How pop-punk’s revival reflects modern Gen Z angst
2021 saw the return of guitar-driven, pop-punk orientated chart music. Its resurgence and angst-ridden aesthetic make perfect sense given the precarious nature of modern, lockdown living. This year was an odd one for nearly all of us, live entertainment industry included. On-and-off lockdowns, gig cancellations, and temperamental touring rules meant...
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Gen-Z mocks news misinformation with conspiracy theory satire
Promoting a far-fetched theory that birds are government spies, young people are poking fun at conspiracy theory groups to cope with living in an age of endless misinformation. A movement called Birds Aren’t Real is picking up serious traction with Generation Z, particularly in the United States. Its members claim...
Poet turns Malcolm X’s prison cell into ‘freedom library’
The prison cell that was occupied by the civil rights activist has been transformed into the first of 1,000 planned ‘freedom libraries’. Poet and lawyer Reginald Dwayne Betts is using his MacArthur ‘genius grant’, worth $625,000 (£471,000) to set up 1,000 micro-libraries in US prisons through his charity, Freedom Reads,...
Banksy pledges £10million to transform Reading prison
The prison was shut down in 2013 and plans to revamp the space have continuously fallen through. World renowned street artist Banksy is pledging money to transform it into a positive space for art and culture. What happens to prisons once they shut down indefinitely? In the case of England’s...
Earth’s Black Box will record climate research for future beings
Located in Tasmania, the Black Box - similar to mechanisms found on planes - will outlive humankind and hold all the information we’ve gathered about climate change. Getting real about climate change means accepting that a global failure to meet net zero goals could mean the end of our current...
Tate’s new exhibition points to its own sordid past
‘Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s - Now’ is the latest Tate exhibition to explore the works of renowned British artists such as Sonia Boyce, Claudette Johnson, and Steve McQueen. But housed in a bastion of colonial history, will these displays of Black artistic excellence ever force Britain’s cultural...
Doja Cat partners with Girls Who Code to create ‘codable music video’
Created to introduce Gen Zers to coding, Doja Cat has partnered with Girls Who Code to create an interactive video experience that incorporates java script, python, and CSS. Ever wanted to get into coding but don’t know where to start? Are you also a fan of Doja Cat? Prepare to have your mind blown. Non-profit organisation Girls Who Code has partnered with Doja Cat to release what it calls the...
CopenHill power plant and ski slope is World Building of the Year 2021
World Building of the Year 2021 has been given to CopenHill, a waste-to-energy power plant in Denmark that also serves as a ski slope, climbing wall, and rooftop bar. Looking for a fun getaway next year, provided the pandemic actually calms down for longer than twenty minutes? Want to get your ski practice in while also checking out the world’s most unique, clean energy power plant? Denmark has your very...
Brazilian gamers can now get a Covid-19 vaccine in GTA
In an effort to encourage young people to get vaccinated, Ogilvy Brazil has created a vaccine inside GTA V that gives players an extra health bar. They just need to prove they’ve had the shot in real life to get the in-game rewards. In true Metaverse, Decentraland fashion, gamers in Brazil can now get a vaccination shot for their character inside Grand Theft Auto V. Players who opt into the...
Henry Glogau’s ‘portable solar distiller’ wins the Lexus Design Award 2021
The Lexus Design Award 2021 was all about invention for the good of humanity, and New Zealand born architecture graduate Henry Glogau took first prize for his solar powered water distiller. Since its inauguration in 2013, the Lexus Design Awards have always been shaped by the company principles of ‘anticipate, innovate, and captivate’, and the 2021 winner has ticked all the boxes with his first major undertaking. In case this is...
