Barbican

October 2016 in London

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Sep 262016

London Literature Festival

From 5 to 16 October, it’s the Southbank Centre’s 10th annual London Literature Festival. The theme is ‘Living in Future Times’ and highlights include a celebration of science fiction writers including HG Wells with a specially commissioned live reading of The Time Machine marking the 150th anniversary of his birth.

Bestselling author Margaret Atwood launches and discusses her new novel, Hag-Seed, and we can celebrate the life of David Bowie in a free panel discussion with his biographer Paul Morley.

Further highlights include an exclusive in-person Q&A screening with Louis Theroux for his first theatrical feature documentary My Scientology Movie,. And comedian Sara Pascoe hosts this year’s Man Booker Prize Readings, as the 2016 shortlisted authors come together for an evening of readings and conversation.

Living in future times

Throughout October, Literary Footprints is a month-long festival of literary walks of London. There are lots of guided walks available and there’s a season ticket option if you plan to join lots.

It’s hard to know where to start as there is so much going on at the Barbican Centre this season.

New Foyer Commissions

The Barbican’s series of foyer commissions continues this autumn with new work from five innovative artists. Visitors to the Barbican can enjoy spectacular light installations, listen to two new audio works exploring the iconic interiors of the Centre, and power films by pedalling on bicycles. The new series of installations, which extends the artistic programme beyond the walls of the Barbican’s venues, is free for audiences to explore and engage with any time the Centre is open.

44 by Omer Arbel is an intricate light installation descending from the main foyer ceiling
Numina by Zarah Hussain, is a site-specific, sculptural installation that will accompany Transcender – the Barbican’s season of ecstatic, hypnotic and psychedelic music
I hope this finds you well by Bedwyr Williams, is an audio commission for the foyer playfully imagining the internal dialogues of the people who use the Barbican’s public spaces as their office
let’s take a walk by non zero one, is an interactive audio experience around the Barbican’s public spaces that looks at the process of decision making
NowhereSomewhere by Rosalind Fowler, is a bicycle powered film installation inviting the public to ponder ecological themes and imagine a future London

OpenFest

Visit on Saturday 8 October and there’s a free day of art, entertainment and inspiration. OpenFest encourages us to explore the Barbican’s building and get a taste of everything it has to offer, from art installations to live music, architecture tours to pop-up theatre – all for free. Across the afternoon, the Barbican’s free stages offer a full programme of performances including dance, spoken word and music, whilst audiences of all ages can take part in creative workshops. Installations, screenings, tours and stalls throughout the Barbican’s spaces await visitors in a day bringing together international acts with the local artists of today and tomorrow.

Barbican Open Fest

New Curve Show

Welsh artist Bedwyr Williams also has a solo show in The Curve called The Gulch. On until 8 January 2007, the 90-metre long Curve is free to visit.

The gallery has been transformed into a series of theatrical installations conceived to transport and disorient the viewer. Gallery visitors descend into the space, navigating from one seemingly disparate scene to the next on a journey that summons surreal visions and imagined plots.

From a pair of singing running shoes to a depressed hypnotist and a talking goat, visitors are confronted by various protagonists and in turn find themselves invited to stage their own performances.

Bedwyr Williams. Still from Flexure, 2016. Courtesy the artist

The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined

In the Barbican Art Gallery The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined opens on 13 October.

Potent, provocative and sometimes shocking, the word vulgar conjures up strong images, ideas and feelings in us all. This is the first exhibition to consider this inherently challenging but utterly compelling territory of taste. It both questions notions of vulgarity in fashion while revelling in its excesses, inviting the visitor to think again about exactly what makes something vulgar and why it is such a sensitive and contested term.

Conceived by exhibition-maker Judith Clark and psychoanalyst Adam Phillips, the exhibition takes fascinating literary definitions of ‘the vulgar’ as a starting point and includes a wealth of over 120 stunning exhibits from the Renaissance through to the 21st century.

Weaving together historic dress, couture and ready-to-wear fashion, textile ornamentation, manuscripts, photography and film, this carefully crafted installation illustrates how taste is a mobile concept: what was once associated with vulgarity is reconjured by designers to become the height of fashion. Encompassing a 500 year timeframe, The Vulgar showcases historic works alongside a roll call of contemporary fashion.

Walter Van Beirendonck
Hat: Stephen Jones, Autumn/Winter 2010 – 2011. © Ronald Stoops`Walter Van Beirendonck
Hat: Stephen Jones, Autumn/Winter 2010 – 2011.

Dance

The Michael Clark Company performs New Work 2016 in the Barbican Theatre from 6 to 15 October.

Awarded an honour by the Queen for ‘services to dance’ in 2014, a somewhat bemused Michael Clark staggered out of Buckingham Palace into an extended period of introspection.

This autumn sees the evolution of the company and Clark’s own dance technique, as he embarks on his second decade as a Barbican Artistic Associate.

Winning rave reviews for his technical rigour, experimentation, intense and fine-tuned choreography, Clark remains an innovator and defining cultural figure. He often collaborates with artists, designers, writers and musicians, introducing dance to new audiences in unorthodox settings.

Michael Clark Company - New Work

King Lear

A quarter of a century after she gave up acting for politics, double Academy Award-winning legend Glenda Jackson returns to play King Lear in Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.

Opening on 25 October (and on until 2 December), Glenda Jackson is joined by an outstanding company including Jane Horrocks and Rhys Ifans.

Written during a period of great social upheaval, Shakespeare’s brutal masterpiece is arguably the greatest tragedy ever written. The fatal consequences of a foolish decision are explored in haunting poetry to create one of the most moving works in the English language.

The Old Vic - King Lear

Bank of England Museum

27-29 October 2016 is the annual UK-wide Museums at Night so there are opportunities to see museums after dark.

On 28 October you can see the Bank of England Museum in the evening (5.30-9pm). As well as the Museum displays, there will be presentations on banknotes, gallery talks and Bank staff will also be on hand to answer questions about gold.

Bank of England Museum

Turbine Hall Installation

On 4 October the new Hyundai Commission opens in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. This space has hosted some of the most memorable new works of art of the 21st century.

French artist Philippe Parreno has the honour this year with the second in the new series of annual site-specific commissions by renowned international artists.

Philippe Parreno works across film, video, sound, sculpture, performance and information technology. A key artist of his generation, Parreno explores the borders between reality and fiction and is known for investigating and redefining the gallery-going experience. Parreno sees his exhibitions as choreographed spaces that follow a score, during which a series of different events unfold. By creating kaleidoscopic environments, he treats exhibitions as one coherent whole rather than a series of objects within a space.

Exhibition view, Philippe Parreno, H {N)Y P N(Y} OSIS , Park Avenue Armory, 2015
© Philippe Parreno. Courtesy Pilar Corrias, Barbara Gladstone, Esther Schipper
Photo credit: Andrea Rossetti

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in October 2016 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Tower of London Ice Rink opens on 16 November in the dry moat providing one of the country’s most atmospheric skating destinations.

Also at the Tower of London there are Twilight Tours throughout the winter. Join the Tower’s Yeoman Warders and take in the world famous sights such as Traitor’s Gate, the Bloody Tower, and be appalled and amazed by tales of prisoners and past residents.

Opening on 3 November at the National Maritime Museum, Emma Hamilton: Seduction and Celebrity explores the remarkable yet tragic life of the mistress who captured the heart of the Nation’s hero, Horatio Nelson, and in turn became one of the most famous international celebrities of her time.

And on 12 November it’s the annual Lord Mayor’s Show with a special fireworks display for the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London.

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Do check out the latest offers as London Bridge Hotel has weekend rates from as low as £99. You can sign up for special offer alerts here. And when you can’t be at the hotel, you can try making the Quarter Bar’s cocktails with these recipes.

Laura Porter writes AboutLondonLaura.com and contributes to many other publications while maintaining an impressive afternoon tea addiction. You can find Laura on twitter as @AboutLondon and on Facebook as @AboutLondonLaura.

September 2016 in London

Monthly Things to Do in London 1 Response »

Aug 212016

Buckingham Palace

The summer opening of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms has a special exhibition each year and for 2016 it’s Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style. Dresses worn by The Queen for two of the most significant occasions in Her Majesty’s life can be seen together until 2 October.

The wedding dress worn by Princess Elizabeth for her marriage to The Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, and The Queen’s Coronation dress worn in 1953, both designed by British couturier Sir Norman Hartnell can be seen together in the Palace Ballroom.

This year there’s a different route through the state rooms and much more seating on offer too so don’t feel rushed.

Her Majesty The Queen’s Coronation dress, 1953, Norman Hartnell

Wifredo Lam

Opening on 14 September at Tate Modern, The EY Exhibition: Wifredo Lam is a retrospective of the Cuban-Chinese modernist painter, Wifredo Lam (1902–1982) and the first museum exhibition of his work in London since 1952. Including over 200 paintings, drawings, photographs and prints, the exhibition traces his sixty-year career from the 1920s to the 1970s, confirming his place at the centre of a cosmopolitan modernism.

His work defined new ways of painting for a post-colonial world and was greeted with both consternation and acclaim during his lifetime. As a Latin American artist of Chinese, Spanish and African heritage, Lam lies between East and West, combining traditional practices, surrealist ideas and complete originality. In an increasingly connected world, Lam’s work brings a historical perspective to contemporary issues.

Wifredo Lam, Horse-headed Woman 1950, oil paint on canvas, The Rudman Trust © SDO Estate of Wifredo Lam

The Emperor

On at The Young Vic from 3 to 24 September, The Emperor is a world premiere based on the astonishing book about Ethiopia’s Haile Selassie by legendary journalist Ryszard Kapuściński.

Kathryn Hunter brings to life an extraordinary fable of corruption, avarice and the collapse of absolute power. Hunter creates a mesmerising cast of characters, all servants to a despotic ruler on the brink of downfall. In a kingdom obsessed with title and tradition, the lowly and the loyal have incredible stories to tell.

The Emperor - The Young Vic

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

Another theatrical option this month is The Two Gentlemen of Verona in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe. On from 20 September to 1 October, this production brings Shakespeare’s anarchic comedy into the 21st century. There’s romance and chaos throughout.

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Totally Thames

Totally Thames is a month long festival celebrating the famous river that flows through London. There are lots of things going on including art installations, exhibitions, concerts, cruises and much more.

It’s the right month to travel along The Thames as there’s a 2-for-1 river travel offer available all month too.

Mayor’s Thames Festival. Image © Barry Lewis

Jazz Age

The Fashion & Textile Museum, on Bermondsey Street, has a new exhibition opening on 23 September. 1920s JAZZ AGE Fashion & Photographs features woman’s clothing in the decade following the Great War (1919-1929).

Women’s clothing in the 1920s reflected dizzying social change on an unprecedented scale. With over 150 garments on display, this stunning selection of sportswear, printed day dresses, fringed flapper dresses and more reveals the glamour, excess, frivolity and modernity of the decade.

Colourful illustrations by Gordon Conway from the Illustrated London News Archive and photographs by Abbe, Beaton, Man Ray, and Baron de Meyer highlight the role of photographs and magazines in promoting the 1920s look.

A fashion illustration showing models wearing various party dresses. Date: 20th June 1928

350th Anniversary

This month marks the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London. There are events throughout the month starting with the Great Fire Anniversary weekend from Friday 2 September to Sunday 4 September when you can free tickets to visit The Monument. You need to book in advance but it’ll be well worth it as the opening hours have been extended from 8am to 10pm.

There’s late opening at St Paul’s Cathedral too on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 September when you’re actually encouraged to take photos inside the cathedral.

Oil painting of the Great Fire of London seen from Ludgate. © Museum of London

Classical Yoga

From 23 September to 7 October BBC Radio 3 has an anniversary partnership with Southbank Centre to offer Classical Yoga, live music and drama, an embedded composer and retro tea dances.

You can join the free outdoor yoga, set to a live classical soundtrack hand picked by BBC Radio 3, on the Riverside Terrace on Thursday 29 September, Saturday 1 October and Thursday 6 October at 7.30am – 8.30pm. What a wonderful way to start the day!

Doctor Faustus

From Wednesday 7 September to Saturday 1 October, at the Barbican Theatre, you can see the Royal Shakespeare Company in Doctor Faustus. Transferring to London following its successful run at the RSC’s home in Stratford-upon-Avon, the production has Sandy Grierson and Oliver Ryan share the roles of the doctor and the demon. Who plays which character is decided at the start of the show as each actor lights a match and watches it burn. Whoever’s goes out first ‘loses’ and must play the fated doctor, while the other plays the demon Mephistophilis, in this notorious tale of vanity, greed and damnation.

Photo by Helen Maybanks © RSC

punkplay

Gregory S. Moss’s punkplay is on at the Southwark Playhouse from 7 September to 1 October. Duck and Mickey are kids of America and want to escape surburbia into the excitement and noise of punk.

It’s a coming-of-age story about subcultures, friendship and not-fitting-in – all on rollerskates.

Punkplay

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in September 2016 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

Rodin & Dance: The Essence of Movement is on at the Courtauld Gallery from 20 October 2016. It’s the first major exhibition to explore Rodin’s fascination with dance and bodies in extreme acrobatic poses.

It focuses on the series of small scale experimental sculptures known as the Dance Movements, which were found in the artist’s studio after his death. The Dance Movements were not exhibited during Rodin’s lifetime or known beyond his close circle.

King Lear is on at the Old Vic soon, previewing from 25 October. It’s one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies and stars two-time Academy Award-winner Glenda Jackson, alongside Jane Horrocks and Rhys Ifans.

And The Queen’s House in Greenwich is due to re-open in October after over a year of extensive refurbishment to celebrate its 400th anniversary. Designed in 1616 by Inigo Jones for James I’s wife, Anne of Denmark, the Queen’s House is Britain’s first classical building and a masterpiece of 17th-century architecture.

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July 2016 in London

Monthly Things to Do in London 1 Response »

Jun 252016

Houses of Parliament Contemporary Art

Westminster Hall has two new artworks to see this month. New Dawn is a six metre high light sculpture by Suffragette Artist-in-Residence Mary Branson. It is the first piece of abstract art commissioned for permanent display in the Palace of Westminster.

The Ethics of Dust is on display from 29 June to 1 September and was created by artist, architect and conservationist Jorge Otero-Pailos. The artwork is a 50 metre long translucent latex cast of Westminster Hall’s east wall, now suspended from the roof, and contains hundreds of years of surface pollution and dust.

Both can be seen when attending a tour or you can visit for free but must book tickets in advance.

Ragnar Kjartansson

Ragnar Kjartansson is an Icelandic performance artist and this is the first ever survey of his work in the UK. The exhibition is at the Barbican and opens on 14 July (and runs until 4 September). It includes film and performance as well as his less well known work as a painter and draughtsman.

His artwork explores the boundary between fact and fiction, as well as constructs of myth and identity. Donning various guises from a foot soldier, to a Hollywood crooner, to the incarnation of death, Kjartansson both celebrates and derides the romanticised figure of the artist as cultural hero.

Kjartansson has created a site-specific performance and there will be women in a rowing boat on the lake kissing each weekend.

Ragnar Kjartansson, The Visitors, 2012. Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York and i8 Gallery, Reykjavík ©. Elisabet Davids

Frog Morris

On Saturdays throughout the month Frog Morris, a local artist, is performing with the traders of Bermondsey Market in (and around) Bermondsey Market Square and Bermondsey Street.

It all sounds very family-friendly and looks like a good reason to visit the Bermondsey Square Farmers’ Market.

Waterloo Food Festival

On throughout the whole of July, Waterloo Food Festival is an annual celebration of local food businesses. This is the eighth year and there are tastings, masterclasses and demonstrations on offer, and even two days for kids on 20 and 21 July.

Download your Gastro Passport and enjoy gin masterclasses and beer tastings to brunches, lunches, supper clubs and banquets.

Waterloo Food Festival

Titus Andronicus

This violent tragedy by William Shakespeare has shocked and fascinated audiences since its first performance in 1594 at The Rose Playhouse. Back at the venue from 5 to 30 July, Titus Andronicus is about a fictional Roman General in the latter days of the Roman Empire.

This highly physical take on Shakespeare’s tragedy is directed by New York City-based director Jung Han Kim whose unique style shapes his interpretation of Shakespeare’s bloodiest play.

Titus Andronicus

Georgia O’Keeffe

Opening on 6 July, and on until 30 October 2016, Tate Modern has the UK’s first retrospective of American artist Georgia O’Keefe in over 20 years.

Considered to be a founding figure of American modernism, this ambitious and wide-ranging overview will reassess O’Keeffe’s place in the canon of modern art, charting her progression from early abstract experiments to late work.

Featuring more than 100 works, which have rarely left America since her death in 1986, the display includes her 1932 Jimson Weed painting (seen here), which in 2014 became the most expensive painting sold at auction by a female artist when it was bought for $44.4m.

Georgia O’Keeffe
Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1, 1932
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Arkansas, USA Photography by Edward C. Robison III © 2016 Georgia O’Keeffe Museum/DACS, London

Fire! Fire!

This year is the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London and the Museum of London has a new major exhibition, Fire! Fire!, opening on 23 July.

The exhibition focuses on life on the eve of the fire, the dramatic events that took place as the blaze burned through a quarter of the city in 1666, and how London recovered from the devastation.

This is one of the Museum of London’s most immersive and interactive exhibitions to date. Visitors walk down a recreated Pudding Lane and into the bakery to see the fire start. They then walk into an ‘oven’ to watch the fire spread.

Against a 10 metre long backdrop in the room showing London on fire, there are a variety of incredibly fragile flame-scarred archaeological artefacts that reveal the destructive power of the inferno.

Oil painting of the Great Fire of London, seen from Ludgate (c) Museum of London

London Bridge City Summer Festival

London Bridge City Summer Festival is London’s largest free outdoor festival. There’s live entertainment, food and drink all summer long from Tower Bridge to London Bridge.

There’s sport and films to watch, plus street performances and live theatre. Enjoy all with a cocktail from the tropical pop up food and drink experience, London Riviera.

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in July 2016 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

Over at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, Above and Beyond is a ground-breaking exhibition about the wonders of flight and mankind’s remarkable journey to space. Created in collaboration with NASA, this exhibition hopes to inspire the next wave of engineers, pilots and astronauts. You’ve got until 29 August to see it.

Throughout August, BFI Southbank is hosting a season of films curated by the film director, DJ and musician Don Letts. Through documentary, archive footage and feature films, the Punk on Film season draws attention to the diversity of the punk movement, how it has been depicted on film, and its huge influence on filmmakers past and present.

Children will love the summer adventures at Eltham Palace including the Kings and Queens event on 1-3 August, and the Ugly Bug Safari on 8-10 August. This event gives kids the opportunity to grab magnifying glasses and join the big hunt for some mini beasts and discover a bug’s life. There’s more fun happening in August but we’ll share that in our next monthly round-up.

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Laura Porter writes AboutLondonLaura.com and contributes to many other publications while sustaining an afternoon tea addiction to rival that of our Queen. You can find Laura on twitter as @AboutLondon and on Facebook as @AboutLondonLaura.

June 2016 in London

Monthly Things to Do in London No Responses »

May 252016

The Queen at 90

The second weekend in June is going to be an exciting time in London because we’ll be celebrating the Queen’s 90th birthday.

Special events are taking place all weekend starting with a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 10 June. The public are not allowed to enter the cathedral for the service but we should be able to see the Queen enter from the street.

The rest of the weekend is taken up with the annual Trooping the Colour parade on Saturday 11 June which is free to watch along The Mall. And on Sunday 12 June there’s The Patron’s Lunch, London’s largest ever street party also happening along The Mall. While tickets are not available there are Live Sites in Green Park and St James’s Park which are free so we can all watch on large screens and enjoy a festival atmosphere.

New Tate Modern

On 17 June 2016 the new Tate Modern opens with a complete re-hang, bringing together much-loved works from the collection with 75% new acquisitions made for the nation since Tate Modern first opened in 2000. The most recent work to join the collection will take centre stage in the Turbine Hall: a huge sculpture of a tree almost seven metres tall, created by acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei.

The world’s most popular gallery of modern art will be even more international, diverse and engaging, with works by over 300 artists from around the world displayed across the existing Boiler House and the new Switch House – the most important new cultural building in Britain for almost 20 years, adding 60% more display space.

For the opening weekend the gallery is staying open until 10pm as there are lots of special events planned including music and free screenings. And for the first three weeks there is a free programme of performance-based works (17 June-3 July) including Tino Sehgal’s gallery attendants bursting into song.

The new Tate Modern © Hayes Davidson and Herzog & de Meuron

Bhupen Khakhar

Another reason to visit Tate Modern is to see the first international retrospective of Indian artist Bhupen Khakhar (1934-2003) since his death. Opening on 1 June (and on until 6 November 2016) the exhibition looks at his vibrant palette, unique style and bold examination of class and sexuality across five decades.

Khakhar combined popular and painterly aesthetics, international influences and provocative subjects. He played a central role in modern Indian art but was also a key international figure in 20th century painting.

Shakespeare’s Southwark

In this 400th year since Shakespeare’s death we are celebrating the Bard all year.

Shakespeare knew this part of London well and this month you can join guides from Southwark Cathedral on revealing walking tours of Bankside and the Southwark church that he and his actor friends knew.

The Cathedral itself has many Shakespeare links and was known to the Bard as St Saviour’s parish church. You’ll visit the site of the original Globe Theatre and see the replica Globe too while walking along riverside streets trod by Shakespeare and see the ruins of a grand medieval palace he would have known very well.

event_Shakespeare_Walk

Barbican Theatre

Another Shakespeare 400 event, The Shadow King is at the Barbican Theatre from 22 June to 2 July 2016.

Shakespeare’s King Lear is reimagined by Malthouse Theatre, Australia’s foremost Indigenous actors, transporting the story to the resource-laden terrain of northern Australia. The Shadow King is a blood-soaked tale of two Indigenous families divided by land, identity and legitimacy.

Told through modern English, Kriol languages and a score, including Aboriginal ‘dreamtime’ songs, performed live by an onstage band, The Shadow King fuses music, new text and video to create provocative and epic theatre.

Phaedra(s)

Also at the Barbican Theatre this month ( 9–18 June) is Phaedra(s). Embodying one of Greek mythology’s most enigmatic characters, French screen and stage actress Isabelle Huppert makes a rare London appearance to play Phaedra, her story relocated to a modern world.

This new production is directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski, Artistic Director of Warsaw’s Nowy Teatr, and is based on the provocative text of Sarah Kane’s Phaedra’s Love and incorporates extracts from J M Coetzee’s novel Elizabeth Costello.

The Alchemist

More interesting theatre this month, The Rose Playhouse has The Alchemist by Ben Jonson on from 7 to 30 June 2016.

Ben Jonson published a Folio edition of his works in 1616 making this the 400th anniversary year of this witty farce.

When the wealthy Lovewit leaves disease-ridden London he expects his butler, Jeremy, to look after his home. But Jeremy links up with two fellow swindlers and they try everything to get rich quick yet constantly looking over their shoulder in case Lovewit returns.

My Family: Not the Sitcom

Comedian David Baddiel is at the Menier Chocolate Factory with My Family: Not the Sitcom – on until 25 June. It’s a totally disrespectful celebration of the lives of his mum and dad, and tackles the taboo subjects of ageing, infidelity and gay cats.

It’s a reminder that just because a family member has died we can talk about the reality of their lives and it’s not always positive. In fact remembering the weird times and their flaws can be a good thing too.

Screenshot 2016-05-24 at 19.06.46

Spirit Drawings

Georgiana Houghton: Spirit Drawings is at the Courtauld Gallery from 16 June to 11 September 2016 showcasing a series of automatic ‘spirit drawings’ where the fluid forms and dense rich patterns of the work anticipate the abstraction of early 20th century art.

In the 1860s and 70s, Georgiana Houghton produced a series of largely abstract watercolours. Detailed explanations on the back of the paintings declare that various spirits guided her hand. In 1871 Houghton rented a gallery in Bond Street and presented 155 of these works to a London audience. While the majority of Houghton’s work survives in the Victorian Spiritualists’ Union in Melbourne, up until now her work has been largely unknown beyond a circle of specialists.

Georgiana Houghton – The Eye of God, c. 1862. © Victorian Spiritualists’ Union Melbourne, Australia

London Bridge City Summer Festival

Starting on 1 June, and running until 31 October 2016, the London Bridge City Summer Festival is happening riverside between Tower Bridge and London Bridge. There’s free interactive arts and entertainment inspired by fringe festivals around the world.

The London Riviera pop-up food and drink experience is back and there’s a big screen showing all the summer’s sporting events plus cult and classic movies.

Weekend Punk

For the closing weekend of the Design Museum, as it leaves Shad Thames to move to Kensington, there’s a Weekend Punk Festival. On 25 and 26 June there’s two days of creative disruption celebrating of one of London’s most distinctive design movements, with fanzine-making workshops, music, spoken word and other events shaping a fitting last weekend for the museum.

Design Museum Punk Museum

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in June 2016 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

Southbank Centre’s Festival of Love is on from 9 July to 29 August 2016. This is the third summer-long Festival of Love features a wide-ranging programme of performances, music, differently-themed weekends, exhibitions and installations across the site.

Waterloo Food Festival is on from 30 June and throughout July and has unique tastings, masterclasses and demonstrations as part of its 2016 Festival.

You can enjoy a Pre-Edinburgh Comedy Festival at the Cutty Sark Studio Theatre from 22 July to 4 August.

And Tate Modern has a Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition on from 6 July to 30 October 2016. This will be the UK’s first large-scale, monographic show of her work for more than twenty years.

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May 2016 in London

Monthly Things to Do in London 1 Response »

Apr 252016

Hello longer days, more sunshine and happy times in London this month.

Photo London

London is celebrating photography across the capital throughout May, with Photo London at Somerset House as a focal point for city-wide exhibitions, and events.

From 19 to 22 May 2016, Photo London is a unique festival of photography, centred around a major international photography fair featuring over 80 exhibitors. The fair showcases the broad range of photographic practice, from vintage to contemporary. There are also talks and lectures, performances and installations.

The list of exhibitors includes galleries from Berlin, Cologne, Helsinki, Lisbon, Zurich, Tehran, Minneapolis, New York, Palm Beach, Santa Monica, Singapore, Tokyo, alongside the pick of London’s top photography galleries, with an extended ‘Discovery’ section for new and emerging galleries.

Some of London’s public museums and galleries featuring photography in May include:
Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed at the Barbican Art Gallery, Vogue 100: A Century of Style at the National Portrait Gallery and Performing for the Camera at Tate Modern.

The London Photo Festival is also on 19-21 May with the festival theme of ‘4 elements: Earth, Water, Air and Fire’. It’s held in Borough in The Crypt of St George the Martyr Church.

Somerset House from River © Hayes Davidson

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

For Shakespeare400, the Royal Shakespeare Company and amateur companies across the UK are performing the nation’s favourite Shakespeare play in a unique production.

The Dream2016 collaboration can be seen at the Barbican Theatre from 17 to 21 May when the RSC is performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream in association with Tower Theatre Company and east London schoolchildren.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo by Topher McGrillis © RSC

London Wine Week

From 23 to 29 May, London Wine Week is on and attendees can purchase a £10 wristband to enjoy self-guided wine tours, events and tasting sessions across London.

The capital’s many knowledgeable sommeliers have put together a trail that leads intrepid drinkers on a journey to discover new grapes, varieties and vintages. The trips cover many enticing venues, including leading restaurants and small, lesser-known eateries to dusty wine vaults and renowned hotel bars.

London Wine Week

Charles Dickens Museum

Opening on 3 May (and on until 20 November 2016), The Other Dickens: Discovering Catherine brings Catherine Dickens away from the shadow of her husband with many personal items and letters displayed here in the couple’s first family home.

Catherine Hogarth married Charles Dickens in 1836. They lived together for the next 22 years, Catherine having ten children (two of whom were born at Doughty Street) in the first sixteen of those years, as well as travelling to America and living abroad. When they separated, Charles Dickens painted a harshly negative portrait of his wife but the exhibition helps to build a more rounded picture of a Victorian woman devoted to her children and part of a lively social group, who enjoyed frequent visits to the theatre, concerts and late-night parties. Catherine was also a published writer; her popular cookbook, What Shall We Have For Dinner, ran into several editions.

The Museum has commissioned sound artist Felicity Ford to make Hearing Catherine, a collection of six new works which bring Catherine’s voice back to Doughty Street. Introduced throughout the exhibition, a subtle combination of spoken word, music and field recordings use Catherine’s own words to give her a presence and build something of the atmosphere that she would have known in the family home.

Dickens After Dark is a special evening opening of the museum on 12 May for twilight browsing.

Charles Dickens Museum

Museums at Night

Museums at Night is on from Wednesday 11 through to Saturday 14 May 2016 and you can enjoy museums, galleries and heritage sites after hours.

On Friday 13 May, the Bank of England Museum is offering a rare opportunity for an evening visit. As well as the Museum displays, there will be presentations on banknotes, gallery talks and Bank staff will also be on hand to answer questions about gold.

Benjamin Franklin House and Dr Johnson’s House are also involved as well as Keat’s House and Banqueting House so there really is lots of choice in London.

Rose Playhouse

For more evening entertainment, The Rose Playhouse has Shakespeare’s dramatic comedy Measure for Measure on from 10 to 29 May 2016.

Vincentio, the Duke of Vienna, announces he is going on a diplomatic mission and sets in his place the upright Angelo to govern by the letter of the law. The Duke disguises himself as a priest to observe him. Isabella rejects a tainted world and devotes her life to the church, only to be dragged out of a nunnery to save her brother accused of sexual misconduct. Angelo has the power to save or slaughter but could be persuaded by Isabella, posing her a moral conundrum.

Over four hundred years after its first performance Measure For Measure’s heady mix of hypocrisy, money, power, sex, religion, justice and mercy continues to resonate in a world still battling with issues of compassion and fear.

Measure for Measure

Missoni Art Colour

Opening on 6 May (and on until 4 September 2016), Missoni Art Colour is at the Fashion and Textile Museum. The exhibition showcases over 60 years of fashion alongside paintings by leading 20th century European artists, and previously unseen textile studies, paintings and Arazzi by Ottavio Missoni, founders of this distinctive international fashion brand.

Missoni Art Colour

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in May 2016 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

The new building at Tate Modern opens on 17 June with entirely new collection displays, 75% of which will have been acquired since 2000, when the main building opened.

There are more dates available to visit Parliament on most weekdays between 27 May and 3 June as well as 16/17 June and 23/24 June. These dates are in addition to the Saturday tours throughout the year and Monday to Friday summer tours between 26 July and 2 September.

The Serpentine Architecture Programme expands for 2016, with four Summer Houses joining the Serpentine Pavilion, open from 10 June.

And The Queen’s House reopens on 4 July 2016, to celebrate its 400th anniversary with refurbished galleries, including the King’s Presence Chamber and the Tulip Stairs. This beautiful royal villa was designed by Inigo Jones in 1616 for James I’s queen, Anne of Denmark, and completed around 1638 for Charles I’s queen, Henrietta Maria.

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April 2016 in London

Monthly Things to Do in London 1 Response »

Mar 242016

Don’t worry about April showers as we’ve got plenty of indoor ideas for this month (and some outside too for those warmer days).

Barbican Theatre

There’s lots to see at the Barbican in April. The month starts with a wonderful production of The Importance of Being Earnest with The Royal Opera from Tuesday 29 March to Sunday 3 April.

Gerald Barry’s adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest was performed in a concert version in the Barbican Hall and won a Royal Philharmonic Society Award. It subsequently received its first full staging in June 2013 in a production directed by Ramin Gray for The Royal Opera where it enjoyed a sell-out run in the Linbury Studio Theatre. Now this modern-dress production, giddy with cucumber sandwiches, smashed plates and megaphones, returns for a second London run of performances.

Barbican - The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest © Stephen Cummiskey

On Friday 8 and Saturday 9 April, there’s Boy Blue Entertainment – A Night with Boy Blue.

Ten years after Boy Blue’s founders Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy and Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante put hip-hop dance on the theatrical map with Pied Piper, the Barbican Artistic Associate revives selected hits from its Olivier Award-winning production and reveals a succession of slick new sequences as part of this exuberant show.

And at the end of the month there’s Kings of War from 22 April to 1 May. Three rulers in times of crisis, each faced with the life-or-death choice of whether to go to war. Their decision-making is laid bare, exposing the conflict between national concerns and self-interest. Shakespeare’s Henry V, Henry VI and Richard III became modern-day political leaders, all their fates unfolding in this single, radical adaptation.

Shakespeare

As 2016 is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death there are lots of events throughout the year. The highlight this month is The Complete Walk organised by The Shakespeare’s Globe to be the centrepiece of London’s celebration of Shakespeare’s life and work.

The Complete Walk

Over the spring weekend of 23- 24 April 2016, the banks of the Thames will come alive with an extraordinary, and completely free, celebration. Starting at 10am on Saturday 23 April, there will be 37 screens along a 2.5 mile route between Westminster and Tower Bridge showing a series of specially-made short films.

The Complete Walk is intended to be an interactive journey through Shakespeare’s life and work with performances from some of the world’s finest actors.

Gala Concert

Also on Saturday 23 April, the Shakespeare400: Anniversary Gala concert is at the Royal Festival Hall. Music from the London Philharmonic Orchestra will be interspersed with readings from the plays that inspired them, with the evening directed by Simon Callow.

British Library

The British Library has a landmark exhibition to take visitors on a journey through the 400 year history of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare in Ten Acts opens on 15 April (and runs until 6 September 2016).

The exhibition showcases over 200 unique and rare items such as the only surviving play-script in Shakespeare’s hand, an authentic Shakespeare signature, the earliest printed edition of Hamlet from 1603 and Shakespeare’s First Folio.

Rose Playhouse

The Rose Playhouse has one of Shakespeare’s best loved comedies on this month. Much Ado About Nothing is on from 5 to 29 April. Directed by Alex Pearson, this production examines the fragility of love: whether it is young love or an old flame.

Set in June 1945 after the war in Europe is over, Benedick and his younger friend Claudio have returned, eager to lose themselves in partying the summer away. But a very different kind of battle is brewing, and this time their foes are Beatrice and Hero. The two soldiers are clueless when it comes to affairs of the heart, and while the battle of the sexes is fought with words, not bullets, it can be just as brutal.

Tower Bridge

If you visit the high walkways of Tower Bridge this month, do have a look at Art at the Bridge – a showcase of 15 local, female artists with the theme ‘Building Bridges: The Female Perspective’. The exhibition forms a dialogue that reflects upon female perspectives in the community through a range of media. The exhibition is on display until 31 July.

TowerBridge

Conceptual Art

If you’d like a reason to visit the other London Tate gallery, Conceptual Art in Britain: 1964 – 1979 is at Tate Britain from 12 April to 2 August 2016.

This exhibition explores a period in British history, where artists abandoned the traditional approach to art and suggested news ways of engaging with the realities of the world beyond the studio. The radical and controversial works took inspiration from real world issues, which led artists to create works that often portrayed themes and issues, from feminism to troubles in Northern Ireland.

This exhibition shows conceptual art within the context of its time. Featured artists include Keith Arnatt, Conrad Atkinson and Victor Burgin.

Keith Arnatt, Art as an Act of Retraction, 1971. Tate © Keith Arnatt Estate

Pick Me Up

The Pick Me Up Graphic Art Festival returns to Somerset House for the seventh year from 21 April to 2 May 2016. The festival displays all forms of graphic art including illustrations, animation, 3D installations and more from top emerging artists and established industry names.

This year, Pick Me Up will host a retrospective exhibition of works by typographer and printmaker Alan Kitching, featuring over 100 prints, showing his journey from apprentice to world-renowned designer.

Visitors will be able to meet some of the artists, designers and illustrators plus create their own work at hands-on workshops and events that run throughout the 12-day festival.

Goosebumps Alive

From the acclaimed designer of Alice’s Adventures Underground, explore Goosebumps Alive at the Vaults in Waterloo and immerse yourself in pure fear.

On from 6 April to 29 May, this immersive theatre experience is a twisted modern update of the 90’s cult horror series. Equal parts terrifying and riotous, it might just bring back nightmarish childhood memories you wish you had forgotten.

If that sounds too much there’s Goosebumps Kids available too for fun and adventure. Phew!

Goosebumps Alive

Udderbelly Festival

And if you would rather be hanging out in a upside down purple cow that’s OK this month as Southbank Centre’s Udderbelly is back from 7 April (and staying until 17 July 2016).

With a full programme of comedy, circus and family entertainment this is a fun place to hang out. Grab a drink at one of the biggest outdoor bars in London and enjoy delicious food in the pasture, which is completely free to enter.

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in April 2016 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Fashion & Textile Museum’s next exhibition opens on 6 May. Missoni Art Colour explores the creative process of Italian fashion house Missoni and the textiles of Ottavio and Rosita Missoni in the context of 20th century fine art.

From 27 May, Above and Beyond is at the National Maritime Museum. Discover the wonder of flight and the marvels of aerospace innovation, design, and technology with this immersive exhibition.

In June 2016, Tate Modern will present the first international retrospective of Indian artist Bhupen Khakhar (1934-2003) since his death. Renowned for his vibrant palette, unique style and bold examination of class and sexuality, Khakhar played a central role in modern Indian art but was also a key international figure in 20th century painting.

And on 18 and 19 June, it’s Open Garden Squares Weekend with 211 gardens taking part this year. This is a unique opportunity to discover and explore some of London’s most fascinating squares, gardens and green spaces – most of which are not normally open to the public.

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Laura Porter writes the About.com London Travel site and AboutLondonLaura.com and contributes to many other publications while sustaining an afternoon tea addiction to rival that of our Queen. You can find Laura on twitter as @AboutLondon and on Facebook as @AboutLondonLaura.

March 2016 in London

Monthly Things to Do in London 1 Response »

Feb 262016

As spring arrives London is even more beautiful so we’ve got lots of suggestions and recommendations to keep you enjoying the best city in the world. From art and museums to theatre and annual traditions there really is something for everyone this month.

Unseen City

If, like me, you enjoy seeing behind the scenes then Martin Parr’s Unseen City photographic exhibition at Guildhall Art Gallery is definitely worth seeing. Parr was the City of London’s photographer-in-residence from 2013 to 2015. He’s captured the unguarded moments at private ceremonies, ancient and modern traditions, processions, banquets and more. The exhibition opens on 4 March and runs until the end of July 2016.

There’s a joint ticket option to see the Barbican’s Martin Parr curated exhibition, Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers which opens on 16 March (and runs until 19 June 2016). This exhibition considers how international photographers from the 1930s onwards have captured the social, cultural and political identity of the UK.

Lord Mayor’s Show, Guildhall, City of London, 2014.

Graffiti and the Everyday Utopias of the Street

London is also well known for being popular with street artists who display their work on disused buildings. Venturing Beyond: Graffiti and the Everyday Utopias of the Street at Somerset House argues against the belief that graffiti is ‘glorified vandalism’. The exhibition showcases newly-commissioned works of eighteen global street artists such as Shepard Fairey and Swoon.

A number of artists, including Horfee, Nano4814, Petro and Russell Maurice are creating works on site over the course of the exhibition, providing visitors with an insight into the processes of the practice. It all starts on 3 March and runs until 2 May 2016.

HuskMitNavn, Roll up, 2015

Russia and the Arts

The most important exhibition of Russian portraits ever to take place at a British museum opens at the National Portrait Gallery on 17 March. Russia and the Arts: The Age of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky has celebrated portraits of key figures from a golden age of the arts in Russia: 1867-1914. They come from Moscow’s prestigious State Tretyakov Gallery and have not been seen together in Britain before. The exhibition runs until 26 June 2016.

Marian Clayden

Bermondsey Street’s Fashion & Textile Museum has a new exhibition opening on 11 March (and running until 17 April 2016). Art Textiles: Marian Clayden is a retrospective of luxurious art textiles by this internationally collected designer. The exhibition celebrates the influence of a British-born artist (1937-2015) who transformed psychedelic tie-dyed fabrics into a million-dollar fashion business in the US.

Marian Clayden

Samuel Pepys

You hardly need an excuse to spend some time in Greenwich but do try and get to the National Maritime Museum to see Samuel Pepys: Plague, Fire, Revolution before it closes on 28 March. I recommended this back in December, not long after the exhibition opened.

The famous 17th century diarist lived through a time of turmoil and his diary brings us first person accounts as major events unfolded.

Samuel Pepys: Plague, Fire, Revolution

WOW

WOW is the annual Women of the World Festival at Southbank Centre. It’s on from 8 to 13 March 2016 and features over 150 events, including talks, debates, music, workshops, performances, plus WOW Speed Mentoring and the WOW Market. You can hear from outstanding thought leaders, trailblazers, activists and innovators, and join the debate on politics, love, relationships, consent, war and peacekeeping, the refugee crisis, gay rights, the media, and much more.

WOW 2016

The Caretaker

From 26 March to 14 May 2016, The Old Vic continues to showcase key British talent with Timothy Spall in The Caretaker. Harold Pinter’s groundbreaking classic comes to The Old Vic in a new production directed by Matthew Warchus. Disturbed handyman Aston has invited an irascible tramp to stay with him at his brother’s jumbled London flat. At first it seems that the manipulative guest will take advantage of his vulnerable host. But when Aston’s brother Mick arrives, an enigmatic power struggle emerges between the three men that is in equal parts menacing, touching and darkly comic.

Les Blancs

At The National Theatre from 22 March (to 4 May 2016) is Les Blancs, a powerful African story. Civil war and racial tension in post-colonial Africa plus the hope and tragedy of revolution. Powerful stuff and well worth seeing.

Les Blancs

The Boat Race

On Sunday 27 March it’s the 162nd annual Boat Race on The Thames. Oxford and Cambridge university teams race from Mortlake to Putney and always need you to add to the sporting cheers along the route.

It’s also Easter Sunday so be aware that many shops are actually shut for the day but reopen for the bank holiday on Easter Monday (28 March 2016).

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in March 2016 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

It’s the annual London Marathon on Sunday 24 April 2016. Approximately 36,000 people run the marathon each year with most raising money for charities. The first half of the route runs just south of the Thames through Greenwich and Blackheath. After crossing the river on Tower Bridge, runners pass some of the capital’s famous landmarks, including the London Eye and the Tower of London, before finishing in front of Buckingham Palace.

The Cutty Sark Theatre has Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel on Friday 8 April 2016. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, Austentatious is an entirely improvised comedy play in the style of the wondrous and witty Jane Austen. Based on nothing more than a title from the audience, a seasoned cast presents an eloquent, irreverent, 100% improvised take on the works of Britain’s best-loved novelist.

The UK’s foremost festival of international contemporary circus returns to Camden’s Roundhouse in April. CircusFest 2016 is a season of world premieres, amazing new productions and street performances from the hottest names in circus.

And on 17 June 2016 the new Tate Modern opens with a complete re-hang. The new ‘wing’ will mean 60% more display space plus a variety of spaces for visitors and for art, from the raw industrial Tanks to a panoramic roof terrace overlooking the London skyline.

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January 2016 in London

Monthly Things to Do in London No Responses »

Dec 272015

Happy new year! January is a great month to be in London as it’s never too cold here to get out and about. Grab your gloves and head out to see the city while it’s generally less crowded than December but just as enjoyable.

Twelfth Night

If you’re ready to welcome the new year head to Bankside, outside the Shakespeare’s Globe, on Sunday 3 January 2016 at 2pm for the Twelfth Night celebrations. It’s a free annual event that mixes ancient Midwinter seasonal customs and contemporary festivity.

The Holly Man arrives by boat on the River Thames and then there’s a Mummers’ Play put on by the excellent actors of The Lion’s Part who arrange this every year. Cakes are given out at the end of the play but bite in carefully as hidden in two cakes is a bean and a pea. If you have one of those cakes you are hailed King and Queen for the day and get a crown before leading the procession to the historic George Inn in Borough High Street to warm up with storytelling, the Kissing Wishing Tree and more dancing. This event is really recommended and happens whatever the weather. Here are some photos I took a few years ago.

Twelfth Night

Lumiere London

From 14 to 17 January 2016, Lumiere London will illuminate the capital. This is London’s biggest-ever light festival, and includes works by a host of international artists. Iconic architecture will be transformed with 3D projections, plus interactive installations and other extraordinary light works. The areas to explore are the West End and King’s Cross, centered on Granary Square.

Produced by Artichoke. Photo by Matthew Andrews

London Glassblowing Classes

If you need a choice now to warm you up this is perfect. Close to the London Bridge Hotel, on Bermondsey Street, is London Glassblowing where you can buy beautiful artisan glassware and can see things being created in the workshop at the back of the shop. But instead of watching how about taking a glassblowing class?

On 17 and 23 January 2016 there are full day classes available where you can learn the basic techniques from qualified glass artists. The emphasis of the day is to provide an enjoyable and productive hands-on experience. The cost is £450, and includes a light lunch at a Bermondsey Street restaurant, all tuition and materials and the finishing of your pieces.

London Glassblowing

Or you could go across the road to the Fashion & Textile Museum as there’s the Liberty in Fashion exhibition which ends next month.

Barbican

While tickets have sold out to see David Tennant in Richard II at the Barbican Theatre (7 – 22 January 2016), there is Expiry Date on from 19 to 23 January 2016.

Swedish-born artist Anna Nilsson has devised a set where a ball bearing spins around weird and wonderful machinery and pendulums wave. It provides a backdrop for an abstract tale about time running out, characterised by four performers and their mix of wordless acting, juggling, singing and an incredible hand-balancing act.

Expiry Date, Barbican Theatre

London International Mime Festival

London’s annual celebration of contemporary visual theatre is the London International Mime Festival on Saturday 9 January to Saturday 6 February 2016. Venues include Barbican, Southbank Centre and Tate Modern where performances include cutting edge circus-theatre, animation and puppetry, mask, physical and object theatre.

Southbank Centre

There is some excellent comedy also at Southbank Centre this month.

Stewart Lee – A Room With A Stew – Marathon Nights is in the Royal Festival Hall from Saturday 9 to Monday 11 January 2016. It’s your opportunity to see the whole of Stewart Lee’s new BBC2 TV series live, weeks before it is televised.

And on Thursday 21 January, also in the Royal Festival Hall, you can see Dave Gorman – Gets Straight To The Point. The innovative comedy mind behind Modern Life Is Goodish, Are You Dave Gorman? and Googlewhack Adventure presents his new live show featuring more of his pioneering blend of stand-up comedy and visual storytelling. Yes, there will be a PowerPoint presentation but audiences won’t need to worry about taking notes.

Book Slam

Book Slam is London’s leading literary nightclub and it has an unrivalled reputation for hosting varied bills of the most exciting literary and musical voices around. On 29 January 2016, the National Maritime Museum has a Samuel Pepys Book Slam special where the author and journalist Will Self will read a specially commissioned piece in the spirit of Pepys.

Tower Bridge Engineering Tours

On weekend days, until the end of March 2016, you can take an Engineering Tour of Tower Bridge. This means you get to go behind-the-scenes at one of the world’s most famous bridges. You get to go inside the Bridge Control Room and into the enormous Bascule Chambers below The Thames. Tours are £50 and you must book in advance.

You could also take another unusual tour on Sundays in January as the Tower of London has Twilight Tours on offer. Tours are led by a Yeoman Warder who won’t hold back on the spooky stories.

London Eye Annual Maintenance Closure

If you’re planning a winter trip on the London Eye do note January is when they have the annual maintenance closure. The dates for 2016 are 11 to 22 January (inclusive).

london eye

Guildhall Heritage Gallery

It’s worth going to the Guildhall Art Gallery this month as the Heritage Gallery has on show a rarely displayed deed for a property in Blackfriars which Shakespeare purchased in 1613 – one of only six surviving documents to carry his signature. This will be displayed alongside Shakespeare’s First Folio.

2016 is 400 years since Shakespeare’s death and there is a year of Shakespeare 400 celebrations planned. You can see the documents in the Heritage Gallery from 9 January until 31 March 2016.

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in January 2016 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

Next month brings Chinese New Year celebrations in London on Sunday 8 February and Valentine’s Day romantic fun on Sunday 14 February.

Tate Modern has Performing for the Camera opening on 18 February looking at how photography captures performance.

Over at Somerset House, The Courtauld Gallery has Botticelli and Treasures from the Hamilton Collection also opening on 18 February.

The first production of 2016 at The Rose Playhouse will be ‘Hamlet‘ by William Shakespeare on from 2 to 26 February.

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December 2015 in London

Monthly Things to Do in London No Responses »

Nov 262015

We’ve reached the most festive month of the year so embrace the sparkle and start singing along to Christmas tunes as December in London is magical.

Shopping

If you would like to find some unusual gifts, while enjoying a mulled wine or hot chocolate, then head to the South Bank and Bankside Christmas markets.

Between Tower Bridge and London Bridge is the London Bridge City Christmas Market with over 100 wooden chalets/stalls.

There’s another Christmas market outside Tate Modern and a third Winter Market outside the Southbank Centre.

The markets are open into the evenings which makes this a great month for a late night stroll next to The River Thames. Even if you don’t need to buy anything it can be fun to browse and soak up the atmosphere, as well as the tasty treats on offer.

Dazzle

Embrace the sparkle with Dazzle at gallery@oxo (OXO Tower, South Bank) where you can find the perfect jewellery for your Christmas outfit or a unique gift.

Dazzle is an annual exhibition of contemporary jewellery that has been running for over 30 years. This is where you can find handmade, unique work by more than 80 designers, ranging from the big, collectible names to rising stars. This year also includes handmade leather bags, scarves and knitted ‘wearable sculptures’ too.

There’s a late night Christmas themed shopping evening on 3 December when all of the OXO Tower shops will stay open until 8pm, with live Christmas music, special offers and, in Dazzle’s case, a gift wrapping service between 4 and 8pm.

Dazzle

Somerset House

There’s a wonderful free nostalgic exhibition at Somerset House this winter. TINTIN: Hergé’s Masterpiece is on until the end of January and explores the evolution of the artwork of Hergé, from the simplicity of early newspaper strips to the genre-defining graphic work of the later books.

The exhibition is open until 9pm on Thursdays and Friday and would be great to combine with a trip to the iconic Somerset House Ice Rink in the courtyard.

Somerset House Ice Rink

Goodnight Mister Tom

There’s a 10 week season of this much loved children’s classic at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 11 December to 20 February 2016. It’s the 35th anniversary of Michelle Magorian’s wonderfully uplifting tale and it is brought to life in this excellent stage adaptation.

Set during the dangerous build up to the Second World War, Goodnight Mister Tom follows young William Beech, who is evacuated to the idyllic English countryside and forges a remarkable and heart-warming friendship with the elderly recluse, Tom Oakley, played by David Troughton. All is perfect until William is suddenly summoned by his mother back to London.

Goodnight Mister Tom

IWM Out-of-Hours Tours

If you’d like to know more about the First World War, the Imperial War Museum offers evening tours of their First World War galleries on Saturdays at 6-7pm. Pre-booking is essential.

Height of Winter

The View From The Shard has a winter special created by Bompas & Parr (included with a standard ticket). It’s a sensory experience bringing together the ideas of perfumers, composers, psychologists and professors of visual culture (we’re told). While admiring the views you can also enjoy gem-studded snow dunes, a touch-responsive iridescent grotto and carolling plants. Total bonkersness but wonderful too.

height of winter

Barbican

The Barbican annual Christmas concert is on Monday 21 December. Featuring the Royal Philharmonic Brass, the City of London Choir perform traditional carols along with contemporary pieces too.

The ever popular Raymond Gubbay’s Christmas Festival includes The Best of Bond on Monday 28 December as well as the Viennese New Year’s Eve Gala.

Greenwich

Greenwich is easily reached from the London Bridge area by Thames Clippers. Go on Saturday 13 December and you’ll see the annual London Pantomime Horse Race which is a lot of fun. The pre-race shenanigans are from midday and the race starts at 1pm.

Pantomime Horse Race

Then head inside the National Maritime Museum where the latest major exhibition is now open. Samuel Pepys: Plague, Fire, Revolution is the largest ever exhibition about the famous diarist with 200 objects from national and international museums, galleries and private collections.

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in December 2015 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

You may be lucky enough to get a ticket for this month but in case not this would also make a wonderful Christmas gift. Book ahead for an Exclusive Guided Tour of The State Rooms of Buckingham Palace on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in January.

We all need a good laugh in the new year and these events at the Southbank Centre stand out in January. Stewart Lee: A Room With A Stew – Marathon Nights is on 9 to 11 January at the Royal Festival Hall. It’s a marathon of stand-up comedy for Lee’s new BBC2 TV series. And Dave Gorman – Gets Straight To The Point* (*The PowerPoint), on 21 January, means more top comedy and an impressive PowerPoint presentation.

And a future art exhibition that sounds amazing is Botticelli and Treasures from the Hamilton Collection. Thirty of Botticelli’s exquisite drawings for Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’ alongside a selection of outstanding Renaissance illuminated manuscripts will be on display at The Courtauld Gallery from 18 February.

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Laura Porter writes the About.com London Travel site and AboutLondonLaura.com and contributes to many other publications while sustaining an afternoon tea addiction to rival that of our Queen. You can find Laura on twitter as @AboutLondon and on Facebook as @AboutLondonLaura.

October 2015 in London

Monthly Things to Do in London No Responses »

Sep 282015

This is the month for Halloween, the clocks changing and a school holiday. As the school holiday is the last week of October (26-30 October) the Halloween fun will last all week at the main attractions. And do remember, the clocks go back one hour on Sunday 25 October so the holiday fun starts an hour earlier.

Big Ben

Barbican

If you are looking for something different to do on the Halloween weekend, how about Sound Unbound: The Barbican Classical Weekender?

On Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, audiences can enjoy some of the greatest music ever written, in an informal festival environment. Sound Unbound is across the Barbican Centre and surrounding venues featuring over 50 short concerts across 48 hours that will showcase an unparalleled variety of music and artists.

Alongside the live music programme, a range of conversations and debates will take place throughout the weekend, while a team of expert hosts will guide audiences through the plethora of music on offer.

As well as music, The Barbican has a new exhibition in the art gallery: The World of Charles and Ray Eames.

charles-and-ray-eames

Opening on 21 October 2015, here’s where you can find out about this husband and wife team who are among the most important designers of the 20th century. Their enduring influence is widely acknowledged and continues to be celebrated worldwide.

The Eames Office was active for over four decades as they saw no separation between life and work. With collaborators and staff, they produced an array of pioneering and influential designs – from architecture, furniture and product design to film, photography, communication design, multi-media installation and exhibitions, as well as new models for arts education.

And for a free exhibition, in The Curve at The Barbican Centre, Eddie Peake: The Forever Loop opens on 9 October. London-based artist Eddie Peake presents an ambitious web of architectural installations, choreographed performance and video.

The exhibition features a raised scaffold walkway spanning the length of the 90 metre long Curve providing a stage for performance and a viewing platform for visitors. A group of performers carry out a looped choreography of dance movement in synchronisation with sound and video works dispersed throughout the space. Around the scaffold walkway, a number of structures rendered in plaster, acrylic and red velvet form a maze-like pathway through the gallery, functioning both as backdrops and objects for the performers to interact with.

October Plenty

For something traditional, head to Bankside, by Shakespeare’s Globe on Sunday 25 October to see October Plenty. It’s an annual autumn harvest celebration that mixes ancient seasonal customs and theatre with contemporary festivity. The fun moves to Borough Market to link up with Borough Market’s Apple Day. October Plenty is free and happens whatever the weather.

Rose Playhouse

For some Shakespearean comedy, The Rose Playhouse is having fun with The Twelfth Night this month. From 6 to 30 October there are two companies of actors – one male, one female – performing Twelfth Night in four different versions playing in rep. You have the choice of: a) All female, b) All male, c) Cast play their own gender, or d) Cast play the opposite gender. The story always has shipwrecks, twins, mistaken identities, comedy and love, but this could be one to see more than once.

Tate Modern

Mexican artist Abraham Cruzvillegas has the inaugural Hyundai Commission for the Turbine Hall opening on 13 October. There’s not much news before the date on what to expect but it’s called Empty Lot.

And while you are there, the new blockbuster exhibition has opened: The World Goes Pop. It’s got Pop Art from Latin America to Asia, and from Europe to the Middle East. It’s bright and colourful and certainly makes an impact.

London Riviera

The summer isn’t completely over as we have a touch of the French Riviera sophistication on the South Bank, next to City Hall, near Tower Bridge. The London Riviera is on until 31 October with great coffee and great cocktails. And this month you can enjoy the Rugby World Cup matches at More Bar with food and drink specials from Monday to Friday.

unnamed (2)

London Literature Festival

Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival is on from 28 September to 12 October. It includes Sir Tom Jones launching his first ever biography, Inside The Head of Terry Gilliam, poetry from PJ Harvey and Moby Dick read aloud for four days.

LondonLiteratureFestival

Liberty on Fashion

On Bermondsey Street, the Fashion & Textile Museum has a new exhibition opening on 9 October. Liberty in Fashion looks at the iconic brand’s impact on British fashion, from Orientalism and Aesthetic dress in the 19th century, through Art Nouveau and Art Deco in the early 20th century, and the revival of these styles since the 1950s.

Liberty in Fashion

A Woman’s War

Opening on 15 October at the Imperial War Museum, Lee Miller: A Woman’s War explores the impact of the Second World War on women’s lives through the photography of Lee Miller, one of the most important female war photographers of the twentieth century.

This exhibition traces Miller’s career as a photographer for Vogue Magazine and for the first time will address her vision of gender, featuring many photographs, objects, art and personal items never before seen on display.

Crime Uncovered

The Museum of London’s next major exhibition is The Crime Museum Uncovered, looking at the Metropolitan Police’s Crime Museum that has never been open to the public. From 9 October we can see objects previously only accessible to police professionals and invited guests.

With the popular fascination for detective stories and crime TV shows this has got to be another hit.

Counterfeiting and Forgery: Implements used for counterfeiting seized by Metropolitan Police © Museum of London

Even More

If you would like even more ideas for this month have a look at the Things to Do in London in October 2015 from Kensington House Hotel, our sister hotel.

LOOKING AHEAD

It’s the annual Lord Mayor’s Show on Saturday 14 November in the City of London. This is a popular free event with lots of floats in a long parade so wrap up warm and get ready to wave.

In a city striving to accommodate more cyclists, The Design Museum’s next exhibition, Cycle Revolution, opens on 18 November to celebrate the diversity of cycling in Britain.

In Greenwich at the National Maritime Museum, Samuel Pepys: Plague, Fire, Revolution opens on 20 November as the largest ever exhibition about the famous diarist with 200 objects from national and international museums, galleries and private collections.

And, yes it is that time, Christmas lights going on across the capital throughout November.

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Laura Porter writes the About.com London Travel site and contributes to many other publications while sustaining an afternoon tea addiction to rival that of our Queen. You can find Laura on twitter as @AboutLondon and on Facebook as @AboutLondonLaura.

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