Culture & Literature – Page 9 of 37

23Nov

By Jordan ThorneNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Music

Mental Health in Pop Music

Clarissa Philpott Author’s note: Please read this at your own discretion. TRIGGER WARNING: There are quite a few direct mentions of sexual assault, substance abuse, self harm and suicide. Lady Gaga - Replay from Chromatica - life dealing with PTSD (to be honest the entirety of this album is amazing at telling stories of trauma and healing!) Despite its upbeat melody and EDM rhythm, the twelfth song on Lady Gaga’s latest album Chromatica called Replay, is actually about Gaga’s PTSD. Whilst a lot of song writers have tended to stray from direct meaning in their songs, and prefer to use metaphors that listeners can interpret themselves, Lady Gaga is almost always straight to the point, in particular when it comes to stories of sexual assault. As a rape surivor herself, she is...

Artist of the Month: Chakkri Kaewkhamsorn

23Nov

By Safia LiesnhamNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Visual Arts

Artist of the Month: Chakkri Kaewkhamsorn

Safia Liesnham "My name is Chakkri Kaewkhamsorn, 19 years of age, studying in London. Photography has always been my passion although it’s not something I thought I’d ever end up doing. I grew up in Thailand, Udon Thani to be exact, with my grandparents, and both my grandparents and my parents wanted me to pursue an academic career path. I was 10 when I came to the UK. Despite not knowing the language when I started school I ended up doing quite well and was proud of myself. I didn’t get into photography until one of my friends let me borrow her camera during a school trip and all I can remember is that the camera never left my hands and I begged my parents for one when I got home. It took almost a year for them to finally give in, and they bought me my first DSLR, which I still use...

Book Review: ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl

23Nov

By Thom Cuffin-MundayNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Literature

Book Review: ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl

Thom Cuffin-Munday This book was recommended to me by a very special person who was aiding me in my soul-searching, especially since going through many a mental health crisis and struggling to find a meaning to existence. Frankl’s book has been regarded as one of the most inspirational stories of the 20th century, describing his experiences of the Holocaust and using this as a basis to explain his alternative to psychoanalysis – logotherapy. The book itself is very short and sweet at only 170 odd pages and can easily be read within a few days to a week – I’m sure you could finish it in a day, but I would allow more time to process what you’re reading! The book is divided into two sections, the first being an account of Frankl’s experiences as a Jew during the Holocaust, moving...

Confessional Writing and the Destigmatisation of Mental Health

23Nov

By Jack WrightNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Literature

Confessional Writing and the Destigmatisation of Mental Health

Jack Wright In the middle of the twentieth century, a new style of poetry saw a surge in popularity, spearheaded by writers such as Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton and Robert Lowell. Principally, confessional poetry placed an emphasis on the “I” and involved a poet incorporating biographical narrative directly into their writing. Rather than glorifying the mental health struggles of writers, confessional poetry sought to embrace the exploration of topics previously seen as taboo. Mental illness was one, as was sexuality and suicide. A key effect of this style of writing was to expose the imperfections of the domestic which, in both written and filmed media, was often idealised. The world was in recovery mode after the Second World War and would remain ever-changed by eve...

As lockdown returns with a second season no-one asked for, here’s how film can help with your mental wellbeing over this lonesome winter.

23Nov

By Harry MearNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

As lockdown returns with a second season no-one asked for, here’s how film can help with your mental wellbeing over this lonesome winter.

Harry Mear With cinemas once again barred from audiences and the long nights drawing in, the retreat to lockdown and self-isolation has been difficult and even more challenging for those that suffer from mental health issues. To help you through the winter and in reflection of the theme of this issue, what better way to tackle the stigma surrounding mental illness by exploring its depiction in films which embrace afflictions in interesting and uplifting styles. Films such as Little Miss Sunshine, Silver Linings Playbook, Pixar’s Inside Out, A Beautiful Mind, Anger Management, Good Will Hunting and Groundhog Day address various mental health issues and are perfect for disappearing into the sofa with a deep-dish takeaway (it’s important to support the local businesses too). In these f...

Future Islands – As Long as You Are (Album Review)

1Nov

By Niamh SmithNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Music

Future Islands – As Long as You Are (Album Review)

Niamh Smith In 2014, the Baltimore-based synthpop group Future Islands unexpectedly became a viral hit. Featured on the Late Show with David Letterman in the U.S., and Later… with Jools Holland in the U.K. shortly afterwards, the lead single from their fourth album, the emotionally resonant Seasons (Waiting on You), was named the best song of 2014 by esteemed publications, such as NME and Pitchfork. The band found themselves playing festivals such as Coachella and Glastonbury, and, determined to keep up with the demand for new music, they rushed out another album, 2017’s The Far Field. Despite positive reviews and good sales, the quartet of Samuel Herring (vocals), Gerrit Welmers (keyboards), William Cashion (guitars) and Michael Lowry (percussion) have described the record as ‘condesc...

Living Your Dark Academic Dreams at RHUL

24Oct

By Thom Cuffin-MundayNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Literature

Living Your Dark Academic Dreams at RHUL

Simran Grewal If a large chunk of the reason you chose to attend Royal Holloway was due to seeing Founder’s Building in person, I’m sure you understand what I mean when I say that the Dark Academic in me yearned to study here. However, if you have no idea what a ‘dark academic’ is, here is the definition: heavily popularised by the app Tiktok, the ‘dark academic’ aesthetic revolves around higher education, the Romantic era, classical study, and of course neo-gothic architecture. Here I have some recommendations for some books that should be next on your dark academic reading list instead of doing your assigned reading that’s due tomorrow! The Secret History - Donna Tartt Perhaps the gateway novel into the world of academia, I would best describe The Secret History as the...

23Oct

By Thom Cuffin-MundayNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Diversity in the Indian film industry

During my studies for my Masters degree on Indian cinema I have come across a few issues with the country’s film industry. The emergence of powerful global campaigns for equality in recent years have strengthened movements against age-old discrimination. In Indian cinema in particular, the casting process for many Bollywood films is prone to neglecting diversity and having questionable requirements for the actors performing in the films, most commonly the desire for lighter-skinned Indians who are viewed as more ‘sellable’. ‘Brownfacing’ in Indian culture has been apparent for many years, even dating back to the depictions of deities as light-skinned, and lower caste people depicted as very dark-skinned, in order to enforce a skin colour hierarchy as part of tradition. As with many pro...

The hidden POC composers of the classical world

23Oct

By Jordan ThorneNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Music

The hidden POC composers of the classical world

Clarissa Philpott Premiering on BBC Four at the end of September, a documentary special dedicated to the missing chapters of a forgotten part of musical history, ‘Black Classical Music: The Forgotten History’, was presented by stand-up comic, activist and Royal Holloway alumnus Lenny Henry, alongside writer and music broadcaster Suzy Klein. Their focus throughout the 90 minute programme was on the hidden figures of the classical music world and the emphasis on the sheer creativity, musicality and beauty that was translated through the music of POC composers. In this article I hope to highlight and celebrate just a handful of the composers mentioned. The earliest composer mentioned in the programme was Ignatius Sancho, born of West African heritage in the 1720s. Sancho began hi...

23Oct

By Niamh SmithNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Visual Arts

Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years

Grayson Perry is one of Britain’s most iconic living artists. Known for his idiosyncratic pottery style and his female alter ego Claire, Perry is the subject of a new exhibition at the Holburne Museum in Bath. Focusing on his work in the 1980s and 1990s, completed before Perry’s psychotherapy, the objects featured are shown together for the first time in decades, having been crowd-sourced from across the UK. Upon entering, you are faced with three distinct terracotta plates. One of these, an untitled piece, is surrounded by a border fashioned from tree bark, which Perry describes as ‘very redolent of faeces, which was probably intentional’. Perry’s witty commentary, which can be found on labels throughout the exhibition, sets the tone for the pieces on display, a delightful mixture of ...