The Grapevine

I’m sure it felt as bizarre to some of you as it did to me, to not be heading back to university after the Easter holidays. I won’t lie, I did take a break over Easter, but because I’m stuck in the same environment everyday I’m struggling to get back into the mindset of essays and deadlines, on top of everything that is going on currently. Indeed, morale may be low as we approach our fifth week of lockdown, but I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you all of how well we have adapted to these circumstances.

We aren’t all in the same boat. Some of us are with our families, some of us are still having to work, some of us live alone, but something that is certain is that we will all get through this. As well as having one another’s support, we have the support of our department, who have been nothing next to amazing, providing us with extra support and access to software that will allow us to continue our studies. The committee’s online programme of events, including the quizzes, these blog posts, and the acting gyms, have been received well and for that we are so grateful. We are even more grateful to have had the support of external companies such as our Artists in Residence, The Roaring Girls, on board for Q&As and supervision.

University is hard and, as we have come to learn, even more difficult to navigate during a global pandemic. It may be ‘term time’, but that doesn’t mean we have to continue putting excessive pressure on ourselves. Our secretary, Zoe, has more to say:

“The last few weeks has been really tough for everyone but as a department we have come together to carry on celebrating the work we do and the theatre makers we are. However this has not been easy, in light of that we have come back from the 2 week Easter break to start the final part of the Uni year, this does not mean though that you should put excessive pressure on yourself to perform, the stress simply isn’t worth it. Yes, absolutely do your best, that is all anyone can ask of you. But we are also in the middle of a global pandemic, so if doing your best is getting out of bed then that is absolutely fine. Nevertheless we will continue as a department together in supporting one another as best we can, if there is anything additionally as a GRC we can do for you please let us know and continue to share all of your amazing ideas!”

Online lectures also mean online elections for next year’s committee. Compared to previous year’s elections, this has been a mammoth task to coordinate, so it’s important that you vote! Make sure that you take time tomorrow (Friday 24^th, 12pm!) to watch all video speeches and consider who you want to represent you on next year’s committee. Voting is only open to students of the drama department, but even then there is over 100 of you, so make sure you spread the word about voting to ensure that the committee remains to be representative of all students in the department. Our president, Luke, has more to say:

“So as the current GRC’s time comes to an end, I just want to stress the importance of voting for your GRC Reps, these people who you elect will work tirelessly in order to produce the best results for the department and by voting you are able to take control of what goes on! The GRC is about the students being able to have a voice about what goes on in their department and what opportunities we are able to create for ourselves so remember to vote on Friday.”

So, to summarise, make sure you vote and continue to look after yourselves! For those edging to watch theatre from home, companies are continuing to make their shows digitally available. This week, graduate company, Middle Child, have uploaded Us Against Whatever (2019) to their YouTube channel, alongside National Theatre Live, who continue to stream a play a week via their YouTube channel. Last week we were treated to Treasure Island (2015) which is available until 7pm on Thursday 23^rd April, after which Twelfth Night (2017) will be streamed and available to view for a week. And for those who love a musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber recently announced his YouTube channel, ‘The Shows Must Go On’, where uploads are every Friday at 7pm and available for viewing for 48 hours. On the 24^th April, Love Never Dies (2012), the sequel to Webber’s renowned, The Phantom of the Opera, will be available for viewing.

Middle Child: Us Against Whatever – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIibsi9cZPM

NT Live: Treasure Island – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwNvC8sFTEU

NT Live: Twelfth Night – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aig5ObghHS4

Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Shows Must Go On – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag/featured

Whilst these performances are up for a limited time only, our blog posts are up forever. Please feel free to look back on previous posts if you need reminders about motivation, managing your time effectively, and remaining optimistic throughout lockdown. Remember to vote tomorrow, and to continue looking out for each other as we have done for the past 5 weeks.

23rd April 2020

Whoever thought it would be possible to watch live performances from anywhere in the country? Of course, this is a service that companies like the National Theatre are used to providing, with NT Live having launched in 2009 and amassed audiences of over 1 million. So, with the current pandemic shutting down our beloved theatres, it only seemed natural to move everything online, right? Now a month after theatres and live entertainment venues were advised to shut their doors, we thespians are blessed to have access to platforms such as Youtube where companies and producers are providing us with free theatre! This week’s blog features recommendations and short reviews from members of our committee who have watched online performances, from international names such as Andrew Lloyd Webber to companies and producers closer to home. We hope you enjoy and let us know via our social media if you decide to watch anything!

National Theatre at Home: Jane Eyre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO0CXV0zEAQ

‘If you are looking for some amazing theatre to bring a different type of entertainment to your lockdown days then look no further than National Theatre at home. Each week they release a full length showing of one of their live plays and in the week building up to this release, post videos of the work that went in to making this. This week’s production was Jane Eyre and if you like good theatre then this is the show for you. I first saw the show when it toured the country a few years ago and I have to admit, I was sceptical about how well they could transition from the book to the stage without there being a playscript made but this doubt was quickly diminished. The main thing that I had such raving reviews about the first time I saw it was the use of set. The use of a bare wooden stage with ladders ramps created the impression of a climbing frame and allowed the set to become the actor’s playground and created some great moments of interaction between the actors and the set. When I watched it again for the second time, knowing more about what makes good theatre, I was enthralled the music, ensemble, lighting and costume. Throughout the production the cast are so in tune with one another’s movements and the ensemble work feels like a machine with the regularity and precision of the movements. If you are interested in theatre, this is definitely one to watch as there are so many different elements that make this production incredible.’ – Chloe, Construction Rep.

Middle Child: All We Ever Wanted Was Everything

‘If gig theatre is your thing, then look no further – Middle Child’s All We Ever Wanted Was Everything (2017) combines music, storytelling, and our beloved city, Hull, in a powerful performance concerning loss, class struggle and wanting the unattainable. The streamed performance, recorded at The Welly Club (familiar to us all, I’m sure) in June 2017 before the company’s sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, gives way to a new cohort of theatre-goers, that is, people who don’t usually go to the theatre. The club’s relaxed atmosphere immerses the audience in the piece, metaphorically and physically, with the action taking place both on the outskirts of the performance space with the audience in the middle, vice versa and, at times, through the audience. The transitional use of metal set pieces pays homage to Hull’s industrial history, complimented by effective lighting design. The performance combines comedic moments with integral perceptions of the future, such as Chris’s ‘dream wall’, which I interpreted as the physical manifestation of our visions for the future. A stand-out quote, for me, goes “Maybe in a sea of pollution, she’s a pearl,” which encourages us to search for the positives amongst negatives, the light within the darkness. Without giving too much away, the performance doesn’t necessarily end happily, but it still serves as an important reminder to live in the moment and appreciate what we have, which I think is extremely important in the current climate. I was touched by this performance and recommend you all to watch it before 17^th April when it will be gone!’ – Cerys, Communications Rep.

Phil Kaye

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=phil+kaye

‘Hey! For anyone finding themselves a little lost or scared, unmotivated or just generally needing a bit of a cry (and lets face it, we’re all of the above) then my recommendation is all about my favourite poet, Phil Kaye. A lot of his work can be found on YouTube by simply typing his name. He’s the author of my favourite poem ‘Beginning, Middle and End’ and other heartbreakingly life-affirming poems such as ‘Repetition’, ‘Unalienable’ and ‘Camaro’. His poems are bittersweet and gentle, how he can make you dance with metaphors until the music stops and suddenly it’s just you and the truth you never saw before waiting for the next song to begin so you don’t have to say hello. His voice honestly has some of the most calming qualities a voice can have. I truly admire both him and his work, his ability to tell stories in such a visceral, yet approachable and accessible way is stunning. It’s not a stretch to say I wouldn’t be a poet without him and his work. So, I hope you find something you need within his performances, be it a cry or a few minutes of calm!’ – Alex, Tech Rep.

Breach Theatre: It’s True, It’s True, It’s True

Breach Theatre’s acclaimed ‘It’s True, It’s True, It’s True: Artemisia on Trial’ is based on original court transcripts, centered around the 1612 trial of Agostino Tassi for the rape of painter, Artemisia Gentileschi. There are only three actresses in the piece, who interchange roles throughout the dramatization, which received rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Summer 2019. The performance combines myth, history and ‘contemporary commentary’ to question and, draw attention to, what has changed between the 17^th century and the present. Artemisia’s account of her violation is truly harrowing and yet, a stunning performance by Ellice Stevens. The piece was produced by Ellie Claughton, a Hull-based producer, and supported by New Diorama Theatre. Please note that this performance contains nudity and sexual violence.

‘I would argue that it’s very feminist in its core, and it’s a fantastic watch!’ – Luke, President.

14^th April 2020

Happy Easter, wait, Easter?!

That’s right, it’s the Easter holidays! Hard to believe, I know, I’ve reached that point where I’m relying on my iPhone to tell me what day it is because I’ll be honest, otherwise I’d have no idea. However, this won’t feel like a holiday to most of us, as for the past 3 weeks we’ve been – yes, you guessed it – stuck indoors. I’m a workaholic at the best of times, so allowing myself breaks is hard, but even when I’m at home I can’t seem to think of anything more worth my time than to do my work. If we don’t count the food or exercise breaks, that’s all I’ve been doing for the past 3 weeks.

And it’s draining.

I think being motivated to do your work is fantastic. But I know that I’ve been focusing on my work as a way to deal with the stress and uncertainty of the outside world. I’m not surprised, often when things go wrong and beyond my control, I turn to something that I can control and put all my energy into it. I’m not afraid to admit that I love learning and academia, but this how you accidently build a toxic relationship with the things you love doing.

So I need to take a break – pronto – and you should too! But how does one take a break?

I ask myself this all the time. As I’ve said before, doing work is often my escape, and everyone around me sees that. “Cerys, you should really take a break,” or “Cerys, why don’t you relax for once?” are sentences said to me on a regular basis, but the truth is that I find it really hard to relax because I have to actively be doing something. I can quite easily binge a Netflix series in a day (I highly recommend Sex Education), but whilst I do that, I’ll be making lectures notes or filling out a document for, you guessed it, uni. So, the first thing I did when I decided I was going to take a proper break was wipe everything from my to-do list, put it away, and do my best to forget about it. Easier said than done, of course, but if we can’t see things they don’t exist, right?

Now a ‘holiday’ spent in lockdown doesn’t sound entirely appealing, but there are plenty of enjoyable things to do that will enable us to relax, have fun, and cast our minds away from deadlines. I’m sure most of us complain about not having enough free time to explore hobbies and other projects whilst we’re are university, so allow yourself to do this during the Easter break. Perhaps you want to write a HUDDEE to be performed next semester or, on a smaller scale, write your own material to be performed at an Events Night? There may be an area of theatre that you’re interested in that isn’t on your syllabus – read about it! I know this may counteract what I’ve just said about relaxing, but you know your limits and what constitutes ‘work’ for one may present itself as ‘fun’ for another. We have plenty of time to exercise our creative abilities, so why not utilise it?

As a joint-student studying English alongside Drama, it’s no question that I enjoy reading. I always ask for books as gifts, but never allow myself time to read them because *shock* I always find a piece of work to do. But this Easter I’m going to make sure that I make time to read my choice books, which are The Tattooist of Auschwitz, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Little Women. Again, it’s not an assignment, but it’s still going to reassure me that I’m actively doing something.

Now for those who find it very easy to relax, or just to ignore their assignments (I envy you all), I’d highly recommend Netflix. With thousands of films and television series of all genres you’re spoilt for choice. I’ve no doubt that most of you are seasoned Netflix-watchers and have probably been binging it for the past three weeks already. Often though, people limit themselves to a certain series, a genre of film, and don’t look beyond their little bubble to see what else is out there. Recently, I’ve found that there are some fantastic documentary series’ being uploaded to the site, such as Babies, 100 Humans, and Tiger King (Carol deffo fed her husband to the tigers, let’s be real). Documentaries like this combine the scientific and cultural with entertainment, allow us to learn without even realising it. And with platforms like Zoom accessible to all of us, you can even have Netflix parties with your pals, despite being hundreds of miles away from each other.

Ironically, I find going to the gym to be relaxing. A lot of people are surprised when I say this, but this is the only time I really have a break from work. Obviously with all fitness facilities closed for the foreseeable future this makes my hobby difficult, but thankfully we’re still permitted one form of outdoor exercise a day by the government, so I’m taking advantage of this. This time last year I took up running and I worked my way up to smashing 8-10km twice a week, so when I went for a run last week and couldn’t manage 2.5km without thinking my lungs would collapse, I felt a bit of a failure. I’m a perfectionist, so realising that my stamina wasn’t what it used to be did hurt, but I soon realised that I can use my free time to work on this and get back to where I used to be.

Not everything requires a goal, but putting targets in place and, even better, achieving them, can be super beneficial for our personal development and wellbeing. Not everyone will want to, or be able to, take up exercise, but I’d really recommend it. It increases the level of endorphins in our bodies, which are essentially ‘happy hormones’ i.e. their increase aids the release of stress and tension. You don’t have to run a marathon a day or cycle 100 miles, exercise can be as simple as going for a walk or putting your favourite tunes on and having a boogie in your room.

This takes me to my final point – consistency. Last week’s post focused on maintaining a routine and how beneficial this will be for our wellbeing, and I’m going to repeat this again. I’m not going to tell you all to be consistent in your relaxation time, e.g. you have to watch Netflix at this time every day, but rather to be consistent in maintaining your wellbeing. Consistently aim for a good night’s sleep, consistently maintain your personal hygiene and consistently allow yourself time to consolidate your emotions. Eat regular meals, call your friends, pet your dog, give your housemates and family members hugs. Focus your time on the people who matter, and who are supporting you during this turbulent time. And support each other, whether that be in person or on the phone.  So with all that said, I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful Easter break – we’ve worked for it! Students, make sure to #getinvolved in our online events that are posted on the student page!

– Cerys

7^th April 2020

Living at home with no commitments to the outside world, sounds like bliss – right?

Well if you’re anything like me, that is your worst nightmare.

As all those in the department know, I’m always around on campus. Whether that be at work, in the Gulbenkian, or at the gym, I’m never in my house other than for eating and sleeping! So of course, all this isolation and lockdown malarkey has caused me some stress like I’m sure it has for you. It’s important to remember though that whilst we may be stuck at indoors, we can still maintain a routine. In fact, in times like this it’s even more important to have structure amidst the chaos of the outside world. In turn, we’re privileged in that we have access to online learning such as Zoom, as well as technology to stay in contact with one another. This week’s blog will entail some helpful tips on

No face-to-face uni means sleeping all day and ignoring all your uni work, right? Erm, no!

It’s important to remember that whilst we don’t have to leave our houses for the foreseeable future, we’re still university students and should treat our degrees with the same importance as we would do if we were actually in uni. This means turning up to lectures on time, being prepared with the correct equipment (e.g. pen and paper, earphones) and getting rid of distractions! Just as you wouldn’t in a normal lecture (even though I know we’re all guilty) you shouldn’t be scrolling through social media. Now more than ever we need to take advantage of the precious time we have with our lecturers and use it to learn, so we can get the best grades possible despite the circumstances.

This comes on to my next point, which is that even though most of us are with our families we need to make clear that we’re still learning, so no interruptions during classes! I make sure that I tell my parents if I have a class or a meeting and not to interrupt me, as well as making sure that I’m in a room by myself so myself and others aren’t distracted.

With regards to keeping on top of university work, which I’m sure is piling up due to the change of practical to written assessments, it’s important to hold ourselves accountable and ensure that we’re keeping ourselves up to date. I’ve done this by making a to-do list of everything I would like to do during this period, incorporating academic stuff like university work, as well as lifestyle things like applying for summer jobs. What with staying indoors for most of the foreseeable future, there’s no reason why I can’t get all of this done!

Having structure is super important, so I’d recommend that on the days that you would physically be at university you follow a similar routine. It’s very easy when staying at home for your normal routine to go out of whack, so what I’m trying to do is go to sleep at a regular time every night, as well as waking up at a regular time every morning. Even after a week of staying at home, I’ve noticed the quality of my sleep improve, and I feel loads more energised throughout the day. Sleep is integral to maintaining good physical and mental health, so make sure you treat it as a priority and value it!

It’s nice to have a sense of normality, so if you’d normally be at university, I’d recommend doing all the usual things that you perhaps wouldn’t do at home to prepare yourself for the day. Of course, you don’t have to do this, but I’ve found that getting properly dressed, doing my hair, and putting some makeup on like I usually would sets me up for a day of work. It may seem like a waste of time to some, but I find doing this to be very therapeutic, as well as allowing me time to think about what I want to do that day.

We’re not machines, so just because we’re home all day doesn’t mean we have to do work constantly. It’s important to allow ourselves breaks for meals, as well as social time, as difficult as that may be at the moment. We’re very privileged to live in an era where technology is easily accessible, and we can contact friends who may be hundreds of miles away with a click of a button. That being said, I think it’s important that we don’t get too wrapped off in social media and screen time. A lot of people have noted that social media and constant news updates have fuelled their anxieties surrounding the pandemic more, so if you think you’re one of these people then I would recommended lessening the time you spend on social media platforms. You can still keep in touch with your friends by texting, facetiming or calling, as opposed to snapchatting, instagramming, or tweeting!

Face-to-face contact is vital in times like the present to ensure that we feel physically connected – facetime seems to be a lot of people’s go to, but if you’re fortunate enough to be in lockdown with others in your house, you can actually socialise face-to-face! It’s all too easy to message members of your family, your siblings, etc, from a different room, but gracing your loved ones with your physical presence will no doubt make you feel less alone.

Recent government guidelines (as of March 28^th) have confirmed that if members of a household are not isolating due to coronavirus symptoms, they are permitted one form of outdoor exercise a day. You can do this alone if you want, or you can go outside with members of your household (which a lot of people don’t realise). I’m lucky enough to live in a town that has a beach, as well as lots of parks and woodland scenery, so I’ve been taking full advantage of this by going on daily walks. As this is limited, I’ve found myself appreciating my hometown and its scenery a lot more, and really valuing the time I’m allowed outside.

I hope that’s given you all some decent tips on maintaining structure during lockdown! I’ll be back next week with another wellbeing post.

Cerys

31^st March 2020

Well…this is an odd situation, isn’t it?

Last week we were confronted with the news that the university were closing, with all teaching suspended for the remainder of Trimester 2. Of course, some students were delighted, but I’m sure I can speak for most of us drama students when I say that I’m gutted. Although the likelihood of us returning to start the next academic year in September is high, this isn’t how our university experience is supposed to be, and it’s saddening that we’re having to deal with this.

As drama students, theatre makers, and creatives, socialising is a big part of our lives. I know all too well about spending 8-10 hours of my day at university running between different buildings, socialising with you lovely folk and creating some amazing theatre, so being confronted with sudden social distancing has left me feeling uncertain. I’m 20 years old, I’ve moved out, I’m constantly busy and I always get my 10,000 steps a day in (thanks Fitbit), and now I’m moving back home having lost the structure and stability that comes with my social life, my degree, and my job.

I could cry, actually, scrap that – I did cry. And that’s my first point: it’s completely valid to be upset. Nobody really understands what is going on and we’re all experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions as more news pours in every day. The way in which we express our emotions is individual to us, so if you want to laugh, cry, shout, go ahead, whatever helps you out.

Another important thing to remember – all of this is temporary. Teaching has been suspended until the 7^th June, which is 11 weeks away. Everyone in the UK has been advised to socially distance and keep leaving the house to a bare minimum for the foreseeable future – most sources suggest this will last for 12 weeks. This suggests that after this probation period, life as we have known it up until this point may begin to return to normal. This leaves us with another 6 months to enjoy the year and what it has in store for us. The other day my mother posted something on her Facebook feed, and I think she sums it up perfectly:

‘These are troubling times for all, for many reasons, but please, please try and focus on the positives…think of how amazing coming out of isolation will be, seeing loved ones again, a massive party, a visit to the theatre, that holiday where you will enjoy the sun and sea again one day. Whatever it is that you are missing the most concentrate on keeping yourself and others safe so you can make the best of it when the world returns to normal. Put your energies into seeing the positives, making the best out of your present situation whatever that may be, although we are facing a crisis if we use the sense and skills we were born with we’ll make it through these dark times…together, with respect, and with love.’

Each and every one of us is capable of making the best out of present situations, and with the use of social media, we are more in touch with each other than we realise. We’re privileged in that we have access to social media, to keep in contact with friends and family whether that be through messages or facetime, so we should utilise it to its full effect. If you don’t want to feel pressured to use social media, then channel your energy and spare time into something else, something that you haven’t done for a while. Since starting university I’ve had very little time to read for pleasure, so this is how I will be using my spare time. Interests like reading and painting allow us to exercise our brains and have also been proven to be therapeutic. Whatever floats your boat, whatever helps you and allows you to remain safe, then do it.

I’ll be back next week with some tips on maintaining a routine and managing online lectures. But for now, stay safe, look after yourselves and your loved ones and keep yourselves occupied.

– Cerys

24^th March 2020

“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

Sarah Williams (1868)

Our first student post of the year comes from Alex, a third year student, writing about her experience over the past two and a half years of writing her collection of poetry which, ultimately, inspired her Advanced Techniques project at the end of last semester. Alex is a dearly loved, devoted member of our department who writes beautifully and consistently captures our attention with her poetry. We hope you love Alex’s post just as much as we do!

– Cerys and Jae

To capture the end understanding I came to just weeks ago, I have to take us back about two and
half years to the start of this story. I had read an article written about a child who had, with a
teacher, written a letter to NASA. Letting NASA know that they were incredibly silly when they
declassified Pluto as a planet, she detailed her plan to become an astronaut and visit all the planets.
And yes, they better believe that included Pluto. This story absolutely captured my heart and
imagination, and resulted in a poetry collection titled ‘The Milky Way Collection’; A collection of
poetry written in the style of love letters, each one addressed to a different celestial body. A love
letter to a planet is an odd thing, I’ll admit, but writing them suddenly painted my view of our solar
system in a wonderful new colour, alive with character. Suddenly, space wasn’t so lonely.
Anthropomorphising the planets had led me to two realisations:

1. They’re just like me and you.
2. We have something to learn from them.

To explain the first vague point, I mean to say that all of them have a different story and sense of
character if you look for it. Mars is the warrior planet, its red complexion signifying rage and war.
The reality is that the red colourisation is a result of the combination of rust and dust. Venus, the
only female planet, was once near identical to Earth. It is now a ball of fire, almost nothing can touch
its surface. Saturn, a parental planet to Jupiter, has a ring now fading away. The echoes of humanity
and our stories can be seen throughout our solar system. Where we can find stories, we can find
meaning. This takes me to the second vague point, I’ll use the advanced specialism module to
explain.

The advanced specialism module saw the department experiment with their respective specialisms.
Unsurprisingly, I wanted to make a show about space. The idea at first was pretty simple, just poetry
and projection of planets on moving umbrellas. However, this wasn’t enough, I needed a narrative to
explore, a story to tell beyond the individual tales of the planets. It dawned on me that the story I
needed to tell was the exact opposite of ‘individual’. I began exploring systems which rewarded
movement and interaction between spectators, between planets and people. I explored blurring the
lines between the start and ends of poems. While consisting of 10 poems overall, this blurring
resulted in what could be seen as one bigger poem, for which the show was named after ‘Dear Milky
Way’. My second point, planets having something to teach us, relates to the idea of the joining of
individuals to make something greater. All of these planets have a story to tell, but no single planet
can make a solar system. We are just like them. Each of us have intricately deep and fascinating
stories to tell, we’re storytellers by nature and we should be proud of that. You can stand in a
corner, but the only story you’ll ever get is your own. Joining together with others allows you to
share that story, and to listen and to hear other stories which allows you to paint a bigger picture.
The joining of instruments make a song, the joining of planets make a solar system, and the joining
of people makes a story bigger than the sum of its parts. We’re greater together.

I am truly lucky to have gone on this journey, to have written poetry and made a show which has
fundamentally changed how I think about the universe. I realised at some point during the journey
that it made me feel like a kid again, and maybe that’s why I love it so much. When you’re young,
everything is big and scary and exciting and you have so many questions, you lose that at some
point, you forget how much of a miracle it all is. Looking out to space, well it’s big and scary and
exciting and it has me asking new questions every day. It’s given me a sense of peace. Space,
ironically enough, grounds me. Cat once pointed out a grey smudge in the sky on a clear night, and
I’ll always remember the next words:

“That’s Andromeda.”

An entire galaxy, no bigger than a fingertip from here. It put a lot into perspective which has brought
so much peace. We are all accidentally part of something truly special, which was here
independently of us. Us being here is a wonderfully lucky coincidence. Maybe we’re here simply
because it would be a shame if something so beautiful went unnoticed, but I’m not sure that’s
entirely right. I want to end this letter with what I think is the end understanding of this journey.

We are part of this evolving universe, and we are among the lucky ones who get to say we’re here
right now to experience everything in it. If we are to say we are like the stars and space itself, then
we must consider a few things. We are likely among the last generations who saw Orion before one
of its stars went supernova. Though Orion will remain to be visible for a long time yet, it has likely
already been destroyed, Orion will be lost to time and space itself. The supernova will someday be
visible from Earth, and will look like a second moon in our sky. Saturn, the ringed planet, is loosing its
asteroid belt. It’s believed we just missed seeing similar asteroid belts around Jupiter and Neptune
among others. Mercury is endlessly shrinking, scientists aren’t sure of its future. We are all stories in
this universe, and at some point, the universe will lose those stories. The universe will lose us
eventually, and it will never quite have me and you again. How lucky then that we’re still here to tell
those stories. To spend the night gathered round a campfire singing made up songs on makeshift
instruments. To dance, to make art. To love and cry. To intertwine our stories with those of others,
leaving a mark on the universe that says we were here, we had fun, and most importantly, we lived.

By the morning, there’s going to be almost no evidence we were ever even here. The only mark
that’ll remain is the one the cinders left on the grass from the fire.

The fire we started.

Yours faithfully
An admirer (Alex Parker)

17th February 2020

“In order to be successful in the new year, stay focused, develop a positive attitude, and be passionate with your dreams.”

Bamigboye Olurotimi

Happy New Year from The Grapevine! A little overdue of course, as we’re nearly at the end of January, but assessment period proved to be very time-consuming, although rewarding, for everyone involved.

2019 was a fantastic year for The Grapevine; as well as rebranding the social media accounts, this website was launched to document student experiences in the department with great success. All of the committee were blown away by the enthusiasm displayed by students to contribute to the blog, and we hope that this continues into 2020.

Semester 1 of 19/20 saw three HUDDEES, five Events Nights, and the first in-house, staff-led production for many years being produced in our department. Once again, the committee and staff alike have been thoroughly impressed by everyone’s contributions to the productions, and with the announcement of this semester’s shows we hope to have another successful few months.

And if that isn’t enough, Jae and I have been working on something behind the scenes that we can reveal to you today…The Grapevine publication! This is a 19-page magazine that documents all of the happenings in the department from last semester, from HUDDEES to updates from Z Theatre, our in-department theatre company who perform at the Edinburgh Fringe annually. Although this is been a lengthy process, including several corrupted files and, consequently, several restarts, The Grapevine issue for Semester 1 is finally here in all it’s glory!

If anyone has any problems accessing the download filed, please don’t hesitate to contact us via dramagrc.communications@gmail.com and we will email the file directly to you. We hope you enjoy reading this as much as Jae and I enjoyed creating it. Of course, we couldn’t have created this if it wasn’t for the efforts of everyone in our department so thank you all!

– Cerys

26th January 2020

‘There are some things one can only achieve by a deliberate leap in the opposite direction.’

Franz Kafka

Being a ‘Fresher’ can be a strange experience – some are excited at the prospect of starting university and moving away from home for the first time, whilst others are terrified at leaving their families behind to start a new life in a different place with people they’ve never met before. There’s no black or white way to feel, sometimes it’s natural to have mixed emotions about this change. Personally, despite researching universities since I was 12-years-old (yes, I was that child), I panicked the day before moving and said I didn’t want to go and that I wasn’t ready. I was leaving my safety blanket behind and was being forced into moving away for the sake of my education. Okay, I could have made less dramatic word choices, but would what a drama blog be without some drama?

Of course, on the day of moving I felt fine and didn’t even cry (result!) when I waved my parents goodbye, but I still felt nervous about meeting my course mates. The power of social media meant that I had already messaged a lot of them online, but having not met any of them in ‘real life’ I worried that my online persona may differ to how I was in person, that is, someone who finds large groups of new people very daunting and, as a result, stays quiet and doesn’t include themselves for fear of getting judged. Freshers doesn’t have to be this deep! Everyone is in the same boat, and although people may not seem nervous, they probably are – this is university after all. Although I received some words of wisdom from my family before I left, I would have liked some messages from current students at the time, as although my course description on the website had me sold, it still would have added some extra reassurance.

Below is a collection of quotes from students of the Drama department, past and present, collected from The Grapevine social media accounts and the department Facebook page. Even if you’re not a Fresher – give them a read! Each academic year allows you the chance to rectify mistakes you made in the previous year, allowing you to grow into the person you seek to become.

‘Go and see as much theatre as you can!! Open up, people can help.’

Jemima Corbett – Second Year

‘See everything as an opportunity and it will make your time so fulfilled.’

Luke Dankoff – Third Year

‘Try new things! First year is the best year to throw yourself in, make mistakes and have fun!’

Danielle Harris – Graduate

‘Have the most fun, but always keep yourself guarded – mentally, physically, and socially.’

Sophie Clarkson – Second Year

‘Get involved, try everything!’

Chloe Herrick – Second Year

‘Don’t force yourself into anything! Uni is very overwhelming, take your time.’

Rachel Johnson, Second Year

‘Enjoy yourself and try not to stress too much!’

Danielle Cawley – Second Year

‘Don’t get involved in just one area e.g. just acting, explore all that the course has to offer even if it’s not part of your timetable! You may get to the end of the year and decide you wanted to try stage management or lighting but by then you may not have the chance. Take the opportunity whilst you can especially whilst you have the freedom to explore all areas of production – grab it from the start!’

Cassidi White – Graduate

‘Socialise! Get to know everyone and you’ll have a fab time with the whole department!’

Amber Samuels – Second Year

‘Jump on every opportunity you can, learn as much as you can – just dive in head first!’

Bethan Sheavills – Graduate

‘The drama department is a big family, it’s a brilliant community of some of the kindest, coolest people you’ll ever meet! So explore and create and don’t be scared of judgement or failure, we’re all here to have fun and make cool theatre!’

Alex Parker – Third Year

So to all our Freshers…good luck! The drama department are beyond excited to meet you! And to our Second and Third Years – welcome back! Let’s make this year even better than the last!

Cerys

12th September 2019

Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasise about a world we aspire to.

— Willem Dafoe.

Welcome to The Grapevine blog! This has been a long time in the making, mainly due to the fact that I’m a Drama/English student as opposed to studying Media or Graphics! But the blog is here now, in all it’s free subscription glory #budgeting.

This blog isn’t just for the committee – it’s for you! We want this to be a platform where drama students can document their journey through university, whether that be writing a diary of their time at Edinburgh Fringe or what they found beneficial from the annual Gulbenkian Fest. In turn, we want to fill our blog with reviews of student shows, like HUDDEEs and Events Nights, as well as of shows in Hull.

We welcome all reviews, however if you have a particular interest in critiquing and watching theatre then make sure you join the GRC’s Communications pool, to be launched in September alongside other tech pools that include stage management, costume, and construction. As a member of the Communications pool, you will be specifically asked to review theatre created by students and around Hull – your review would be of a minimum 200-word count and published on The Grapevine blog after being approved by your Communications Reps, Cerys and Jae. Your review may even make it in to The Grapevine booklet, published at the end of every trimester!

The GRC (Green Room Committee) have a lot planned for the next year, starting with our Drama Freshers Week coordinated by our Social Secretaries, João and Scott. Information about this will be available in the Freshers Welcome Pack, which will also be uploaded as a file on the Hull University Drama Page for current students to read.

That’s all from me for now!

Cerys (Communications Rep)