Safiya Bashir
Amsterdam
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Articles by Safiya Bashir
Amsterdam’s A10 Highway Rave: where infrastructure embraces club culture
Credit: Kirsten Van Santen It's 4PM in Amsterdam, and under the blazing sun of the year’s longest day, hundreds of ravers are dancing to the sound of SAIDAH and Locklead, who are dishing out pounding house, garage and techy rollers over an impressively hefty sound system. The crowd erupts with cheers of excitement when the DJs are joined by local legend Benny Rodrigues for an impromptu b3b ahead of his own set with Joris Voorn.
Crowdfunder: rewards based crowdfunding
Crowdfunding, a form of alternative finance, has traditionally been used to invest money into businesses with potential and promise, ensuring businesses get access to fund at competitive rates whilst investors get generous returns on their investments. Crowdfunder.co.uk offers a crowdfunding platform that works throughout the UK in rewards-based crowdfunding, community shares crowdfunding and equity crowdfunding.
China & Africa: a relationship of development or exploitation?
With the sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to be held early next month, the relationship between Chinese and African governments has come under renewed scrutiny to establish whether it is mutually beneficial for both parties, or if China is simply taking advantage of Africa’s raw materials.
White Balls On Walls: Reframing the Icons of Modern Art
When I first moved to Amsterdam just over six years ago, it quickly became clear to me that The Stedelijk Museum was one of the city’s most important cultural institutions. Next to the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum, The Stedelijk towers over Museumplein with its vast white walls, strangely resembling a giant bathtub. Home to over 90,000 works, the gallery houses work by world famous artists including Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and as it turns out … thousands more white men.
Emotional fluffers, sex parties and ethical porn
Anyone who’s listened to The Butterfly Effect podcast knows that the birth of PornHub in the 00s forever changed our relationship with the porn industry. Leading to an explosion of free pornography, the site allowed anyone with the internet to access erotica films online. As revolutionary as this was, it came with many issues, including but not limited to: addiction, exploitation and an increase in sex trafficking.
From Raves to Resistance: Amsterdam’s nightlife is moving beyond hedonism
Steppin’ Into Tomorrow is a local collective that has shifted its intentions to champion diverse spaces and challenge structures of power, privilege and exclusion. Maurice Dharampal, who’s a core member of the team, sat down with me to share how they are ensuring their events go beyond hedonism to become more intentional, political and thoughtful.
From Raves to Resistance: Amsterdam’s nightlife is moving beyond hedonism
Dance Dance Revolution shado and KALTBLUT magazine are taking three of Europe’s biggest cities, London, Berlin and Amsterdam, and investigating how and if young people are turning to music collectives as safe spaces of political community that traditional politics is failing to provide.
Drug Testing and Discrimination Mapping
Regretfully, festival season is basically over. And after the countless letdowns of years past, people have been hard pressed to find a more joyous space than the field. This is definitely how I felt at Roskilde festival in Denmark earlier this year. The endless lockdowns were instantly forgotten and I couldn’t imagine how we lived without these spaces as I crammed myself into a tent to watch Little Simz, Tyler, The Creator and more.
The songs and stories of South Asian migration to the UK
It’s been over 60 years since my grandparents migrated from Pakistan to the UK. Even though their move was a long time ago – and my teenage years included resistance to my heritage – South Asian culture remains embedded in our family. The lack of education about the British Empire in school means it was only through speaking to older generations and reading books such as Kavita Puri’s Partition Voices that made me realise the importance of conserving my culture.
Emotional fluffers, sex parties and ethical porn
Anyone who’s listened to The Butterfly Effect podcast knows that the birth of PornHub in the 00s forever changed our relationship with the porn industry. Leading to an explosion of free pornography, the site allowed anyone with the internet to access erotica films online. As revolutionary as this was, it came with many issues, including but not limited to: addiction, exploitation and an increase in sex trafficking.
Where to find queer South Asian parties in the UK this summer
UK Pride and South Asian Heritage Month are both now hallmarks of the British summer. We’re seeing pride parades across the country as sites of joy and protest, as well as South Asian communities coming together through workshops and talks to celebrate shared histories. Thanks to a growing number of collectives in recent years, we have seen a rise in platforms, events and club nights that are making space for both LGBQTI+ and South Asian identities.
Charting the rise of Pakistan's electronic music scene
I’m on a Zoom call with Daniel Panjwaneey just 24 hours after Pakistan’s first Boiler Room event in Karachi. Pumped with adrenaline, he’s still reeling from all the work that led up to the event which both celebrated the country’s new emergent dance music community and paid homage to a native heritage of live performance. It was a historic moment and in just one day, Lyla’s DJ set has already been viewed 19,000 times with almost 1,000 likes.
“Mandem settle, womxn to the front"
Earlier this year, I attended the latest Dialled In – the London festival showcasing the South Asian underground. It was there on the packed dancefloor ahead of DJ Priya and Gracie T’s b2b set where a simple call out had me question club culture and the spaces associated with nightlife, music and events. “Mandem settle, womxn to the front,” requested DJ Ahadadream as he welcomed Priya and Gracie to the decks.
“Can all the cishet men take a step back”
Earlier this year, I attended the latest Dialled In – the London festival showcasing the South Asian underground. It was there on the packed dancefloor ahead of DJ Priya and Gracie T’s b2b set where a simple call out had me question club culture and the spaces associated with nightlife, music and events. “Can all the cishet men take a step back,” requested DJ Ahadadream as he welcomed Priya and Gracie to the decks.
‘I wanna see more old bitches in the club!’: how Jyoty went from door girl to your favourite DJ
Ten years of grafting has seen Amsterdam-born, London-based Jyoty Singh go from working in the cloakroom and being a door girl at East London nightclub the Nest, to stellar Boiler Room host, Rinse radio presenter and a hugely in-demand DJ – making connections with the industry’s biggest names along the way. Her radio show has been going strong for six years with guests including Robert Glasper, Princess Nokia, Greentea Peng and many more.
Aston Martin posts “significant progress”
Aston Martin has posted an 82% increase in wholesales. Revenues at the group increased to £1.1bn thanks to strong customer demand. “The operating environment remained challenging throughout 2021,” said Tobias Moers, Aston Martin’s CEO. “Despite this, we grew our core business to plan, with a demand-led delivery of our volume targets and enhanced core profitability.
Ted Baker sales hit amid Omicron
Ted Baker sales plunged 42% in the three months to January 29 compared to the same period in 2019. Sales did recover compared to 2020, where they increased 20%. Despite the impact of the Omicron surge, the group is still making plans to expand and has plans for three new stores a year for the next three years.
Why we must celebrate the women in Bristol's night time economy
Future events / Bristol247 Presents By Safiya Bashir, Tuesday Feb 22, 2022 It’s no doubt that Bristol’s night time economy is thriving. Despite a bumpy past couple of years thanks to the pandemic, this is a city that has been well known for its music venues and nightlife. In 2021, Bristol was home to 1,127 night time economy premises. 39 music venues & nightclubs, 784 hospitality venues, 5 theatres, 52 hotels and 13 breweries.
Hargreaves Lansdown profits dip, shares fall
Hargreaves Lansdown has reported a fall in profits for the first half of its financial year, down from £188.4m to £151.2m. Revenues at the group were also down from £299.5m a year ago to £291.9m. However, bosses have confirmed that the Bristol-based firm is ready for growth and the number of active clients increased by 48,000.
FTSE 100 boardroom roles held by women increases
New data has found that the number of women in FTSE 100 boardroom roles has now reached 39.1%. This number is up from the 12.5% it was 10 years ago. The lack of diversity is still clear, however, explains the Fawcett Society due to the lack of positions held by “women of colour, disabled women and LGBTQ people missing from positions of power”. “The devil is in the detail here. In the majority of boardrooms men continue to be overrepresented.
Natwest returns to profit
Natwest has posted strong growth and has returned to profitability and posted £2.9bn – compared to 2020 losses of £753m. Lending grew by £7.8bn in 2021 thanks to strong growth in mortgages.
Segro posts strong profits
Segro has posted strong profits for the year ending 31 December 2021. The group posted pre-tax profits of £356m, which is a 20% jump from the year previous. The group raised its dividend 11% to 16.9 pence. David Sleath, chief executive of the group commented: “2021 was a highly successful year for SEGRO as reflected in our full year results which include a £4.1bn portfolio valuation uplift and record levels of rental growth.
Hermès shares fall as sales growth dips
The Hermès share price fell on Friday morning after sales growth was below expectations. Shares were down nearly 5% on Friday and are trading at their lowest in eight months. Sales growth for the final quarter of 2021 was 11%. Axel Dumas, is the executive chairman of Hermès. He commented: “I thank above all the passion and quality of our teams’ work, because together we have made 2021 an exceptional year.
Bristol24/7 Presents: What actionable steps can local businesses take to become more sustainable?
Bristol24/7 Presents: What actionable steps local businesses can take to become more sustainable / Bristol24/7 Presents By Safiya Bashir, Thursday Feb 17, 2022 After the success of our previous event, which explored Bristol’s journey towards becoming net-zero, we decided to host another online panel event looking at sustainability in Bristol. This time, we focused on the practical steps that local businesses can take towards becoming sustainable.
Cost of Heineken might increase amid inflation
Heineken boss has warned that the price of its beer is likely to increase due to record levels of inflation. The growing cost of ingredients, energy and transport is likely to cost a total of 15% more – which Heineken may add to the price of the beer. CEO Dolf van den Brink told the Financial Times: “In my 24 years in the business I’ve never seen anything like it, not even close. Across the board we are faced with crazy increases. There’s no model that can handle this kind of inflation.
Nestlé sales up over 3%
Sales at Nestlé have hit £69.46bn – an increase of 3.3% thanks to a drive in coffee sales. In the full year of 2021, the group also reported vegetarian and plant-based food sales to double. “Our organic growth was strong, with broad-based market share gains, following disciplined execution, rapid innovation and increased digitalization,” said CEO, Mark Schneider.
Reckitt Benckiser posts revenue growth
Reckitt Benckiser saw revenues rise to £13.2bn in 2021 as the Dettol-maker found a big demand for products over the pandemic. Revenues rose 3.5% and good strength in the hygiene division of products. Chief executive Laxman Narasimhan said he was confident in sustained growth. He said: “Over the last two years, we’ve significantly strengthened our business.
Average UK house prices reaches £274,000
The average cost of a house in the UK has reached £274,712 according to the Office for National Statistics. House prices continue to grow as the cost of a home increased by 0.8% between November and December and 10.8% over the whole year. Experts are now suggesting the rate of growth is likely to slow over 2022.
Fuel hits record highs in the UK
Fuel prices have hit record highs in the UK. According to the AA, diesel hit 151.57p a litre last week, which is a new record while petrol hit 148.02p a litre.
Nyetimber posts record sales
Nyetimer has reported record sales for the past year. The sparkling wine giant posted a 55% growth in sales. The group is on a positive trajectory and hopes to produce 2m bottles by 2030. Nyetimber growth in Europe surged by 89%. “Demand for Nyetimber continues to grow not just in the UK but internationally as well,” said Eric Heerema, CEO of Nyetimber.
Glencore posts 84% jump in earnings
Glencore has posted an 84% jump in earnings thanks to a growth in global commodity prices. The group announced earnings of $21.3bn compared to 2020 levels. “In spite of the ongoing challenges of Covid-19, 2021 was an extraordinary year for Glencore, reflecting rising demand for our metals and energy products, record Adjusted EBITDA and the transition to new leadership,” said boss, Gary Nagle.
Unemployment falls but wages lag behind inflation
Wages are falling behind inflation, new figures have shown. However, last month did see employment figures jump. Between December and January, the number of Brits employed jumped by 108,000 to 29.5m. However, total pay growth rose to 4.3% whilst inflation soared to record levels of 5.4%. “The number of employees on payrolls rose again in January 2022 and is now well above pre-pandemic levels,” said Sam Beckett, head of economic statistics at the ONS.
BT invests £30m in startup
BT has announced plans to pump £30m into Distributed, the tech freelancing startup that helps businesses transform digital systems. BT has taken a stake in the startup and technology executive at BT, Mark Murphy, will be on the board. It is a “huge milestone” for the company, said Callum Adamson the head of the group. BT is undergoing a modernisation effort after Harmeen Mehta became the group’s chief digital and innovation officer last year.
Redrow profits rise 16%
The Redrow order book has reached £1.5bn and profits grew 16.6%. The group posted record revenues of £1.052bn for the 27 weeks to 2 January. Redrow’s interim dividend increased by 4p to 10p.
Relx posts bumper trading
Relx has posted soaring profits and revenues. Net profits jumped 17% to £1.69bn and revenues were up by 7% to £7.24bn. As a result, the board is suggesting a dividend payout of 49.8p per share.
Watches of Switzerland profits grow
Following strong demand in the UK and US, Watches of Switzerland has posted strong profits and revenues in the year-to-date. Revenues hit £934.3m and there has been an impressive 38% growth in performance. The company has plans to expand in Europe and has bought six shops in Sweden, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. “I am pleased to report continued strong momentum for our Group following a successful Christmas trading period,” said Brian Duffy, the chief executive.
Want your business to be sustainable? These experts will tell you how
Bristol24/7 Presents: What actionable steps local businesses can take to become more sustainable / Sustainability By Safiya Bashir, Tuesday Feb 8, 2022 Bristol24/7 is excited to announce the next event in the Bristol24/7 Presents series, where we will explore what actionable steps local businesses can take to become more sustainable.
Bellway completes record number of homes, revenues increase
Bellway has completed a record number of homes in the first half of the year, which is leading to almost record revenues at the housebuilder. In the six months to January 31, the group completed 5,694 new homes. Revenues at the group is expected to grow from £1.715bn to £1.778bn.
LadBible posts strong revenues
LadBible revenues were ahead of expectations for the year, hitting £54m. Thanks to the content marketing and direct display sales across Australia and the UK, the group saw a jump in revenues and growth. “LBG Media delivered an outstanding performance in 2021, both financially and operationally,” said Solly Solomou, the chief executive.
Mattioli Woods profits soar 96%
Mattioli Woods posted a 96% jump in pre-tax profits for the six months to 30 November 2021. The wealth management firm from £7.2m a year previously to £14.1m thanks to a number of successful takeover deals.
Shaftesbury posts strong trading Original
Shaftesbury has announced strong trading in the four months ending 3 February – despite impact of Omicron. The group’s debt fell from £748.5m to £740.5m whilst the group made investments of £18.5m.
Upper Crust sales dip
Sales are falling for SSP, the owner of Upper Crust. In the last eight weeks, sales have fallen to 57% of pre-pandemic levels. In a previous trading update, sales were 66% of pre-pandemic levels.
Carnival continues to be hit by pandemic
Carnival has said that two ships will be leaving its fleet as it continues to be affected by the pandemic.
Cranswick delivers "strong quarter"
Cranswick has been hit by labour and supply chain, however, the group has benefitted from more in-home dining amid the pandemic. The pork sector is facing issues as the number of pigs is exceeding demand.
Virgin Wines hit by Omicron disruption
Omicron disruption has forced Virgin Wines to lower profit and revenue guidance for the year ending in June 2022. The group also experienced labour shortages in the run-up to Christmas, causing them to see a £800,000 fall in sales.
Compass expects growth in revenues for FY2022
Compass has said that its guidance remains unchanged for 2022. Revenue grew by 38.6% in the three months ending 31 December for the foodservice multinational group thanks to growth in all regions. Revenues are expected to increase by 20-25% this year while underlying operating margin is expected to be at 6-7%.
Google revenues beat expectations
For the three months ending 31 December, Google revenues jumped 32% to $75.3bn – these beat expectations of estimates of $71.652bn. Profits for the period hit $20.6bn. The group reported better than expected profits, causing shares to increase 7% in after-hours trading. Advertising revenues increased from $46.2bn to $61.2bn. The company generates more revenue from internet ads than any other group.
Wizz Air passenger numbers soar
As restrictions ease, Wizz Air has seen demand rocket. Passengers in January soared 220% compared to January last year. The number of passengers allowed on the plane has also increased as restrictions ease, allowing load factor to increase from 61% to 79.6%. “There is a very clear correlation between the level of restrictions imposed on travel versus market demand,” said chief executive Jozsef Varadi.
Amazon to create 1,500 internships
Last year, Amazon added 25,000 employees in the UK. With original plans to hire 10,000 across the year, the group hired an extra 15,000 amid the high demands for the online retailer amid the pandemic. Whilst many of these roles began on temporary contracts, many o the roles have become permanent. This year, the group has said that it plans to create 1,500 internships in the UK. The group added 17 stores in the UK this year.
Inflation pushes up the price of groceries
As inflation is pushing up the price of groceries, the average shopping bills are set to rise by £180 this year. Kantar has found that annual grocery price inflation jumped by 3.8% in the last four weeks. “Like-for-like grocery price inflation, which assumes that shoppers buy exactly the same products this year as they did last year, increased again this month,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.
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