culture

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May 19, 2023
‘Quantity of good Ukrainian music has risen on an aspirational scale’
“We need to win the war and start rebuilding. Not only buildings and infrastructure but also our culture. Because there will come a moment of exhaustion after such a long fight, but we still need not forget that there is a future”
16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko interviews 19-year-old musician and producer Bogdan “SadSvit” Rozvadovskyi
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April 14, 2023
Ukrainian music is much more than ‘sharovarshcyna’. Meet four ‘hidden gems’ bands and artists
The world is now starting to realise how unique and vast the Ukrainian culture is. With music being a major part of it, we, the Ukrainians hope that soon we will no longer be prisoners of the ‘traditional folk’ paradigm - that Ukrainian music ceases to be.
16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko shares four up-and-coming Ukrainian artists
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April 07, 2023
Navalny should not have been a winner of an Oscar award
This movie being recognised and celebrated is unacceptable, no matter how good the quality of it might be. Such distinguished organisations with influential platforms like the Academy should consider the context of the movie before representing it
16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko on the political messages of award-winning films
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March 24, 2023
Babylon’s storytelling of early Hollywood failed to hit the mark - it instead made me gag
While I am not a particular fan of graphic and aggressive movies, I was excited for Babylon. So obviously, my expectations were high, and I decided to throw away my initial biases against Babylon and its gruesomeness. So what did this three-hour long extravaganza provide me with? Nothing but disappointment.
Sofia Radysh's take on the all-star Hollywood film Babylon
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March 17, 2023
How political art is used to influence people
Art, as a reflection of an artist’s view of the world, is influenced by the events happening around, including politics and wars. And just like art, propaganda is also influenced by them. Propaganda, as it is known, is the dissemination of information to influence public opinion
16 year-old Kateryna Kalyniuk outlines the history of propaganda
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March 09, 2023
Are the Peranakans a part of Singapore’s past or a heritage shaping my life choices?
As I deepened my research into Peranakans, I began to realise that my ancestors far exceed their reputation as creators of imaginative cuisine and eclectic architecture. In fact, the culture not only shapes the Singapore we see today but has largely influenced the choices I have made in life
16 year-old Jinn Ong inquires whether and how it is possible to be Peranakan in the 21st century
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December 26, 2022
Regardless of the production, beauty overrules iniquity. On religion and ethics in Tosca
“The arch of the whole opera questions what religion, spirituality and Catholic hypocrisy are,” said Michael Gieleta when on the opening night, I spoke to him about his production’s interpretation of Tosca’s religious themes. “This concerns Tosca herself, who drew moral superiority from murdering Scarpia and took her own life - two cardinal sins according to the Catholic Church teachings.”
Sophie Elliott investigates the famous opera
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December 07, 2022
(Un)Open art. Why is modern art so intimidating?
The feeling of misunderstanding art usually evolves from a lack of curated education. But if art is supposed to be free, should education truly play a crucial role in enjoying it?
Maria Chernova shares her opinion on the openness of art and closedness of art recipients.
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November 17, 2022
Art of forgetting and remembering. On Lithuania's path to the commemoration of Holocaust victims
Memory is by no means neutral, and the pain of it demands decision. To what extent should we remember at all? What does it mean to remember rightly? Is the idea of memory even possible?
17 year-old Sophie Abromaviciute on relations between art and history
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October 07, 2022
The Witcher - a feminist manifesto or a misogynistic tale?
Sapkowski’s saga is not only a fantasy tale - it is also a social commentary. That’s why the TV adaptation has brought into the limelight various types of discrimination, prejudice, and hate-rooted violence
Aleksandra Lasek inquires into the success of Yennefer of Vengerberg as a feminist role model
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October 03, 2022
How jokes on TikTok help Ukrainians
Even during the war, people of different ages can still have a sense of humour and make jokes - which is an essential part of Ukrainian culture
Maria Chernova discusses how jokes on TikTok are helping her and other Ukrainians during the war
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September 30, 2022
Herbal Insurgency: Wielding Knowledge to Heal and Harm Under Southern Enslavement
Through their knowledge of healing and harming, enslaved people were able to create small but vital spaces of healing and alternative power within the totalizing structures of Southern enslavement laws
William Derek Pacini examines the history of herbal expertise as a form of resistance and a means to freedom
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September 18, 2022
Art of humanity. Why Lithuanian Jews took part in the fight against apartheid in South Africa
Once kindness becomes prevalent, it appears to be spreading. Human relations develop as we experience the inevitability of life - whether it is peace or war, core human values remain the same. A formation of a crystal – I think of an artwork I saw in Kaunas, depicting the bonding of ions and atoms which make the crystal grow - is parallel to how human relations develop.
17 year-old Sophie Abromaviciute on the lesson from an art festival in Kaunas, Lithuania
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September 14, 2022
The Cupping Room
With the beans right in front of me, I could almost taste the coffee. The sweet and the tangy, the heavy notes and light texture barraging my nose. Tamie described to us the small yet complicated process of coffee roasting
16 year-old Christian Yeung takes a first step into the world of coffee culture, attending a roasting session at The Cupping Room
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September 12, 2022
INO’s Tosca: the aesthetics of agency
Tosca offers a compelling evaluation of the complexities of female agency. She is an immensely complicated character—both pious and charitable, but also jealous, impetuous, passionate, and artistic
16 year-old Sophie Elliott analyses the Irish National Opera’s performance of Tosca with the backdrop of its political roots
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August 23, 2022
The voice of fashion stands in solidarity with Ukraine
As we say in Ukraine: “everything will be Ukraine!”. And if so, everything and everyone – including the fashion industry – must admit its political side
Maria Rybak describes how the fashion industry responded to the war in Ukraine
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August 16, 2022
Norman Davies: In 1919, Soviet invasion bolstered Polish national identity. Now it happens in Ukraine
“In 1920, nobody, no experts, no generals gave Poland a chance. In February, no experts gave Ukrainians much of a chance. The Ukrainians captured Russian tanks where the men were dressed in parade uniforms”
An interview by 18 year-old Jeremi Kulczyk-Lubomirski and 16 year-old Maciej Cebula
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August 15, 2022
Bat girls for life? — Nothing about Batgirl said ‘cancel worthy’
Movies are not viewed as a piece of art anymore, they are investment assets. If something doesn't work out they can simply be dumped
16 year-old Sofia Radysh reports on what Batgirl’s cancellation could mean for the film industry
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August 11, 2022
United shock, Jesus to flourish under Arteta
Anticipation for the Premier League has now kicked off, with devoted fans eager to find out how their team will do this season
16 year-old Timur Boranbayev gives his predictions for the upcoming Premiership season
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August 10, 2022
Ersatz Austen of cheap laughs and romance. Persuasion review
The greatest failing of Netflix's film is that it neither commits to being a faithful adaptation of Austen’s regency, nor a modern rendering loosely based on original content
16 year-old Sophie Elliott reviews streaming giant's take on Austen’s classic novel
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August 08, 2022
Women’s Euro 2022, a success and an inspiration to the female youth
It is very refreshing to see how female sport is gaining more recognition and the respect it deserves. Women's football is the fastest growing sport in the UK, and it will be interesting to see how female athletes and sport will develop over the next decade
Timur and Sofiya report on public opinions towards Lionesses’ win in the final
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August 04, 2022
Cost of a trendy pup; the flat-faced issue explained
Humanity has been playing god and creating new breeds for a long time now, and the moment to take responsibility has arrived
16 year-old Sofia Radysh investigates the problems of Brachycephalic dogs
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July 18, 2022
A mirror to Britain’s homophobia. Joe Lycett: More, More, More! review
While this show’s comedy is structured to identify and poke fun at British conservative society, it is done so in a cheerful and carefree way which prevents the jokes from being destructive in any way
17 year-old Grace Whitehouse reviews Joe Lycett’s touring show
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July 17, 2022
Your first lesson in Swahili
My first language is Swahili - and today I will share with you some basic words of this language.
14 year-old Lydia Gaspar introduces her native language
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June 23, 2022
Invest in good mathematicians. Weapons of Math Destruction review
Ill-conceived algorithms are strengthening injustice, inequality and prejudice across law enforcement, education, labour, banking and housing.
Natasha Banga reviews Cathy O’Neil’s book
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June 22, 2022
A thought-provoking experience. For better or worse. How to Blow Up a Pipeline review
In his 2020 book a leading Swedish climate activist since the 1990s condemns the nonviolent methods mobilised in the climate movement by claiming they only promote passivity—instead, offering us a historical argument, Malm persuasively argues for a more aggressive and confrontational approach.
Sophie Elliott reviews Andreas Malm’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline
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March 05, 2022
Entertaining and engaging, yet with a moral dilemma. The Cheese and the Worms review
You may rightfully be thinking, "Cheese? Worms? Millers? Sixteenth-century? Really?” I also have little interest in the Fruili region of Italy, especially in the 1500s - yet this book had me hooked from the very first page.
Marsi Hadijeva revisits Carlo Ginzburg’s 1976 classic
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March 04, 2022
Exceptional writing, but stories are hit or miss. On A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth
Two years since the publication of his last book, The Winter Soldier, psychiatrist Daniel Mason returns with his latest collection of human survival stories.
Noemi Elliott reviews a collection of short stories
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February 09, 2022
Spot-on image of how Gen Z tends to cope by taking everything as a joke. Don’t look up review
The planet-killing comet is quite obviously today’s global warming climate crisis. The scientific reasoning is there, the facts are there, the evidence is there - and yet, many still refuse to believe in this pressing issue.
Sofiya Suleimenova reviews Adam McKay’s political satire
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February 08, 2022
A delightful read for any Austen fan. Jane Austen, Early and Late review
The degree of insight makes a joy solely reserved for Austen fans. Others would likely find the parallels between Northanger Abbey and Persuasion tiresome - although I must confess I never knew that Northanger Abbey contains 24 instances of “persuasion,” only eight fewer than the 32 in Persuasion!
Noemi Elliott reviews Freya Johnston’s book
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February 02, 2022
‘Pay me the respect due’. Sidney Poitier as a symbol of perseverance
Barack Obama, who awarded Poiter the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, wrote: “Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomised dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. He also opened doors for a generation of actors.”
Sofiya Suleimenova reflects on ethics lessons from the late American movie giant
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January 26, 2022
Darkness, a poem Wisława Szymborska did not write
A pastiche is a work of art that aims to imitate the style of another work or artist. It is a device regularly used in many different mediums, including literature, music, and visual art. For example, Shakespeare’s famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet has been a theme for endless pastiches - it was also arguably the inspiration for the happy ending scene in Pretty Woman.
Daria Badger interviews Polish pastiche poetry writer Grzegorz Uzdański - and translates one of his works to English
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January 24, 2022
Every bit as real that the reader hopes the story were pure fiction. The Fortune Men review
Nearing the 70th anniversary of the court murder commited in Wales, we realize that not much has changed these past decades.
Noemi Elliott reviews Nadifa Mohamed’s novel
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September 19, 2021
Nature and Privation in Three Romani Poets
The generation born after the war was raised amidst the turmoil of social transformation, evolving governmental edicts, and the challenges of dwelling among often unwelcoming ethnic Hungarians. The poetry of these postwar Roma poets reflects these challenges.
Noemi Elliot on Roma poets and their artistic sensibilities 

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