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copywriter, journalist, designer & researcher

I'm Maud, a graduate of Newcastle University (BA Architecture & Urban Planning, 2022), currently working in a marketing role in the cultural sector. I have a range of writing, design and research experience - take a look around my portfolio!

articles

Voice Magazine •

Review: New York Our Time (2020)

New Wave filmmaker Vivienne Dick’s latest film and first feature-length documentary New York Our Time has been on a short tour around the UK following being awarded Best Documentary at the Dublin Film Festival. It’s a look at how New York has changed since the late 70s. through the eyes of the artists and musicians living there.

I watched New York Our Time in Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema’s tiny little gallery room. Being about four metres away from the screen contributed to the intimate feel of
Voice Magazine •

Is BeingReal on Social Media important?

Is it impossible to be ‘truly authentic’ when everything you post is through a curated lens?

A question of authenticity is intrinsically interwoven with the existence of social media. You could argue that sharing platforms - Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat - are purely performative and that it is impossible to be ‘truly authentic’ when everything you post is through a curated lens.

The app BeReal wants to change this. Marketed as the ‘authentic’ social media platform, it offers users the chance t
Voice Magazine •

Don't knock it down!

‘Adaptive reuse’ is one of the most important tools architects have in their arsenal for combating climate change, preserving heritage and maintaining a socially vibrant city. Too often, developers are keen to demolish ‘redundant’ buildings without thought to the historical, social and environmental implications of their actions. Creatively reusing and repurposing buildings can usually offer a solution to balance the need to build new and protect the old - but the planning system isn’t always se
The Courier Online •

Top ten pubs in Newcastle

For the last three years, we have been intensively studying the pubs, bars, ale houses and taverns of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Based on a qualitative assessment of drinks, prices and vibes, we present the findings of our in-depth study.

A gorgeous pub, close to Jesmond Metro station, The Carriage has a prime location between Jesmond and the city centre. Located in the old Jesmond train station building, now decked out with a fireplace, free jukebox, arcade machines and cocktails on tap. On top of a
The Courier Online •

Brickflats: The city artwork addressing our miserable housing crisis

Artist Raphael Vangelis started his new project Brickflats last summer: a series of miniature flats, made with resin, replacing missing bricks in walls around cities.

He hopes to provide commentary on both the claustrophobia most felt over the pandemic's lockdowns and on how, as Vangelis puts it, the "worldwide housing situation is a joke".

There's also definitely an element of fun to them; "These little handcrafted stories play with this topic and can hopefully bring a smile to some faces."
The Courier Online •

“Get involved, agitate, and demand better”: Newcastle Uni’s new Farrell Centre for Architecture and Cities

Plans have been released for the Farrell Centre, a new on-campus multipurpose exhibition and events space dedicated to addressing the big questions facing architecture and urbanism in the coming decades. It will be named after Sir Terry Farrell, who studied at Newcastle in the fifties before embarking on a successful career as an architect and planner, and has worked on local projects including The Centre for Life, the Hancock Museum and Newcastle’s Quayside development.

The centre will house a
The Courier Online •

“Ecologically devastating” HS2: No light at the end of the tunnel

Will HS2 ever be finished? Who knows. Should it be? Probably not.

High Speed 2, a railway line connecting London and Birmingham (in the first phase - the plan is to extend onwards to Leeds and Manchester) is contentious beyond the point of comedy and many climate activists are compelling the government to stop development. £7.5 billion has been sunk into the project since its Labour launch in 2009, with the first phase not projected to open until 2026 - though estimates show completion earlier
The Courier Online •

Pandemic threatens gender equality among universities

COVID-19 has caused a huge amount of uncertainty and shaken up the workplaces of every sector. But, the pandemic seems to have affected some demographics more than others.

Disparities in pay and working conditions in university departments are not new. Whilst organisations and awards such as Athena Swan have been established to tackle these gaping gender biases within campus settings, these are still prevalent.

However, academics from universities globally have been expressing their concerns t
The Courier Online •

Oatly crosses an ethical boun-dairy: how eco-friendly are plant-based milks?

“Our thinking in working with Blackstone was quite the opposite of black and white; it was an intense thought process that was nuanced and in line with how we’ve often thought about change.”

This was lifted from the plant-based milk company Oatly’s press statement, as they came under attack for accepting a $200M dollar from Blackstone, a private investment fund with a dubious environmental and social record (though obviously not unusual for … a private investment fund).

Blackstone has been acc

where else you can find me

Muckrack profile

The Courier profile

All the articles I've written for my student newspaper, The Courier.


LinkedIn profile