Culture and media
Taking our cue from Raymond Williams’ ‘culture is ordinary’, we explore how politics works through old and new media, books, film, stage and screen, music and sport.
We cover a breadth of themes, from representations of class, race and gender in the arts, to progressive and reactionary uses of nostalgia, to the grassroots voices democratising the channels of communication.
Taking our cue from Raymond Williams’ ‘culture is ordinary’, we explore how politics works through old and new media, books, film, stage and screen, music and sport.
We cover a breadth of themes, from representations of class, race and gender in the arts, to progressive and reactionary uses of nostalgia, to the grassroots voices democratising the channels of communication.
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What poetry on ruins can teach us about our present struggles
Ruined spaces and their poetics offer valuable insights into contemporary struggles and injustices, says Cecilia Enjuto Rangel
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Peter Kennard: pictures for peace
Peter Kennard reflects on a career focused on creating anti-war art, from documenting protests to dissecting nuclear weapons
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Uncommon Wealth – review
Kojo Koram’s book cuts through tabloid headlines to examine the material legacy of colonialism: extreme wealth for an elite few; poverty for the rest. By Leah Cowan
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A real ‘culture war’ rages in Ukraine
Russia targeting Ukrainian museums follows a long history of imperial powers looting and despoiling cultural wealth, argues Siobhan McGuirk
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Pixels and mortar: The politics of video game worldbuilding
With the worlds of architecture and video games becoming increasingly intertwined, Gerry Hart examines how video games communicate through their design
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The long road to gender recognition reform
From bans on trans athletes to violence in the streets and attacks in the legislature, Jamie Jewkes traces the normalisation of transphobia in Britain
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Fighting workplace surveillance
Jamie Woodcock examines the growing range of tools bosses use to spy on their workers – and how they can be resisted