Gulf countries restore diplomatic ties with Qatar

Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies have agreed to restore diplomatic relations with Qatar, ending a three-year boycott of the gas-rich state. Known as t...

“Lifting the veil on North Korea: a since fallen nation”

In a rare bleak address to his country, leader Kim Jong-un has admitted governmental defeat to a mask-less Workers’ Union party in Pyongyang, revealin...

Hong Kong arrests 53 pro-democracy activists in latest crackdown

53 of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy activists have been arrested in morning raids, the largest national crackdown since the passing of the ...

Abortion legalised in Argentina

Terminations up to the 14th week of pregnancy have now been legalised in Argentina. In an area which holds the world’s most restrictive abortion laws,...

Pro-Trump mobs storm US Capitol buildings

Yesterday, thousands of Trump supporters force entry into the US Capitol building following Trump urging them to march in response to the US President...

Academically motivated, but how?

Students struggle with procrastination. In an ever more digitised age, the task of avoiding distraction seems ever more challenging.  But still p...

To take or not to take the vaccine? Why is that the question?

Vaccines (coming from the Latin translation of “cow” or “vacca”) originated through the experiments of an English scientist Edward Jenner in 1796 who ...

Veganuary 2021: A beginners guide to a plant-based lifestyle

Just over one year ago I made what has been one of the best decisions of my life: I made the switch to a vegan lifestyle. In this article, I want to s...

Christmas spending

The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) Christmas report has revealed an 11.6% drop in consumer spending during the six-week Christmas period in comparis...

Left wing, right wing, or neither

According to YouGov, the terms left wing and right wing “aren’t that useful”. After putting one hundred political views to the public, 53% of the Brit...

The True Virus is Tory Incompetence

In a time like this, it’s easy to feel sorry for those in power. Don’t. The selfishness and incompetence of the Conservative Party is a virus which ha...

Clap for Carers is well-intended but ultimately performative

Clap for Carers provided a perfect demonstration of unity at the start of the pandemic. Every Thursday for ten weeks, the well-meaning British public ...

Exam Cancellation Chaos

For the second year running, A-Level and GCSE exams, due to be held in the summer, have been cancelled as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The an...

It’s time to impeach Trump

Two years ago, when I was in my first year at university, I wrote an article for Concrete arguing Donald Trump, though displaying a shocking lack of c...

Brexit: Something is yet to come, perhaps the worst of it all

As the clock struck 11 on the evening of December 31st last year, the Brexit transition period ended. The United Kingdom left the European Single Mark...

Hygiene equality is no longer a luxury

The start of the new year has brought in the abolition of the ‘tampon tax’, a policy deemed by many to be ‘sexist’ and a perpetuation of gender equali...

2020: Hottest year on record or not?

According to the European Union’s climate monitoring service, 2020 has tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record. To many this has come as no surpr...

Snapshots

Design for Mary Anning statue revealed The design has been revealed for a statue of pioneering paleontologist Mary Anning in her hometown of Lyme Regi...

Are GM crops in the UK’s future?

This month, the government launched a consultation into gene editing for livestock and crops in England. This aims to explore the pros and cons of gen...

An Arctic Refuge

Trump’s oil development scheme for sale of Alaskan Arctic Wildlife Refuge land to energy companies appears unlikely to survive, due to the auction’s l...

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...

Edinburgh should be on your travel bucket list: here’s why

Until I moved to Norwich, I never appreciated the amazing city I was born in. It was normal to stroll through the cobbled streets and gothic alleyways...

My worst travel experience

In January of 2019, I bought tickets to see a couple of plays and a football game in London. I thought I’d just book a hostel to stay in, how bad coul...

The future of travel in 2021

Travellers hated 2020. We all did. In 2019 alone, 93.1 million Britons travelled overseas, spending a total of £62.3 billion. Then struck the deadlies...

Celebrating Christmas around the world

Here in the UK, we have roast dinners and mince pies, boxing days and nativity plays. Festive lights illuminate the streets. Gifts are exchanged. Chri...

Here’s hoping sport remains locked down on the nation’s calendar

The tradition of sport having a relaxing effect is not a new one. On Christmas Day in 1914, a simple game of football was able to bring together fight...

Hands. Face. Let’s all go round my place. Why are footballers so ignorant of the Government’s COVID-19 guidelines?

As with the behaviour of fans and the interactions of players with referees, rugby seems to be ahead of the game with lockdown breaches. The Barbarian...

Why England’s cricketers have a right to feel insecure about their bio-secure bubbles

The England cricket team have become accustomed to travelling around the world, spending weeks and months in the sub-continent, miles away from home, ...

Fantasy Football: All the fun of betting, without the risk of gambling

For me, betting on Premier League football games has always been rather tempting, simply because I like the idea of showcasing the knowledge that I ha...

Quit before you’re behind: Why more should be done to prevent gambling addictions in sport

Gambling has the highest suicide rate of any addiction. Let that sink in. More than smoking. More than alcohol. More than drugs. People who get addict...

My 2021 Arts Resolution: Learning to use Adobe Illustrator

Through working for Concrete over the past two years, I have grown to love and enjoy graphic design, working with Adobe and spending hours fighting ov...

UK 2021 New Year’s Honours list: The Artists being Recognised

The UK New Year’s Honours list for 2021 is composed of 1,329 recipients who have been recognised for outstanding service in their respective fields. W...

This artwork gives me hope: 'Norham Castle, Sunrise' (1845)

A pioneer of Romanticism, J. M. W. Turner is well known for his oil paintings of dramatic sea storms, boasting fiery colours that explored the sublime...

2021 Arts Events to Anticipate

While the art world reels from the effects of the pandemic, it might seem strange to anticipate exhibitions and gallery openings, especially with how ...

Interviewing Illustrator Charli Vince: Making art through 2020 and plans for 2021

Charli Vince, an illustrator based in Norwich and the founder of Norwich Association of Illustrators, speaks to Concrete about her ever-changing artis...

Books that make you Happy: The Truths & Triumphs of Grace Atherton by Anstey Harris

With everything going on in the world right now, we could all do with some cheering up. Well, look no further than ‘The Truths and Triumphs of Grace A...

Books that make you Happy: All My Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman

‘All My Friends Are Superheroes’ is the only book I have re-read every year since I stumbled across it back in 2015. Sitting at around 120 pages, it i...

Anticipated Reads of 2021

Millions of books get published every year, so it can be overwhelming to try and sift through new releases and get your hands on the best up-and-comin...

What to do about books you can’t get into

You’ve just started a new book, but it isn’t exactly what you hoped it would be. In fact, you can’t get into it at all. What do you ...

The problem with literature reading lists

In any ‘100 Books To Read Before You Die’ list, you’re bound to find a couple of Brontës, an Orwell work and probably an Austen thrown in there too. I...

Between Christmas and the New Year

(CW: Mentions of death) the please-come-home-for-christmas radio, the fairytale-of-new-york radio, the ave-maria radio     is a time ma...

Holiday

Imagine sipping a piña colada on a beach in Barbados. Where a wind kisses your cheeks, whispering through the language of the palm trees. Your lips pu...

Variations XI & XII

As will be seen, the fog Has faded. The high street Shunned it, chased It from its lofty perch High above the tarts in Cages who jeer below. You reall...

Storm Clouds

The darkness Before the coming rain Covers the room, and Enlarges the shadows. Your hatred of me Takes me under its dark wings: A cocoon, a shelter th...

“Home in the North”

Content Warning- homophobia, violence, domestic abuse, strong language FADE IN: EXT. A RESIDENTIAL STREET IN MANCHESTER – LATE AFTERNOON Jack is...

Let's get cynical: celeb skincare from Kylie Jenner to Emma Chamberlain

In recent years, attention to skincare has skyrocketed, with the best products, routines and brands becoming a persistent topic of interest on social ...

Reflecting on ‘flexing’: Christmas, Covid and influencer culture

For as long as I can remember, I’ve watched influencers share their ‘What I got for Christmas’ videos. I loved seeing the beautiful ...

The North Face x Gucci: a dreamy collaboration

Remember DofE? Those practical, waterproof, sturdy boots teamed with rustling, generic, boring, hiking clothes? A fashion sin! For years, outdoor appa...

Performative authenticity: Influencer sponsorships and consumerist culture

Once celebrated for being authentic reviewers of products, influencers have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years with regard to their relian...

Instagram’s commercial priorities: what has the app become?

Picture this: it’s 2011. You’ve just downloaded a new app called Instagram. You post a vignette-filtered picture of a sunset and get 7 likes: you are ...

Best Film of 2020- Dick Johnson is Dead

Cameraperson Kirsten Johnson asked her father if she could make a documentary about his death. He agreed. The film spans years, chronicling a daughter...

Cinema v home streaming

It’s lockdown three and cinemas are starved of customers, but does streaming deserve to survive as our main method of movie consumption? Is cinema or ...

Soul Review: Finding Your Spark

Pixar is well known for making films that tug at your heartstrings, and Soul is no different. It represents everything audiences love the studio for: ...

The Prom: Great Message, Far From Great Execution

I love musical theatre more than I can say, so the announcement of another film adaptation of a stage musical excited me. However, I unfortunately don...

The most anticipated films of 2021

2020 was a difficult year not only for us but for film as well. With the closure of cinemas this set back many film releases, for example Black Widow ...

Yet Another Dark Souls Review

Dark Souls, the dark-fantasy RPG game developed by From Software, is probably one of the most influential games of the last decade, and not for the re...

Holiday Games

Jackbox Party Pack 3 Over this special hibernation-edition of the Christmas period, the festive cheer required a few more engaging family activities t...

Cyberpunk 2077: CD Projekt Red’s Doomed Failure?

Based on the generally mixed reception to Cyberpunk 2077 since its release, many argue that it had been doomed for a while. This fate of Cyberpunk cou...

Board Games

The Game of Life When my family and I fancy an afternoon playing a board game, we usually reach for The Game of Life. It’s fun, easy, and absolutely h...

Games of the Year

Animal Crossing: New Horizons It seems almost impossible to write about the top games of 2020 without mentioning Animal Crossing! The seemingly perfec...

Pale Waves’ Heather Baron-Gracie talks recording in lockdown, normalising LGBTQ+ relationships in new single ‘She’s My Religion,’ and more

Heather Baron-Gracie is the lead singer of Pale Waves, an indie rock band that rose to stardom after supporting The 1975 on their North American tour ...

MF DOOM: The passing of rap’s supervillain

On Thursday 31st December, the death of rapper MF DOOM (real name Daniel Dumile) was announced by his family. A week on, it still feels surreal that I...

John Martyn – My favourite guitarist and singer

“Keep on loving while your love is strong / Keep on loving ‘til your love is gone” – ‘Small Hours’, from his album One World [1977] John Martyn could ...

Protest music in 2020: ‘I Just Want To Dance’ by SAULT

Venue’s albums of the year

Phoenix by Dirty Loops Sam Gardham Dirty Loops have been described as a muso’s wet dream. From Sweden, the three members – singer and pianist Jonah Ni...

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 4 Review: A fitting ending?

And the final season has arrived. ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ Part 4 ends Sabrina Spellman’s journey with the biggest battle yet. In this part of...

A Rewatch of… Girlfriends

‘Girlfriends’ is a 2000’s American sitcom following the lives of four black women – Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross) a young successful lawyer obsessed with t...

2021: The TV shows we’re looking forward to

WandaVision (January 15 and every following Friday, streaming on Disney+) Judging from the pre-release trailers and promo material, ‘WandaVision’ is s...

The TV reboot: successful or bound to fail?

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Reboots, remakes, and spin-offs of iconic TV shows are either in the works, or set to be released this yea...

Black Narcissus review: “It struggles to find its feet”

If you’d told me at the beginning of the year that I’d spend my New Year’s Eve watching a mini-series about nuns set in Colonial India, I would probab...