Monday 7th July 2025
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DEBATE: Should private schools be taxed?

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DEBATE: Should private schools be taxed?

Adam Wilkinson-Hill: Yes, doing so will benefit children in state schools

What do 54% of journalists, 67% of British Oscar winners, and 74% of judges have in common? They are part of the privately-educated 7% of British society that grotesquely dominates the country’s leading professions.

I don’t doubt that many of the privately educated students reading this have worked incredibly hard to win a place at this great university. But their achievement means nothing for thousands of students in the struggling state sector who, despite working just as hard, don’t have nearly as many opportunities.

Millions go to underfunded state schools. They deserve the same chance to succeed academically, but they are put off. Perhaps this is sometimes due to intimidating stereotypes, but all too often, it’s because teachers must choose between using their to help students apply to top universities or aiding students whose families face crises and rely on food banks.

I welcome Labour’s new policy to integrate private schools into the state network. I recognise that it will require great legislative determination and cultural change to work, but I believe it’s a needed step towards creating a system which is as blind as possible to the number in your parents’ bank account. Labour’s policy is so radical that, for many, taxing private schools is more appealing. Whether as a stepping-stone or a compromise position, we should do so.

Why are privately-educated individuals dominating the upper echelons of British society? It would be insulting to suggest that it was because they were just “born brighter” (let alone the near-eugenicist drivel coming from some commentators). Rather, it is because the short, exclusive ladder from private school to high-paid job is made of one thing: connections.

If the point of a private education is making those connections, then people are paying for a commodity, just like private health insurance. This commodity too should be taxed, with revenues directed towards state schools. It’s shocking that Eton has been subsidised to the tune of millions of pounds whilst other schools can’t afford new textbooks. Classifying private schools as charities is also unjustifiable. Charities are organisations that promote the common good.

Having a tiny elite dominating politics, law, journalism, and culture is definitely not in the interest of the British public. Look at the mess we’re in right now. The answer is simple. We must tax private schools, ring-fence the money for state schools, and create a state education system fit for the 21st century

Yusuf Hassan: No, there are unintended, expensive consequences

aising standards in state education requires investment. But the independent sector should be treated as a valuable resource – not the enemy.

Government austerity measures have failed to ringfence the education budget over the last decade. In England, nearly a third of local authority secondary schools are now in deficit. 90% of English secondary schools are cutting creative subjects. 40% of state sector teachers intend to quit the profession within five years. Shockingly, spending on adult education has almost halved since 2009. Much of this is attributed to cancelling entry level and level 1 courses, often taken by disabled learners and refugees.

This unsustainable situation requires action. One policy proposal that has recently gained traction is the idea of placing taxes on private education. This could be done by collecting full business rates, after stripping private schools of their charitable status. VAT could also be levied on school fees. The money raised would be funneled into state education.

This well-intentioned plan could have unintended consequences. Either option would inevitably increase the financial burden on parents paying for private education. This could lead to students quickly moving into the state sector, swelling class sizes and stretching already set budgets to breaking point. Smaller private schools, especially those serving families in the ‘squeezed-middle’, may not be able to absorb the pressure. Some schools could be forced to close, leaving staff jobless. As private schools generally have more staff per pupil, not all staff would conceivably find employment in the expanding state sector.

Astonishingly, the policy is expected to cost more money than it raises. Private schools classed as businesses rather than charities will be eligible for VAT recovery. In addition, the 600,000 students currently attending independent schools are estimated to save the government £3.5bn annually. External research suggests that in the policy’s fifth year, the Government will experience a net loss of £416m.

Instead of this, legislation could be introduced to mandate real partnership between the state and independent sectors. All private schools could be required to sponsor state schools. This is a workable plan behind highly successful sixth forms like the London Academy of Excellence (LAE). In a nutshell, this ideological plan to tax private education is misguided. Although the policy aims to enhance state education, in reality it would further destabilise an already struggling system.

Greggs comes to central Oxford

Sofia Henderson
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Greggs comes to central Oxford

In early September, news broke that Greggs was finally making its way to central Oxford after observers spotted job advertisements in OX1. As someone whose local high street boasts not one, but two Greggs, it’s been a long time coming. Back at school, there was no better place to stop and get a quick coffee on your walk there, or a doughnut on the walk back from half an hour spent half-heartedly playing Badminton at the local leisure centre for PE. Its sausage rolls, glazed doughnuts and chicken subs brought me joy and comfort for years. Yet it also harbours dark memories.

Yes, in sixth form I was briefly employed at Greggs, and having to wear a hairnet under a red cap and pretend I didn’t hate my life every time someone I knew from school walked in soon took its toll. The burns I got from forgetting not to touch hot trays full of pasties served as a painful reminder of the tragedy of now working at a place I had once loved so much.

After handing in my notice, I’ve been reluctant to go back out of shame for abandoning my disaffected coworkers. Yet even after a taste of suffering, when I arrived in Oxford last year, the new-found emptiness in my life soon became apparent.

So often have I entered Tesco to find no sausage rolls in their hot food cabinet. And what student even goes to Pret? Surely that’s somewhere people are forced to go to when stranded in central London in the middle of a day out. Greggs is somewhere you look forward to visiting, not somewhere that makes you feel guilty for buying a £6 baguette. Not only do they provide delicious pasties, they now sell the famous vegan sausage roll, along with sandwiches, salads, soups, and sweet pastries. It’s a range of variously unhealthy snacks and lunch offerings that is simply unmatched. Greggs is worthy of being the nation’s largest bakery chain, with 1,953 locations. So, where has it been?

Oxford seems to be behind the times when it comes to providing for students. The next-biggest scandal after there not being a Greggs in central Oxford has to be there not being a Wilko. While students everywhere else across the country have a cheap and easily accessible option for buying stationery supplies, kitchen utensils and homewares, we’re left with… Ryman? Or that shop in Westgate with clearance adverts plastered over every surface? It may be the cynic in me, but this seems like a class issue. When am I ever going to shop at Jack Wills? Why is it there?

This Michaelmas, I will be eagerly awaiting the opening of Greggs. As an ex-employee, and part of a friend group at home in which 3/5 of us either used to work at Greggs or work there now, I know from experience the effort that goes in to provide the wholesome, unhealthy comfort food Oxford’s students not only need, but truly deserve.

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Review

Mattie O'Donovan
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Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Review

Jim Henson was a master of entertainment: I’ll hear nothing to the contrary. The Muppets were a genuine delight and, no matter how much Oxford has ruined you, you know that’s true. No doubt you may also have seen the deliciously weird Labyrinth, complete with tight-clad David Bowie. Henson’s original 1982 Dark Crystal, however, seems always to have had less cultural traction: it’s a ‘cult-classic’ for sure but it was flawed even in Henson’s own eyes, and its praise and love in the public eye certainly don’t represent its groundbreaking nature.

Netflix’s decision to relaunch this IP, then, is perhaps surprising, but the swell of nostalgia that has so far surrounded it proves they might well be on the money. It’s a prequel rather than a remake, setting out to tread new ground (niftily escaping accusation of destroying childhoods). To be clear, it’s a great success: beautiful, binge-able and genuinely staggering. Its failings are evident, but really little more than splitting hairs.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more star-studded cast than is drawn together here. Overall, they’re extremely good. Taron Egerton, as one of the show’s leads, does start off a tad wooden, but anyone who has seen the original Dark Crystal knows that this is in keeping with its spirit. Genuine gems shine through. Awkwafina steals scenes as always, and Eddie Izzard’s brief appearance is extremely funny.

At a whopping 10 hours the series is expansive, but also greedy. Apparently drawing on Henson’s wider plans and writing, there’s a genuine depth to the world.  It’s certainly not just fantasy copy-paste: while the early plot flirts with the predictable, there are some novel and exciting things at play here. Simultaneously, it’s effortlessly watchable. You don’t need to be a die-hard fan of the genre (read: as much of a colossal nerd as me) to lose yourself.

Now time for the criticism. It’s overly long, and consequently the plot meanders. I found myself, by episode 8 of 10, looking for some sense of conclusion. With the whispers of more content to come, could Netflix not have closed the book on a job well done, without stretching it thin?

It’s tonally that the issue of length really emerges. This is not a children’s show: Sesame Street it is not. The original was always praised for its dark and somber tone (if you saw it at all, it haunted your childhood nightmares), and here the prequel delivers in heaps. There are some genuinely shocking and upsetting scenes. Sure, it’s not exactly Tarantino, but be prepared for some surprises. Intertwined is perhaps a more traditional, soft tone (friendship is, after all, magic don’t-you-know), and some classic larger-than-life slapstick straight out of Henson’s playbook. This combination inevitably comes across as slightly odd. I suppose the critics will cry that this is the point, that the mix produces something both sweetly sincere and grippingly threatening. But for my money, the extraordinary length of the series causes too many flicks between tone. It’s all just a little bit jarring. Commit, as the series draws to a close, on which tone to side with.

The real victory here, however, is in form. Never have puppets looked so good, and so incredible believable. Of course there’s CGI at work here, but the meat of the show is effortlessly tangible. It’s a refreshing return to the cinema of real things, a move that Jackson and Weta Workshop championed then so ruthlessly abandoned (to universal criticism). We can only hope that Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance ushers in a new age of physical effects. Henson, I have no doubt, would be proud.

Nu Jazz – How it Began

George Newton
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Nu Jazz – How it Began

Although Nu Jazz has existed since the 1990’s, the current wave of Nu Jazz artists is emerging as a firm favourite among teenagers and young adults, particularly across Europe. Starting with musicians such as Finley Quaye -the son of Jazz musician Cab Quaye- the Nu Jazz movement represents a shift in musical taste whilst still honouring and respecting the legacies of the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Thelonious Monk and Dave Brubeck. Melodies and rhythms are being adapted and remixed into fresh new music produced by contemporary musicians such as Loyle Carner, Tom Misch and the London-based Nu Jazz band: The Ezra Collective.  

Nu Jazz, as it is often named, is a musical genre that incorporates aspects of various genres to create an innovative and refreshing approach to jazz, thus blurring the staunch conceptual lines of musical genre. Reggae beats, rapping and samba-style chord progressions are all present in Nu Jazz and can often be heard and appreciated in new releases. 

An abomination? I think not. Jazz puritans may claim that Nu Jazz provides the platform for temporary ‘one-hit wonders’ to corrupt the integrity and beauty of jazz in its original format and splendour. However, the evolutionary nature of the Nu Jazz movement demonstrates that these musicians don’t only recognise their roots in the greats that were contemporary to our grandparents’ teenage years, but also recognise the need for jazz to evolve to maintain its popularity among the youth of today.  

What’s more, the opening of new jazz clubs around the country – including Peggy’s Skylight in the Creative Quarter of Nottingham, illustrates the increased presence of jazz in people’s playlists. This means that rather than acting as a detriment to the integrity of jazz, Nu Jazz in fact provides jazz with a new musical platform and audience, expanding the reach and the richness of the genre; a phenomenon that in no way detracts from, and rather reinforces, the musical splendour and the listenability of jazz.  

Maintaining the presence of jazz in new music is crucial to keep the genre alive and current, whilst encouraging those who know little, if anything about the genre to delve into its richness. In this way, Nu Jazz acts as a portal for many who simply have no experience with jazz. 

While bands such as Koop are more readily associated with jazz in its traditional format, artists such as Le Club des Belugas, Bonobo and the Ezra Collective incorporate the sought-after rhythms of the present day including some Reggae drum beats which are particularly present in the Ezra Collective’s song: ‘Colonial Mentality’. Many Nu Jazz bands utilise this new format to explore political themes, mental health problems and the experience of adolescence; Loyle Carner also runs a charity called ‘Chili Con Carner’ that runs cookery classes for teenagers with ADHD. 

The reshaping of conventional jazz into Nu Jazz provides listeners with a fresh perspective on the jazz that many of us admire. In this way, Nu Jazz is a celebration of the jazz that has preceded it and a glimpse of what is yet to come.  

England emerges from their Summer of Cricket

Freddie Freeman
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England emerges from their Summer of Cricket

After the most exciting cricketing summer in recent memory, what is next for England?

The 2019 vintage of English cricket will undoubtedly go down as one of the finest the country has ever seen. From the dramatic Super Over to bring cricket’s showpiece trophy to England for the first time ever, to Ben Stokes’ Headingley heroics, we have been treated to some truly unforgettable moments, memories akin to those of Botham’s ’81 heroics.

Yet England undoubtedly have work to be done. Although a World Cup triumph and drawn Ashes series is a highly respectable outcome, had the last test at the Oval gone Australia’s way, this most remarkable of summers would have been soured. This summer was Trevor Bayliss’ last as England coach, and despite achieving his primary brief of bringing English white ball cricket out of the dark ages, England’s red ball form has gone backwards. An undefeated home record somewhat masks England’s unconvincing form away from home, including humbling defeats in Australia, India and the West Indies.

So, the overriding question emerges: What next for English cricket? In terms of the management set up, victory at the Oval to give the Ashes a more respectable 2-2 score line will provide some attractiveness to the prospect of continuity, with Graham Thorpe and Chris Silverwood, the current batting and bowling coaches respectively being considered for the top job. However, a more wholesale change, both in culture and personnel may be in order. The most dramatic element of this comes through the possibility to split the role in two parts, with one coach for the white ball formats and one for Tests.

Andrew Strauss recently added fuel to this fire, saying that, “you can’t play and prepare at the same time. If you’re playing one series, you need someone preparing for the next series. It’s very hard to do that when there’s only one coaching team.”

That said, Director of Cricket Ashley Giles, the man who will ultimately make the decision is thought to be keen on keeping one coach for all formats. Either way, the employment of a new coach is made doubly complicated by the allure of shorter term franchise T20 contracts to many of the world’s premier coaches. This said, Gary Kirsten, Mickey Arthur and Otis Gibson have all been considered for job, although Jason Gillespie is the standout, having proved his pedigree with back-to-back Championship triumphs with Yorkshire, as well as Big Bash glory with the Adelaide Strikers. Whether he would take the job is an entirely different matter.

Regarding on-field matters, the next couple of years will be a transitional period, building to the Ashes Down Under in 2021-22. Whereas the four-year cycle from 2015 was geared at improving white ball cricket, the next four years will focus on Test cricket. With this in mind, despite the inaugural World Test Championship there will most likely be a series of changes to the playing set up.

Although his captaincy is far from inspiring, Joe Root is set to continue as England’s Test captain. Root’s tenure has yielded mixed results, and he seems to lack the feel for the game so vital in Strauss and Vaughan successful captaincies. That said, there is no obvious candidate to take over the job. Some have clamoured for Stokes to take over, yet history suggests that the responsibility upon an all-rounder becomes too great a burden when captaincy is added, with Flintoff and Botham famous captaincy flops.

The winter tours to New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka offer the chance to blood young talent. England’s desire to do this was confirmed by the selection of the T20 and Test squads for New Zealand. The T20 side is full of young talent, with Somerset’s Tom Banton and Worcestershire’s Pat Brown the ones to watch.

In the Test arena, Dom Sibley looks certain to open with Rory Burns in the longer format. Sibley was the stand out opener on the 2019 County circuit, having plundered 1324 runs at 69.68. This will see him get the nod in front of 21-year-old Zak Crawley. This tour may prove too early for Crawley, with an average of just over 30 in his fledgling career, but the selectors’ see him as an exciting prospect for the future which has seen him make the squad.

Denly is likely to shift to 3 again, allowing Root to return to his favoured number 4 slot and Stokes to return to 5. This ultimately gives England’s batting order a greater semblance of stability. The middle order will be completed by Ollie Pope, who has dominated for Surrey in the past two seasons. His first-class average of 58.79, is the 13th highest of anyone to play the game, and he represents England’s most exciting batting talent. He will likely fit in behind Stokes at 6, which will prove an easier platform to launch his Test career than batting at 4 against India last summer.

This middle order reshuffle left England in the awkward position of having to drop one of Bairstow or Buttler, with both considered “luxury” batsmen. Neither had a red ball summer to remember, but Bairstow’s long term stats since his stellar year in 2016 represent a worryingly regressive trend. This tipped the balance in Buttler’s favour, and the selectors have hinted that they see any potential return for Bairstow as a specialist batsman.

In England’s bowling ranks, Anderson has failed to recover from successive hamstring injuries and misses out for the New Zealand tour. However, he is expected to
return for the subsequent trips to South Africa and Sri Lanka. The resurgent Stuart Broad and the break through star of the summer Jofra Archer will lead the attack, although with the overs that both have bowled this summer, their workloads will need careful monitoring. Add to this Leach, Woakes and the exciting all-round prospect Sam Curran, and the bowling attack seems strong.

With the injuries of Anderson, Ollie Stone and Mark Wood, a spot in the squad has opened up for the talented Lancashire pace bowling prospect Saqib Mahmood. Similarly, leg-spinner Matt Parkinson has been picked as Jack Leach’s understudy following Moeen Ali’s decision to take an indefinite break from red ball cricket. Like Crawley, Mahmood and Livingstone may find their playing opportunities limited this winter, but both have time on their sides at just 22 years of age. The experience they will gain on this winters’ tours will be invaluable.

English cricket is entering a new period of transition, with a batting line up at least on paper as stable as it has been for years, and a bowling attack with as much firepower as any in recent memory. As seems inevitable with English cricket, there will be highs and lows, but there is one thing that you can guarantee. It will not be boring.

Art Heist- bold fourth wall breaking drama sees Oxford grads take on the ‘Art World’

Katie Knight
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Art Heist- bold fourth wall breaking drama sees Oxford grads take on the ‘Art World’

This review is tinged by the regret that I missed last year’s much-lauded Lights Over Tesco Car Park, and all the hope and expectation which accompanies it. As such, this is the first encounter I have had with Poltergeist Theatre, the award-winning, now New Diorama-sponsored theatre company which is composed entirely of Oxford grads. It’s hard to follow up a great breakthrough act: but, despite (fortunately or unfortunately) having seen the former to compare it to, all I can say is that Art Heistis intensely watchable. 

Art Heist is continually playful and inventive, exploring the possibilities of what it can do rather than what it should, trading strict sensibility for a sense of fun. This is largely to its benefit: there is little continuous narrative, and none of it makes a huge amount of sense, but neither of these points really feel like they matter.

The primary conceit is simple: three thieves attempt to steal a priceless painting on the same night, each with different levels of experience and motivation, each unwitting of the other. At times it seems to tease something deeper – there is a touching monologue about the value of a coin, anecdotes regarding famous artworks, and a beautiful description of a pastoral scene described by security guard Alice; but as soon as this is mentioned it’s inverted immediately once again, as if in danger of becoming too serious. Those hoping for the moral which is teased in both the description and show itself will likely be disappointed. But the sentimentality isn’t an afterthought – there’s a genuine heart to the production, a sense that each character believes wholly in what they’re doing and their individual purpose.

If anything, the narrative feels somewhat more akin to a Dragons & Dungeons game than a traditional story – the choose-your-own-adventure methodology works, for the most part, and rightfully descends into chaos when control is wrested away. The sense of making it up as they go adds to the charm of the individual heist members, as their characters are quickly cobbled together with the lightest sense of control.

When there is a turn from the continually playful tone to something darker, it is incredibly effective – so much so that I wish it was done a little more. The audience interaction which occurs periodically throughout serves to break up what there is of a narrative, successfully breaking the fourth wall between the performers and audience (though not appearing to serve much purpose beyond inducing mild embarrassment). Eventually, the audience interaction builds to a climax, though even at its clearest its purpose still feels somewhat opaque. None of the confusion detracts from the show’s sheer entertainment value, however, and its slick and skilful execution ensures professional control has a hold over something that could quickly have devolved into an unintended mess.

Most inventive are the multimedia elements of the production – an on-stage video camera is used plentifully, detailing humorous close-ups and side-action, enabling the parallel narratives which run at the show’s heart to be efficiently displayed. Usefully, it also allows members of the audience at the back to see what is happening at the bottom of the stage, although this action does sometimes still get lost due to the constraints of the venue. Lighting design is similarly well-planned, and of vital importance in a show whose central conceit, in classic Mission-Impossible fashion, revolves heavily around the use of laser sensors. A pitch-black scene in a hall of statues is particularly effective, with each thief-to-be freezing as a statue as soon as a torch is shone upon them.

Alice is an engaging narrator, and the characters are uniquely compelling in their own fashion. It’s not a show with a strong moral at its core – though it is often teased, just below the surface – but it does prove a slick and entertaining hour, and a worthy entry into the Poltergeist canon.

Art Heist is at New Diorama from the 15-26 October.

OURFC fourth in world university invitational tournament in Tokyo

Lucy Tansley
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OURFC fourth in world university invitational tournament in Tokyo

This September, a twenty-nine-man squad of Oxford Men’s Blues’ rugby players, led by captain Ed David of St Hilda’s College, headed to Japan for the World University Rugby Invitation Tournament. The competition was held in Tokyo, and for the Blues’ side, who stayed with host families, followed by a stay in the former Olympic village in the city, it provided an excellent opportunity for competitive preseason matches before term kicks off. Eight teams representing eight countries from all around the globe took part, creating a university-level parallel to the World Cup which is now underway in Japan. The tournament was first established in 2015, when Oxford hosted the competition for teams coming from some of the most prestigious universities and leading rugby nations in the world, including New Zealand and South Africa. The next tournament will be held at Bordeaux University in 2023, to coincide with the World Cup taking place in France.

Prior to the start of the competition, the Men’s Blues had their first match of the season in Sagamihara, Tokyo, playing one half against the professional Mitsubishi DynaBoars side, and the second half against the amateur All Mitsubishi team. The first match of the season, the Oxford side took a while to warm up, but they came to half-time only down nine points, with a score of 19-10. The second half saw a resurgence in form, and the Dark Blues scored ten tries, while successfully holding off the other team from gaining points, leading to a 66-19 victory, and a very successful start to the tour. Players stayed with host family Mitsubishi employees for a few days to soak up the Japanese culture, and had a tour of the Mitsubishi factories before their first game. As the Rugby World Cup is currently taking place, several of the men’s team encountered some international rugby stars on the streets of Tokyo, including Ireland’s Johnny Sexton and Rory Best, and the All Blacks’ Ben Smith and Aaron Smith.

On the first day of play, Oxford got off to a good start against the Japanese team, from Waseda University, beating them 3-0. The narrow victory nonetheless put the team in a good position for the second day of competition, which started with a fixture against the Siberian Federal University, which also resulted in a victory for the Dark Blues, who beat the opposition 8-0. However, later in the day, they suffered a close defeat to the University of Sydney, who won 10-8. This placed Oxford second in the group, leading them to be matched with reigning champions, the University of Cape Town, in the top half of the semifinals. The South African team proved too strong, and beat the Dark Blues 15-0, before going on to win the final against Bordeaux University the following day, and retain the WURIT title. Oxford played their third-place play-off against Sydney again, but lost 10-5, leading to a very respectable fourth place finish, and the conclusion of an enjoyable trip to start the season. Since returning to England, the men’s side have had several other games before the BUCS season starts, including fixtures against the Croatian national team at Iffley road and against the Army U23s team.

While the men’s side were in Japan, the Oxford Women’s Blues rugby team headed for a tour of Gibraltar. The sunny climate allowed for strength and conditioning training on the beach, and a lovely location to start preseason training. Their first fixture was against the Equipo Femenino de Rugby Bahia in Algeciras. They got off to a comfortable start, finishing the first half with a score of 25-0. Although the Dark Blues’ defence was tested more in the second half, the team came away with a victory of 47-0, with tries scored by Meg Carter, Helen Potts, Ailsa Clark, Meryem Arik, Jessi Abele, Amber Kirwan and Sile Johnson.

For the second match of the trip, the women’s side took on Club de Rugby Atletico Portuense. Following another dominant performance, the team came away with a win of 58-0, proving them to be a formidable force on the trip so far. Tries came in this fixture from Katie Collis, Sile Johnson, Amber Kirwan, Connie Hurton, Zoe Nunn, Nina Jenkins and Maddie Hindson. The tour to Gibraltar also included a visit to a local school, a climb of the Rock of Gibraltar and intense training ready for the coming season.

Overall both they, and the Men’s Blues side enjoyed useful and enriching preseason tours which will hopefully indicate success for the coming term.

Interview: Yes Theory

Lois Heslop
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Interview: Yes Theory

In the summer of 2015, four strangers from across the globe met in Montreal, Canada.

Ammar from Egypt, Thomas from France, Matt from the USA, and Derin from Turkey connected over the idea that they wanted more out of life than just a 9 to 5 job and a mundane weekly routine to follow. So, with only $500, and a spirit of adventure to their names, Yes Theory was born.

Since that summer four years ago, Yes Theory has expanded beyond its roots as a YouTube channel into a global lifestyle brand, with a clothing range, travel app and popular Instagram account, though the team continue to make videos where they “seek discomfort”, with 4.3 million subscribers and over 450m views to their name. Together, they produce daring and adventurous content including skydiving with strangers, walking across an entire country without a map, and allowing their Instagram followers to control their lives for 24 hours, when they ended up on a spontaneous adventure over 600 miles away from their home.

I was interested to know how they got started from these humble and unassuming beginnings and grew their brand so exponentially in the four years they have been creating content. Their videos, since the beginning, have always made strong statements about peoples generosity, even when they don’t speak the same language or live in the same country, and the human condition, which all started with Project 30.

Matt, speaking during filming of their latest project, says that they “wanted to adventure, to grow, and to evolve as people. We wanted to live a fulfilling and thrilling life.

“Discomfort was the answer. We decided that for just 30 days we would do one thing every day that we’d never done before. Something that scared us and really got us out of our comfort zones. We called it Project 30. We did everything from getting our ears pierced to doing stand up comedy to attempting to meet the Mayor of Montreal in one day and introduce him to our secret handshake (we did it). By the end of the 30 days we’d never felt more fulfilled and happy. So we decided to dedicate our lives to showing the world the value of discomfort and leading by example. It’s now been four years and we have evolved and grown just as we’d hoped and we are excited to continue seeking discomfort and growing ourselves and our community.”

In a changing world, planning travel has become exponentially easier with the invention of tools such as TripAdvisor, and the increasing popularity of “authentic” travelling, where the traveller tries to live like a local and connect with people wherever they go. More and more, travellers are seeking spontaneous adventures and trying to connect with people on their travels rather than stay in sterile resorts disconnected from local life. The separation between rich travellers and the local population is particularly stark in island nations such as in the Caribbean. The average GDP per capita in St Vincent and the Grenadines is only $6380, despite the islands being packed with five star resorts. In a time when it’s now impossible to get lost anywhere with the invention of satellite navigation, I ask why spontaneity is so important. Matt replies that “spontaneity gets rid of expectations. When there is no clear set goal and you just go with the flow, there are no expectations and you’re able to be far more present and embrace every step along the way. We embrace spontaneity for that very reason.”

Yes Theory’s mantra is “Seek Discomfort”, which has expanded beyond their wildly successful YouTube channel into a clothing range and their “Book an Adventure” travel tool so that inspired fans can follow in their footsteps and book a trip which takes them to new and undiscovered places. I ask what the philosophy is behind Yes Theory, and how they overcome the viewer/creator divide, as is so prevalent now in YouTuber culture.

“We believe that everything you want in life, from love, to happiness, to success, and to peace of mind, all comes from seeking discomfort.

“We live in a society that advertises comfort to us 24/7, from resorting to our phones to living vicariously through TV characters. We are more and more isolated from what originally got us here as humans: social connection and discomfort. At Yes Theory, we want to go back to our roots – to bring people together and to experience what it’s like to challenge ourselves at the highest levels. That’s where true joy lives: in the growth that follows discomfort.

“Community is everything to us. We never call our audience ‘fans’, we call them family. Yes, it might sound corny but it’s genuinely how we see it. We are no different from the people in our audience. We are consistently bringing our subscribers along with us on videos, whether it’s doing a road trip with them across Europe, or organizing events around the world that they can take part in together. We want to encourage those deep connections within our community, too, because once you feel like you have a group that supports you, you’re able to tackle life’s bigger challenges and that’s when it all becomes very exciting.”

Yes Theory content is particularly appealing to the adrenaline junkie; their crazy stunts and ambitious plans frequently go viral and grow an audience interested in watching a team conquer their fears in wild adventures.

In Spring 2019 they released Frozen Alive, their first feature-length documentary about endurance athlete Wim Hof, who is noted for his ability to withstand extreme and freezing conditions. The filming took place following a visit to Poland and the Czech Republic with the team spending four days with Hof learning the ‘Wim Hof Method’, a psychological and physiological method of endurance training involving frequent cold exposure, breathing techniques and meditation. In the documentary the team ascended a mountain with Hof in temperatures as low as -20C, bare chested and bare legged in an insane feat of endurance.

I ask Matt if he believes himself fearless after these stunts, also including cage-less shark diving and being stranded at sea for 24 hours, and if it’s important to “do things scared”.

He replies that he thinks it’s a common misconception that fear ever goes away in their line of work.

“We’re still afraid all the time. We tend to believe if you’re not afraid, you’re not doing it right. We have a saying that our manager Kate says: ‘Do it scared.’ To us, it means if you’re not nervous, if you’re not uncomfortable, then you’re not pushing yourself. You’re shying away from your fears. So, I’d say we’ve just gotten more comfortable with the feeling of fear and we’ve been able to deal with it better. But it won’t go away. We’ll make sure of that.”

It has become more and more common for millennials and Gen Zers to want portfolio careers, and a 2017 study by the Department of Work and Pensions reveals that 92% of millennials identify flexibility as a top priority when selecting a workplace. I wonder what the team would have been doing if not this, and what YouTube and media mean for a changing workforce.

Matt says he would have been doing “anything entrepreneurial. There’s so much opportunity nowadays to make any idea come true that it would feel nearly impossible for any of us to not pursue something “out there.” We’re an age of accessibility and the people at the top no longer choose who makes it and who doesn’t. It’s all democratic. The audience and customers pick who makes it through, which leaves room for anyone with a great work ethic, a big idea, and a lot of patience to make their dream happen.”

Matt, Ammar, Thomas and Derin all moved to Los Angeles together to start this project into their friend’s one bedroom apartment, in a giant leap into the unknown.

A big move, for some of the team, right across the world, meant new challenges and changes to their way of life. Matt muses that “our biggest lifestyle changes stem from our decision to start taking care of ourselves. Our life’s mission is to seek discomfort, but we didn’t realize until recently that you can’t reap the best benefits of discomfort without rest and reflection. You have to let it sink in. So, we’ve taken big steps to care for our mental health, to connect with our families and friends on a more regular basis, and to spend time away from the cameras and the computers when we need it. Creating that kind of balance has allowed us to maintain the energy necessary to continue growing our channel, business and lives.”

Yes Theory first rose to prominence with their message of inclusivity in the wake of the terror attacks in 2015. The team made a statement video against hate-crime and fear after the attacks in Beirut and Paris, where Ammar, Matt and Thomas held hands and wore T-shirts declaring where they’re originally from: Matt from New York City, Ammar from Egypt and Thomas from Paris. Ammar’s shirt also declared him a Muslim, and the trio took to the Montreal subway in a public statement of unity and harmony, where they got coverage from CBC Montreal. Since then, message of Yes Theory has always been one of global collaboration and encouraging their audience to learn about and appreciate other cultures. However, in 2017, Derin had to leave Yes Theory, as his visa was suspended and he had to move back to Canada to acquire permanent residence. In 2018, Ammar was asked to leave Yes Theory by his father, but made the difficult decision to stay due to his dedication to the project. I ask Matt what their plans are going forward.

“We’ve spent four years seeking discomfort and making videos about it but now we gradually want to bring our audience in and give them the tools to do the same. Whether that’s an app, live events, a board game, you name it. There are so many ways to help people live the way we’ve been able to and we can’t wait to bring that to the people who have supported us throughout this journey.”

At this, the start of a new term and academic career and the promise of a new start, I find myself facing a lot of trepidation and anxiety about what is to come. I ask Matt if there is anything he would have done differently as a young person, and if he has any advice to us just embarking on the rest of our lives.

“Accept and embrace confusion. That’s the secret. You won’t have it figured out. You won’t know what you want to do, who you want to be, what kind of person you really are. Once you’ve accepted that you will be confused, there’s a courage that comes with that. It allows you to experience more, to test more, to go into the discomfort of trying new things, which will all ultimately lead to you figuring out yourself more and more.”

Oxford University worker told Muslim woman to ‘go home’

Rachel Cordery
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Oxford University worker told Muslim woman to ‘go home’

Aisha Ali Khan says she was told to “go home” by an Oxford University worker during a conversation on politics.

According to Khan, Dr Peet Morris, a researcher and lecturer at the University of Oxford, told her to “go home” if she wanted to keep hold of “barbaric practices that subjugated women”. She said he also “demanded a ban on the Burka.”

The alleged incident took place at a dinner in Yorkshire where Khan was sat on a table with people from the higher education sector.

Khan further said that Dr Morris’s wife, Dr Harriet Dunbar-Morris, attempted to calm her husband down, a claim that has been disputed.

Dr Harriet Dunbar-Morris said the allegations by Khan were “very upsetting” and do not reflect her “recollection of the private event.”

Khan wrote on Twitter that she could not understand how Dr DunbarMorris could “deny the racist abuse her husband directed at [her] when there were many witnesses present at the dinner who are happy to come forward.”

A History and English teacher, she said: “As a woman of colour, I felt singled out and victimised. The more I and other guests on the table pushed back against his racist tropes, the angrier and louder he became.”

Although she does not wear a hijab or burka, Khan feels it was the right of a woman to wear what she wished. Khan wrote on Twitter that she was “deeply disappointed” with the response by both University of Oxford and Portsmouth University.

A spokesperson for the University of Oxford said: “We have been made aware of allegations on social media, which we understand relate to a conversation at a private event unconnected to the University.

“Peet Morris is not an Oxford University or college academic.

“He holds a casual contract for services, delivering computer programming training with the IT Services department on an ad hoc basis, normally two to three days in each term.

“Under our equality policy, the University of Oxford is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains an environment in which the rights and dignity of all are respected.

“The University embraces diversity amongst its members and constantly seeks to promote awareness of equality and foster good practice. All members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this policy and its values.”

This news comes in a year when Oxford came joint second highest amongst British universities for recorded instances of racism.

Climate crisis Oxford Citizens’ Assembly meets for first time

Rachel Cordery
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Climate crisis Oxford Citizens’ Assembly meets for first time

Last weekend saw the first meeting of the new Oxford Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change.

The first of its kind in the country, the assembly discussed Oxford’s part in the fight against climate change.

The four-day assembly, split over two weekends, aims to consider new carbon targets and additional measures to reduce emissions. The 50 citizens taking part are being presented with evidence from climate experts.

The assembly comes after Oxford City Council unanimously declared a climate emergency in January.

Although the assembly was by invitation only, members of the public were invited to observe. The 50 members of the assembly are being paid £300 for volunteering their time.

Among those who spoke at the assembly’s first sitting was climate campaigner Linnet Drury, a teenager at Oxford Spires Academy.

The secondary school student told the assembly on Saturday: “Climate change is like a train crash going to happen and all young people know that they’re on that train… but you have the power in your hands to divert the tracks.”

Drury was among the many speakers to give evidence to the group. Dozens of speakers covered topics including buildings, sustainable transport, energy, biodiversity and waste reduction.

Big issues discussed included aviation and agricultural emissions.

Jenny Hill, who is part of the government advisory group Committee on Climate Change, told the assembly: “We can’t go on using natural gases in our homes and using petrol and diesel cars.”

Speaking about potential solutions to move towards net zero, Hill discussed plans to plant trees to absorb carbon emissions. Such plans could see an increase in forest cover in the UK from 13 per cent to up to 19 per cent.

The assembly also heard further evidence about government legislation to create a “net zero” status by 2050.

“Net zero” status means that any carbon emissions, such as fumes from a car, are balanced out by absorbing the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

According to recent statistics, 81 per cent of Oxford’s emissions are from buildings. Residential buildings contributed 21 per cent, followed by institutional buildings.

Oxford University, the highest single contributor, is responsible for eight per cent of the city’s total emissions.

Barbara Hammond, a member of the community action group Low Carbon Hub, began her speech by setting a challenge.

Calling on residents to think about solutions that could get every single person involved, she said: “The best way going forward in Oxford is to build on the fantastic stuff we are already doing in the city.

“We need to build on what we’ve been doing for a long time, which is to get people involved. We don’t get to zero carbon unless we include everybody in making changes.”

Hammond recognised the importance of the universities in contributing experts in the field who can help Oxford to combat climate change.

She said: “We have an amazing resource in the heart of this city, people at the pinnacle of cutting edge research. If we can get them working together with us then this could really go somewhere.”

The ultimate aim of the citizens assembly is to compile a number of recommendations for Oxford City Council to take forward and put to full council in January 2020. The final meeting will take place during the weekend of 19-20 October.

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