London’s home of science and arts
Staying in is the new going out and there won't be enough hours in the night to watch all the things we have for you!
From chemical cook-alongs and science cocktails, to gut health and the facts behind our new food trends, pick from our delectable menu of exploratory evening and festive fun.
With the outbreak of coronavirus, many of us are spending more time at home. With quizzes being particularly popular here's a ready-made quiz round of 15 questions featuring facts from the Science Museum Group Collection.
Multi-award-winning musician and composer Nitin Sawhney will present a special session from lockdown as part of the Royal Albert Home series. Sawhney has had a rich and varied career, working across music, film, television, theatre and dance as a producer and composer. Expect at-home performances, classic clips and stories from Nitin himself.
Trumpet virtuoso Håkan Hardenberger leads Jack Wilson through a masterclass on From the Wreckage, by RCM Research Fellow in Composition Mark-Anthony Turnage. Supported by the RCM Symphony Orchestra under the directorship of Timothy Lines, watch this engaging journey through a classic of contemporary concerto repertoire.
Did you know... Atwood was known to carry around newspaper clippings to demonstrate The Handmaid’s Tale’s basis in reality. Set in New England in the near future, Atwood posits a Christian fundamentalist theocratic regime in the former United States that arose as a response to a fertility crisis. Free to download with your library card.
RBKC Libraries Book of the Week is Julian Barne's exquisitely written The Sense of an Ending. Tony Webster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at an all boys' school. Sex-hungry and book-hungry, they traded affectations, in-jokes, rumour and wit. Now Tony is retired. He's had a career and a single marriage, a calm divorce. He's certainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyer's letter is about to prove.
In the second series of conversations with contemporary artists, classically trained calligrapher, Soraya Syed, talks about her creative journey. Through the talks, Leighton House will showcase Frederic, Lord Leighton’s travels and appreciation of Turkey.
In times like these, the reflective space poetry offers can give respite to breathe and recharge. Every day this week book suggestions from Westminster Libraries' staff will be highlighted. All the books are available for free on their cloud library service with your membership card.
Reserve your spot every Friday with Kensington & Chelsea Libraries' Book of the Week. This week Chan Ho-Kei’s Second Sister is up for discussion; part-thriller, part-detective, it's a tale of sexual harassment, internet bullying, and youth suicide.
Historic Royal Palaces' Joint Chief Curator Lucy Worsley is joined by Royal Dress Collection Curator Eleri Lynn for a trip inside the Royal Wardrobe to discuss some of their favourite items in the collection – from a jerkin worn by the ill-fated Charles I, right through to the beautifully tailored wardrobe of the Duke of Windsor. Register now for the event
On the 10th anniversary of Diaphonique, the Franco-British fund supporting contemporary music, Institut français hightlights Errollyn Wallen CBE. For the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery in France, the Belize-born British composer created Only, a work in response to Afro-West Indian 18th century composers Ignatius Sancho and Chevalier Saint Georges.
RAHome has even more great artists performing exclusively from their homes to yours. These are exceptional times but our iconic house of music has risen to the challenge. Reserve your seat for the Kaiser Chiefs, Tim Burgess, and Imogen Heap, who's letting her fans choose the setlist.
Singer-songwriter Becca Stevens will deliver an exclusive set from her home in Brooklyn as part of the Royal Albert Home sessions. Since making her debut with the 2008 album Tea Bye Sea, the multi-instrumentalist has won plaudits for her distinctive blend of genres including jazz, Irish folk and indie-rock.
SK Shlomo will deliver an exclusive set from his home as part of the Royal Albert Home sessions. The genre-defying, award-winning, record-breaking beatboxer, producer and live-looper burst into the mainstream as ‘Shlomo’, collaborating with Björk and performing with famous fans including Damon Albarn, Lily Allen and Imogen Heap.
If you would like to keep up to-date with everything that is happening at our amazing science and arts institutions in South Ken, why not sign-up to our weekly newsletter. Bursting with great content, you'll be spoilt for choice. Every week, there's something different to see and do, from fantastic new exhibitions and wonderous collections to unique, one-off events to tantalise and excite. And if you're comfortably settled at home, we have just as much fun online. Quirky, different, entertaining, there's something for everyone. Don't miss out. Sign-up now!
Premiering online, this is the first film about the life and work of the visionary abstract painter, Hilma af Klint, Convinced that the world was not yet ready to understand her art, af Klint stipulated that her own work should not be shown for twenty years following her death.
The French Film Festival will return to the Ciné Lumière in December and January. Meanwhile, enjoy the most anticipated films by first class directors and with your favourite French stars (Isabelle Huppert, Gérard Depardieu, Juliette Binoche, Vincent Cassel) online from 27 November to 4 December.
See South Kensington in a whole new light as it is transformed by a selection of artists re-imagining spaces along Exhibition Road in Albertopolis, where the Great Exhibition Road Festival takes place. The artists were inspired by conversations with scientists at Imperial College London on mental health and wellbeing research to create digital dreams of these iconic places.
Do you live, work, study or visit Kensington & Chelsea and want to explore a new cultural corner in the borough? Take a look at their new One Year Culture Plan! They have over 50 ambitions including digital programs, from investing £175,000 in the delivery of the digital Notting Hill Carnival to supporting Kensington + Chelsea Art Week, working with local artists and creative studios for its annual public art trail - and the launch of their first ever Culture Night on 2nd October.
From questions about the Imamat and AKDN to history, science, and popular culture, quiz yourself, test your knowledge, and play with family and friends! A new set of questions will be released each week.
The Ismaili Sounds presents Shab-e-Didam, a song in praise of Hazrat Ali. This rendition is performed by the DN Khorog Band from Tajikistan and features original lyrics by the celebrated Persian poet and philosopher, Hafez-e Shirazi.
Serpentine Galleries presents a new online exhibition series on NOWNESS in partnership with contemporary artist Cao Fei, who shares her Pac-Man-inspired installation to launch the series.
For the first time in their 150-year history, the Royal Albert Hall hosted a very special concert behind closed doors, marking the 75th anniversary of VE Day, with Mezzo Soprano Katherine Jenkins.
Learn how royalty used fashion to entertain, control and impress. A History of Royal Fashion takes you into the wardrobes of British kings and queens across five royal dynasties from the Tudors, Stuarts and Georgians to the Victorians and Windsors.
Delve into the Museum from home with a virtual self-guided tour of the galleries, an interactive experience about Hope the blue whale and audio guides narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
If you are looking for inspiration for your next project, look no further than this free, downloadable sewing pattern. Create an original Mary Quant design from 1962: the bold and beautiful 'Georgie' dress. Get sewing!
From our friends in the arts, not to be missed, a wonderful virtual journey celebrating the architecture and heritage of London's historic bridges by transforming the capital at night and lighting up 14 bridges along the River Thames. Once complete it will be the longest public art project in the world.
Take an intimate look behind the scenes at the V&A in a 6-part series with BBC Two. Made with BBC Arts and Blast! Films, Secrets of the Museum explores some of the most fascinating objects and the curators, conservators, tech experts and teams who look after them.
The Serpentine is collaborating with NOWNESS and K11 Art Foundation on a new online exhibition. Focusing on one artist and artwork gradually unveiled each week, this special moving image programme brings together a group of East Asia-based practitioners, featuring additional online content from the artists, curators and project advisors.
The Goethe has an incredible selection of eBooks. In fact, more than 23,000 German language audio books, movies, materials for German language learners, magazines and newspapers available to download from the Onleihe, the Goethe-Institut’s digital library.
As the world is facing a new economic crisis, how could the arts and civil society benefit from blockchain technologies? Hear from artists, curators, technologists and researchers who are using blockchain to revolutionise their way of working in the Goethe-Institut London’s latest Talking Culture podcast episode.
Enjoy a family Create and Make workshop at home. Colour, cut and build to create your own Design Museum exhibition. Colour, cut and build to create your own Design Museum exhibition. Bring the Design Museum to you by building your own furniture exhibition.
Want to learn German while social distancing? The Goethe-Institut London's next online group course gets underway on 30 April, providing you with a flexible way to learn #GermanforReal with like-minded people, from the comfort of your home!
The Goethe-Institut are presenting weekly online updates about events and offers from the German-speaking world of culture and the arts to keep you entertained and stimulated.
While the Gallery buildings are closed, the Serpentine’s work continues. Collected here are some of the ways you can interact with their programmes through online exhibitions, digital commissions, podcasts, special broadcasts and more.
Have you always wanted to learn French but never had the time? Or felt self-conscious amongst a group of strangers in a classroom? Well now you have no excuses! The Institut français has a dedicated team of native speakers who can teach you one-to-one - or even with a group of friends. Work at your own pace and really enjoy learning again. C'est si facile!
For a new residency, the Goethe-Institut London and Somerset House Studios welcome artist, DJ, writer, and performer Juliana Huxtable. Working remotely from her studio, Juliana will be taking part in live streams and artist development opportunities.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Diaphonique's Franco-British fund for contemporary music, Pascal Dusapin’s opera Passion highlights how dance and opera work beautifully together.
From their living room to yours, a range of artists will be performing exclusively for you. Relax and enjoy singer-songwriter KT Tunstall or set sail with the Sea Shambles, listen to the rich vocals of This is Kit or entertain your little ones to the sounds of Jazz for Kids, with many more acts to follow.
Are you ready for this week's #TuesdayTour? Today the V&A team will show you have to give an Arts and Crafts twist to your wardrobe.
The RCM Chamber Orchestra is joined by three celebrated musicians from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe – violinist Mats Zetterqvist, clarinetist Romain Guyot and trumpeter Nicholas Thompson. Together they perform Brahms' richly textured Symphony no 2.
Get closer to London based artist Morag Myerscough. In conversation with the Design Museum's director, Tim Marl0w.
#DesignDispatches invites you into the lives and work of familiar faces from the world of design, fashion and architecture including Morag Myerscough, Bella Freud, Stella McCartney and David Adjaye. Every Saturday on Instagram TV, tune in to see the Design Museum’s Director, Tim Marlow In Conversation.
Artists present exclusive sessions from their homes to yours. In these strange times, closing the Hall’s doors is the best way to look after the world, but we are now opening a (virtual) window for you to experience some of the most talented artists around.
The Royal Albert Hall's time machine will take you to any period in history from the 1750's, when the area was part of the Gore estate, or when this iconic building opened in 1871, or up to the present day. Just pick your era and escape!
Catharsis totally immerses audiences within a digital simulation of a re-imagined old-growth forest, a forest that has developed undisturbed over hundreds of years. A wonderful way to escape and let your imagination run wild.
