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Salient / March 2024

Salient is the official student magazine of Victoria University of Wellington.

April 2024 | February 2024
    • Review: Kick Up a FUS
      • In January 2023, the abrupt firing of 19 dancers at Calendar Girls Wellington made headlines. 35 of the dancers who worked there, wrote and signed a letter expressing their concerns over the venue's plans to take 50% of their earnings instead of the previous 40%. The next day, those 19 dancers lost their jobs. This incident sparked a larger movement among the fired dancers, leading them to form FUS - a grassroots organisation that fights against exploitative practices in the adult entertainment industry. The venue itself Valhalla was a surprisingly good pick for the event. As Stephen, who came with us says:
      • Accepted from Salient 2024 by tonytw1
      • Automatically tagged as:
      • media
      • victoria-university

        • Valhalla, 154, Vivian Street, Te Aro, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6040, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)


    • Gordon Wilson is Dead, Long Live Affordable Housing
      • Last Thursday, Wellington City Council passed what Councillor Nīkau Wi Neera described as “the most pro-housing, ambitious set of amendments that we could”, as the council voted on changes to the District Plan. The meeting saw the council’s biggest break from the NIMBY-ism which has defined housing policy in the city for decades. W after W for affordable housing flashed onto the council’s voting screens. So overwhelming were the wins for affordable housing that Councillor Nicola Young may have been left with a mild case of amnesia, saying “I’m so numb about the district plan I can barely remember what [the amendments] are.”
      • Accepted from Salient 2024 by tonytw1
      • Tagged as:
      • wellington-city-council
      • housing
      • gordon-wilson-flats

        • Gordon Wilson Flats, Maurice Terrace, Aro Valley, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6040, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)


    • Review: Call The Plumber Tour—Frank on Tap and Wet Denim
      • Frank on Tap and Wet Denim concluded their “Call The Plumber” tour in Wellington at San Fran this past Saturday. Co-headlining the tour, the show was nothing if not a striking finale. With supporting artists, First Reserve, Messie, and Swimcap, the venue was packed and brimming with excitement—there wasn’t a single bad spot to watch the show from. Taking the stage as the first headliner, Frank on Tap delivered a vibrant pop-rock performance that raised the energy of the whole room. There wasn’t a single person either fully immersed and dancing or at least nodding their head along to the beat. From captivating vocals to energising drum beats, there wasn’t an uninteresting second of their set.
      • Accepted from Salient 2024 by tonytw1
      • Tagged as:
      • reviews
      • theatre

        • San Francisco Bath House, Swan Lane, Te Aro, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6040, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)


    • One, Two, Buckle Your Shoes—Getting Around Gets Tougher
      • The Government released its draft policy statement on transport last week and the news is bleak for anyone who wants to go anywhere other than their flat and the dairy down the road. Funding for public transport, walking, and cycling has been significantly slashed by the latest policy, down $1 billion from the initial allocation set by the prior Labour government. In addition, while money has been allocated for some roading projects, the draft policy statement has said that none of the funding for local roads is to be used on “multi-modal improvements” like bus or cycle lanes, and that “there will be reduced funding for traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps.”
      • Accepted from Salient 2024 by tonytw1
      • Automatically tagged as:
      • media
      • victoria-university

    • Review: Sandwich Artist
      • Maybe I’m being subjective here, but a show playing “Man or Muppet” as house music is bound to be good fun. And Sandwich Artist was! A heartwarming and silly musical, that poked fun at the genre conventions while being a genuinely well-put together show, with a lot of love and just a bit more to it than only sliced bread. The story follows Sammy Rye (Phoebe Caldeiro), an unrecognised sandwich genius working for an unnamed sandwich chain, who’s unorthodox, off-menu sandwiches get her fired, despite how good they are. She gambles it all on a bus ride to Wellington, where a fellowship is formed with a despondent carrot farmer (Catherine Gavigan-Binnie), a butcher with attachment issues (Anna Barker), and a strangely shifty baker (Dylan Hutton). Phoebe and Jack McGee worked together on a story that does a lot with very little: only 6 major speaking roles and minimal props or set.
      • Accepted from Salient 2024 by tonytw1
      • Tagged as:
      • reviews
      • theatre

        • Te Auaha, Dixon Street, Te Aro, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6040, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)


    • Review: blackpill
      • Content Warning: Misogyny, sexual content Before I watched this show I was warned it would ‘challenge me.' Naturally, a show about incel culture should not be easy to digest. However, as the show unfolded, I found myself facing a different kind of challenge than I had expected—one that tested my empathy and ability to connect with others. As expected from the topic, the show's title, blackpill, is derived from the incel community, and its definition is essentially what the show presents. In short, the ‘blackpill ideology’ maintains that physical attractiveness is the most important factor in attracting women, and that certain physical and social factors are necessary for success.
      • Accepted from Salient 2024 by tonytw1
      • Tagged as:
      • reviews
      • theatre

        • BATS Theatre, 1, Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6011, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)


    • Debate Over Housing Intensification ... Intensifies
      • The debate over the future of Wellington’s housing rages on, as Council continues to grapple with the 220 pages of bullshittery brought to it by the Independent Hearings Panel (IHP) The most recent report brought to council by the IHP contains all of its recommendations for Wellington’s District Plan—the rulebook for urban planning in Te Whanganui-a-Tara—developed via a public consultation process that it has been undergoing since February of last year. However, as pointed out by a number of commentators, many of the recommendations made by the IHP are, frankly, bonkers.
      • Accepted from Salient 2024 by tonytw1
      • Tagged as:
      • housing

    • Abrupt Closure of Award Winning Wellington Brothel
      • A central, appointment based brothel that has been open since 2006 has announced that they will be closing their doors on the 29th February 2024. A statement made by the owner (who is a sex worker), announced the closure to clients with mixed emotions, stating “Although this decision is not made lightly, I believe it is the best way forward for both myself and the business”. There was no reason provided in the initial statement as to why the decision was made - at least not to clients.
      • Accepted from Salient 2024 by tonytw1
      • Automatically tagged as:
      • media
      • victoria-university

    • Review: An Old-Fashioned Lesbian Love Story
      • Whisking us back to a world of swing jazz and giggle juice, Bars Behind Bars is an immersive experience. From the moment the audience enters, the actors are scattered about, welcoming us, having secret conversations in the hallway, sending us back in time. The show begins with a fourth-wall-breaking introduction to the characters and their lives at The Cat’s Pajamas, an illicit bar in Manhattan during the prohibition. When the bar’s owner is murdered in the back room, his wife Annie is the primary suspect of the interrogation.
      • Accepted from Salient 2024 by tonytw1
      • Tagged as:
      • lgbt
      • reviews
      • theatre

        • Ivy Bar, Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6011, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)


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