Venue 394

How does one say the perfect goodbye? Is there such thing? How do you know the right words to say?

It’s nearing the end of the year, meaning more people are pulling long days in the library, tears are being shed over dissertations and final summatives. If you’re in your final year, you’re probably feeling a whole range of emotions – relief that you’re coming to the end, sadness that you might never return, stress over writing the perfect essay, and nostalgia over the time you’ve spent here. The square will host a swarm of sunbathers as essays are handed in, and the lake will see a series of summer BBQs. Soon enough though, the flats will be packed up, and campus will be a ghost town.

Summer is the time for goodbye parties and moving out, but it’s also the time for looking forward. Either you’ll be looking forward to starting your next academic year, or you’ll be applying to your first full time job. No matter what, you’ll be preparing for new beginnings.

This isn’t just my last issue as Venue Editor, it’s also the last time I’ll write for an in print issue of Concrete, ever. Little did I know, two years ago when I applied for Books editor, just how much Venue would mean to me. But here we are. Many breakdowns about InDesign have taken place, and Libby and I have serenaded Matthew with Taylor Swift more times than we can count. All of this, the bad and the good, has made my time in Concrete an unforgettable experience.

To the editors, thank you - it’s been great to see you shine. To the readers, thank you for reading our pieces. To the team I can now call friends – I love you, and thank you for making my time here so special.

So, enjoy the last issue of Venue.

All my love, Louise

Hi all! It’s our last issue as the current team and what a ride it’s been. We’ve had such an incredible time this year - it’s been a pleasure being your Venue Deputy. Seeing the amazing work the team has pulled off, as well as the work you guys have done writing for our paper makes me so happy. I couldn’t have pictured being part of something better for my final year. It’s been a blast working alongside Louise and Lily, I am constantly impressed by everything Concrete and Venue is, and I cannot wait to see where it all goes next! Thank you for having me!

- Ray

Louise Collins

I can’t express how proud I am of the Concrete and Venue team. It has been a privilege to work alongside some spectacular writers and talented editors who have worked tirelessly with creative spirit to bring you the most insightful content every issue. Thank you to all of our readers, contributors, and supporters whose enthusiasm and engagement allows this magazine to thrive.

I have no doubt that Venue will continue to be a creative platform for student engagement that is a source of inspiration, entertainment, and education for everyone who loves the vibrant and diverse world of the arts.

- Lily

Front Cover Art by

Photo: Prakrita Rahman, Concrete

by eve attwood arts writer

In March, UEA Live hosted perhaps one of their biggest literary events yet with a talk from Hanya Yanagihara, author of bestsellers ‘A Little Life’ and ‘To Paradise’. Being as obsessed with A Little Life as I am, I bought tickets as soon as I heard about the event for my girlfriend and I.

The event took place in one of UEA’s lecture theatres, with Georgina Godwin, an independent broadcast journalist and presenter of the podcast Meet the Writers, interviewing Yanagihara. One of the first things Yanagihara said that struck me was that aside from a book signing at Piccadilly Waterstones, the UEA Live event was the only UK-based event she had agreed to. This said much about Yanagihara’s acknowledge-

Editor: Rosie Kyrin-White

Arts

ment of UEA as a creative writing hub through which many authors and creatives have risen.

Initial questions surrounded Yanagihara’s latest release, To Paradise, a novel journeying through three centuries (1893, 1993, and 2093) in an alternate version of New York City. Yanagihara was keen to talk about the inspiration behind the novel, which linked back to the US’ annexation of Hawaii and its erasure of Hawaii’s identity and power as a result of that. Yanagihara grew up in Hawaii during the sovereignty movement, and spoke of her family’s ties to the state, having lived there for at least three generations.

Another part of the novel which took precedence was its discussion of pandemics. The final part of the novel called ‘Zone Eight’, is set in the 2090s whereby our narrator, Charlie, is a survivor of a zoonotic pandemic. Yanagihara spoke candidly about how the novel had been written long before

the COVID-19 pandemic began, and yet how it became relevant during the pandemic with its depiction of state-control and secret police.

I was perhaps most excited to hear Yanagihara’s thoughts on A Little Life, a novel about four friends (JB, Willem, Malcolm and Jude), how their friendship adapts as they grow older, and whether Jude, who has such a traumatic past, will ever reach a point of self-compassion and security. Yanagihara spoke fondly of the cast for the play version of A Little Life, currently showing at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London, and how director Ivo van Hove has managed to create two versions of the book (English and Dutch) which contrast and compliment one another. Yanagihara praised the way James Norton was able to portray Jude in such an endearing manner, how Norton brought out Jude’s gentleness and brilliantly depicted Jude’s fierce loyalty to his friends.

The absence of female characters within Yanagihara’s novels was also brought up by Godwin, to which Yanagihara answered that it has never been intentional to exclude female figures from her books, more so that she has

UEA Live greets Hanya Yanagihara

been drawn to writing male characters. She spoke of the way men express themselves differently to women and how she’s interested in writing about this and their inability to often communicate so directly in the way women do. Anna from A Little Life was flagged up as the only female character in the book, but an important one, for being the only character to remind Jude that he will always struggle as a result of his traumatic childhood, but that it is up to him to not let that define him.

In terms of her career outside novel-writing, Yanagihara spoke about her job as Editor in chief for T magazine, a publication dedicated to fashion, living, beauty, travel and design coverage. She encouraged audience members looking to pursue a career in writing or the arts to take on a day job, as she believed this helped her, as someone more introverted, to stay within the hustle and bustle of everyday life, observing the world and people around her.w

Of course, I couldn’t leave without getting my copy of To Paradise signed by Yanagihara. While I only spoke with her a few moments since there was a very eager queue behind me, it was an experience I won’t be quick to forget. It’s not everyday one of your favourite writers comes to your university campus!

Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons

Editor: Rosie Kyrin-White 5 Arts

Most iconic album covers by Louise collins

So many album covers are so forgettable, despite the content within being incredible, but there are some that are truly iconic.

Sour – Olivia Rodrigo

This album perfectly encapsulates teenage angst. The songs speak of teenage relationships and heartbreak, and the anger one feels after a relationship has ended. The album cover portrays this stunningly. Rodrigo is stood in all her teenage angst, arms crossed, tongue out, wearing a fedup expression. The bright stickers on the top half of her face represent the wholesome persona that young girls are often expected to have, but the stickers on the tongue spelling out ‘SOUR’ is a massive ‘screw you’ to that ideal. She’s perfectly angry and is sour.

Cuz I Love You – Lizzo

Lizzo’s third studio album cover was beautifully simplistic and yet so powerful. Lizzo sits in the middle of the cover, totally naked, staring directly at the camera. She is taking up space and celebrating her body, something which fat women are seldom given the opportunity to do. So many of

the songs on this album are about empowerment and loving the self, and the album cover practically screams self-love. After all, what is loving yourself unconditionally if not celebrating your naked body?

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles

The eighth album is one of psychedelic concepts, mystic and avant-garde influences, and pop-culture references. It makes sense, therefore, that the album cover would reflect that. It’s been recognised as a defining moment in pop culture, innovative through and through. The front cover is a bold collage of iconic figures through history, representing everything from science (Einstein) to film (Monroe) to literature (Oscar Wilde). The use of bright colours, with some elements very pop-art-esque, makes it’s a bold and brilliant album cover.

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift

Taylor’s rerecording of her second album is so wonderfully constructed. The cover is simple and ele-

venue editor

gant, drawing back to her original album. The sepia-toned image shows Taylor in a white shirt, face angled to her left, with her hair flying out behind her. In the original Fearless, Taylor is in a white top, face angled to her right, with her curled hair flying out behind her. The subtle changes in the album make such a powerful statement – she’s taking the album in a new direction. It’s simple, but it’s perfect, and even more iconic from the empowering nature of taking her songs back.

tracey Emin’s Bed makes me nostalgic

PhotoCredits:Unsplash

Your concept of good art grows and changes with you. While as a toddler it’s pretty limited to what fun colours you can scribble on a page, it soon develops into how realistic a drawing or painting is, and how nice it looks on the wall.

As I started to learn and come across different artworks, rather far removed from the realism encountered at a young age, I realised art was a lot broader than I thought. Starting to go to galleries and researching myself I saw installations and sculptures that I couldn’t quite figure out – and some the type of work that you’d hear someone respond to with “A 5-year-old could do that”, but I was intrigued.

The first piece I remember seeing to this vein and understanding was Tracey Emin’s My Bed. It is just a bed, that is what the piece is. It must be evaluated and considered though; it reveals a life. I remember thinking about how a bed could possibly be art, but

then when reading about what it represented – it was some of my favourite art of all. Rather early on it taught me art is not about the physical outcome most of the time – there’s a process and a meaning and often the end result is just a consequence of that.

This piece reminds me of a younger self learning and navigating the world and different interests. A representation of a personal realisation. Having chose a degree not particularly related to fine art, looking back to pieces like this reminds me how I’ve built my knowledge and how creativity and meaning should be adapted into everything I do now. No matter how much both circumstances and you have changed – your younger self still lives within you.

By Lauren Barret arts writer

PhotoCredits: WikimediaCommons

Editor: Rosie Kyrin-White 6 Arts

cake:themarieantoinetteplaylist- Review

By Millie smith-clare

arts writer

Cake: The Marie Antionette Playlist is a brand-new musical, which defies our expectations of what a musical can be. Since the mass popularity of Hamilton, the world was introduced to historical figures they knew in a modern, hip-hop, and rapping retelling. Other creatives eagerly jumped on board. Six went one step further, placing the familiar six queens married to Henry VIII, in a concert setting belting out pop ballads. It was clear from the moment I sat down in my seat at Norwich Playhouse, and saw a mannequin sporting Marie Antionette’s cage-skirt drowned in pink spotlights, positioned behind a microphone, Cake aspired to be what Six successfully is.

Cake combines a mass fusion of pop, rap, hip-hop, and ballet with the background of 18th century Paris, retelling the scandal which sparked a revolution. The one act musical attempts to tell the jam-packed story of the “Affair of the Diamond Necklace” –the theft of France’s most valuable piece of jewellery. The plot was masterminded by the poor con artist Jeanne de la Motte. La Motte forged letters pretending to be Marie Antionette, creating the illusion that Antionette was involved in the scandal. Although Antionette was an innocent, this further tarnished her already messy reputation, leading to subsequent execution.

With only six people in the entire cast, a bare set, and minimal costume changes, the cast did an exceptional job at creating the illusion of a full stage. The ensemble seamlessly danced through the many genres, from delicate ballet to street dance. A standout moment from the ensemble was from Travis Ross as Cardinal de Rohan whose humorous physicality was well comedically timed.

Zizi Strallen depicted Marie Antoinette as a playfully commanding character, who drew parallels to a real-life Barbie completely dressed in pink. The audience were introduced to her character as she satirically sung about her beauty being paid for by us paying our tax. The audience were left in awe as Renée Lamb’s Jeanne flawlessly hit us with equally strong vocals and stage presence. Jeanne grittily guided us through the piece as the narrator, explaining the unjustness of the social imbalance between herself and Antionette.

Within the musical, Jeanne worms her way in to becoming ‘friends’ with Antionette, which creates an unlikely duo. The differing pair perfectly bounce off one another throughout the show. However, as the one-act musical’s running time was only 70 minutes, moments such as Antionette and Jean’s relationship did feel slightly rushed along.

Taking creative departure from the original source material at times, the modernised musical creates a piece which is the epitome of camp. However, some creative departures from the historical source didn’t quite land for me. Notably, Marie Antionette eating a kebab on a night out.

Overall the “Affair of the Diamond Necklace” is a really interesting idea for a musical. With an absolutely stellar cast, I do believe if you’re a die-hard fan of Six, and modernised musicals, then this is definitely the show for you.

PhotoCredits:NorwichTheatre

Cake:TheMarieAntoinettePlaylistphotos provided by Norwich Theatre

Editor: silver Constantinides Books

By lily taylor

books writer

When I heard that Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel Daisy Jones & The Six was being made into a TV series, I was more than a little bit excited. I had read the book the previous summer, devouring it in less than a week as I fell in love with the characters, the plot and the overall aesthetic of Reid’s creation. I hoped that the series would live up to my expectations based on the book.

The story centres around the rise and fall of the 70s band with the same name.

Leading the band is the chaotic but brilliant Daisy Jones (played by Riley Keough in the series) and the talented but controlling Billy Dunne (played by Sam Claflin.) Both artists are picked up by music producer Teddy Price (Tom Wright) and begin by trying to make separate careers in the industry: Daisy as a solo artist, and Billy in a band with his brother, Graham (Will Harrison).

However, after Billy loses his initial chance of becoming successful, Price gets Daisy and Billy to work together. Both being strong, stubborn personalities, their relationship is fiery but passionate, causing tumultuous consequences in their personal lives as well as within the band.

Despite remaining true to Reid’s novel (after all, Reid was a producer for the show)

the series holds many differences against the book. I believe the main editorial decision that was handled better in the series was Simone’s role in the story. Simone Jackson (Nabiyah Be) is a successful singer and the best friend of Daisy Jones.

Although she is still a supportive friend to Daisy in the book, her presence is limited, and we do not know much about her. However, in the series, Simone is given an entire side story in which she struggles to embrace her queer sexuality after entering a secret relationship with another woman. This storyline promotes LGBTQ+ inclusivity, which is very important to the modern day audience, and Simone’s story is handled in a knowledgeable and realistic manner.

Although actress Camila Morrone plays Billy’s wife Camila well, some of Camila’s character-defining moments have been taken away from her in the series. In the book she is presented as very strong- willed: she is the one who tells Teddy to make

Billy go to rehab, and she is also the one who tells Daisy to quit the band and get sober. However, in the show, Teddy is the one who mentions rehab to Billy, and it is Simone who tells Daisy to quit the band.

What makes Camila’s character so special is that although she is hurt over and over again by both Billy and Daisy, she cares about them both so much that she always tries to find a solution. Although there are moments of this in the show, her stubbornness is not exaggerated as much as it should be.

This issue is made even worse with the inclusion of her hinted at affair with bassist Eddie Roundtree (Josh Whitehouse) in the show, which does not seem like something the Camila in the book would ever consider.

So, you’re probably thinking, which one is better, the book, or the show? At the end of the day, it’s a personal preference, but for me, I enjoyed Simone’s added storyline more than I disliked Camila’s edited character, so I would have to say the show. The soundtrack is also incredible, I recommend everyone to give it a listen.

daisy jones & the six: was the book better than the tv adaptation?

Photo Credits: Unsplash

Doing a literature degree, I read a lot of books during my course. Most of them were either incredibly dense or difficult to relate to. However, last year I took the ‘Apocalyptic Fiction’ module by Iain Robinson and I absolutely loved it. I’d watched a couple of sample lectures during the pandemic, so still being able to take it in my final year was a dream. Luckily, this module didn’t disappoint, as one of my favourite books ever was on the reading list. The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson.

With Jeanette Winterson having a highly regarded reputation as an essayist and author, I wasn’t expecting this to be an easy read. I’ve lost interest with many accredited authors, but The Stone Gods was both deeply profound and entirely human. The one consistent part of this novel was the humanity of it all, but

in a way that was clearly built on a well thought out philosophical argument on humanity beneath. Like a piece of craftsmanship – crafted with elegance and beauty, but so incredibly applicable to everyday life.

Without too many spoilers, it consists of a few stories, different timelines with the only recurring characters being Billie and Spike, who always seem to find each other in each apocalyptic cycle. Within each timeline, it appears the world is both collapsing and beginning, proposing the idea that our reality spins within an apocalyptic loop.

This was a debate me and a classmate were particularly passionate about. I loved this book for so many reasons, it was a complex argument but it wasn’t dense and obscure, but each word beau-

tifully thought out. I cannot recommend this book enough.

I read this book and did this module at a time when I wasn’t entirely sure whether I loved literature in the way my classmates did. During my course, I often felt out of my depth and out of touch with the range of knowledge my classmates held. This book reminded me why I took this degree in the first place and how much I love to read a great book. As I come to the remaining weeks of my time at UEA, I’m truly thankful for all the incredible books and people alike I’ve interacted with.

By jess gibbs

the best thing i read while at uea books writer

defining new beginnings with books

Change in life is inevitable. If you’re anything like me, change can leave you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to get used to the new adjustments, and I know it’s not just me. What does one do in times of upheaval, where everything you once knew is different?

Psychologists suggest that revisiting well-loved media, including books, activates dopamine, which is why people who may feel anxious at the prospect of change often find themselves revisiting old, loved media. For me, a comforting tale is Neil Gaiman’s Coraline

By silver constantinides books editor

Let me put it into perspective. For all of my life, I attended the same tiny school, with only 38 of us in the year by the time I finished my GCSEs. The only sixth form college that offered the niche A-Level I wanted to take was an hour away from my home, notoriously academic and known for its enormous size – 4,500 students across two years, to be exact. Most of my peers had stuck with more local colleges, snatching me away from the safe, although despised, environment of my school, to a new city, a

new school, a new life. Do I even need to explain how terrified I was?

The recommendation of Coraline was a unique one, considering I had only read it once in childhood, but I was told to read it due to its ending: “Normally, on the night before the first day of term, Coraline was apprehensive and nervous. But, she realised, there was nothing left about school that could scare her anymore.”

Such a simple line, but one I adopted as a mantra in the morning as I dutifully prepared myself for my first day as a college student. Yes, the first day still terrified me. Yes, I’m now well past school age. But this simple recommendation from a friend stays with me whenever I face great change within my life.

Whether it is the act of a friend thinking of me during a time of new beginnings, or something familiar I can reread when the panic of starting fresh overwhelms me, I encourage readers to think: what books define new beginnings for you?

Photo Credits: Pixabay

In the Land of Would-be Novelists, the Well-read Writer is King

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” My secondary school had said quote stuck to the wall of the English department on laminated paper alongside a few other selected quotes of literary insight.

Personally, while such maxims have their place in the careers of the aspiring writer, in this case it wasn’t sufficient for me, and clearly not for the man who originally spoke those very words. Stephen’s King publication of On Writing, a 400-word semi- autobiographical, semi-writing aid for semi-despairing semi-inflated-sense-of-importance aspiringauthors such as myself is proof enough of that. Pithy quotes are all well and good after you’ve become one of the bestselling novelists of all time, but something with a little more substance would be preferable to those of us struggling at the bottom of the ladder.

Surveys show over fifty percent of Brits want to write a book someday, and thanks in part to the onset of the digital age there are countless opportunities for anyone to learn the craft outside of higher education. Subscription-based online learning communities, like Skillshare and Masterclass, offer flexible virtual tutoring in creative writing and feature classes taught by the likes of Margaret Atwood.

There are several free quality re-

By leo henry

books writer

sources available too: from my own personal exploration over the years, YouTubers such as Hello Future Me, Terrible Writing Advice, and Overly Sarcastic Productions I have found tremendously helpful in virtually all aspects of writing. As with most topics nowadays, you can find at least a couple of podcasts teaching in easily digestible chunks. At your local library, you can probably find a DIY writing guide that’ll take you from your initial ideas all the way to publication.

A personal recommendation for anyone looking for something you can quickly cross-reference with your own work-in-progress is How Not To Write a Novel, a really wonderful guide written by two professional editors who provide a humorous – and extensive – list of writing pitfalls to avoid (highlights include The Underpants Gnomes and The Gum on the Mantlepiece), packed with useful tidbits and sardonic wit. And this is all just for fiction; aspiring journalists, essayists, and non-fiction writers have plenty of their own resources to pick from.

But perhaps the simplest and possibly most insightful is allowing the masters of the craft to put their business in their own words, to try and capture the source of their excellence as accurately as possibly for others looking to follow in their footsteps, fancy stationery at the ready. For those aware of King’s proficiency (65 novels and over 200 short sto-

ries to date, he unsurprisingly expects the reader to hold themselves to a similarly high standard in their attempts.

Half drill sergeant, half starry-eyed creator desperately trying to convey the weight and importance of his craft, you are left with the impression you are about to embark on an epic odyssey of sorts. His delivery never feels over-saturated; each tidbit of wisdom is allocated the perfect amount of detail and ends up answering questions you never thought to ask.

Neither is it overstuffed; King acknowledges time spent reading about writing is time one could instead spend actually writing, which is why the book can fit inside my coat pocket rather than forcing me to relegate an encyclopaedic doorstop to the bottom shelf of my bookshelf.

Most importantly, once you’ve turned the last page, you’ll want to do nothing more but sit down, open Word, and begin to type.

“Once you’ve turned the last page, you’ll want to do nothing more but sit down, open word and begin to type.”

Photo Credits: Unsplash

Editor: Clem Hailes Creative Writing

Credits: Unsplash (all)

By Eleanor Millican

creative writer

I was a mouse and I stood, small and meek, in a grand kitchen - sinks were cluttered high with pens and paper.

The mahogany counter-tops and beige walls stretched beyond my comprehension. A familiar desk was erected before me; rugged and adorned with worn brass handles. There, on its surface, was a block of Swiss cheese.

Saliva encumbered my tongue. There was that substance that all mice craved, the food that made mice complete. I thought of what it might be like to

climb into it and make it my home.

Other mice scuttled by, and silhouettes jumped up nearby counters to find a way there. It only seemed like a short jump to the first handle of the desk, so when I made it without great expense, I was surprised to find the second one a little further out of reach. My hands were no longer fourclawed paws but five-fingered and fleshy.

Each increasing interval in-turn elevated my nerves. The smell was delectable but I was starting to reconsider whether it was worth it. The final jump was the most difficult. Gravity had intensified - or the fearful height at which I was, and what it would be like to fall from it, weighed me down. A multitude of voices surrounded me. They told me I was believed in, I could do it - some confident voices declared I would do it. I couldn’t put faces to them, but I knew them, I trusted

them. They lifted me up, and I easily flew over the edge of the desk.

The cheese snarled and hissed, bearing fangs of Swiss that dripped bubbling globs. On its body clung several mice, all selfishly devouring the off-white cat, but it didn’t seem to get any smaller with each tear from its flesh.

I leapt for it and I was batted away, but I’d expected a challenge. Seeing the other mice attached to it gave me hope, and this rejection just made the prospect of its taste more exciting.

I jumped and was swatted away with the same mocking ease. My next plunge met that fate too. Next, it caught and ripped my shirt. Then, its waxy, sharp claws drew blood.

The other mice squeaked, announcing their successful conquer of the beast I found difficulty in simply approaching.

I dragged my damaged, insignificant body forward, but I was flung away, made to face that fear of falling I had sur-

passed only moments earlier.

I’d failed what was so instinctual to mice, that I felt I might as well starve and die. To eat cheese is a mouse’s purpose. To live as one without it - would that make me a mouse at all?

A sweet aroma hit me and I discovered an apple slice on the kitchen’s floor. Other mice fled towards the desk, heeding it no mind. I took a bite and its lip-pursing tartness overwhelmed me...

I still wanted cheese.

I looked up and saw the invincible catlike creature. Mice were thrown aside, flung from its sides. I could continue to try - I just realised that I needed to stay alive first.

That’s when I woke up.

My apartment was small, filled with old furniture and a dim streetlight peeked through my blinds. It illuminated my desk, and onto a letter from another publisher, tossed aside atop the growing pile of similar ones, all insisting they were “sorry”.

Dreaming of cheese had invoked my appetite. When I opened the fridge, the block of that nutty, sweet cheese enticed me. I looked at it, took a deep breath, and picked up an apple.

Photo

Editor: Clem Hailes

Creative Writing 11

lavender bones

By will muncer creative writer

Lavender Bones would die today. The question was, would she be reborn afterwards or simply fade into nothingness? Lavender was, of course, not a real person. She was the musical persona of one Katy Oliver, the daughter of a baker who wrote unsuccessful erotic novels in his spare time. Lavender was everything Katy was not. She was glamorous, confident and simply the best at parties.

At that very moment Lavender or, that is, Katy, was driving down a dreary grey road in her dreary grey car. It was raining, as it always seemed to when Katy left the house. She was nowhere in particular when a pigeon dive-bombed her windscreen. She screamed. The bird had reduced itself to an unpleasant red paste of feathers and brains all over the glass. Even worse, her enthusiastic window wipers were spreading the mess over the entire screen.

Fighting the unwanted reappearance of a disappointing croissant and a pack of Haribo, she decided the only logical response to the situation would be to continue her journey with her head stuck out of the side window like a cartoon dog.

This state of affairs lasted precisely thirteen minutes and four seconds, after which she was forced to pull over. Her hair was completely soaked through and her makeup was now smeared in a way that was distinctly unfashionable. By a stroke what she assumed must be fate, the lay-by she found herself in had a sign for a service station just five minutes down the road. Just what she needed.

By most standards, Septemberly Services was not a pretty building. It was made of crumbling orange bricks and was surrounded on all sides by a sea of concrete parking spaces. But to Katy, it had achieved a near-mythic beauty, simply by being within reach at the exact moment she had needed it.

Inside, the services looked like any other. Semi-permanent-looking food stalls were filled with overworked and underpaid workers. Benches that were made of that strange lamented light brown wood. Tables that somehow inhabited the space between being cleaner than you would expect but not as clean as you would hope. There was something quite comforting about places like this. Wherever you go in the country, they look exactly the same.

Katy looked at the options. Six different types of American burgers, a chicken place and a mock-old-fashioned seaside chippie. She chose the chippie. Walking over, she tried her best to avoid catching herself on any shiny surfaces. Failing that, she tried not to let the bedraggled sight bother her. Katy was not a vain person, at least not usually, but she had been told that first impressions were worth a lot in this business.

Thinking all this she had completely missed the woman at the chippie counter asking her about her order.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “Miles away”.

“Don’t worry about it dear, we get it all the time,” the woman smiled. “What can we get you?”

“I’ll have a mushroom pie and chips, please”.

“Coming up”. She smiled again before turning around and shouting the order to some unseen cook behind her.

When the woman turned back around, her kind smile had not faltered but she noticed Katy’s startled expression. “Jerry’s deaf as a doorstop, bless him.”

Katy nodded sympathetically.

“What brings you to Septemberly, then?”

“I’m a musician. Driving down to London to record an album.”

“A musician! I thought as much. I can always tell.”

Katy grinned shyly.

She continued, “Should I know you? Sorry, I don’t really keep up with the charts.”

“Definitely not. Well not yet. We’ll see if people like the album.”

“Of course, they will, I can tell. I have a sense for these things. In two years everyone in England will know your name.”

The woman passed the brown bag across the counter.

“And what is your name dear?”

The musician looked at her with a newfound confidence.

“My name is Lavender. Lavender Bones.”

wake

By louise collins

venue editor

Wake up. Sit up. Stand up. Look up.

Look forward to the future. What’re you going to do? Who are you going to be? The future, your future, is in your hands.

I used to dream of being a teacher. Of making an impact on people’s lives, of helping shape their futures. Then my dream changed. I dreamt of becoming a therapist. Of helping people heal, helping them deal with their past and look forward to their futures. And then my dream changed.

Now, my dream is less solid, more of a haze It waves about in front of me, whispering to me. Tendrils snaking out to tease me. It shimmers and fades from view. Sometimes, it feels like the dream is out of reach. Beyond comprehension. It feels like I’m wandering with my eyes shut.

How do you know when your dream is worth chasing? When it isn’t something to imagine and wonder about, but something to go after? To fight for.

You may be panicking. You’re getting ready to move onto the next chapter of your life, but some pages are missing. What happens next in your journey? You’re desperate to find out but you don’t know how to follow your dream. How do you find out?

I don’t think anyone ever knows. You just have to hope and believe. Believe that you can do whatever you set your mind to.

That wispy dream that’s fading from memory? Don’t let go. Hold on tight. Push your fingers through the fog and pull it back into your heart.

Remember the joy you felt when it entered your mind. How bright life looked, how your future shone in technicolour.

Let the whispers turn into shouts.

Stop dreaming. Start doing.

Wake up. Open your eyes. Sit up. Stand up. Look forward. Go.

m.y i.deal l.ady f.riend

By clem hailes

creative writing editor

I look for her in Waitrose

By the quinoa, Finely aged wine, Checking out the Cabernet Sauvignon

I crouch behind the Duchy organic baby plum tomatoes

Clown paint on Jester bells poking out between the tenderstem broccoli

She looks my way I jingle away She makes me so shy and jingley

She looks like Nigella

Walks like Jennifer Coolidge

Speaks like Joanna Lumley

I hang on every word when she says

“Horatio sweetie darling, please do refrain from fondling the tomatoes, you know mummy doesn’t buy anything non-organic”

I sigh, jester bells jingling

I want her to fondle my tomatoes I can be organic

I’m pretty free range, running round the fields, Covered in grime and dirt

But I’m cowering behind the Waitrose Essential Hand-Reared Kumquats

Dreaming of My Ideal Lady Friend

What if she pulled me up And kissed my clown nose

What if she held my hand And took me home

We’d make love in her John Lewis Egyptian cotton 1000 thread count sheets

Or do it raw over her marble kitchen island

She’d take me to her yummy mummy book club

And I’d sit on her lap and listen, aghast, that Hugo cheated with the nanny again

All I need is for her to notice me

I’m here, a sad clown waiting patiently Come love me, Melinda Isabella Langely-Forest

In the back of your Citroën

(Pronounced the proper French way: Cit-o-HREN)

I’m here waiting, Melinda

Please come love me

- Signed, a horny, lonely jester

Editor: Tshequa Williams Fashion 14

By Eve O’Donoghue fashion writer

Sometimes when I see photographs of me and my friends, I try to put myself twenty years in the future. I imagine how it will feel to look at those disposables from a new body and a new life and think: that was me at uni, those were my friends, and that was what I wore.

It’s an inevitable cliché to proclaim horror at what we used to wear. The white cargos and Air Forces will ultimately go, or arguably already are, out of style. All the same, I like to imagine this future version of me with less of a vain

and critical eye. She will be able to remember the feeling of certain fabrics on that younger skin, and the empowerment that an outfit could briefly provide, a relief from the nagging selfquestioning and insecurity of our early twenties.

Living on campus during COVID lockdowns presented a unique polarity: the escapist response in fashion to the pandemic flooding TikTok and the pyjama-core of students ambling to the laundrette. I acquired an abundance of loud joggers that year. I have one specific blue, yellow and white striped linen trousers that embody the feeling of Britten House accommodation in 2021: the Big Brother-ness of close living with tens of strangers who would ultimately become life-long

friends, break-out room anxiety, Tinder-swiping like a slot machine and postroom emails alerting me to another Depop order.

For many of us, university is a time when we experience physical changes along with, or perhaps because of, the emotional ones. A cocktail of hungover takeaways and the pill, my adolescent body saw some weight gain. This presented a contradiction: I knew I should embrace my body regardless of changing size, and yet it would be dishonest not to recognise my skewed body image and self-consciousness. A red cowl-neck minidress answered to both sentiments, making my new curves feel desirable while concealing areas I couldn’t admit to love.

Approaching graduation, I now have a de facto uniform: a black tube top and blue mom jeans. Boring? Yes, perhaps.

A Wardrobe Full of Memories

Reliable, always flattering, and well-paired with a red lip? Also, yes. I think third year brings a certain blasé to most of us regarding style. My dissertation filled the gaps in my brain that used to daydream about ASOS orders, and I have much less ambition to impress anyone on a night out. The turbulence of my self-image, wavering these past three years, has largely subsided, and a black top and jeans really just does the trick.

The clothes we wear are a reclamation of the narratives our bodies automatically reveal. They document how we approach challenges and present ourselves within a specific time and place. When our future selves are scrolling through their camera rolls on some Saturday night on the couch twenty years from now, hopefully they will see more than a bad choice or an out-of-date look. The clothes in those photos will tell their own story of identity, maturation and change.

Photo Credits: Unsplash

Editor: Tshequa Williams Fashion 15

Essential Spring Pieces

By Louise collins Venue editor

Now that the seasons are changing, you might be panicking about not having enough spring clothing. Maybe you’re a winter lover and adore all things cosy, or maybe you’re staring at your shorts and tank tops, eager for summer. Well, I’m here to guide you to some clothes that you can wear all year with a little bit of altering. That way, you can be versatile AND sustainable. And who knows, you might already have them in your wardrobe.

If you wear dresses, get some summer dresses. I bought two summer

Spring Sorting

By Libby HargreaveS editor-in-chief

dresses in February, but instead of leaving them unused until the temperature rose, I added my favourite chunky cardigan and a pair of thick tights. Now that it’s warming up but there’s still a little chill in the air, you can use thinner layers. If the dress has a spaghetti strap, throw on a small t-shirt underneath, or style a thin cardigan or sweater over the top, and add some tights if you’re not braving the bare leg just yet. You can add or remove layers and the summer dress will still look great.

I’m a fierce defender of a denim jacket look, and if you don’t own one, you’re missing out. It’s the perfect item for spring or a cool summer evening. They come in all colours and styles, but

they go with every outfit – you can even use one to dress down a more formal look. You can often find them in charity shops or retailers at a range of prices.

Short-sleeved shirts are my main go-to item. My wardrobe is full of brightly coloured shirts picked up from various vintage stalls and charity shops. Wear them buttoned up or pop a vest/tank top on underneath and leave it open. Again, this is a piece you can add or remove layers with, and you can find shirts like this in any charity shop you go to.

Mixing and matching pieces like these to fit the changing temperatures means that you don’t have to totally change your wardrobe each season!

The sun is shining, the end of the semester is near and more and more people on campus are foregoing their jackets to brave shorts and tank tops. I love summer clothes, but swapping my baggy jumpers, jeans and Docs for floral dresses and sandals isn’t always easy. Spring rain, or even snow, means you can’t simply hide away those snug layers for months on end, but most of us don’t have the room to keep them all. This is why a good wardrobe declutter is perfect at this time of year.

We all want to make a bit of money from our old clothes, and in this digital age, there are so many platforms to choose from and it can be difficult to know where to start – especially if you don’t want to spend lots of time building an online shop. My main advice is to choose Vinted over Depop; you won’t encounter fees and there are a lot more ‘serious buyers’ so you don’t have to waste your time. These types of platforms are particularly perfect for getting rid of those niche fancy dress costumes you’ve only worn once – and for buying a new one for next week’s Damn Good!

There are many more traditional ways to declutter your wardrobe available in Norwich too, including New-U – a shop in Castle Mall which swaps your clothes for points you can spend in store! It’s a great way to save money and sort through those old items you’re saving for that occasion which will never come. There are also charity shops around every corner in the city, for those bits and bobs you’re sure would be useful to someone but aren’t quite sure of their face value. Alternatively, if you’ve got nimble fingers and a bit of spare time, it’s also worth considering starting your first up-cycling project; from hand embroidery embellishments, to machine sewing your ill-fitting jeans into a new bag, it’s the perfect excuse to get creative!

Photo Credits: Unsplash

Bodies in the Fashion World

By Tshequa

Williams | fashion editor

A Note From Me: Before I pass on the baton of Fashion Editor, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the wonderful content we have published in Fashion this year – everything from looking at the way Gen Z are shaping the fashion world, deconstructing the environmental issues in fashion (and many ways we can make a personal impact), and looked at trend cycles, seasonal essentials and all the drama in the fashion capitals. It’s been so great to be able to read and edit such an exciting, diverse range of articles in Fashion this year – thank you to you all!

Fashion is, by nature, a very personal part of our lives. For most of us, Fashion is most important to us in the clothes that we wear everyday – it’s how we present ourselves to the world and plays a huge part in forming our self-identity. So, whether it is in the high-street stores, or on the opposite end of the scale with the highly crafted designs of couture fashion – the fashion world should represent all of us. Unfortunately, it is an industry that is still saturated by traditional Western beauty standards, and bodies that fit into a restrictive ‘norm’.

Historically, the industry has been defined by super slim, white, able-bodied models and designers – one watch of The Devil Wears Prada says it all. This ‘norm’ extends to the behind-thescenes staff (such as stylists, the hair and makeup team, and photographers) – resulting in an overly exclusionary industry. Black, Asian, and Indigenous bodies have been objectified, fetishized, and sexualized in Western cultures for decades, and extends into fashion shows, photography and magazines. This type of representation reinforces harmful stereotypes and forms a marketable spectacle out of ‘exoticized’ non-white or ‘normal’ bodies.

Runway shows, editorial shoots and fashion creatives all severely lack representa-

tion of Black, Asian, and Indigenous people, and often appropriate elements of their cultures as part of the Western trend cycle. Lettuce hems, hoop earrings, and the Buta (or ‘paisley’) print are just some of the elements of fashion that have been used by Western brands, without acknowledging their history – essentially aiding in the erasure of minority cultures. Furthermore, clothes are not designed for, or modelled on, plus sized bodies, or bodies with disabilities. When these bodies are represented, they are usually in a tokenistic nature, or are outnumbered by the Western ‘norms’.

Things are changing, but very slowly. May’s (2023) issue of Vogue (led by the wonderful Ghanian-born Editor-in-Chief, Edward Enninful) features a selection of covers that represent bodies with disabilities, including Sinéad Burke, Ellie Goldstein, and Aaron Rose Phillip. The issue calls for the need for fashion to “engage with all of us”. Each fashion week season features a more diverse selection of models and creatives. Social media has helped bring wider attention to discrimination and underrepresentation within the industry, as well as draw attention to businesses owned by minority ethnic groups.

However, representation needs to extend into all realms of the industry.

There have been many stories from Black models who have arrived on the job and had to do their own makeup and hair, simply because the hairdressers and makeup artists hired were not trained or equipped to work with Black skin and hair. It is a narrative which has become a standard experience and comes back to both the training courses of hair and makeup artists being exclusionary of non-white bodies, and the lower employment rates of BIPOC creatives in the fashion industry.

Underrepresentation also has a huge impact on a person’s sense of self and identity. If you have to exist in a world that does not

deem your body ‘enough’ to fit within the ideals of Western beauty standards, it is very easy to fall into the trap of believing your body is not beautiful or worthy of representation, when really it is the issue of restrictive norms which dictate the view of bodies in our society. It is so important that the fashion industry continues to evolve to be more inclusive, mindful and representative of all races, sizes, abilities and genders. The differences in our bodies are what makes the world unique and beautiful, and as fashion is what we use to present ourselves, fashion should be accurately representative of us.

Photo Credits: Unsplash

Music 17

Editor:Tabi Fielding

By Tabi

Fielding

MUSIC Editor

March 2nd was the day that Loyle Carner blessed the LCR stage at UEA in Norwich.

Touring his latest album hugo, the singer celebrates his masterpiece with his many fans. The album is self-reflective.

Themes of race, education, family turbulence and insecurity, hugo is a love letter to those both young and old who feel vulnerability towards their upbringing and surroundings.

A perfect marriage of soul and rap beats, it’s

safe to say it was an LCR night I’ll never forget!

The night began with an enormous line of fans winding its way through the many university accommodation buildings.

It was a long-anticipated show. Once inside, the hazy, muted orange set made me feel like I’d walked into a smoky, old city jazz bar. Whilst I’m not quite sure what set I was expecting, the dim lit, intimate vibe wasn’t it. The streetlamp post prop on stage added a city-like feature to the set, emphasising the urban origins or Carner’s music.

The London born hip-hop singer has close links with Norwich as well as a strong fanbase. The atmosphere was relaxed but giddy with anticipation. Carner launched onto the stage with a pounce of energy, wearing in a bright white hoodie with the hood up.

Loyle Carner at the lcr

From the mosh pit where I was, you could only just make out his silhouette in the cloud of amber smoke. The coolness was unreal. Immediately playing hate, a track that felt both aggressive and protective, the crowd goes into a frenzy. The chill infused; introspective rap style first confused me as it was a melodical marriage I’d never have predicted. But soon I began to see what the hype was.

I’d never experienced such a beautiful mix of lyrics with a gritty, urban delivery. The contrast between the energetic melodies of Ice Water and Ain’t Nothing Changed and softer tracks such as Ottolenghi made for a unique, genre blending evening.

My personal favourite song he performed was Speed Of Plight. My reasoning why is probably because I’m in my final year at Uni, and the line “is the world moving fast for you as well? Really snapped me back into reality of finishing my time

at university so soon.

As exam and summative season is soon approaching, the need for soothing, mellow music when I’m feeling a little anxious is definitely something myself and fellow students have in common at this point in the semester. Carner’s music carries an appealing combination of warmth and positivity.

In the track, HGU, Carner shows the freedom he’s found in forgiveness, repeatedly signing “I forgive you, I forgive you”, the song is full of emotion and pain about his strained relationship with his father. Carner is a musician who doesn’t seem to be afraid of feeling his emotions and compassion towards others. This was demonstrated when spotted someone pass out in the crowds, stopping to ensure they were alright.

The theme of male mental health is a topic he discusses during interludes between tracks, a one-ofa-kind in the UK who promotes talking about emotions openly.

If you have the chance to see Loyle Carner live, take it, you won’t regret it.

Photo Credits: Unsplash and Wikimedia Commons

pAUL mESCAL MAKES HIS MUSIC DEBUT

Irish actor Paul Mescal has released his debut single “Slip Away,” an original song that will act as part of the soundtrack to his latest film, set to be released in June.

The Normal People actor is set to star in Benjamin Millepied’s, Carmen, the latest adaptation of Georges Bizet’s classic opera of the same name. Carmen (Melissa Barrera) is forced to flee her Mexican home after the murder of her mother. After she survives an illegal border crossing into the US, she witnesses a border guard murder two other immigrants within her group. During a dangerous standoff between a border guard and his patrol partner, Aiden (Paul Mescal) - who is a Marine suffering from PTSD - Aiden and Carmen are forced to escape together. The pair find that love for each other grows but begin to run out of time as the police hunt continues.

The official video for “Slip Away” was released on the 21st of April and has al-

ready become popular, gaining lots of attention on social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. The video sees Mescal sitting on some steps whilst playing the guitar and singing the short, acoustic song. His ability to sing is not surprising as he follows in the footsteps of his younger sister, Nell Mescal, a current rising star in the music industry.

By LILY TAYLOR MUSIC WRITER

composer and pianist Nicholas Britell, who is known for composing scores for films such as 2017’s Moonlight and TV shows such as the highly acclaimed Succession

The full soundtrack for Carmen can be found on multiple streaming platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify. Mescal also features on the song “Lullaby/ Beyond,” a duet between himself and Barerra. The score itself is written by the three-time Academy Award-nominated

It has already been a big year for the 27-year-old, with the BAFTA-winning film Aftersun and his Olivier-winning performance in A Streetcar Named Desire. More recently, he was pictured reuniting with Normal People co-star Daisy Edgar Jones at the Oscars. It has also been announced that he is to star in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 next year and Andrew Haigh’s Strangers (also starring Claire Foy and Andrew Scott) which is rumoured to be released at the end of 2023.

Carmen is set for release in the United Kingdom on the 2nd June 2023.

how Lewis capaldi’s NETFLIX DOCUMENtary sheds LIGHT ON MENTAL HEALTH IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

By LILY bOAG Venue dEPUTY

A candid one-off documentary starring Scottish pop-artist Lewis Capaldi was released on 5th April. Equal parts funny with Capaldi’s trademark sense of humour, as well as a tear-jerker for fans, many have praised the singer-songwriter for his open and honest retelling of his claim to fame.

Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now is an intimate tell-all Netflix documentary that follows Capaldi’s journey from talented teen whose pop music went viral, to a Grammy-nominated musician with No. 1 hits and sold-out tours. Directed by BAFTA nominee Joe Pearlman, the documentary was produced by the award-winning studio Pulse Films.

With highs and lows, Lewis details how his life-changing ascension to becoming a household name led to imposter syndrome after hit singles ‘Someone You Loved’ and ‘Before You Go’ drove him to international success and stardom.

Set in Capaldi’s family home studio in Whitburn, Scotland, Capaldi narrates how he feels displaced returning home

amid the pandemic after touring for thousands. In a shed, he faces outsized expectations and a ticking clock. Planning to work on his yet to be released sophomore album, Broken By Desire to be Heavenly Sent, which is predicted to be one of the mostly highly anticipated albums of 2023, he emphasises the pressure he’s under to produce hit singles to follow-up what many might deem to be a once-in-a-generation success.

On the surface, the documentary follows the musician’s backstory and tracks the production of his second album, but as Capaldi discusses his personal struggles with his Tourette’s diagnosis, that due to the stress of the music industry has flared in recent years, the documentary evolves in an unexpected way.

Many have called the documentary emotionally devastating as Capaldi reveals the vulnerability of success, bringing viewers into a behind-the-scenes where he discloses his determination to survive and thrive in the industry, whilst the underlying threat of the ruin of fame remains, and he copes with a worsening anxious tic.

Only recently has Lewis Capaldi pub-

licly opened up about his life living with Tourette’s. Diagnosed with the condition last year, he unveiled how his symptoms have worsened when performing on stage. However, an inspiration to those living with the syndrome, Capaldi’s transparency has shown to fans that you can still pursue your dreams.

Persevering through internal struggles, a superstar with the world waiting on him reveals himself as no more than human. Heart-breaking moments unfold as Capaldi stands under spot-light, mid-concert, convulsing, and cameras shut off when his mental and physical health deteriorates. But after learning that his first single from his new album, ‘Forget Me’, hits No.1 in the UK charts, the struggle becomes worth it.

“His abilty to sing is not suprising”

Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons

SPRING MUSIC MENU

Spring promises newness. So as the days get longer, we enjoy the world coming to life again with friends, casually ignoring our deadlines piling up.

If your Spring playlist is lacking, here are some new recommendations to provide a sunny soundtrack to your life right now.

binki: Sea Sick, Landline, Hotel Window

Combining rap with effortlessly danceable indie-pop tracks, binki is sure to provide upbeat crowd pleasers when it’s your turn on the aux. Landline has been in my Top Ten Tracks on Spotify for two years running, with a guitar riff so addicting I crave it on the daily. binki combines his talent on the guitar in Sea Sick and Hotel Window with entertaining raps in his sultry voice providing sharp lyrics. This artist is one people need to pay more attention to.

By silver ConstantiNIDES Music Writer

2010s indie will take refuge with Best Coast. However, the lost track Sun Was High (So Was I) is a must listen.

The scuzzy, sun-damaged quality makes you feel as if you’re surfing in the 2010s in L.A. with your college sweetheart, even though that’s something very few of us have ever experienced. It is so nostalgic it makes your heart ache. Plus, Small Black have a dreamy coverof this song that will keep you trapped in a daze on Spotify if you really can’t bear to not haveall your tunes on one streaming platform.

fact that I missed the opportunity to see it live is criminal. Some tracks are so biblically grand I feel as if I’m standing on the edge of the universe.

Some are so charged with all the turmoil from the past few years I can do nothing but dance. But no matter what, each song is a completely fresh listening experience.

My mother once told me there is no new music to be made. Young Fathers is a rebellion of this statement.

Boards of Canada: Music Has The Right to Children (Aquarius, Rue theWhirl,Turquoise Hexagon Sun)

Maybe this isn’t an album you’re going to whip out at the function. Every time I do, I’m met with “Silver, what the fuck is this?” and “Can we have some actual music?”.

However, I urge anyone who’s enjoyed Aphex Twin or Brian Eno, and is looking for some more atmospheric tunes for when you’re reading for your course, to give Boards of Canada a go. Each tune is laced with nostalgia from 90s kid’s TV, rich in textural detail and implicit stories from the duo’s own childhoods. It has versatility as either an album to soundtrack your dissertation for focus, or as a sit-down-andlisten story told through sound.

Best Coast: SunWas High (So Was I),When I’mWithYou, Honey

Best Coast’s strength is their simplicity. With distinct, grungy guitar chords and dreamy vocals singing of yearning to rival Taylor Swift, anyone who misses the summery nostalgia of

Young Fathers: Heavy Heavy (I Saw,Tell Somebody, Geronimo, Ululation)

Young Fathers debuted their latest album at the Norwich Arts Centre in February of this year, and when I found this out retrospectively, I almost cried. This album demands your attention from start to finish, and the

Honourable mentions from Silver’s ‘spring 2023’ playlist:

Combustion by PREGOBLIN Valerie by TV Girl dancing by NEIL FRANCES World Hold On (Fisher Rework) by Bob Sinclair Beach Walk by Whitewoods

Photo Credits: Unsplash

“a guitar riff so addicting I crave it on the daily”

Photo Credits: Unsplash

Editor: Tom Porteus Film 20

By Ore

Adeyoola

Film Writer

On the 13th of March, the 95th Academy Awards were aired, celebrating the efforts of filmmakers and the various roles that come into play to create a film. Every year I have a film that I am rooting for harder than the others and this year was no different.

I watched Everything Everywhere All At Once in the cinema last summer, and it was genuinely a life-changing experience. I adore that film with all my heart and wanted to see it secure a clean sweep. And so it did- earning the most Oscars of any film ever, beating the previous record held by The Lord of

the Rings: The Return of the King. It was so lovely to see, and I loved watching Michell Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan win Oscars for the roles they poured their entire heart into. Michelle Yeoh was presented the Oscar by Halle Berry, a priori Best Actress award-winner.

Upon further research, I found out that these two women who stood on stage together were the only women of colour to ever win the Best Actress award. This information shocked me. In the 95 years of the Academy Awards, 93 of the winners of the Best Actress award have been white women. That’s an insane statistic.

In 2015, Twitter user April Reign created the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. She was by no means a big name in the entertainment industry, simply

a pop culture fan, but this simple tag created a space for people to share information and lament about the horrifying lack of diversity at the Academy Awards. Although many had a feeling that people of colour weren’t being rightfully rewarded for their performances, seeing the statistics in cold black and white made it all too clear that this was a deep, systematic issue.

For a large percentage of the Oscars history, Americans of colour were not often seen in major roles on the big screen. Hattie McDaniel was the first person of colour to win an Oscar. In 1940, she claimed Best Supporting Actress over her white counterparts for her role as ‘Mammy’ in Gone with the Wind. Hattie was placed in a separate hotel as the venue where the Oscars were taking place had a ‘No Blacks’ policy, and she was made a special exception to accept her award. This was several decades ago, and the Academy Awards - and society

- Eight years

at large - has made strides since then. But in my opinion, these changes aren’t happening fast enough.

Significant change in the awards ceremony is needed, however, it is not entirely the fault of the Oscars. People of colour have made their way onto the big screen and now most filmmakers will make the conscious decision to diversify the world of the story they are telling, but there is one big issue. Not enough people of colour are being cast as leads.

Instead, too often we see people of colour typecast as the token comic relief sidekick, there to support their white lead. To counteract this there needs to be more people of colour behind the scenes. This way we can see more stories centred around POC leads, opening up the opportunity for them to be recognised at award ceremonies like The Academy Awards.

As a black woman who has an interest in working in screenwriting, I encourage my fellow POC creatives to be the change we want to see and bring our stories to the big screen.

Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons all

Editor: Tom Porteus Film 21

cool

You’re in the smoking area of a Norwich bar of your choice. You’re not-yet deep in conversation with a tall, handsome stranger – well, they’re definitely tall (their facial features are a bit blurry by now). “So, what do you study?” you ask, wavering a bit and sloshing your cocktail. Insert degree here, they reply. It’s Geography, or Computer Science, or something you realise you have absolutely nothing to offer on the subject. “What about you?” they ask. You reply that you study film – and the question that always comes up comes up: “What’s your favourite film?” Well, that depends who’s asking.

Option 1: The Stoner

Is he smoking rollies? Are his clothes just bordering on cultural appropriation? Then your favourite film is The Big Lebowski. Jeff Bridge’s chilled out Dude is basically your Jesus, you say. “I know, right?” the stoner guy says, his red eyes really com-

By Eve O’Donoghue

Film Writer

ing to life now, “I really think it’s the Coen brother’s masterpiece, even though it had practically no box office success.” “It’s basically a whodunnit, if the detective was a Californian drifter. I always just feel so horizontal after watching it,” you offer back. “Far out,” he nods approvingly, and asks you to go bowling whenever you’re free.

Option 2: The Marxist Does he have a box fringe? Is he wearing a Fidel Castro t-shirt? Now your favourite film is Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story. A searing insight into the realities of the US free economy particularly after the 2008 Wall Street crash, this film will give you plenty of talking points on the Obama administration, fracking and the alternatives to capitalist realism. Your comrade is wowed by your commitment to the cause and schedules a coffee date anywhere but Starbucks.

The Best Coming of Age Films

There’s something incredibly comforting, yet often heart breaking, about coming of age films. They’re painstakingly relatable but always wonderfully reassuring, especially when you’re a young adult feeling like your life is spinning out of control. So, let’s dive into some of the best ones.

1. I don’t quite have the words to summarise how much I adore The History Boys. With all the anxieties of leaving school, as well as the moral dilemmas of creating a stand-out Oxbridge submission, the boys certainly go through it in this film.

2. The masterpiece that is Lady Bird perfectly encapsulates a strained mother-daughter relationship, and the cost of trying to fit in. With a gut-wrenching dialogue of “I wish that you liked me.” “Of course I love you.” “But do you like me?” you’ll be

reaching for the tissues.

3. The film Whip It is as exhilarating as it sounds. With intense moments of roller derby alongside tensions with friends and family, you’re in for a journey. There’s heartbreak, longing, and a bit of betrayal, and boy do I love it.

4. I can’t watch The Edge of Seventeen without sobbing. Nadine is so utterly relatable, and the film perfectly portrays the feeling of your world imploding. The movie soundtrack has to be one of my all-time favourites.

5. The hilarious, and a little bit cringey, Booksmart is a great lesson in letting go and having fun. It’s human nature to have preconceived notions of the world, but Booksmart is a reminder to never judge a book by its cover.

6. I think many of us can relate to

Option 3: The Athlete

A catalogue of Sexy and cool film to make you seem sexy and

Are you distracted by his toned arms in his slightly too small t-shirt? Are you starting to get a pain in your neck from looking upwards because he is actually very tall? Does he have a mullet? You say your favourite film is Icarus. You are extremely passionate about fairness in sport and the doping scandal it exposes makes you boil with rage. “Tell me about it,” he sighs, “It’s unbelievable how wide-spread it is, even at the Olympics, and no one knew anything about it.” “Right,” you agree, “and it’s such a well-crafted documentary and a huge feat of journalism. Bryan Fogel earned the Oscar.” He puts down his Guinness to get your Snapchat.

After an exhausting night of people-pleasing, you wake up hungover and your phone is hopping from these three random guys that don’t look as handsome as you remember on their Instagrams. You order a pizza and settle into the coolest and sexiest film of them all, your true favourite, Bratz (2008).

the anxieties of the future, and sometimes we can forget to stop and smell the roses. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off made me laugh out loud and let go of my worries for a bit. It’s so full of spirit, and it’s excellently iconic.

BY Louise Collins Venue Editor

Credit: Unsplash

Credit: Unsplash

Editor: Tom Porteus Film

Farewell to the Old and the Rise of The NEw

By Tom Porteus

Film Editor

Credit: Wikimedia CommonsCredit: Wikimedia CommonsCredit: Wikimedia Commons

Growing up, my passion for film was ignited by my father. He had a great taste in movies and an incredibly expansive memory, which he used to introduce me to some of the greatest films of all time. From Roger Moore’s portrayal of Bond to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho to the charm of Richard Curtis’ Rom Coms, my father showed me the brilliance of cinema. As I grew older, I started to appreciate the art of filmmaking more and more, and I became interested in the directors behind some of my favourite movies. However, as time goes by, some of these legendary film directors are coming to the end of their careers.

Quentin Tarantino is known for his unique storytelling style and his ability to blend different genres. His movies are often violent, quirky, and thought-provoking, and they always leave a lasting impression on viewers. As he approaches the end of his career, fans are eager to see what his final film will be and how he will choose to end his legacy.

Martin Scorcese is another director who has made a huge impact on the film industry. At 79 years old, Scorcese has hinted that his latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, may be his last. Fans will undoubtedly miss his unique vision and his ability to capture the essence of a particular time and place.

Stephen Spielberg is one of the most successful and influential filmmakers of all time. He has created some of the most iconic movies in history, from Jaws to Jurassic Park to E.T. As he approaches the end of his career, fans are eager to see what his final project will be and how he will choose to end his remarkable legacy.

However, as these legendary directors approach the end of their careers, a new generation of filmmakers is emerging. These exciting prospects are bringing fresh perspectives and unique stories to the world of cinema, and they are quickly making a name for themselves in Hollywood.

Jordan Peele is one of the most exciting new voices in the industry. He is known for his genre-bending horror films, such as Get Out and Us, which tackle issues of race and identity in a fresh and thought-provoking way. Peele’s movies have received critical acclaim and have become cultural phenomena, and he has quickly become one of the most in-demand filmmakers in Hollywood.

Chloé Zhao is another talented filmmaker who is making waves in the industry. Her film Nomadland won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2021, and she also became the first woman of colour to win the Best Director award. Zhao’s films often focus

on outsiders and people who are living on the fringes of society. She brings a unique perspective to her films, which often blend elements of documentary and fiction.

Greta Gerwig is another exciting prospect in cinema. She is known for her coming-of-age films, which capture the complexities of relationships and the struggles of young women as they navigate their way through life. Gerwig’s films are insightful, charming, and relatable, and she has quickly become one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood.

Finally, there is also a growing number of female directors and directors of colour who are breaking through in Hollywood. Directors like Patty Jenkins, Taika Waititi, and Ryan Coogler are bringing new perspectives and stories to the industry, and they are quickly becoming some of the most in-demand filmmakers in Hollywood.

As the old guard of directors begins to step back, it is exciting to see the new voices that are emerging in the world of cinema. These talented and diverse directors are bringing fresh perspectives and stories to the industry, and they are quickly changing the face of Hollywood. With their unique voices and innovative storytelling, they are sure to create a lasting impact on the film industry for years to come.

By Jessica gibbs

tv writer

We’re now upon everyone’s least favourite time of year–exam season. It is the period where things can get a bit hectic, and a bit too much to handle. And when the day is finished, and there’s a space to get some downtime– I always need something to wind down with.

I have a saying with my housemates after we’ve had a tough day, we say, “I need simple, and I need colours.” It’s our way of telling each other that we need to watch something easy, and then

we usually put on our comfort shows.

Now I define a comfort show as something you can watch without effort, something to have on that your mind can rest and relax to. Ones that feel safe and familiar whilst watching, and don’t take up too much of your attention.

There’s the classic sitcoms that many people have seen, such as The Office, where its episodes are short, funny, and can be heart-warming. After a long day of coursework, sometimes I feel like my head is so full, it can’t possibly take in any more information. I just need a break, and I find that the perfect way to do it is watching something like The Of-

fice– a workplace mocumentary that makes me ironically forget about the fact that my degree is all about finding a job.

Sometimes I need something that reminds me of being a kid, something nostalgic that calms me down and makes me feel secure. I would recommend a show you used to watch when you were a kid–I recently re-watched Hannah Montana for the first time since it ended, and was surprised by how much I loved it. It was cheesy and completely predictable, but it turned out to be exactly what I needed to relax.

However, I always like to try and find a new show that will keep things a bit fresher, as I don’t know everything that’s going to happen, but one

that still keep things relaxing. One of my most recent watches was last year, but is more relevant as they’ve just announced its newest series– prompting my re-watch. Heartstopper was an instant hit when it released, with its LGTBQ+ representation, and its totally captivating storyline. I find after a hard day it is one of the most perfect shows to make me sit back and just smile, it is a great form of escapism and calms me down after a stressful day.

The most important part of exam season is making sure you feel supported, and whether this is from your family, or your friends, or your choice of television shows– it is always important to care for yourself in this busy, stressful time of year.

TV Recommendations To Help Ease The Stress Of Exam Season

Photo Credits: Unsplash

twilight and harry potter remakes

By eleanor carr tv writer

Growing up in the 2000s Harry Potter and Twilight were impossible to ignore. Your Hogwarts House, and whether you were Team Edward or Team Jacob would be in your social media bio right by your zodiac sign.

However, in recent years both series have seen a significant drop in popularity. J.K Rowling’s controversial views on trans rights, and a push to analyse the more concerning parts of Twilight ( a love triangle resolved by the spare corner falling in love with the couple’s baby was notable) have seen both slowly fade from popular culture. Until now.

The announcement of a new Harry Potter TV series was closely followed by a similar announcement from the creator of Twilight Both series will follow the original books with one season to a volume. Fans and Exfans took to Twitter to voice their confusion. “Who asked for this?” was a popular tweet featuring heavily beneath both announcements. And is it fair to ask, who did?

Despite recent controversy, the films of both Harry Potter and Twilight are beloved

by dedicated fan bases. The Harry Potter theme song is one of the most well-known, and who can forget that iconic baseball scene in Twilight? With both series’ final instalments coming out barely ten years ago, it’s fair to imagine that a reboot will struggle to win over those who watched the films as teenagers, and make up most of the series’ fan bases.

Not only will these new series have nostalgia to contend with, but they’ll also face the controversy these series have become mired in since their initial release. Since 2011 J.K. Rowling’s reputation has transformed from a beloved children’s author to a well-known Transphobe. And this reboot is sure to stir up controversy over her place in the creation of it. Twilight has also been long criticised for its portrayal of Native Americans and the abusive elements in Bella and Edward’s relationship. Areas a reboot won’t be able to brush over in the same way as the original films.

So with all this, is it possible these series can succeed? Well with their dedicated fan bases and the lure of nostalgia, they’re sure to get some attention. But for those of us who grew up surrounded by Harry Potter and Twilight , it’s hard not to feel like we’ve seen it all before.

the perfect goodybes

By louise collins

venue editor

Way too many TV shows get cancelled before they can wrap everything up perfectly (I’ll forever be sad about Julie and the Phantoms), or they go on for far too long and the endings are ruined (I’m looking at you, Supernatural). However, I’m here to talk about the shows that had the most satisfying endings, who got to say the perfect goodbyes. Warning: this article will contain spoilers.

New Girl – Whilst it only had eight episodes in the final season, it delivered! The last episode shows the gang playing True American as they pack up the loft, flashing forward to the future when all of them are playing together with their kids. It’s a simple way of showing that they stayed part of each other’s lives and kept the traditions that were so special to them.

Their goodbye to the loft is the viewers’ goodbye to them, and it perfectly blends humour, longing, and new beginnings.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Season 8 of B99 shows Jake question his place in the 99 alongside his role as a father. The final two episodes act as an ode to the rest of the show, as the team pull off one last ‘Halloween’ Heist. Unknown to them, Jake is trying to pull of the perfect goodbye, having resigned from the force to become a stay-at-home-father. In classic heist fashion, nothing goes to plan, and emotions are high. However, it truly is the perfect goodbye, aided by a tear-jerking scene of the team entering the lift together for the last time, closing on Jake’s smiling face. It’s safe to say this had me sobbing.

Superstore – As their store closes down, the team worry about the next steps in their life. Pressure is put on all of them to find new jobs and some of them are forced to make some

tough decisions. One of the final moments has Garrett saying his goodbye to the store and to the team, in an unusual display of affection. It’s a beautiful moment, hearing the jokester of the group say something emotional, and it’s shot so perfectly, playing over a montage of the futures they all face. The final scene shows a reunion of the Cloud 9 gang at Glenn’s place, proving how much of a family they all became. Again, another tear-jerker, no matter how many times I watch it.

Alexa and Katie – The entire show documents their friendship as they go through Alexa’s recovery, and as they face the battle of high school. The final episode has them deciding which college they’ll go to. As they head off to separate ones, a montage of their best moments from the show plays, bringing us back to their highs and lows. Finally, they return for Thanksgiving, and both immediately run to their shared treehouse – the connector between the two houses and a key space for their relationship. The show fades out as they catch up, a wonderful voiceover from Alexa as the final narration.

Photo Credits: Unsplash

The Last of Us: Apocalypse narratives and ecological futures

A series adapted from a PlayStation game, The Last of Us offers an intriguing twist on the genre of zombie and apocalypse fiction. Namely, for being inspired by ecology and the process of parasitic symbiosis performed by the cordyceps zombie-ant fungus which acts as a parasite on certain species of ants, controlling their movements to facilitate it’s growth and reproduction, leading the ant to mirror zombie-like behaviour.

In the series, this relationship manifests between a parasitic cordyceps and the host of human bodies, a very successful parasitism that leads to the breakdown of a society that we will be familiar with. Given the reality of looming climate collapse, apocalyptic narratives such as these express an anxiety about ‘the end of the world’. Yet what is interesting about The Last of Us is that it’s not entirely clear when the world ends or whether it does at all. More importantly, however, it urges us to question whose world it is that is at risk of ending and whose worlds are potentially able to begin.

The protagonist Joel loses his daughter at the start of the series. In some sense, this very loss sparks the end of the world for Joel, with his horizon of meaning becoming entirely distorted. However, this horizon soon begins to clear once Joel is tasked with taking Ellie, an orphan who is immune from the virus, to a resistance group who are ostensibly developing a vaccine. On their journey they pass through communes living on the ruins of a broken civilization. Some, amusingly, remain oblivious to their tacit commitments to communism, whilst their societies run off hydropower. In spite of this total collapse, alternative ways of coexisting are just about able to flicker in a world that appears devoid of light.

In the episode Long Long Time, Bill and Frank, in spite of the ‘end of the world’, are able to foster an intimate bond that they might not have done in the context of their lives prior to the outbreak. This tale of queer love in the face of collapse offers an opening onto a differential path. In this collapse situation, new worlds

BY hal woodward tv

writer

begin to appear out of the ashes of capitalism and ecological destruction. Away from the homogeneous world of business as usual, Bill and Frank are given the gift of time to cultivate a deep and meaningful relationship.

Sceptical of the path that has been laid out for them, Joel refuses to give Ellie up to the scientists developing their vaccine. Whilst seemingly absurd and potentially selfish, Joel’s scepticism evokes an anxiety about reinstating ‘the world’ that was responsible for the collapse in the first place. In the context of our climate crisis, this apocalypse narrative provokes a salient question: Who is the parasite? Because whilst in an obvious sense, it is the fungus itself, there is also a deeper sense that it was a certain kind of civilisation all along, a parasite that ended up destroying its host and in turn, itself. Perhaps this proffers the rather contentious idea that the end of the world might not be such a bad thing if different worlds are able to begin.

Photo Credits: Unsplash

Gaming 27

Editor: Jess Clifford

By Silver

Constantinides

gaming writer

Softproduct’s 2021 game

Cruelty Squad did not originally impress me. My then partner showed me this unique FPS back in January of 2022, raving over text to me about organ stock markets, brains and body parts augmented with AI, and most importantly, obscene amounts of gore. Upon playing the game on their laptop, I can’t say as if I enjoyed the awkward PS1 graphics spewing blown out brains onto the screen

with a seemingly unimaginative stealthbased tactical shooter. I shelved it into the ever growing stack of games that I couldn’t get into until last month, whereupon my turbulent emotions demanded a game where I could shoot out my frustrations. Cruelty Squad called my name. Tentatively, I purchased it on Steam, and finally discovered what makes this game so unique.

Let me preface by saying: it may take you a few plays to truly enjoy the brilliance of Cruelty Squad. Although the satire is rife, I didn’t appreciate it within the game’s context until I’d got a few levels in. You will realise the raucous critique of the wealthy, of milita-

Cruelty Squad Review

rism from the police, of general class inequality, pairs deliciously with the catharsis of taking down the in-game elites. Every box of text has something critical to parallel our modern world, a personal favourite of mine being scolded for “wasting company resources” if you have to be revived from death one too many times.

Contrary to my first thoughts, there are a few things that sets Cruelty Squad apart. The lurid graphic quality and oddly nostalgic, discordant soundtrack working tirelessly to overwhelm the senses, at first, irritated me. Now I look forward to the psychedelic sound effects and dreamlike world, even if I still have to play with the volume turned down sometimes. The over-the-top graphic quality lend themselves well to the games body

augmentation, a borderline dystopian element in which you can increase your stats by swapping out your eyes and limbs for…whatever a grappling hook made out of intestines can do. Of course! Why drink a health potion or pick up a Medikit when you could just genetically modify your player’s body?

My final words will be a confession: I’m not much of a gamer anymore. Apart from the odd old franchises that stole a place in my heart back in my gamer days, I rarely seek out new video games to play. So trying to bond with my friends is difficult when the only new games I buy seem to be a bit more niche. But Cruelty Squad leans so much into its absurdity as a criticism, and provides a daring FPS that I truly think more people should pay attention to. So long as you have some mint tea to hand if you’re prone to nausea.

Photo Credits: Unsplash all

Editor: Jess Clifford Gaming

The Death of Flash and Browser GamesRebuilding Safe Spaces for Young Girl Gamers

If you had a childhood anything like mine, you spent a worrying amount of hours in front of a computer screen, scrolling through hundreds of flash games and virtual worlds. As an introvert, young Ore filled her needs for social interaction by talking with strangers on a wide range of sites, from Club Penguin to Disney’s Pixie Hollows. I’ve always been into traditionally feminine things, and the online gaming space offered a place for me to express femininity in comfort, through a plethora of makeover and dress-up games. The console gaming market has always been focused on young boys but as my brother spent hours on his Xbox, I would find the same entertainment on my mum’s barely functional laptop.

By Ore Adeyoola gaming Writer

I believe that there needs to be more women in the gaming industry, working behind the scenes to make games that are targeted at young girls, allowing a comfortable environment. We are already seeing shifts in that regard, game studios like Silicone Sisters are run by women, for women. Their critically acclaimed game, ‘School 26’, is aimed at teenage and tween girls, with emphasis on character interaction and customisation. By consulting young girls, they can make games that will centre their interests. This solution will hopefully ensure that girls have the opportunity to experience games made with their interests in mind.

For the past two years, all major web browsers have stopped supporting Adobe Flash Player, the tool that made many of these games possible. It was a painful loss, as if someone had collected all my favourite childhood toys in a room and burned them down. The death of Flash and the subsequent decline of browser games marked the end of the virtual world and flash game era, as now game studios opt to make mobile games for kids instead.

Young girls do not have a lot of spaces in the gaming world where they can safely play online multiplayer games, a fact any girl who has tried is well aware of. There are not a lot of good quality games that are aimed at girls and those who enjoy feminine content. The gaming industry makes games mostly catered towards boys and young men, and browser games were an anomaly. There were a large variety of games that centred femininity and feminine interests for young girls to explore.

The newer studios that specialise in mobile games, focus far more on quantity rather than quality. Say what you want about the often glitchy worlds we used to explore as children, they are miles away from the restrictive, repetitive format of kids’ games that are now the industry standard. Apps that masquerade themselves as ‘free’ hide in-app purchases and gameplay that is void of any creativity or imagination. Growing up playing games like this, with very limited customisation, denies young girls the experience I had. The experience and opportunity to interact safely with other people my age whilst also exploring my creative side and leaning into my femininity.

GAMING NEWS

BY JESS CLIFFORD

GAMing EDITOR

1. Many new releases are coming soon this summer! Some of the most exciting will be the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Dead Island 2.

2. Star Wars Jedi Survivor was released on 28th April to mixed reviews from fans due to performance issues.

3. The League of Legends Mid Season Invitationals are taking place in London this year for the first ever time.

4. Coop game Grounded introduces wasps in its new update, so those of you afraid of the flying beasts, beware!

5. CSGO 2 was announced and streamers were given early access to play, with a good reception. The game has been overhauled with updated maps, lighting, and bug fixes.

“Young girls do not have a lot of spaces in the gaming world”

Gaming

Editor: Jess Clifford

Back in 2005, Ryu Ga Gotoku studios - a subsidiary of SEGA, made the decision to ‘Americanise’ the title of the new franchise they were working on for its western release. The game simply named Ryu Ga Gotoku (which translates to Like a Dragon) was therefore decided to be called Yakuza outside of Japan. This was due to a sentiment that was present at the time to which a Western audience would not understand references to Japanese culture, so it ‘needed’ to be changed in order for it to become more marketable.

More recently, the latest instalments in the franchise have exploded the series’ popularity through the power of social media and subscription services such as Xbox’s Game Pass. The fact that it can be so easily accessed now drew in many newcomers into games that pride themselves on dark, complex stories about the crime-ridden underbelly of Japan with levity sprinkled in through fun minigames and side-content on top of engaging and brutal street combat. The games started to sell really well in the West and encouraged RGG to focus on it more, such as through the reintroduction of English dubs after the original Yakuza’s terrible yet much memed go at it

“the releases between East and West are finally in sync in both name and audience. ”

Although that first game back in 2005 was in fact the start of a long struggle for longtime fans of the series before it grew in popularity from cult status to a beloved franchise, a struggle that centred around whether RGG studios really did have a fanbase in the West. Ishin was at the centre of all this, originally a game releasing in 2014 and meeting critical and commercial success in Japan but much to some fans’ dismay, it was not released at all in the West. Part of this was due to the belief that yet again Westerners would not understand the Japanese history that was the very backdrop of the game as it took place during the late Edo period of Japan. It was a samurai based spinoff where beloved characters from the franchise were cast as real historical figures, allowing for a true tale of the countries’ history to be told through creative liberties to make for an engaging story.

However from the studio’s perspective, the minimal returns from their audience outside of Japan were appearing to not be worth it. 2012’s Yakuza 5 and the aforementioned Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin were both considered celebrations of the series, yet the fifth mainline instalment took 3 years to get localised and Ishin still hasn’t until this day - sort of.

Instead longtime fans and newcomers rejoiced in September of last year when a fully fledged remake of Ishin was announced. Boasting updated graphics in an entirely new engine, added content and gameplay

elements as well as overhauling some of the older characters to be replaced by some of the fan favourite actors seen in recent games. This was announced alongside the next numbered entry in the series with RGG’s old worries about the games’ marketing nowhere to be seen. In fact, one of the ways the game was promoted was by leaning into their Western audience by including content creators who had supported the series to cameo in the ‘trooper card system’, leading to a VTuber such as Nyanners or a wrestler like Kenny Omega appearing in the game.

It can be said that the success of games grounded in Japanese culture and history such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Ghost of Tsushima, both being extreme critical successes, lent aid to ease the sentiment of Westerners not wanting to play these games. This is reflected in the series’ title as finally with the release of Like a Dragon: Ishin! and the soon to be released Like a Dragon 8, the releases between East and West are finally in sync in both name and audience.

Photo Credits: Unsplash

Photo Credits: Unsplash

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WORRIES ABOUT WHAT COMES AFTER UNIVERSITY from anon

Q: I’m leaving university this year and I’m starting to panic about no longer having a safety net. Finding a full-time job is more stressful than I thought, and I don’t know where to start. I’ve also relied upon student loan to help pay for rent, so my concern is not being able to have a full-time job soon enough to cover it all. I have some money saved over but I have no idea how long that’ll cover me. How do I plan ahead and keep my cool?

A: Hey, thanks so much for your submission,

Firstly, congratulations are in order for graduating university! A huge accomplishment anyone! I completely get why you’d feel stressed about leaving university as of course fulltime jobs aren’t entirely guaranteed so it’s normal to feel a sense of apprehension.

However, I think you aren’t giving yourself enough credit in terms of the other stages of life previous to now in which you would’ve had to go outside of your comfort zone in order to grow onto the next stage of your life. The obvious one being starting university in the first place, which I’m pretty sure like everyone, you would’ve felt nervous and panicked over. Yet look at where you are now, graduating! Personally I was absolutely bricking it the first day of university, I woke up that morning and started crying immediately over pure anxiety, my hands were shaking as I got my key card from Congregation Hall (getting genuine flashbacks now) but then I reminded myself of this quote I found on Instagram (not the most amazing resource but still) and it reads ‘’Your growth zone is not the same as your comfort zone.’’ And I think that whilst of course it’s perfectly okay to experience university as a safety net, the fact that you’re seeing it as so safe perhaps suggests that a new chapter of growth and a new version of yourself awaits! And whilst this can be so scary as you’ve got to sacrifice your comfort, remember that once upon a time university would’ve made you

About Anne

feel nervous, and I’m sure there will come a time where whatever employment discipline you go into, you will find a rhythm and therefore comfort within it at some stage of your life.

The other arguably cringe quote I found on Instagram is a mantra that myself and my best friend repeat to one another when we find something daunting or hard to overcome is ‘’You did not come this far to ONLY come this far.’’ I think it’s so powerful as it reminds you to think about every accomplished hurdle you’ve jumped and how much potential you have to continue to do so. Reflect on your past achievements, emotional, financial, employment, academic, physical etc and give yourself the credit you deserve. You have come out the other side on all those fronts, so it makes you reach a point where you think ‘’Am I really going to let this issue win when I’ve smashed through all of those?’’

You are capable of this next step, just like you’ve managed to get to the next steps prior to this one! Not to get too philosophical or anything but life does move and change, it’s inevitable. And I think us as humans have an aversion to change but remind yourself that change in the moment, despite the feelings of anxiety before it, can actually be the best thing to happen to us. You can never predict what life has in store for us, the people you will meet, the person you’ll become, the opportunities ahead of you, I could go on and on and on! So instead of fixating on comfort, indulge yourself on the exciting aspect

of a new life that has so much beyond your anticipation to offer.

From a more practical sense of advice though (and far less Instagram quotes and quasi-philosophical), planning as you mentioned is such a good way to physically impose a sense of control when feeling anxious. This could literally include calendaring different important dates that relate to both university and employment dates. Emailing the right people in both cohorts requiring information on differing employment avenues and maybe even explaining your feelings of panic to them as well? From a financial perspective, saving is always a good idea, that’s a safety net in itself that’s never going to be a bad or restricting safety net so creating a good money saving plan would be another practical sense of security in terms of finance. And of course, the obvious (but sometimes hard to do) reach out to your family and friends, confide in them over your nervousness, chances are there will be a mate that is in the exact same boat. You are not the first person to feel anxious about leaving university, it is entirely a normal response. But that does not mean you aren’t capable.

Finally, I wish you good luck and I’m rooting for you!

All my love and support, Alexandra

Hi! I’m Alexandra and I’m this year’s Agony Aunt for Venue, Concrete’s Home of the Wonderful Senior Writer and I also study BA Sociology. My love for chatting combined with my “mum friend” nature is why I thought this role would be a good fit for me. For my role as Anne Glia, I’m aiming to provide a place where people at university can express the negativity of their experiences through placing an importance on the fact that every and all feelings are valid. I think students need to have their voices heard and expressed by other students to know that they are not alone, and most importantly it is okay to feel how they do.

Photo credits: Unsplash