The artists taking on Middle Eastern censorship
Much of the Middle East has suffered from a lack of freedom of expression for years. But a new wave of artists are using images and sound to challenge censorship. ‘Fireworks can seem like bombs to some people,’ says Simon Coates, founder of Tse Tse Fly Middle East (TTFME)....
Current in Culture
New Spotify report says streaming improves Gen Z wellbeing
87% of millennials and 77% of Gen Z say they use audio to reduce stress levels and four in five say they view streaming as a ‘mental health resource’. Ever had a bad day and turned to your favourite album or podcast as a coping mechanism? Do you obsess...
Black TikTok creators on strike points to a wider cultural issue
The app’s most famous dances have come from Black creators who rarely receive recognition for their creativity. To prove a point, they’ve stopped posting content. Megan Thee Stallion’s new single, ‘Thot Shit’, is a track that sounds like it was manufactured for TikTok choreography. Yet, two weeks after its release,...
Gatekeeper drops new issue on ‘indispensable’ art jobs
The Gen Z magazine has launched its second issue highlighting the many types of jobs and creative roles that exist within the arts, and how vital they are for the industry. Consider yourself an arts connoisseur? A fan of all things creative? You may want to check out a new...
V&A stands firm on true history of its colonial artefacts
The Victoria and Albert Museum, based in central London, has emphasised its responsibility to tell the true history of the origins of its collection of artefacts. You may already be aware that a large majority of the V&A Museum’s permanent collections include items that were looted by British forces during...
Disney casting for Snow White remake causes social media stir
The film that propelled Disney forward as an animation legend is getting a live action revamp. This time, Snow White is, well, not so white. Rachel Zegler, the actress and singer known for playing Maria in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, has been casted for the lead role...
All-Black Gateways Orchestra to perform at Carnegie Hall
The Gateways Music Festival Orchestra are set to perform at Carnegie Hall on April 24th, 2022, making them the first all-Black orchestra to do so in the renowned venue’s 130-year history. Since its inception in 1993, the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra has cultivated diversity in the classical music scene. It provides a space for Black professional musicians to create music and perform together from all across the US, away from...
Experts warn against advertisers trying to hijack our dreams
In a recent ad campaign, beer company Coors attempted to infiltrate unconscious minds with ‘refreshing dreams’ of its beverages. A cohort of dream doctors is now calling for an end to the practice before it takes off. Soon, a once relaxing nap may not be enough to escape the infamous Go Compare opera man, or Muller’s nauseating ‘rice, rice, baby.’ Anyone who watches the Super Bowl knows that spectators don’t require...
Opinion – new ‘weight-loss device’ is not enough to tackle obesity
Researchers have developed a new ‘weight-loss device’ that forces the wearer’s jaw shut, apparently providing a means of slimming down. It has faced significant backlash online. Remember that scene from the 2005 adaption of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where a young Willy Wonka was forced to wear an intense head brace that wrapped around his entire skull? It seems that researchers may have taken inspiration from Roald Dahl’s...
Why Japanese Gen Zers are avoiding falling in love
More Japanese people are single than ever before, with new pop-up services and clubs opening to fill the void. Is Japan heading toward a loveless future? In Japan, about 60% of unmarried women and 70% of unmarried men between the age of 18-34 years are single. The reason for this is a changing attitude toward relationships among Japan’s young population. It is custom in South Asian marriages for women to...
