LIBRARY
ART, PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN The Wallace Collection Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/inspiring-walt-disney-the-animation-offrench-decorative-arts/
INSPIRING WALT DISNEY: THE ANIMATION OF FRENCH DECORATIVE ARTS Until 16 October This spring, in collaboration with New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, we present the magic of Disney as you have never seen it before. Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts displays American 20th-century hand-drawn animation alongside French 18th-century art to reveal the surprising and enchanting connections between these two artistic movements. Opening hours: Daily 10am – 5pm Admission: Adults £14 12-17 years £5
Under 12s Free
The National Gallery Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
020 7747 2885 www.nationalgallery.org.uk PICASSO INGRES: FACE TO FACE Until 9 October For the first time, Picasso’s ‘Woman with a Book’ (1932) from the Norton Simon Museum, California, will be brought together with the painting that inspired it, ‘Madame Moitessier’ by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Picasso first encountered the enigmatic ‘Madame Moitessier’ at an exhibition in Paris, in 1921, and was enthralled. For Ingres, a 19th-century French artist steeped in the academic tradition, the beautiful and wealthy Madame Moitessier represented the classical ideal. The model for ‘Woman with a Book’, Picasso's then young mistress, MarieThérèse Walter, mimics Madame Moitessier’s distinct pose. The painting balances sensuality and restraint, striking a chord with the eroticism latent beneath Ingres’s image of bourgeois respectability. ‘Picasso Ingres: Face to Face’ is a unique opportunity to see these two portraits, side by side, for the first time, and to trace the continuous thread between 19th and 20th-century artistic development. Opening hours: Daily 10am – 6pm, Friday 10am – 9pm Admission : Free
Tate Modern Bankside, London, SE1 9TG 020 7887 8888 www.tate.org.uk SURREALISM BEYOND BORDERS Until 29 August Surrealism is not a style – but a state of mind. It aims to subvert reality. To find the uncanny in the everyday. To tap into our unconscious desires and bring dreams to life. And for many artists around the world, it has been a way to challenge authority and imagine a new world. Previous stories of surrealism have focused on Paris in the 1920s. Based on extensive research, this exhibition will reach across the world and over 50 years. It will show how artists around the world have been inspired and united by surrealism – from centres as diverse as Buenos Aires, Cairo, Lisbon, Mexico City, Prague, Seoul, and Tokyo. Opening hours: daily 10am – 4.30 Admission: Adult £18 12-18 years £5.00
Under 12 free
Design Museum 224 – 238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG 020 3862 5900 https://designmuseum.org YINKA ILORI Summer 2022 London-based artist/designer Yinka Ilori enlivens the public realm with installations and murals in a playful combination of colour and pattern. This display will bring to the museum his distinctive aesthetic, inspired by the African fabrics of his childhood and capturing the colourful geometric patterns that feature in Nigerian design, with a nod to British postmodernism. Opening hours: Daily 10am – 6 pm (check website for opening dates) Admission: Free
The Royal Academy of Arts Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/summer-exhibition-2022 SUMMER EXHIBITION 2022 21 June – 21 August Run without interruption since 1769, the Summer Exhibition showcases art in all forms, from prints, painting, film and photography, to architectural works and sculpture by invited artists, Royal Academicians and emerging talent. The theme chosen by the exhibition’s coordinator, Alison Wilding RA, is ‘Climate’. Whether as a crisis or opportunity, or simply our everyday experience, it is an all-embracing subject. Outside this year is a large-scale immersive installation bringing nature and water to the courtyard, by Spanish artist Cristina Iglesias. Most of the works are available to buy, and proceeds from the Summer Exhibition directly support the exhibiting artists and the RA’s charitable work, including training the next generation of artists in the Royal Academy Schools. Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 6pm Admission: £20
Dulwich Picture Gallery Gallery Road, Dulwich SE21 7AD https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/2022/may/reframedthe-woman-in-the-window/ REFRAMED : THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW Until 4 September Featuring artworks from ancient civilisations to present day, the exhibition brings together over 50 works by artists including Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, David Hockney, Louise Bourgeois, Cindy Sherman, Wolfgang Tillmans and Rachel Whiteread to reveal how artists have long used the motif to elicit a particular kind of response ranging from empathy to voyeurism. Featuring sculpture, painting, print, photography, film and installation art, the exhibition identifies the key geographic locations, cultures and time periods for which the ‘woman in the window’ had a particular meaning and what the motif reveals about issues of gender and visibility. Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm Admission: Adults £16 Under 18 free
HISTORY, SCIENCE & GENERAL INTEREST The British Museum Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG 020 7323 8181 http://www.britishmuseum.org THE WORLD OF STONEHENGE Until 17 July Towering above the Wiltshire countryside, Stonehenge is perhaps the world's most aweinspiring ancient stone circle. Shrouded in layers of speculation and folklore, this iconic British monument has spurred myths and legends that persist today. In this special exhibition, the British Museum will reveal the secrets of Stonehenge, shining a light on its purpose, cultural power and the people that created it. Informed by groundbreaking recent archaeological and scientific discoveries, this landmark exhibition offers new insight on one of the world's great wonders, bringing the true story of Stonehenge into sharper focus than ever before. Opening hours: Daily 10am – 6pm, late night Thursday and Friday until 9pm Admission: Adult £20 16-18 years £18 Under 16 free National Maritime Museum Park Row, London, SE10 9NF 020 8858 4422 https://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum CUTTY SARK RIG CLIMB EXPERIENCE Summer 2022 Going up: Starting with a briefing underneath the ship’s beautiful hull, those brave enough to take on the challenge step up from the Main Deck on to the ship’s 'ratlines' (rope ladders). From here you can make your way up into the rigging, just as hundreds of sailors did during Cutty Sark’s long and fabled career at sea. When you reach the 'Tops Platform', take a breath and drink in the view while looking down on a true London icon. Going down: A controlled descent will take you from the lofty heights of the rigging straight down to street level. You can then join up with friends and family and continue your Cutty Sark adventure, as your rig climb ticket includes free access to all areas of the ship. Opening hours : Daily 10am – 5pm Admission : Adult £41 10-15 years £26
Science Museum Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD 020 7942 4000 https://www.nhm.ac.uk/events/women-in-science-tour.html HIGHLIGHTING HISTORIES: WOMEN IN SCIENCE TOUR 28 June – 30 July* Take a guided tour of the first-floor Hintze Hall balconies and the Minerals gallery and discover the fascinating work of women scientists past and present. You'll hear the gripping histories of several women scientists across history including some who've worked at the Museum. Encounter numerous treasures such as specimens collected by Mary Anning and learn more about the Museum's displays and our cutting-edge science. *Selected dates and times – see website for details Admission: Free but tickets must be booked in advance
Museum of the Home 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA https://www.sleep.museumofthehome.org.uk/ FESTIVAL OF SLEEP June – September The pressures of modern life are disrupting our relationship with sleep. Once distinct periods of waking and sleeping have become blurred. Explore how our understanding and experience of sleep has shifted over time and across cultures through the stories told and the accompanying exhibits and talks. The Rooms Through Time will be redressed to explore the remedies, potions, folklore, traditions, myths and magic connected with sleep through the decades. Prepare to be amazed, informed, and surprised. The redressed rooms will explore sleep from different angles and perspectives. From aromatherapy, and dreaming to communication with the dead, visitors will be surprised, and perhaps a little shocked, to discover the ways in which people understood and related to sleep in the past. The rooms will also delve into the more difficult sides of sleep. For disabled and neurodiverse people, sleep can pose challenges that were rarely addressed in the past, and are still often ignored. The rooms will provoke visitors to consider ways in which domestic design can make resting and sleep harder for certain people. Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday 10am – 5pm Admission: Free
THEATRE AND LITERATURE Chichester Festival Theatre Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 6AP https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/crazy-for-you CRAZY FOR YOU 11 July – 4 September Theatre-mad Bobby Child is torn between his showbusiness dreams and his rich, demanding New York fiancée and rich, demanding New York mother who want him to run the family bank. On his mother’s insistence, he reluctantly heads west for the bygone mining town of Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a mortgage.There he finds the mortgage in question is on a dilapidated Victorian theatre and the owner’s daughter Polly is the girl of his dreams. Desperate to prove his good faith and win her love, Bobby lights on the idea of putting on a show – complete with glamorous dancers from New York’s Follies – to save the theatre and renew the town.This hilarious, riotously entertaining musical is packed with glorious Gershwin melodies (including Someone to Watch Over Me, Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm and They Can’t Take That Away from Me), with stunning tap dance routines guaranteed to set the spirits soaring. Tickets : £10 - £55
Chiswick House & Gardens Burlington Lane, Chiswick W4 2RP https://chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk/whats-on/
SUMMER PROGRAMME Summer 2022 An eclectic selection of events including: Giffords Circus ¡Carpa! - a magical nod to an old fashioned circus with a glamorous twist evoking the sights and sounds of rural Mexico, As You Like It – performed by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place Festival. Dates, times and admission prices vary – please see website for further details
Brighton Open Air Theatre Dyke Park Road, Dyke Road, Brighton BN3 6EH https://www.brightonopenairtheatre.co.uk/whats-on/ Pack your picnic, don your sunglasses, and head for Brighton Open Air Theatre for a summer of fabulous outdoor entertainment. Returning after two years of disruption with a six month season, BOAT presents a range of theatre, comedy and musical treats. This year’s productions include : The Railway Children, The Secret Garden and Terrible Tudors as well as four Shakespeare plays, original theatre productions and a child-friendly version of War of the Worlds. Check website for specific dates and ticket prices Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London SW1 4NU 0333 400 3561 https://openairtheatre.com/ This season’s productions : Legally Blonde, 101 Dalmations (musical) and Antigone.
Ticket prices : £25 - £65 Shakespeare’s Globe 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT 020 7902 1400 https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/
This summer’s performances include : Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar, Henry VIII, King Lear, The Tempest and I, Joan Ticket prices : £5 (standing) to £64
OUTDOORS … Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3AE 020 8332 5655 https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/food-forever Food Forever Until 18 September Food: we love it and we can’t live without it. But the world is changing, and so is what we eat. Step into the future of food at Kew's event of the summer and discover how we can transform our planet for good through four new art installations and a major exhibition across the Gardens. There will also be a whole host of talks, guest menus by inspiring chefs as well as weekend drop-in workshops and activities – plenty to sink your teeth into! Visit Kew to discover what we can do together to combat climate change and biodiversity loss, to protect our food from extinction and secure a sustainable future for us all. Opening times ; Daily 10am – 7pm (8pm at weekends) Ticket prices ; Adults £19.50 16-24 years £9.00
4-15 years £5
Tower of London London EC3N 4AB 020 3166 6000 https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/superbloom-at-the-tower-oflondon/#gs.338yxs Superbloom Until 18 September A visit to the Tower of London this summer will be even more special as we celebrate the Platinum Jubilee year of Her Majesty The Queen. To mark the occasion, over 20 million seeds have been sown in the moat which will develop and morph over the course of the summer, to create a beautiful, new naturalistic landscape. Designed to attract pollinators, ‘Superbloom’ will bring a wonderful natural beauty to this urban space and introduce a new biodiverse habitat for wildlife. It will celebrate the value of nature for our wellbeing. Open from June to September, it will be an evolving display, moving from soft green hues in June to delicate whites, blues, pinks and oranges throughout the height of summer. You can enter the moat via a fully accessible visitor entrance, or arrive in royal style on the four lane Superbloom Slide! Prepare to spend around 30 minutes exploring a one way route along winding willow-lined paths set to a specially commissioned soundscape with sculptural elements along the way. Opening times : Daily 9am-6pm (Thursday – Saturday until 10.30pm) Ticket prices : Adults £12 16-17 years £9.60 5-15 years £6
Kensington and Chelsea Festival 1 July – 31 August https://www.kcfestival.co.uk/ The 2022 Kensington and Chelsea Festival will bring people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired. Re-imagining creativity and culture for everyone, public art and curated tours, ballet and street art, broken beats and orchestras, circus arts and gaming culture, exhibitions and workshops, will all feature in well-known and unexpected places. The festival mix spans visual art, a diverse Public Art Trail, design, theatre, dance, music, family shows, cabaret, comedy, spoken word and street food, plus creative experiments and seeing how artists bring new ideas to life. The Festival is driven by desire for a positive impact and the aim of supporting the borough’s diverse community and creative practitioners. The curated outdoor programming is free of charge, and all main Festival events have a ‘pay as much as you want’ policy, making activities accessible to everyone, offering an inspirational way to engage with the arts. Please check websites for specific events, dates and times
Somerset House Strand, London WC2R 1LA 020 7845 4600 https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/ This Bright Land 1 – 29 August This Bright Land offers a rolling programme of free weekday activities throughout August. From a site-wide treasure hunt featuring colourful mascots guiding you along the way, to outdoor games, there’s something for visitors of all ages. Pop-up activities inspiring creativity include the creation of ‘scent maps’ in the Wonder Garden. Somerset House’s courtyard fountains will also be dancing up and down for families to splash about in the summer holiday sunshine. You can also stop by the free exhibition Eternally Yours, spotlighting diverse examples of creative reuse, from historical artefacts that embrace upcycling and repurposing, to recent work from leading artists and designers that have repair at the heart of their practice. Opening times : 12noon – late (check website for times) Tickets: various (depending on activities – check website)
The Sculpture Park Churt, nr Farnham, GU10 2LB https://www.thesculpturepark.com/ Open all year round The Sculpture Park is Britain's most eclectic & atmospheric sculpture exhibition, and has been delighting those who discover it for over 15 years with over 300 renowned and emerging artists showcasing over 650 modern and contemporary sculptures. The works are primarily situated outdoors, over a 2 mile woodland trail and there is also a smaller indoor gallery on-site at the park with more work available to view. Most of the collection is available to buy, and collectors travel from all corners of the globe all year round to view this unique and stunning collection of works. The collection is sited within ten acres of stunning arboretum and wildlife inhabited water gardens which have been developed with a series of landscaping projects and the introduction of thousands of new plants, bulbs and specimen trees. Taking advantage of the natural contours of the rolling Surrey Hills has resulted in the perfect haven for the display of sculpture. With over two miles of paths meandering through mixed heathland and woodland in a natural valley enhanced by three lakes fed by two natural springs, the park is one of Surrey's hidden gems. Opening times : Daily 10am – 5pm Ticket prices : Adults £15 Under 15 years £10
Victoria Park South Road, Haywards Heath RH16 4LR https://www.locallysaucedfestival.com/ Locally Sauced Festival 23 & 24 July Held in Haywards Heath, this event promotes “sustainable Sussex produce, from food to fashion”. Foodie treats include a pop-up Egyptian restaurant, a range of cookery demonstrations and an artisan market. Local bands play during the day. Admission: Adults £20.50
Children £9
OTHER MUSEUMS AROUND THE UK Biggin Hill Memorial Museum Main Rd, Biggin Hill, Westerham TN16 3EJ https://bhmm.org.uk/ Telling the story of Britain’s most famous fighter station through the personal experiences of those who served there, and the community that supported them. The museum is situated on the same site as St George’s RAF Chapel of Remembrance, built in 1951 to preserve the legacy of those who served and died at Biggin Hill during the Second World War. The museum safeguards the future of this important building. A series of events and activities at the museum includes talks and tours, object handling sessions and storytelling for under-fives. Freud Museum 20 Maresfield Gardens, London, NW3 5SX https://www.freud.org.uk Handel & Hendrix 25 Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HB https://handelhendrix.org/ Charles Dickens Museum 48 Doughty Street, London WC1 2LX http://dickensmuseum.com/
The Grant Museum of Zoology Rockefeller Building, University College London, 21 University Street, London, WC1E 6DE www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/zoology The Grant Museum of Zoology is the only remaining university zoological museum in London. It houses around 67,000 specimens, covering the whole Animal Kingdom. Founded in 1828 as a teaching collection, the Museum is packed full of skeletons, mounted animals and specimens preserved in fluid. Many of the species are now endangered or extinct including the Tasmanian Tiger, the Quagga, and the Dodo. The museum also offers occasional free talks and lectures on subjects such as population growth and the future of science. Opening times : Monday – Saturday 1pm – 5pm Entry : Free
National Army Museum Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, SW3 4HT www.nam.ac.uk Weapons feature prominently here: 2,500 edged weapons, 200 pole arms and 1,850 firearms. But it’s the human side of the exhibits that make the National Army Museum work, including oral histories from World War I veterans, and the order that launched the Charge of the Light Brigade. Best exhibits include Florence Nightingale’s lamp, and Lord Raglan’s Crimean telescope. Open : Daily 10am – 5.30pm Entry : Free
Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5HN 020 7001 9844 www.museumoflondon.org.uk Opening hours: Daily 10am – 5.30pm Admission: Adult £8 - £12, Child £4 - £8
Gresham College Barnard’s Inn Hall, Holborn, London, EC1N 2HH www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events Gresham College has provided free public talks within the City of London for over 400 years. Founded in 1597, Gresham College is London’s oldest Higher Education Institution. Gresham Professors and other visiting speakers offer over 100 free public events every year on a wide range of topics including science, public health, architecture and law. Transcripts and videos of past lectures can be downloaded and viewed online.
Horniman Museum 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ www.horniman.ac.uk A fascinating collection of objects, specimens and artefacts illustrating natural history and the arts and handicrafts of various peoples of the world. Opening times : Daily 10.30am – 5.30pm Entry : Free (charge for the Aquarium)
Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Road, London, E2 9PA 0208 983 5200 www.museumofchildhood.org.uk The V&A Museum of Childhood in London's Bethnal Green houses the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of childhood objects. The mission of the museum is "To enable everyone, especially the young, to explore and enjoy the designed world, in particular objects made for and made by children." It has extensive collections of toys, childhood equipment and costumes, and stages a programme of temporary exhibitions. Opening times : Daily 10am – 5.45pm Entry : Free
The Old Operating Museum and Herb Garret, 9a St Thomas Street, London, SE1 9RY 020 7188 2679 http://oldoperatingtheatre.com Victorian Surgery For those thinking of a future in the medical field or perhaps with an interest in the history of practical medicine, this small museum will give you goose bumps as you explore where operations were carried out during Victorian times. With instruments on display, talks to listen to and the opportunity to watch a ‘real’ Victorian operation, this has to be one of the most unusual museums in London to visit. Opening times: daily 10.30am – 5pm (Talks every Saturday) Admission: tickets from £3.50
Museum of The Home (Formerly known as The Geffrye Museum) 136 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8EA Tel: 020 7739 9893 https://www.museumofthehome.org.uk/ Opening times: Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm Admission: Free - donation suggested.
The Leighton House Museum, 12 Holland Park Road, London W14 8LZ 020 7602 3316 or 020 74719160 https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/museums/leightonhousemuseum1.aspx Opening hours: Daily except Tuesdays 10am – 5.30pm. Admission: Adults £14 Concessions £12. Free public tour of the house every Wednesday and Sunday at 3pm included within the entry ticket.
Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF 020 7407 8664 https://www.ftmlondon.org Opening hours: Tuesdays –Saturdays 11am – 6pm, Thursday until 8pm and Sundays 11pm – 5pm Admission: Adults £9.90, Concession £7.70, Children under 12 are free.
Further afield … Look out for these small museums when you are out and about: Rudyard Kipling – Bateman’s, Bateman's Lane, Burwash, East Sussex, TN19 7DS https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/batemans John Bunyan – Mill Street, Bedford, MK40 3EU, UK http://www.bunyanmeeting.co.uk/museum Jane Austen (Pride & Prejudice) - Jane Austen's House Museum, Winchester Road, Chawton, Hampshire. GU34 1SD http://www.jane-austens-housemuseum.org.uk/ Dylan Thomas (Under Milk Wood) - Dylan Thomas Centre, Somerset Place, Swansea SA1 1RR http://www.dylanthomas.com/dylan-thomas-centre/ The Brönte Sisters – (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights), Brönte Parsonage Museum, Church Street, Haworth, Keighley Yorks https://www.bronte.org.uk Elizabeth Gaskell’s House (Cranford), 84 Plymouth Grove, Manchester M13 9LW Manchester http://www.elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk/visit-us Issac Newton (law of gravity), Woolsthorpe Manor, Water Lane, Woolsthorpe by Colsterworth, near Grantham, Lincs NG33 5PD https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/woolsthorpe-manor
Please plan ahead! All information correct at time of going to press but please check websites for opening dates, booking conditions etc…
Patron : Her Majesty the Queen
www.royalrussell.co.uk