Saturday 2nd May 2026
Blog Page 679

Uni announces two new access schemes in “sea change for admissions”

Angus Brown
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Uni announces two new access schemes in “sea change for admissions”

The University of Oxford has announced two ambitious new access programmes, set to bring in up to 250 students from disadvantaged backgrounds annually by 2023.

The two new programmes, Opportunity Oxford and Foundation Oxford, both aim to increase the number of students from socio-economically or otherwise disadvantaged groups, including carers and refugees.

According to a University press release, “When fully up and running, these major new programmes will offer transformative paths to outstanding education for up to 250 state school students a year, representing 10% of Oxford’s undergraduate intake.

“This represents a significant step change for the University, boosting the proportion of students coming to Oxford from underrepresented backgrounds from 15% of the current UK intake to 25%.”

The first programme, Opportunity Oxford, will introduce a study programme for up to 200 students who have lodged a “normal” application to the University and are on course to achieve their entry grades but need additional support to “bridge the gap” between secondary school and university.

The programme will provide a structured course of study at home, as well as a two-week residential study course before the start of the first term. It will introduce students to lectures, tutorials, and university level group and individual work, and will also work to build on the students’ subject knowledge and academic abilities.

According to the University, this will allow these students to “begin undergraduate study with greater confidence, new friends and familiarity with life at university.”

Some students on the Opportunity Oxford programme may be those who have previously failed to meet the University’s entry requirements.

The second programme, Foundation Oxford, will run a university-wide version of the “Foundation Year” scheme pioneered at Lady Margaret Hall, and will “be offered to students who have experienced personal disadvantage or severely disrupted education.”

According to the University, “The scheme aims to open up places to students with high academic potential who, owing to their circumstances, are not yet in a position to make a competitive Oxford application.

“Eligible students could include refugees and children in care or with care responsibilities themselves. Once in operation, offers for Foundation Oxford will be made on the basis of lower contextual A-level grades, rather than the University’s standard offers.”

Successful applications will then undergo a one year, subject-specific programme building their capacity for university level study: those who are successful will then move onto the Oxford undergraduate degree for which they were admitted.

The current plan is for the University to phase these programmes in, building to 200 Opportunity Oxford and 50 Foundation Oxford places by 2023.

The programmes are inspired by Univ’s existing Opportunity Programme and LMH’s innovative Foundation Year scheme.

According to the University, “The schemes offer students the chance to immerse themselves in the Oxford environment, developing their study skills and their subject knowledge. The students will benefit from the University’s internationally outstanding teaching facilities while living and studying in a college community.

“By the end of their programmes they will have developed the confidence to meet the challenges of a demanding undergraduate degree. Both schemes will be free and students’ residential and living costs will be fully funded throughout the courses.”

The Vice Chancellor, Louise Richardson, claimed: “This is a sea change in Oxford admissions. Colleagues from across the University, its colleges and departments have united behind a commitment to accelerate the pace at which we are diversifying our student body and ensuring that every academically exceptional student in the country knows that they have a fair chance of a place at Oxford.”

Meanwhile SU President Joe Inwood said: “This is a major step forward in improving access to Oxford. Students are excited to see the University commit to these new initiatives, and it is a reflection on student efforts to bring this to the forefront of the University agenda.

“Oxford SU has long held access at the heart of our work, so this is excellent news for Oxford students.”

According to the University, the new programmes will “build on the success of Oxford’s existing activities to open its doors to a wider field of students. These include the UNIQ summer school, the Oxnet communities initiative and the use of contextual information to select students for undergraduate courses.

“Most recent figures for the 2019 intake show a record 64.5% of offers were made to students from state schools while 15.7% of offers went to students from the most under-represented backgrounds.

“This summer will see UNIQ expand by 50% to help a total of 1,350 state school pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds transform their chances of making a successful application to Oxford.”

Ffion Price, who studied on Univ’s Bridging Programme, said: “As a student who knows first-hand the benefits of access initiatives such as the Univ bridging programme, I could not be happier to see the University taking the necessary steps to ensure that more prospective students of the future are extended the same life-changing opportunity.

“It is a turning point for this institution – a recognition that, while unfortunately students up and down the country are not afforded a level playing field, as an institution we are capable of generating initiatives that help to combat that.

“It is a significant step towards ensuring that those who are capable, and have had to endure unique circumstance and hardship through no fault of their own, are afforded the opportunity to succeed as much as anyone else.”

Cherelle Malongo, another student, who took part in the LMH foundation year and now studies Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, argued that “I am very pleased to hear that the University will be introducing Foundation Oxford.

“As a beneficiary of the LMH Foundation Year, I am heartened to know many more students will benefit from an Oxford education.

“As a young woman from Newham, Oxford seemed a distant dream, but since arriving in September 2017, I can’t imagine being anywhere else. The Foundation Year has changed my life and today’s announcement means many more lives will be transformed in the future.”

Review: Four Men in Their Respective Cells – ‘a whistle-stop psychological drama’

Evie Atmore
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Review: Four Men in Their Respective Cells – ‘a whistle-stop psychological drama’

Fly on the Wall Production’s Four Men in Their Respective Cells considers to what extent we truly know our reality, through the lens of four men imprisoned both mentally and physically. The play throws up some interesting questions for the audience to consider: Why these men? What have they done? Are they connected? And, most crucially, are they telling the truth, and, if so, can we trust their truth? Throughout the performance, the script, acting, and production combined well to force the audience to confront these issues and question whom their allegiance lies with.

Though there was a tendency towards overacting in the opening scenes, the overall standard of acting was good – Joshua Fine stood out in particular, with an engaging portrayal of a complex character. In terms of the characters themselves, there was an imbalance in the prominence of each in the script. This resulted in one of the characters becoming unnecessary as the play progressed, particularly in the climactic moments. The plot twists were delivered well, for which Eddie Chapman in particular should be commended. At points, however, these plot twists were too obvious, and elsewhere not obvious enough. A lack of character progression over the course of the narrative meant that one twist in particular felt too sudden and broke my suspension of disbelief.

For a play that only lasted 40 minutes, the Burton Taylor Studio was the perfect location for this whistle-stop psychological drama: dark and enclosed, the audience was immediately immersed in an atmosphere of oppressive isolation. This feeling was heightened through the use of dissonant violins before the show, and the sharp delineation of the stage into two halves, for two cells. The set design was clearly well-considered, and effective use of lighting aided understanding as scenes jumped from character to character. A particularly effective decision by Writer/Director Malgorzata Kaczmarek was the use of sound effects at moments of madness and violence – each character’s downward spiral was emphatically punctuated by ominous background noise. Throughout the play I found myself tense with anticipation.

The production team and actors worked throughout the play to create a suspenseful, somewhat claustrophobic environment, and to good effect. However, I cannot help but feel that this build-up was hugely let down by the ending of the play. Although the ending leaves the audience guessing, I did not find it adequately conclusive. The writing felt rushed and unfinished. Full resolution is not required at the end of a play, of course, but in general the audience should not leave thinking, “Was that it?” This was a real shame, and not an adequate testament to the work put into the production in other areas.

For a play with so much promise thematically, I cannot help but be disappointed by Four Men in their Respective Cells. This is not really the fault of the actors, the production team, or the director; rather, is due to the script not quite allowing the engaging, interesting and emotive parts of the play to come to the fore.

Worcester win hockey Cuppers again

Cerys Baines
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Worcester win hockey Cuppers again

Last week saw Worcester and Teddy Hall hockey teams battle it out to become Cuppers champions. This however, was not the first time that the two sides have met this year as they had already come face to face in the league. Teddy Hall had managed to snatch a victory over Worcester and take away all chances they had of winning the league, as well as ending a Worcester win streak that had been going for more than three years. Worcester would therefore be keen to take revenge and regain hold of the cup, which would cement their place as the dominant Cuppers hockey team, considering the success they have had in recent years.

It was clear from the start that tensions would be running high and the game was not very friendly, with both the Teddy Hall players and fans frequently shouting at the umpires. The Worcester side, captained by fourth-year physicist Oskar Williams, seemed the dominant team throughout the first half. They won short corner after short corner but were often unable to convert, which led to frustration. This meant that at half time, the score line did not necessarily reflect the scenes on the pitch, with Worcester only going into the break at 1-0 up, thanks to a goal from Jonah Boender.

However, in the second half the pace of the game picked up as the two teams became even more eager for a victory. Teddy Hall soon got back into the game and equalised to make the match more even. However, Worcester were determined to not throw away the momentum they had garnered and pushed to go back into the lead, scoring three goals in a row to put them 4-1 up with the game drawing to an end.

These goals were partly due to star performances from player of the season Jonah Boender, who scored an excellent hat-trick, and Aaron Goss who ran circles around the Teddy Hall defence. Ben Northam also managed to get his name on the score sheet. Boender in particular displayed the extent of his skill, scoring on two occasions from some superb drag flicks. The Cuppers title looked like it was in sight.

Whether it was over confidence, or just because the side just sat back, Worcester’s dreams of reclaiming their trophy came under threat as the match was drawing to a close. The game became extremely tense for Worcester as they let in two goals in quick succession with the timer running out.

The scenes on the pitch certainly led the Teddy Hall fans to believe they could do one over Worcester for the second time in the year, and there were numerous (very poor) chants shouted down the megaphone as well as smoke bombs being let off by the side of the pitch, which meant the game had to be stopped to wait for the smoke to go out. This display of support arguably could have prevented the Teddy Hall side to grab another goal, as it certainly disrupted the flow and momentum of the game.

Despite this, credit must be given to the Worcester side, who persisted and did not let these goals disrupt their cool. The Worcester side really began to show their dominance, with keeper Will Woods making some even more impressive saves. On the other hand, the Teddy Hall side became so desperate that by the end they had swapped out their goalie for a kicking back, which Worcester almost took advantage of. This meant that when the final whistle was eventually blown, Worcester had held on to their Cuppers title yet again.

Bart van Es and the ripple effect of trauma

Ava Sharpe
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Bart van Es and the ripple effect of trauma

On the 2nd May, I lit a virtual candle to remember Sara Rozenberg. Sara was born in 1924 in Krasny Luch, Ukraine, and died in the Holocaust at the age of just 18. As I scrolled past the link to the virtual memorial campaign, my Facebook timeline began filling with posts shared by my friends commemorating the individual victims of the Holocaust they had lit candles for. The 2nd of May also happened to be the 27th of Nissan, the Jewish date on which victims of the Holocaust are remembered.

“Chaya Samsonowicz of Dzestochowa, perished at Auschwitz, aged just 6 years old.”

“Jacob Perla of Haifa, perished at Treblinka, 1943, aged just 5.”

Clicking the link led me to the website Illuminate the Past. With the simple double-tap of the screen, I had lit a virtual candle to commemorate just one of the six million Jewish victims. The option to “share this to your timeline” was then presented to me on the screen. I couldn’t help but think, was this virtual touch and share truly an act of remembrance? A name, a date, and a place of death was all I was told of Sara. By posting her name and place of death on my own page, was I truly honouring her life? I wondered how similar Sara would have been to me, what she was would have been like. Would we have thought about the same things?

The movement towards the memorialisation of individual victims of the Holocaust is the growing initiative taken by many contemporary memorial campaigns. Masorti Judaism has recently brought the Yellow Candle Project to the UK, in which individual candles are disseminated in an attempt to remember by name individuals who died in the Holocaust. The candle is modelled on the traditional Jewish memorial yahrzeit candle but is coloured yellow to resemble the stars that Jewish people were forced to wear as a mark of their religious identity.

Mati Kovachi, an Israel hi-tech billionaire from a family of Holocaust victims and survivors, last week pioneered a controversial Instagram project, in which an account was set up recounting the real-life story of Jewish girl, Eva Heyman, using the social media channels of a 21st century-teenager. In an attempt to bring Eva’s story onto a familiar platform, the project echoes the Yellow Candle’s campaign attempt to scale down Holocaust memorial from the collective to the individual level. In order to humanise the victims, the campaign attempts present their lives in reality as ordinary individuals with their own lives and experiences.

While we cannot claim to relate to these experiences of systematic persecution, the initiative proves successful in framing the victims as people, defined not only by their status as a victim of the Holocaust. Each of these people had their own friends, families, jobs and experiences. It is only when we consider this fact that we can begin to imagine the extent of all-encompassing, pervasive impact of the Holocaust not just on those who died, or those who survived, but on society as a whole.

Chaya, Jacob, and Sara were just three of the lives affected by the Holocaust. While we know that six-million Jews perished, the number of those impacted by the tragedy remains greater. Not only did the victims and survivors each have their own families, friends and colleagues who were subsequently affected, but there were those who sheltered and cared for Jewish people at the risk of their own lives or simply knew them from around town. We often hear the stories about the camps, the shootings, of Jewish fate being laid out in two options – death or survival.

But sticking to this binary of victim and survivor remains problematic. All those who survived continued to be victims of the Holocaust, spending their entire lives attempting to come to terms with profound loss and trauma, often proving unable to lead fully functioning lives as a result.

This traumatic inheritance is precisely why Bart van Es’ memoir, The Cut Out Girl, represents such an important turn in the field of individual Holocaust remembrance. Van Es’ memoir of the Jewish girl, Lien, who was sheltered by his grandparents in Holland during the Holocaust, is a moving tale of the difficulties and long-lasting impact on those, Jewish and non-Jewish, who survived yet remained victims to the effects of the Holocaust. These included not only Lien herself, but Van Es’ family who sheltered her.

Van Es presents their relationship, despite steeped in obvious love and compassion, as being fractured and turbulent, lasting long after the end of the war. Lien’s own struggle forging a relationship with Van Es’ grandmother, her confusion towards his grandfather, and her inability to wrestle with her own position within the framework of their family culminates in the tragedy and break-down of family ties common amongst survivors of the Holocaust. Indeed, Lien is eventually cut-off entirely from her foster family and uninvited from the funeral of her foster mother.

Van Es’ memoir is a poignant reminder that not all stories of survival emerging from the damage of the Holocaust are of triumph and reconciliation. The physical and psychological effects of the Holocaust lasted well beyond the liberation of Auschwitz, or the Allied occupation of Germany. Lien could not just return to normal life with the Van Esses once the Germans had been defeated. We must avoid attempting to romanticise the experiences of the survivors of tragedy, for liberation did not mean the end of suffering.

To remember those who suffered includes acknowledging that survival did not necessarily mean freedom. For the surviving victims of the Holocaust, the lack of freedom from trauma, mental and physical distress mean the longer lasting effects of physical and cultural loss did not release survivors from their victimhood. Van Es himself, not Jewish and writing seven decades after Lien returned to his grandparents throughout the memoir still attempts to reconcile with the effects the Holocaust had on his own family.

Despite this, the plea for memorialisation on an individual level is not always honoured. Just days ago, a German doll with hair from a Holocaust victim was found to have been displayed in a Turkish toy museum. The curator alleged that the victim whose hair was being used was killed at Auschwitz in 1941, with the doll having been on display since the museums opening in 2017. The dignity of the individual had been entirely eroded in the process, reducing them to just one of the thousands whose hair was sheared and stored in camps controlled by the Nazis.

As a result, the individual whose hair is now on the museum doll remains imprisoned in the form intended to them by their persecutors, effectively frozen in their oppression. We must remember the liberation of the victims of the Holocaust only began with the liberation of the camps. Lien’s powerful individual story remains helpful in the quest to humanise the experiences of the 6 million, as ultimately her story reminds us that to remember the individuals is to remember the collective.

University to fund Erasmus alternative in case of No Deal Brexit

Sam Millward
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University to fund Erasmus alternative in case of No Deal Brexit

The University’s Department of Modern and Medieval Languages has announced substitute funding plans for foreign exchanges, should Brexit negotiations do away with current provisions.

The Department Chair, Professor Ian Watson, today confirmed an “open-ended commitment to funding exchange activity required as a compulsory part of an undergraduate degree programme on the same basis as current Erasmus+ provision.”

According to the University’s website: “Oxford remains wholly committed to the Erasmus+ programme and to ensuring student exchanges with European partner universities continue.

“Year abroad arrangements will continue to be in place. In the event that funding is not made available through the European Commission or the UK government for Erasmus+ activity, the University has committed to funding exchange activity required as a compulsory part of an undergraduate degree.”

This announcement follows the creation in February of “Oxford and the EU”, a website specifically designed to provide current students with information about Brexit fallout.

As reported by Cherwell, a no deal Brexit may lead to EU citizens, including students, being treated as third country nationals, removing all EEA afford rights to study and free movement.

As well as visa and immigration difficulties, consequences would include higher tuition fees, in line with those currently paid by non-EU international students.

The University has not yet made comment as to whether research staff will have access to EU equivalent funding, totalling £78 million in 2017/18.

Is It Really as Easy as ABC?

Maebh Mulligan-Smith
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Is It Really as Easy as ABC?

Inheritance is always a tricky topic when brought up in Britain. With this country’s colonial history its seems fashionable at the moment for debates on institutions like the British Museum, or even on our own hallowed halls of learning, to crop up.

The conclusions reached are usually something along the lines of “actually, it’s there now, just leave it be, so it isn’t always the easiest topic to approach”. In other circumstances, inheritance can be the proverbial opener of a tin of particularly claustrophobic worms, not only sparking family feuds which reduce the drama of Aunt Mabel’s refusal to do Christmas into a happy memory, but also feed into wider debates about social equality, the place of inheritance taxes, and politics in general. It was never going to be pretty, was it?

Whatever your personal opinion on the rights and wrongs of the inheritance of money or debt, thinking about how the passing down of physical things is quite a different matter from seeing how the past has shaped our language, culture and, consequently, our identity.

The effect that language has on our day-to-day is huge. We know this though: think about how things like pronouns, political correctness, or even just slang on its own is heaped with connotation. But these are often examples of the current changing our language. The way the past does it is less obvious and gives us a look into the world that it came from. Just think of the way that Icelandic, for instance, has nearly fifty different words for snow. Equally, English (once called “a shameless whore” by arch-lingophile Stephen Fry) has various words that we’ve nicked blatantly from other languages. You didn’t think that we came up with kangaroo, baklava or pain au chocolat ourselves, did you?

More interestingly, what about little phrases and idioms unique to a group or place and what they symbolise? One of my favourite idioms (if only for the dramatics usually accompanying it) comes, like me, from Ireland: “there’ll be wigs on the green”. It essentially means trouble is on its way. But my mother told me after I’d learnt a bit more about my heritage, that it specifically referred to a battle in which the wigwearing English had been (for the meantime) defeated. A quick google reveals that this might not have actually happened, but it forms a Romantic image nonetheless. While I have only inherited a spattering of Irish language phrases here and there, it’s through idioms and slang – as with language users the world over – that I keep a linguistic inheritance and share a culture which shapes my identity.

It is for these reasons, then, that our language is so crucial as a part of our national and personal identity. It provides nuances and records of our histories. Living in Wales has shown me how much the preservation of dying languages matters to so many and so much. On match days, the phrase “cymru am byth” is seen and heard being used by Welsh supporters, regardless of how much Welsh they can actually speak. It unites them and marks them out from the rest of the Anglophonic island they live on. There certainly isn’t an English rugby equivalent, and there doesn’t need to be. England’s identity hasn’t been challenged in the way that Wales’ has. Like many nations colonised by England, this pride comes in response to a history where Welsh-speaking itself was punished by teachers in schools. By inheriting the language (or lack thereof) we also inherit this history of oppression by the English. While traipsing through the ropes of Anglo-Saxon in a tute, I was shocked to find out that the very word “Welsh” derives from an Old English word for both “foreigner” and “slave”. Despite this, and despite being a non-Welsh speaking myself, the effects of the Welsh language upon vernacular in Wales is everywhere – from listening to exasperated teacher’s exclaim “ych-a-fi” (meaning “that’s disgusting” or just simply “ew”) over scrappy homework submitted as close to the deadline as this article was or watching my immigrant mother codify road signs like araf. Seeing this and hearing this around me every day made me aware of the cultural inheritance, even in a diluted form., that I’ve inherited.

But on a less oppressed note, what about the way that our own Oxford language has been created trhough the university’s history? If you mention a “tute” to a friend at another uni, you’ll be met with confused stares, and then probably have the piss taken out of you. Let’s not even get into a “plodge” and the uniquely Oxbridge things which go on in there (from porters to pidges). While we aren’t quite the only place where one can find a punt, we are one of the few places where virtually everyone knows what one is and the ultimate form of procrastination they represent. Bop for most can mean a lot of things from a bash, bounce or boogie. Only here are evening of drunken hijinks to a noughties soundtrack brought immediately to mind. Bod is paired with hot rather than card. A collection is something which happens at church, not at the beginning of term. Trinity for the rest of the world is God the father, son and spirit. Hilary is usually followed by Clinton not term and Michaelmas is pronounced in any number of ways. Just look at the centuryold linguistic heritage which we’ve absorbed by the end of freshers without even thinking. While this does bring us together, it also gives off the impression of something cultish and certainly, that verb-du-jour, elitist….

But what’s to be done about this? Should we stop using the word “Welsh” because of what it once meant? Out of shame of the British Empire, should we discontinue calling our nan’s house a bungalow? Are we being elitist by knowing what sub fusc is? But rather than actual theft, the fact that our whorish language (or other countries’ more prudish ones) totally reflects where it’s come from is only natural. Just like everyone and everything else. To strip a language of words or phrases that it’s picked up along the way reduces it and its speakers sense of identity and what we can actually do with it in a very 1984-esque manner.

Equally, language is above all a way to connect to our community and create a distinct identity for it. It’s a social bond.

Lady Pat. R. Honising – Finding Your Place

Lady Pat R. Honising
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Lady Pat. R. Honising – Finding Your Place

Dear Agony Aunt,

I’m coming up to the end of my second year now, and it’s becoming ever more obvious that I haven’t quite found my place in Oxford in the same way that all of my friends seem to have done. I’ve tried activity after activity, but none of them have really been my thing, and with finals on the horizon I feel like the possibility of finding something character defining in Oxford is fading away. So please help me Agony Aunt, what should I do in these times of need?

All the best,
Nicheless Nobody.

My dearest Anon,

Oh honey, your dilemma has brought a tear to your dear Auntie’s eye, let me take you under my wing and we’ll get through this together. In an age where personal branding is key, feeling as if you haven’t quite found your niche yet is a very common crisis. Especially in Oxford where people ask “so what do you do!” before even asking your name, feeling as if the only answer to this is: “my degree and also sometimes a Bridge Thursday” can be tough, but you have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m no careers service, hell, I’m not even up to the standard of that one “Tell us your breakfast preferences and we’ll give you a new hobby” Buzzfeed quiz you took at 3am, but I can give it a bloody good go. 

Times like these, when we find ourselves directionless and craving stability (much like during my first three divorces), it is important to look into ourselves and figure out what it is that we really want out of this situation. Look at feeling like this as a blessing – you have been granted the gift of reflection and an opportunity to act on it, so let’s seize the day and get down to it (I’ve taken two Mindfulness classes honey, I know what I’m talking about.) It seems very obvious, but you first need to ask yourself what you really want to do, and why you want to do it. Although the pressure of sounding vaguely impressive to your (probably much more impressive) peers seems to in itself validate craving this sense of purpose, this is not and should not be a reason in itself to feel like your life is lacking in the extra-curricular department. If you’re going to do something, do it for yourself and not for the social clout. Recent studies have shown that at least a good chunk of student ‘politicians’ have only ended up there for a conversation filler, don’t let yourself be just another statistic, baby. 

If you’ve done some of that sweet, sweet introspection and feel like you want to find your thing for yourself and yourself only, then it’s time to get brainstorming. You mentioned that you’d already tried to put yourself out there but to no avail – maybe a good start is looking at why these things haven’t worked out for you. If it’s sports you’ve tried, maybe it’s time to admit to yourself that a gold medal in the egg and spoon race at your Year five sports day is perhaps not conducive to a blue. Maybe try diverting your attention to something that’ll bring out your already existing qualities rather than seeking something that is totally out of your comfort zone. 

*Love pissing off your flat mates by putting on a one-man musical on the daily? Student Drama!*

*Get a kick from making strangers feel vaguely uncomfy but generally amused by oversharing your childhood traumas? Student Comedy!*

*Love to overshare and want a vessel for it other than your finsta but lack the stage presence and endearing awkward charm to be a student comedian? Cherwell Agony Aunt!*

Self-awareness is key – capitalise on what makes you you, as there really is a place and a role for absolutely everyone. It’s all you from here on in, keep soul searching and remember that whatever you do, it will probably mean absolutely nothing to anyone/everyone five years down the line! 

Love and luck,

Lady P. xoxoxo

Preview: Your Little Play – ‘your life is defined by the choices you make’

Robyn Allen
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Preview: Your Little Play – ‘your life is defined by the choices you make’

“What kind of man would I be if I let you pay? On an access scheme?”

Armed with lines such as these, Anna Myrmus’ writing in Your Little Play seems poised and ready to make you angry at the world in 4th week. Having seen Act 1 and having quizzed the eloquent cast and director on the specifics of the production the play seems to be filled with brilliant characterisations of some brilliantly flawed characters which the audience can hope to look forward to.

In Your Little Play the audience gets to watch a representation of themselves make split-second decisions that only send them further into the tailspin they’ve been running toward – feeling somewhat like it’s a helter-skelter at a funfair – as well as a fun representation of the pale, male and stale figure that somehow still has power over all of us.

Through these characters the play looks ready and set to explore the complexities of the notion of power. In particular, the power that those established in the arts have over newcomers proves one of the most fascinating elements of the story being told, and the power dynamics between these characters come creeping out of the cracks in their overly tense communications. In the segment which I have seen, the acting of Isabella Gilpin as Laura and Lorelei Piper as Emma cleverly brings out the insidious nature of the expected submission of women in a work environment, as well as its potential for personal emotional ramifications.

When I asked Myrmus for her rationale behind writing the play, relatability seemed to come to the fore: she replied that she felt “most women have a story that is similar”. The timely resonance of the story that is being told looks to be the strength of the production. The fact that the issue of men behaving badly in positions of power, enabled by their privilege, is so relevant today is what makes this production appear to be special. As the action of Your Little Play unfolds, figures such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey become spectres that haunt the shadows. This gives it has power outside of its immediate performance context and adds to one’s desire to intently watch what is going on.

Another interesting question arises through the course of the play, and one you might not expect: “Can you separate the art from the artist?” How could you possibly do this if the artist has personally made you suffer? Is knowing that they have made people suffer any different? These are questions which have affected most of us in recent times and are confronted head-on in the course of the play.

This appears to be a play which seeks to remove the black and white. Characters are not good and bad, they are human. Who is to say you would not have done the same in their situation? Who is to say they didn’t do the best they could?

Ultimately, Nightjar Theatre present a fundamental truth to the audience: your life is defined by the choices you make. All that’s left to do it pick carefully. 

Corpus JCR motion proposes to declare war on MCR

Rachel Cordery
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Corpus JCR motion proposes to declare war on MCR

Corpus Christi’s JCR considered a motion to declare war on the MCR this week. The motion was not voted on, as a quorum was not reached.

Identifying the MCR as their greatest threat, third year student Adam Steinberg noted that the JCR “had not been at war for two years”, thus “hindering their military strength.”

The motion was proposed at a JCR meeting on Sunday, facing opposition from those who claimed it to be a waste of the JCR’s time.

Steinberg stated in the proposal that the JCR had a “lack of air and naval defences, as well as no standing army”, while the MCR, their nearest neighbour, has “similar defensive capabilities”. To improve this situation, the proposer argued that “many technological innovations come about in times of conflict.”

In the event of war, the President would be mandated to write a declaration of war to the MCR, and to post a copy of said letter on the door of the MCR.

Among other technical changes, the following text would be added to the Policy Document: “The mortal enemy of this JCR is our counterpart MCR, and there shall be no peace until the MCR surrenders and pays appropriate reparations.”

The motion argued: “Although international war can be bad, college warfare can be good.

“Wartime offers the opportunity to remodel the JCR to reflect both the gravity of the situation and the college’s warring status.”

In previous conflicts, a JCR Warmonger was appointed to represent the Common Room’s interests.

In the event that the motion passes, the Executive Committee, renamed ‘High Command’, would appoint a Warmonger from the current committee.

The current positions of President, Vice President and Treasurer would become Commander in Chief, Vice Admiral and the Master of the Treasury.

The Returning, Arts and Entertainments Officers would take on the roles of Ministers for Truth, Propaganda and Morale, respectively. Among the other changes, the Beer Cellar Representative would be renamed as Rum Keeper, while the Tortoise Keeper would become the Battle Tortoise Trainer.

The alternative titles for JCR positions would be effective immediately. The motion would also specify, in the JCR’s Standing Orders, a duty of all officers “To represent the JCR in its war with the MCR, and to do whatever is possible to further The Cause.”

The new names for the committee would be used neither in official intramural correspondence (unless requested), nor for the new committee jumpers.

The JCR President and the proposer of the motion have been contacted for comment.

Preview: My Mother Runs in Zig-Zags – ‘shapes the lived experience of war and migration’

Alyssa Steiner
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Preview: My Mother Runs in Zig-Zags – ‘shapes the lived experience of war and migration’

Weaving together narration, poetry, dance, and song to tell a life story shaped by migration, My Mother Runs in Zig-Zags certainly promises to be one of the most ambitious projects the Oxford theatre scene has seen in recent years. Yet, writer-directors Zad El Bacha’s and Simran Uppal’s smart writing and theatrical intuition and an immensely talented cast of BAME actors, poets, dancers, and singers, which worked alongside them to devise this play, fully redeem this promise.

Together they take the audience on a journey spanning generations and continents: they layer music, dance and poetry to carefully reveal the memories and anecdotes contained in migration experiences caused by the Lebanese civil war (which ran from 1975 to 1990). They uncover the sounds of the sea, with the sand and pebbles of Beirut’s beaches still lingering in stories shared around kitchen tables. The play masterfully stratifies the serious, funny, and absurd aspects of a life lived in war zones and a state of migration, animating it through new exciting writing, music, and dance.

Prose passages are performed by the brilliant Iqra Mohamed and Shekinah Opara. Mohamed’s unaffected and intuitive performance highlights the sublime writing, which integrates itself seamlessly into the vibrant tradition of oral history. Conversely, Opara confidently gauges the depths of silence, which can trap, but ultimately prove deeply empowering. The pair also provides some hilarious and witty exchanges, which punctuate the play’s seriousness. Exploring different ways of engaging with and disengaging from the past, the prose guides the audience through the confusion and disorientation of a childhood in war-torn Lebanon, where “different groups kept splitting and uniting”.

A chorus consisting of dancers, singers, and spoken word poets embodies this principle of randomly changing parameters of identity, which shapes the lived experience of war and migration: in split seconds a playful child transforms into an armed soldier; a singer falls silent; a dancer stands still, blending back into the anonymous chorus. The voices of singers Su Ying, Rore Disun-Odebode, Leanne Yau, and Elhana Sugiaman interweave, constantly shifting between subtle disharmony and unison, which contributes to a slowlyenveloping atmosphere. Layered on top are contemporary dance sequences, choreographed and performed by Jesryna Patel, Esther Agbolade, and Kalyna El Kettas. The entrancing rhythm developed by the dancers’ movements – simultaneously strong and vulnerable – multiplies the plays emotional impact. Michael Akolade Ayodeji-Johnson’s vivid poetry completes the chorus by providing it with its own voice, distinct from Mohamed and Opara’s prose.

The trust the production team and cast have put into each other and the creativity and skill such an engaging play demands is palpable. This translates onto the stage: My Mother Runs in Zig-Zags is an astonishingly mature production, which embraces the uncomfortable silences caused by the experience of war and migration as much as the beautifully enchanting dance sequences and haunting a cappella melodies. El Bacha and Uppal have created a multi-layered masterpiece and anyone would be well advised to not miss this extraordinary play. It will make you laugh, cry, and stop you in your tracks. And when the curtain falls, you will want to see it all over again.

My Mother Runs in Zig-Zags plays at The North Wall Arts Centre from Thursday May 5th to Saturday June 1st (5th Week). Tickets are available here.

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