Author Archives

  • Guided Medieval & Renaissance Tours at the V&A Museum
    Posted in: Shows & Exhibitions

    Described by the guide as the oldest and largest museum in the world, (the prior fact debatable the latter fact certainly possible) this tour kicks off every day 11.30am sharp at the Victoria and Albert Museum’s grand entrance. Even the most learned historian would struggle here as a visitor so you soon realise this free […]

  • Greek Legacy to the Rescue?
    Posted in: Galleries & Museums, Highlights

    Greece’s geopolitical significance as a corridor between East and West is evident today as refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and much of the Muslim world use it as a passage to Europe but during the reign of its most celebrated ruler Alexander The Great (356 BC – 323 BC) this strategic position allowed him to […]

  • Rock Against Racisim
    Posted in: Highlights, Shows & Exhibitions

    Charting rock music’s rallying call against racism in the 70s and 80s, Rock Against Racism is a photography exhibition with a resounding message. Syd Shelton was the movement’s official photographer and this is his first major exhibition in a career spanning 45 years. It is certainly worth the wait as it captures the social and […]

  • Simon Schama’s Face of Britain (Exhibition)
    Posted in: Galleries & Museums, Reviews

    Historian Simon Schama’s five-part series of the same name was recently broadcast on BBC2 and this exhibition of portraiture featuring powerful figures from British history runs in conjunction with a similarly themed book. The exhibits are divided into Power, Love, Self, Fame and People and it is left up to the visitors to attach meaning […]

  • Black British Art in Action
    Posted in: Galleries & Museums, Reviews, Shows & Exhibitions

    The Black British experience is explored on many levels by this selection from the London Metropolitan Archives. Covering issues such as identify, struggle and broader culture, the work is varied, and incorporates many platforms of expression and creative tools. Its ‘No Colour Bar’ banner underpinning the work of all of these British-centred artists, but also […]

  • Nightwatchers at the Tower of London
    Posted in: Drama & Theatre, Highlights

    Stuck for something to do on Halloween night? Well if you’re seeking theatre with a difference, where the lines between performer and audience may be a bit ambiguous, digital theatre company ANAGRAM presents Nightwatchers an immersive theatre event you won’t be forgetting in a hurry. Based in the genuinely creepy prison environment of the Tower […]

  • First Look – Newport Street Gallery
    Posted in: Features, Galleries & Museums

    Damien Hirst found fame in the nineties as leader/curator of the British art movement (or loose grouping) the YBAs (Young British Artists). Well, now he’s injected that entrepreneurial spirit into his own gallery. His Newport Street Gallery opened mid-October on, yes, Newport Street, Vauxhall after three years of development and with much media fanfare. It […]

  • RunThrough at the Olympic Park
    Posted in: Events & Festivals, Highlights

    Fancy yourself as a bit of an athlete? RunThrough organises middle distance races all over London for budding athletes and run enthusiasts. If you’re seeking to tackle 5k or10k runs for fitness or competition then this is for you. Its lowest priced £10 a race mile challenge also takes place at the inspiring and scenic […]

  • Black Representation in Medieval and Renaissance Art
    Posted in: Reviews, Shows & Exhibitions

    It’s easy to become distracted at the V&A. It’s not everyday you have Leonardo da Vinci’s handwritten notebooks within eyeshot, competing with the sensual overload of countless other glorious artefacts and paintings spanning centuries. Within this glory, understated and enlightening, lies the history of the black experience in the medieval and renaissance period. Understated because […]