Easter, the London Marathon and the Queen's birthday all feature in LondonTown's guide to April 2017 when Lenny Henry treads the boards at the Donmar and the Tate explores Queer British Art.
Looking beyond Instagram, the Saatchi Gallery explores the history of the selfie this spring with its new exhibition. Presented in partnership with smartphone brand Huawei, From Selfie to Self-Expression will showcase key artworks to explore the emergence of the often-derided form of expression, from the old masters to the present day. It will also highlight the emerging role of the smartphone as an artistic medium for self-expression through the commission of ten young British photographers, who have been tasked with creating new works using Huawei's recently launched P10 dual lens smartphone. Additionally, photography enthusiasts are being given the chance of having their work displayed at the gallery with the Saatchi Selfie competition.
Coinciding with Adventures in Moominland at the Southbank Centre, the Moomin come to Kew Gardens this April. Moomin Adventures is a three-week Moomin-themed Easter festival that sees the Moomin getting up to all sorts of mischief and fun. Among the activities will be an interactive Moomin trail, inviting young visitors to embark on a magical Moomin mission through Kew Gardens to find Hemulen's missing plants. There will also be a Moomin Festival Camp, where you can meet a real-life Moomin costumed character; Marvellous Moomin workshops, from den building to courgette planting; and face painting, providing the chance to get traditional Easter or Moomin themed design. There will also be a specially designed Kew Moomin App to enhance the experience.
George Balanchine's glittering ballet, inspired by the beauty of gem stones, was first performed in full by The Royal Ballet in 2007. Returning to the Royal Opera House a decade later, this production of Jewels features a number of debuts from across the company and set designs by Jean-Marc Puissant. The ballet uses three gem stones - emeralds, rubies and diamonds - as starting points to explore an array of musical and dance styles that are connected to Balanchine's own life and career.
To celebrate the launch of Peroni's new offering, Peroni Ambra, Somerset House presents The Terrace. The summer-long al fresco event transports guests to the rural Chinotto orchard of Northwest Italy to bring to life the citrus flavours found in the new tipple, which is inspired by the Italian ritual of the 'aperitivo' and served over ice with an orange peel garnish. Boasting sweeping views across London, the open air, riverside space has been transformed for the occasion and will offer visitors a series of experiences, drinks and a bespoke cicchetti menu.
One of London's oldest sporting events, first raced in 1829, The Boat Race sees England's two elite universities take to the water in a nail-biting rowing race between Putney Bridge and Mortlake Bridge in southwest London. Thousands of fans line the Thames each year to see Oxford battle against Cambridge. For spectators, there's a great view - and some great pubs - around Furnivall Gardens on the north side of the Thames near Hammersmith Bridge. Alternatively, you might like to watch from near the start at Putney Bridge, where the big screens on both banks allow spectators to monitor the race as it heads its way around the first bend. Nearby, at Bishop's Park behind the South Stand of Fulham football ground Craven Cottage, you'll find food stalls, family attractions and a large beer tent, while the banks of the river around Barnes are another popular spot. The warm-up starts with the reserve crew race between Isis and Goldie held before the main event but the build-up at the river bank starts well before, from 12noon at Bishop's Park and Furnivall Gardens.
The stakes are high as Oxford and Cambridge once again come head-to-head in a nail-biting and highly competitive race. No, this isn't the famous Boat Race but the equally prestigious (okay, maybe not quite) Oxford vs Cambridge Goat Race. Two feisty goats - one named Oxford, the other Cambridge - embark on the annual race, which takes place at Spitalfields City Farm on the same day as the Boat Race. In the build up to the big race there's live music, food and market stalls, beer and cocktail bars, arts and crafts stands as well as a bookie and sweepstake tent.
The closing act of this year's All About Piano! festival, The Piano Brothers perform their own original compositions as well as arrangements of a range of diverse musical styles from Bernstein to Coldplay. The cutting-edge piano duo, Dominic Anthony Ferris and Elwin Hendrijanto, met eight years ago while studying at the Royal College of Music and have since become well known. Their recordings featured at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games and on the million-selling Elvis Presley album If I Can Dream and they were commissioned by Steinway to compose the soundtrack for a film on 'The Making of a Steinway Model B' inside the famous Hamburg factory.
Simon Callow directs an all-star cast in Christopher Hampton's comedy set in a fictitious English university town where out of touch academics anguish over relationships, anagrams and the meaning of life. Matt Berry, best known for his roles in The IT Crowd and The Mighty Boosh plays the floundering professor of philology, appearing alongside Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners), model-turned-actress Lily Cole, stand-up comedian Tom Rosenthal and Charlotte Ritchie, who'll be familiar to most from her TV roles as Melissa in Fresh Meat and as one half of two-hander Siblings.
Borough Market launches a new series of talks and debates in 2017, inviting some of the most well respected names from the world of food to take part in hour long discussions on key issues and topics currently facing the industry. Starting in April, the short series will span across literature, technology and sustainability, asking questions such as 'what is the true cost of the food we eat?'. The first in the series is 'Read, cook, live: the ingredients of a cookbook', which will shed light on what it takes to make a good cookbook. Taking part in the discussion will be Felicity Cloake, best known for her column in The Guardian; Monika Linton, founder of Brindisa and author of Brindisa: The True Food of Spain; and publishing director of the Octopus Group, Stephanie Jackson. Further events on the line-up include a look at how the media can help your food business and how to reduce the impact of food production. After each talk guests will be invited to enjoy a spread of food and drink curated to match each topic by Borough Market's traders.
Held at The Marquee at Battersea Park in January, April and October each year, the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair is frequented by some of the most influential interior designers. Rose Uniacke attends every event and has brought clients including David and Victoria Beckham to previous fairs. Bringing together 150 exhibitors from the UK and Europe, there's a wealth of unusual period design, 20th century classics and eccentric accessories. Expect to find anything from vintage French wine glasses to valuable paintings by well-known contemporary artists like Barbara Hepworth and David Hockney.
The year 2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the decriminalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales, and Tate Britain isn't letting it go unnoticed. Putting on the first major exhibition in Britain to focus on queer British art, well known figures such as Oscar Wilde, and works by artists including John Singer Sargent, David Hockney and Francis Bacon, have been selected for Queer British Art. A combination of playful and political, erotic and domestic works, this exhibition explores how shifts in attitudes towards gender and sexuality found expression in the arts.
The London Coffee Festival returns with new features including an art competition linked to the theme of coffee. The four day festival kicks off with an espresso martini party and continues with coffee food pairing, a milk bar and latte art throwdown and the school of chocolate. The Coffee Masters competition also returns for another fast paced competition where sixteen world-class baristas compete for the much coveted title and a £5,000 cash prize. Across the Old Truman Brewery site over 250 artisan coffee and gourmet food stalls, tastings and demonstrations, interactive workshops, street food, coffee-based cocktails, live music, DJs and art exhibitions are staged, all centred on the caffeinated drink. Visitors also gain access to Milk & Sugar, showcasing some of London's cutting edge fashion, design, art, lifestyle and wellbeing brands.
Alfie Boe and Katherine Jenkins perform together for the first time in the West End as Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical about a doomed romance. Carousel comes with a rousing songbook that includes If I Loved You, June Is Bustin' Out All Over and You'll Never Walk Alone. The semi-staged production is directed by Lonny Price - who was behind the critically acclaimed runs of Sweeney Todd with Emma Thompson and Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close - and features English National Opera's 40-piece orchestra and chorus.
Jamie Lloyd, who gave us The Ruling Class and Maids - part of his Trafalgar Transformed programme - directs the European premiere of Guards At The Taj, the first play staged at the remodelled Bush Theatre, back after a year of breaking out. So we can expect an excellent staging of Pulitzer Prize nominee Rajiv Joseph's award-winning comic drama about two Imperial guards, Humayun and Babur. Set in 17th century Agra, the two are ordered to keep watch as the majestic Tajmahal takes shape behind them.
Somerset House hosts a month-long celebration of games and play this April with special exhibition Game Changers: Another Way to Play. The month kicks off with popular gaming weekend Now Play This, which coincides with the London Games Festival and features a post-apocalyptic mini-golf course on the River Terrace, a ping-pong table that creates a work of art as you play, and a physical, team-based challenge to stop the bubonic plague. The main exhibition, meanwhile, offers visitors more of an in-depth look at the creative process of game design. From traditional games such as chess, billiards and mazes to the exciting new games of today, discover what influences designers and see how the games have evolved. There will also be games on hand for visitors to try for themselves.
The month-long Game Changers, a celebration of games and play at Somerset House, kicks off with popular gaming weekend Now Play This, presenting over 50 games to get involved with. Coinciding with the London Games Festival, this weekend of play features a post-apocalyptic mini-golf course on the River Terrace, a ping-pong table that creates a work of art as you play, and a physical, team-based challenge to stop the bubonic plague. The main exhibition, Game Changers, taking place throughout April, offers visitors a more in-depth look at the creative process of game design.
The Wellcome Collection explores the complexity of masculinity with its next late-night event, Macho? Artists and experts will join drag kings and choirs to challenge the stereotype of being macho, from the celebratory to the damaging. The special late-night event will include Bromance, a rolling drag king cabaret and chance for visitors to create their own king persona; Real Men Used to Cry, with an expert discussing the myths about men and emotion; talks from the Domestic Violent Intervention Project and the Great Men Initiative, who are both working on tackling damaging manifestations of masculinity in our society; and a long table discussion on why femininity in a male body can be so threatening. There will also be a bar open all night.
The National Theatre presents a new staging of Tony Kushner's multi-award winning two-part play, Angels in America, this April. The 1993 play won a Pulitzer, Tony and Drama Desk Award and was later adapted into a HBO miniseries. Now, Olivier and Tony Award-winning director Marianne Elliott (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and War Horse) directs the new production. Set in America in the mid-1980s, in the midst of the AIDS crisis, the genre-busting play, which is made up of two parts - Millennium Approaches and Perestroika - tells the story of a straight and a gay couple as they tackle addiction, diagnosis and desperate illness. Andrew Garfield takes the role of Prior Walter while other cast members include Denise Gough, Nathan Lane, James McArdle and Russell Tovey.
After its successful UK premiere last spring - "human suffering transformed into heroic brilliance" ran The Guardian headline - Betroffenheit returns to the Sadler's Wells stage on 11th and 12th April 2017. Choreographer Crystal Pite and actor-playwright Jonathon Young join forces to examine the aftermath of Young's personal tragedy, the loss of his teenage daughter, touching on themes of loss, trauma, addiction and recovery.
English National Ballet has partnered with English National Ballet School to produce the My First Ballet series, a number of special performances aimed at children as young as three to introduce them to ballet through the magic of fairytales. Cinderella, the charming tale of rags-to-riches, is performed to music by Prokofiev and accompanied by narration. Tormented by her evil stepsisters, Cinderella dreams of the day she can escape and attend the Prince's enchanting ball. One night, when she's been abandoned for yet more cleaning, Cinderella is visited by her Fairy Godmother and her dreams begin to come true.
Coronation Street's Charlie Condou stars as righteous Reverend Hale and Victoria Yeates, who plays Sister Winifred in BBC drama Call The Midwife, is Elizabeth Proctor in Arthur Miller's landmark political parable. This new production of The Crucible, a play about the corrosive power of suspicion in a small 17th century New England town, draws parallels with Trump's America and Post Brexit UK where truth is no longer an absolute. Staged in association with Les Theatres de la Ville de Luxembourg, the play is directed by Douglas Rintoul, fresh from his recent sell-out production of Made in Dagenham.
A huge Parade of Sail sees around 30 Tall Ships sail down the Thames in convoy on the Sunday of the Tall Ships Festival which runs over the Easter weekend, from Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th April 2017. This year, the festival forms part of the Canadian Confederation 150th anniversary celebrations, with ships sailing from Greenwich to Quebec, passing through Sines, Portugal, the Canary Islands, Bermuda and Boston. Over the five days there will be a series of activities in Greenwich, Woolwich and on the River Thames while on Sunday 16th April ships, street performers and a grand fireworks finale will take place. It's a wonderful family day out where children can board some of the ships usually off limits to the general public.
You only have to Google 'Shia LeBouf Sia music video' to see the controversy a full grown man dancing with a girl causes. It's this mindset that performance company Fevered Sleep are challenging with their new dance show, Men & Girls Dance. Doing exactly that, the production sees men who dance professionally and girls from the local area who dance for fun team up to perform together, celebrating the rights of adults and children to be together, to play together and to dance together without arousing suspicion. It comes as part of Fevered Sleep's ambition to encourage audiences to think differently about the world and to start conversations.
Multi award-winning dance company Aracaladanza takes Leonardo da Vinci's ideas about flight, drawing and human anatomy as inspiration for its new dance theatre production for families, Vuelos. Using wings, horses and playing with perspective, choreographer Enrique Cabrera creates a visually stunning dance that's especially appealing to children. Before and after the performance there are free Vuelos-inspired family craft activities using feathers, shapes, paper and colours, suitable for children aged 5 and grown-ups alike.
Now a regular addition to Easter in London, The Passion of Jesus is a recreation of the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, put on for free for the public in Trafalgar Square on Good Friday. Not to be outdone by the scores of Easter egg hunts and other events across the city, Trafalgar Square hosts this special adaptation giving viewers the chance to get to grips with the story at the heart of Easter. Featuring a cast of over a hundred, all donning period costumes, a donkey and horses, the 90-minute show attracts up to 20,000 people for each of its two performances at 12noon and 3.15pm and undoubtedly has a big impact on the watching crowds as they witness the tale of Christ's betrayal by Judas and his trial before Pontius Pilate.
The UK's largest German Bier Festival, Springfest, is back this Easter, bringing a taste of Stuttgart to Alexandra Palace. Upon arrival, you'll be invited into the huge bier keller, where an army of Bavarian babes will be on hand to serve jugs or pints to the table. All you have to do is choose which German or craft beer you fancy - choose from Schwaben Brau Meister Pils, Volksfest Bier, Sanwald Wheat Bier or a selection of specialist craft beers. There will also be live music from Absolute Bowie, Europe's top Bowie tribute, DJs from London's infamous pop night Club de Fromage and German street food from top London vendors. Visitors are encouraged to arrive in their finest Oktoberfest chic and Bavarian fashion, with prizes for the best dressed on the night.
Les Enfants Terribles and ebp's Olivier Award nominated wonderland, a huge hit here at the the Vaults deep underneath Waterloo Station two years ago, returns. Invited down the rabbit hole in groups of 56, Alice's Adventures Underground presents each audience member with a choice of 'Eat Me' or 'Drink Me', which affects the way their show unfolds. Dependant on the path chosen, guests will then be led on a journey through some of 33 different rooms, each unique with a story to tell - expect to meet a number of familiar characters along the way and join in on one hell of a tea party. This impressive fusion of puppetry, music, storytelling and modern circus-theatre is dark yet humorous and puts the audience in the midst of the action. In production for three years, it's a must-visit this summer. And be sure to have a boogie with the walrus, champagne in hand, at the after party. Not suitable for children aged below 11, instead see Adventures in Wonderland for children aged five to 10.
Award-winning theatre company Cardboard Citizens celebrates 25 years of making work with and for homeless people with a season of new work at The Bunker in London this April. Nine new plays exploring the history of housing - from the slums of Victorian London to today's situation - are presented in three cycles. Working with leading UK playwrights, the plays vary from Heathcote Williams' true story of squatting in the 1970s to the ravages of Rachmanism in the 1950s and white flight in the 21st century.
Nominated for Best Club Comic at the 2016 Chortle Awards, a writer for Adam Buxton's Shed of Christmas who appeared with the Footlights at Cambridge University, Pierre Novellie examines what is cool and what it means to be cool in this character comedy show. Pierre Novellie is Cool Peter is, "a blistering hour of outsider observational comedy that is packed with brilliantly nerdy contemplations" says The Skinny.
Renowned director Ivo van Hove takes on Visconti's Obsession this spring, forming one part of a three production Toneelgroep Amsterdam residency at the Barbican. The month-long adaptation of the powerful 1943 social drama will be the headline event of the takeover and the first Toneelgroep show to star British actors, with Jude Law in the role of the magnetically handsome Gino. Based on James M Cain's novel The Postman Always Rings Twice, the story follows Gino as he encounters Giuseppe and his much younger, trapped wife, Giovanna. With Gino and Giovanna overwhelmingly attracted to one another, they begin an affair while also plotting to murder Giuseppe. However, in this story, passion can only lead to destruction.
Known for plays such as Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Carmen Disruption, Herons and Birdland, prolific playwright Simon Stephens now presents Nuclear War in a collaboration with Imogen Knight, who makes her directing debut. Staged in the Royal Court's Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, the story is very much under wraps but we do know it's about desire, death and time.
Rory Graham, better known as Rag 'N' Bone Man, spent years on the fringes of the UK hip-hop scene but he has "struck gold" (NME) with his massive hit 'Human'. Winning the Critics' Choice BRIT award hasn't done anything to stand in the way of his rise to the top either. With a voice that is "truly a showstopper" (NME), a love of hip-hop that "bleeds into the music he makes" and an original take on blues, these sold out gigs at Shepherds Bush Empire are sure to be something special.
One of the great masterpieces of contemporary American fiction, Paul Auster's City of Glass sets out in the guise of a mystery thriller but is really about the life-or-death psychological struggle of its main protagonist, Quinn. 59 Productions - the award-winning company behind the videos used in the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games - HOME and Lyric Hammersmith present a new production featuring many of the visual techniques that have made 59 Productions "the leading purveyors of video for theatre in the world" (The Guardian). Cutting-edge projection-mapping, stagecraft, magic and illusion combine to immerse you in Quinn's increasingly dystopic and fragmented world.
Lenny Henry makes his Donmar Warehouse debut this April in Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. Written by Brecht in 1941 in just three weeks, the play focuses on fictional Chicago mobster Arturo Ui (played by Henry) to create an allegory of Hitler's Nazi Germany. The play has been given a new translation by Pulitzer, Olivier and Tony Award-winning American playwright Bruce Norris.
In the year the World Photography Organisation marks the 10th anniversary of its awards, the large-scale London exhibition includes rarely seen work by Martin Parr, who receives the Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize. His work is shown at Somerset House along with five hundred of the best professional and amateur contemporary photographs from around the world. Selected from 227,596 images, the winning, shortlisted and commended works cover everything from fashion to travel, portraiture to sport, photojournalism to architecture. In the professional competition shortlisted entries include Alessio Romenzi's images of Libyan forces in the Al Jiza neighbourhood.
Bring your dancing shoes to St Katharine Docks and join the famous Rag Roof Players for a tea dance in celebration of British National Tea Day on Friday 21st April. This year it happens to coincide with Her Majesty's 91st Birthday - so you'll also get to hear a 62 gun salute being fired off from the nearby Tower of London at 1pm. There will be two dance sessions, from 12noon to 2pm and between 5pm and 7pm, where you can dance to vintage music from the 1920s to the 1950s. The popular World Food Market will be onsite from 11am to 3pm to help you... keep on dancing!
The Queen celebrates her 91st birthday in 2017 and on 21st April - The Queen's actual birthday, which she celebrates privately - the occasion is marked publicly by gun salutes in central London. The 41-gun Queen's Birthday Gun Salute in Hyde Park takes place at midday, there's a 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower Of London at 1pm. It's a spectacular show of pomp and ceremony and it's also the only time when you will see horses legally at a full gallop in a Royal Park - with a ton and a half of cannon in tow. While the Queen's Birthday Gun Salutes are held to celebrate her actual birthday on 21st April, there are further celebrations for her official birthday in June which is marked by Trooping the Colour.
London celebrates St George's Day, the feast day of the patron saint of England, with a free festival of food, music and family games in Trafalgar Square which is festooned in red and white for the occasion. It's an excuse to enjoy some good old fashioned homegrown recipes with cookery demos from celebrity chefs who'll prepare English dishes from past and present. Enjoy free entertainment on the main stage and food in the splendid banqueting area between the square's fountains. This year's London celebrations take place on Saturday 22nd April, the day before St George's Day which is on 23rd April each year.
Commencing Emma Rice's Summer of Love season, which will be her final season as Artistic Director, Shakespeare's Globe stages a modern twist on Shakespeare's timeless romantic tale this summer with Daniel Kramer's Romeo and Juliet. Artistic Director of English National Opera, Kramer presents a wild and energetic take on the play, bringing to life the story of two disenchanted children from two opposing families who dare to choose love. There will also be a special midnight matinee of the production on Friday 30th June 2017.
The London Transport Museum Depot in Acton hosts one of its popular Open Weekends in April, this time taking the theme Secrets of the Underground. One of the few occasions when the west London depot is open to the public, the event is a rare opportunity to see inside the working depot and will offer a programme of talks, interactive displays, tours and family activities. Hear stories from Hidden London, the museum's hugely popular series of disused Underground stations; listen to historian Oliver Green as he reveals the story behind the Kingsway Tramway Subway; and get a behind the scenes look at Crossrail, with talks about designing for underground spaces and stories from the engineers. There will also be miniature train layouts, family crafts, quirky artefacts, and street food and refreshments.
The largest fund raising event in the world, the London Marathon, returns to the capital in April. One of the top five international marathons, it sees around 38,000 runners - serious competitors, celebrities and charity fun runners - flood the streets of London to tackle the gruelling 26.2 mile route. Attracting thousands of spectators, the course comes alive to the sounds of bands, cheering crowds and pounding feet. The race kicks off at Greenwich Park and Blackheath with a loop around Charlton and Woolwich, continues through Rotherhithe and Bermondsey, crosses the Thames on Tower Bridge before circling Canary Wharf and the City ahead of the showpiece finish along the Embankment, past Parliament Square and onto The Mall in the shadow of Buckingham Palace.
North London's largest indoor vintage market, The Big London Flea, comes to EPIC Dalston this April. Taking over the ground floor of the former ABC cinema, the market brings together more than 50 handpicked vintage traders, ranging from veteran vintage sellers such as Spitalfields and Bermondsey markets to locals simply clearing out their loft. Browse salvaged, one-of-a-kind, and lost and found objects as well as handmade items, with everything from 20th century furniture to vintage clothes.
Kenneth Macmillan's harrowing tale of Crown Prince Rudolf's passage from a lonely youth, through a series of affairs, and finally to suicidal erotomania, returns to the Royal Opera House with all its edginess intact. Based on the true story of the Austrian heir and his lover's mysterious, violent deaths in 1889 and set to music by Franz Liszt, the two leads' descent into their frenzied madness is played with wonderful skill. The lucid poise of the role of the doomed Prince perfectly complements the fervid obsession of his young mistress. This is a demanding and ambitious ballet.
Olivier Award-winning playwright Jez Butterworth, who will forever be remembered for Jerusalem, returns to the Royal Court with The Ferryman, an emotionally wrought family drama set in 1981 rural Derry. American Beauty's Sam Mendes directs the play, which beings as the Carney farmhouse in Northern Ireland prepares for the annual harvest. A day of hard work on the land and a traditional night of feasting and celebrations lie ahead. But this year they will be interrupted by a visitor. With such an impressive creative team, we advise booking before it sells out.
Thomas Ades conducts a cast of world-class singers in the UK premiere of his latest opera, inspired by Luis Bunuel's iconic film in which guests are invited to an exclusive dinner after a night at the opera and find that they are unable to leave. The Exterminating Angel is inspired by the 1962 film El angel exterminador by the famed surrealist Luis Bunuel. His parable on the 'bourgeois condition' becomes an opera "stuffed with stars - and live sheep" (The Guardian).
Lyndsey Turner directs Aisling Loftus and Matthew Needham in Martin Crimp's The Treatment, a blistering contemporary satire about an enterprising young woman at a New York film studio. Aisling Loftus stars as Anne who learns to her chagrin that the rights to your life can be a dangerous commodity to exploit. Turner returns following her award-winning production of Chimerica, Lucy Kirkwood's West End hit which premiered at the Almeida Theatre in 2013.
Sanderson London embarks on a series of tech-focused events this spring/summer, launching with a partnership with Code First: Girls. The series kicks off with a Women in Tech themed panel discussion with Holly Brockwell, editor of female-focused tech website Gadgette.com, chairing the occasion. The discussion will address questions such as 'How are women best placed to get into tech?', 'How can men help and support women in tech?', and 'Is coding essential to success?'. As well as this launch event, the hotel will also host two Cocktails & Coding workshops, demystifying the world of coding in a relaxed atmosphere. Guests will be able to explore topics such as HTML and HTTP while enjoying cocktails rustled up by Sanderson's Long Bar mixologists.
Chris Ofili, the artist who famously won the Turner Prize in 1998 using elephant dung on his paintings, unveils a new work, his first foray into the medium of tapestry, in a free exhibition at the National Gallery. Head to the Sunley Room to see the work before it goes on permanent display in the Clothworkers' Hall. The hand-woven tapestry uses imagery which reflects Ofili's ongoing interest in classical mythology and the stories, magic, and colour of the Trinidadian landscape he inhabits.
Alice Hamilton directs Barney Norris' moving and melancholic romance about two lovers, Eddie and Carol, whose lives follow different paths until they meet again on a park bench in a town full of memories, and rake over the smouldering embers of their dormant desire. A co-production between Up In Arms, Bush Theatre and Farnham Maltings.
Part of Syria: A Conflict Explored - a series of exhibitions and events reflecting on the ongoing conflict in Syria - Sergey Ponomarev: A Lens on Syria at the Imperial War Museum is the first UK exhibition of photographs by the Russian documentary photographer. Bringing together colour prints and digital media, the exhibition will feature Assad's Syria and Europe Migration Crisis, two of Ponomarev's award-winning works in association with the New York Times, addressing the consequences of conflict in Syria. Syria: Story of a Conflict, an intimate display of objects and immersive film exploring the origins and impact of the conflict in Syria, will run concurrently with the exhibition from 27th April to 3rd September.
As much a part of spring as daffodils and snowdrops, for Londoners spring also means the arrival of the Country Living Magazine Spring Fair which moves to Alexandra Palace this year. Features include a newcomers market, showcasing first-time crafters and makers, Q&A panel discussions where you can put your questions to experts and free stamp making and printing workshops. Garden designer Lucy Summers is creating a seaside themed spring garden with beach huts and a boat, and offering green-finger tips. Added to these are over 400 exhibitors, so leave time to browse the stalls packed with cushions, fabrics, clothes, bags, jewellery, homeware and plenty of other crafty goodies. See the LondonTown Competitions page to win one of five pairs of tickets to the show.
The Sci-Fi-London Film Festival lands this April offering ten days of film, live music and immersive experiences. It brings with it 6 world premieres, 13 UK premieres, 25 features, 51 shorts and 4 VR shorts as well as classic cult events. The festival will open with the UK premiere of Caught at Rich Mix, which takes us back to the great days of British science fiction, while other films on the line-up include The Rizen, Flora, Yesterday Last Year, Sublimate and Space Detective. Further events include a sci-fi screenwriting workshop, an electronic live music event from Krautwerk, the world's only cosplay for dogs and a dystopian VR experience.
The British Library marks the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution with a major exhibition this year. Russian Revolution: Hope, Tragedy, Myths will shed new light on the world-changing events of this period, putting a focus on the experiences of ordinary Russians living through the extraordinary times. Uniting the personal and the political, the exhibition will tell the story of the Revolution through posters, letters, photographs, banners, weapons, uniform and film, portraying the hope, tragedy and myths at the heart of the seismic Revolution. It will begin with the reign of the last Tsar and explore the growth of revolutionary movements that brought about the transformation of Russian's traditional monarchy into the world's first Communist state. The Royal Academy of Arts also marks the anniversary of the Russian Revolution with a powerful new exhibition, Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932.
The Queen of Hoxton's seasonal rooftop parties have become a legendary addition to the capital's event calendar and this year is no different with a Viking-themed addition to see Londoners through winter and Neverland inspired offering for the summer. Launching at the end of April, Bangarang invites generation Peter Pan to a land where dreams are born and time is never planned. Forget adult responsibilities and run away to a world of imagination and escapism, where instead of growing up you can lounge in a seashell with mermaids, refill your glass at The Lost Boy's hideout bar and climb aboard the pirate ship to meet your fate. Sip on special cocktails such as the Mermaid Slushie, made with frozen prosecco, fruit juice and blue curacao; the Floating Fairy absinthe cocktail; or the Blue Lagoon, made with gin, lemon and blueberries. Mermaid shots served in clamshells will also be available as well as Never Never Land Ribs, a Bangarang Burger and Peter Pan Prawns. This is what dreams are made of.
Women are invited to discover how to be strong, fit and healthy at the Be:Fit festival, which takes place at the Business Design Centre. The three-day event includes talks and workshops with health and fitness experts, workout classes, and yoga sessions. There will also be the chance to try London's best fitness classes at the Reebok Studio, browse the latest sportswear and find out how to eat smart. As well as the standard ticket, there's the option of buying the VIP ticket, which entitles visitors to treatments at the Beauty Lab, express manicures, a glass of Skinny Prosecco on arrival, hair braiding, Reebok sports bag, VIP goodies, fast track entry to the fitness sessions and talks, and much more.
Shobana Jeyasingh, choreographer and judge on BBC's Young Dancer, presents the London premiere of her latest work, Material Men redux, at The Place on 28th and 29th April 2017. An extended version of her Material Men, which got a standing ovation at the Southbank Centre in 2015, it combines the styles of two very different dancers. Combining classical Indian dance and hip hop, the dance explores the biographies of the two performers, Sooraj Subramaniam and Shailesh Bahoran, both part of the Indian diaspora who share a history rooted in colonial migration and plantation labour.
Canalway Cavalcade is a distinctive waterway festival that has been taking place at Little Venice since 1983. Organised by Inland Waterways Association volunteers, there will be an array of boats, trade show stalls and boater gatherings at this festival for water lovers. As well as the boating activities, there will also be Morris dancing, competitions, food, family-friendly activities and a real ale bar, making it an enjoyable day out for families. Plus, with the location being quaint Little Venice, this creates the perfect opportunity for a gentle stroll and an enjoyable view alongside your lunch and ale.
This annual three-day international festival of hip hop and dance theatre, curated by Sadler's Wells associate artist Jonzi D, is back for a 14th year in 2017. Breakin' Convention 2017 features performances from some of the world's greatest poppers, lockers, B-boys and B-girls including the "rubber-limbed" (The Guardian) Soweto Skeleton Movers from South Africa, Canadian dance duo Tentacle Tribe and leading hip hop crew Just Dance from South Korea. Taking place every May bank holiday weekend, this world-renowned celebration of hip hop dance culture takes over the space with live DJs, graffiti, workshops, performances, after parties and park jam.
This year, the official Vaisakhi Festival celebrations in London take place in Trafalgar Square in the heart of the city centre. A colourful way to celebrate Sikh culture, this fun, free event has traditional and modern Asian music and dancing, turban tying and an array of exotic culinary delights on offer. Live performances include music such as Shabad Kirtin (religious hymns), as well as modern dance music and DJs. In previous years crowds of 30,000 have attended the celebrations, which typically end with a final prayer for the good and well-being of the whole of humanity. Vegetarian food prepared by the Sikh community is usually on sale during the afternoon.
Being the butler of a grand house is no easy job and through these special Butlers and Banquets tours of Apsley House you'll learn all about the butler to the original resident of No 1 London (as Apsley House is also known), the first Duke of Wellington, who famously defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. Pick up top tips on etiquette, from dressing a table to choosing a menu fit for the Duke. There will also be talks from the curator of Apsley House and you can view the Prussian Service, newly displayed for the first time in the Waterloo Gallery.