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News

International Women’s Day to be held on the 8th of March

The annual commemoration which focuses on the liberation and equality of women is on the 8th of March. The International Women’s Day 2021 campaign the...

News

Your tri-weekly Coronavirus update (01/03/2021)

The UK government has revealed its “roadmap” for easing coronavirus restrictions. The first wave of measures easing the country out of lockdown will b...

News

Climate protesting teen charged

An 18-year-old climate protestor has appeared in court, facing charges relating to an incident when he climbed a 33 metres tall crane in Norwich to ha...

Main Stories

SU Officer Election Results Announced

The results for the Student Union Elections were announced this evening after a tense wait across the UEA community. Hamish Williams was reelect...

Main Stories

Meet the candidates: SU Officer Elections 2020-21

Voting has opened in this year’s Student Union Officer Elections, here’s the low-down on everything that’s happening over the next few days. Voting op...

News

Fun in the snow, but at what cost?

As much of the UK was hit with a flurry of snow, UEA was transformed into a picturesque winter wonderland covered in a blanket of the white stuff and ...

News

UEA Launches the Sustainable UEA Awards

Nominations have now opened for the SustainableUEA Awards: a new programme that recognises the sustainable efforts and achievements of staff and stude...

News

Coronavirus update

After the number of new coronavirus cases reached record levels in January, daily figures now appear to be showing a decline. The initial rise in case...

News

Joe Biden Inaugurated as 46th President of United States

Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th US President on Wednesday 20th January. Mr Biden’s oath of office was presided over by the Chief Justice John G. Ro...

The arrest of Catalonian musician Pablo Hasél has sparked protests over free speech and the country’s penal code. Hasél was arrested on Tuesday by anti-riot police following a 24-hour standoff in a university, sparking protests across Spain. The Rapper has been given a nine-month sentence for glorifying terrorist acts on his social media accounts and...

Women on TV: The Inclusion Crisis

From Wonder Woman to Rachel Green to Villanelle, the presentation of gender on television has progressed since the 1970s. There has been an increase in inclusivity and a reduction in gendered stereotypes of women on television. Wonder Woman is a figure of empowerment yet is sexualised and subjected to the male gaze. ‘Friends’ introduces Rachel...

Can Period Dramas ever be Feminist?

The last couple of years have seen an upsurge in TV and Film adaptations of literary classics, with a distinctly feminist twist. In 2018, period drama fans were treated to another adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic ‘Little Women’. Then came Autumn De Wilde’s ‘Emma’, and the Apple TV mini-series ‘Dickinson’. The latest adaptation to...

A Rewatch of… Gilmore Girls

Uplifting, relatable, a cult classic, there’s no show quite as lovable as the charming, American comedy-drama series that is ‘Gilmore Girls’. Running for seven seasons from 2000-2007, this series focuses on the close relationship between fun, perky single mother in her thirties, Lorelai Gilmore, and her intellectual teen daughter, Rory. They’re the mother-daughter slash best-friend...

Coverage of It’s a Sin’s sex scenes teaches us a lot about homophobia

‘It’s a Sin’ was the talking point of the country for a while, and like many others, I devoured the series the night it was released. It made my heart swell, shattered it into pieces, fixed it up again with the cheapest tape possible, only to then fall apart and splinter into even smaller shards....

Film

The importance of women in film

When asked, people tend to struggle to name female writers, directors, cinematographers etc. Well, I am here to name a few. Firstly, Lorene Scafaria, directed the 2019 hit Hustlers. A crime thriller and yes, the film is about strippers, but it is also about women doing the best that they can in a broken system....

Film

Post-MeToo: How has the presentation of women changed (hopefully for the better)?

The MeToo movement took both Hollywood and the world by storm in 2017. Originally a phrase used in 2006 by activist Tarana Burke, and became mainstream in 2017 when actress Alyssa Milano began a twitter trend with the #MeToo. The movement began a ripple effect of both women and men coming forward to speak of...

Film

My favourite film with a strong female lead

Nerisse Appleby There are so many films featuring strong female leads that I love; so many, in fact, that I couldn’t actually pick a favourite. While many view the term ‘strong female lead’ as relating to the kick-ass, save-the-world heroines we now find in our favourite action films (who are, of course, amazing), I wanted...

Film

Essential viewing: Recent Films Directed by Women

From the soft, adolescent comfort of Lady Bird (2017) to the sickeningly tense The Babadook (2014), consider this a brief list of women-directed films that, I hope, can offer something for every type of cinephile. The Breaker Upperers (2018), directed by Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek This anti-romantic comedy is somehow cynical of love...

SENIOR EDITORS

Sam Hewitson – Editor-In-Chief

Matt Branston – Co-Deputy Editor

William Warnes – Co-Deputy Editor

VENUE

Gaming

Women in the Gaming Industry

Over the last few decades, the proportional makeup of gamers has increased to 52% women in 2014 according to a study by The Guardian, a statistic which challenges the gamer stereotype. Why then are so few women developing games? Only around 20% of game developers are women, and it seems strange to me that with...

Film

Essential viewing: Recent Films Directed by Women

Film

My favourite film with a strong female lead

Film

Post-MeToo: How has the presentation of women changed (hopefully for the better)?

Film

The importance of women in film

Gaming

Stranger Danger

‘Stranger danger’ is one of the biggest fears associated with the internet, especially in online games with chat functions. A quick Google search brings up countless horror stories of children meeting ‘friends’ online who turn out to be predators. Young people are so easily influenced, and their trusting nature makes them very easy targets for...

EDITORIALS

EDITOR

DEPUTY EDITORS

CONCRETE

GLOBAL

Global
Spanish Rapper’s Arrest Sparks Protests
The arrest of Catalonian musician Pablo Hasél has sparked protests over free speech and the country’s penal code. Hasél was arrested on Tuesday by ant...
Global
Trump Acquitted following second impeachment trial
Former President Donald Trump has been acquitted in his second impeachment trial, for “incitement of insurrection”, following his involvement in the C...
Global
Hong Kong to require members of government to swear loyalty to Beijing
Politicians holding office in Hong Kong will be required to swear an oath of loyalty to Hong Kong and Beijing, failure to comply with this new require...
Global
Unrest in Haiti over Presidential Term
Tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets of Haiti’s capital Port-au prince, as well as other cities surrounding the capital, in protest aga...
Global
Ruling party takes control of Venezuelan parliament
President Nicolás Maduro’s United Socialist Party (PSUV) has taken control of the country’s National Assembly. The party won a landslide 256 of ...

FEATURES

Features
International Women’s Day : a brief history
International Women’s day is celebrated each year on the 8th of March with the aim of ensuring a bright, equal, safe and rewarding future for women. I...
Features
‘Use us or lose us’, coffee shop owner says
After almost a year of ongoing lockdowns and a new average of sixty UK stores closing every day, the owner of Alchemista Coffee Company says that many...
Features
The high street is dead, long live the e-high street! The rise of online small businesses
Starting a business is difficult. Or it isn’t. From what I’ve been told all it takes is a good idea and you’re off. From what I haven’t been told, it ...
Features
UEA Ballet’s ‘Love Your Leo’ Campaign 2021
Starting this week and running until the 8th March, UEA Ballet are running our annual body positivity campaign, ‘Love Your Leo(tard)’. This will be th...
Features
Leading U.K. journalists Lucy Knight and Helen Meriel Thomas discuss LGBTQ+ visibility in the British media
As a part of LGBTQ+ history month, Concrete hosted a panel discussion titled ‘LGBTQ+ voices in Journalism’, featuring prominent U.K. based journalists...

COMMENT

Comment
A Gender Equality Crisis is on the Rise
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act 1970, it has become apparent that a gender equality crisis is on the rise. The coronavirus pan...
Comment
Covid-19 has highlighted the absence of media coverage of women’s sexual and reproductive issues
The most common symptoms of Covid-19 (we all know them by now): a high temperature, dry cough, and loss of taste and smell. For those without underlyi...
Comment
Stop using the word ‘Covidiots’
Last week, a mountain rescue volunteer was paralysed after attempting to save the lives of two wild campers breaking the Covid restrictions. This stor...
Comment
It’s time we fixed the gender contraceptive gap
People throughout history have sought a multitude of methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies. In Medieval Western Europe, women used lily roots as con...
Comment
Trump’s no-show no surprise
It is tradition for former presidents to attend inaugurations. As a peaceful transition of power, only seven presidents in history have failed to atte...

SCIENCE

Science
Nursing Degree applications rise by a third
UCAS figures have revealed nursing degree applications have risen by a third compared to last year, a positive sign for the future of the NHS. For the...
Science
World’s first human trials for Covid-19 to start in UK
The first human challenge trials for Covid-19 are set to take place in the UK over the coming weeks following approval from the country’s clinical tri...
Science
Why we need women leading in science
We know there is a gender gap in STEM. 35% of STEM students are women, yet we represent only 15% of STEM leaders and managers. Young child...
Science
Closing the gender gap in science
29.3% of the world’s researchers, professionals “engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge”, are women. Women are 24% of the core STEM wo...
Science
The Anthropocene: A New and Contested Concept
All around us the planet is dying – and humans are responsible. In fact, the influence that we are having on the global environment is so great that i...

TRAVEL

Travel
74 and unstoppable: Rosie Swale-Pope
In five years, she ran around the world five times, entirely unsupported. She rode across Chile on horseback, sailed solo on a trans-Atlantic voyage, ...
Travel
The best female travel tips for your next adventure
As a tribute to International Women’s Day, I thought it would be nice to compile some of the best female travel tips into a handy guide for your next ...
Travel
Do you know these unwritten rules of flying?
Imagine boarding a plane after an exhausting trip or travel, and all you want to do is get a few peaceful hours of sleep up in the air. But then you h...
Travel
The ultimate guide to your perfect staycation
I love staycations, having been on one almost every year of my life, and with Covid-19 restrictions creating doubts around the feasibility of travelli...
Travel
A tour guide to Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent is the home of the Potteries; with its residents famously gaining the nickname of the Potters. Though, there is much more to do and see...

SPORT

Sport
Is Women’s Football shown sufficient respect in the modern era?
With International Women’s Day coming up on Monday 8th March, I thought I’d take a look at a recent debate in women’s football that has generated a re...
Sport
Is the online room for racism, provided by social media, finally being addressed?
There are rumours that massive social media companies may soon be hit where it hurts – their wallets. In light of the spate of recent cases of online ...
Sport
The battle of Tennis’ Big 3 rages on as Djokovic wins record 9th Australian Open title
Novak Djokovic continued his dominance at the Australian Open beating 4th seed, Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to win his 9th title and 18th overall ma...
Sport
He excels with Three Lions on his shirt, but should there be a GOAT next to James Anderson’s name?
In the first test match of England’s test series in India, James ‘Jimmy’ Anderson proved why he is still England’s first choice bowler, eighteen years...
Sport
Online ID’s > Protect the Referees > Save Lives
So many people question a referee’s decisions within a game. To some, remarks will be as simple as ‘that was never a foul, ref!’. To others, it will b...

VENUE

ARTS

Arts
Three must-see plays written by women
One of the things that I feel most personally robbed of by the pandemic is the cosy ritual of going to the theatre. Having always been a theatre kid a...
Arts
The feminist movement in India: A history in Sheba Chhachhi’s photographs
Sheba Chhachhi is an Indian artist best known for her role in documenting and participating in the Indian feminist movement of the 1970s and ’80s.&nbs...
Arts
This artwork made me reconsider the female+ experience
Content warning: mentions of assault I’ve always liked Renaissance art and, in particular, Renaissance sculpture, but it wasn’t until I took an Art Hi...
Arts
Environmental art: is it worth the effort?
Artists have been creating art connected to nature since the dawn of time. The desire to connect to the world we live in and to return to our roots ar...
Arts
International Women’s Day Street Art Collective’s 2021 #ChooseToChallenge Campaign
International Women’s Day Street Art Collective (IWDSAC) is a worldwide awareness-raising initiative supported by the all-female street artist group I...

BOOKS

Books
The absurdity of the male gaze in literature
Unfortunately, it seems that even in this day of age, women still can’t be expected to be treated equally to men. This time, specifically, it is the r...
Books
An analysis of the literary ‘strong female character’
I hate the term ‘strong female character’, and I have for the longest time. As readers, we yearn for female characters who are brave, tenacious, trick...
Books
POC author’s spotlight: Audre Lorde
The late Audre Lorde was a revolutionary in the world of LGBTQ+, Black, and intersectional-feminist literature. She created within her legacy several ...
Books
Favourite women in books: Beatrice from ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
In a study on sex and attraction, Rod A. Martin of Western University remarked, “Although both sexes say they want a sense of humour, in our research ...
Books
UEA Live: An Emptiness That Hurts, In Conversation With Tsitsi Dangarembga
Filmmaker, playwright, director, and Booker Prize-shortlisted author. To this list of accolades Tsitsi Dangarembga can now add International Chair of ...

CREATIVE WRITING

Creative Writing
The Inheritance
“Now, there’s just one more thing to clear up.” My eyes wandered to the clock ticking softly on the wall. Outside, a family and dog strolled past the ...
Creative Writing
Girl with Gift of Fanta Can makes moves in 24 hour Launderette
2:30 am. I’m waiting. Writing, watching – I’ll come out when I’m all washed up. she comes on over. Lilting gently Moves with intent – Paus...
Creative Writing
Charcoal on Pink (take a girl to life drawing)
I don’t want to write about: The blushing of your cheeks Or the softness of your curves Or the rose tint of your lips, parted, as if to kiss ...
Creative Writing
After Mark
Softly calling dreams of stardom Draw me down Can’t get up anymore When I was young I was absent And now there’s no time left, spent The lessons were ...
Creative Writing
Portrait
A song comes on that perhaps, he used to play And dragging on a meagre joint, rolled expertly as he lies naked in bed He tries to sing once again Crac...

FASHION

Fashion
Tracy Reese: female fashion pioneer
Tracy Reese is an African American designer who has had an incomparable influence on contemporary female fashion. Educated at the prestigious Parsons ...
Fashion
The best small, female-owned brands to spend your pennies on
One of the best ways to show your support for International Women’s day this year – and a way of supporting women in business during all seasons...
Fashion
An act of love: on the quiet beauty of sewing
I don’t think of sewing as simply a female pastime: my experience with sewing and crafting allows me to see it as an act rooted in universal love. My ...
Fashion
Buy Now, Pay Later: the dark side of credit schemes
It is estimated that £4 in every £100 spent in the UK is now carried out via a buy now, pay later scheme and it’s not difficult to understand why. The...
Fashion
The Velour Renaissance: Juicy Couture’s inclusive reworking of the Y2K aesthetic
It is around 1 am and owing to my boyfriend and I’s terrible lockdown-induced sleep schedule, we are wide awake, watching television. Our programme is...

FILM

Film
My favourite film with a strong female lead
Nerisse Appleby There are so many films featuring strong female leads that I love; so many, in fact, that I couldn’t actually pick a favourite. While ...
Film
Post-MeToo: How has the presentation of women changed (hopefully for the better)?
The MeToo movement took both Hollywood and the world by storm in 2017. Originally a phrase used in 2006 by activist Tarana Burke, and became mainstrea...
Film
The importance of women in film
When asked, people tend to struggle to name female writers, directors, cinematographers etc. Well, I am here to name a few. Firstly, Lorene Scafaria, ...
Film
Essential viewing: Recent Films Directed by Women
From the soft, adolescent comfort of Lady Bird (2017) to the sickeningly tense The Babadook (2014), consider this a brief list of women-directed...
Film
What to watch this Valentines
Films about love are in abundance, so when it comes around to Valentine’s day, it can be hard to pick which is best to watch! Let’s ...

GAMING

Gaming
Stranger Danger
‘Stranger danger’ is one of the biggest fears associated with the internet, especially in online games with chat functions. A quick Google search brin...
Gaming
Women in the Gaming Industry
Over the last few decades, the proportional makeup of gamers has increased to 52% women in 2014 according to a study by The Guardian, a statistic whic...
Gaming
Greatest female characters in video games
Madeline – Celeste Madeline, the main protagonist in the platformer Celeste, is a fascinating character and shows how we could strive to overcom...
Gaming
Should game reviewers review games for which they are not the target audience?
There are thousands of game reviews out there, but I wonder how many of these reviewers are actually the target-audience of the game, and if this make...
Gaming
Persona 4 Golden: The importance of a strong cast
To almost everyone’s surprise, in June 2020 Persona 4 Golden was released on PC, making it the first Persona title ever released on the platform. Its ...

MUSIC

Music
The importance of “WAP,” Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s unapologetic masterpiece
Conservative white men certainly needed a bucket and a mop to wipe up their sweat marks as Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” discomforted and in...
Music
‘Music makes me present’: Kitty Fitz talks about dissociation, girl gangs, and the positives of quarantine
Kitty Fitz is an alternative pop musician based in South East London, currently on her third release. Her Spotify biography describes her as a ‘self-c...
Music
SOPHIE: The legacy of the pop pioneer
On the 30th of January, the world lit up in tributes for the pop producer known mononymously as SOPHIE, who died after a tragic fall from a balcony wh...
Music
LIVE ALBUM REVIEW: DMA’S – Live at Brixton
I miss live music. I really do. It’s been close to a year since we’ve been able to have a proper gig experience– there have been socially distanced fe...
Music
SINGLE REVIEW: Wolf Alice – The Last Man on Earth
Wolf Alice are back with a surprise single ‘The Last Man on Earth,’ the first for their album Blue Weekend, set to release 11th June via Dirty Hit. Th...

TV

TV
Coverage of It’s a Sin’s sex scenes teaches us a lot about homophobia
‘It’s a Sin’ was the talking point of the country for a while, and like many others, I devoured the series the night it was released. It made my heart...
TV
A Rewatch of… Gilmore Girls
Uplifting, relatable, a cult classic, there’s no show quite as lovable as the charming, American comedy-drama series that is ‘Gilmore Girls’. Running ...
TV
Can Period Dramas ever be Feminist?
The last couple of years have seen an upsurge in TV and Film adaptations of literary classics, with a distinctly feminist twist. In 2018, period drama...
TV
Women on TV: The Inclusion Crisis
From Wonder Woman to Rachel Green to Villanelle, the presentation of gender on television has progressed since the 1970s. There has been an increase i...
TV
WandaVision review: an experimental success
After watching the first episode I’ve been left very confused about the idea behind ‘WandaVision’. The series is streamed on Disney+, starring the cha...