By Sophia Wee Blázquez
The Grapevine Society podcast is a platform for sharing the experiences of young people as we figure things out, from student life to post-graduation. In each episode you’ll be hearing real stories
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The podcast currently has 10 episodes available.
We are back in lockdown and back on Zoom (which means the audio quality is very much sub par, apologies in advance).
In this episode, I have a chat with Aislinn, my best pal of 10+ years, who uses Instagram as a method of self care as she champions body positivity and seeks to normalise "fat" bodies and the word itself. We speak about the process of learning to love your body, cultivating a safe space on social media, finding your place within a community and self-exposure.
Aislinn's Instagram: @ididitmybodway_
Resources mentioned:
BEAT charity
@bodyposipanda
@stephanieyeboah
@kenziebrenna
@curvynayome
Follow us on Insta for more: @thegrapevinesociety
Today we have another chat about a year abroad, this time with my pal Ellie (who studies Spanish & Linguistics at Oxford). She went above & beyond laying out all the specifics for you below:
First of all please anyone feel free to message me about anything related to Barcelona/Spain/Year Abroad/Digital Marketing/etc, I would be so happy to help! They can contact me on instagram (@eleanormacleod) or via email ([email protected]).
Btw think we were wrong n Fever is shut for now but will eventually open again!
For accommodation in Spain:
I used Idealista, which is good for finding rooms in flats. It's best to message them via their number cause no-one ever checks their messages on the site. Badi is also very popular in Spain and a lot of friends found their flat on there. If you're looking to rent a flat rather than just a room, Habitaclia is also good.
I worked at the digital marketing agency Good Rebels.
The app for meeting people is called Bumble BFF, I've heard that Meetup is also good for finding events.
When we went to Valencia, we went via an Alsa bus, and stayed at the Quart Youth Hostel.
My fav bar of all time is the Lime House. They're for sale, so fingers crossed someone will buy them and they'll stay open!
The vegan restaurant I mentioned is Honest Greens. It's a bit touristy but the food and decor is really nice.
I lived in the neighbourhood Gracia, and can't recommend it enough. My favourite squares in the area were Plaza de la Vila de Gracia (for coffee/breakfast), Plaza del Sol (for bars) and Plaza de la Virreina (for tapas).
For hiking, we really liked Montserrat. This website has a good explanation of how to get there from the city centre.
When we went to the Costa Brava, we stayed in a town called Llafranc, which i really recommend because it was less touristy. We stayed at Hotel La Muntanya.
My two fav parks in Barcelona were Parque del Laberinto de Horta and Parc de la Ciutadella.
Chatting with my good pal Anna about her year abroad (or half-year abroad, due to the pandemic) in Paris! We cover it all, from her experience studying at a foreign uni, finding accommodation, gaining independence, making friends, books, Jeanette Winterson & my trip to visit her for NYE.
Things mentioned & recommendations:
Publishing house - Actes Sud
Job - Entreprendre Editions
La Mutinerie - LGBTQ+ bar
Books by Jeanette Winterson - Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, Sexing The Cherry
Towns near the sea - Villefranche-sur-Mer, Cap-d'Ail (Mala beach)
Find us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ansmigone/
https://instagram.com/thegrapevinesociety
A very quick episode answering a handful of your questions following on from the episode "Applying to Study Fine Art at The Ruskin". I've been chatting to a few of you and I hope this is somewhat helpful, but bear in mind I can't offer you solid answers as each experience is different.
I answer your questions about interview experiences, portfolio submissions, history and theory in relation to studio work and my experience of tutorials.
Good luck with your applications!
Check out the Ruskin's website for more info:
https://www.rsa.ox.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/applying-to-study-for-a-bfa
Calÿpso is a singer-songwriter from Salisbury (and just so happens to be a very talented friend of mine). We recorded this just sat on the sofa and ended up covering quite a lot in a short space of time.
We touch upon her early musical education, the process of making music during and post-uni (Classics at Oxford is no joke!!), getting gigs, creative blocks, the importance of rest and then some.
This was such an enjoyable conversation for me and I think it's also pretty relatable for anyone who knows the ups & downs of the creative process.
Books we mentioned:
The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
Ego is the Enemy - Ryan Holiday
Rest - Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Find Calypso on:
Instagram - https://instagram.com/calypso.sings
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Y5cNd3evdFr5wcZMUCX3R?si=fp69PPpSR7qsbP9g7pFpMw
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to study medicine at Oxford or are thinking of applying, this episode is for you.
I chat with my friends Zahra and Sahara (who are students in their 4th year of Medicine at Oxford Uni) to get their take on the application process and their experience on the course so far.
We talk entrance exams, uni choices, work experience, interviews, personal statements and course structure.
As always, keep it in mind that this is all based on personal experiences of two individuals, so don't take it word for word and do your own research but hopefully some aspects of the conversation are helpful!
Resourced mentioned:
Medify: https://www.medify.co.uk/bmat
In summer 2019, my friend Olivia & I spent 5 weeks in New York interning at Photoville, an outdoor photography festival in Brooklyn.
We had a chat about our time there and go over our experiences of working in an intense environment, the friends we made, the artworks we saw and also touch upon the difficulties or predicaments of getting (and applying for) an internship today.
Things we mentioned:
Photoville https://photoville.com/
'Scars of racism' by Travis Fox https://www.travisfox.com/6634391-scars-of-racism
'For Sama' doc: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/for-sama
OkMentor: https://www.okmentor.me/
In this episode, I sit down with my friend & fellow Oxford grad Eddie. He studied French and Arabic and spend his 2nd year of uni abroad in Jordan. We chat about studying two languages at once, learning Arabic from scratch and also get into some interesting stories from his time in the Middle East.
Note: Eddie mentions his trip to Beirut in this episode. The explosions early this month have left many in a precarious position. If you would like to donate, here's a guide: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/06/beirut-explosion-how-you-can-help-lebanon-victims-fund-donate-donations-food-relief
Today we are in the park! So you’ll be hearing a lot of background noise in the form of police cars, kids screaming, you know, all those lovely London sounds. This was the only possible way for us to record safely and whilst social distancing so I hope it isn’t too distracting.
In this episode, I sit down with my friend Josi, a fellow Ruskin student, to chat about applying for Fine Art at the University of Oxford.
We speak about art foundation courses, college choice, personal statements, portfolios, the interview and the practical exam. We share our experiences and advice, hopefully providing some valuable insight into the whole process and making it seem a little less daunting.
If you have any further questions or want us to record an episode on something in particular, let us know, we are open & happy to help!
Get in touch:
www.thegrapevinesociety.com
[email protected]
Instagram: @thegrapevinesociety
A brief overview of what The Grapevine Society is all about, why I started it & what to expect going forward.
The podcast currently has 10 episodes available.