Cambridge University Fashion Show: A Review
Charlie Windle and Sophie Chebib review the Cambridge University Fashion Show (CUCFS) at the Union, Friday 6th March 2026.
The Politics of PolSocs
Anusha Salhan reflects on Per Capita Media’s PolSoc Question Time event in Michaelmas 2025, introducing a series of reflections by political society chairs on the role of student politics at Cambridge and
The Orphan of Zhao: A Review by Zoë Green
Zoë Green reviews the ADC Theatre’s visually striking production of The Orphan of Zhao, where atmospheric staging and committed performances bring an ancient story of loyalty and sacrifice to life.
Editor's Picks
Old and new unilateralism: has American foreign policy really changed?
Giovanni Lacroix argues that the US has moved into a new era of unilateralism, fueled by the defiant and populist rhetoric of the Trump administration. In spite of weakening political ties within the West, Europe remains bound by economic, institutional, and military dependency to the United States and the whims of its government. The online instrumentalisation of outrage by the White House underlines the EU’s need for new algorithms and increased sovereignty.
The Cambridge University Charity Fashion Show – an interview with the Vice-President
Charlie Windle sits down with CUCFS Vice-President Maddie Wills to discuss her motivations for getting involved in the show, her experience organising the committee, and why more people should get involved in Cambridge’s creative scene.
Nowhere is safe for Labour.
Jonathan Corner argues Gorton and Denton is not an exceptional case, and that the UK is staring down the barrel of an entirely new political paradigm.
Watersprite Returns to Cambridge this Lent
From Uzbekistan to Mexico, over 2,000 student films arrive in Cambridge this March as Watersprite Film Festival transforms Lent term into a celebration of bold, emerging global cinema.
THE SOCIAL MOBILITY SERIES
Preface: Breaking the Silence on Class at Cambridge
Jezz Brown, Cambridge 2024 HSPS graduate, opens Per Capita Media’s Social Mobility Series with a personal reflection on navigating class at Cambridge – examining the silences, assumptions and inequalities that shape student life, and asking why conversations about class remain so difficult.
Social Mobility in Cambridge: The Power of Access and Outreach
Madeleine Wills explores how Cambridge's access and outreach efforts shape opportunities for state-schooled and working-class students, highlighting both the transformative potential of targeted support and the persistent gaps that still prevent many applicants from seeing Cambridge as a realistic and inclusive option.
“Divn’t gan al posh!” Accentism at Cambridge
Han Johnson reflects on her personal experiences of the discomfort and unbelonging that comes with accentism inside the institution.
‘Finding Your People’: What Does It Really Mean?
'The struggle of getting in and the challenge of getting on'. Keane Handley explores class, sport and social location in Cambridge - and why access does not always mean opportunity.
The Per Capita Media Class Survey: Experiences of Class and Socioeconomic Disadvantage at Cambridge
Concluding our Social Mobility Series, Jezz Brown draws on findings from the Per Capita Media Class Survey to explore how class and socioeconomic background continue to shape life at Cambridge.
TAVO
Review: A Streetcar Named Desire, ADC Theatre.
Daisy Mellor reflects on a gripping ADC Theatre revival of A Streetcar Named Desire, praising its commanding performances, atmospheric design and haunting emotional intensity.
Bathwater – a haunting confrontation of what it means to carry pain
Abby Williams reviews 'Bathwater', one of the most moving and artistically complete pieces of student theatre to hit the Cambridge stage in years.
Cambridge’s answer to the problem of restitution ought to be a lesson to the British Museum.
Charlie Windle examines the ongoing debate over repatriation, questioning why isntitutions like the British Museum continue to resist returning cultural artefacts such as the Parthenon Sculptures. While Cambridge's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology reports no disputes or refusals, the British Museum clings to outdated laws and colonial justification. Windle argues that for true cultural understanding, these treasures ought to be returned to their rightful homes.
‘Evita’: A Bold and Provocative West End Revival stripped down to its raw, throbbing core – minimalist, hyper-sexualised and ingenious
Charlie Windle reviews the bold and provocative West End revival of Evita, directed by Jamie Lloyd. The production redefines the classic – “bold, fitting, and utterly in tune with the musical’s heart”
Truman Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood’: An Autopsy of the True Crime Genre
Daisy Cox recounts her intriguing and remarkable experience reading 'In Cold Blood' by Truman Capote, the “inventor” of the modern non-fiction novel and New Journalism.
The Banality of Atrocity rumbles through Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” (2024)
“Glazer draws the viewer, however resistant, to view the world in line with its Nazi protagonists”, writes Mia Badby.
A Comedy of Errors did a lot of things correctly – A Review
Kaima Ikeotuonye reviews an ADC Theatre production of 'A Comedy of Errors', a delightfully absurd show with an energetic soundtrack and vibrant cast who
A Breakfast of Eels: Review by Lucy Farmer
Lucy Farmer reviews A Breakfast of Eels at Corpus Playroom - a masterful illustration the complex ordinariness of life.
A Case for New Writing in Cambridge Theatre
Senan McSweeney-Davis argues that Cambridge's new writing scene thrives on experimentation and collaboration, transforming solitary ideas into collaborative, relevant performances shaped by experimentation, feedback
Politics & Society
Starmer’s Immigration Conundrum: Why Labour’s imitation of Farage will lead them nowhere
Daniel Roper examines the immigration U-turns that define Keir Starmers' government, arguing that his government's repeated U-turns and adoption of tougher rhetoric have failed to counter Nigel Farage and the populist right.
Why Farage’s Scandals Don’t Stick: Disillusionment, Apathy and the Collapse of Centrist Politics
Farage racist allegations continue to mount, yet his polling remains constant. Cameron Banks examines why.
Humour as exposure: Niko Omilana and the Racism Epidemic
Haris Khan argues that through Niko Omilana's YouTube videos amid anti-immigration protests, claims of tolerance collapse into evidence of a racism epidemic no longer whispered, but aired publicly and comfortably on Britain's streets.
Oxbridge & Higher Education
BREAKING NEWS: Cambridge Union Debates Officer resigns 1 week after being barred from Presidential-run, confirmed by the Cambridge Union.
BREAKING NEWS: Cambridge Union Debates Officer, Pollyanna Greene-Wright, resigns 1 week after being barred from Presidential-run, confirmed by the Cambridge Union.
Email reveals CUCA Chair invites speaker with ‘a documented history of racism and far-right ideology’, Tom Rowsell, unbeknownst to his committee.
Exclusive: Per Capita Media reveals how CUCA Chairman's unilateral speaker invitation of Tom Rowsell, issued without committee knowledge, has sparked tensions over governance and acceptable debate at Cambridge.
Students lead charge to stop “extortionate” prices of Cambridge May Balls, up nearly 70% since 2018
May Ball price increases have stirred up fears among some Cambridge students about the growing gap between Cambridge’s “haves and have nots”.
The Cambridge University Palestine Court Case: “Drop your injunction suppressing free speech” says UCU General Secretary, Jo Grady, wrote to Cambridge Vice-Chancellor, Debbie Prentice
“This was never about lawful protest”, the University claims. But, the University and Colleges Union (UCU) have warned that it is a “worsening crackdown” on Free Speech.
University Briefings (Feb 25): Gender Critical author, Helen Joyce, prompts Oxford student Valentines Day protest
Gender-critical author, Helen Joyce, spoke at Balliol College on Valentines day in Oxford, prompting a student protest and walk out. Joyce spoke at an event organised by convener of the Balliol Philosophy Society, John Maier.
University Briefings (26/02): OfS warns 75% of England’s HE institutions will be in the red, as first breakdown of Britain’s student loan book published
OfS warning comes as new student loan repayment data highlights large gap in repayment between larger and smaller academic institutions and is driving further scrutiny into so-called 'Mickey Mouse' degrees.
The Cambridge Technology Review
‘Events, dear boy, events’ – How AI is upending Politics and Power in the Modern State
Aidain Clair considers why political leaders remain unprepared for the exponential rise of Artificial Intelligence, and what happens when technology begins to outpace the
“The Commons Assisted Dying Debates test the nation’s readiness for change”
Abi Caplan surveys different ways that assisted dying is regulated around the world.
“The 2024 Nobel Prize for Medicine celebrates Small Molecules with Big Potential”
Abi Caplan explores the science behind potentially “powerful controllers of gene activity”, called microRNAs.
“Empathetic chatbots will revolutionise AI in Medicine”
“Pioneering AI-driven Human-Computer Interfaces can only enhance patient experiences”, argues Farrah Bacon
“Cannabis traps men in a cycle of mental health issues”: The untold relationship between drugs and mental health.
“Preying on the young and mentally vulnerable, cannabis traps many in a cycle of mental decline”, argues Yousif Fakri, exploring the drug's impact on
Medical Challenges for a new era of Spaceflight
As spaceflight becomes more commonplace within government and commercial enterprises, Farrah Bacon explores argues that there is increasing need to advance medical knowledge.
“The Gig Economy has a corrosive impact in Higher Education, undermining Academic Stability”
“Beneath its glossy interior lies a more troubling reality in Higher Education”, argues Jabir Dhalla, exploring freelance, contract-based work in academia.
Lesotho’s Food Insecurity Disaster demands a Global Government Response
Kammesh Atputhajayem argues policies such as subsidies, buffer stock schemes, and trade liberalisation are the key to resolving food insecurity.
Global Disparities in AI Development
Jabir Dhalla explores Global Disparities in AI Development.
The epidemic of youth vaping in the UK is difficult to ignore.
Ezinne Obih explores the “epidemic” in youth vaping, and surveys potential policy solutions.
We’re living in a 1930s Dystopia dominated by technological advancements and mindless consumerism
“Society is governed by mindless consumerism and pleasure seeking”. Akshay Suglani argues 1932 novel “Brave New World” is a troubling blueprint for today’s society.
Bio-Printing new life, one cell at a time
Akshay Suglani discusses how bioprinting can tackle organ shortages exacerbated by a shortage of donors, and improve transplant success rates.
Breaking out into the industry: Clementine Rice on the transition from student to professional theatre
In conversation with Lucy Farmer, director Clementine Rice reflects on crossing from student theatre to the professional stage - and why bold, female-led storytelling still drives her ambition.
Happiness and Economic Growth: What can Bhutan teach us?
The monopolisation of ‘faster and bigger’ in our economic thought is detrimental, writes Ishtarth Katageri. In Bhutan, we can learn how happiness and economic growth can occur cohesively.
Exclusive: We’re facing a Russian “Information Iron Curtain”, says Editor of BBC Russian Service.
Famil Ismailov, in a talk for Per Capita hosted in Gonville & Caius College, highlights the challenges of preserving Freedom of Press in a time of Warfare.
GAGE: London Fashion (CSM & LCF)
Performativity is out, Authenticity is in: Why Fashion Consumers care more than ever about brand values
After the once cult favoured brand, Victoria’s Secret, faced backlash over its rebranding, Rhiannon Hardy explores why an authentic brand identity is more important now than ever.
The Gems of Fall Couture Week
Eddy Kanu shares his fashion week gems, from Thom Browne to Robert Wun, highlighting the limitless nature of a designer's craftsmanship and creative output.
GAGE SHOWCASES: MEDEAN
‘Why don’t you do it?’ You're like the most fashionable person we know?", recollects Mehdi Alhoussawi, as he begins his own creative journey as founder of MEDEAN.
SPANNING A 30-YEAR CAREER: ‘AN ATLAS OF ES DEVLIN.’
Per Capita's UAL Editor-in-Chief, Rhiannon Scannell, sits down with designer of Es Devlin's monograph, Daniel Devlin, to discuss the impact of genre-defying British contemporary artist and designer Es Devlin.
The State of Fashion 2024: The Disruptive Power of AI Fashion
“Balenciaga's use of AI is subtle, and not noticeable unless pointed out”, writes Jaydyn Ajadi & Suchir Salhan, as the Fashion Industry navigates “deep uncertainty” according to a latest industry report.
“Modelling was Difficult. I needed to be my own Boss”, says owner of Parisian Boutique
“Before Palace Callas I was a modelling and travelling to different places, but I didn’t like being bossed around, being told “do this do that” especially with my body”, says Alyx Karlier to Per Capita's Jasmine Hodgkins.