FEATURED
Lady Grinning Soul: Who Backs the Bands? Ireland’s BIA Scheme
“Art sectors have become unrecognisable in the past half-decade with the reinvigoration of DIY production, but also with the widespread closures of live music venues and general dematerialisation of the music industry.” In the latest installment of Lady Grinning Soul, Julia Blackmon discusses Ireland’s BIA scheme, how stipends can fund creativity, and interviews Dublin-based band…
WHAT’S NEW
Oxford Student Union Election Results Announced for 2026
Voting in the Oxford Student Union elections has finished following three days of online ballots open to all matriculated students. The elections, held between 9 and 12 February, saw students…
Keep reading
The Lifestyle Lowdown: Mental Health
From managing academic anxiety to juggling friendships in different places, the Lifestyle editors are here to offer our advice on protecting your mental health at uni in small, realistic ways.…
Keep reading
St Anne’s: the college leading the way to a more sustainable Oxford
Environmental sustainability is slowly becoming synonymous with the St Anne’s brand, and no one knows more about it than John Banbrook.
Keep reading
You Got Me at the Burton Taylor Studio: Reviewed
“Before You Got Me, I never appreciated how unnerving it is to walk into a completely silent set.” Rohit Ghosh reviews You Got Me at the Burton Taylor Studio, staged…
Keep reading
Cultural Unmasking – Bestride Two Cultures, At Home in None
Arun Lewis explores the experience of cultural unmasking when faced with the difficulty of reconciling two different parts of your identity. Image by Arun Lewis, used with permission.
Keep reading
Raindrop
It’s the moment before a raindrop hits the ground. The sunlight, muted as it passes through the clouds high above, is enough to make the raindrop glow a silver-blue. Through…
Keep reading
Oxford
Wild Swimming Society Fundraiser Reveals Major Issues with Oxford’s Water Quality
In the UK, February consistently sees some of the coldest temperatures. At this time of year, we usually stay inside, wrapped up in blankets with hot drinks and light entertainment. However, while most of us have been layering clothes and trying to keep warm, a few brave others have approached this wintry month differently; one…
The Sheldonian Series: A Discussion of Activism – Palestine Action, Public Protest, and Democracy
Hilary term’s instalment in the Sheldonian Series convened on 4 February, discussing ‘The Power of Activism’. The series is the Vice-Chancellor’s initiative, gathering a panel of differing voices aimed at promoting dialogue on the “big issues of the day”, and representing the University of Oxford’s commitment to “free and inclusive speech”. Speaking at Wednesday’s event,…
Magdalen College School to Become Co-educational
Magdalen College School, which was ranked the 20th best independent school by The Times this year, has announced that it will be transitioning to become fully co-educational. At present, it is a boys-only school, except for its sixth form which became co-educational in 2010. On 2 February, the school revealed that it would be offering…
opinion
In defence of college food
College meals at Oxford and Cambridge certainly aren’t regarded as the pinnacle of gastronomic excellence. In fact, they have a pretty appalling reputation for being bland, sloppy, and depressing — enough to make Marco Pierre White shudder. This is a reputation that has persisted for generations and I, for one, think it is unjustified. Oxford…
Keep reading
Someone’s Faith is Not Your Costume: An Agnostic’s Defence of Religious Seriousness
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or editorial policies of the paper, its editors, or its staff. The paper does not endorse any opinions or conclusions presented herein. Instagram has a wide variety of functions these days. From the…
Keep reading
Who Will Support the Support Workers?
Support staff and social workers have been pushed into an impossible position: tasked with safeguarding vulnerable individuals while simultaneously managing shrinking budgets. “The story,” Josh says, “is really about the pressure social workers are under to cut funding, and where that leaves support workers.”
Keep readingGlobal Affairs
Will Trump’s ‘Softer Touch’ in Minneapolis Work Politically?
Once again, the eyes of the world have turned to Minneapolis. This January, the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have dominated the front pages. Following the strongest public backlash of Donald Trump’s administration so far, the president now claims to want a…
Keep reading
Venezuela: A Brief History of Oil and Corruption
On 3 January 2026, the United States conducted a military operation named “Absolute Resolve” across Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Planning for the intervention reportedly began in August 2025, with an intention to be carried out four days before 3 January, but was delayed due to weather…
Keep reading
Outside OX1 Week 3: Epstein, Costa Rica and Hungary
It’s the end of Week 3, which means it’s time for this week’s issue of Outside OX1! With the Winter Olympics officially underway in Milan and Cortina, I’m afraid that no opening introduction from me can rival the spectacle the Italians put up: celebrating the country’s legacy in the arts, the sciences and…
Keep reading
COLUMNS
InterMEDIAte: Growing up with a Fictional Role Model
“I hope the whimsy which adds colour to my life will never leave and that your presence helps me persevere through my academic career.” Eliza Kaminska-Benadat reveals her fictional role model – Anne Shirley – and discusses the impact the character has had on her life.
Borders and Belonging: Skin Tone and Social Status
“We are in a white-dominated environment but this is no reason to deem others around us as “better” and hence attempt to cosplay someone else, whether through changing our names, hiding parts of our identity, or attempting to physically change our appearance.” Saba Ahmadzadeh Noughani discusses the effects and consequences of colorism on people of…
Risk Appetite: On Asian Food and Matcha Lattes
“In this day and age, sharing food doesn’t just mean physically breaking apart food for others. It means influencers posting about food online – “sharing” food in the Internet sense with a global audience” Valerie Wu discusses how food from her culture has evolved through social media, what it means to be “trendy” and “exclusive”,…
CULTURES
Jean Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine at the Burton Taylor Studio: Reviewed
“The actress should give the impression that she is bleeding, losing her life’s blood, like a wounded beast.” The message, inscribed in both English and French across Full Moon Theatre’s…
‘Brainrot’: An Internet Phenomenon with Real-World Consequences
“Even in one of the world’s most renowned academic institutions (no bias, of course), we use slang from the internet in the same places in which the most renowned writers,…
So Bad, It’s Good: In Defence of My Oxford Year
Arun Lewis defends My Oxford Year, and explores the satirical potential in its outdated stereotypes.
LIfestyle
Telltaylor: By a Lancashire Farm Shop, I Sat Down and Wept
“I was always a muse, a magician’s trick, bending my own image to enhance his own. He seemed to compliment me only if the words fit his rhyme scheme.” Alicia Taylor…
Telltaylor: Everything I Learnt From A Mackerel Fillet
“I suddenly became afraid of forgetting the year which may turn out to be the most important of my life.” In the debut article of her column, Alicia Taylor gives…
Proust’s Madeleine: The Hidden Power of Food.
“We have always known that food is a lot more than its taste, texture, and nutritional value. Every meal is an intense social and sensory experience that serves to nourish…
Identity
From the Inside Out: My Disability
Avani Rao reflects on how chronic back pain has affected her time at Oxford, and the stigma that is attached to people with disabilities, particularly those that are “invisible”. Image…
Oxford’s Visiting Students: Here, There, and Nowhere
Elias Mewe, a former visiting student at St. Anne’s College, reflects on the year he spent in Oxford. Image by Elias Mewe, used with permission.
Are you a student at Oxford University interested in journalism? Join the Oxford Blue.
Apply here to be a junior editor this HT25.
We are the Oxford Blue, an Oxford University award-winning online newspaper. | A new voice for a new decade. | Est. 2020. We want journalism to be an inclusive space, open to all, no experience needed. If you are interested in writing, editing, illustrating, or want to learn more, please get in touch.