The Bristol brains behind world's first LGBTQ+ VR museum
Antonia Forster says the idea to create the world’s first LGBTQ+ virtual reality museum was born out of a need to fill a gap in queer history.
Student Journalism
My roles
While studying for my BA English degree at the University of Bristol between 2019-2022, I held multiple roles at Epigram, the University's independent and award-winning student newspaper.
2019-2020: Contributing Writer
2020-2021: Features and Opinion Subeditor
2021-2022: Features Editor
Work Experience: In May 2022, I undertook a week of work experience at Bristol 24/7 in which I sourced local community stories, interviewed sources, wrote articles and formatted them using WordPress.
Featured topics range from local reportage on community based projects and organisations, to issues faced specifically by the student population, feature-length investigations and innovations in business and technology.
Restaurant becomes home to Bristol's first robot waiter
If you’ve taken a trip to one Bristol restaurant recently, you may have noticed your waiter looks a little different than usual.
Delve into the historical archives of the fifth oldest zoo in the world
In the vast Victorian hall of Clifton Pavilion, four tables line the floor-to-ceiling arched windows.
The floorboards creak with every footstep, and illustrations of animals frame the walls. Even the squawks of a flamboyance of flamingos can be heard from inside the hall.
It’s a rainy Wednesday morning, and so the Bristol Zoo team have moved their historical archive into the safety of the ballroom.
The floorboards creak with every footstep, and illustrations of animals frame the walls. Even the squawks of a flamboyance of flamingos can be heard from inside the hall.
It’s a rainy Wednesday morning, and so the Bristol Zoo team have moved their historical archive into the safety of the ballroom.
Bristol Nights launches new campaign to unite the city in a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment
On 24 March, Bristol Nights will be hosting the Shine A Light Parade to show solidarity with victims of harassment after a recent survey conducted by the organisation found that 100 per cent of women in Bristol had experienced some form of sexual harassment. In their new campaign, Bristol Nights aims to unite Bristol venues in an approach of zero tolerance to sexual harassment in the city and is taking steps to tackle this issue head on.
Over 10 per cent of Bristol’s student population have a hidden disability, but how would you know?
Going unnoticed is a common experience for those with hidden disabilities – after all, they are ‘non-visible’ conditions, and are therefore difficult to identify. However, 11.2 per cent of students in the academic year 2021/2022 have a hidden disability, making up over a tenth of the student population, including those with: social or communication impairments, mental health conditions, cognitive or learning disabilities and sensory, medical or physical impairments.
‘End the use of the cruel and debunked forced swim test’ say Bristol students
In partnership with University of Bristol students, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have released an open letter urging Vice-Chancellor Hugh Brady to suspend the use of the forced swim test at the University. In November 2021, Bristol SU passed a motion to publicly debunk the University’s continued use of the test, and to pressure the University not to renew its license to use the test once it expires in August 2022.
Bristol Light Festival returns this week
The renowned Bristol Light Festival makes its return this week after a one-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Between 1-6 March, the city will be lit up as a spectacle by captivating light artworks, following a trail around Bristol’s most popular locations, including Park Street, city centre and the Harbourside.
Vaulted Chambers Café – the perfect alternative study space
We are now a week into UCU strike action at the University, and students are desperately in search of off-campus study spaces to avoid crossing the picket lines when doing the daily library commute. While Bristol boasts an impressive plethora of coffee shops and cafes to choose from, the art of finding the right one with the perfect atmosphere for concentration can often be a difficult task.
Luckily, Vaulted Chambers Café, located in Castle Park, presents a tempting solution.
Luckily, Vaulted Chambers Café, located in Castle Park, presents a tempting solution.
73 per cent of students feel University extension policy must change regarding mental health
After many students struggled to secure an extension on coursework at the University of Bristol during the January 2022 assessment period, 73 per cent of students feel that the University must change it's extension policy regarding mental health, especially the types of evidence that are accepted as grounds for an extension.
The ultimate battle of bookish social media: Goodreads or The Storygraph? | Her Campus
While having variety in how we track our reading progress and engage in book-related discussions opens up new realms of possibility, too much choice can be confusing, and the Goodreads versus The Storygraph debate has taken the bookish community by storm. Should readers stick to the traditional Goodreads platform they know and love despite its contentious ownership? Or should they take a chance on the newcomer, The Storygraph?
Into The Wild – the Bristol club night raising money for local food banks
Into The Wild, a club night founded by University of Bristol History student, Fergal Maguire, is spotlighting the talent of local, lesser-known DJs for the greater good of the Bristol community in a recent partnership with Feeding Bristol, an umbrella organisation uniting local charities to end food poverty.
Behind the picket lines: speaking to striking university staff
On 1-3 December, university staff who belong to the UCU (University and College Union) took industrial action over unresolved disputes concerning pay and the USS (Universities Superannuation Scheme) pension. This follows a UCU ballot vote in favour of taking industrial action and ASOS (Action Short of a Strike) – with staff only working their contracted hours and not volunteering to do any more for five months – which took place on 4 November.
Misscoteque - a night out for she's and they's to feel safe and celebrated
The Womxn’s Disco Collective, formed in March 2020 by students Georgia Dimdore-Miles and Amaia Emmerson, is launching their second Misscoteque event on 28 November – a night for ‘she’s and they’s’ to feel safe openly expressing their sexuality in an inclusive space, all to the music of a queer female DJ lineup.
Peequal is bridging the gender divide in public hygiene facilities
Peequal is the UK's first women's urinal aiming to establish pee-equality in public hygiene facilities. Epigram spoke to the Bristol grads who started it all.
Bristol graduates, Amber Probyn and Hazel McShane founded Peequal – the UK’s first touch-free women’s urinal – in a bid to end gender disparity in public hygiene facilities and unnecessarily long queueing for women’s toilets.
Bristol graduates, Amber Probyn and Hazel McShane founded Peequal – the UK’s first touch-free women’s urinal – in a bid to end gender disparity in public hygiene facilities and unnecessarily long queueing for women’s toilets.
Bristol Technology Festival is ‘changing the face of tech’ in its upcoming week of events
After a year of online events, Bristol Technology Festival is relaunching physically on 7 October at Engine Shed, with in-person events spanning the week of 11-15 October. In a bid to diversify the technology industry and provide greater access to employment within it, the events of the week-long Festival revolve around the all important theme of ‘changing the face of tech’ to represent the modern world and workforce, encouraging greater inclusivity in STEM fields.
Placeum: the app bringing Bristol closer to its inhabitants
Launched in June earlier this year, Placeum is an interactive map created by developer, Sam Green, with the main aim of allowing people - whether they are tourists, incoming students or born and bred residents - to get to know Bristol better.
The students behind Bristol’s non-guaranteed student accommodation crisis
Epigram recently reported on the acute shortage of university accommodation for incoming ‘non-guaranteed undergraduate applicants’. Following up on this, Epigram's Features Editor has spoken to students caught in the student housing crisis.
After an unprecedented influx of successful applicants were accepted into the University of Bristol for this upcoming academic year, ‘non-guaranteed’ students appear to have been disregarded in the process.
After an unprecedented influx of successful applicants were accepted into the University of Bristol for this upcoming academic year, ‘non-guaranteed’ students appear to have been disregarded in the process.
Bristol Bot Builders and the art of combat robotics
Combat robotics may be a niche and perhaps unheard of hobby, but Bristol Bot Builders (BBB) are here to help spread the word and get more people involved in the art of robot building, including students. Formed as part of the Bristol Electrical and Electronic Engineering Society (BEEES) at the University of Bristol, Joe Brown, alongside the BEEES committee, encouraged students from different subjects to try their hand at to try their hand at building a robot from scratch and fighting it for fun, all over a pint of beer.
Gloucester Road Books: the bookshop putting Bristol first
Renowned for being the longest road of independent shops in the UK, Gloucester Road has finally welcomed its first independent bookshop back to the area after over a decade without one. Despite only opening in April this year, Gloucester Road Books, owned by experienced bookseller Tom Robinson, has gained huge traction in the Bristol community for its unique stock and important presence in one of the most popular student locations in the city.
The student initiatives financially supporting refugees in higher education
For most students, the opportunity for citizenship and study abroad are rare. However, the same cannot be said for students of asylum seeker or refugee status in the UK.
From Reddit to reality: The truth of student stock investment
The power of social media was illuminated after Reddit users in the subreddit WallStreetBets encouraged a surge in GameStop stock investment earlier this year, seeing a 700 per cent spike in share prices within a matter of days. On January 29th, GameStop shares peaked at $325.00, equalling approximately £232.00 per share.
The Little Libraries of Bristol
As the UK is plunged into its third national lockdown, we have again been forced into a state of physical disconnection and housebound boredom. Where non-essential services have closed, one key service has been critically undermined in its closure and threatened by government funding cuts – our local libraries. With schools and universities transitioning to remote online learning, access to libraries has been severely restricted for both the public and students.
The Bristol students restoring our environment: In conversation with Bristol’s own Earthshot Team
First brought to public attention in January 2020, the Earthshot Prize offers climate potential activists the opportunity to invent five solutions for fixing the planet’s environmental crisis and receive £1 million in funding to put these solutions into action if they are selected. The prize is centred around five ‘Earthshots’ – simple yet ambitious goals which aim to reset the planet by 2030, improving both our lives and that of future generations.
UK Arts & Culture Industry Unrepresentative And Undermined: Is The Government To Blame?
It has been revealed that only 16% of those employed in the arts and culture industry are working class, according to a report by Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC).
This, as well as other statistics in PEC’s report, has revealed a huge social class imbalance, raising concerns about the inclusivity of the arts industry, and more importantly, how sustainable these figures are, going forward.
This, as well as other statistics in PEC’s report, has revealed a huge social class imbalance, raising concerns about the inclusivity of the arts industry, and more importantly, how sustainable these figures are, going forward.
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