SPRING IN THE CITY FEBRUARY TO APRIL 2017
www.visitthecity.co.uk ART AND EXHIBITIONS FAMILY MUSIC SPECIAL EVENTS THEATRE WALKS AND TALKS
ART AND EXHIBITIONS
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FAMILY 10
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MUSIC 12
SPECIAL EVENTS
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THEATRE 22
WALKS AND TALKS
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The Japanese House p.9
As the City starts to warm and flowers begin to bloom, leave your winter shelter and explore the vast array of events and attractions hosted in the Square Mile this Spring.
Kick off the season with Tower Bridge’s Swans, Gloves, Roses and Pancakes photography exhibition (p.6) which provides an up close and personal glimpse of life in the City through the lens of iconic photographer Martin Parr. Whilst Parr captures the quirks and ‘unseen’ moments of modern City life, over at the London Metropolitan Archives is an opportunity to discover a historic visual history of working Londoners from 1447 to 1980 (p.8). There is also plenty to keep the children entertained. Head over to one of the great half-term events for families at
the Museum of London and Bank of England Museum (p.10) where the little ones can become archaeologists, hunt down Easter eggs or listen to fascinating tales of the past. Those looking for a party atmosphere can head over to the St George’s Day festivities (p.21) at Leadenhall Market and see City workers let loose with music and Morris dancing. If great food is more your thing, take advantage of Guildhall Yard Lunch Market (p.20), a food market in the beautiful setting of Guildhall with a wealth of local and international cuisine to cater to all tastes.
For more events and information about the City go to www.visitthecity.co.uk or visit our City Information Centre by St Paul’s Cathedral, where our friendly, multilingual staff are ready to help you plan your days out: City of London Information Centre St Paul’s Churchyard London EC4M 8BX
The information in this leaflet has been researched and compiled in good faith and checked as thoroughly as possible with the relevant sources. It is correct to the best of the publisher’s knowledge at the time of printing (January 2017) and the publisher cannot accept any liability for errors and omissions howsoever caused. No payment was either solicited or received for inclusion of entries (with the exception of the back page advertisement) and it does not claim to be fully comprehensive.
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5 Art and Exhibitions
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Ongoing
Capturing the City: Photography at the Bank of England The Bank of England’s photographic collection provides a fascinating record of the Bank, its buildings and staff since the Victorian era. In partnership with the Bank of England Archive, this temporary exhibition takes a look into the Bank’s past, and explores the history of a medium of exchange that has come to dominate the world around us. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm (last entry 4.30pm) FREE Bank of England Museum Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH www.bankofengland.co.uk/ museum T 020 7601 5545
Ongoing
Sculpture in the City The popular public art exhibition returns with a selection of 17 contemporary art pieces in and around the Square Mile. This year’s exhibition includes works from internationally-renowned artists Antony Caro, Giuseppe Penone, William Kentridge, Sarah Lucas, Jaume Plensa and many more. FREE to view at any time Pick up a map from the City Information Centre St Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8BX Around St Botolph without Bishopsgate, Lime Street, St Mary Axe, Great St Helen’s and Undershaft EC3 www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ sculptureinthecity
Ongoing
City of London Police Museum
Ongoing
Perspectives of Destruction: Images of London, 1940-44 Described as the second Great Fire of London, the London Blitz destroyed large swathes of the City. Focusing around a group of nine recently acquired drawings by painter Graham Sutherland, this display explores the way artists and photographers
responded to the bombing of London during the Second World War. In addition to Sutherland, the display includes work by Bill Brandt, John Piper and David Bomberg, amongst others. When: 10am-6pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk T 020 7030 3300
Discover the City’s newest museum, a fascinating collection charting the development of the City of London Police Force from its earliest days, through the intrigue of the Victorian era to modern policing challenges like cybercrime and fraud. Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Sat 10am-4pm Wed until 7.30pm FREE Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ policemuseum T 020 7332 1868
Until 17 March
Marie Duval: Laughter in the First Age of Leisure An exhibition on Isabelle Émilie de Tessier, more commonly known under the pseudonym ‘Marie Duval’, showcasing her pioneering work in the art of 19th-century comics. Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until 7.30pm. Open alternative Sat. (see website for details) FREE Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871
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Londinium AD 43
Fire! Fire!
Photographer Eugenio Grosso takes you on a photographic journey through time from the foundation of London to the present day. By overlapping Roman and contemporary maps, a shared geography emerges showing how much of the Roman settlement has been preserved through the centuries. The exhibition displays photographs of areas once home to significant Roman sites providing a new perspective on ancient London. Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until 7.30pm. Open alternative Sat. (see website for details) FREE Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871
Step back 350 years and experience the Great Fire of London in this interactive and atmospheric exhibition. With immersive displays, hands-on exhibits, eyewitness accounts and never-before-seen artefacts, this exhibition will delight children and adults alike. Learn how the City we know today rose from the ashes. When: 10am-5.30pm Admission: from £8 online; child (under 16) from £4 online; concs from £6.40 online Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ fire-fire T 020 7030 3300
Until 31 March
Swans, Gloves, Roses and Pancakes Explore Tower Bridge’s first major photography exhibition this Spring. Showcasing works by the acclaimed British photographer, Martin Parr, this exhibition captures the unique character of the City of London and is a great opportunity to see the City up close and personal. Displayed beside the coal-driven engines that once powered the Bridge’s lifting mechanism, celebrate the living heritage and human side of modern London at the heart of one its most famous and best-loved symbols. When: 9.30am–5.00pm Admission: £9.00, concs £6.30, child £3.90 (exhibition free with general admission) Tower Bridge Exhibition Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP www.towerbridge.org.uk T 020 7403 3761
Art and Exhibitions
Until 17 April
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Until 31 March
Until 24 April
The Big Bang 30th Anniversary On 27 October 1986, a number of radical changes were implemented affecting the market systems and structure of the Stock Exchange, including the introduction of electronic trading. View original documents from the Bank’s archive, revealing fascinating insights into the innovation that transformed the City 30 years ago. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm (last entry 4.30pm) FREE Bank of England Museum Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH www.bankofengland.co.uk/ museum T 020 7601 5545
Until 27 April
Until 29 April
1067 William Charter Display
Out of the Fire exhibition
To commemorate the 950th anniversary of the oldest item from the City Corporation’s archives, the 1067 charter will be on rare display at the Heritage Gallery. The charter was given to the City by William the Conqueror soon after he was crowned at Westminster, but before he entered the City of London. It is key to how William won the support of London and how the City itself began to gain its special autonomy. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 12noon-4pm FREE Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ heritagegallery T 020 7332 1868
An exhibition focusing on the Cathedral before, during and after the Great Fire of London. Discover a collection of scorched pre-Fire artefacts and learn of the re-building challenges Sir Christopher Wren faced with his radical design. View the award-winning film Resurgam within the Oculus film experience which charts the destruction and rebirth of the Cathedral. Mon-Sat 8.30am-4.30pm (last entry 4pm) Admission: £18, concs £16, child £8 (exhibition free with general admission) St Paul’s Cathedral St Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8AD www.stpauls.co.uk/fire
The Londoners – Portraits of a Working City, c.1447 to 1980 From Lord Mayors to waitresses, London has long been a magnet for those looking for work. Some jobs appear strangely familiar, little changing across more than five centuries, while others are a mystery today. Winners, losers, the famous and the forgotten, countless Londoners have been recorded as they went about their daily work. Discover a visual history of the capital in an
exhibition that bridges 15thcentury drawings and colour photographs. Mon-Thu 9.30am-4.45pm Tue-Thu open until 7.30pm; open one Saturday each month, check website for details FREE London Metropolitan Archives 40 Northampton Road EC1R 0HB www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma T 020 7332 3820
7 February – 19 March
15 February – 23 April
A Fighters’ Archive
Richard Mosse
A Fighters’ Archive, by sculptor Wijnand De Jonge, commemorates the Black Women’s Movement in Brixton during the 1970s and 80s, and addresses the context of social and racial tensions of this period. See bronze casts of activists’ clenched fists which form a monument to the living and to recent history, set within the Gallery’s historic London collection. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 12noon-4pm FREE Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhallartgallery T 020 7332 1868
Conceptual documentary photographer Richard Mosse brings an immersive, multichannel video installation to the Curve. Working with an advanced new thermographic weapons and border-imaging technology, Mosse’s artwork focuses on the refugee crisis. The installation takes you across various locations affected by the crisis, including the Aegean Sea, Syria, the Sahara, the Persian Gulf and off the coast of Libya. Sat-Wed 10am-6pm Thu-Fri 10am–9pm FREE Barbican Curve Gallery Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891
From 23 March
The Japanese House: Architecture and Life after 1945 See the first major UK exhibition to focus on Japanese domestic architecture from the end of the Second World War to now, a field which has consistently produced some of the most influential and extraordinary examples of modern and contemporary design. Sat-Wed 10am-6pm; Thu-Fri 10am-9pm Admission: £14.50 Barbican Art Gallery Barbican Centre Silk Street London EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891
24 March
Roman object handling Ever wanted to handle something nearly 2,000 years old? Join a trained archaeologist for the chance to handle some genuine roman antiquities. When: 12.15pm-2.15pm FREE Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ romanamphitheatre T 020 7332 3700
Art and Exhibitions
From 6 February
A book is many things: a box, bible, bling, expanding file, notepad, inadvertent container… used and abused, the older a book is, the greater the chance that someone has altered its material content in an unusual or thoughtful way. See how and why books are customised, adorned, despoiled and disguised and find out what happened to the biggest and the smallest books in Guildhall Library’s collections. Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until 7.30pm. Open alternative Sat. FREE Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871
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Books: Used and Abused
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From 27 March
From 31 March
Echoes across the century The First World War involved a monumental effort, both on the front line, as well as at home. Guildhall Art Gallery’s new exhibition explores personal stories of those involved as they grapple with separation from loved ones whilst keeping the country moving. Immerse yourself in a multisensory journey that explores craftsmanship, memory and separation. Featuring artist Jane Churchill’s installation “Degrees of Separation”, the exhibition weaves in the work of 240 students guided by Jane, as they explore the impact of the war and imagine what life was like 100 years ago. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 12noon-4pm FREE Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ echoes T 020 7332 1868
11 Family
11 – 12 March
How do historians know how hot the fire was? Why did it spread so quickly? Investigate the Great Fire of London with students from Imperial College London and get ready to be inspired by science and technology by taking part in a wealth of activities. When: 11am-4pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ families T 020 7030 3300
11 – 19 February
18 February
Rebuilding London
Half-term Family Activity Day at Tower Bridge
Take part in a week of daily free family events exploring how London was rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666. Create a map of London or make a phoenix masterpiece out of burnt materials. Partake in interactive storytelling or help poet Sara Hirsch create a fire-themed poem. When: 12noon-4pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ families T 020 7030 33004
13 – 17 February
Toad to the Rescue The fantastic stories from The Wind in the Willows are brought to life by a costumed storyteller in these fun and interactive 30-minute sessions. When: 10.30am,11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.00pm, 3.00pm, 4.00pm FREE Bank of England Museum Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH www.bankofengland.co.uk/ museum T 020 7601 5545
Get your weekend off to a flying start at a family activity day. Learn about the daredevil aeroplanes that once flew between the walkways and road of Tower Bridge with a series of activities including storytelling, object handling and craft activities. When: 9.30am-5.00pm Admission: £9.00, concs £6.30, child £3.90 (discounts available) Tower Bridge Exhibition Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP www.towerbridge.org.uk T 020 7403 3761
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Families find out
3 – 13 April
Chicks’ Great EGGscape Join the hunt to find the hidden chicks and golden eggs by following the trail around the Museum and then decorate an Easter animal mask or finger puppet to take home. Each child receives a chocolate egg. When: 10am-4.30pm FREE Bank of England Museum Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH www.bankofengland.co.uk/ museum T 020 7601 5545
1 – 17 April
Great Fire archaeology What can we learn about the Great Fire from the artefacts that survived? Find out during two weeks of free family events. Write a message to the archaeologists of the future, piece together
a puzzle or tell captivating tales, amongst other activities. When: 11am-4pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ families T 020 7030 3300
Four pianists delve into the riches of the Russian piano repertoire before and after the momentous events of the 1917 Revolution. Featuring Elisabeth Leonskaja (2 Feb), Alexei Volodin (9 Feb), Anna Vinnitskaya (16 Feb) and Vadym Kholodenko (23 Feb). When: 1pm Admission: £12, concs £10, under-18s £5 (plus booking fee) LSO St Luke’s 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG www.lso.co.uk/lso-st-lukes T 020 7638 8891
Asunder: Bob Stanley, Field Music, Warm Digits 10, 24 February, 17 March & 7 April
LSO Discovery Free Friday Lunchtime Concerts Learn more about music and the instruments of the orchestra in the beautiful setting of the Jerwood Hall with LSO Discovery’s spring series of Free Friday Lunchtime Concerts, showcasing music from the heart of Europe. These concerts offer an informal introduction to the LSO and the world of music-making. Join presenter Rachel Leach as she talks about the works and the instruments, then pose your own questions to Rachel and the musicians. When: 12.30pm FREE LSO St Luke’s 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG www.lso.co.uk/lso-st-lukes T 020 7638 8891
5 February, 12 March & 6 April
LSO Artist Portrait: Janine Jansen Violinist Janine Jansen’s risktaking performances are full of feeling, energy and intensity, taking listeners on a journey through the music. She joins the London Symphony Orchestra to showcase the different sides of her artistry through an Artist Portrait series, taking on three very different interpretations of the violin concerto. Featuring works by Bernstein, Berg and Brahms. When: 7pm (6 April 7.30pm) Admission: £10-£42 (plus booking fee)
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BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts: Russian Revolutionaries
13 Music
12 February
2, 9, 16 & 23 February
Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891
Field Music and Warm Digits provide a live soundtrack to Asunder – a moving documentary bringing together the human stories of life in Sunderland during the First World War. When: 8pm Admission £20-£22.50 Milton Court Concert Hall 1 Milton Street EC2Y 9BH www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891
13 February
Cellophony Celebrated octet Cellophony present a vibrant programme mixing established repertoire with specially-commissioned new works and arrangements for eight cellos. As alumni of the Guildhall School they return to give a special concert with soprano Verity Wingate, with works by Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov, Liszt, Edward Nesbit and Richard Birchall. When: 7.30pm Admission: £15, concs £10 Guildhall School, Milton Court Concert Hall 1 Milton Street EC2Y 9BH www.gsmd.ac.uk/events T 020 7638 8891
18 February
Shirley Collins: Lodestar (live) One of the most important voices of the British Folk revival, Shirley Collins transports you to strange worlds with music from her new album, Lodestar – her first release in nearly 40 years. When: 7.30pm Admission: £17.50-£30 Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891
16 March
The Tale of Januarie
Richard Tognetti: Australian Chamber Orchestra Residency
LSO with Fabio Luisi and Igor Levit
Experience the world premiere of a new opera based on Chaucer’s The Merchant’s Tale, by composer Julian Philips and librettist Stephen Plaice. A comedy of love and ageing sung in Middle English, Guildhall School opera singers perform the premiere of this exciting and hilarious new work, having been part of its development from page to stage. When: 7pm Admission: £25, concs £15 Silk Street Theatre Barbican EC2Y 8DT www.gsmd.ac.uk/events T 020 7638 8891
9 March
Efterklang & The Happy Hopeless Orchestra: Leaves – The Colour of Falling Originally staged in the catacombs beneath Copenhagen’s Municipal Hospital, where shadowy figures
lead the audience through the depths, Leaves isn’t your average opera. Experience the latest evolution of the project, re-worked for the concert hall. When: 7.30pm Admission: £20-£25 Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891
The Australian violinist, composer, conductor, and multiple Grammy Award winner Richard Tognetti directs the Australian Chamber Orchestra in a vibrant residency that sweeps from the Baltic to the Barrier Reef. Concerts include a multimedia celebration of surfing and the Australian coastline. Fusing live music and film, work by Guildhall School Musicians, and contrasting works by Mozart, Smalley and Shostakovich, it is all joyously thrown together in the hands of ‘probably the finest string ensemble on the planet’(Telegraph). When: 7.30pm Admission: £15-30 (plus booking fee) Milton Court Concert Hall Milton Street EC2Y 9BH www.barbican.org.uk
15 March
Guildhall Symphony Orchestra Pietari Inkinen conducts the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra in Lorin Maazel’s extraordinary arrangement of Wagner’s famous Ring Cycle, which contains all of the drama but none of the words. Clocking in at a fraction of the length of the epic original, every note in this orchestral arrangement is written by Wagner himself, and takes in all the highlights, from Das Rheingold through to The Ride of the Valkyries and Götterdämmerung. When: 7.30pm Admission: £10-£15, concs £5 Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DT www.gsmd.ac.uk/events T 020 7638 8891
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11 March – 14 March
15 Music
27 February – 6 March
Fabio Luisi, the principal conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, returns to the London Symphony Orchestra for a double-bill of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 5 (‘Emperor’) and Brahms’ Symphony No 2. Beethoven was renowned for his piano skills, and he used that knowledge to write some of the most daring and virtuosic piano concertos in the repertoire, culminating in his Piano Concerto No 5, performed in this concert by Russian-German pianist Igor Levit. When: 7.30pm Admission: £10-£42 (plus booking fee) Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891
17 Music
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26 March
LSO Discovery Family Concert: Magic, Mystery & Mirage
17 March
John Harle: A Celebration of the Saxophone John Harle is an Ivor Novello Award-winning saxophonist, composer, record producer and newly-appointed Visiting Professor of Saxophone at the Guildhall School. His playing has been the catalyst for an outpouring of new repertoire for the saxophone, and this concert showcases new works by Harle’s friends and colleagues written in celebration of his 60th birthday. Hear music by Sally Beamish, Gavin Bryars, Graham Fitkin and Michael Nyman among others, with accompaniment by pianist Steve Lodder. When: 7.30pm Admission: £15, concs £10 Guildhall School, Milton Court Concert Hall 1 Milton Street EC2Y 9BH www.gsmd.ac.uk/events T 020 7638 8891
Take a close look at some famous and some not-so-famous moments of musical magic. Find out how Paul Dukas used the orchestra to bring the Sorcerer’s Apprentice to life, how Dvořák conjured up a talking Golden Spinning Wheel, and how to banish a ghost with Manuel de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance. Plus enjoy some morning pre-concert workshops (10.30am) and free foyer activities (1.10pm). Suitable for 7 to 12-year olds. When: 2.30pm-3.30pm Admission: Concert: £10, under18s £5 (plus booking fee) Pre-concert workshops: £7, under18s £5 Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891
30 March & 23 April
31 March – 2 April
LSO: After Romanticism with François-Xavier Roth
New York Philharmonic, International Associate Residency
François-Xavier Roth conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in music by Debussy, Mahler, Bruckner and more, exploring the ways in which music changed as the passion of the Romantic era gave way to the brilliant inventions of modernism. When: 7.30pm (30 Mar), 7pm (23 Apr) Admission: £10-£42 (plus booking fee) Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891
The New York Philharmonic return to the Barbican, marking both the orchestra’s third International Associate Residency and Alan Gilbert’s last UK concerts as the Philharmonic’s Music Director. Performances include the European premiere of a new concerto by the New York Philharmonic’s composerin-residence, Esa-Pekka Salonen, by much-loved cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Add John Adams’ glittering ‘minimalist symphony’ Harmonielehre and this becomes a full-colour celebration of everything that’s most vivid in modern American music. When: 7.30pm Admission: £15-£55 (plus booking fee) Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891
19 Special Events
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13 February
Apprenticeship – Reality Television, Politics or Education? The Lord Mayor’s Gresham Event
11 – 14 February
My Twisted Valentine 1 February, 1 March, 5 April
One New Change Markets Honouring the City’s ancient heritage of market trading, the weekly food markets at One New Change are a showcase of modern gastronomic delights. When: 11am-3pm FREE One New Change EC4M 9AF www.onenewchange.com T 020 7002 8900
11 February
Pearls & Swine: the Ascot hat workshop A full-day workshop with pop surreal milliner Pearls & Swine. Create your own bespoke hat, perfect for a day at the races or for a friend’s wedding. The workshop will also include an introduction to the museum’s fabulous hat collection from senior fashion curator Beatrice Behlen. This workshop is perfect for beginners and no previous experience is necessary. When: 10am-5pm Admission: £99 Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ events T 020 7030 3300
For those ‘between partners’, or just allergic to ensemble rom-coms, this season offers a syrup-free alternative to regular Valentine’s Day fare. Picks include lovers-on-the-run classic Gun Crazy, saucy French ménage à trois Les Biches and Gus Van Sant’s Mala Noche. Various times available Admission: £8.50-£9.50 (plus booking fee) Cinema 3, Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/film
Join the Lord Mayor for a talk on apprenticeships and their relevance to the future – notably how they can meet the needs of modern education. A member of the Government’s Apprenticeship Delivery Board, the Lord Mayor will explain how apprenticeships can bridge the gap between the skills that young people have in the UK, and what employers need. There will be a chance to ask questions
and debate these issues after the lecture. When: 6pm-7pm FREE The Old Library, Guildhall Basinghall Street EC2V 5BQ lordmayor.gresham.ac.uk T 020 7831 0575
16 February & 25 March
Make it
Knot it, knit it, dye it! Create your own accessories and homeware at a Museum of London craft workshop. Suitable for beginners. When: 10am-12.30pm, 1.30-4pm & 7pm-9.30pm Admission: £36 Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ events T 020 7030 3300
18 February
Navigating the Dreams of an Icon: Cy Grant Grand Finale View a selection of archives and enjoy performances inspired by the icon, Cy Grant. Come to either learn or share memories in celebration of Guyaneseborn, RAF WWII Navigator, actor, singer, author, poet, multi-ethnic arts organiser, and the first black celebrity to regularly appear on British television. When: 10am–4pm FREE (pre-booking required) London Metropolitan Archives 40 Northampton Road EC1R 0HB www.cygrantfinale.eventbrite. co.uk T 020 7332 3851
21 Special Events
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23 March
Tour the Thames: liquid history
22 – 28 February
The Craft of Film This series of screenings of outstanding European feature films and masterclasses by leading filmmakers will highlight film ‘crafts’ – from directing through to cinematography and costume design. Screenings include The Turin Horse with Fred Kelemen, Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days with Anamaria Marinca and Horse Money with Pedro Costa. Various times available Admission: £12.50-£13.50 (plus booking fee) Cinema 2 & 3, Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/film
3 March & 6 April
Close to the bone Become a forensic scientist for the evening and discover stories revealed by bones in this fascinating workshop guided by real-life experts. From a syphilitic Victorian ‘lady of the night’ to a Georgian gentlemen with more than a few medical conditions, carefully piece together the hidden histories of Londoners who dwelt in the ancient city. When: 7pm-10pm Admission: £28 Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ events T 020 7030 3300
9 March & 27 April
Guildhall Yard Lunch Market Ditch the packed lunch and feast on some proper Greek wraps, Jamaican jerk chicken, cracking Korean dumplings and more, all in the glorious surroundings of Guildhall Yard. Market stalls sell tasty foodstuffs from around the world. When: 12noon-2.30pm FREE Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhallmarkets
Join an exclusive tour with museum experts Hazel Forsyth, Senior Curator, and Alex Werner, Head of History Collections, to hear the past stories of the river and how it shaped the city we live in today. Immerse yourself in its fascinating history covering the mudlarks, trade, smuggling, the impact of the whaling industry and more, while taking in the sights along the river. When: 1.45pm-4.45pm Admission: £38 Starts from Westminster Pier, Victoria Embankment www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ events T 020 7030 3300
31 March
Glamorous brides: East End weddings between the wars Get an insight into bridal fashion in the 1940s. Join a discussion on weddings chaired by published author Kate Thompson and learn about the skilful seamstresses, beautiful gowns, glamorous brides and wedding photographers living and working in London’s East End. Then find out about the Museum of London’s own collection of vintage wedding dresses from fashion curator Beatrice Behlen. When: 6.30pm-8.30pm Admission: £15 Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museum oflondon.org .uk/events T 020 7030 3300
From 1 April
Tower Bridge unveils redeveloped Engine Rooms Explore one of London’s hidden gems as Tower Bridge reopens its newly developed Victorian Engine Rooms. Discover the huge and beautifully maintained steam engines, furnaces and accumulators that were once used to raise Tower Bridge’s moveable roadways. Exciting hands-on mechanisms and information panels will explain the ingenious technology used over the years and, most importantly, tell the story of the people who kept the bridge and London in motion. When: 10am-5.30pm Admission: £9.80, concs £6.80, child £4.20 Tower Bridge Exhibition Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP www.towerbridge.org.uk T 020 7403 3761
21 April
St George’s Day at Leadenhall Market Join in the traditional St George’s Day celebrations in true Leadenhall style with Morris Dancing and live music amid beautiful historic surroundings. When: 12noon-2pm FREE Leadenhall Market Gracechurch Street EC3V 1LR www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ leadenhall T 020 7929 1073
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23 Theatre
24 – 29 March
Balm in Gilead by Lanford Wilson 22 – 25 February
Blanca Li Dance Company, Robot
13 – 18 February
1 – 4 February
Charleroi Danses, Kiss & Cry A potent story of love and loss that stars a dexterous duo of dancing hands in ravishing miniature landscapes, their sensual ballet filmed live and screened for cinematic perspective. As an ensemble of performers, camera crew and prop manipulators gathers around small-scale sets, a journey through one woman’s memories begins. Enhanced by mesmerising visual effects created in front of you and with central characters portrayed by nimble fingers and hands, her dreamlike recollections of past romances unfold. When: 7.45pm Admission: £16-28 (plus booking fee) Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre T 020 7638 8891
The Same Deep Water As Me by Nick Payne Award-winning playwright Nick Payne offers a sharplyobserved social comedy about compensation culture, set in the Luton office of Scorpion Claims. Jo McInnes directs this Guildhall School production (suitable for ages 16+). When: 7.30pm (plus 2pm matinees on 14 & 16 Feb) Admission: £10, concs £5 Guildhall School Milton Court Theatre 1 Milton Street EC2Y 9BH www.gsmd.ac.uk/events T 020 7638 8891
Take a trip into a fantastical universe where humans and robots playfully mingle and merge, all dancing to the percussive beat of a mechanical orchestra. Full of invention, wit and mischievous humour, this multimedia spectacle sees eight agile dancers share the stage with seven robot humanoids who talk, see and feel. Based in France and best known for her choreographic work with Daft Punk, Beyoncé and Pedro Almodóvar, Blanca Li has devised a visually startling show that embraces artificial life, automation and projection mapping. When: 7.45pm Admission: £16-£30 (plus booking fee) Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre T 020 7638 8891
Guildhall School actors present Lanford Wilson’s criticallyacclaimed play which follows the dispossessed and disenfranchised, junkies, hookers, johns and cons in the seedy Broadway of 1960s New York. Joseph Blatchley directs (suitable for ages 16+). When: 7.30pm (plus 2pm matinees on 27 & 29 March) Admission: £10, concs £5 Guildhall School Silk Street Theatre Barbican EC2Y 8DT www.gsmd.ac.uk/events T 020 7638 8891
Guildhall Library Evening Events
Ongoing
Learn something new about London, history and literature – and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine – at one of Guildhall Library’s regular evening events. Highlights include: The Art of the Valentine (16 February); Women’s Voices from the Police (9 March); What Books Can Tell Us: Exhibition Late View (30 March); Everything You Know about London is Wrong (11 April); The London History Quiz at Guildhall Library (27 April). When: 6pm-8pm Admission: £5 (plus booking fee, please book in advance via our Eventbrite site www.ghlevents.eventbrite.co.uk) Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871
Open-City Architecture Tours Explore some of the best architecture in the City of London with specialist guides on foot and through the lens with a weekly programme of photography and walking tours. Various times available Admission: £25.50-£35.50 www.open-city.org.uk/tours
Ongoing
Gresham College lectures
Ongoing
On-going
Guildhall Library Afternoon Talks
City of London Guided Walks
Find out something fascinating about London at one of Guildhall Library’s free talks. Highlights include: History and Treasures of Guildhall Library (28 February); Strong Wills, Strong Quills – Comparing Austen, Travers and Fielding (8 March); Books Exhibition Special Event: Hands On Advice Session (19 April). When: 2pm-3pm FREE (Please book in advance via our Eventbrite site www.ghlevents.eventbrite.co.uk) Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871
The City of London is the historic heart of London with almost 2,000 years of history. Behind its street facades are alleyways with nooks, crannies and hidden depths. A great way to explore them is with an experienced, qualified guide who can give you unique insights into the City’s architecture, history, customs and pageantry, as well as a range of entertaining stories. Daily 11am & 2pm Admission: £7, concs £6 Walks leave from the City Information Centre St Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8BX www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/walks
Each week you can pop into free public lectures on a huge variety of subjects at Gresham College. This season’s highlights include: the Lord Mayor’s Gresham Event on Apprenticeships (13 Feb), The Modern Struggle against Slavery (23 Feb), The Russian Revolution (7 Mar), AI and the Professions (30 Mar) and The Environmental Challenges of Megacities (6 April). Dates and times vary; check website for full listings FREE Gresham College Holborn Viaduct EC1N 2HH www.gresham.ac.uk T 020 7831 0575
Great Fire family walk Is the baker of Pudding Lane to blame? What did Samuel Pepys bury in his garden? How did they put out the fire? Join the Museum of London on this 45-minute interactive family walk to find these answers and more. When: 11am-11.45am Admission: £7, children £5 (pre-booking required) Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org. uk/families T 020 7030 3300
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12, 16 February, 18 March & 12, 13, 15 & 17 April
25 Walks and Talks
Ongoing
3 & 17 February, 3 & 17 March, 7 & 21 April
Lunchtime Talk: Introduction to the City of London model Get a free 20 minute introductory talk from one of the City Centre’s knowledgeable team around the City of London’s official architectural model of the Square Mile. The talk will introduce the 1:500 scale interactive model, revealing what it teaches about
the history, present and future of the City of London. Detailing every existing building and many planned new developments, the model is a fascinating glimpse into the future City skyline. When: 12.30pm – 1pm FREE The City Centre 80 Basinghall Street EC2V 5AR www.thecitycentre.london T 020 7600 8362
Tales of Dr Johnson and Love
Guildhall Tours
A rare opportunity to experience an evening in Dr Johnson’s beautiful Queen Anne townhouse by candlelight. Join a curator-led tour and hear about Johnson’s complex views on love, bringing to light his relations with ‘the fairer sex’. Discover more about Johnson’s love-life, his views on marriage and the ladies who made an impression on him, from the respectable to the scandalous, and the women whom he, in turn, influenced. When: 6pm-8pm Admission: £15 Dr Johnson’s House 17 Gough Square EC4V 3DE www.drjohnsonshouse.org T 020 7353 3745
23 February
Modern Slavery This lecture on slavery will present an overview of the challenges of modern slavery and an outline of what is needed to prevail, by one of the world’s leading activists and thinkers on the subject, Dr Aidan McQuade, Director of AntiSlavery International, the world’s oldest international human rights organisation. When: 6pm-7pm FREE Barnard’s Inn Hall Holborn EC1N 2HH www.gresham.ac.uk/attend T 020 7831 0575
20 February
City | Space | Video games: politics Video games have dominated popular culture for quite some time, but only recently did they make a significant break into the world of politics, social critique and activism. This talk will provide an overview of the different ways that video games embody ideology in their narrative from the Thatcherism years to the
most recent socio-political movements, from political plots to simulations of democracy. When: 7pm-8.30pm Admission: £15 Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ events T 020 7030 3300
Take a tour of the iconic Guildhall complex, including the Great Hall and its crypt. When: 11am-12noon Admission: £7 (must be booked in advance) Meet guide at Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondonguides.com T 020 8398 4715
23 March
Roman Amphitheatre Tour Free introductory tours of the amphitheatre with resident archaeologist Andrew Lane. Find out more about one of the most important buildings in Roman London. No booking necessary. Tours last approximately 40 minutes. When: 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm FREE Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ romanamphitheatre T 020 7332 3700
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9 March & 27 April
27 Walks and Talks
14 February
From 1 April
Billingsgate Roman House & Baths Weekend Tours Explore this fascinating insight into ancient City life and discover the remains of the Roman Bathhouse which lies hidden beneath office buildings. When: various times available; check website for full listings Admission: £8, concs £6 Billingsgate Roman House & Baths 101 Lower Thames St EC3R 6DL www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ bathhousetours T 020 7030 3300
30 March
AI and the Professions There are two futures for the professions set out by Richard and Daniel Susskind. Both rest on technology. One is reassuringly familiar, a more efficient version of today. The second is transformational – a gradual replacement of professionals by ‘increasingly capable systems’. In the long run, in an Internet society, it is claimed, we will neither need nor want doctors, teachers,
accountants, architects, the clergy, consultants, lawyers, and many others, to work as they did in the 20th century. When: 6pm-7pm FREE Gresham College Barnard’s Inn Hall Holborn London EC1N 2HH www.gresham.ac.uk/attend T 020 7831 0575
OVER 175 YEARS OF POLICING IN THE CITY OF LONDON A fascinating collection charting the development of the City of London Police Force from its earliest days through the intrigue of the Victorian era to modern policing and current challenges like cybercrime and fraud. City of London Police Museum Aldermanbury London EC2V 7HH Access through Guildhall Library entrance
www.cityoflondon.police.uk/museum
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