Olivia Marrins

 MA Arts and Lifestyle Journlaism at UAL

Former Deputy Editor-in-Chief at The Glasgow Guardian. 

Graduate in English Literature (MA) at The University of Glasgow.

Medium •

TV is more than just entertainment: BBC’s axing of ‘I Kissed a Boy’ and ‘I Kissed a Girl’

The UK’s first ever queer dating show has been cancelled due to ‘funding challenges’, though its stripping of queer representation makes this decision much more detrimental.4 May 2026Olivia MarrinsMainstream reality dating TV shows like Love Island, Love is Blind or Married at First Sight have one thing in common. A traditional heteronormative set up; telling the romantic tales of mainly straight presenting couples. That was until, BBC Three dropped ‘I Kissed a Boy’ in May 2023, a dating show, s...
Artefact •

Pla[y]gerism: How degradation plays in the latest season of 'Euphoria' — Artefact

Nearly every female character in Euphoria now has a sex work storyline – is the show’s sensationalist depiction of degradation play necessary?





Since its release in 2019, Euphoria has been no stranger to dark themes, from Fez (Angus Cloud) smashing a beer bottle over Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) in the first episode of Season 2 to Rue (Zendaya) taking a near-fatal overdose in the pilot episode.


However, the release of the third series on April 13 questions the vision behind some of the...
Medium •

The V&A East Storehouse’s new David Bowie Centre shows that the looks of Ziggy Stardust will always be iconic

In an exhibition celebrating the influences and career of David Bowie, the 1971 Freddie Burretti teal suit which featured in the ‘Life on Mars?’ music video remains as striking as it was over 50 years agoOlivia MarrinsMarch 4 2022David Bowie’s musical reinvention existed outside his catalogue of records, spanning genres such as rock, folk and glam; it was visibly evident through the fashion which shaped his persona. Fondly remembered for this glam rock alter-ego Ziggy Stardust during the height...
Medium •

Festive Showcase of Emerging Design Talent: The Pop-up Shop Supporting London College of Fashion’s…

Located on the first floor of the LCF Eastbank Campus, this pop-up is a thoughtfully curated seasonal shop established by the students and graduates of the University of the Arts London.Olivia Marrins28 November 2025The bright colourful interiors of the shop feature rails, tables and shelves of capturing fashion pieces, eclectic jewellery and festive gifts; each collection designed by a student at London College of Fashion.Opening its doors on 6 November 2025, not just a shop x LCF Founders Club...
Medium •

From Curation to Charity: The Creative Triumphs of Jessica Harris

Jessica Harris is a Scottish rising curator, writer and artist, who has recently been awarded a scholarship at Georgetown University in Washington DC. From being the co-founder of the Cianalas Collective to curating major art exhibitions, her work is driven by her dedication to make the arts a space which is inclusive and representative of society.Olivia Marrins9 November 2025As the 2025 recipient of the Saint Andrews Scholarship, Jessica Harris started her MA in Art and Museum Studies at George...
Medium •

The Night Club of the 80s: The Design Museum’s Major Exhibition on The Blitz

‘Blitz: The Club That Shaped The 80s’ explores the infamous London club, where creativity, self-expression and flamboyant style was celebrated whilst era defining music acts were born.‘Blitz: The Club That Shaped The 80s’ explores the infamous London club, where creativity, self-expression and flamboyant style was celebrated whilst era defining music acts were born.Olivia Marrins26 October 2025The Blitz opened its doors to eclectic party goers of London in a basement in Covent Garden in February...
Medium •

The alliance between humanity and land in Catherine Hyland’s ‘Destination Culture’

Shortlisted for this year’s Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, Hyland explores the idea of ‘back-to-the-land’ in the Yulong Snow Mountains of ChinaOlivia MarrinsDecember 5, 2025‘Destination Culture’ by Catherine Hyland. 2024.Previously selected for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize back in 2017, Catherine Hyland’s recent submission features at this year’s Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize once again. As part of the series New Other World, this photograph captures a wedding party from a bird’s view, situ...
Medium •

‘I wanted to challenge myself to do something different’: Shannon Tao on capturing belonging

The MA Photography exhibition showcases a different approach in Shannon’s practice as she experiments with documentary practice and fashion photography to create four street portraits, captured in her local area of Camden.November 21, 2025Olivia MarrinsThe founder and creative director of Shannon Tao Studios, Shannon Tao is a Chinese Canadian photographer navigating visual narratives which aim to empower the stories of whoever she is photographing. As she approached the end of the MA Commercial...
The Glasgow Guardian •

Review: Inhaler at the Barrowlands - The Glasgow Guardian

A night of fluorescent reminiscence.
As the support act finishes, fans rush to grab one final pint of Tennent’s or linger in the painfully long line for the ladies’ bathroom; the crowd anxiously form under the square studded ceiling, singing along to the La’s “There She Goes”. Under red lights, Inhaler take to the stage, Elijah Hewson taking centre stage dressed in a leather shirt and white tank. Guitarist Josh Jenkinson, drummer Ryan McMahon and bassist Robert Keating followed as the Dublin ind...
The Glasgow Guardian •

The forgotten women of Glasgow’s Art Nouveau

Margaret and Frances Macdonald’s artistic legacy has been overlooked by the art world for decades

Charles Rennie Mackintosh, James Herbert MacNair, Margaret Macdonald, and Francis Macdonald: the group known as the “Glasgow Four” was comprised of these four Glasgow School of Art graduates who met in the mid-1890s. Each became pioneering figures of the Art Nouveau movement at this time and into the 20th century. The establishment of their creative and innovative designs and graphics shaped what i
The Glasgow Guardian •

Glasgow: a musical history

A city with a culture deeply rooted in independent music tradition, Glasgow’s musical history reveals a place like no other.

Glasgow’s unique and compelling musical history is at one with the vibrancy of the city. This has always been a place so intimately involved with art and culture, and though its complexities and marvellousness can never be fully appreciated, I am sharing my small, personal connections to the artists and venues which are amongst Glasgow’s moments of great significance.

As
The Times •

Podcast of the week: Full Disclosure with James O’Brien

Alan Cumming says his role in Stanley Kubrik’s Eyes Wide Shut was a turning point in his film career – but it all started with Taggart and Take the High Road. “I loved the fame,” he says. “I loved opening fêtes and being pinned up against a Scout hut wall by old ladies.”

Cumming talks about his early career in Full Disclosure with James O’Brien, a podcast series the notoriously feisty LBC presenter has designed, he says, “to let me spend more time than is available on my radio show with fascina
The Glasgow Guardian •

Review: Joesef’s pinnacle gig of his career @ Barrowlands - The Glasgow Guardian

The East-end Glaswegian singer sells out two nights.
Lights up, pints downed and Beyonce’s Break my Soul: the beginning of the Barrowlands gig for the East End singer was always going to be a standout. In a venue of such momentous Scottish music moments, the Barrowlands’ stairs welcomed a new crowd for such a personable, touching gig in Joesef’s old stomping ground. Spirits were high to say the least as sounds of 70s soul and pop classics primed the crowd; couples, groups of friends and singles...
The Glasgow Guardian •

Movements That Shaped Us: Disco

The origins of the disco scene remain somewhat uncertain; was it the discotheques of New York City in the 1960s (Le club, Regine’s and Arthur) or the Parisian club scene at the time? It wasn’t until the 1970s when disco began to be truly heard, when the subterranean gay clubs of New York created a culture of psychedelic strobes and sex which shaped the genre. When David Mancuso opened the doors one of New York City’s biggest gay clubs, the Loft, disco all of a sudden shaped the club scene of the
The Glasgow Guardian •

Glasgow's social gig for young people

Young people make Glasgow. The significance of Glasgow’s history in the music scene is one of world-class recognition. There are no limitations to the richness of Glasgow’s cultural scope, whether that be an intimate gig at the back of a West End pub, or thousands of students screaming along to a chart favourite at the O2 Academy. The history of each concert hall or hidden theatre is lined with tales from those who used to frequent them, and is now an area waiting to be delved into by the younge
The Glasgow Guardian •

Why artists are finally hitting the pause button

The lifestyle of a music artist - turning up to interviews and sold-out shows on little to no sleep, and surviving on caffeine and microwavable meals - is often glamourised. But it is sure to reach a state of exhaustion and deliriousness.

After the announcement that Sam Fender will be playing St James Park in Newcastle next June, he has taken the decision to pull out of his forthcoming headline shows in the US. Due to burnout, Fender is taking this time away from the stage for recuperation and
The Glasgow Guardian •

Genre trouble: niche or needless?

he music listening process, whether through vinyl or a streaming service, finds that each sound is distinguished by its correspondence to a genre or musical period. From rock and punk to pop and grime, we find ourselves unconsciously guided by the existing structures in music consumption and everything in between.

The categorisation of music into sonic boxes can be argued as successful, yet is this only in the realms of originality conservation? Thinking of mono-genres such as country, rock, or
The Glasgow Guardian •

You May Have Missed: October

October saw the release of many highly anticipated albums such as Music Of The Spheres by Coldplay and Lana Del Ray’s Blue Banisters. However, I would like to review the albums which fell a little under the public eye that month, from indie soul to alternative hip-hop, last month celebrating all genres. Though many artists have been passed over by the mainstream recognition of releases, I found the albums by Coco, JPEGMAFIA, Jarvis Cocker and BADBADNOTGOOD to capture a range of music suitable fo
The Glasgow Guardian •

From runway to screen

As nearly every social event is rescheduled, cancelled, or taken to Zoom, it is no surprise that Milan fashion week has traded up bustling live venues for digital runways. This fashion exhibition showcases autumn/winter 2021/2022 collections across January and February through the theme "Evolution". Consequently, this year’s take on one for the fashion world’s most coveted events will see little of the social buzz surrounding a traditional fashion week. Instead, an isolated audience, watching vi
The Glasgow Guardian •

Rethinking your wardrobe for winter

Let's face it, who can't resist the arrival of the winter collections on the high street? Fresh wool coats and cosy jumpers is all anyone needs to entice them into buying a whole new wardrobe for the upcoming season.

As we enter not only a new season but a period of serious environmental issues, we need to stop categorising styles into specific months of the year and instead think of them as a suitable option year-round. Therefore, we should follow suit of the many people who “trans-seasonal” d

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