By Sara Valle-Martínez Being a fan is hard. As Caitlin Moran puts it in her book, How To Be Famous, there’s something incredibly intimate about consuming someone else’s art. And the connection is even stronger when you’re a teenager exposed to any kind of stimuli. It’s especially hard if you’re a girl. Inevitably, being a teenager means feeling …
Top 17 bands from the 2010s that changed our lives
By Sara Valle-Martínez Green Day Greeen Day's Dookie marked a shift in many teenagers' lives years after it was released. But it was the band's American Idiot that made them accessible to teens with smeared eyeliner and Converse shoes. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ee_uujKuJMI It doesn't matter if you were alive or not when Basket Case was released, it …
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Tumblr girl aesthetic – emo reborn?
By Sara Valle-Martínez (top image courtesy of Deva Fernández) Back in the beginning of 2010, people moved from MySpace to Tumblr, a social media platform in the form of a blog that allowed users to post and reblog photos and texts of all kinds. With the death of MySpace, emo kids were left with nowhere to showcase their music …
When crafts become emotions
By Sara Valle-Martínez Apart from teaching us about our ancestors, art is a means of communication to express our feelings, thoughts, and even beliefs without words. In fact, it can help us inadvertently understand someone better. Sometimes that is especially helpful with children. You may think children are simple and you know what they need …
Good Fortune after the pandemic for tattoo studio in London
By Sara Valle-Martínez A couple of self-employed artists who were facing financial ruin because of the pandemic are planning to expand. Lianne and Jean Le Roux, owners of Good Fortune Studio in 123 King’s Cross Road, are hoping to move to Blackfriars by 2022. They opened their business after working in the permanent make-up and …
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ABC’s foreign correspondent talks to students about the lack of diversity in journalism
By Sara Valle-Martínez A senior foreign correspondent for ABC News highlights the lack of diversity in British journalism. Ian Pannell, who prior to joining ABC worked for BBC for over twenty years, said: “There’s been a lot about diversity in the media, which is a huge issue about race, and about sex and sexuality, who’s actually …
Let’s name a day to celebrate things
By Sara Valle-Martínez & main illustration by Miguel Arévalo I was scrolling through a mattress company’s website this week and it made me feel quite lonely. You may ask yourself why. Well, truth is that I’m single and this company was clearly targeting couples. “The roll-over effect doesn’t happen with our range of organic mattresses. …
Subtitles to understand others?
By Sara Valle-Martínez When you move into the country, the cultural shock includes food, weather, and language amongst many others. Going out with the friends you make in your brand-new life can increase the feeling of living in a different reality if you can’t communicate. It is estimated that 1.5 billion people speak English worldwide, but …
Travel restrictions put Christmas holidays in check
By Sara Valle-Martínez The return to “Plan B” raises concerns amongst Christmas travellers. Christmas travel plans are set to be disrupted as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last December 8th that England will be moving to “Plan B” following the spread of the Omicron variant. Covid-19 cases could be doubling in the next weeks, as suggested by an …
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Save the planet – use less plastic
By Sara Valle-Martínez A zero-waste shop in North London is doing its bit to reduce the use of single-use plastic on groceries by encouraging customers to buy in bulk instead of packaged items. Kilo, a bulk shop in Holloway Road, opened in August 2020 after owner, Jordan Perata, 27, quitted her job as an interior …