Author: Freya Harrod

Running until the 28th of February 2025 in Martin Hall, Queer: Then & Now is an exhibition exploring how narratives within the LGBTQ+ community have changed through a diverse collection of artwork and artefacts contributed by students and staff. Celebrating LGBTQ+ Art, History and Culture Queer: Then & Now celebrates the evolution of queer narratives socially, politically and personally, and joins us for 2025’s LGBT+ History Month. Drawing together films, creative works, artefacts and talks, the exhibition spotlights queer experiences to reflect how narratives have changed in the LGBTQ+ community over time and creates a vibrant safe space for queer…

What is ‘real’ connection? Whilst this might seem easy to answer, in the digital world connection is both close at hand and increasingly distant. Since the dawn of the mobile phone, society has been quite literally the most connected it has ever been. We can be in contact with almost everyone we know and have ever known. A message can reconnect you with a friend you knew 7 years ago, and dating is possible without going outside. The loneliness epidemic Yet we’re seeing an epidemic of loneliness. In 2022, over 49% of the UK’s adults reported feeling lonely, and over…

Cold and dark days demand tenderness. Here are some heart-wrenching but ultimately hopeful poems you can hunker down with for a whimsical and warm winter. Wild Geese by Mary Oliver Of course, I had to start with my favourite poem of all time. In Wild Geese, Mary Oliver deploys her honest and potent natural imagery and vulnerably implores readers to be less critical of themselves. Often, we get lost in feeling we aren’t good enough or doing enough, but we all deserve to treat themselves with the softness we give to others. Mary Oliver reminds us that just like wild…

American TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory is an infamous comfort show to many people and earned the position of longest-running multi-camera sitcom. The show follows the antics of socially awkward friends and co-workers Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj as they navigate their social and love lives, and Penny, an aspiring actress who makes the mistake of entertaining her eccentric neighbours Sheldon and Leonard. So, what’s the problem? The Big Bang Theory should perhaps better be known for being rife with misogyny, sexism and orientalism – queue the laugh track! A vast portion of the show’s humour is heavily reliant…