Friday 10th April 2026
Blog Page 180

A Press Morning at Yoko Ono’s ‘MUSIC OF THE MIND’ Exhibition

Taya Neilson
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A Press Morning at Yoko Ono’s ‘MUSIC OF THE MIND’ Exhibition

(Image credit: Taya Neilson)

‘Soon there will be no need for artists, since people will start to write their own instructions or exchange them and paint’ (Letter to Ivan Karp from Yoko Ono, 1965)

Tracing seven decades of Yoko Ono’s multidisciplinary approach to art, the exhibition YOKO ONO: MUSIC OF THE MIND is a celebration of her interactive and often radical work. As such, a symphony of sounds struck me upon first entering the main gallery room of the exhibition at the Tate Modern. Her ‘Music of the Mind’ was very much present and alive. The general buzz amongst visitors, the projection of Ono’s films onto the gallery walls and her voice added a dimension of musical performance to the exhibition, contrasting the traditional silence expected in art galleries.

The usual compelling force to remain quiet within the art gallery was thus removed; visitors did not stare at the work created by Ono in silence for a prolonged period of time or awkwardly shuffle to the side to make room for the next observer, their brows stern as they inspected the pieces on display. Instead, visitors were constantly mobile and vocal as they moved from one interactive piece to the next. The gallery space itself did not provide an atmosphere of silence, but rather upon observation, isolated moments of contemplation and quietness were evident amongst the bustling scene in the room.

Ono’s installation Add Colour (Refugee Boat) is an example of how viewers interacted with her work to create their own collaborative art. It started as an all-white boat in an all-white room and, as the day progressed, it became a mural adorned with blue messages. Visitors expressed their own thoughts regarding the ongoing refugee crisis present today in contemporary society through the medium of art as they responded to Ono’s instructions that ‘Just blue like the ocean’ they should contribute their own hopes and beliefs in blue and white. The collaborative creation of this piece, therefore, reflects on the ability to make a significant impact through collective action. Yet, alone in that very room was a little girl, clasping a pen marker bigger than her hand. The girl was not aware of the messages written across the walls or the press that stood to the side of the room, but rather she was circling the white boat, deciding where to make her mark. It soon became apparent that she was finding the perfect place to write Ono’s name. An act of commemoration occurred at that very moment and the artist herself became part of the collective wall of messages encapsulating human agency and joint-responsibility.

Another two men participated in the White Chess Set—a game consisting of white chess pieces and the instruction ‘play as long as you can remember where all your pieces are’. They avidly leant forward to observe the game unfolding, so focused and unfettered by their fellow visitors walking past. First released in 1966, White Chess Set demonstrates Ono’s anti-war stance, making the interactive element of her piece extremely significant. As the chess pieces are indistinguishable, Ono’s modifications encourage the players to collaborate in order to establish a truce between them. She wanted her art to engage its viewers, feeling it necessary to directly communicate the importance of world peace to her fellow activists and neighbours.

In May 1971, Ono revealed how she believed anyone could be an artist and that, in her view, paintings went through a life transformation when people engaged directly with them.1 This explains the presence of Ono’s ‘instruction pieces’ throughout the exhibition. A particular moment caught the attention of the room during the press morning: a sudden banging as a girl engaged with Ono’s piece Painting to Hammer a Nail. As soon as the loud clamour was heard, photographers clustered around this spontaneous performance. The girl not only became an artist in her own right, hammering a nail into the blank canvas as instructed by Ono, but she also simultaneously became part of the art, as photographs were taken capturing this event.

(Image credit: Taya Neilson)

By instructing others to add to her work, rather than merely repeating it, Ono noted in 2001 that she felt like she was representing the whole artistic community and releasing herself from her position amongst an elite group of artists. The exhibition YOKO ONO: MUSIC OF THE MIND, therefore, cleverly relates Ono’s artwork to her world views. Rather than taking the position of the ‘elite’ artist, Ono removes the hierarchy established between the artist and viewer through her instructions. Her collaborative artwork and performances were thus created to reflect on the importance of collective activism and agency in order to campaign for world peace and social justice.

  1. Yoko Ono, What is the relationship between The World and The Artist? (May 1971). Available at: https://www.imaginepeace.com/archives/2622. ↩︎

Brasenose and St Peter’s hit by power outages

Éilis Mathur
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Brasenose and St Peter’s hit by power outages

Brasenose, St Peter’s and the Oxford Union have faced power outages in the last week due to technical faults at a local power station. Students at Brasenose College’s Frewin Annexe and St Peter’s College have expressed their frustration with having to deal with loss of internet connectivity and electricity. 

On the morning of Tuesday 27 February, there was a blackout at Brasenose College’s Frewin Annexe due to problems with the local electricity network run by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE). Students also reported many other problems with electricity in the past weeks.

The Frewin Annexe houses second year undergraduates at Brasenose College who were left for several hours without any electricity. A student told Cherwell: “it’s so annoying we literally get stuck inside Frewin and our food is going off because of the fridges.”

Brasenose encouraged students to make use of other facilities within the main site, such as the bar and JCR while the College and SSE worked to resolve the issue quickly. Students were also offered free teas and coffee as compensation for the outages. 

St Peter’s College main site, including offices, student rooms and libraries, have also experienced a series of power outages over the last three weeks. Since Sunday 11 February, there have been many on-and-off power cuts, with the longest outage lasting for approximately ten hours on Monday 26 February. 

St Peter’s College told Cherwell the issue was not due to college infrastructure or maintenance provision failures but rather “due to technical issues with the local power transformer and substation, which is located on College property but owned and managed by the electric company.” In an attempt to provide a temporary solution, a generator has been installed by SSE. 

The College has communicated with students during these outages and has tried to “continue to provide hot food at scheduled meal times whenever possible” despite kitchens losing electricity during these power cuts. 

The Oxford Union was also closed temporarily on Tuesday morning due to the power outages. A student told Cherwell that the order of election candidates on the ballot were decided by picking out names out of a shoe instead of the usual digital lottery system.

SSE is currently working on a permanent solution for these power outages while the affected colleges are trying to maintain communication and provide support for their students. 

A review: How good is Oxford at sport?

Rebecca Pearson
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A review: How good is Oxford at sport?

There is no doubt that Oxford University is primarily known for its academic status. The spectres of its famous historical, literary and political figures, that seep even into the naming of college rooms, sustains a long and recognised history of academic prominence. It is easy to see how Oxford is upheld, in its own right, by a status that falls outside of sporting recognition and prowess, despite its similarly long standing record of sporting achievement. With the iconic measure of the Oxford Blues awards signalling individual sporting talent and excellence, how good is Oxford at sport, really? 

In 2021, Derek Pringle sighted the end of first-class university cricket. After Covid-19 had rattled the progression of students advancing from home clubs to university setups, gaps in the standard of performance-level university games began to show. Despite Oxford and Cambridge’s cricket matches once being considered first-class games, the ECB decided to revoke this privilege in 2021, leading to an uncertain image about the integrity of university-level cricket and the prestige of being part of the Blues system. The ECB’s decision reveals a perceived issue from the sport’s board about how professional cricket should be categorised. However, every sport and every university has a bigger picture, beyond the decisions from sporting boards and university sport decision-makers, so how can we begin to form an image of sport at Oxford?

Speaking to a member of the Oxford Men’s Rugby first-team, sport at Oxford offers a unique experience to move through a highly pressured academic environment whilst training with others and taking on the diverse sporting opportunities that Oxford’s network offers: 

“There’s a really really good culture in the [rugby] club where we all work for each other and work hard, particularly as we’re all under quite a lot of academic pressure […] we really come together at training, lock in, and have a good time. […] More than just the rugby, I’ve got such a good group of friends from Oxford and it feels like I’ve been here for ages.”

Back in October 2023, it was announced that the Oxford versus Cambridge Varsity Matches would be moved away from Twickenham stadium after 100 years, instead moving to Saracens’ StoneX stadium. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) put the decision down to economic sustainability; they were struggling to sell out even a third of its 82,000 seat stadium. However, despite the controversy around moving the match away from the home of rugby, there is a growing sense that the move will bring a better crowd engagement, eliciting a positive move towards cultivating a closer atmosphere between fans and their teams: 

“changing [the stadium venue] will open up a lot more opportunities, and I think it will be a really really good event – I implore as many people to buy tickets as possible.” 

With so much of sport’s longevity, especially within university set-ups, resting on student enjoyment, spectatorship and cultivating social events that centre around watching good university rivalries and competition, the change in stadiums has been seen as a forward-thinking move that should support the growth of Oxford’s rugby culture. 

Oxford holds a unique position in its sporting endeavours. Compared to other top universities, like Exeter, Nottingham and Loughborough, all of which are consistently marketed with sport as large part of their university brand-image, Oxford is more likely to be stereotyped as a home for academia and rowing. Whilst rowing is certainly a cornerstone of Oxford’s sporting image, the 81 university sports clubs and 200 college clubs that make up Oxford’s sporting network offer more opportunities to get involved – an aspect that cultivates an enjoyment for sport and progression, alongside offering performance setups.

So, why is Oxford’s image still firmly rooted in its academic interests? Cultivating a sporting university image has much to do with student perception and celebrating student-athlete achievements. Dissecting Oxford’s sports-marketing provision reveals some gaps in its promotion of Oxford’s sporting events, successes and opportunities through individual club’s social media pages. Success feeds off of traction and interest, perhaps exposing social media as an area that Oxford’s sport clubs are still yet to push.

At the highest level of Oxford’s sports clubs, there is also still friction created by funding loops and the disparity in some men’s and women’s teams’ opportunities. The strong uptake in sport at a college-level is often separated from the uptake at a university level, with much of the student participation relying on bottom-up volunteering from student coaches, rather than a trickle-down of University-wide funding for sporting initiatives. This separation can also be seen at a higher level where, for example in Oxford’s Men’s and Women’s Rugby teams, there is sometimes a disparity between the team’s abilities to acquire funding from external sponsorships that would unlock further training and competition opportunities. There becomes a hard balance to strike between University funding interests, sporting opportunities, promotion and inclusion, whilst recognising that Oxford unquestionably pushes rowing and, during its history, 283 Oxford students have gone on to represent Great Britain in the Olympic games. In the bigger picture, Oxford is very much good at sport. 

With such a pressured focus on academic attainment, sport at Oxford offers a unique opportunity to balance academic interests with sporting enjoyment, community and success. Whilst funding capacity is something that all universities are facing, it seems that, in the first instance, Oxford’s sporting achievements merely need more promotion. Just how good Oxford is at sport rests a lot on perception, so perhaps it just needs some of us to shout about it.

 

Examining western attitudes to apartheid

Hamzah Sheikh
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Examining western attitudes to apartheid

“I am the grandchild of Nelson Mandela” is a common expression amongst social justice activists from South Africa. The recent case brought by the country against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is inextricably linked to its past fight for justice and decolonisation. For many, the case is a moral beacon which challenges the Western hegemony over global politics – but what can South Africa’s history teach us about the present?

In South Africa, apartheid began in 1948. At the time, many white South Africans (‘Afrikaners’) felt that white domination was being threatened by an increasing number of black migrant workers in the country’s industrial centres; the ruling minority insisted that there should be a market for employment in which non-whites could not compete. The solution was a legislative effort to extend segregation, which had so far been the social custom, through a parliament in which non-whites could not vote. Apartheid was the legislative part of a system that exploited black labour and concentrated money and power in the hands of the white elite. 

By 1964, 3 million white South Africans controlled the affairs of 11 million black Africans, 1.5 million persons of mixed blood and half a million Asians. By the beginning of the 1980s, South Africa had the highest wealth inequality in the world, with 40 per cent of the population earning just 6 percent of the national income. 

Looking through the archives of The New York Times between 1960-80, there are a few key ways in which apartheid was allowed to persist until the start of the 21st century. 

The first was clever marketing. Afrikaners considered their rule as akin to an objective tribunal, like the Supreme Court. The United Party, although not in favour of apartheid, argued that the role of the white government was to stand “above partisan passion and…defend minority rights, however transiently unpopular, from an excessive ‘democracy’ of a thrusting majority”. This was compounded by open fearmongering about what ‘black rule’ could mean for the country. In 1977, the Foreign Minister of Apartheid South Africa travelled to the United States to lobby Congressmen, businessmen and Senators against supporting ‘one-man, one-vote’, the slogan used by the anti-apartheid movement. The same slogan used by the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1960s, he said, would bring “violence, bloodshed and eventual destruction of the white population”.

The next was an obsession with discussing the way in which apartheid would end and detracting from the vile racism and inherent violence of white minority rule. In 1986, four years before the negotiations to end apartheid, a New York Times opinion writer wrote: “None but the glib can foresee an easy, painless transition…oppression has gone on so long that even those most patient of people, South African blacks, are now smouldering with bitterness.”

The idea that apartheid could only be dismantled through excessive violence allowed many to continue supporting the status quo, even as increasing state violence was required to maintain the apartheid regime. When 7,000 black protesters rose up in opposition to the ‘pass-book’, a government ID that defined your rights according to your race, police fired indiscriminately into the crowd and killed 69 people. UMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the paramilitary arm of the African National Congress (ANC), was formed in the wake of this atrocity, now known as the Sharpeville massacre.

Pervading this discussion were racist narratives that suggested that black Africans were not ready to be given sovereignty and that they were too tribal, or inherently violent, to form stable societies. Many colonial enterprises relied on similar notions of stewardship, which gave Europeans the right to control African affairs. An opinion article in The New York Times in 1962 entitled ‘Africa Struggles with Democracy’ repeats long-cited ideas about the backwards, tribalistic people of the continent. Seemingly legitimate concerns about the rise of ‘strong man’ rule even suggested that Africans were somehow predisposed to it: “Now, having become the masters, they seem to many Western observers to be surrendering their new powers just as fast as they can, not to the white overlords, but to their own black leaders.”

Absent from this discussion was the fact that the white holders of power had, for the past four hundred years, undermined the rule of law and effectively precluded the formation of stable African societies. The apartheid government regularly stoked racial tensions to preserve its power, even to the end of its rule. 

The final way the apartheid regime clung to power was to exaggerate claims of a greater evil. For many in the West, the “inhumanity of the South African system, its perverse racism, was a lesser evil” than the spectre of communism. The apartheid government, and its powerful allies in the United States and the United Kingdom, considered the ANC a terrorist organisation sympathetic to communism. After the United Nations published a report advocating for the establishment of a ‘non-racial democracy’, South Africa accused it of bias for drawing on sources which it considered “communist-infiltrated or controlled”.

In 1952, Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for ‘statutory communism’. He would later face charges of ‘high treason’ and ‘conspiracy to violently overthrow the government’; the latter led to his famous imprisonment on Robben Island. In 2005, 11 years after apartheid was lifted, I had the honour of meeting him. Yet, he remained on the United States terror watchlist until 2008.

It is in this spirit that one should view the moral leadership of South Africa at the ICJ. In the words of Chief Albert Lutuli, a former President-General of the ANC: “Our history is one of opposition to domination, of protest and refusal to submit to tyranny.” The struggle for national rights in South Africa has a 300-year-old history. It continues today, as economic and social apartheid is dismantled in South Africa and it challenges Western imperialism.

Decolonisation is not an easy endeavour, but history shows that it is inevitable.

Zone of Interest – Review

Kate Bunn
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Zone of Interest – Review

In the first chapter of Martin Amis’ 2014 novel The Zone of Interest,  Golo Thomsen, a Nazi soldier, describes the passing of a lorry revealing its ‘cargo’ to the newly arrived French inmates of Auschwitz-Birkenau. To Thomsen, it’s ‘nothing more than a day’s natural wastage from KL1, on its way to KL2. But of course our Parisians let out a great whimpering howl’. His euphemisms are obvious, yet they are emblematic of the culture of ‘seeing without seeing’ that cast its shadow over the National Socialist period in Germany. Jonathan Glazer’s recent film adaptation of the novel captures this same atmosphere of avoidance, but does so through its visual language rather than through Amis’ sardonic prose. Their shared title, ‘The Zone of Interest’, was the commonly used term which euphemistically referred to the restricted zone surrounding the death camp. It is emblematic of the industrial levels of mass murder that the Nazis committed: reducing human suffering to numbers, and human life to ‘cargo’.

Glazer does not ease us into this horrific world. The first two minutes of the film show only a blank, black screen paired with Mika Levi’s deafening and sparse score. There is no narrative exposition: we are thrown headfirst into the daily life of the Höss family. Rudolf Höss, the patriarch and longest serving Auschwitz Kommandant, and his wife, Hedwig, live in a sizeable house and share a garden wall with the death camp. We watch them care for their children, entertain guests, and be attended to by servants. The servants are most likely prisoners whose one wrong move could result in them being sent back over the wall. They are mostly treated as an invisible nuisance by the Höss family, yet on one occasion, following the early departure of her mother, Hedwig threatens death upon the servant girl as easily as scolding her for burning toast.

Hedwig is perhaps the most interesting character of the film, brilliantly portrayed by actress Sandra Hüller. There is something infantile about her, and though she spouts Nazi rhetoric more than her husband, there is a sense that she does not really understand the words she says, or perhaps she has regressed in an effort to distance herself from them. When her mother visits, Hedwig takes her on a tour of the garden, and jokingly brags at one point that she has been nicknamed the ‘Queen of Auschwitz’. Her garden, like her nickname, is an effort to make light of the atrocities being committed, yet the foundations, the very soil, are inseparable from death. In one scene, a prisoner tills ash into the ground; death becomes the fertiliser for Hedwig’s lush, green Eden. Nonetheless, Hedwig’s sincere or feigned ignorance allow her to be fiercely proud of the life she and her husband have built.

Rudolf Höss’ feelings towards his ‘job’ are more ambivalent. He cares deeply for animals and his children. He takes his boots off before he goes upstairs. He is as childlike as his wife, teasing her from his separate, single bed about her French perfume. The only hint that he feels any guilt comes towards the end of the film. He is relocated to Oranienburg near Berlin, and after attending a party, calls Hedwig and recounts pondering how long it would take to gas the ballroom. It is the film’s most direct allusion to the atrocities he has committed, and, though earlier his doctor had found him to be physically healthy, he begins gagging in the stairwell. The film then abruptly cuts to the modern day as cleaners sweep the gas chambers and wipe down the ovens for imminently arriving tourists. The irony of cleaning these spaces to make them more ‘palatable’ for modern day tourists is as contradictory as Hedwig’s garden of death. The film is less about the ‘banality of evil’, but rather the sanitization of it.

The Zone of Interest ultimately ends as it begins, with the same black screen and deafening audio. There are other instances of these Nazi flag-coloured scenes throughout the film. As the sounds of gunshots fill the garden in one scene, Glazer redirects us to a close-up of a flower that dissolves into a bright red block of colour. In another scene, Glazer films the white sky above Auschwitz accompanied by the sounds of children crying. These more abstract scenes, along with the folkloric atmosphere of the scenes where a Polish girl plants apples for the inmates, were the most moving. Their simplicity forcing us to reflect – forcing us to reflect on the possibility of our own evil.

The Oxford Fashion Gala is Back!

Eden Kilgour
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The Oxford Fashion Gala is Back!

You heard it here first! After an incredible sold-out 2023 show, The Oxford Fashion Gala is back for 2024, so get the date in your diary (W3 TT24!), because after speaking to the OFG President, David Akanji, and Creative Director Zaira Christa, we’re convinced that it won’t be one to miss. 

In case you haven’t heard, The Oxford Fashion Gala is an annual fashion showcase, celebrating creativity and fashion design which is so often overlooked at Oxford, which, this year, is focused around the theme A Voyage in Ascent. This year’s Gala is in support of Oxford Mutual Aid, a not-for-profit company which is working towards reducing homelessness in Oxford. To give our readers an exclusive insight (!), Cherwell spoke to the team themselves to get all the hottest on their vision for the upcoming OFG, and we can assure you they didn’t disappoint!

It appears that we’re in good hands, with the multi-talented OFG President himself – David Akinja – a second-year medic at Oriel, who explored his motivations for applying for the role as rooted in his experience completing a Foundation Course at UAL, where he focused his Final Major Project around the evolution of the UK black fashion scene and its impact on current trends. David is intrigued by fashion, being at the “forefront of [his] creative endeavours” as an extension of sculpture and 3D art, and is excited to share this creativity through his Presidency! 

The brilliant Zaira Christa, second-year music student at Somerville and OFG Creative Director outlined her motivations as based around bringing her own experience in the fashion industry to Oxford, being her self-titled brand ‘Zaira Christa’, which launched in September 2022 and first took to the runway in London Fashion Week 2023.

The theme, ‘A Voyage in Ascent’, is adapted from Issey Miyake’s SS22 collection A Voyage in Descent. This collection is a representation of a journey into the abyss, whereby the looks play with fluid, dynamic and lightweight fabrics, combined with flowing curves, glossy textures and intense colours to represent a progression into the deep sea, from the silence and peace which come with entry into the water, to the discovery of new creatures and sensations as the voyage continues. The team explored their fascination with, and subsequent adaptation of this collection with their initial attraction to “celestial” ideas and the stark contrast of such with “depths … and darkness”. David told Cherwell that “upon more research, I came across Miyake’s SS22 collection, … which made me think that would be a nice spin to put on it … instead of descending downwards, let’s take that and spin it and bring everything upwards”. The OFG team is keen to “give designers a good breadth to take the theme and push it in any direction … so it becomes a more celebratory event where designers have their own creative vision and they are free to explore any avenue”. Contrast appears to be an element the team is excited to work with, as Zaira explored the development of her original “lunar eclipse” idea, where the “guests would dress in black so the designers would have the freedom to design in any colour”, which was built on by the team’s focus on “celestial bodies, and spiritual ascent as well as literal ascent”. 

The OFG team plans to make the celebration of who the designers and models are a priority this year, with a production of a catalogue of looks with bios of each designer, and spaces for them to discuss their ideas and thoughts, to contextualise the garments and bring them to life. Zaira emphasises their focus on a “space of creative expression… with a celebration of fashion and art for both designers and guests”. 

However, the Gala itself isn’t solely about the expression of artistry, as David delves deeper into their focus on sustainability, stating the team’s pledge to “align ourselves with brands that are ethical and … work well with the environment, … adamantly steer[ing] away from retail”, despite its potential economic benefits. The team “values integrity … as a society”, and is encouraging upcycling, emphasising to designers that “you don’t need to go out and buy yards and yards of fabric to create a look! … The resurrection of clothing is an avenue we’re really trying to push designers to go down”. 

Perhaps the most exciting element of The Oxford Fashion Gala, however, is that you can get involved! The call-out for both models and designers is open now on their Instagram, @theoxfordfashiongala! With no experience required, this is the perfect opportunity to channel your creativity, as either a designer or model, as David emphasises his desire to decrease gate-keeping of the industry, and increase inclusivity in the event, calling for “everyone to have fun, and enjoy themselves through fashion”.

Image Credit: Oxford Fashion Gala

Dynamic, Chaotic and Physical: Review of Frantic Assembly’s Metamorphosis

Kiaya Phillips
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Dynamic, Chaotic and Physical: Review of Frantic Assembly’s Metamorphosis

Frantic Assembly takes on a new challenge, taking a decades old Kafka novel, The Metamorphosis, and putting it to the stage in their signature physical theatre style.

The set consisted of a singular room where nearly all the action takes place, with minimal furnishings: a bed, wardrobe, armchair, mirror and bedside table. The structure of the room itself was deliberately unnerving, painted a dirty grey wash of colour, and no angle of the ceilings and walls was straight as one would expect – making everything feel off kilter, much like the action of the play itself. 

A pivotal moment in the novel that I was waiting for, curious how they would choose to stage it, is the transformation of Gregor into a bug. We see Frantic Assembly’s physical style shine here with Felipe Pacheco as Gregor, using the set and props around him to show the stages of his uncomfortable transition. He starts by fighting against the bedsheets he is wrapped up in, then contorting himself around objects of furniture in the room, in an inhumane fashion, then finishing by dramatically using around five or six chairs bundled up on his arms and legs and splaying the legs of the chairs out emulating the legs of a bug itself. I was expecting them to take a traditional route of some dramatic costume change to indicate the transformation, but instead the focus is instead on the way the actor moves differently and the reaction by the other characters. Felipe climbs on the eves of the walls and hangs upside down by the light cord that hangs from the centre of the ceiling, all in a frantic, transformative fashion. The other character’s chaos in the scene also adds to the offputting nature of the transformation; we are made to feel as disturbed and confused as they do. 

Sometimes, however, the acting felt a bit too farcical and over the top for me. I can appreciate that Frantic Assembly have a certain style of acting they prescribe to, and this piece was no different. But the acting pales in comparison to their production of Othello at the Lyric I saw just a few months ago. Specifically, the acting of Mr and Mrs Samsa made moments that could have been impactful more comical instead. For instance, we get a monologue from Mrs Samsa in the latter half of the play when she goes into Gregor’s childhood, her experience with infertility, how this resulted in her infidelity, and more broad reflections on her marriage to Mr Samsa. The big moment, however, felt a bit tainted by the irritating accent she chose to put on, and the dramatic facial expressions that just didn’t seem to fit with the speech. 

However, the relationship between Gregor and Grete had emotional depth and both Felipe and Hannah Sinclair Robinson (Grete) worked well acting and, more importantly, reacting to each other. We see his care for her in his support of her musical aspirations, and we see her support for him after he is transformed, Grete being the only one that bug Gregor will allow to see and tend to him. There was also character growth from Grete from her childlike, reserved state at the start, to shows of defiance, then her climatic explosion, and then her ultimate submission to her role as daughter and more broadly a woman of society. However, it’s an unfortunate conclusion for their relationship, when Grete concedes to her parents’ wishes and assists in Gregor’s murder. 

Kafka’s themes of alienation and isolation that thread through the novella were explored in the theatrical characterisation of Gregor in the play, enhanced by the group’s physical theatre, including lifts, climbing the walls, and fight scenes. All of which warrant appreciation as it cannot be an easy task to do what those actors do with their bodies. I did feel empathy for Gregor in the play, though I think this could be pushed and explored further by the actors. Like all of Frantic Assembly’s works the play was unarguably dynamic and drew the attention of everyone in the audience, though this should not be in replacement of other essential theatrical elements – it was certainly lacking in other areas for me. Ultimately the play dynamic and eye-catching, and certainly a fun – and chaotic – two hours of my life.

The Holy Trinity of women’s leg wear this summer

Georgie Allan
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The Holy Trinity of women’s leg wear this summer

In a moment of divine inspiration, I googled this years predicted fashion trends before I hit the January sales, in the hope that this year my outfits might be both cheap and trendy. This year, according to fashion’s prophet, Vogue, short shorts are in.

Something of a staple of the 80’s and various periods in between, this is more a return than a debut. I suppose we should be grateful that they are an extension to the underwear-like bottoms sported by the likes of Kendall Jenner this past year. I happen to own tiny shorts, and wouldn’t feel a sinner wearing them in public. They’re cute, light, sure to provide some reprieve from the ever-rising global temperatures this summer, and totally work with tights if the weathers not quite there yet. They aren’t, however, without their trials.

A prayer must surely be said for the inner thighs. I am not referring to the omnipresent dialogue surrounding their separation, or lack thereof, recently renewed by the online ‘legging legs’ controversy. Shorts suit thighs of any size. I mean an actual problem, faced by anyone whose legs touch, in a heat wave. Chafing. 

Hot weather, sweat and literally any movement can rub your thighs raw. When tested by this issue last summer, the only salvation available to me was something of an uncomfortable waddle. Anecdotally, I believe applying deodorant or cream are options, though more likely is the classic ‘grin and bear it’ approach of this hell we call fashion.

Similar issues arise when confronted with the need to sit down. Bare skin on any surface is a challenge faced by all attempting to appear a la mode. Metal is always either burning or freezing. Fabrics may be itchy, wood may be splintered, and the ground is a roll of the dice. One could always strike a deal with the devil and sit on a sweater, but is it worth the sweaty price of wearing or carrying it the rest of the day?

The word of Vogue may be as good as gospel, but this fashion resurrection has me sceptical. I have much more faith in their proclamation that we will see a lot of see-through skirts this summer. 

An allegorical interpretation of this particular incarnation of clothing is advisable for any fashion disciples not walking a runway or red carpet. Whilst it does nothing to address the chafing problems shorts provide, it is at least a barrier between you and your seat, if nothing else.

The usual concern with skirts – flashing – does not apply. The skirt is already see-through, and in that regard something of a revelation. Splashing out on expensive underwear, but got no date? No problem! You can show it off to everyone you meet.

High rise trousers complete the trinity of options for leg wear this Spring/Summer season. Not exactly a newcomer to the fashion scene, they are already the soul of my wardrobe, the saving grace of the days I don’t want to think about what to wear. 

Practical, modest, and most importantly including pockets which are either big enough to fit your phone, or could be altered to do so. They have the added advantage of potential wear all year round, instead of being limited to the brief window of the British summertime when it is both hot enough, and dry enough, to allow for breezier attire.

Perhaps fashion’s doctrine is one of suffering. Perhaps chafing thighs are the penance we pay for being on trend (though I challenge those who endorse any uncomfortable outfit to practice what they preach). Though fashion is not a religion, and we need not worship looking good. But I’ll be damned if I don’t feel blessed on days I put a little more thought into what I wear.

New hotel opening on Broad Street

Joel Jackson Buckley
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New hotel opening on Broad Street

The Store, a new, high-class modern hotel, is set to open in May on Broad Street beside Waterstones.  With construction reaching an end – after having blocked the corner of Broad Street opposite Balliol College for the past few years – details of the establishment have finally been released. 

The 54,000 square-foot building will hold 101 rooms and offer various luxury experiences. Amenities are set to include a rooftop cocktail bar with outdoor terrace offering city views, a full spa, and an “untraditionally British” restaurant, that will also be open to non-guests. Rooms at The Store will start at £285 a night.

Formerly the city’s oldest department store, Boswells of Oxford, had to close in 2020 after nearly 300 years of operation since its establishment in 1738. Its renovation into a modern hotel has been following the trend of the gentrification of city-centre businesses that failed during lockdown. Some Oxford locals were upset with the change – speaking to Cherwell one local stated: “It’s sad because Boswells was independent and family run – and a great shop”. 

Nevertheless, some have argued that The Store will be a welcome addition to Oxford. Most four and five-star hotels sit on the city outskirts, with expensive exceptions, such as The Randolph. The decoration of the hotel will also pay homage to its roots: art and pictures of the department will be a key theme in many rooms and sections of the hotel.

There are also questions concerning how the hotel will impact the “no traffic” zone on Broad Street and its designation as a walking street, which has been expanded in recent months and is hosting many seasonal markets throughout the year. Although this has not been overtly addressed by The Store, the proximity of the hotel to bus stations and taxi ranks at the end of St Giles Street could nevertheless be a cause for concern.

An Oxford student told Cherwell: “it will be nice to have a new hotel that’s very central and actually nice. My parents, as visitors, have been unhappy with central hotels in the past.” However, speaking with The Business Times, the general manager, Simon Drake, stated: “it’s not just parents of students. There’s a huge leisure business.” He presents the tourism aspect as a key target of the establishment, noting: “So much history and heritage will appeal to Americans, who so far account for the biggest proportion of bookings.” 

With the opening just a few months away, it will be during the coming Trinity term when we will see the impact the establishment has on students, locals, and tourists that make up the signature population of Oxford’s city centre. 

American Odyssey- The world building of Lana del Rey’s music

Ellen Rowlands
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American Odyssey- The world building of Lana del Rey’s music

The past decade of Lana del Rey’s music has ventured  from the deserts and neon-lights of Las Vegas to the streets of New York, Hollywood, and eventually rural California. This journey through the lens of old-world Americana is enticing, and for me a huge part of what makes her music so captivating. Moulding this narrative not only through where she chooses to place herself, but also how she chooses to express it has lead to Lana del Rey filling stadiums around the world, always keeping us coming back for more. Whether it’s a cry-your-heart out ballad, 60’s inspired lullaby or an effortlessly cool hip hop piece, her world building plays such a large part in her success. However, whilst places and time scales may change, Lana’s continual reliance upon the idea of melancholy and sadness within her work shines through. It’s the melancholy and continual longing for the places she’s left and the places she’s in which makes the listener dive into another album looking for the next instalment.

If we are to think of her albums as these instalments, they feel almost confessional. They track the life of a young twenty something party girl gone wrong into a ranch owning chicken feeding country woman. NFR, her fifth studio album, expresses this metamorphosis clearly when in How to Disappear she writes “Now it’s been years since I left new York/ I’ve got a kid and two cats in the yard/ The California sun and the movie stars/ I watch the skies getting light as I write/ as I think about those years”. Infusions of the confessional into lines like this is part of what keeps us wrapped up in the story. We want to see what area of Americana she’ll lean into next. If it’s not the starlet, the old-money darling or the free-spirited hippie what could it be? In light of this, it’s possible to draw comparisons between Lana and Taylor Swift. Both rely heavily on creating set time-periods in their work or in Taylor’s case, Eras. On the sides of both del Rey and Swift this is a clever marketing tactic because why pull in only one fan-base when you could have four or five? Listeners can identify with their chosen album, infusing into it their own memories, feelings, and journey. It’s common knowledge and pretty obvious that artists are never going to stay the same, take Lorde’s transition from grunge Tumblr teen to Solar goddess. However, the difference in Lana’s take on this  sets her apart from her contemporaries, she not only builds lanscapes, she immerses us in them.

The landscapes she builds for us may drastically shift, yet there’s a distinct sense of cohesiveness to all of her projects. Just take a look at any of her lyrics, there are constant repetitions of “tears” “racing cars” “guns” “roses”  or perhaps most infamously “cola”  tie her many lives together. This kind of lyrical branding, honing in on specific words and their connotations in order to paint these landscapes are central to her brand. Immediately, when we think of them, our mind draws back to this idea of the sad-girl, bad-boy universe she plays into that it almost becomes referential to what she’s actually saying. Whilst readings such as this have drawn controversy from both the media and the songstress herself,  in a 2019 Twitter battle amidst the NFR release, Lana got back at critics by quipping: “Never had a persona. Never needed one. Never will.” Her shape shifting and reliance on specific tropes make it really easy to see why this conclusion might be drawn. However, for me, it’s always been possible to see Lana not as a persona but a commentator for our times and our culture. She references, she provokes, and she engages us in her world building. After all, who else would be able to say “pass me my vape/ I’m feeling sick/ I need a puff” after writing something as poetic as Margaret? She’s up to date on every aspect of today’s cultural milieu but isn’t afraid to look back to the past when it might seem more poetic. It’s this tongue in cheek observing and crafting of her sound which is testament to her value as an artist rather than a persona.

Lana’s sound and brand seems to be a never ending public and private journey. From listening to her first album on my iPod mini aged 9 (the consequences of unfettered access to the internet) one thing I’ve learnt is that she’s never tiring.  Even though we’re now a decade on from that release, it’s still an album I continually return to. Why? Because it’s exciting. Amongst her other works, I get to go on a journey, to sepia toned flashes of diners and parties and beaches  whilst meeting bikers , celebrities and maybe the odd gangster along the way. With her headlining of Reading this summer and release of her country album Lasso this autumn, I’m only more excited to see the new territories she’s charting. 

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