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Month: April 2022

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Culture

Is Gender Neutral Fashion Here to Stay?

Is Gender Neutral Fashion Here to Stay?

Sophie Harding

 

The way we dress is one of the biggest expressions of our identity. In an ever more overwhelming world, fashion helps us to explore our own personal style and taste; it is an authentic expression of identity. The flexibility and creativity of fashion allow it to be the ideal medium for non-binary expression, and as it has become more widely accepted that gender is a spectrum rather than a group of rigid categories, gender neutral style has become more and more prevalent in mainstream fashion.

In both the streetwear and runway fashion industries, designers and influencers have begun to embrace androgyny in their designs and ignore the constraints of ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ garments. This would lead us to believe outdated notion of gendered clothing is on a decline, but it is worth questioning the authenticity of the fashion industry and commitment it has to this cause. Is the popularity of gender-neutral design simply part of another trend cycle, destined to disappear alongside shoulder pads and jeggings, or will the presence and influence of non-binary catering brands and designers mean that it is here to stay?

Streetwear brands such as Aimé Leon Dore, Wildfang and Barragán all embrace androgyny in their collections, not only enabling their clothing to be more inclusive, but elevating the very composition of their collections. The collusion of blazers with masculine silhouettes and feminine finishes, or ambiguity of garments that do not attempt to be either ‘male’ or ‘female’ creates clothing collections that exudes absolute creativity, not constrained to the binary labels that have been perpetuated by department store brands and other mainstream fashion.

Meanwhile, mainstream binary streetwear brands such as Supreme, Stussy, and Palace that traditionally make clothing for men have been reimagined by non-binary and female streetwear enthusiasts and influencers, who take classic masculine streetwear silhouettes and repurpose them alongside feminine colour pallets and accessories, surpassing the rigid constraints of the concept of ‘menswear’ and ‘womenswear’.

On the runway and red-carpet, high-end fashion designers showcase inspired couture that celebrates androgyny. Fashion houses are embracing gender non-conforming styles. Louis Vuitton’s 2021 summer collection aimed to ‘discover and abolish the last [gender] frontiers’ by adding unique twists to staple business and streetwear silhouettes. Marc Jacobs polysexual ‘Heaven’ collection honours iconic queer figures, inspired by the ‘D.I.Y spirit that connects subcultures around the world and recontextualises them for a new generation’. The list of luxury fashion houses embracing androgyny in their collections currently could go on and on.

Clearly, gender neutral design has a firm foothold on current mainstream fashion. Yet this does not reassure us that it will become a permanent feature within mainstream trends. The ‘unisex’ movement has taken the forefront of mainstream fashion in the past, and its time there was fleeting. In 1969, Paris runways saw designers such as Pierre Cardin and Paco Rabanne create ‘space age’ looks that refused to comply with historical gender associations. Alongside this runway breakthrough, second wave feminism saw women reclaiming their autonomy through their clothing, unwilling to indulge in ‘women’s’ clothing that perpetuated the gender norms that oppressed them. As a result, department stores began to create special sections for ‘unisex’ fashion, and it seemed that gender neutral style had finally hit the mainstream. Within a year, most of these sections had closed, and along with them the prevalence of androgyny on the runway. ‘Unisex’ design had little longevity in the mainstream market.

Alternatively, for subcultures throughout history, gender-neutral and non-conforming fashion has always been prevalent as a method of subversion and resistance. Elizabeth Smith Millers inventing bloomers in the height of the first wave feminist movement, goths in the 80s who repurposed ‘feminine’ makeup to create harsh and dramatic looks, David Bowie and his cover of “The Man who Sold the World”, wearing a dress and defining the androgynous movement in the 60s- these all encompass the way subculture has embraced androgyny to challenge societal norms.

By subverting the gender norms applied to clothing, non-binary individuals subvert the very ideas of gender that they do not conform to. It begins to dismantle the physical misconceptions of how a ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ should look and questions the very notion of applying genders to pieces of clothing. Subcultures have always used style as a bricolage in which the reassembling of traditional formats of clothing is utilised as a form of resistance. For many nonbinary people, gender neutral style subverts the norms placed upon them, and challenges the cisgender lens that dominates culture. It is worth questioning whether the ingenuity and creativity of gender-neutral design is more powerful in the context of these subcultures, and perhaps this would explain how it has never managed to break the mainstream market.

With gender-neutral fashion gaining popularity on the runway and in streetwear, will the fashion industry truly be able to start dismantling the binary worldview that it helped to create, or is this just the latest trend, a brief spark destined to fizzle out just like the androgynous trend that took place in the 60s? If this is the case, will it remain up to subcultures and non-binary groups to continue to challenge the outdated and invented notion of gendered clothing?

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Culture

Student Cooking Done Better

Student Cooking Done Better

George Jessop is a Liberal Arts Student at Leeds who works part-time as a chef at El Gato Negro, a tapas restaurant and bar in Leeds which has won multiple awards. George’s love of cooking expands beyond his job, and he writes accessible recipes for students, so they can enjoy good food on a budget.

 

George’s Chicken Ramen

 

A lot of students know the economic value of buying a whole chicken from Aldi, roasting it, then having it in the fridge. If you want to mix it up from chicken stews, sandwiches and pasta, this recipe is one of the tastiest ways to give those chickens a good send-off. As this is a bit of a lengthy process, I normally space the cooking over a few days.

 

As indicated below, this recipe works if you’re feeding a crowd or if you’re meal prepping – with chicken meat in the fridge and stock in the freezer you can throw it together for yourself in about 15 minutes.

 

Serves 5-6 people

 

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

2 onions

2 carrots 

1 bulb of garlic

Sea salt

Black pepper

3 tbsp butter

2 thumb sized pieces of ginger

6 eggs

6-9 nests of medium egg noodles (hunger dependant)

Soy sauce

Vegetable oil

Sriracha

 

Roasting the chicken:

 

1. Check your chicken’s packet for oven heat and timings, just remember to preheat the oven.

2. None of the veg needs to be peeled, so half two onions, a few carrots (lengthways) and a bulb of garlic (vertically). With this, make a tray for your chicken in your roasting tin, so the bird doesn’t touch the tray.

3. Rub the chicken generously all over with butter, season well all over (including the cavity) with sea salt and black pepper, stuff the cavity with a lemon, and cook according to packet instructions.

 

Making the stock:

 

4. Either the next day, or once cooled, strip all the meat off the bones, set aside, and put the bones into a large pot. Add in your roasted veg, all of the roasting juices, a thumb sized piece of ginger thinly sliced (or grated), and optionally a few bay leaves if you have some. Fill up with cold water to cover everything by about an inch.

5. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 minutes. Strain through a sieve into another large pot, check salt levels and reseason if needed.

6. If cooking as a part of a meal prep, place freezer bags in a cereal bowl, ladle your chicken stock into portions, about 2 ladles per portion should do. Store in the freezer until ready to use.

7. If you’re cooking for a crowd, leave your stock simmering on a low heat.

 

If you’re cooking for a group:

 

1. Have your stock simmering on low. Put a full kettle on and get a large saucepan on high. Fill it with boiling water and season (with table salt) it to a bit less than sea-saltiness.

2. Put in an egg per-person and set a timer for 6 minutes. When two minutes have passed, add your egg noodles nests, about 1-1½ nests per person (be generous with the noodles).

3. Meanwhile, prepare your garnish: slice (at a 45° angle for perfection) your chillies and spring onion, slice your red onion into strips, coarsely grate or chop your ginger into matchsticks, pick your coriander, open the sweetcorn tin, cut your lime into wedges. Make sure the sink is empty.

4. When the time is up, drain your noodles and eggs into a colander, and immediately run both under cold running water, tapping the eggs gently to stop the cooking.

5. Get the same saucepan (or a wok/frying pan if you don’t mind the washing up) on a high heat with about 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil*.

6. Meanwhile, begin peeling your eggs (you might want a friend to help at this point) – using running water and gently rolling them on a surface helps.

7. When the oil is smoking, add in your cooked chicken, get it sizzling, add soy sauce to taste and your sliced/grated ginger.

8. Serving this for a group, it’s easiest to have noodles and eggs in bowls, then have your stock, chicken, garnish and eggs in the middle of the table. Just before serving, add 3 tablespoons of siracha to your stock and bring to a rapid boil for a few seconds so it’s as warm as possible when serving.

 

 

Cooking as a meal prep, ready in about 15 minutes:

 

1. Put a full kettle on and get two saucepans on a high heat.

2. In one, start reheating your frozen stock.

3. In another saucepan get some salted boiling water going. Put your egg in and start a timer for 6 minutes. After 2 minutes, add your noodles.

4. Prep garnish while they cook: slice (at a 45° angle for perfection) your chillies and spring onion, chop your red onion into strips, coarsely grate or chop your ginger into matchsticks, pick your coriander, open the sweetcorn tin, cut your lime into wedges.

5. When the time is up, drain both your egg and your noodles into a colander and immediately run both under cold running water. Give your egg a gentle tap to allow cold water to seep and stop the cooking.

6. Get your saucepan back on a high heat with some vegetable* oil in.

7. Carefully peel your egg (gently roll it and use running water to help).

8. When the oil is smoking, add in your cooked chicken. Add 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and ½ of your ginger.

9. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until your ginger starts to take a slight colour.

 

10.  Assemble your ramen: start with a ½ tablespoon of sriracha in a bowl, then ladle in your stock and mix. Add your noodles, then top with the chicken, the rest of your garnish, then get your egg in the middle and slice it open.

 
Categories
Culture

Is Travelling Overrated?

Is Travelling Overrated?

Naomi Sargent

 

Picture this: you’re sitting in your room, it’s a dreary Thursday evening – the rain is spitting, the sun has set (meaning you’ve only seen sunlight for approximately three hours), you’re struggling to complete a lecture. You give yourself a phone break. While scrolling you’re bombarded by Instagram baddies’ thirst-traps on jet skis, sunset sea pictures and TikToks of holiday compilations and recommendations of the best places you MUST visit. You’re suddenly hit by a craving for the crisp feeling of having showered after a day at the beach – with that atmosphere of the fresh feeling on your skin and clean hair and the smell of sun cream. To add fuel to the fire, the difficulties and stresses of vaccines, PCRs and amber lists surrounding holidaying these past two years accentuate your longing for lounging by the sea.

However, are the arguably most important aspects of travelling and its valuable experiences overlooked in favour of sunbathing and cocktails? It is undeniable that travelling offers many positives. It can teach us vital lessons by providing a gateway into other cultures; allowing us to encounter different foods, architecture, and customs. All of which introduce us to other ways of living, helping us to open our minds and become more accepting and knowledgeable. However, only if we immerse ourselves in these activities can they be truly embraced. They have to be sought out – whether through a tour, stepping out of our comfort zone to try new foods and escapades, or simply strolling around and actively taking in the foreign environment. All of which are all too easy not to do when lounging in the sun, eating in an English-tourist catered restaurant, or partying with cheap drinks.

However, it may not be fair to critique those who choose to welcome the relaxation a holiday can bring. Travelling can provide much needed rest – which is the thing many of us are truly craving when longing for a holiday. It has been linked to reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression by alleviating stress. Travelling also supplies a detached area away from the pressures of work or the draining feeling of being constantly surrounded by people we know. This allows us to temporarily disengage from these without feeling guilt or procrastination and subsequently gives us time to unwind in ways we actually want to. I, for one, love the feeling of reading in the sun – knowing that it is a book of my own choice and being without the pressure of having a deadline I have to finish it in time for.

Furthermore, whether you are on baecation, a lads trip, with the rents or alone travelling allows you to strengthen the bonds with those you are with (including yourself) by giving you the time to focus on them and create lasting memories.

Oscar Wilde wrote ‘travel improves the mind’, in line with this being abroad incontestably offers you many opportunities to do so by creating a secluded environment where there are bountiful chances to experience and learn. However, when looking at the benefits holidays have to offer surely these are also available at home. We have occasions to learn about different cultures and customs through our own education and conversing with others. Moreover, we should feel free to allow ourselves to give ourselves a break and time to destress from the everyday without feeling the need to justify ourselves to others with the excuse of a holiday.

So, in a sense the answer to whether travel is overrated is indefinite. While travel offers easy to access experiences and consequently precious life lessons, we shouldn’t fixate on the need to be abroad in order to do these things. The Dalai Lama said ‘once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before’, and while I agree with this sentiment encouraging

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Reviews

The Ugly Fruit Group: An Open Letter

The Ugly Fruit Group: An Open Letter

An open letter to the students of Durham University,

If you were asked to list the biggest challenges faced both globally or, perhaps more relatable to you, in the North East, what would you say?

I imagine you’d reel off a list of justified causes, all worthy of our concern and attention, and hopefully somewhere on that list would lie food waste and the reality of those without access to nutritious, affordable food (food insecurity). Why these challenges in particular you might wonder? Whilst around three million people in the UK are thought to be malnourished* eighteen million tonnes of food goes to Landfill each year.

10% of children in the UK live in food insecurity, yet nearly half of fruit and veg is thrown away on aesthetics alone. The North East has the second highest poverty rate in the country, yet household waste in the area remains over 1 million metric tonnes. So I suppose this begs the question:

How can it be that there is so much food waste in times of such dire food insecurity?

Perfectly good food is being thoughtlessly discarded, whilst poverty levels in the UK are rising. The fact that both of these problems are endemic is infuriating. So, when I saw a post on Overheard at Durham from a little team called The Ugly Fruit Group, stating that they were looking for volunteers to help tackle these intertwined and ever-worsening problems in the local area, I knew I wanted to be involved.

At the Ugly Fruit Group, we do our best to help tackle both food insecurity and food waste in Durham and the surrounding areas. We receive donations of ‘ugly’ fresh fruit and vegetables that otherwise would not be sold from supermarkets and distribute the freshest to local food banks. This is particularly important as food bank parcels provide almost 50% less than the recommended amount of Vitamins A, C, D and E. Such vitamin deficiencies have a significant impact on energy levels and wellbeing. The lethargy and ongoing health issues caused can make it harder for individuals to break free from food insecurity and partake in social causes.

Whatever can’t be donated but is still edible is used to make long-life sustainable snacks which are sold to raise money to help us continue the project. So far, we have saved over 300kg of fruit and veg, donated 120 packages to local foodbanks, and provided 1080 fruit and veg supplements. It’s been an interesting but rewarding journey. Covid-19 has repetitively thrown a spanner in the works, but despite the challenges, the team has grown arms and legs with us currently having over 46 volunteering members. We have a regular stall over at the Scoop store in the Riverwalk and have managed to sustain multiple donations a week to three food banks that we’re partnered with. Though the problems of food insecurity and food waste often feel like a tidal wave, we are doing our best at having a positive impact on the local area. Though I am extremely proud of the work we do, it is frustrating that we are still needed at all.

There are two main components to our action: to fight against food insecurity and to fight against food waste. The first, more macro-level approach, is by demanding policy change.

But what if I told you that there are easy ways to implement change and that you can do them at home yourself? Both food waste and food insecurity are issues that most students care about in some way, shape, or form. But, hear me out, sometimes this caring is misplaced – and saying you care means a lot less if your actions don’t align with your words. Caring is the first step on a long journey of change, and it is important to recognise how many of these different issues within society are all directly linked to each other. In order to enact change, we need to remember to keep our outlook open and inclusive; if we don’t, we risk isolating the very groups of people we are trying to help. Whilst it is important to make practical swaps and campaign for policy change, as you likely see advocated across social media, it is also important to remember that this is not some far away issue, and to keep people at the centre of our actions.

There is a tendency for these issues to be reduced to dinner table debates. The controversialist of the room, who loves to say they’re ‘just playing devil’s advocate’, blames food insecurity on the individuals. Why should the government help them? They should get a job, they say.

People struggling with these real issues deserve more than a jump to their defence conceptually. We need practical change, and we need it now.

Are you one of the people that genuinely wants to help, but perhaps unintentionally missed the mark? You’re not alone and we want to help. Here’s a small list of ideas on how you can start to help tackle food insecurity in Durham:

Align your actions with your words. Hopefully by now you have realised that this issue is deep rooted but often doing the right thing can start from a simple second thought to that all-too-normalised action. Not going to eat those last two slices of pizza tonight? You’ve eaten most of it, they could just go in the bin…but how about keeping them to take to the library for lunch tomorrow! Your berries got a little squashed in the bottom of the shopping bag? You could throw them away…but wouldn’t they taste incredible in a smoothie! When you notice people around you doing things that you know will directly contribute to food waste, let them know. You don’t have to get angry at them. Instead, inspire that second thought.

Be mindful of how you (and others) talk. Unlearning bias can be a difficult job, but it is one we need to do. If you’ve never faced food insecurity, or seen anyone experience it, well-intended words can sometimes miss the mark. Try not to talk about it as a problem that is far away – you don’t necessarily know that the people listening haven’t faced something similar themselves. By now you are hopefully aware that this is an issue which has in fact been right beside you throughout your entire time in Durham. If someone opens up to you, try not to condescend, and remember that their lived experience isn’t something up for debate. Let’s try to stop the stigma surrounding food insecurity.

Be a conscious consumer. If you have time to sign up to be a volunteer or have the funds to donate, brilliant! But realistically not everybody does, and the act of supporting does not have to be a time intensive process. Come visit our TUFG stalls, and if you like the look of things make a purchase or two. You could switch to buying your dried groceries from Scoop. They donate their profits to local charities, with the donations split corresponding to the amount of votes each charity receives from the customers. Last term, they supported Fareshare, who help tackle hunger and food insecurity in the local area. Similarly, if your college doesn’t already have a food bank donation setup, consider chatting with the staff about starting one.

Avoid large supermarkets where possible because they’re the biggest contributors to food waste. If there are a few items you do still need from these stores, try starting your shop in the reduced aisle to find some perfectly edible hidden treasures before they are thrown out. For the rest, consider switching to the Fruiterers in the market or Robinsons on North Road for your fruit and vegetables. If you eat meat, have a look around for a local butcher. Shop small and local, and don’t underestimate the benefits of a meal plan.

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Reviews

‘PINAR’: A Dramatic Monologue

PINAR: A Dramatic Monologue

Saniya Saraf

 

Pinar Gültekin’s murder stood testament to a phenomena that is revoltingly similar and intrinsic to the culture of my country. Beaten, strangled and burnt, her body was recovered days later in a forested area in the Yerkesik neighbourhood. It was later found to be a married man who in a fit of rage decided the price to pay for romantic refusal was bodily massacre. So when my social media started flooding with pictures of women in black and white, it felt insufficient and scanty. Another woman lost at the hands of whim. Protest filled the streets yet the ordeal felt familiar and repetitive – her story represents a far deeper rooted cultural detriment.

What surprised me was not the incident itself but the manner in which I was able to approach the news – as if it was no news at all. The notion that women’s positions in the world has drastically improved is a fragmented one. It is a privilege – one that not all cultures savour. ‘Pinar’ as a piece, to me illustrates the fundamental need of intersectionality in feminist theory. The femicide in Turkey represents a culture towards women that as alien as it may seem is so embedded that one stops to wonder how far we’ve really come in the evolution of feminism as both an ideology and a phenomenon.

It’s an unusually intense piece and you might find yourself debating its realism. I’d say go ahead and do it – that to me is the very point of writing it.

For context: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/23/turkey-outrage-rising-violence-against-women

Strangling noises fill the air followed by multiple gasps. The sound ceases abruptly, mid-gasp and silence emerges. No sound is heard for eight seconds.

Woman’s voice:

(Eerily in a Turkish accent. The monologue is spoken in a deliberate and dawdling tone)

I can feel you (pause). I can feel the clutch of your fingers. They are wrapped around my neck. They are taking my breath away. You are (giggles loudly) taking my breath away.

(pauses)

(The tone becomes remembering, fond and gentle)

You always took my breath away. You were so powerful and strong. So handsome, (confirmatory in tone) yes, and so charming. Anne liked you. Before. (Thoughtfully) Sibyl liked you too. But that was all before. Before, you remember? (tone accelerating) before, uh, before (panicked) before, before, um, (hysterically) before. (In a frenzied tone) You remember, don’t you? (whispering, fearfully) I was clean then. (Panicked, as if trying to remember) Con-control? I had control? Shame? No, no, shame came later. (Tearfully, almost pleadingly) You know right?

(Pause, then quietly almost in a whisper)

I thought you respected me. I was not like my baci. She cooked and cleaned and helped baba. I went to school. I studied. They called me the Akıllı kız. (Thoughtfully) you never did. You praised me when you were, uh, when you were not in a mood. Güzelim. My beauty. It made me warm inside. Before. Not after. Before. When you said it just now, before you started stealing my breath, then It felt, (pauses) it felt like it feels now. Now when your hands are cuffing my throat. Your eyes are looking at me but I don’t see you, I see rage. Rage. (Quietly) Rage. (Pauses) Angry. You feel angry. You feel hurt. I said no. It hurt you. That is my mistake, I suppose. (Eerily)I should have said yes. It doesn’t matter, I suppose. What does it really matter? (Laughs loudly) You take away from me my breath. My physical being finally aligns with my internal self. I have not been living and now you are finally putting my dead out for them to see. (Loudly) All of you listening! You know them right? Who? (Laughs) Them! How could you not know them? They are very important. They keep me in check! They’re responsible for all of my achievements! Like now? I have such (laughs nervously) silly really, thoughts in my head? But don’t worry! They would cringe if I bothered you with them. They’re constantly watching me, correcting me! (Tone starts to shift, a slight hint of bitterness coming through) They’re lovely at regulating my bad habits. They gnaw at me when I start eating too much. They’ve been so good at it that now I can make it the whole day with just one meal If I eat more, they make me throw it up. I have a fantastic body and its all thanks to them. They said I’d be attractive once I lost all that god-horrid weight. But they, I think, they changed their mind? (Confused) I don’t know. They still think I could look much better. (Defensively) And I agree, of course! Self improvement is very important to me. (In a confirmatory tone, as if trying to convince) They help me better myself. I cannot say we don’t have our struggles, well, obviously we do. (Pauses) But they’re always there for me! Not always, always. Most of the time! Not when I’m being like that. When I’m normal, they reward me! First they came in form of baba. Baba loved me, but I could see a them in baba. I was his afet. His storm. (Laughs nervously) I gave him so much trouble. But my baba was ever so kind to me! He sent me to school. He let me study. (Reminiscing in tone) Baba was lovely. He never let me where shameful attire. He stoped my anne from being too lenient with me. He made me learn how to do chores. He instilled in me my femininity. Then, suddenly as I grew, they came to me from everywhere. I saw them in my abi. He never let me talk to the bad men. He picked who I could talk to. So I could stay safe. They were also there in all those men. You know, the ones who cat called, to remind me that I should not be walking on the streets during the late hour. They were there in the man who came before you, too. He reminded me I can’t stay unmarried for too long. (Chuckles) The women had them too. They came out in women through their support, love, acceptance. (Sadly in a quite tone) They could be seen in my anne’s tuned eye. But you (pauses). You had the most of them. You embodied them. So strong. You were so strong. They said so.

(A chorus of slogans starts resonating, quietly at first, growing louder as the monologue reaches its climax)

They spoke through you so well. They spoke through your hands. They speak now. (Voice grows somber) Your hands around my throat and they are screaming through you. They’re speaking now. But now they are, (pauses) now they are punishing me. (The tone turns disbelieving, almost in a whisper) They are punishing me because you left your karına ve çocuklarına. Your children and your wife suffer because you feel for me. They are punishing me for this. (Voice gradually becomes louder and distinctive) They scream at me as you drag my body across the back alley. I can hear their rage. It’s in the pit of fire that you now throw my corpse in. They (emphatically) scream as you dump my burnt body in the garbage. These are my consequences. (In a whisper) They finally caught up to me. They used you to do it. These women, my sisters they are shouting for me. Kadina şiddete hayır, some say. Istanbul sözleşmesi yaşatır the others follow. (Tone turns searching) All these women are there but where are they? Them? They are not here. (In a whisper, tearfully and disbelievingly) I am not here. They have you but (emphatically)what does it matter? No violence against women they shout. (Louder, raging) But I am not here. (Quietly) My answers? (Louder, with emphasis) Do you have my answers? They still live on don’t they? They live in (emphatically) you. They live in all of you. They still haunt my Sybil. Her daughter. Their sisters. They are always there. They lived in me. I helped them grow. They loved me, they did. They made me feel beautiful. But then after? After they left me (painfully and angrily) burnt. Burnt, broken and in the trash. To remind me of my body. To remind me that it is disposable. (Pauses) Kadina şiddete hayır you say. No violence against women. (Quietly) I hope they hear. Them.

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Reviews

The Young Vic’s Yerma: Lorca for the London Stage

The Young Vic's Yerma: Lorca for the London Stage

Abigail Priestley

 

The Young Vic’s 2016 adaptation of Yerma is vastly different from the quintessentially Spanish tragedy by Federico García Lorca, so much that if it weren’t for the play’s title, one would have a hard time recognising it as an adaptation of the classic. Simon Stone has re-written Yerma for the London stage.

Lorca’s Yerma – Spanish for barren, tells the story of a married woman driven mad by her inability to conceive, which completely ruins her relationship with her husband and ultimately ruins her as a woman.

The social conventions of the period are central to the plot. Set on the brink of civil war in rural Andalusia, at a time and in a society where a woman’s sole obligation was as wife and as mother, Yerma is left inconsolable by her failed sense of duty and is blamed by other women and men for not being able to get pregnant. By the end of the play, her psychological struggle becomes so great that she strangles her husband to death.

By contrast, Stone’s ‘adaptation’ is devoid of all its Spanish character. From rural Spain to present-day London, Stone presents us with a contemporary take on Lorca’s heroine; a lifestyle blogger who seemingly has it all, but slowly falls into psychological chaos in desperate pursuit of her dead, impossible dream of having a child.

Interestingly, Stone decided to use a choral Spanish, folk-like soundtrack in between scenes as well as maintaining the play’s original Spanish title. Whilst perhaps a subtle nod at the play’s origins, this felt very out of place, having no relevance to the new contemporary setting nor the style of this adaptation.

So, why does this matter? As I see it, an adaptation must, or at least attempt to, retain the core qualities associated with the original in order to do justice to the playwright and his work. Whilst some have wondered whether Yerma is a timeless and universal tale, I would argue that it is the play’s context and societal imperatives that makes the play and its themes of frustrated motherhood so poignant.

Lorca’s work transformed him into a Spanish national icon, specifically associated with rural Andalusia and the Civil War- Yerma being the work most directly associated with his assassination in 1936 at the start of the Spanish Civil War. Yerma, in its original form, publicly challenges Catholicism and the strict sexual morality of Spanish society. Not only that, but Lorca’s writing style is very distinct. As a poet-dramatist, his writing is very lyrical and figurative, including song woven between the dialogue. He claimed Yerma was a ‘tragic poem divided in three acts and six scenes’.

“It’s my fate and I’m not going to pit my strength against the force of the sea.”

“To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves.”

To remove his work from a context which is so central to his story in an attempt to make it more accessible or to give it ‘contemporary’ flavour is to strip the play of its Spanish identity. To do this is to do a disservice to this radical playwright who sought to challenge, discomfort, and make change – defining qualities that have made Lorca and his work so significant to Spanish culture and literary heritage. Stone’s Yerma is so loosely related to Lorca’s Yerma for it to be truly considered an adaptation. Rather, Lorca’s Yerma was an inspiration for Stone’s Yerma.

Differences aside, I would strongly recommend watching the Young Vic’s version of Yerma. Whilst Stone’s new tale is very unlike its original, Billie Piper’s performance as Yerma is heart-wrenching and unmissable.

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Reviews

Tracksuit trendsetter turned Durham student: ‘BILA’

Tracksuit Trendsetter: An Interview with BILA founder

Sylvie Lovegrove

 

Established in 2020, BILA is a London-based fashion brand specialising in handmade tie-dye sets. It was founded during lockdown by Becca (19) and her sister Olivia (16). Now, you might read that and think: so what? As COVID seemed to gradually become synonymous with 15 year olds sporting an Urban Outfitters, Topshop, or ASOS tie-dye hoodie, is there anything really that special about one of the many hopeful businesses which decided to hop on the craze?

The answer is yes. BILA discovered the trend before it was a trend. They spotted the growing popularity of tie-dye, assumed the general UK public were in need of loungewear and decided to mix the two together. The result was the establishment of a hugely successful ‘lockdown company’. With an Instagram following now reaching 26.1k followers, influence endorsement ranging from TikTok stars to the cast members of Dance Moms, and a third clothing line imminently dropping, it’s safe to say BILA isn’t any other new brand hoping to reap the benefits of tie-dye hysteria.

We sat down with Becca, now a student at Durham, to find out more about BILA and how they made it so big.

1. So how did BILA begin?

When we first locked down in March I realised that loungewear was selling quickly and tie-dye was starting to become a trend. So I bought loads of white trackies, along with just plain white jumpers, from shops like Pretty Little Thing and my sister and I started dyeing them. Initially we sold them on Depop, but soon I didn’t want to pay the 10% Depop fee – so we set up our own website.

2. And how did the business begin to grow?

So then we decided to focus on growing the Instagram account. We just took photos on my bed and in my bedroom at first. Luckily we were one of the first companies in the UK to do it, before all the major fast fashion brands. So people were initially willing to pay more for our hand-dyed clothes, and then I think our customer base stuck. I started to use the money that we’ve made from sales and push it back into the company to buy more tracksuit sets, more jumpers and then we started doing cami tops as well. At one point, there was such a high demand for white tracksuit bottoms and we couldn’t find them anywhere, so we had to investigate getting them made abroad. And we found this small supplier in Pakistan who designed and made each piece indiviudally. So I had to learn how to logistically import clothes.

3. But you continued dying the clothes yourself?

Yes, so we were hand dying everything out of the kitchen. It was a mass operation to the point our entire ground floor was taken over by clothes, dye in bags and then pieces drying. The initial wash is really important. So we had to hand wash every single pair, and then dry them so that the die would stick. But luckily it was really profitable. So, although we worked really long hours, it was worth it purely for how much turnover we were generating.

4. What set BILA aside from other tie dye brands?

While fast fashion brands can produce clothes quickly, there’s nothing as efficient as producing them in your own house. Although the process from A to B was long, we could always ship an order the next day. After we got the hang of the dying, washing, drying and folding we could start to really pump out the sets.

5. And how did you keep up with the demand?

So at one point our parents said that they wanted their house back! It was filled with boxes and the whole garden was taken up by washing lines with truckloads of drying. So they said that we needed to either find ourselves an office or a warehouse. And we found these e-commerce warehouses in Acton. We put some of the money we made into renting one for almost five months. Once we had an office we started dying in huge quantities.

6. Did you move on from tie-dye, or is still BILA’s trademark?

Before I went to Durham we created a new collection. It was basically velour matching sets. We did those in four colours and different styles. That block actually did surprisingly well. It’s becoming increasingly popular and the Christmas season and Black Friday really helped sales. It was amazing to see the impact of how much a promotion and discount can make people buy.

7. How has the world of ‘influencers’ and Instagram helped Bila?

Instagram was our main marketing platform. I think we currently have 27.2k followers. The majority of those followers were from the initial lockdown, they grew exponentially during that period. People were spending so much time on their phones and online shopping, but it was the influencers that really helped the brand to grow. Instead of paying influencers we would just send them items and they would post wearing it and tag us; that would get us a ridiculous number of followers. We particulalry targeted Love Islanders and YouTubers, they would send our followers skyrocketing.

8. How have you balanced BILA with being a first year student at Durham?

So now everything is automated. As a sale comes in, it goes directly to a fulfillment centre in Bristol which has all of our stock. So now I only deal with the customer service side of things, and my sister does the majority of the social media. Essentially, the process is much less hands on now.

9. So what’s the next step?

Well, we’re going to try to get all of our clothing produced in the UK. Both for logistical reasons and because it’s much more sustainable. It would reduce our carbon footprint massively and we think that’s very important. Making the production of the clothing more sustainable would mean that the customer would have to take on some of the cost increase though. So we might need to do some market research.

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WeCraft: Combatting Loneliness Through Creativity

WeCraft: Combatting Loneliness Through Creativity

Katie Rutter

 

If you didn’t experience the effects of loneliness during the past year and a half, you are part of an incredibly undersubscribed club. While there will be those who recall the various lockdowns we have experienced with rose-tinted glasses – whimsically harking back to long days reading in the sun or attempting a new flavour combination of banana bread – for others, the deafening loneliness they felt casts a dark shadow over the glimpses of light which others choose to frame lockdown with. Now take this loneliness and imagine you’re living alone, potentially without access to social media and the Netflix subscriptions which acted as a balm to our social isolation. According to Age UK, 1.2 million older people in England are chronically lonely and 49% of those aged over 65 report television or a pet as their main form of company. The study also found that over 6 million older people say that just a few minutes of conversation makes a difference to their week. Just a few minutes.

WeCraft is a new social enterprise project which hopes to remedy this social isolation and consequent loneliness through our creative workshop. Following our launch, we will host a weekly workshop which encourages a community atmosphere and offers an opportunity for bridging the well-trodden disconnect between the student and local communities.

I joined WeCraft earlier this year when it was in its infancy and it was initially going to be a furniture upcycling workshop where we would sell the upcycled items to fund the project. However, we have decided that WeCraft should be a more flexible space. We want to create an outlet for creatives in Durham, both student and non-student, who want to share their skills and interests with others. Workshops will vary greatly in regard to their content; we will offer classes on still life drawing and readings of original poetry to discussion sessions accompanied by tea and cake. We are looking for student volunteers who want to get involved and pitch the workshops they wish to run to us.

However, the set up will not be as simple as students leading workshops which members of the local community attend. Rather, we hope that as the project gains traction and greater engagement with the local community in Durham, that the relationship between the student and local communities will become fluid as those attending the workshops can offer their skills and interests – prompting students to attend the workshops themselves. Hopefully this interweaving of the student and local communities in Durham will begin to heal the disengagement between them. We want to establish a community which offers an open space for conversation, creativity and collaboration. In the long run, we will establish a shop where we can sell the artwork, poetry anthologies and anything else we have collaboratively created in our workshop and this will allow the project to become self-sufficient.

We are hosting a launch event on the 28th of October in collaboration with Scoop at their space on the Riverwalk – a non-profit zero-waste food store. The event will act as a taster for what we will host in the future with three mini art workshops, tea and cake and will be an opportunity to sign up as a volunteer, to join our mailing list or to pitch an idea for a workshop you are interested in hosting.

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Let’s Talk About Sex – An Opportunity for Change

Let's Talk About Sex: An Opportunity for Change

Isabel Davies-Jones

 

As most students are aware, the attitudes towards sex at Durham University are problematic.

With the leaked group chat of ‘posh lads’ competing to sleep with the poorest girl at university in 2020, and the recent spiking incidences followed by the university’s victim-blaming response, it is clear that there is a lot to be done to challenge these harmful sexual attitudes and behaviours.

I am now in my third year, and I have noticed that things have gotten worse – or, at least, the people around me have become more aware of how bad it is. In Durham, my friends have experienced being groped, catcalled, spiked, and stalked. There is a general sense of fear when walking home alone that I don’t remember being as potent at the beginning of my university experience. It is heart-breaking and wrong that I can confidently say that every one of my female friends has had some kind of negative experience with these harmful attitudes and behaviours surrounding sex.

Of course, Durham is not unique: these problems can occur everywhere and to anyone.

The tragic murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021, a former Durham student, was a turning point. She was walking home in Clapham, London, an area I know and always thought of as a family-friendly place, when she was kidnapped. Tragically, this is only one of many similar cases. However, it hit close to home for many and sparked enough media attention to cause a wider conversation about the problem of violence against women. Since then, much attention has been drawn to the anti-rape and sexual harassment organisation Everyone’s Invited founded by Soma Sara, which has received over 54,000 testimonies of experiences with rape culture to date.

Despite this, a lot stays the same. We must keep trying and keep talking and learning about the harmful misconceptions surrounding sex. For most, sex education at school missed a lot. It didn’t tell us about any LGBTQ+ experiences, it didn’t mention pleasure, and it certainly didn’t teach us about how nuanced the concepts of relationships, intimacy, and consent really are.

Changing Relations wants student voices. If you want change, apply for the Student Social Action Group for the Let’s Talk About Sex project. Changing Relations is an organisation which uses arts to educate and break down barriers around harmful social attitudes.

As well as providing a platform where you can enact social change, being part of the group develops skills in marketing, event planning, leadership, and project management, so if you are interested in pursuing any related career paths, the Student Social Action Group would be valuable to your CV.

Joining the group will involve collaborating with the Northern School of Art and Bishop Auckland College and based on the meetings will result in an exhibition, a digital campaign, or a final event to raise awareness and educate. You will also have the unique experience of commissioning a professional artist. In the early part of this project, Changing Relations has been working with the fantastic Lou Brown (@goodstrangevibes), a queer, feminist artist whose work focuses on body positivity, mental health, and sexual experience amongst other topics with incredible honesty.

The group will meet regularly over the course of 6 months (January to

June 2022) for discussions.

As students, I think we have all felt helpless at times when faced with these issues. Young voices are often overlooked and doubted, but this does not have to be the case. Any Durham University student under the age of 24 is welcome to apply. If you have something to say, or you want to learn more about the topic, being part of this project is a great opportunity.

The deadline to apply to be part of the Student Social Action Group is 9am Friday 3 December.

Sign up now!: https://changingrelations.co.uk/our-work/lets-talk-about-sex/

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“Bull”: A Director’s Interpretation

"Bull": A Director's Interpretation

Giorgia Laird

 

Bull is a razor-sharp, vicious dark comedy. In a set-up which echoes that of The Apprentice, we watch three characters, Isobel, Tony and Thomas, as they fight for two jobs. One of them must go.

As this play unfolds, we witness a masterclass in collusion. Deceit and malice are ubiquitous throughout, making it hard to latch onto what to believe or not. Mike Bartlett skillfully interweaves every cutthroat tactic used in office politics to create a dog-eat-dog ethos which we somehow can’t help but be entertained by. For many people, however, the world Bartlett invites us into is actually a stark reality: a workplace in which themes of bullying, gaslighting and intimidation are inescapable.

At the heart of this play is toxic dialogue, heartless characters fuelled by ambition, and a ruthless workplace environment. It is thrilling to simply read it, let alone watch it progress in rehearsals and transform into a 55-minute performance! The reason I wanted to direct it is because the writing is so naturalistic, which, in turn, forces the acting to be naturalistic too. Moreover, there are absolutely no stage directions, meaning you have the freedom to go in whatever direction you want; there’s nothing – other than the dialogue – telling you what to do. On one condition: it must feel real, real enough for the audience to believe what they are watching and get carried away in it.

However, in order to successfully achieve the galvanizing tension required to pull this play off, not only was it important to work on pace, blocking and text analysis, but character work was essential. It has been particularly crucial in this case because lies – or rather bullshit – are interspersed throughout the script. Moreover, each character in Bull is inherently flawed. For the actors to shine, therefore, it was vital to understand the what and the why behind everything said. For this reason, I guess I should probably apologise to the cast for just how pernickety I have been at points with direction… but it was by focusing on what may have seemed like the smallest details that we were all forced to read inbetween the lines. A huge thank you must go to Charlie Howe (Assistant Director) who thankfully shared my vision from the start, aided me with the precision required in staging a show like this, and always has a useful suggestion up his sleeve when you most need it. In addition to this, I must say thank you to Lamesha Ruddock (Stage Manager), Ellie Fidler (Producer), Hidayat Malik (Technical Director), without whom this play would not be possible.

Now onto the actors, who, it’s safe to say, have – and continue to – astound me by how masterfully they seem to inhabit their characters, so much so that sometimes I forget I am watching a play…

Kit Redding as Thomas becomes the metaphorical bull. From the moment the audience files in, he is already onstage, biting his fingernails, nervously clicking his fingers, immediately revealing his character to be the lesser candidate in this fight for survival. Anna Birakos as Isobel, the ‘bitch’, and Tom Cain as Tony, the ‘sheer muscular wanker’, transform into deceitful, innately evil adversaries.

Figuratively speaking, they are the matadors, and with their provocations, they manage to belittle Thomas in every possible way they can find. Is that something on your face? You didn’t bring your sales figures? Why didn’t you wear your best suit? What did your father do? The two incessantly provoke him until Thomas has no choice but to let them twist the knife in his back. Even as he sweats and lashes out, Isobel and Tony seem all the more contained and in control. Despite his increasingly desperate reactions to their goading, audience members are invited to see this gradually twisted, defeated character through the eyes of his rivals. This is all the more evident when Thomas Bracewell’s Carter comes onstage as their unforgiving, intimidating boss. At the end of the play we are left thinking: Is there something on his face? Why didn’the wear his best suit? Is he strangely proportioned?

Staging the play at Collingwood’s Mark Hillery Arts Centre seemed like the right decision from day one. Nowhere else in Durham can you create such an effective black box theatre in the round, and I cannot thank Joe Elliott and Michael Crilly enough for making it possible. The decision to have the audience standing around the stage in an almost ringside formation means that the production is able to echo the ambience created at a boxing arena or a wrestling stadium. In such venues, spectators become voyeurs, complicit in their observation of the aggression taking place before them, and this play accentuates those feelings as we watch this brutal, metaphorical bullfight unfold. It also gives the audience no choice but to give a standing ovation at the end!

The more I think about this play and this production, the more fascinated I am by just how much nasty characters seem to resonate with audiences on a subconscious level. We don’t necessarily crave a connection with them, but we are horribly delighted with their immorality; every single malicious comment provokes a reaction from us whether we are aware of it or not. In this dark comedy in particular, you are almost urging each character on in your mind, secretly intrigued to see how far they can go with their reactions, merciless banter and goading.

Bullwill be riveting, uncomfortable and disturbingly captivating. Rest assured, you will definitely be entertained. You will definitely laugh. You just might not like yourself very much for doing so when the play ends…

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Bull is to be performed this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (8th, 9th, 10th December) at 8pm.
Location: Mark Hillery Arts Centre.
Tickets only £5 or £4.50
Ticket link: https://durhamstudenttheatre.savoysystems.co.uk/DurhamStudentTheatre.dll/TSelectItems.waSelectItemsPrompt.TcsWebMenuItem_488.TcsWebTab_489.TcsProgramme_863815

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