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The second issue of SL Magazine covers everything from the exploitation of young people from internships, to coverage of local bands and issues relevant to young people
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MAGAZINEindependent//youth//free
the future is here
MAGAZINEMAGAZINEindependent//youth//freeindependent//youth//free
the future is herethe future is here
sl
The only magazine for young people, by young people
issue no.2//june-july 2011
Internships: Are young people being hung out to dry?
Also:FeaturesMusicNewsReviewsIssues
creditsAbout slHi there.
Welcome back to SL Magazine - a unique and innovative magazine produced especially for young people in Solihull and the surrounding area.
So what’s innovative about SL? How’s it different from all the other magazines, papers and e-zines out there? Well, what’s cool about SL is that it’s produced entirely by its readers. SL is about giving young people the opportunity to express themselves positively in the community. From arts to entertainment, fashion to politics, SL will keep you up to speed with whatever young people are talking about.
But SL isn’t just about the day-to-day. SL is also about change. Perhaps not changing the world (not yet anyway) but changing and challenging the small worlds we live in. We hope SL will be one small, positive contribution to a nicer kind of society. We want to promote the good things that young people do, show pride in diversity and create links to local charities and community groups.
So why just be a reader? We are always on the lookout for new contributors with something to say. Whether it’s through writing, photography, illustrating or design work, get involved and pick up some experience along the way - email [email protected].
Another thing that’s worth mentioning is that we are entirely not-for-profi t. SL Magazine is set-up as a social enterprise. That’s not to say we don’t need to make money. As with all magazines we have to cover our printing costs, that’s why there are local businesses advertising in the magazine, and we have received funding from o2’s ThinkBig youth project and UnLtd. They recognise what we’re doing and are keen to support us and young people in the area.
Anyway, now you know us and what we’re about, all that’s left to say is: enjoy the magazine!
SJB and BK
Special thanks to:Bev Bishop, Tim Stock, Rob and Deb Clements, Viv and
David Brown and Trevor and Alison Routledge
Simeon BrightBenedict Kentslmagazine.org
Tim Stock timstock.co.uk
Gareth Weston
Barnaby Kent
Contributors:Words: Stuart Lethbridge,
Maisie Gould, Kate Spence, Katie Clift, Dominique Grace,
Summaiya Shaikh, Miriam Hussain, Hope Brotherton,
David Hodges, Vedita Moothialoo, Gareth King, Adam
Brown, Robert Leftwich, Tim Stock, Beth Jellicoe, Charlie
Alcock and Carl SealeafImages: Gareth Weston, Jake Kindred, Katie Clift,
Michael Jones, Gareth King, Tim Stock, Maisie Gould, James Fisher, Dominique Grace and Barnaby Kent
Editors:
Advert Design:
Front Cover:
Back Page:
SL Magazine is an independent, not-for-profi t
magazine. We have no political or religious affi liation. We strive for honest, accurate reporting. If you feel we may have fallen
short of this then contact us by emailing the editors at [email protected]
“The intention with this particular, highly textural and contrasting graphic representation is to accentuate the apparent ignorance of those at the helm of both business and politics to the manner in which they freely toy with the futures of upcoming generations.”
Gareth Westonwestonillustration.carbonmade.com
20-2
1Cover concept
contentscontents
24
6-7
24
16-19
Games Prospector
Pand
as a
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eopl
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Making a splash Internships
News
27
10-1120-2
1language of a revolution
Create 28-30
Education 13
Confessions of a shopaholic 8
Last Rites 26
Different Eyes 12
Inside Man 8
When I get the $$$ I’ll buy... 25
Hive Mind 9
Editorial 4
Cover concept 2
Mod
el o
f cha
nge
15
Dubs
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The
Evo
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Skin
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Sum
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editorial
Independent. By young people. At its most basic, those four words are all that SL is.It may not sound like much, but it
means the world to us.Independence is much sought
after, aspired to and even claimed - but rarely ever attained. Almost every magazine, newspaper and TV channel has owners who have the final say on content.
These owners use their power to set an agenda, whether it is a commercial one (in order to make money) or a political one (to support a certain political view for their own benefit).
You may think there’s nothing so wrong with this. But it starts to be a problem when a story critical of a company that regularly advertises with the newspaper is ignored or the truth about a political party is concealed because the owners are big supporters of it.
Being independent avoids this. Being written solely by young people means we represent young people in the best possible way.
But it isn’t all good news! The downside is that we don’t have huge financial backing, we don’t have much weight to throw around and we don’t have lawyers at the stand-by
ready to defend us against anyone who might not like what we’re doing.
All we have is you. The people who work hard to produce the magazine, the people who take an interest and read it, the people who tell us how important it is to them.
And we all do it for nothing. No financial reward, no political reward. Just because we believe in it. We believe it is important and necessary.
That is, and only ever will be, our one agenda.
SL magazine, independent, by young people, and fiercely proud of it.
SJB & BK
editorial
’
Page design by Jake Kindred
t
news
City College Birmingham student Candice Hemans recently won the title of ‘Designer of the Future’ after competing on the catwalk to showcase her work as part of Touchwood’s fashion weekend.
Candice’s collection was inspired by sustainability and incorporated ethically-sourced materials such as hessian and bamboo. Candice said: “I have always known that I wanted to work in fashion. It was fantastic to be able to showcase my designs on the catwalk.”
Lucy Burnett of Touchwood said: “Her eye for style and design shone throughout her collection. No doubt she’ll soon be taking the fashion world by storm.”
May was bad month for online music fans when Spotify halved the amount of listening-time available to its users. The free music provider cut listening-time down to 10 hours and has set a limit of fi ve plays per song.
Spotify has denied accusations by fans of looking to change its business model from free to paid. Chief content offi cer Ken Parks told the BBC: “Our chief priority is to keep the free service, which is what has made Spotify so popular.” Over six million users currently subscribe to the free service which is subsidised by adverts.
Solihull’s driving theory test centre is due to close in August this year. The Homer Road centre has said that it’s not popular enough. At present 9,000 people take the test each year but the centre could take 25,000.
“As the theory test centres in Solihull, Birmingham and Coventry all have spare capacity it is not cost effective to keep all three centres running,” said chief executive Rosemary Thew. After August, learners will be forced to travel to Birmingham or Coventry to take their theory tests.
This Summer boasts an impressive range of arts festivals in Birmingham.
The Mostly Jazz Festival celebrates Jazz, Funk and Soul with headliners such as Booker T, Matthew Herbert Big Band and The Cinematic Orchestra. It will be occupying Moseley Park between July 1-3.
Following closely afterwards is
Driving theory test centre to close
Spotify cuts down on free service
Festival season
BE Festival from July 5-10. Set in the AE Harris factory space, BE is a performing arts, music and food extravaganza aiming to invigorate Birmingham’s theatre scene.
Then on July 22-24, city centre venue The Flapper will host Off the Cuff, a weekend of Alternative music
attracting artists such as Tubelord, Jonny Foreigner, DD/MM/YYYY and Dananananaykroyd.
Rounding up the summer is Moseley Folk Festival on September 2-4. This year’s big names include Tinariwen, Badly Drawn Boy and Billy Bragg.
Future designer on show in Solihull
news
SPECIAL OFFER:BUY TWO MAIN COURSES, GET THE CHEAPEST ONE
FREE*
SPECIAL OFFER:
FREEBottle of Wine*
*Show this offer to your waitor and get a free bottle of our house wine with your meal, upstairs at The Delhi Restaurant, Solihull.
Call 0121 705 1020 to book your table.
The Delhi Restaurant 678 Warwick Road, Solihull, B91 3DX www.thedelhi2u.comOffer only valid for a limited period, and management retain the right to withdraw the offer or refuse service at their discretion.
FREE DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS OVER £10 WITHIN A 3 MILE RADIUS.
*Order two main courses and get the cheapest one for free when you show this offer to a member of our team at The Delhi2u, Solihull, or call 0121 705 1020 to place your order, quoting ‘SL Magazine’ to receive the offer.
The Delh2u, 678 Warwick Road, Solihull, B91 3DX. www.thedelhi2u.comOffer only valid for a limited period, and management retain the right to withdraw the offer or refuse service at their discretion.
The Civic Honours Awards Ceremony was held on May 9 to celebrate the work of nine local heroes.
Mary Sutton was awarded for the ‘Making a Difference for Young People’ category, in recognition of 40 years of work with Shirley & District Sea Cadets.
See www.solihull.gov.uk/civichonours for all award winners.
A photography competition for young people aged 11-19 is being run by the Knowle Society.
The competition asks budding snappers to submit two images, best capturing what they most like and dislike about Knowle. The competition advises that: “Photographs will be judged on their content and not necessarily on their quality as an image.”
First prize includes Coral Paintshop Photo Pro X3 with Painter 11 software. Email entries to [email protected] or send to 46 Chantry Heath Crescent,
A season of exhibitions and events is planned for Birmingham this summer to celebrate the Black Country as the birthplace of Metal.
Visual art, fashion, fi lm screenings, live shows and family friendly events
Nine local heroes are honoured
‘Knowle as I see it’
Metal comes home
Published novel for Solihull studentA 17-year-old student from The Sixth Form College, Solihull has recently had her fi rst novel published.
Tahmina Farhang wrote ‘Stranger’s Love: Family’s Blood’, with her sister Farishta. It tells the story of an Asian girl called Angel Khan growing up in a Western world.
Tahmina explains: “We are both so happy that it has been published and I would like to write another book, maybe this Summer or next S0ummer, when I have more time.”
The book is available to buy on www.amazon.co.uk.
have been organised by Capsule at a number of different venues and art spaces in the Black Country. Visit www.homeofmetal.com for more details.
B93 9NH. The competition ends June 12.
Got news? Email us:[email protected]
viewpoint
inside manThe joy of teen voting
Con
tem
plat
ions
of a
shop
ahol
ic.
Everyone remembers their first time. Mine was in a school hall in front of a
stern-looking woman, her face screwed up in contempt as I stood there, trying to work out where to stick it - my ballot paper, that is.
Sorry, it’s a cynical way to introduce the topic. I considered starting with “a funny thing happened to me on the way to the polling station” but there’s not very much amusing about local elections. Even Ronnie Corbett would struggle to get good material out of ballot boxes.
However, (and this is true) the first time I visited the booth at my local primary school, I saw one of the volunteers carrying a dustbin and brush. On the way to clean-up politics, perhaps?
In truth, she was clearing up after an ageing voter, who had evacuated his bowels at the worst possible moment and shaken the mess down his trouser leg. Not so much a protest vote, but a dirty protest vote… Democracy - and dettox - in action.
Joking aside, maybe you voted for the first time in May or perhaps you won’t be eligible until next year. Or maybe you couldn’t care less about which party is in charge of emptying the bins. You wouldn’t be alone.
Some claim that Nick Clegg’s fall from ‘messiah’ to ‘very naughty boy’ will have left teenagers and twenty-somethings more disillusioned than ever.
But I think there are more and more young people who are starting to take an interest in politics. Because
the fact is, politicians take an interest in you. What you should eat, how you should live, how much a degree should cost (they’ve probably added another nought since I wrote this).
Who should Nick Clegg really be afraid of? His MPs – there’s only 57 of them. Ex-lovers – no more than 30 he tells us. I mean, you must have ten times that on your Facebook page. And there’s lots of Facebook pages in this country, lots of young people with a chance to poke those in power.
It’s another four years until we get a say on MPs. But start small, you might not care about who empties the bins in your street. But Mr Clegg will, so will Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband. It’s time to kick up a stink.
Shopping. It’s funny how one word can make most girls sigh with delight and most guys run for the hills...
That’s a very sexist view, isn’t it? That all men hate shopping and all women are some kind of real-life version of Becky Bloomwood who hyperventilate with excitement when presented with that magic word – SALE.
But as far as I know, it’s generally true. When my little brother was a baby he used to scream his head off as soon as we stepped through the doors of any clothes shop.
Even now as a nine-year-old, he can’t stand shopping. New Look practically brings him out in a rash.
Anyway,a good shopping partner is every girl’s dream guy, isn’t it? But I think I can understand why a lot of guys don’t like shopping. I mean, the actual physical action of shopping when it’s busy is enough to make even the most hardy shopaholics think twice about tackling the crowds. Especially in sales. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good bargain but it seems that the sales bring all the riff
raff out of the woodwork. You know, the type of people who wouldn’t hesitate to sink their teeth into your leg to stop you from buying that last pair of gorgeous shoes. I’m not the most assertive of people so I stay away from sales and also, Primark. Seriously, that shop terrifies me.
So, you want my advice for going shopping? Take your mum, avoid crazy sales (“it’s not a bargain unless you need it”) and, as sexist as this may sound, leave the men at home – or at least dump them in PC World for a couple of hours.by
Mai
sie
Go
uld
In the last issue of SL magazine we made reference to proposed cuts to the Solihull Council budget (‘Cuts confirmed for youth services’, p5).
The article said that “£4.1 million
will have to be saved by the youth services in the borough”. The article should instead have stated that £134,000 will be have to be saved by Solihull Youth Service as part of £4.1 million of savings to be made from services for children and young
people.No final decision has been made
about how the £134,000 will be saved.
We would like to apologise for inadvertently publishing any misleading information.
Clarification
feature
This Spring the Solihull Hive Collective put on their first site-specific exhibition ‘RE:Site’ in St Alphege Church. The Collective is made up of Alison Saint, Claire Hickey, Emily Warner, Eva Bennett and Keeley Lowe. They’re supported by Aimee Green, Arts Development Officer for Solihull and have been working together since 2010.
As a response to the theme ‘Finding Solihull’, the artists produced a range of photography, textile and sculpture work which they assimilated into the exhibition space of the church.
Hive are currently working on future plans for the collective. For more information see www.hivecollective.org.
Hive Mind
feature
Making a splashOn June 10, 14 Fine Art
students from Solihull College will preview their
final degree pieces in a exhibition entitled Poiesis.
Michael Clulee is one of the young artists whose work is on display.
Why the name Poiesis?It means to continuously create. It
fits our desires to continuously create art post-graduation.
What can we expect at Poiesis?A diverse range of ideas and
themes in the form of painting, sculpture, film and installation, including a fresh look at the idea of landscape, death, addiction, female body image and identity.
And what about from you?My work is about recreating
my memories in the form of geological maps. The memories I have recreated are those that have changed my life. I have used geological maps because when the soil and the earth is removed the true nature of the earth’s geological history is revealed, the memories of the events that shaped the planet, in the same way that certain events shape a person and stay with them like geological marks under their skin as memories.
Which artists have inspired you the most?
Chris Ofili for his use of colour and for his themes of his own heritage. Paul Geiss who does fractal forms. I love his use of shape and the way his works look like alien landscapes. Also
Roger Dean, a fantasy landscape painter, famous for doing the album covers for the band Yes.
Where does your fascination with landscapes come from?
Holidays with the family. We spent a lot of time going to Cornwall, Devon, and more recently Wales and the Lake District. I love the aesthetic of these places, just walking through them. I take these memories and then allow my imagination to exaggerate them.
What do you hope to do when you have graduated?
I am setting up an organisation called Cakemix. This will be a forum for people, especially young people, to have a regular meeting place to share ideas, to create art work in all forms together and to create a bridge between professional artists and anyone who wants to get involved but who might not know where to start. I am looking at venues in Solihull and Birmingham at the moment.
Poiesis is running from June 10-11 and 13-16 at Solihull College. Visit www.poiesis.webeden.co.uk for more details, video blogs and information about the artists and their work.
feature
Main: ‘Untitled’ by Michael Clulee. Left to right: ‘Meat’ by Kate Spence, ‘Shoes’ and ‘Siggie’s Watchman’ by Chris Shirley. They are amongst the fourteen artists whose work is being exhibited.
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viewpoint
Mark Twain is often credited for the saying, ‘Never let your
schooling interfere with your education.’
Whether he actually said it or not, the sentiment will ring true for many of young people as we feverishly attempt to revise for our exams. Under the pressure of revision it’s easy to forget the pleasure we once experienced from real learning.
The music was good and the drinks were cheap. But was it really worth the few short
hours of feeling on top of the world when all you do is come crashing back down, bruising every sense you have along the way?
Young people are often portrayed by the media as binge drinking, sex addicted, and drug abusing delinquents- and they’re not always wrong because we teenagers are going to have a good time regardless of the consequences. But sometimes those consequences do need to be thought through.
So binge drinking. Whilst it may seem fun to say that you’re ‘going on a mad one’ and ‘destroying your liver’ - think about what you’re actually saying - you obviously wouldn’t literally do that. When the media report another teenage drunken brawl it just goes straight into their statistics of how badly behaved Britain’s youth are. Whilst today’s young bingers may feel rotten tomorrow, it’s the next generation of young people who will face the greater hangover from their predecssors antics. Stereotypes are powerful and can be hard to get rid of.
KC
Have you ever walked down the street and seen someone in a wheel chair or
Ignorance is the key cause of this issue. People may never understand the severity of a person’s physical difference. Someone with back problems could actually face a life time of pain and discomfort. And people bully them because of it. Is that ever right? A person could have unaligned
eyes, which could cause them near-blindness, and have to live with the fact they won’t be able to see properly for most of their lives. And people call them names. Is that really so funny?
And most probably all this ignorance is the reason why at least twenty children every year commit suicide because they are being bullied.
So do YOU think physical difference should equal social rejection?
DG
Different Eyes: the social hangoverWORDS: Katie Clift and Dominique GracePHOTOS: Katie Clift and Barnaby Kent
KC
with a facial deformity and couldn’t help but look? Or when you were at school I’ll bet there was always one person who was different to everyone else and they were only known for that difference?
Have you ever thought what it would feel like? To be rejected because of one unique part of you that you have no control over.
In the UK 70 per cent of young people are bullied in some shape or form. Think about how many of those people are bullied because of their physical difference?
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viewpoint
cationWORDS: Summaiya ShaikhILLUSTRATION: Michael Jones
No longer do we rush to lessons for a seat at the front or work our hardest for a gold star. Instead we live in the continuous drag to achieve the grades that allow us to progress to the next level.
During the fi nal few years of teenagehood, there is huge pressure for us to know exactly what we want to do
and where we want to be in ten years time.
Every lesson of every day we are bombarded with facts we don’t care about, and ‘knowledge’ we don’t want. The echoing promise that outstanding grades will lead to a successful life rings in our ears as we face the humiliation of yet another D.
But I’m starting to think that, in the face of rising student drop-out rates and ever-increasing graduate debts that it’s not our grades but our attitudes that will determine our generation’s success.
You see it’s not for our teachers, career counsellors or even our parents to choose our futures - it’s up to us. It’s up to us to live our lives how we want and to choose our careers.
But more importantly, it’s up to us to enjoy our younger years and make mistakes along the way. Mistakes we will hopefully learn from but more than likely make again and again. We need to learn that success and happiness is in our reach, we just have to decide how we get there.
I think it would be foolish to believe that grades dictate our
success and that the outcome of two years of studying is determined in a mere two hour exam.
Instead we should value our life experiences and our success in the real world. We are taught about Shakespeare and covalent bonds, but who is going to teach us that it is a person’s passion, enthusiasm and drive which will lead them in life and not the less-than-average grades?
Of course this isn’t to say we shouldn’t try our hardest in our upcoming exams, just that it will be an easier journey if we get the right grades.
But wherever it is you once saw your life heading, I urge you not to be disheartened by less-than-enthusiastic teachers or the increasingly diffi cult mark scheme that exam boards take pleasure in creating for us.
If anything they are reasons to motivate us to work harder and want the best in life. Remember, ‘the best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.’
Do good grades really lead to success in the real world? Or is it up to young people to take the initiative?
BK
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As the Spring-turn-Summer sun intensif ies it seems our spare cash also has the tendency to evaporate. Afternoon drinks, rashly bought clothes and ‘hilarious’ birthday presents – our pockets just can’t take the heat.And it’s when you’re at you’re most skint the whole
world seems to be throwing a party. So here are just a few suggestions for staying out of
the red this summer.
Small savings - whether you’re employed or still reliant on pocket money, try putting away just a few quid a week - perhaps what you would spend on a drink. Then when summer comes round you’ll have a decent sum waiting to spend on something worthwhile.
Pick your battles - Summertime get’s busy. There’s always stuff on and people to meet. Say yes to every invitation and you’ll find yourself spent. So prioritise what stuff you really want to do. Same goes for shopping. Be ruthless. When choosing a new garment think: ‘do I need this?’ If yes, then make sure you try on the item instead of buying it and risk never having the time to return it.
Bargain Hunt - it takes time but will be worth it in the long run. Compare prices, visit different shops or websites to see who’s running the best deal. You may only save a few quid per item but if you take this practice to heart then the savings will soon stack up.
Student discount – remember to ask for it because many places will not remind you that it’s available. Always carry your NUS card and Young Person’s Rail Card.
Coupon websites – sites like ‘studentbeans.com’ not only provide vouchers for clothes stores but also offer discount coupons for restaurants, bowling and ice skating.
Close-to-out-of- date food - it’s all about
being open- minded and knowing how
to make a meal from what’s there in
front of you. Each supermarket has a
specific time for reduced items (usually three
times a day). If you’ll eat the food within 48
hours, what’s wrong with that? Shops can
only sell the item if it’s edible after all.
Freecycle - www.uk.freecycle. org - is a grassroots movement that aims to keep “usable items out of land fills” and to “reduce consumerism”. It allow users to advertise unwanted items that can
then be picked up by other users without costing a penny. You can also post a ‘wanted’ advert on the website and have users offer you goods which can then be received in your local area.The website is easily accessible and would be
a gold mine for those going to University. Many freshers end up blowing their cash on brand new toasters, TVs and utensils from the nearest supermarket. However, Freecycle offers a cheaper, more environmentally friendly alternative.
Skint for Summer?
feature
Skint for Skint for
by Hope Brotherton and Miriam Hussain
, , ,
,,
,
,
,
Bargain Hunt - it takes time but will be worth it in the long run. Compare prices, visit different shops or websites to see who’s running the best deal. You may only save a few quid per item but if you take this practice to heart then the savings will soon stack up.
Close-to-out-of- date food - it’s all about
being open- minded and knowing how
to make a meal from what’s there in
front of you. Each supermarket has a
specific time for reduced items (usually three
times a day). If you’ll eat the food within 48
hours, what’s wrong with that? Shops can
only sell the item if it’s edible after all.
Freecycle - www.uk.freecycle. org - is a grassroots movement that aims to keep “usable items out of land fills” and to “reduce consumerism”. It allow users to advertise unwanted items that can
then be picked up by other users without costing a penny. You can also post a ‘wanted’ advert on the website and have users offer you goods which can then be received in your local area.The website is easily accessible and would be
a gold mine for those going to University. Many freshers end up blowing their cash on brand new toasters, TVs and utensils from the nearest supermarket. However, Freecycle offers a cheaper, more environmentally friendly alternative.
Whilst many of us have been hibernating in our living rooms, watching
far too much Eastenders and counting down the days to summer, the fashion world has skipped straight to the Autumn and god forbid, Winter days.
Recent fashion weeks have provided countless highlights. My favourites included Altuzarra’s sexy twist on grunge and Rodarte’s bold Native American prints. Celine’s signature simplicity has been shaken up by layering and several different textures and the seventies-style blocks of colour have added a fresh feel to the cosy cape at Chloe.
However, every year it’s the same stories which dominate the headlines - size zero models. Will the fashion industry ever take the slightest bit of notice of the public outrage that certain designers provoke? The answer is no, because the industry thrives on controversy.
In 2006, Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos died after ‘living’ on a diet of lettuce and diet cola. Six months later her sister, also a model, was found dead after extreme dieting. She was aged just 18.
Luxury label Erdem has long pioneered a gaunt skeletal look and this year’s London Fashion Week was certainly no exception. Model Chloe Memisevic looked positively stick-thin as she strutted down the catwalk displaying painfully thin arms to the horror of front row spectator Samantha Cameron.
Protruding ribs, collar and cheek
bones were a staple look at the Ungaro Fall 2011 collection in Paris as well as at Antonio Berardi’s Autumn 2011 in London. World famous supermodel Erin O’Connor even admitted to not being able to fi t into sample-size trousers and was supposedly asked by the designer in question: “What happened to you?”
In Denmark, a documentary about the fashion industry revealed that several models were told to starve themselves or they wouldn’t fi nd work. A Danish MP said that they were seeing more and more cases of young girls who were starving themselves to the extent that they would be unable to have children in later life.
After Ramos’ death in 2006, Madrid Fashion Week enforced BMI (body mass index) standards for all their models.
Size zero models have supposedly been banned in
London and Milan since 2007 but it seems that
until these standards become compulsory, designers will
continue to ignore them, pushing ill-looking
young girls into the limelight. Instead of celebrating this unhealthy and gaunt style,we should be encouraging the work of healthy models like Miranda Kerr, Coco Rocha and Lara
Stone. However, it seems that
unless there is a drastic change to the law, some fashion designers will continue to pursue their warped idea of perfection.
Model of changeWORDS: Vedita Moothialoo
viewpoint
,
,
,,
,
You’re young, talented and have bags of enthusiasm.You’re offered a six month, unpaid internship witha successful company in London. This opportunitycomes once in a lifetime, but there’s no way youhave all the money you need to support yourselffor an entire six months. You can’t accept it butyou hear about someone who does. They’re froma well-to-do family and their parents can easilypay for them to live in London for the durationof the internship. The experience will transformtheir career prospects.This is happening every single day. It doesn’t seemvery fair, does it?
Internships: Are young people being hung out to dry?
You’re young, talented and have bags of enthusiasm.You’re offered a six month, unpaid internship witha successful company in London. This opportunitycomes once in a lifetime, but there’s no way youhave all the money you need to support yourselffor an entire six months. You can’t accept it butyou hear about someone who does. They’re froma well-to-do family and their parents can easilypay for them to live in London for the durationof the internship. The experience will transformtheir career prospects.This is happening every single day. It doesn’t seemvery fair, does it?
Internships: Are young people being hung out to dry?uu
cover story
Whilst internships may have just risen to the top of the news agenda
after political pariah, Nick Clegg, raised their inadequacies as part of the Government’s Social Mobility plans, they have been souring our employment culture for a number of years. Have the much publicised internships given young people a helping hand into their chosen career or is this simply exploitation by another name?
A stint gaining experience in an industry of choice is undoubtedly an advantage and should be taken up wherever possible. The skills, knowledge and contacts can be invaluable at the start of a career. However, while the principle may sound attractive on the surface, delve
a little deeper and many worrying obstacles become apparent for the vast majority who want to live in a socially mobile meritocracy.
Access to many internships is plainly unequal and unfair. If you examine the pathways into two wildly varying careers, the worlds of fashion and politics, you find they both start in the same manner, with an unpaid work placement. The unpaid element separates those that can intern based on wealth, rather than those who should intern based on merit. It’s a sustaining feature of a society where the ladder you climb is balanced on the stability you can afford at its base.
The solution is concealed within the problem. The majority of internships actually break employment law as people perform duties that a court would undoubtedly consider work. By law they should be
paying the minimum wage. If they did, companies, fashionistas and politicians would not only feel a boost in their conscience, they would have a greater talent pool to select candidates from.
Leading the fight against the unpaid internship is the pressure group Intern Aware, who were set up to promote fair access to the internship system. Co-founder of Intern Aware, Ben Lyons told me: “Young people need to know that their talents, not their parents’ pay packets will determine their future. Unpaid internships exclude the vast majority who can’t afford to work for free. Employers must be responsible, and government more active in ensuring that all interns are paid at least the national minimum wage.”
In particular, Intern Aware have been focussing their attention on Members of Parliament. Perhaps not the bastion of moral righteousness we would wish to expect but altruism still plays a significant part in most of them. Reviewing the performance of Solihull MP, Liberal Democrat Lorely Burt, suggests that Solihull is not
Internships: Are young people being hung out to dry?uu
the
law: in
theo
ry
WORDS: David Hodges
Legally
, intern
s must
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, any
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blessed with an egalitarian leader in the internships fi eld. Intern Aware have written to Ms Burt to request an answer as to why it is appropriate to advertise for an unpaid intern (albeit with reasonable expenses covered). They have yet to receive an answer. If you share their outrage you should write to her as well. Politicians are the mere tip of a giant iceberg, but they should be setting an example for others to follow.
Furthermore, at the very least public money should not be used to pay travel expenses to the lucky few who can survive without a wage. It should encourage the meritocracy we’re told the people in power crave. If small charities, such as the left leaning think tank IPPR can pay the living wage to their interns, large organisations making substantial profi ts can surely afford this too?
Injustice and inequality don’t have to remain. Culture remains endemic if we accept the prevailing social norms and turn our anger into indifference over time. We shouldn’t accept the unpaid internship system as a necessary evil in undoubtedly
diffi cult economic times. The greater the talent pool to select from, the greater talent rises to more esteemed positions across industries. Meritocracy by this nature creates a more economically and socially successful society. We should not be afraid to say that this is not just in our interests, if you want a more egalitarian, socially mobile, economically effi cient, culturally rich society it is in your interest.
Defenders of the status quo beware. There is a generation of young people who want action on injustice, inequality and unfairness. Unpaid internships are not the whole problem, they’re not even the biggest problem young people face. But they are unfair and we should do what we can to make it clear that we think so.
Internships: Are young people being hung out to dry?
feel unpaid internships give young people an unfair advantage over those with less infl uential or well-off parents
would support intervention from the government to regulate intern pay and ensure opportunities are widely advertised
think that interns should be paid the minimum wage
YouGov poll (13/4/11)
viewpeople
the
of the
the law: in practiceCase 1 - Nicola Vetta was taken
on as an unpaid art assistant by London Dreams Motion Pictures. In November ‘09 she successfully sued LDMP for £2000+ for breaching the statutory framework laid down by the NMW 1998 Act. It was decided that Ms Vetta was, in fact, a ‘worker’ carrying out work in a personal capacity for an employer.
Case 2 - Extra Nick Thomas-Webster secured minimum wage from four fi lm production companies despite signing ‘unpaid work’ agreements. “There were an awful lot of unpaid posts being advertised and thought the only way to do something about this was to get into the fi lms, work unpaid and then take tribunal action,” Nick said.
Case 3 - Keri Hudson sued the My Village website for several weeks’ work in 2010. Hudson was responsible for a team, for training and hiring new interns. However, she was not eligible for pay because they considered her an intern. The National Union of Journalists warns media employers: “Pay interns or face the consequences.”Leg
ally, in
terns m
ust be
paid i
f work
they a
re perfo
rm-
ing woul
d othe
rwise be
done
by a p
aid mem
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e Natio
nal Minim
um Wage
Act 1998
, any
‘worker’
(anyon
e who
works u
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) a con
tract of
emplo
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ther co
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vidual
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The leg
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y com
panies
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s ‘vol-
unteer
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work witho
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ract.
Been on an internship or thinking of doing one? What are your views?
Let us know:email: [email protected]: search for ‘SL Magazine’
: @SL_Magazine
It was a fi ne night to be out, to listen to good music and have a laugh. VS kicked off, Pandas and People got the crowd dancing, and Johnny Foreigner were everything you’d expect from the headline act - loud, fast paced, and energetic. Afterwards, I found myself sitting outside with Red-ditch lads Leighton, Alex, Thomas and Martin of Pandas and People. They tried to stay warm whilst I got a few questions down…
pandas and people
alex
interview
Pandas and PeopleWell fi rst… who came up with the
name and why? Leighton: Me! It’s from some
religion in America. It’s pretty boring to be honest (laughter). Well it’s really controversial ...
Alex: Not that we’re controversial or anything (more laughter)
Leighton: It’s an anthropological kind of thing, they want religion
and science taught together… It‘s complicated.
What’s the favourite song you’ve written and why?
Alex: Didn’t I say this the other day? (a lot of murmuring, they go through every song they can think of)
Martin: We like all of them! Thomas: Don’t try and make us
sound too arrogant.
Martin: It’s only because we don’t want to think less… We don’t want to detract from any song we write, ‘cause we give our all to every song (laughter).
Leighton: Read between the lines of what he just said…
Martin: I want ‘detract’ in there! Make sure you put it in.
What are the main infl uences in the music you make?
Alex: Boredom mainly! Thomas: The sea and cake. Alex: The dismemberment plan.Martin: Field Music How did you lot get together?Alex: Me and Tom were writing
songs but we didn’t really know how to play live, then me and Tom got into a band with our drummer here and it just sort of formed from there.
Martin: Hurry up (to me whilst writing), it’s bloody freezing out here!
Ok ok I got it… mostly, umm what would you describe your music as?
(Moans) Tom: Not one of those again. Umm electronic ambient pop punk rock…
Martin: Loosely based in the indie genre perhaps… bone crunching mayhem funk! (he laughs) I want this quote to live on [Flea, Red Hot Chilli Peppers]
Where do you see yourself in about fi ve years?
Alex: Working in Pizza Hut! Umm dunno…
Martin: C’mon guys, lets think of
Unsigned but ultra-busy Redditch band Pandas and People explain their galactic ambition when cornered by resident interviewer Gareth King after a gig supporting Birmingham’s fi nest Johnny Foreigner at the Hare and Hounds.
pandas and people at hare and hounds,
pandas and people leighton
kings heath
something positive! Like umm… umm… Touring the universe because in fi ve years universe exploration is gonna fully boom! Whilst working in Pizza Hut to fund all this… I can imagine it would be quite expensive!
Do you have any kind of style in your band?
Tom: Not really, we just dress however we want…
Passer-by: It’s a really good mixture of Oxfam and Cancer Research!
P&P have just fi nished recording their fi rst album with producer Al Groves. Currently under the working title ‘Grab Everything’ , the band are set to release the record by August this year.
Listen to P&P’s blend of ambient, electronic and guitar-based pop at: myspace.com/pandasandpeople
See them live at: Bull’s Head, Moseley - June 30Hare & Hounds, KH - July 1Off the Cuff, The Flapper - July 22
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Dubstep - The Evolutionadam_brown
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Adam Brown charts the rise and rise of Dubstep, from its humble experimental beginnings in the South London garage scene to its near-omnipotent presence across pop tracks the world over.
Dubstep is arguably the biggest and most infl uential sound to come
out of the last decade.But Dubstep originally grew as the
sound of South London. Producers like Benga and Skream worked and DJ’d out of Big Apple Records in Croydon, a location that is widely considered to represent the ground zero of the scene.
Pioneers such as El-B and Horsepower Productions exposed Londoners to new sounds at FWD>>, the fi rst club night to provide an environment for the disparate fusion of Drum and Bass,
Jungle, UK Garage and Dub. Tunes like Buck & Bury – El-B (2002) and Red – Artwork (2002) show, respectively, skittering 2-step drums and an early sub-bass wobble which became the signature of Dubstep itself.
Midnight Request Line – Skream (2005), is widely considered to be the tune that brought Dubstep into the public’s consciousness, its staggering syncopated drum lines and rolling bass collide with glistening, bleeping synth and the almost-obligatory gun claps.
Dubstep was growing around the UK with nights like Sub Dub in
Leeds, Kontakt in Leicester and the monthly pilgrimages to DMZ in Brixton. London pirate radio station Rinse FM was also playing a massive role.
The sound at this time continued to represent a diverse range of infl uences. Anti War Dub – Digital Mystikz (2006) was a massive release with heavy use of vocal delays common in Dub Reggae. The muddy warmth of chest-battering basslines began to attract wider crowds and sweaty rooms were fi lled with fevered anticipation for the drop of enormous tunes like Cockney Thug – Rusko (2007) and
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Adam Brown charts the rise and rise of Dubstep, from its humble experimental beginnings in the South London garage scene to its near-omnipotent presence across pop tracks the world over.
To hear the Dubstep Evolution playlist follow the links on our facebook/twitter or go to: tinyurl.com/5ufj579
Jah War (Loefah Remix) – The Bug (2007).
Benga & Coki’s Night (2007) with its singalong synth line and crunching bass was the record which gave Dubstep a leg-up from a purely club and pirate radio-based scene into commercial radio respectability.
The darker, more minimal side of the sound was still well represented though, with Burial’s (Dubstep’s version of Banksy) Archangel (2007), a huge release that maintained the garagey vocals and sparse, jittery beats of earlier productions.
The wobbling basslines which were for many, the most enticing
element of Dubstep have become increasingly prominent and brutal (see When I Look At You - Emalkay (2009)). Dubstep’s spread worldwide and found fans in various places – some likely (Snoop Dogg - Snoop Dogg Millionaire (produced by Chase & Status)) and some not so likely (Britney Spears - Freakshow (seriously!)).
Today, Dubstep has found its
way to the mainstream but it’s not all cheesy collaborations and face-punching basslines. ‘Supergroup’ Magnetic Man show heavy house/techno infl uences in the massive I Need Air (2010), and the recent appearance of singer-songwriter types James Blake and Jamie Woon bring a soulful edge to the sound.
The evolution continues.
Games Prospector:gaming
I bought Mini Ninjas when I was looking for a modern title that wasn’t Call of Duty, a Call of Duty
rip off, or a game that involves waving your arms at a screen with motion control gimmicks.
I chose MN partly because it reminded me of one of my favourite games from the PS1 era, ‘Spyro The Dragon’, with its cartoony graphics, open world game-play and all round accessibility. Plus it was only £10. I hoped it would add to my ‘games-that-I-fear-are-dying-out-in-the-current-console generation’ collection. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
So, the back-story. An evil warlord and mysterious samurai are roaming the world, attacking innocent farmers and travellers and kidnapping wildlife for an unknown purpose. Hiro, a small but kick-ass ninja is enlisted to investigate the disappearances of his fellow ninja students as well as the appearances of the mysterious Samurai warriors.
As you can see, the story doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is okay because MN is designed to be gameplay-oriented. The story’s only really there as an aside, the real focus being on exploration and employment of various abilities and characters you pick up throughout the game.
You start off with just Hiro, who can use his sword for melee attacks or use magic spells to do things like possess wild animals, slow time,
Mini Ninjas
Released: September 2009Format: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC and MacPrice: £9.99 (Steam)
summon storms and cast fireballs amongst other things.
In the course of the game you pick up four ninja companions who you can use instead of Hiro at any point, all equipped with different abilities and weapons such as bow and arrows, tiger claws (think Wolverine), a spear and a giant hammer. Add to that mechanics like being able to brew your own health potions using plants, being able to fish and make sushi as well as kicking samurai ass on every level, and you’ve got more than enough to keep you entertained.
The combat is simple and fun whilst being fairly challenging. I would criticise it by saying that you only ever really need to use (and only ever end up using) two of your five ninjas to defeat the enemies.
I also had mixed views on the boss fights. They were certainly imaginative, with puzzles to solve in order to beat them as well as having to use the various spells effectively. However, they quickly became repetitive in comparison to the levels.
Another problem is that the boss fights all ended with a quick-time
Essentials:
event e.g. pressing a series of buttons when the on-screen prompts tell you to. Whilst quick-time events fulfill the function of neatly finishing off a fight scene, they are a terribly boring mechanic in contrast to the host of new ideas seen in the rest of the game.
For the inquisitive player, MN is like walking around Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, being amazed at everything you see but then occasionally going through an office or a beige corridor. Fortunately, it doesn’t ruin the experience - the variation in the rest of the levels and locations are be more than enough to keep you interested.
So overall, MN is a diamond in the rough if ever there was one. A near-shining example of the 3-D action/adventure genre.
WORDS: Robert Leftwich
feature
When I get the I’ll buy...,
Suck it and See
Arctic Monkeys Friendly Fires
Pala
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WORDS: Gareth King
In 2010, Ipswich rapper DELS grabbed our attention with singles ‘Shapeshift’ and ‘Trumpalump’ - partly with his infectious beats but also with his ridiculously stylish and creative music videos. Now Kieren Dickins is in the public sphere with debut album Gob, exposing his hopes and fears in a collection of mostly slick, sometimes nostalgic, and occasionally philosophical lyrics. In album opener, ‘Hydronenburg’. day-to-day ordinariness is blended with more lofty ambition, “Could this water turn to wine so I can build the courage and vent my mind?” Production from Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard is evident, the interspersed chime and synth-backed melodies smoothly melding with the dominant grime beats. British Hip-Hop is fi nally looking more imaginative. BK
DELS
Gob
Arctic Monkeys are back and doing what they do best - changing. They’ve come a million miles from the raw songs about Sheffi eld streets in Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not to the more widely experienced and wiser Humbug. Now they look to deliver again with Suck it and See. The fi rst song off the album, ‘Brick By Brick’ left many fans feeling alienated because of the change in style but it’s still Arctic Monkeys deep down. Lead single ‘Don’t Sit Down ’Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’ delivers a new, fresh take on life in Alex Turner’s eyes, still with that gritty determination to carry on changing for the better. GK
Friendly Fires eponymous fi rst album brought music to get anyone on their feet and onto the dance fl oor, with catchy tunes such as ‘Hospital’ and ‘Jump in the Pool’ making their live shows intense and energetic. Now they’re back with that same liveliness in Pala. ‘Live Those Days Tonight’ will undoubtedly increase their following and make their live shows even more epic with its hard hitting dance beats and sing-a-long lyrics. It’ll be only a matter of time until they are selling out bigger and bigger venues. GK
Local band?Get in touch and you could see your EPs // Albums // Live shows featured on these pagesEmail: [email protected] or fi nd us on facebook or twitter
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feature
In what could be described as poetic justice, the Ikon Eastside’s Rites of Spring festival ended with a certain Mr Fyfe Dangerfield asking the audience to tell him what they wanted to hear. As the result of nation-wide funding cuts to the arts sector, this festival was to be the closing party for the gallery’s Digbeth space - definitely something that we didn’t want to hear.
The ‘weekend’ of music took place in April, each night offering 5 sets of predominantly midlands-originated acts. The sets were a very mixed bunch with a mixture of orchestral, drawn-out post-rock from Thursday night’s Shady Bards and epic45, to the video-art set of Matmos on Friday, and the token famous headliner, Moseley-born Fyfe Dangerfield (of Guillemots and now solo fame).
Personal highlights were Modified Toy Orchestra’s cringe-worthy banter, Martin Creed’s band’s aural echoes of his infamous conceptual art, local folk-stars Boat To Row and the incredible performance of Lulu and the Lampshades.
This closure of Ikon Eastside was perhaps the most tangible victim of arts cuts that will affect Digbeth’s blossoming culture scene. However, this single major act also draws attention to the drying up of many minor trickles of support for other events, spaces and arts programmes that channel through what was meant to be Birmingham’s new cultural quarter.
Other well-known organisations such as VIVID have also seen funding cuts from the council. The art education support system that was Brightspace (based at the Custard
Factory) is going to being abandoned and reformed as part of a wider organisation that is meant to span from Berkshire to Lincolnshire.
However, Ikon will carry on. They will continue to receive funding from the Arts Council, enough to maintain their main-site exhibitions for the foreseeable future, but the significance of the cuts means that their seasonal offsite project in Digbeth has had to go.
Despite that, the Arts Council have been promised an increase of funding over the next few years which may in turn affect the re-establishment of a permanent offsite project. This would be the third incarnation of the offsite project, as Ikon Eastside was originally in Heath Mill Lane but closed in 2007.
Consequently, you could be mistaken for thinking that Ikon, in their established lofty realms can very easily reinstate a project when the moment suits or the need arises. But whilst the sudden gust of wind won’t uproot the tree, it will certainly scatter a few leaves. That is to say, those working at the Ikon Eastside site, or those employed by Brightspace to run art workshops in schools, or those individuals commissioned to do small projects across the country will potentially be blown irretrievably off course.
These are the people that live off funding, directly or indirectly, and who are from all corners of the arts - not only visual but theatre, dance and music too. And not only is it the livelihoods of the ‘little people’ that will be jeopardised, but the cultural enrichment of the nation is also at stake.
Last RitesArts Council funding cuts claimed victims across the Midlands. The
Ikon Eastside, a contemporary art gallery in Digbeth, was just one of them. It decided to go out in style though, hosting a three-day
music festival featuring talent from the local area and across the art world. Tim Stock reports.
WORDS AND PHOTOS: Tim Stock
Revolution!Revolution!
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“When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing”
Martin Luther King Jr.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galations 3:2
A dusty old book from your grandparent’s house, right? Occasionally brought out at
Christmas and loftily read from at funerals.
For many young people the ‘good book’ has been resigned to the shelves of outdatedness and irrelevancy. However, rewind 400 years and this book would have been one of the most exciting and controversial issues of the time.
Imagine going through school without ever reading a text for yourself. Or learning to drive without ever being allowed to get into the car. Essentially, it’s the difference between being told what to think and being able to think for yourself.
To cut a huge story short, up until the 16th Century the Bible was only available in Latin and only accessible to church-educated priests. The book was the basis for how English people lived their lives but they were never allowed to read it for themselves.
Scholars who translated the Bible into English were perceived as challengers to the Catholic Church and translators such as William Tyndale were even killed. However, by the end of the 16th Century, England had been transformed by the combined effects of the Renaissance (a return to classical learning) and the Reformation (a rejection of Catholic Rome’s authority on religion).
And by 1611, more religious persecution, a thirst for accurate
translations and the everyman’s desire to read the Bible for himself all contributed towards the publication of the King James Bible (also known as the Authorised Version). Its language transformed how people in England spoke to each other, how they wrote their literature and how they perceived their world.
Since then its passages have been used to both defeat governments and to start new ones, to control people and to lead revolutions. To repress civil rights and to demand them.
Former Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion comments: “The KJ Bible is a cornerstone of our culture and our language. Whatever our faith...we have to recognise the rhetorical power of this book.”
In Britain today, the media often portrays religion as having little relevance to our national politics, so much so that it’s easy to forget the insurmountable role religion plays in other areas of the world stage. In the US you’re practically unelectable for president unless you’re seen to be a Christian. Their political rhetoric is still loaded with religious language.
This year, many churches will be celebrating the 400th anniversary of the KJ Bible. Its very existence represents fundamental victories for freedom of belief, freedom of learning and freedom of speech. And what’s more, the Bible’s language and infl uence is still alive and fl ourishing in art, literature, politics and campaigns the world over.
The language of a
“The time has come to reaffi rm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.’”
Barack Obama
In the fi rst of a series on religious texts, Benedict Kent assesses the
impact of the translation of the Bible into English on its 400th birthday.
Biblical language and US politics
crea
te Space conceals itself in itself,its beauty disguised as darkness.I tipped my head and drank down the skywhich spread over the fi elds, an inky tide.
The planet appeared as a swollen star,a gold whorl dropped in the water of night:another world, shining far abovethe whisper-quiet fi elds of wheat.
Space conceals itself in itselfabove the whisper-quiet fi elds.And I could be anyone, counting stars,considering water and other worlds.
Get creative!Submit your own creative writing / illustration / photography to [email protected]
Holidays in Space
Illustration
by Beth Jellicoe
by Maisie Gould
cold heart by Charlie Alcock
After discovering a strange wooden box in a mysterious antiques shop,
Adam returns home with the hope that things will soon get back to normal...
Back in Adam’s room a silent darkness had invaded. The only light was a moonbeam, hard and cold, coming through a crack in the curtains and illuminating the wooden box that lay on his bed. Adam stood back, the only sound was his own racing heartbeat.
He bit his lip, unable take his eyes off it. The box demanded all his attention and thought. His mind seemed full of white noise and wailing as he edged closer. He stretched out a hand to stroke the wood but snatched it away immediately. It was cold to the touch. Painfully cold. In the moonlight he could just about see his fi ngertips coated in a thin layer of frost.
***The city was quiet in the early
morning as Adam walked through the near-empty streets. The sun peeped cautiously over the horizon as the early risers set out to work. Adam walked quickly with his hands in his pockets, clutching his coat to his chest while his breath steamed in front of him.
***He found the alley, but when he
reached the place where the shop had been yesterday, he saw only a plain brick wall. A chill wind blew down the alley and a cloud passed over the sun.
***Adam stood alone on the bridge.
The lights of the city were spread in front of him and were refl ected on the river below.
He tested the weight of the box in his right hand before drawing it back and hurling the box as far as he could. He watched as it sailed through the air and landed in the dark water with a small splash. It sunk quickly and he could see it no more.
***When he entered his bedroom
that night, the box was there.It was waiting for him on the bed. Dumbfounded, he walked over and picked it up.
A noise behind him, and there was the shopkeeper standing in his room. Adam breathed heavily and beads of sweat decorated his forehead. Nobody moved.
“What are you?” Adam asked. The thing before him remained motionless and silent. Adam looked at it properly and saw that its skin was rags and dirty cloth, its mouth was a thin line sewn into the fabric, and its eyes were tiny balls of glass. “You’re just a puppet,” he said, and though no emotion passed over the face of the
shopkeeper, the air in the room grew cold.
The seams split, and the thing opened its mouth, letting out a lifeless breath of stale air. Then hands, silent and pale reached out for Adam and the thing moved towards him. It backed him against the wall, coming so close that he could see down its throat, a glimpse of wood and china, sawdust and dead fl ies.
And then it was gone, and Adam was alone in the room again, clutching the box so hard his fi ngers turned white. He sat down on the bed and ran his fi ngers over the design. Six roses intertwined around a heart. What did it mean?
Suddenly Adam heard laughter, a deep, booming laughter that grew louder and louder until Adam heard nothing else. He pressed his hands to his ears and his mouth opened in a scream. The box was in front of him and Adam could see the lid rising. Inside was a human heart covered in a layer of frost, still beating.
***That was the night that Adam
vanished. His mother came in his room the next morning and found an empty bed that hadn’t been slept in and sawdust scattered over the fl oor. She searched the room but she never found the box under his bed with the strange design of seven roses intertwined around a heart.
21:5322:38
I am waiting now, with my hands curled around a coffee mug, waiting for something. Waiting, waiting, tick tock, tick tock.
Last message sent: 21:53 Do you still love me?Blazing display: 22:15 ‘My heart has gone astray’It isn’t a reply from her, it is the lyric that
answers for me. Her heart is a vibrant thing: bright, young… easily led astray.
22:18 ... I still have no reply. I wait in cyberspace,
the distance between me and her spanned by the miles of roads and motorways and by the centimetres between eyes and screen. Tick tock, tap out the beat. The beat of the music, of a dance, of a beating human heart. Beating out the seconds and minutes since I sent the question, waiting on an answer I can’t know is coming. Always waiting, waiting frustrating. Hesitation to act, hesitation to kiss. Fear to commit, fear to dismiss. Decisions, decisions, waiting and waiting. Loading time… please wait. We are attempting to process your request.
A request. A proposition. Do you still love me?
‘I’ve got another secret for you’Caught in the traffi c of our daily lives. The
hustle and bustle of exams, coursework and love. The loading time. The fuzzy time. The time when I am content with non-existence. Because once I get an answer, once the tyres start rolling, it’s a one-way trip.
22:24 ...Still no reply. Contact is Away. Always
away. Caught in the loading. I’ve always been waiting for you. Waiting for the answer,
waiting for the pledge. Is our software compatible? Or is your smile a Trojan horse, a virus of mistakes and stolen kisses from that wolf whose stomach you scratch still.
Cheat. I cheated on you. I hacked the game, broke the rules. I had my reasons. The game was too hard. The loading time… it was too much. Please wait. Please wait. Please wait. Not anymore.
22:31 ...No reply. How can I keep doing this? How
can I keep waiting for you? Loading, loading. This sweet nothing of ours. The time when I can’t make any mistakes. I can’t misuse you or abuse you. You can’t ruin me. We’re just hanging in sweet oblivion, and I understand now, I see why you like it here. This cyber lag, this reality conundrum.
22:33 ...I don’t know if you’ll ever answer me. I don’t
know if this download will ever be completed. This integration of our systems, this joining of biological entities. This sweet nothing can’t last forever. This music will stop, the sweet tick-tock on the wall clock.
It’s time to fi nish this now, stop the clock, this game is over. This lag is too much for me. My clock has stopped but my heart still beats. It only has so many.
‘I lived my dream today’No, I haven’t. I’ve been trapped in limbo
land, in the wishing and dreaming of adolescent cyberspace. Trapped in loading, this isn’t what I want. I want to feel again, I want sensation.
22:38 Response at last. I do.Download completed.
Loading
by Carl S
ealeaf
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