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Hidden Treasures

Whether you're visiting South Kensington for the first time, or you've visited a hundred times, here's a list of some of the best, but least well-known, exhibits, galleries, and places.

Open Water Swimming at the Serpentine Lide

Until September
10am-6pm
Hyde Park
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The Serpentine Lido is, arguably, London's most iconic 'open water' swimming location. In 2023, it will be open to the public until early September. Alongside the Serpentine Lido is the Lido Cafe Bar which has waterside tables and is the ideal place to enjoy a snack, meal or a glass of wine.

Dig Deeper

14th Sept, 21st Nov
6:30pm-9pm
Natural History Museum
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Delve into the Museum's pioneering projects and find out more about their collections as they celebrate and showcase the world-leading scientific research carried out at the Museum.

Park Nights 2023

Dates and times vary
Serpentine
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Park Nights returns for a series of interdisciplinary artistic engagements staged in the Serpentine Pavilion 2023. Expect five newly commissioned works spanning poetry, performance and music. Join the Serpentine on selected evenings from August to September.

How to Build a Low-Carbon Home

Until March 2024
10am-6pm
Design Museum Kensington
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How can we design our homes to respond to the climate emergency? Discover how architects are reimagining wood, stone and straw to design homes fit for the future in this free display.

Cirque du Soleil- Alegria: In a New Light

11th Jan-11th Feb 2024
Times vary
Royal Albert Hall
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Tickets are now on sale for Cirque du Soleil’s most iconic production Alegria: In a New Light. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this all-time classic will whisk audiences away to a mystical world sprinkled with visual poetry & acrobatic extravagance.

Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton

7th Oct
2:30pm & 7:30pm
Royal Albert Hall
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Experience Tim Burton’s original sketches, drawings and storyboards on the big screen whilst Danny Elfman’s famous film scores are performed live by the BBC Concert Orchestra and Crouch End Festival Chorus, conducted by John Mauceri.

Journeys

Dates and times vary
Royal Albert Hall
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Acclaimed musician and composer Nitin Sawhney curates a festival celebrating diverse journeys and identity through music, art and discussion.

The Royal Society of Sculptors Summer Show

On til 30th Sept
Monday -Friday 11am - 5pm, Saturday 12 - 5pm
The Royal Society of Sculptors
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Explore a fabulous showcase of members' and fellows' work at Dora House. This year's theme is The Shape of Life, selected by guest curator Edward Bulmer.

Photo Walk: Kensington Gardens

1st Oct
12pm-2pm
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
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Kensington Gardens is wonderful in autumn, a real destination for landscape photography at a time when the trees are changing colour.

Secret Sentinels by Clare Burnett PPRSS

15th July- 30th Sept
The Royal Society of Sculptors
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These three Secret Sentinels are designed to stand in front of the newly restored Royal Society of Sculptors. They celebrate the work of Elliot and Fry, the court photographers who commissioned the beautiful facade in the late 19th century as well as drawing attention to the 21st century surroundings.

Music Lates

19th Oct
6:30pm-10pm
Science Museum
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Music Lates is a celebration of Turn It Up: The power of music, a new blockbuster exhibition coming to the museum this autumn.

Write & Shine with The Royal Parks

23rd Sept - 4th Nov
7:30am-9am
The Royal Parks
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Start your day with a burst of creativity! Join Write & Shine for a series of early morning writing workshops in The Royal Parks this Autumn.

Young V&A

Opens 1st July
10am-5:30pm
V&A
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Get ready to spark your creativity at Young V&A – the museum where children, young people and families can imagine, play and design. From 1 July 2023, be inspired by spaces, explore our collection and get creative. Right now, keep in touch on social.

Workshop: Screen Print

30th Sept
2pm-4:3p0pm
Design Museum Kensington
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Join this introductory workshop inspired by the iconic designs held in the museum’s permanent collection and create your own screen-printed image using stencils on a tote bag or tea towel.

Afternoon Coffee Club

20th Sept, 8th Nov, 13th Dec
1:30pm
Royal Albert Hall
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The Royal Albert Hall’s Afternoon Coffee Club is a series of relaxed live music performances ranging from smooth jazz to classical. Tickets are £5 and include tea/coffee and cake.

Energy: Sparks from the Collection

25th May-20th April 2024
10am-6pm
V&A
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This display shines a light on the diverse kinds of energy in photography, from the hidden processes intrinsic to creating a picture, to the subjects in front of the camera.

Windrush 75 at the V&A

12 May- 31st December
10am-6pm
V&A
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A season of events and displays marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush. Find out more about the Windrush generation, their legacies and the impact of the Caribbean on art, design and culture in Britain.

Between Two Worlds: Vanley Burke and Francis Williams

12th June- 31st December
10am-6pm
V&A
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Explore portraits of two Jamaican gentlemen scholars. Burke's photography and archives, alongside historical artefacts and scientific images shedding new light on the Williams painting, invite reflections on quests for identity and colonial legacies.

Leslie Linder: Decoding Beatrix Potter

Until 25th March 2024
10am-5:45pm
V&A
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Discover Leslie Linder, how he cracked the code of Beatrix Potter’s secret journal and showed the world her art.

New Autumn Events at Leighton House

Autumn 2023
Varies
Leighton House and Sambourne House Museum
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Add some colour to your autumn with a new season of arts-inspired events at Leighton House. From live performances and chamber music, to family fun and creative workshops inspired by upcoming exhibition 'Maha Ahmed: Where Worlds Meet' - there's something for everyone!

Workshop: Terrazzo Casting

2nd Dec
1:30-4:00pm
Design Museum Kensington
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Learn how to cast terrazzo using Eco Resin into silicone moulds to make your own coasters in this creative workshop led by RubinoWilson studio.

RCM Jazz Orchestra: History of the Jazz Band

4th Oct
7:30pm
Royal College of Music
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Hear one of the finest examples of the influence of blues in early jazz with King Oliver's and Louis Armstrong's Dippermouth Blues.

Growing Together: Autumn Garden Assembly

22nd Oct
2pm-5pm
Design Museum Kensington
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Enjoy short, inspiring talks by expert horticulturalists, garden designers and writers, meet the Growing Together volunteers to swap seeds, hints and tips, enjoy creative activities for all, seasonal refreshments and more!

Image credit: © Zhai Zeyu, Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

13th Oct- 30th June 2024
10am- 5:50pm
Natural History Museum
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Get beyond the camera and discover the stories behind some of the best nature photography in the world.