the pandemic.

Working life and career ladders do not hold universal appeal though. This trajectory has been questioned by many, as can be seen in the sharp increase

in the number of influencers and content creators emerging on platforms such as Instagram. The past 12 months have allowed people to cultivate and foster their hobbies, be that cooking, fashion, make-up, or fitness and with the exponential increase in collective screen time universally they have been provided with fertile ground to increase following and reach a wider audience. These past few months I have noticed influencer accounts sprout up from here, there and everywhere, discount code frenzy and mass sponsorship. And if the audience is there, which right now it is, then what better way to do what you love, get paid well and above all, be your own boss. This way, you avoid the aforementioned career treadmill. Forget sitting at a desk in a Dublin high-rise, how about vlogging to your heart’s content by poolside in Dubai. One could say that influencers who “make it” have quite expertly and quite impressively, hacked the system.

But as we emerge from this hyper-digitalized epoch, I wonder will there be as much available virtual ‘space’ for all influencers and aspiring influencers to thrive. As we return to in-person activities forgetting to check Instagram for a few hours, will there be enough of an audience and marketplace for the sheer number of aspiring influencers, in particular, lockdown-established influencers? Nobody can know for sure the trajectory of something as dynamic as the online world, but if the influencer job market relies entirely on people’s screen time, then surely when life returns to normal, the demand for online entertainment will undergo a sizeable decline.

As I said, the influencer life is an appealing one, one I look upon with envy at those who have managed to build a platform around their interests and lifestyle.

But what happens when we return to the pub, and whilst we relish in our newfound freedoms, our phones lay despondently at the bottom of our bags? Essentially, if the future of this vocation depends upon us observers, what happens when we aren’t there to watch?

FEATURES & OPINIONS | 21

AGE AND THE CITY FROM PEDESTRIANISATION TO PUBLIC TOILETS, HOW PLANNING CORKS URBAN AREA WITH THE ELDERLY IN MIND COMES TO BENEFIT THE LIVES OF YOUNG ADULTS. UCC PLANNING MASTER’S STUDENT DECLAN FOLEY TELLS MOTLEY WHAT CORK CITY NEEDS TO GET RIGHT.

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ne of the greatest megatrends we are to witness during this century is that of an ageing society. For the first in recorded history, we are set to enter a period where the number of individuals living north of sixty is greater than those south of five, with the implications of such a demographic change impacting all areas of society. These effects will especially be felt in services and infrastructure throughout urban centres such as the real capital, Cork.

In turn, planners are faced with the stark reality that we must plan for an ageing society. Rebuilding urban centres such as Cork around the needs of their ageing populations takes many forms, but two aspects are crucial. One; ensuring as much autonomy and independence for elderly people through planning measures, and two; creating safer urban spaces for those afflicted with cognitive difficulties in old age.

What is seldom said is that the measures used to achieve such goals have the unintended effect of benefitting the lives of young adults and our student population immensely. We in turn should do our utmost to back them.

An issue constantly highlighted in Cork City is the lack of public toilet facilities. It just so happens one of the key tenets of planning for an ageing society is to make sure such adequate services of such a nature are available to make the area more attractive and accessible to older people. Surveys have even shown that almost half of the British population over 60 curb outdoor trips and activity due to the lack of such services inhibiting their freedoms. We are now painfully aware as Ireland reopens after lockdown how badly these facilities are needed. Socialising outdoors this summer for young people is also hampered significantly by the same lack of these facilities. This is a quintessential example of how by planning our urban centres with the elderly in mind, we will

22 | JUNE 2021

in turn drastically benefit the young also.

Several other benefits to younger people that are derived from elder specific planning policy include those that come from pedestrianisation. The benefits of urban pedestrianisation for younger people are wide-ranging.

Studies have even proved that pedestrianisation improves the mental health of young residents and one such study in Mexico has even linked urban pedestrianisation to lessoned crime in such an area. Increases in security and safety in several ways are assured with the spread of pedestrianisation within an area. Another significant social benefit of widespread pedestrianisation is they create more chances for social interaction and relations developing for young people within such an area. As outlined simply and in essence perfectly in Nikhil Soni’s Benefits of pedestrianization and warrants to pedestrianize an area (2016) “pedestrianized streets encourage face-to-face social interactions and communication that are necessary to the enthusiasm and excitement of urban life”.

The lack of cars within urban centres due to pedestrianisation (in turn due to planning our urban centres around our ageing population) encourage other planning policies that are of benefit to the young/student population.

They enable outdoor dining on a level simply not practical when streets are not pedestrianised and in particular, they enable urban areas to become much more cyclist-friendly (something that would be of major benefit to the student population in Cork - think of the businesses on Princes Street benefitting from this).

If you are a young student reader of this piece (or even one of our elder readers) , take a few seconds out of your day and think about what planning measures would benefit students and student life within urban areas. I guarantee you will find that the measures that come to mind, in turn, will be derived and directly linked to those of which we would implement to make the same more accessible to our elder citizens.

WHERE IS THE WELL-ROUNDED EMPLOYEE AWARD? AS WE EMERGE FROM THE PANDEMIC, AS THE NUMBER OF THE POPULATION VACCINATED INCREASES DAILY, AND AS RESTRICTIONS EASE, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A CHOICE. WE CAN CHOOSE TO WORK AS WE DID BEFORE THE ERA OF COVID-19, OR WE CAN TAKE FORTH WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC, IN ORDER TO BUILD A BETTER SOCIETY. ORLA LEAHY MAKES A CASE FOR THE LATTER.

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aturally, the first field that comes to mind regarding initiating change is the environmental sphere, but our time in lockdown has equipped us to aspire for more than a greener planet.

I recently listened to a talk given by former President, Mary Robinson, in conjunction with the Law Society of Ireland. Robinson highlighted the fact that Covid-19 has illustrated the collective goodwill of citizens, the strength that we, society, have shown throughout these recent challenging times, and how each and every one of us has persevered. Robinson advised utilising these attributes to take more environmentally and sustainably conscious steps, which are vital to overcoming the climate crisis, but I would also suggest taking the opportunity to look at our work patterns and to reconfigure them to be more rewarding, to showcase these collective admirable traits that are enabling us to overcome the pandemic.

Prior to Covid-19, incentives existed for employees to not only reach, but to exceed their goals. Companies offered monetary rewards, regular awards, such as “Employee of the Month” and promotions. However, these rewards centred around workplace achievements only, and failed to recognise employees overall life achievements. Two distinct lives existed, work and home, with

employees only being rewarded for their workplace successes. Work and home lives were juggled, balanced by workers, rarely colliding, until suddenly, employees and employers found themselves working from home. Both lives could no longer be balanced, but intersected. Parents home-schooled their children in between Zoom calls, employees dashed to the door to accept home deliveries whilst answering the phone, and all workers prayed that the dog wouldn’t bark too loudly. The day-to-day lifestyle challenges workers faced were clearly exposed, and the two worlds, work and home, could no longer remain separate. As we sat in front of our computers, and watched our co-workers attempt to work, amidst the distractions and challenges of home, the goodwill, strength and perseverance of each and every one of us shone. We learned to be patient and considerate of others, despite frustrating internet issues and regular distractions, to be strong, in order to balance both lives under one roof, and to persevere, to continue to show up for work, to continue home-schooling, to continue with everything, until we could emerge from lockdown.

Not only did those teleworking show their goodwill, strength, and perseverance, but all workers did, from the frontline healthcare workers, caring for those directly affected by the virus, to the essential supermarket

workers, ensuring we had enough toilet roll and flour in the shops.

As restrictions ease, and more and more workers return to work, I do not believe that thanking workers for their strong-willed efforts, while important, is sufficient alone. At firstglance, the pandemic has taught us that we need to reduce emissions. But underneath the surface, the pandemic has also taught us that we possess a great many positive, important attributes and characteristics. We can overcome life’s greatest hurdles, should our work patterns not reflect this? Work and home can no longer be balanced separately, employees deserve, and need, recognition and reward for balancing both lives, for not only exceeding career goals but for exceeding career goals and mastering home life, for rearing their children, as well as working long hours, for caring for their parents or grandparents, as well as meeting all deadlines, for going for an early-morning run, and still arriving to work early. Ironically, employers seek the “well-rounded” candidate in the recruitment process, but often fail to recognise the tireless efforts of the “well-rounded” employee in the workplace. Mary Robinson claimed that instead of building back better, we should “build forward with equality.” We have the opportunity to choose to acknowledge, and to celebrate all workers’ achievements, not only the career focused ones, the opportunity to create a society in which the goodwill, strength and perseverance of the labour force is at the fore, the opportunity to build forward with equality. The question hangs in the air, will we take it?

FEATURES & OPINIONS | 23

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT HELIUM Seriously

COLM MAYE, 3RD YEAR PHARMACOLOGY STUDENT TELLS into the MOTLEY READERS, THAT NO, THERE IS NOT AN INFINITE SUPPLY OF BALLOON GAS.

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arty balloons are the absolute worst.

No, not because of the pollution (though that is an issue), or because of the mini-heart attack that strikes any time one pops, though those are undoubtedly awful.

The problem is actually everyone’s favourite balloon trick, that classic cartoon character voice, tinny and hilarious. That’s caused by diffusion of helium through our vocal cords, which changes the timbre of your voice due to a difference in density. But what actually is helium?

Helium, like neon, is a ‘noble gas’ which refuses to form chemical bonds with other elements due to the very stable conformation of its electrons - each helium atom floats around happily unbothered by the attempts of other elements to connect with it, like a perfect hermit.

Named for Helios, the Greek sun god, after its discovery in the emission spectrum of the sun during a solar eclipse in 1868, it was not discovered

24 | JUNE 2021

on Earth until 1881 when it was detected in debris from an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

We now know that helium is the second most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen, accounting for 23% of the mass of all matter in the universe. Here on earth, helium is produced deep underground by the nuclear decay of elements like uranium and thorium, which shed helium nuclei charmingly referred to as ‘alpha particles’ as they transmute into other (usually more friendly) elements.

Most of the world’s helium comes from North American natural gas fields, although Qatar is a major strategic player in the world helium market too, with 32% of market share.

So there’s plenty of helium floating around, in the most literal way possible.

That’s the problem. As you’ll remember with dismay if you ever let go of a balloon as a child, helium is lighter than air, and once it escapes from the earth’s crust, it floats high

atmosphere. Eventually, free helium atoms escape into space. The atmospheric concentration of helium is only around 5 parts per million, ~0.000005%, because Earth simply isn’t massive enough to hold free helium with its gravity. This means that eventually, we’re going to run out of helium.

Is that a problem?

Why yes, yes it is. Helium has a wide range of vital applications, for example in electronics manufacturing, spectroscopy, and the supercooling of magnets.

Gas chromatography is an important scientific technique used to determine exactly what the constituents of a substance are, and is used in the pharmaceutical and food industries as well as for environmental analysis. Helium is a very commonly used carrier gas (it carries the analyte so that the components can be separated), and in certain situations it simply cannot be ‘done without’.

Supercooled magnets are used in a context which we are probably all a bit more familiar with: MRI machines, which accounted for 30% of all use in the U.S in 2016, and cannot function without helium.

This issue is being tackled by the scientific community. After shortages in 2006/7 and 2012/13 led to price spikes, the U.S passed the Helium Stewardship Act, a bill that boosted investment in helium extraction efficiency and conservation technology.

In many facilities, helium is captured in what are essentially giant plastic bags, then purified and re-liquified for further use. This has a major impact on virgin helium consumption. There is a complicated economic story behind the whole issue, but the most effective thing that you, dear reader, can do is to tell your friends about the helium crisis. There’s a more direct action that we citizens can take too: cancel helium balloons!

Entertaiment

ALBUM REVIEW Blue Weekend

By Wolf Alice

KANE GEARY O ’ KEEFFE GIVES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE BAND’S ANTICIPATED THIRD ALBUM.

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t’s been almost four years since the release of Wolf Alice’s Mercury Prize-winning sophomore album, Visions of a Life, and fans worldwide are curious as to what the London four piece has in store with their newest effort, Blue Weekend. Having produced the album in the midst of the global pandemic, it appears that the time spent indoors has granted Wolf Alice the time to truly master their dynamic alternative rock sound, resulting in a record that wraps its often introspective lyrical themes in a constantly shifting musical package that remains quintessentially ‘Wolf Alice’.

Blue Weekend’s first trio of tracks follow a pattern of quiet beginnings, building into large climaxes which feature truly wondrous instrumental layering to match Ellie Rowsell’s vocals. Rowsell’s vocals soar out of the gate with the high harmonies found in record opener The Beach.

Delicious Things features the spokenword style delivery reminiscent of earlier tracks such as Don’t Delete the Kisses. The song conveys a sense of finding joy in a lack of direction, as Rowsell sings “Ask me if I’m from here and I won’t say no” as the lyrics promote finding yourself regardless of where you are in life or location. Lipstick on the

Glass continues this theme of finding oneself as the band deliver a track which focuses on finding the joy in one’s own company, while also featuring fantastic drum work from Joel Amey, which builds to dominate the tune.

The record’s first shift in pace comes with the killer bass riff found at the beginning of Smile. This faster pace is matched with lines about finding the power in being your authentic self, “I have power, there are people who depend on me, and even you have time you wish to spend on me”. The tempo slows once again with the acoustic Safe From Heartbreak (If you Never Fall in Love) which features some stunning vocal harmonies in the second half. The synthy How can I Make it Okay follows the mid-tempo vibes laid down by Safe from Heartbreak before the record blows open once more with Play the Greatest Hits.The punk infused track, along with Smile are by far the two fastest songs in the album.

The album’s final third starts off with the groovy soundscapes of Feeling Myself. The song reclaims the agency and power in being watched, as Rowsell dictates the song’s slower pace with lines like “I watch you as you’re watching me”, channeling the power that comes with controlling the gaze.

The album’s first single The Last Man on Earth takes aim at those who only see themselves in the world, and continues the album’s trend of atmospheric build ups, layered over haunting piano melodies. No Hard Feelings finds the speaker looking back upon a failed relationship in a positive light, over a steadily crawling bassline.

I found that the album’s final track The Beach 2 best captures the feeling of the album’s namesake.

Bookended by distortion, the track plays like a safe haven in between the noise of the everyday, with lines like “Tide goes in, as it must go out.

Consistent like the laughter” perfectly conjuring the hazy feel of a blue summer weekend.

With Blue Weekend, Wolf Alice are further developing their mastery of atmospheric alternative rock while still refusing to be bound to a single genre. The record features a selection of tracks which ebb and flow into layered behemoths which showcase the band’s most textured instrumentals to date. Wolf Alice have brought their most cohesive sound to date to Blue Weekend, a record which champions the strength of the self while also being unafraid to recognise and tackle the flaws that make up the lived experience.

FEATURES & OPINIONS | 25 ENTERTAINMENT | 25

A THEATRICAL PIVOT

FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH ANA MC GUIRE OFFERS HER THOUGHTS ON THE RECENTLY TELEVISED STAGE PRODUCTION OF ‘ROMEO AND JULIET

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essie Buckley is a Killarney-born actress who shone in her role as Rose-Lynn Harlan in Wild Rose (2018).

Buckley also starred as Rosalyn Wilder opposite Renée Zellweger in Judy (2019). Although her role was not centre stage, Buckley made it impossible to miss her.

Joshua O’Connor is an English actor, known for his role as Prince Charles in the Netflix series The Crown, for which he won a Golden Globe. He is also known for his role as Johnny Saxby in God’s Own Country (2017).

Buckley and O’Connor are close friends and although O’Connor didn’t consider doing Romeo and Juliet in the past, when Buckley asked him why he chose to do it in Life in Stages Season One Episode 2 , he replied that “it’s just the idea of us two getting to kind of, as you always say, jump off a cliff together on the Olivier Stage.”

2021’s Romeo and Juliet was originally a live theatrical performance, but the pandemic hit and disaster struck the arts industry. This meant no on-stage performances. Both O’ Connor and Buckley were undeniably disappointed as this was their respective returns to theatre after stints on TV. However, those disappointed feelings were not to last as the artistic director of the National Theatre, Rufus Noris, and the director of Romeo and Juliet, Simon Godwin, approached O’Connor and Buckley with the idea of bringing this production of Romeo and Juliet to television.

Initially sceptical, Buckley later told the Irish Examiner that “It’s a scary prospect, but also that’s partly why we do it, to be completely scared in some shape or form.”

These fears are a part of performing according to the actors, as O’Connor tells the Irish Examiner. “Mostly it is about what you’re dealing with, love and death, and these are huge things, you don’t get to tell these stories that often so that was the biggest pressure, but I always felt like I was in good hands with Jessie and Simon”.

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Turns out that O’Connor needed no helping hand in portraying Romeo’s progression from an unsure young man into a lovestruck youngster, willing to do anything to be with Juliet. O’ Connor’s performance culminates in being mistakenly told that his love is dead, and O’ Connor’s Romeo ingests poison so that he will never be apart from her. As Romeo hits his friend and sobs into his shoulder with grief, the raw emotion on display makes one believe that he is right there on stage, not on a TV screen.

Buckley offers a beautiful interpretation of Juliet’s character by letting her rebellious spirit shine through.

While Buckley is able to execute Juliet’s rebellious scenes flawlessly, she also perfectly portrays Juliet’s softer and more melancholic moments. We see her tossing around on the bed to mimic Juliet’s racing thoughts about her upcoming marriage to a man she doesn’t love, as well as to reflect her tempestuous love for Romeo. A surprising choice in direction was the inclusion of Buckley’s Killarney accent. Buckley’s lilting Irish accent adds a gentle tone to Juliet that makes her stand apart from her shouting mother. Another interesting production choice was the costume choices for Juliet and her family. While the Capulet’s wear mostly black and grey to convey their conservative and narrow minded ways, Juliet wears dresses of blue and gold, portraying her liveliness.

Juliet’s costuming also caused her to stand out amongst the greys, catching the eye immediately.

This production of Romeo and Juliet was unique due to it being produced through a pandemic. Everyone involved should feel proud of themselves as their efforts resulted in a spectacular 90 minutes which have never been seen before on television. I was blown away by the sets, performances, and the pure determination of everyone involved as they continued to work despite Covid-19 bringing us all down. I think this production brings with it a piece of advice for everyone, as whether you are involved in the arts or not, there is always hope. Keep soldiering on, because if the pandemic can produce this masterpiece, who knows what other surprises it has in store.

THE RISE OF THE GAME-MAKERS EOIN SHORTISS ON THE INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY.

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obs; everyone wants one. But why? The short answer is money.

The long answer is because they give people a chance to contribute to society and help them feel fulfilled in their daily lives... and also money. But the job market can be unpredictable, and societal needs are always changing. However, I can tell you that there’s one industry that will undoubtedly be providing us with a stream of jobs for the years to come; the video game industry.

“So what?” I hear you say, “The same could be said about other forms of entertainment, like the music industry.” Well yes, but actually, no. According to the database company Statista, the video game industry is “the most lucrative entertainment industry by far”. Statista show that in 2019, the video game industry raked in over three times the annual earnings of cinema box offices, and a staggering seven times

more than that of the music industry. Statista also shows that the demand in the industry is only increasing.

The number of gamers worldwide is steadily rising, and is projected to surpass three billion by the year 2023.

So not only does the industry make a lot of money, but the interest in gaming is steadily rising too. This means it’s a market that many companies will be looking to capitalise on, and in order for them to do so they'll need a lot of employees.

Okay, so statistically things are looking good. But boring stuff aside, why is the interest in gaming rising?

And more importantly, can we count on the interest in the medium to rise in the future? Well, I believe that the rise in gamers is down to the slow realisation of the potential video games have as an art form. A prime example of this potential is clearly seen in the video game The Last of Us Part

II, released last year. The game contained a grim but intricately crafted revenge narrative, complete with breath-taking graphics and fantastic acting performances by Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey.

On top of selling fantastically well, the impact this game had on gamers was astounding, and for a short period it dominated Youtube in the form of “Lets-Plays” and passionate reviews. It stood as a testament to the video game industry’s ability to produce works of art that can rival anything produced in other mediums. It is this potential that makes me believe that the video game’s increase in popularity is not just a fad; as long as it keeps producing works of art, it will continue to rise.

An important aspect of the rise of the video game industry is how it will positively impact the job market in a wide variety of fields. The modern video game is a fusion of many forms of art, and with that it needs a variety of different specialists to bring it to life. Aside from the various

technological jobs that the medium necessitates, it also incorporates composers, actors, cinematographers, artists, writers and countless other individuals working in the arts. Furthermore, video games dealing with specific subject matters, such as viruses or psychology, have been known to call in experts in those fields to give guidance to the game’s artists and writers. If this industry grows, it basically means more opportunities for everyone.

So to conclude, next time you’re fantasising about what career you’ll end up in, I implore you not to rule out the video game industry. Of course, I’d imagine that creating video games for a living isn’t really something anyone considered when they were growing up. After all, it is a relatively new medium.

However, I hope this article has shown you that maybe a future in making videogames isn’t as far-fetched as you thought.

ENTERTAINMENT | 27

FORMIDABLY COOL

Photography by Jordan Hemingway

A CONVERSATION WITH

Wolf Alice

KANE GEARY O ’ KEEFFE SPOKE WITH THE MERCURY PRIZEWINNING BAND WOLF ALICE AHEAD OF THE RELEASE OF THEIR ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM, ‘BLUE WEEKEND’.

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was seventeen when I first heard the unforgettably sombre tones of Wolf Alice's Silk. I sat to watch the trailer for Trainspotting 2, complete with visuals that I barely remember.

What I do recall however, is whipping out my phone to find the stunning track which played over the teaser. Silk quickly became my go-to track for my daily bus commutes, and led to hours of discovering the London four piece’s catalogue of genre melting tracks.

Upon securing an interview via Zoom, I felt it best to be straight up about my nerves as I sat down with Theo and Joff of Wolf Alice.

With congratulations on their new album Blue Weekend, we launch into the Grammy-nominated band’s songwriting processes.

In bringing a Wolf Alice song together, Joff tells me that a demo almost always acts as a starting point. He tells me that after a demo piques the interest of the group, they’ll “develop it in a live context with just us in a room…...We'll do live versions and recorded multitrack versions, but we'll keep on doing that until we feel like it's there really”. Joff notes that each track goes through many different versions until the band finds the right sound.

“We’re constantly editing and changing bits, moving the arrangements around can be quite a slow, methodical process”.

With Blue Weekend following on from the band’s first two acclaimed

albums,Theo offers his views on what separates Blue Weekend from the band’s previous works. “I don’t think it's necessarily a massive departure if you know Wolf Alice before. I think there's loads of aspects there that we've had in our previous music that you'll recognise”. Theo expresses that the group’s songwriting has continued to grow while still finding ways to wrap this growth around conventional song structures. “When Ellie was showing some of her demos I felt like the songwriting itself was stronger. Stronger might not be the right word, but I felt like there was this kind of emphasis on the songwriting and the songs being almost conventional in a good way.

There are a lot more choruses basically which makes it far more listenable”. The extra time brought on by the pandemic has allowed for making sure that every facet of the record lives up to the band’s expectations. “With the amount of time spent in the studio, everything was looked at with a fine tooth comb and refined, because we were there for our lockdown. I think it was like a three month period of working on it, so I think it's more detailed, and I think it's our best record!..... At the moment, until we make another one”.

Having crafted an album during COVID-19, the band’s time spent locked indoors seems to have been a double edged sword. Joff explains what’s changed from ‘normal times’ in creating a record during a pandemic.

“A lot of the time when you record an album you know you can go and blow off steam on the weekend, and you can get some distance. We didn't really have that opportunity because of the lockdown, so we were constantly in the studio”. The inability to escape from the process seems to have taken its toll on the group. “It was very hard to escape. It’s difficult to escape if you're still in that physical environment as well, so it was a very tense process”. In the end however, it’s clear that a lack of distraction from the outside world also enabled a greater drive towards working on Blue Weekend. “I think, towards the end. I was very glad that we got the opportunity to focus, and had that amount of time to focus on the album, which I'm not sure, given the context, our attention spans would have allowed if we weren't forced to”.

The efforts put into bringing Blue Weekend to fruition definitely seems to have paid off. From the driving riffs present in tracks like Play the Greatest Hits, to tracks showcasing Ellie Rowsell’s soaring vocals and intimate lyricism such as Safe From Heartbreak (If you Never Fall in Love) and The Last man on earth, Blue Weekend’s dynamic sound begs to be heard in a live setting. The band seems to be waiting on bated breath to bring their acclaimed live shows to the public once more. “There's a massive chunk of our lives missing, especially having played live so much since our early 20’s”. Theo seems particularly excited about getting back on stage. “It's a lifeline for getting that emotional reciprocation from your music that you don't get by sharing it

ENTERTAINMENT | 29

online. It's all well and good reading someone’s tweet, but seeing someone sing words back to you, reacting emotionally to music is second to none”. Theo is also a passionate advocate for live music as a positive communal space. “In the wider context of what's going on, it feels necessary that people are able to congregate over something emotional again. It's like one of the things that makes being alive great. In whatever context, whether it's live music or it's just shared experience, I think the world will need lots of shared experiences to recover from being stuck in their respective homes for ages. So It’ll just be amazing.

I think we’'ll definitely be overwhelmed by it, but will be a fucking laugh”.

I continue the talk of concerts by mentioning that I had recently viewed their concert film On the

Photography by Jordan Hemingway

Road from 2016. Theo quickly expresses that he found the film to be boring, but it creates a nice segue into talks of Silk in Trainspotting 2, and I ask whether the band ever writes material with movies and trailers in mind. Theo Jumps at the question.

“That's so interesting that you say that because that's one of the things we do a lot. With [Blue Weekend] specifically, when we were writing a lot of the songs for it in our rehearsal space, we were taking the demo and matching it to a YouTube video of a trailer for a film like Death Proof, for example.Then we play our music over the trailer or something like that and see what emotional response it gives”. Joff quickly joins in to add that writing songs specifically for films is never an intention when the band writes their music.“We were

never going ‘We're going to change the songs to fit into films’, if you know what I mean. It's a nice little test to see if it works with a visual”.

With the band having had the time to look upon Blue Weekend and the processes of making it, I ask where it is that Wolf Alice may take their sound next. Joff tells me that there's not a lot of foreplanning that goes into making their records. “It's always a case of ‘Let's write a load of songs’ and the best ones will go on the album”. Despite this, it appears that Wolf Alice have many options in regards to sounds they may explore in the future. “There's been loads of talk throughout our time off about the kind of album we wanted to make and that album has not been made. We were talking at one point about making a half hour, fun rock record and then we were talking

about making a classic old school kind of record”. The group seems happy in going wherever the music takes them. “It sounds corny but really what comes out is what comes out. It feels like we don't have much control over it, really”.

Whatever Wolf Alice decides to cook up next, I’m sure their huge and ever growing fanbase, myself included, shall be waiting in the wings to hear it. Winding it back to the present however, I once again congratulate the band on the release of Blue Weekend, and share my excitement to encounter them once again ( fingers crossed) in a concert setting next year, an excitement that certainly feels reciprocated.

Stream Wolf Alice on

INTERGALACTIC SOAP OPERA My Return to Mass Effect

JACK COLEMAN RETURNS TO THE ACCLAIMED GAME TRILOGY WITH ‘MASS EFFECT LEGENDARY EDITION’.

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younger version of myself sat in my sitting room, with Mass Effect on the television and my laptop open with over 20 Mass Effect Wiki tabs decorating Google Chrome. I needed to do every side quest and get the best possible gear.

However, it wasn’t really the gameplay that interested me about Mass Effect.

It was a serviceable third-person cover shooter, but the strength of the series came from its plot and worldbuilding. It is appropriately dubbed an “intergalactic soap opera”. The depth of its characters and their relationships, the dramatic galactic politics, the stakes of the mission to stop Saren, these are all aspects that made the original Mass Effect great.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition released this May and I have scarcely done much but sink my time into it since its release. It is a remaster of the original Mass Effect trilogy with all downloadable content included. The nostalgia that hit me when I heard the smooth synth of Mass Effect’s menu is indescribable. It is strange to think that anything can make me feel old at 22 but playing the game’s first level made me reflect on when I first played the game over a decade ago. This didn’t last long however, as the Geth invasion

wasn’t going to stop itself. I opted for Female Shepard this time around as I exclusively played Male Shepard when I was a kid.

The graphics are much sharper this time around, though the remastered faces get a bit bug-eyed at times. I was surprised with how good my memory proved to be, with little need for Mass Effect Wiki this time around as my mind remembered old details as they became relevant. I drove through Mass Effect at pace, even while doing all the side quests. The formulaic nature of the indoors environments definitely caught my attention, as most bases Shepard would raid had a near-identical layout. This was a staple feature of the RPGs of that time, and didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the game. I stopped Saren and saved the galaxy, but Mass Effect 2 awaited me.

Mass Effect 2 remains one of my favourite games of all time and it was an absolute pleasure to return to. All of the downloadable content I refused to pay for in 2010 was now at my fingertips. I could play this game every day without getting bored so it was no surprise to me that I sank eight hours a day into it for a week.

The second instalment is where Mass

Effect really comes into its own.The environments are more unique, the galaxy’s inhabitants more fleshed out, and Shepard’s companions are more interesting. The common trope of assembling a super team to face impossible odds is at its very best in Mass Effect 2 as Shepard needs to recruit mercenaries, criminals, geniuses and a freakin’ Geth to travel through the Omega 4 Relay, a feat from which no ship has ever returned. Navigating the seedy underbelly of the Terminus Systems is as good as it’s ever been in Mass Effect 2’s remaster. I recently undertook the suicide mission and succeeded (without losing anyone, obviously). Even though this time around I knew what to do to save everyone, I was still filled with anxiety as I took the fight to the Collector threat.

I just finished Mass Effect 2 and I intend to do the DLC in the post-game before transferring my save to Mass Effect 3. Despite the infamous flaws of the third game, I am excited to play through Shepard’s story to its conclusion. People often complain about remastering games that are only a generation or two old, “recycling games” because new IPs are harder to market. This is likely true to a certain extent, but the joy of eliciting simpler times, times as a child with no responsibilities, seems worth it.

ENTERTAINMENT | 31

INTERVIEW WITH

Rick Riordan WORLD-RENOWNED AUTHOR AND RECENT UCC GRADUATE RICK RIORDAN TALKS WITH ALANA DALY MULLIGAN ABOUT STUDYING IN UCC, THE POWER OF MYTHOLOGY, THE UPCOMING PERCY JACKSON SERIES ON DISNEY+ AND THE POLITICS OF WRITING IN THE YA STRATOSPHERE.

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or over two decades, the reimagined world of ancient gods and their progeny in our contemporary present have been puppeteered to life by New York Times bestseller Rick Riordan. With his unique mix of modern, mythical and humorous writing, he has made characters like Percy Jackson and Magnus Chase part of our generation’s popular imagination.

Riordan sees mythology as the skeleton of all human consciousness: it is what remains, and that’s what drew him to the Online MA in Gaelic Literature at University College Cork’s Department of Irish.

Riordan’s ancestors were Corkonians, and during his time undertaking the MA in Gaelic Literature, he had the opportunity to connect to his roots. Riordan says “connecting to one’s past is a powerful experience. It makes the old stories more real, more immediate and relevant. It has helped me have a better appreciation for where I come from, and how the experiences of many generations have affected who I am and how I fit into the world.” He explains that his connection to his Cork heritage has made him reconsider the interplay between place and character: “So much of who we are is about where we come from. Cork, I must say, is a marvellous place.” We in Motley heartily agree, of

course.

Citing its unique flavour, sensibility, and mystery in comparison with other mythological traditions, Riordan found himself attracted to the rich and complicated Irish mythological landscape. “Our stories are filtered through so many layers across so many centuries, we can’t be sure what pre-Christian Irish beliefs looked like.

On one level, that’s frustrating. But on another level, it’s rather freeing to know that people have been forced to interpret and reinvent these stories for as long as they have existed, and there is no ‘pristine’ version. That fact in itself seems quintessentially Irish to me.”

In the process of understanding Irish literature and mythology, Riordan found the most eye-opening part of his studies to be the history of the Irish language and its transmission over the centuries.

His complementary and thoughtful response to Irish resilience being “remarkable” would make anyone who claims this island as home proud. “It’s really amazing that we have anything left at all to study,” he tells me. Riordan also spent time in the Ring Gaeltacht in County Waterford when he visited and found that learning Irish gave him a much better appreciation of why Irish storytelling is the way it is, as Bearla no as Gaeilge. “There’s an old proverb:

‘When you gain a new language, you gain a new soul.’ And I do believe that.

Language shapes our thought process and speaks volumes about what cultures value and how they think of the world,” Riordan explains. But has this new view of the Irish language and culture impacted the way Riordan plans on telling stories going forward?

While it might be too early to tell, Riordan praises the lyricism, humour, and flexibility of the Gaelic storytelling style. As a longtime fan, I was curious to know if Celtic Gods and demigods are alive and kicking in a reimagined Hill of Tara (obviously relocated to Cork at the top of Patrick’s Hill). Again, Riordan’s lips are sealed for now, but his first full novel on Irish mythology is in the works and he advises us to stay tuned.

Another project Riordan and his wife Becky are undertaking is the highly-anticipated Percy Jackson series with Disney+. Many fans of Riordan entered his stories through the Fox-produced Percy Jackson film franchise in the early 2010s. The films have been infamously panned by fans of the books and Riordan himself for the lack of faithfulness to the original source material. With the wants of fans at the forefront, the Riordans, through Mythomagic Inc., are maintaining oversight on the new TV show. When asked why he was going down the big-

ENTERTAINMENT | 33

'The most powerful thing about watching these stories come out is to see the reactions of the young readers. It is incredibly meaningful for a young person to see a hero on a book cover who looks like them, and even more powerful to see that the author looks like them' screen adaption route again, Riordan felt he now had the power to make a faithful adaptation happen, something he did not have when he initially sold the rights to Percy Jackson in the early 2000s. He explains with the shift to streaming, Hollywood has become a boomtown for content creators, meaning the new deals being brokered give writers more leverage that they previously didn’t have, including Riordan. “Personally, I couldn’t care less about Hollywood. I am not starstruck.

It has never been a dream of mine to do TV or film. I’m a ‘book guy’. I wanted to spend the next five years studying Celtic cultures at Harvard, not making TV shows. Nevertheless, I’m pleased to report that we’ve assembled some really good teams around the projects we have going. I am learning from them, and hopefully, they are learning from me. It’s going to be a long, difficult process, but I’m guardedly optimistic we will have good results to show for the efforts. When? That I’m not sure of yet.”

On a closer timeline, Riordan’s first short story about Celtic Mythology My Life as a Child Outlaw, retelling the boyhood deeds of the hero Finn Mac Cumhaill, will feature in The Cursed Carnival & Other Stories, due for release in September 2021. The anthology, edited by Riordan, also features the voices of his Rick Riordan Presents imprint, which aims to continue the tradition of mythic reimagination by supporting writers from other cultures.

For him, the imprint is about giving something back and uplifting other writers, particularly those who have knowledge of traditions Riordan is an

34 | JUNE 2021

outsider of. “The most powerful thing about watching these stories come out is to see the reactions of the young readers. It is incredibly meaningful for a young person to see a hero on a book cover who looks like them, and even more powerful to see that the author looks like them! It makes those youngsters feel valued and included in the community of readers.”

This is not the first time Riordan has championed diversity in his work. People of colour, LGBTQ* folks, and individuals with disabilities two decades ago rarely found themselves fairly represented in the realm of young adult writing. Now, they find their identities, bodies, and stories increasingly politicised and weaponised by writers either to sell books or sell their ideas. But Riordan has never seen character-building like that, treating his characters with sensitivity and humanity while also being willing to learn and move with their stories.

“There are many different types of people in the world, but as a wise host of mine in Gaeltacht put it on my last visit to Ring: ‘We’re all God’s children.’

I do believe we have more in common than we have differences.” On making new readers feel safe in his stories and laying down common ground for people of all backgrounds to connect to his characters, he tells me he feels a responsibility to be as kind and respectful to his readership as possible.

“I always model my author’s persona on my teacher’s persona from my years in the classroom. One always has to recognise that the classroom contains many different kinds of students, and it is my job to try to make them all feel

welcomed, accepted and included.”

Of course, the reality many young people grow up in is quite different from the kind of world Riordan promotes. Violence, fear, political instability, and a lack of social support means young people are being brought up into a world divided by adults. Regarding the polarising political environment in the United States, I ask Riordan about how he manages the responsibility of remaining bi-partisan without losing his beliefs as an author: “I have strong personal feelings, but I have learned the hard way that it’s better for me to take a positive public stance and promote the kind of behaviour I want to see in the world: acceptance, kindness, openness, dialogue. That’s not easy, mind you, when the world is so divided.

Sometimes I do not feel like being kind to people whose views I find repugnant.

But if I can get kids from all kinds of families to read my books and perhaps learn to be a little more open to people who aren’t like them, then I think I’ve done a greater service to the world than yelling at the “other side” on social media.” To follow through with our spirit of connection, we invited Rick to hang out in New Bar for €4 cocktails (blue ones, of course), and pineapple pizza. While he didn’t quite swear on the River Styx, we’ve high hopes of a UCC reunion post-pandemic.

Many thanks to Professor Pádraig Ó'Macháin in the Department of Modern Irish for connecting us with Rick and Becky. If you are interested in learning more about the online MA in Gaelic Literature, visit the website.

FORGET THE SILVER SCREEN VIDEO GAME ADAPTATIONS BELONG ON TV.

BY RONAN WAT TERS.

T

here is one word which continually springs into my mind when I think of video games: investment. No matter how long or short a game is, whatever I am playing requires me to put in a substantial amount of time for the best experience possible. Many games that I have played require you to engage heavily in order for the story and world to be as satisfying as it can be. It is also how I feel about watching a show on television. Watching and following a show on TV requires you to stay invested in the story and to be patient, just like the best video games.

It is this type of thinking that made me wonder what the future for video game adaptations is. Nothing beats playing a video game itself, as it is a more interactive experience, but I have always pondered why many creative minds in Hollywood believe that video games can be adapted cleanly to the silver screen.

The evidence given by previous video game adaptations suggests that it cannot be done cleanly, no matter how much passion is involved. One adaptation that comes to mind is the Silent Hill film from

2006. The director, Christophe Gans, had attempted to gain the film rights to Silent Hill for five years before he directly sent an interview to Konami, explaining how much the series meant to him. In response, Konami awarded him the film rights. The film itself is fine, but was criticised for being cliched, even though its script was co-written with Roger Avary, who most famously won an Oscar for Pulp Fiction alongside Tarantino.

The bar has been lowered to rock bottom with some adaptations of video games to cinema. This is mainly down to director Uwe Boll, whose train wreck adaptations of video games like Alone in the Dark and Far Cry have earned him the title of the worst director in cinema. While there is much talk of the upcoming Uncharted adaptation starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, that series was inspired by many other source materials, mainly Indiana Jones, so what makes it a unique adaptation if it's only going to earn comparisons?

Television, I believe, is where the future of video game adaptation belongs. The anime-style adaptation of Castlevania has proven incredibly popular with both fans of the games and casual viewers alike. The Last of Us

is currently in development as a show, with the game’s developer Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckman involved. The show also has Craig Mazin on board, who earned acclaim for his HBO miniseries Chernobyl. If any creative minds were to consider adapting video games, T.V is their best bet.

One example I will propose is any Rockstar open world game. Although many of those games are inspired by movies, their design, and the way they tell the story suits the medium of T.V. Each mission I played in Red Dead Redemption 2 felt like its own episode, progressively telling the story like a series. Not all video game series deserve an adaption, regardless of how popular they are. The Call of Duty series has never hidden the fact that it is inspired by movies, with some of its most iconic moments ripped straight from cinema.

But to come back to investment, that is the most important point. Like staying invested in a game, a T.V series requires the same. Many film adaptations of games feature the title of the game and nothing else, it could virtually be any other movie. If the creative minds out there want to see successful adaptations of video games, look to the screen on which video games started.

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Fashion BUILDING A CAREER IN FASHION JOURNALISM

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN GRACE CLARO TALKS TO PAUL MCLAUCHLAN, FORMER FASHION EDITOR OF MOTLEY MAGAZINE AND WEEKLY COLUMNIST WITH THE IRISH EXAMINER ABOUT HOW HE CAME TO FORGE HIS BLOSSOMING CAREER AS A FASHION JOURNALIST. GRACE CLARO: How would you describe yourself career-wise? What do you do?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: I am a journalist primarily covering fashion and luxury for the Irish Examiner. I occasionally contribute articles to Vogue Italia’s Talents section, Irish Tatler, and Highsnobiety.

Additionally, I’m a freelance copywriter and broadcaster.

GRACE CLARO: How did you get started as a fashion writer? Take us through your initial steps into the sphere of fashion journalism.

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: Like many, my interest in fashion blossomed after watching The Devil Wears Prada. It would’ve been late 2008 because I think I was 9-years-old at the time. I was convinced I wanted to be a fashion designer so I started reading Elle magazine. In 2011, I started a blog about red carpet fashion which now seems quite juvenile considering I was a poorly dressed 11-year-old discussing well-styled men and women from New York to Sydney.

In 2013, I attended London Fashion Week for the first time—my uncle managed to get me a corporate sponsor pass through one of his colleagues so I got to see a show at the main venue. Around this time, I stopped writing about red carpet fashion and started covering fashion shows. As time went by, I got invited to shows on my own merit through writing a blog. Over the years, this became a springboard for me to work on freelance projects at places like Fashionista, Vogue Italia, The New York Times, the National Gallery of Ireland, and more.

GRACE CLARO: What does your work involve?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: Emails, emails, emails. Alongside pitching, writing, and

36 | JUNE 2021

editing, my work involves more planning and admin than you might think. Most of my communication is with editors and PR people. I chat through story ideas and edit features with my editors. I liaise with various press officers to organise interviews, which now mostly take place on Zoom, or to access relevant imagery. The length it takes to write features can vary depending on how close you are to the story.

GRACE CLARO: Can you name a few high points of your career so far?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: I’ve attended London Fashion Week since 2013 which never ceases to amaze me. Most of my best moments happened there. Getting invited to my first Simone Rocha and JW Anderson shows was exciting considering how many years I spent grafting to get a ticket. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to many of my heroes like Susie Lau, Sarah Harris, and Ireland’s own Deirdre McQuillan. I met Bella Hadid there in 2015 when she was on the cusp of stardom—she was lovely!

GRACE CLARO: What are the more challenging aspects of your work and do you struggle with time balance between work and college?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: As a student, it can be difficult to strike a balance between work, academia, and downtime which often leaves me running around like a headless chicken.

GRACE CLARO: Who are the most influential people you have worked with and met over the years in your career?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: The best part of the job is working with industry professionals I admire the most, like Highsnobiety’s Christopher Morency or The Washington Post’s Robin Givhan, and designers such as Jonathan Anderson or Daniel Roseberry from Schiaparelli.

My editor at the Irish Examiner, Vickie Maye, presented

me with the opportunity to regularly contribute to the Irish Examiner which has been a dream come true. Equally, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for those who work behind the scenes on PR for different brands, they have been instrumental in my career by trusting me to tell their clients’ stories.

GRACE CLARO: As a freelance journalist, what are your thoughts on job security?

Do you ever fear for the future of your job or do you have faith in the continual hustle?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: Truthfully, as a freelancer, you can’t predict the future. I like to remain positive and think that my diligence and devotion to the next story will find my next paycheck. Hard work pays off, even if it takes years.

GRACE CLARO: What are your career plans after finishing your degree at UCC? PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: I would like to be a fashion editor at a newspaper but, equally I wouldn’t mind exploring other areas more like copywriting or broadcasting. I think it could be fun to write a film or a play one day, that’s always been a dream of mine. I’m excited to see where the future takes me.

GRACE CLARO: How do you see the fashion industry changing and evolving in the future?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: What matters most going forward is how you represent and include people of different backgrounds, that truly makes a difference. Similarly, I hope to see a physical fashion week in some capacity again in the future. However, if that does happen, the schedule needs to be edited down to include those who truly have an authentic vision and voice.

GRACE CLARO: Will there always be a place for print journalism or will we transition to 100% digital media outlets in the future?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: I hope so! I love print. I’ve been collecting magazines for 12 years much to my parents’ dismay as our house has become a paper mountain in parts. In that sense, my answer is biased.

However, I think titles are very attached to the prestige associated with print. In that sense, I think they’ll do everything to keep them running. Long live print.

GRACE CLARO: For those interested in getting into fashion writing, what are your top tips? Are

there any particular resources, publications, or mailing lists you would recommend our readers to subscribe to?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: Ask people you admire for advice over email— the Internet is a vast place, you can find someone’s contact easily.

Be specific about the advice you’re looking for—is it pitching?

Finding your voice? How to tailor your voice for different publications? If they don’t reply, they’re busy but there’s no harm in trying again, just be cognizant of the fine line between tenacity and rudeness.

I think everyone should read critics like Vanessa Friedman (The New York Times), Robin Givhan (The Washington Post), Cathy Horyn (The Cut), Alexander Fury (AnOther & The Financial Times), Lauren Indvik (The Financial Times) but equally business voices like Elizabeth Paton (The New York Times) and Chantal Fernandez (The Business of Fashion), as well as Tyler McCall (Fashionista) and Emilia Petrarca (The Cut), both combine acerbic wit with sharp analysis.

Beyond that, you should read widely across film, literature, and sports, to get a comprehensive look at what makes journalists tick and the standard being set. Personally, I love reading work by the New York Times’ book critic Parul Seghal—her criticism is superlative and inspires me to try harder with every piece I write. Everyone should read The Business of Fashion (students get a free premium subscription; you can keep an eye on career opportunities here too) and Fashion United to keep abreast on the business side of things.

GRACE CLARO: What do you do to unwind each day in order to detach yourself from your work?

PAUL MCLAUCHLAN: Fashion moves fast so you have to keep a close eye on news and industry trends. However, when I can find a few hours between working and studying for university, I like to climb into bed and watch Netflix or try one of the many new coffee shops in Cork City.

You can follow Paul on his Instagram and Twitter handle @sanguinestyle and catch up with the latest trends in menswear in his weekly column in the Irish Examiner.

FASHION | 37

Fashion

Reading The News Photography by Philip Corkery Models: David Ogumefu & Immanuel Söla

FASHION | 39

Philip Corkery

is a 21 year old photographer living in Cork. "I love capturing how people express themselves through facial expressions, appearance and clothing. I value creating a good atmosphere with my subjects so the viewer can see the person I see through my eyes and my lens."

FASHION | 41

MORE DAnGER INTERVIEW WITH IRISH DESIGNER

42 | JUNE 2021

FASHION EDITOR GRACE CLARO TALKS TO RENOWNED IRISH WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER COLIN HORGAN ABOUT BEING A CREATIVE IN IRELAND, HIS HIGHLIGHTS FROM LONDON FASHION WEEK, AND THE MECHANICS OF RUNNING A WOMENSWEAR BRAND FROM HIS STUDIO IN KERRY.

O

riginally from Kerry, Colin Horgan completed his BA in Fashion Design from Limerick School of Art & Design in 2014. He then moved to the UK where he graduated from the MA in Fashion Womenswear programme at the Royal College of Art in 2017 where he closed the show with his visually stimulating collection "Brisk”. The first Colin Horgan ready-to-wear collection debuted at the On/Off Presents SS19 full show in September 2018 at 180 The Strand, London Fashion Week. His designs are preferred by big names in the music industry including Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Ashnikko, ChaelinCL, Brooke Candy, Tierra Whack, and Ava Max. His trademark ‘Buzzsaw’ earrings and ‘Defender’ jacket were worn by Mabel in her ‘Boyfriend’ vertical music video in 2020. Littlemix has also been added to Colin's list of clientele.

His designs were worn by Leigh Anne Pinnock in the music video for their song ‘Confetti’ featuring Saweetie, released in April 2021. Two-tone iridescent taffeta is a signature material in his collection. His work delivers high fashion silhouettes with a utilitarian and industrial edge.

In 2020 Horgan relocated to Kerry during COVID-19 to set up his manufacturing in Ireland, in particular where he grew up in Ardfert, just a short distance outside Tralee.

GRACE CLARO: How would you describe your aesthetic in three words?

COLIN HORGAN: Elevated, Detailed and Dangerous GRACE CLARO: As a student of both Limerick School of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art in London, who were your early influences when it came to designing fashion and womenswear specifically?

COLIN HORGAN: I guess growing up I would think that historical Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen were hugely inspiring. I think for me it wasn’t just about the actual clothing itself.

For me what was so powerful was the world these designers created through their shows. I’ll never forget watching a Mugler or McQueen show. I loved how all the guests in the show were almost entranced by their energy. There was no one too busy trying to record every second of it for their followers on social media. The audience experiences a range of emotions at the shows which are always pure magic. But I think what is even more magical is that each individual will leave with their own interpretation of the experience.

GRACE CLARO: What does your design process involve? How do you bring a garment from creative concept to material reality?

COLIN HORGAN: I think for me I am very fixated on the ‘woman’ I’ve created.

I’ve worked quite hard to figure her out. It almost sounds strange that I know her so well because she’s actually someone that doesn’t exist. My starting point is always about her journey, her environment and how she feels. Sometimes I think that she actually is my alter ego. I guess maybe that's how I feel like I know her. Once the story is getting some substance I usually start with a technique. By technique I mean the look and feel of the garment. For example, are edges raw to all the garments based on her environment?

I would build on this for some time and then navigate the silhouettes and forms quickly after. More than likely after a few prototypes, we would push to create a full look and test out closures, accessories and styling choices. This is a critical part of the process as it would determine the look and feel of the collection and there would be enough time to make

FASHION | 43

alterations and changes if needed.

GRACE CLARO: What are your thoughts on the representation of Irish designers in London Fashion Week and what were the highlights of the experience for you?

COLIN HORGAN: I think the BFC and London Fashion Week are supportive of their neighbours and the talent that comes from Ireland is definitely nothing to be sneezed at. I like how all Irish Designers use some sense of where they come from in their work. It's refreshing to see and from my own experience, we as a collective are definitely taken seriously as a breath of fresh air in such a complicated and challenging industry.

Highlight wise, I think the whole experience with a team is quite special. When you surround yourself with different kinds of creatives that are equally as passionate about your work as you are, how can that not be a highlight on its own!

GRACE CLARO: You emphasise made in Ireland as part of your womenswear collection, what does this involve?

COLIN HORGAN: I’m very lucky to have been able to return to my hometown Ardfert while still having a presence abroad. Everything from my work is now made in Ireland from the design process to its manufacturing, we are doing everything in house.

GRACE CLARO: Are you experiencing any personal costs or disadvantages by trying to work sustainably and locally?

COLIN HORGAN: Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t. You do have to make sacrifices and I am a little bit of a control freak and won’t swallow my pride to cut corners on the locality of my work.

There are pros and cons to this of course. I just have to keep that momentum going to know that it is a special product from start to finish.

GRACE CLARO: How has Covid-19 affected your work? Has it, as with many creatives, given you an opportunity to dig deep and reevaluate your work, leading to new ideas and innovations? Or has it been

44 | JUNE 2021

detrimental to your creative process and has it led you to miss out on valuable career opportunities?

COLIN HORGAN: It definitely has. I am not too shy to say that the industry is unusual and often unpredictable. You depend on press outreach to drive sales, stores to take you on to cover your overheads, and content to stay relevant. I decided to take a break for/from the season, so it does make you wonder who you are and what you want to say. When Covid-19 hit Ireland I had just moved into a new unit with new machinery and a new drive, but had to close my doors to taking in a team so I feared the worst. During that time I actually started working for other companies in digital branding. I did consultancy work, lectured and started to step into the music industry as a DJ. So I've been able to keep busy despite the pandemic.

I’ve started new work and it's been great but I think now I am more driven to create excellence with the other projects I have been involved with during the lockdowns.

GRACE CLARO: You are based in Ardfert, Co. Kerry, what led you to set up your studio remotely? Do you predict that more people will decide to move out of cities and set up in more rural areas?

COLIN HORGAN: I loved London but felt it was a little distracting and lacked space ( for the mind). I love cities but I think that my studio in a rural setting allows me the freedom to create without all the noise if that makes sense? I think because the world has quickly started to become digital, I think if you remain to have some connection with a city which drives a lot of traffic then I think you can be anywhere in the world.

GRACE CLARO: What vision do you have for your brand into the future?

COLIN HORGAN: That each season is better and stronger than the previous one.

Keep up to date with Colin’s work and new projects on his Instagram @colinhorgan and go to his website to shop from his collection.

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