Culture
Welcome to our Culture section. Here we explore vibrant and inspiring work from across the globe and examine issues such as identity, cultural appropriation, the role of art, globalization, sponsorship and the impact of digital technology on cultural practices.
We talk to leading cultural figures, exploring their politics, inspirations, and visions for the future.
We cover a range of topics including: art books film music media photography.
In our reviews, we analyse and critique both mainstream and independent book, film, and music, to help you discover thought-provoking movies, new sounds and page-turners that are too often ignored by mainstream media.
You’ll find coverage of events and festivals that showcase the diversity of cultural practices and traditions, highlighting the power of art to bring people together and promote social change. We also explore the ways in which power dynamics and colonial legacies continue to shape our cultural experiences.
Our aim is to foster a greater understanding of our complex world through the lens of culture, which is not just a passive reflection of our world, but an active participant in its transformation.
Mixed media: music
From Palestinian hip hop to the spoken word wizardry of South London, Malcolm Lewis and Louise Gray review sounds from around the globe
The radical book review
Jo Lateu and Peter Whittaker weigh up the latest releases in radical publishing.
The filmmaker bringing survivor stories to light
Leesa Gazi speaks to Subi Shah about Rising Silence — her film about the women sexually assaulted during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
On Hodan Nalayeh (1976 – 2019)
Nalayeh, founder of Integration TV, was killed by al-Shabaab militants on 12 July.
The Saudi street artist speaking truth to power
Ms Saffaa talks to Alessio Perrone about the inspiration for her murals and why Saudi women need a different narrative.
‘How to Avoid Climate Breakdown’ talk series
A panel discussion with Alice Bell, Clive Lewis MP and Miatta Fahnbulleh on a Green New Deal and more. Chaired by New Internationalist co-editor Hazel Healy on 20 June 2019.
Spotlight: Anthony Joseph
Trinidadian musician Anthony Joseph tells Subi Shah about how important it is for his children to know about Windrush.
Mixed media: film
Malcolm Lewis reviews Woman at War, directed and co-written by Benedikt Erlingsson; The Third Wife, directed and written by Ash Mayfair.
Mixed media: music
Louise Gray reviews the latest music releases by Songs of Our Native Daughters and Ibibio Sound Machine.
The interview: Slavoj Žižek
The Slovenian philosopher, sociologist and cultural critic speaks to Graeme Green about losing control, Twitter, Trump and a new approach.
Are oil companies losing their social license?
As opposition to fossil-fuel sponsorship grows, arts institutions funded by big oil are looking increasingly out of touch. Danny Chivers reports.
Sudan: The protests behind the fall of al-Bashir
As thousands of Sudanese defy an army curfew and continue their sit-in, we take a look at how the protests came about.
Mixed media: books
Peter Whittaker and Vanessa Baird review the latest releases in radical publishing.
Chris Saltmarsh makes the case for an internationalist Green New Deal
Public ownership and democratic control of industry must be key to any Green New Deal. So must global justice. Chris Saltmarsh makes the case for an internationalist Green New Deal with workers and communities at its heart.
What just happened in Kashmir? And why should we be concerned?
India's war-obsessed media makes Fox News look tame. We look at the dynamics behind the situation in Kashmir.
Union blacklisting and police infiltration, ten years on
Progress has been slow since the 2009 revelations of workers being blacklisted for union activity, Phil Chamberlain writes.
Mixed media spotlight: Euzhan Palcy
Euzhan Palcy tells Subi Shah what inspired her to become a filmmaker 35 years ago, and what keeps her fire burning.
Why I protested a British Museum exhibition of my own people’s history
Yasmin Younis explains why she protested against a British Museum exhibition of her own people’s history.
Mixed media: film
Malcolm Lewis reviews Burning, directed and co-written by Chang-dong Lee; Green Book, directed and co-written by Peter Farrelly.
Mixed media spotlight: Sebastián Lelio
Chilean-Argentine director Sebastian Lelio speaks to Malcolm Lewis about writing complex, engaging characters and film as a 'machine for empathy'.
Mixed media: music
Louise Gray reviews the latest music releases by London-based quartet Skunk Anasie, and Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar.
Do we fetishize indigenous people?
Working on a documentary about the Moken ‘Sea Gypsies’ prompted Julian Sayarer to examine the West’s obtuse gaze and representation of indigenous people.
What if social media firms paid us?
Exploitation by tech firms is not inevitable, suggests Vanessa Baird.
Mixed media: books
Peter Whittaker and Jo Lateu review the latest selection of non-fiction radical book releases
Laibach: the politics of music
Laibach have produced a version of The Sound of Music that you can march to, writes Louise Gray for the Mixed Media section.
Mixed media: film
Malcolm Lewis reviews Disobedience directed by Sebastián Lelio and The Workshop directed by Laurent Cantet.
Banning ‘adult content’ won’t make Tumblr better or healthier
What does Tumblr's decision mean for those who rely on the site as one of the only sexually permissible online spaces? Jillian York asks.
Pakistan: censorship by stealth
Media independence in Pakistan is suffering, with the authorities using creative ways to silence journalists. Suddaf Chaudry explains.
Fake news is not just a Western problem
Misinformation is rife, but it’s nothing new, writes Nanjala Nyabola.
Mike Leigh on class war and political hope
Ahead of his upcoming film, Peterloo, Mike Leigh speaks to Sam Thompson about cinema, history and politics.
Fahrenheit 11/9: a merciless take-down of the liberal establishment
Youssef El-Gingihy delights in US filmmaker Michael Moore’s latest polemic.
Does social media bias in content moderation exist?
Allegations that Facebook and other platforms have bias in content moderation decisions may not be so far fetched, Jillian York writes
Mixed media: Film
Tehran Taboo written and directed by Ali Soozandeh;
The Heiresses (Las Herederas) written and directed by Marcello Martinessi.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe: top picks
Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe, Nick Dowson suggests a few shows to get your teeth stuck into.
