Culture

Must theatre be so dire? Thoughts on the “unworthy scaffold”

If 'art est celare artem' (true art is to conceal art), then theatre is pretty poor art. You ain't fooling me into thinking that's a storm.

Fashion trends: The illusion of choice

Our fashion choices emphasise how our individual styles are limited by the available market, and what fashion magazines and brands declare as ‘in style’.

Art as protest on university campuses

CW: rape. This week, Cornell University has made headlines as prosecutors reopened an investigation into...

The legacy of the caricature

That the ‘In Memoriam’ section of the 2026 Academy Awards is going to be a serious tear-jerker was solidified by the passing of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry over two consecutive days.

Delusions of grandeur: why Prada’s new advertising campaign does intellectual fashion a disservice

when they lay claim to a depth they do not obviously possess it makes it harder to take seriously

The Most Anticipated Books of 2021

In light of the disaster that was 2020, many of us are looking towards 2021 with hope. Amongst the reasons to be excited about...

Rice-cakes

'a few more days of worrying about weddings, wondering why we seem to copy the lives of those we wish would love us'

hands/face/space

"how we feel now must be the way that stars feel all their lives"

Promising Young Woman: what is female rage?

‘Promising Young Woman’ burst into the headlines a few weeks ago over the controversy surrounding the language of a ‘Variety’ reviewer who last year,...

“Here Comes Your” Alt-Rock

"Alt-rock is characterised by experimentation with texture, timbre, and structure, especially drawing on the raw, distorted punk rock sounds and new wave’s energetic appeal." Jimmy Brewer takes a look back at five bands who defined the sound of the genre.

Centre stage: Jiao Zi

Chinese New Year celebrations reunite the whole family, and as is often the case when Chinese families get together, food takes centre stage. Most...

Addressing the Unknown

'Let's watch the sun making its paperboy/rounds tapping on the window and shedding/off its flecks of glow'

Growin’ up with Emily

'three girls sat dangling out the doors of a car, sea salt and suncream'

‘Something Wicked’: The Rise of Modern Witchcraft

"At a time when the world seems more uncertain than ever, young people in particular are turning to witchcraft in order to find a sense of stability."

Rituals: A reminder that you’re not alone

I will never forget the feeling of looking up from the yellowish parchment paper of the biblical scroll and seeing everyone I love. It was at this moment that I realised what coming of age rituals are all about: the feeling of being part of something larger than yourself.

O Cypris

'O Cypris! I must rank among those who seek your nectar.'

Creating theatre in a pandemic: Spoon River Anthology

Working with other people on Spoon River is definitely a welcome distraction from the monotony of being stuck in lockdown at home. It is truly inspiring to get to witness so many creatives coming together for this production.

“We’re going into a new territory”: interviewing theatre director Sally Cookson

Sally Cookson is a theatre director who has worked on productions for theatres including the Old Vic London, the Bristol Old Vic, the National...

Dick Whittington: not quite the win the National was hoping for

This version attempts to be the Hamilton of pantomimes, incorporating street dance, rap, pop ballads and frequent references to TikTok trends into an otherwise familiar tale.

Read, Listen, Learn: The Everchanging World of Books

Flash forward 100 years. Surprise! People still read — just not in the same way as we do now, and we can be pretty...

It is the light

"It is the light/That engulfs me/Its fingers of dust waltzing ever so softly"

Is Love Really Blind?

Oh, the times, they are unprecedented, and so is that ever-more-pressing desire for someone to hug, hold, and generally add a little bit of...

All dressed up with nowhere to go

I’m not suggesting that we need to don full-on party garb for Panopto, or head-to-toe taffeta for Teams.

Debating the Preservation of Cultural Infrastructures: the Example of Tolkien’s Property

Fans of J.R. Tolkien have been troubled by the prospects of having Tolkien’s home sold to private buyers. Should it go on the market...

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