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This Week in London – Wildlife Photographer of the Year is coming; ‘Vanishing Africa’; and, ‘Black Chiswick Though History’…

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‘Wake-up Call’ by Gabriella Comi, Italy, (Highly Commended, Behaviour: Mammals). PICTURE: Courtesy of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Natural History Museum

• Depicting a dramatic stand-off between a lion and a cobra in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Gabriella Comi’s impressive image is among the 60,636 entries, from across 113 countries and territories, received in the Natural History Museum’s 61st annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The competition’s category winners and the prestigious ‘Grand Title’ and ‘Young Grand Title’ awards will be announced on 14th October, 2025, after which, from 17th October, 100 of the images will go on show at the museum in South Kensington. Other images revealed this week include Amit Eshel’s portrait of an inquisitive pack of Arctic wolves and photographs of flamingoes, coyotes and red deer by emerging young photographers as young as nine-years-old. For more, see https://bit.ly/WPY61Exhibition.

One of the images in ‘Vanishing Africa’. PICTURE: © Mirella Ricciardi

• The Science Museum has launched a new online exhibition, Vanishing Africa, which features images by Kenyan-born photographer Mirella Ricciardi and reveal how much climate change is changing the continent. Taken in East Africa over two years in the 1960s, the photographs are a visual record of the Indigenous peoples of the region, including the Maasai, Samburu, Turkana, Orma, Pokot and Rendille people, and “capture a land of untamed wilderness, diverse wildlife, and Indigenous communities attuned to nature”, an East Africa which many no longer recognise. The exhibition has been published to celebrate the ‘UK/Africa Season of Culture’ and launches ahead of the international climate summit, COP30. To view it, head to www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/vanishing-africa-through-mirella-ricciardis-lens.

• On Now: Black Chiswick Through History. This project, launched in 2011, looks at how the history of Chiswick House is connected to Black history and people of colour. This year’s installation explores the life of 18th-century Chiswick House resident James Cumberlidge – one of the few people of African heritage in Britain whose likeness was captured and preserved for posterity – and traces his journey from  page boy at Chiswick House to trumpeter in the Royal Court of King George III. There’s also a painting dating from the 1870s which depicts Queen Victoria attending a fashionable garden party right here at Chiswick House in July, 1875. Runs until 28th September. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk/event/visit-chiswick-house/.

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This Week in London – Downton Abbey in London; new evening street market for Rupert Street; and, ‘Virtual Beauty’ at Somerset House…

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Highclere Castle in Hampshire which doubles as Downton Abbey in the TV series and movies. PICTURE: Tim Alex/Unsplash

• Downton Abbey has popped up in London. With the final Downton Abbey movie, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale next month, Bonhams auction house are auctioning off some iconic props, costumes and set pieces from across the series and is accompanying it with a preview exhibition which is open to the public. Among the items up for sale in Downton Abbey: The Auction are everything from a 1925 Sunbeam saloon car and various dresses and costumes including Lady Mary Crawley’s wedding dress (as worn by Michelle Dockery) to a George III oak dresser (seen in the Servant’s Hall in season 1), a silver pocket watch worn by Mr Carson (played by Jim Carter) and an autographed script from episode one, season one. The display can be seen at Bonham’s salesroom at 101 New Bond Street until 16th September. Admission is free but bookings are essential. For more head to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/downton-abbey-the-auction-tickets-1555891024939

• A new evening market opens in Rupert Street, Soho, tomorrow night. The market – said to be the city’s first evening market – will be open from Mondays to Saturdays between 3pm and 10pm and will feature different themes on different days including artisan food on Wednesdays, world street food on Thursdays, vintage clothing on Fridays, and arts, crafts and jewellery on Saturday. Monday and Tuesday will be a general market. For more, see https://www.westminster.gov.uk/licensing/markets-and-street-trading/markets-westminster/rupert-street-w1.

• On Now: Virtual Beauty. This exhibition at Somerset House explores the impact of digital culture and technologies on the traditional definitions of beauty today. It features the work of more than 20 artists with highlights including ORLAN’s Omniprésence (1993), a groundbreaking performance in which the artist live-streamed her own facial aesthetic surgery, and Amalia Ulman’s Excellences & Perfections, a powerful commentary on the authenticity of social media personas. There are also AI-generated portraits by Minnie Atairu, Ben Cullen Williams, and Isamaya Ffrench, and Harriet Davey, Frederik Heyman, and Andrew Thomas Huang explore digital self-expression and the creation of avatars beyond human boundaries. Not suitable for under 15s. Admission is pay what you can. Runs until 28th September. For more, see https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/virtual-beauty.

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LondonLife – Remembering VJ Day, 80 years on…

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PICTURE: Sergeant Rob Kane UK MOD © Crown copyright 2025

Lance Corporal James Bell plays the bag pipes in front of the Cenotaph to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Japan Day on Friday, 15th August. Lance Corporal Bell was one of six military pipers who performed solemn laments across the UK, the Far East, and aboard HMS Prince of Wales at sea, to honour the end of World War II and the sacrifices of the Commonwealth forces.

This Week in London – Rare Tudor choirbook at Lambeth; Sculpture in the City returns; and, picturing Blondie…

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• One of only two surviving choirbooks from the reign of King Henry VIII is on display in a new exhibition at the Lambeth Palace Library. Sing Joyfully: Exploring Music in Lambeth Palace Library displays the ‘Arundel’ or ‘Lambeth’ Choirbook (Arundel, Sussex, c. 1525) – this year marking its 500th birthday – along with other items from the library’s collection such as two leaves of a 14th century polyphony recently discovered in the binding of an early printed book. The exhibition, which is free, can be seen until 6th November. For more, see www.lambethpalacelibrary.info/sing-joyfully/.

Looping Loop, © Andrew Sabin, Courtesy of the artist and Brooke Benington. PICTURE © Nick Turpin

• On Now: Sculpture in the City. The 14th edition of the annual sculpture exhibition in the City of London features 11 pieces including three new works as well as six works which have been retained from previous iterations of the exhibition and two permanent acquisitions. The new works include: Ai Weiwei’s Roots: Palace, a cast-iron tree root sculpture located outside St Botolph without Bishopsgate which, as part of a series created in collaboration with Brazilian artists and communities, explores the concept of unrootedness; Jane and Louise Wilson’s Dendrophiles which, located beneath the escalators of The Leadenhall Building, combines ink drawings based on images of DNA with 3D scans of ancient oak wooden samples; and, Andrew Sabin’s Looping Loop which, located outside 70 St Mary Axe, which forms a continuous loop creating what’s described as a “lively, pulsating sensation”. Runs until April. For more – including a map of the locations – see https://www.sculptureinthecity.org.uk/.

• Rare, behind the scenes images of US band Blondie have gone on show at the Barbican Music Library from today. Taken by photographer Martyn Goddard during the group’s breakthrough year of 1978, the 50 images show the band in concert, backstage, in the studio and during photo shoots. The display of photographs is complemented by poster prints, album covers, tour and concert memorabilia, period cameras, and photographic equipment. There are also items lent by Alan Edwards, who has handled Blondie’s publicity since 1978, from his private collection. Blondie in Camera 1978 runs until 5th January. Admission is free. For more see, www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/libraries/barbican-music-library.

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This Week in London – Millet at The National Gallery; exploring Great Ormond Street Hospital’s new children’s cancer centre; and, a Banksy at the London Transport Museum…

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• The first UK exhibition in almost 50 years dedicated to the works of 19th century French artist Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) opens at The National Gallery today. Millet: Life on the Land, which coincides with the 150th anniversary of his death, features around 13 drawings and paintings from British public collections including The National Gallery’s The Winnower (about 1847‒8) as well as L’Angelus (1857‒9) from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. The exhibition can be seen in Room 1 until 19th October. Admission is free. For more, see www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/millet-life-on-the-land.

The Big Build Adventure at Outernet London.

• An immersive digital experience which brings to life the Great Ormond Street Hospital’s new Children’s Cancer Centre opened at Outernet London off Tottenham Court Road this week. The Big Build Adventure, a partnership between the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and Outernet London, features a giant virtual paint wall, building themed games, a construction site selfie station and the chance to symbolically buy a brick to help build the centre. The free experience can be experienced until 31st August. Admission is free. For more, see www.outernet.com/news/great-ormond-street-hospital-charity-and-outernet-studios-launch-the-big-build-adventure.

• An artwork by Banksy – depicting a rat hanging from the arm of a clock – has gone on show at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. The artwork first appeared on the door of a Transport for London signal controller cabinet in Croydon in October, 2019, which was located in front of the artist’s pop-up showroom installation, Gross Domestic Product. The work, which was preserved by the museum, has been mounted onto an identical cabinet body to provide context for its original appearance. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.ltmuseum.co.uk.

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This Week in London – Jousting at Eltham; Thamesmead Festival returns; and, ‘Robot Zoo’ at the Horniman…

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A knight prepares to joust at an earlier event at Hampton Court Palace. PICTURE: David Adams

• Eltham Palace returns to the medieval age this weekend with a jousting tournament in which knights will compete for glory. The ‘Legendary Joust’ will feature four knights, each representing a character from myth or legend including The Wyvern, The Wildman, Sir Lancelot and Jason of the Argonauts. The event runs from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/whats-on/eltham-palace-legendary-joust-2-3-aug-2025/.

• The Thamesmead Festival returns to Southmere Park in south-east London over the next two weekends. The free, family-friendly festival boasts four big stages with headline guest Omar and musical performances across genres including Afrobeat, R&B, rock and pop as well as spoken word, comedy, and street dance. There will also be a market featuring local artists and food from around the world. Runs from 12pm to 7:30pm on Saturday and on 8th August. For more, head to https://www.thamesmeadnow.org.uk/whats-on/arts-culture/thamesmead-festival-2025/.

• On Now: Robot Zoo. This exhibition at the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill features a range of larger-than-life animals recreated using machine parts and gadgets in a bid to reveal how their real life counterparts see, eat, hunt and hide. The display also features interactive exhibits giving visitors the chance to try jet-propelled squid racing and shoot a chameleon’s ‘tongue-gun’. There’s also two specially commissioned interactive murals by artist Giulia Casarotto. Runs until 2nd November. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.horniman.ac.uk/event/robot-zoo/.

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LondonLife – Kew Gardens’ new Carbon Garden…

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The Carbon Garden at Kew Gardens. PICTURES: Ines Stuart-Davidson © RBG Kew

A cutting edge ‘Carbon Garden’ opened at Kew Gardens on 25th July with the aim of revealing the critical role carbon plays in sustaining life on Earth, the scale of the climate crisis, and the “extraordinary potential of the natural world to combat it”. The permanent new garden features a selection of herbaceous perennials which illustrate the dramatic rise in global average temperatures over time, a dry garden which showcases how we can work with plants to adapt to a changing climate, more than 20 new trees selected for their resilience to projected future climate conditions, a rain garden and bioswale which, among other things, illustrate the ways we can manage waterflow, prevent soil erosion, and reduce flooding, and carbon storage. and grasslands, wildflower meadows and native hedgerows which aim to boost biodiversity. At the centre of the garden is a pavilion designed by Mizzi Studio which is inspired by the symbiotic relationship between the plant and fungal kingdoms, and is created using low-carbon, natural materials. Admission charges apply. For more, see www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/carbon-garden

This Week in London – Showtime! at the Charles Dickens Museum; the ‘Future of Food’; and, Peter Rabbit hops to Hampton Court…

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PICTURE: VV Shots/iStockphoto

• The enduring appeal of Charles Dickens’ works and how they have been adapted for the stage, screen and radio is the focus of a new exhibition at the Charles Dickens Museum in Bloomsbury. Showtime! looks at productions starting from as far back as 1837 and including such classics as The Muppets Christmas Carol and Oliver! the musical with objects on show including original playbills, posters, programmes, photographs and props. There’s also the opportunity to hear from actors and writers about what makes Dickens so adaptable and see Dickens’ own works which he annotated with stage directions. The display can be seen until 26th January. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.dickensmuseum.com.

• A major new exhibition on the future of food – how science is creating more sustainable ways of producing and consuming food – opens at the Science Museum today. Future of Food reveals how the way we grow food and eat impacts the climate, nature, and society. Among the more than 100 objects on show are cricket burgers and cell-grown salmon as well as 3,500-year-old fermented sourdough bread, the first Quorn burger dating from 1981 and the first beef steak grown outside a cow. There is also the chance to join a multiplayer interactive game and create your own “future for food”. Runs until 4th January. Admission is free. For more, see https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/future-of-food.

The Peter Rabbit Adventure at Hampton Court Palace. PICTURE: Courtesy of Historic Royal Palaces.

• Peter Rabbit is hopping over to Hampton Court Palace to take part in a new family trail that brings Beatrix Potter’s beloved characters to life in the palace gardens from tomorrow. The Peter Rabbit Adventure, included as part of the palace admission, is spread over the Kitchen Garden, Tiltyard, and Wilderness and the activities on the trail will introduce little ones to the plants, vegetables and wildlife that inhabit the gardens. These include the chance to use Mrs Tiggy-winkle’s washing equipment to make music among the trees, to join in a search for Peter Rabbit under wheelbarrows and flowerpots in the Tiltyard, and to try to hop, skip and jump as high as Peter and his friends. A larger-than-life Peter Rabbit will be greeting families in the Kitchen Gardens. Runs until 7th September. For more, see https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/whats-on/the-peter-rabbit-adventure/.

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This Week in London – Red Lion Playhouse excavation explored; a restored Victoria Embankment Gardens fountain; and, a blue plaque for the first female civil servant…

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• An exhibition of items unearthed at the site of the former Red Lion Playhouse and the subsequent inn – the White Raven Tavern – built on the site in Whitechapel has opened at UCL East Culture Lab. Patterns Beneath Our Feet tells the story of a 2015-19 excavation on the site and features some of the discoveries made there – everything from clay pipe fragments to Bellarmine jugs and sugar moulds. The White Raven has particular associations with the history of Black Londoners and was one of the taverns from where members of London’s Black community began coerced journeys of resettlement to West Africa in 1786. The free exhibition is open Wednesdays and Saturdays by appointment. Members of the excavation team will be at the Culture Lab (UCL East Marshgate, 7 Sidings Street, Stratford) this Monday (21st July) to guide people through the exhibition as well as answer questions as part of the Festival of Archaeology. There will be a parallel event at the excavation site. For more, see https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology-south-east/research-projects/2025/jul/whitechapel.

• A 1950s fountain in Victoria Embankment Gardens is once again flowing after more than 20 years of silence. The fountain, located at the end of Villiers Street, is octagonal in design and was inspired by a pumping station erected nearby in 1675-76. Standing at more than 70 feet tall, the water tower used to be a major landmark on the London skyline and had provided water pressure for houses along the Strand by using a heavy weight on the top of the tower. The bandstand which surrounds the fountain dates from the 1870s, when it was used to host midday concerts for workers from the neighbouring printing works. The £85,000 restoration project preserved the fountain’s original teak finish and involved replacing the sprinkler system and water treatment as well as adding LED lighting to each tier of the fountain.

• Britain’s first female civil servant has been honoured with a blue plaque at the site of her former home in Battersea. Jeanie Senior became the first female civil servant in 1873 when she was appointed as the first female inspector for girls being educated in pauper schools and workhouses (and later went to work with soldiers returning from the Franco-Prussian War, which contributed to the foundation of the National Society for Aid to Sick and Wounded in War, a predecessor to the British Red Cross, as well as being a co-founder of the Metropolitan Association for Befriending Young Servants). The plaque, funded by The Battersea Society and the FDA union, is located on the Battersea Arts Centre where the property named Elm House was once located.

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This Week in London – Royal art on tour; ‘More than Human’ at the Design Museum; and, the St Paul’s Watch celebrated…

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Richard Foster, Their Royal Highnesses on North Seymour Island, 2009. PICTURE: © Richard Foster Royal Collection Trust

• More than 70 works of art from the King’s private collection – many of which have never been shown publicly before – go on show from today as part of the summer opening of Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms. The King’s Tour Artists, which can be seen in the ballroom, features works by 43 artists who have travelled with the King and Queen during the past 40 years. They include the earliest work on show – From the Afterdeck of HMY Britannia by John Ward, the inaugural tour artist – as well as Basilica of San Vitale, created by Fraser Scarfe who became the first tour artist to create digital artwork on an iPad when he accompanied the King and Queen on a State Visit to Italy. Other works include a pair of portraits of the King and Queen when Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall which were painted by James Hart Dyke following a tour to the Gulf States in 2007, a drawing by Claudette Johnson made after the first official royal visit to Rwanda in 2022, and a terracotta head by Marcus Cornish, the only sculptor ever to have been chosen as a tour artist, which depicts a war veteran met by the royal party during a visit to Slovakia in 2000. Other highlights of the summer opening include the chance to see the recently installed Coronation State Portraits of the King and Queen in their permanent home. Runs until 28th September. Admission charge applies. To book, head to www.rct.uk.

• Artworks for octopii and an immersive seaweed installation are among artworks in a new exhibition at the Design Museum focusing on a growing movement of ‘more-than-human’ design. More than Human brings together more than 140 works spanning contemporary and traditional practices, fine art, product design, architecture and interactive installations – the work of more than 50 artists, architects and designers. As well as the artworks for octopuses by Japanese artist Shimabuku and the seaweed installation by artist Julia Lohmann, other highlights include a vast new tapestry that explores the perspectives of pollinators by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and an eight metre long mural by MOTH (More Than Human Life Project), depicting the growing movement to award legal rights to waterways around the world. Runs until 5th October. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/more-than-human.

• On Now: Saving St Paul’s: The Watch and the Second World War. This free outdoor exhibition – part of St Paul’s Cathedral’s commemorations around the 80th anniversary of World War II, honours the volunteers known as the St Paul’s Watch and their efforts to protect the cathedral during the Blitz. That included during the two direct hits to the cathedral – in October, 1940, and April, 1941. A short film accompanies the display which can be seen in the cathedral garden. The exhibition can be seen until October, 2025. For more, see www.stpauls.co.uk.

LondonLife – Remembering 7/7…

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London paused on. Monday to mark the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks which took place on the 7th July, 2005.

Fifty-two people died in the attacks and hundreds were injured when three suicide bombers struck at 8.50am in the vicinity of Aldgate, Edgware Road and Russell Square Tube stations. A fourth device exploded at 9.47am on a bus that had been diverted via Tavistock Square.

On Monday, the names of all those killed in London’s 7/7 bombings were read out at the National Memorial Service at St Paul’s Cathedral. In Hyde Park, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan laid wreaths at the 7/7 Memorial, marking the time when the first bomb exploded.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan lay wreaths at the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park. PICTURE: Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Commemorative events were also held at the sites where the bombings occurred.

In a message to mark the anniversary, King Charles III said his “heartfelt thoughts and special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible Summer’s day”.

“We remember with profound sadness the 52 innocent people who were killed in senseless acts of evil – and the enduring grief of their loved ones. We recall, too, the hundreds more who carry physical and psychological scars, and pray that their suffering may ease as the years pass.”

The King also called on people to “remember the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day”.

“The selfless bravery of our emergency services, transport workers, and fellow citizens who rushed towards danger to help strangers reminds us of the very best of humanity in the face of the very worst.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan lay wreaths at the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park. PICTURE: Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

This Week in London – London’s transport history captured; Sir Quentin Blake’s foundling portraits; and, the history of prison healthcare…

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Some of London’s iconic red buses (not one of the images in the exhibition). PICTURE: Dele Oke/Unsplash

• A new photographic display featuring a mix of historical and newly commissioned images has gone on show at the London Transport Museum. The exhibition – Then and now: London’s transport in photographs – marks the 25th anniversary of Transport for London and more than 160 years of transport history within the capital and features 40 photographs exploring how public transport in London has evolved amid social change. As well as historical images drawn from the collection, the display features images taken by photographer and train driver, Anne Maningas. Runs until spring, 2026. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.ltmuseum.co.uk/visit/museum-guide/then-and-now-londons-transport-photographs.

• A display of portraits by acclaimed artist Sir Quentin Blake has gone on show at the Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury. The Foundling Portraits: Quentin Blake features a series of 10 Stabilo watercolour pencil on paper artworks which depict imaginary children created by Blake during a period of self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The images are among a collection of 45 which were gifted to the museum by Sir Quentin. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/event/the-foundling-portraits-quentin-blake/.

• On Now: Prison Nursing Unlocked – A History of Care and Justice. This exhibition at the Royal College of Nursing Library and Museum in Cavendish Square looks at the role of health care in prisons, from the work of early reformers like Elizabeth Fry to the role nurses play today. Co-created with Royal College of Nursing members, it tells the story of the suffragettes who were force-fed in Holloway Prison, the formation of secure hospitals like Broadmoor, and features artwork created by prisoners and nurses at HM Prison Eastwood Park and HM Prison Warren Hill. Runs until 19th December. For more (and a link to the exhibition online), see www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/news/prison-nursing-unlocked-exhibition.

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This Week in London – “Our Story with Sir David Attenborough”; the Royal Academy’s 257th Summer Exhibition; and, an appeal for restoring three Underground carriages…

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Our Story with David Attenborough. PICTURE: © Trustees of the Natural History Museum

• Our Story with David Attenborough – the first ever immersive experience at the Natural History Museum – opens its doors today. Created by Open Planet Studios, the 50 minute experience in the Jerwood Gallery features animations, projections, real-world footage and full 360 degree immersion as Sir David draws on his life of exploration to tell the story of humanity and the planet on which we live. The experience is taking bookings until 18th January, 2026. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/our-story-with-david-attenborough.

• The Royal Academy’s 257th Summer Exhibition opened this week. Co-ordinated by internationally acclaimed architect and Royal Academician Farshid Moussavi in conjunction with the Summer Exhibition Committee, this year’s display of art and architecture explores the theme of ‘Dialogues’. Among the works on show is a six metre high installation of ostrich feathers and steel chain by British artist Alice Channer, a 4.5 metre high and seven metre wide wall made from deconstructed matchboxes by Brazilian artist Antonio Tarsis, and installation of textile carcasses by Argentine-American artist Tamara Kostianovsky. Meanwhile, the Annenberg Courtyard hosts a large scale installation by Royal Academician Ryan Gander which features five three metre diameter inflatable balls inscribed with absurd questions developed with children in a representation of the “inquisitiveness of children who ask what grown-up minds often dismiss as nonsensical or illogical”. Runs until 17th August. Admission charge applies. For more, see royalacademy.org.uk.

• The London Transport Museum has launched an appeal for £30,000 to help complete the restoration of three 1930s Q stock Underground carriages. The funds will be used to re-upholster the seats of two of the Underground cars in moquette – the durable, woollen seating material used in upholstery on public transport all over the world. Q stock trains first entered service on the District line in November, 1938, and were retired from service in 1971. The restoration of the three carriages – which aims to restore them to operational condition – has mainly been carried out at the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton, west London. Donations can be made on London Transport Museum’s website: www.ltmuseum.co.uk/make-donation?campaign=qstock

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This Week in London – New film tour at the Old Royal Naval College; beyond human design; the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt on display; and, the power of gardening…

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PICTURE: Robert Bye/Unsplash

• The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich is celebrating at 100 years of film and TV at the site and mark the occasion, it’s launched a new film-related tour. The new tour – Wigs, Weddings, Powder and Palaces – looks at where productions such as Bridgerton, The Crown, Pirates of the Caribbean and Les Misérables have been filmed and promises to explore some “closely guarded secrets of filmmaking” as well as letting those on the tour “step in the shoes and onto the set of stars”. The tour, which leaves from the Visitor Centre, also includes a fun and interactive 15-minute class of hand fan etiquette and its secret meanings inspired by the filming of Bridgerton. Charges apply. For bookings, head to https://ornc.org/whats-on/wigs-weddings-powder-and-palaces-film-tour/.

• A major exhibition exploring how design can help the planet thrive by shifting its focus beyond human needs has opened at the Design Museum. More Than Human – the first major exhibition from a growing movement of ‘more-than-human’ design, features more than 140 works by more than 50 artists, architects and designers. They include Japanese artist Shimabuku’s artworks created for octopuses, a new monumental seaweed installation by artist Julia Lohmann, a vast new tapestry that explores the perspectives of pollinators by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, and an eight metre long mural by MOTH (More Than Human Life Project) depicting the growing movement to award legal rights to waterways around the world. Runs until 5th October. Admission charges apply. For more, see https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/more-than-human.

• The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt goes on display in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall today. Started around 1989, the work is made of 42 quilts and 23 individual panels which represent 384 people affected by HIV and AIDS. Volunteers from the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt Partnership will be present alongside the Tate’s staff to welcome visitors and on Saturday, at 11am and 2pm, the hall will host live readings of the names. Runs until 16th June. For more, see https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/uk-aids-memorial-quilt.

• On Now: Unearthed: The Power of Gardening. This display at the British Library explores the “transformative, enriching and sometimes radical power” of gardening in the UK and the impact it’s had on the nation. Among the items on display is the only surviving illustrated collection of herbal remedies from Anglo-Saxon England (dating from around 1000–25), the first English gardening manual, Thomas Hill’s A Most Briefe and Pleasaunte Treatise (1563), the first mechanical lawnmower (1832), and gardening boots which once belonged to horticulturalist and designer Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932). Runs until 10th August. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://events.bl.uk/exhibitions/unearthed-the-power-of-gardening.

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LondonLife – Japanese print master Utagawa Hiroshige writ large…

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PICTURES: Courtesy of Outernet London

The work of Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige has entered the digital realm thanks to a partnership between the British Museum and Outernet London. The collaboration centres on a animated reimagining of Hiroshige’s print Ferry on the Fuji River, Suruga Province from Hiroshige’s Famous Places in Japan series (1832). Using state-of-the-art technology, the installation transforms what was a serene landscape into a large-scale digital experience across Outernet’s 16K wraparound screens. The installation, which can be seen for free in the Now Building until 7th September, complements the British Museum exhibition, Hiroshige: artist of the open road which invites visitors on a journey through Edo Japan. For more, head to outernet.com. For more on the exhibition, see britishmuseum.org/hiroshige.

This Week in London – ‘Design and Disability’ at the V&A; Eid on the Square; and, James Brimble’s pictures of Epping Forest…

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Xbox Adaptive Controller, developed by Microsoft. PICTURE © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

• The intersection between design and disability is at the focus of a new exhibition at the V&A which opens on Saturday. Design and Disability showcases the contributions of disabled, deaf and neurodivergent people to contemporary culture from the 1940s until now and spans the disciplines of design, art, architecture, fashion and photography. Highlights include: the world’s first commercially made adaptive Xbox controller by Microsoft; photographs by Simon Way which capture the work of Jaipur Foot as it makes free prosthetic legs, feet and arms for millions of people across India; the
McGonagle Reader – an audio-assisted voting device to help Blind and low vision people to vote independently; and, the Squeeze Chaise Longue, a red recliner developed by artist Wendy Jacobs, which embraces the sitter between two red mohair arms and provides comforting sensory feedback for those who appreciate deep pressure stimulation. The exhibition in The Porter Gallery at the South Kensington institution runs until 15th February. Admission charges apply. For more, see
vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/design-and-disability.

• Eid on the Square returns to Trafalgar Square this Sunday. The free, family-friendly festival, hosted by Deana Soni and Haroon Rashid, will feature traditional and contemporary performances by Nasheed artist Mesut Kurtis, Chand Ali Khan Qawwal & Group, the Indonesian Angklung Ensemble feat HE Dr Desra Percaya, and children’s entertainers Omar & Hana. Halal Tourism Britain are running guided walking tours and presenting a pop-up Muslim Museum of Britain, and there will be workshops including drumming, coconut leaf weaving, calligraphy and poetry at the WAW Creative Arts Family Zone, while Rumi’s Cave – Spearhead Creatives will hosts an interactive tent which blends comedy, music and creative writing. Market stalls will offer books, crafts and jewellery, and the chance to indulge in delicious dishes ranging from Uzbek and Afghan cuisine to Korean fried chicken, churros and much more. Runs from noon to 6pm. For more, see www.london.gov.uk/events/eid-square-2025.

• On Now – James Brimble’s Picture Archive. This free exhibition at the Epping Forest Visitor Centre in Chingford celebrates James Brimble’s 1950 book London’s Epping Forest and includes a range of restored images by James, most of which are previously unpublished, including framed prints and a digital display of around 100 images of Epping Forest and the surrounding areas from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The display also contains some of the original copper printing plates from his book and supporting material depicting Brimble’s photographic legacy. Can be seen until 28th September. For more, see www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest/where-to-go-in-epping-forest/chingford-visitor-centre.

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This Week in London – New V&A East Storehouse opens this weekend; novelist Barbara Pym honoured with a Blue Plaque; and, new children’s mudlarking trail at London Museum Docklands…

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Visitors in the central Weston Collections Hall at V&A East Storehouse, a working store and new visitor attraction from the V&A located in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London, opening this Saturday, 31st May. PICTURE: David Parry/PA Media Ass

• The V&A East Storehouse opens to the public for the first time in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this Saturday. The venue features more than 100 mini-displays centred on the themes of ‘Collecting Stories’, ‘Sourcebook for Design’ and ‘The Working Museum’ and boasting more than 1,500 items from across the V&A’s collections with works by Hew Locke, Zaha Hadid, Daniel Liebskind and Thomas Heatherwick’s London 2012 Olympic cauldron model among those featured. A massive 11-metre-wide stage cloth designed by Pablo Picasso for the Ballets Russes’ 1924 production, Le Train Bleu, will be displayed for first time in more than 10 years while among large scale objects are a section of the now-demolished housing estate, Robin Hood Gardens, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office – the only Frank Lloyd Wright interior outside of the US. Anyone can book access to any object in the storehouse for free via the ‘Order an Object’ process and the venue is also hosting a series of live events including back2back: Archival Bodies, and new programming strand, A Life in the Work of Others – featuring Turner-Prize-winning artist, Jasleen Kaur. Admission to the Storehouse at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, is free. For more, see www.vam.ac.uk/east.

Visitors looking at a two-storey section of Robin Hood Gardens, at V&A East Storehouse, a working store and new visitor attraction from the V&A located in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London, opening this Saturday, 31st May. PICTURE: David Parry/PA Media Assignme

• The home where novelist Barbara Pym began writing her celebrated 1952 novel Excellent Women has been given an English Heritage Blue Plaque. Pym lived at the second floor flat at 108 Cambridge Street in Pimlico with her sister Hilary between November 1945 to autumn 1949. It was from a corner room, overlooking Warwick Square and St Gabriel’s Church, that she meticulously recorded her observations, and laid the groundwork for her distinctive literary voice. Her work during this period also included revising the text for her first published novel, Some Tame Gazelle (1950). In March, three more Blue Plaques were unveiled commemorating women: Una Marson (1905–1965), the BBC’s first Black woman producer at The Mansions, Mill Lane in West Hampstead where she lived from at least 1939 to 1943; and, Rhoda Garrett (1841–1882) and Agnes Garrett (1845–1935), at 2 Gower Street in Bloomsbury where they founded Britain’s first female-run interior-decorating business. For more, see www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/.

• A free family trail inspired by Jessie Burton’s new children’s book, Hidden Treasure, has launched at the London Museum Docklands. Inspired by the tale of two young mudlarks, the trail takes families on a journey around the museum’s galleries to learn more about centuries of life by the river. It’s aimed at children under 12-years-old, who also have free entry into the museum’s mudlarking exhibition, Secrets of the Thames. For more, see www.londonmuseum.org.uk.

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This Week in London – Sexual violence in conflict; Indian religions at the British Museum; and, the circus comes to Hampton Court…

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• A first-of-its-kind exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth aims to shed light on sexual violence in conflicts. Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict features case studies which span the period from the World War I to today and examines how and why sexual violence is perpetrated, its impact on victims and survivors and the pursuit of justice and reconciliation. The exhibition features some 162 objects, including never-before-seen items, as well as testimonies and interviews with experts such as Christina Lamb, journalist and author of Our Bodies, Their Battlefield: What War Does to Women, and Sarah Sands, journalist and former chair of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. The display also highlights the ongoing work of four NGOs working in the field of sexual violence: Women for Women International, All Survivors Project, Free Yezidi Foundation and Waging Peace. The free display opens on Friday and runs until 2nd November. For more, see www.iwm.org.uk/events/unsilenced-sexual-violence-in-conflict.

Bimaran casket, about 1st century © The Trustees of the British Museum.
This gold reliquary might represent the earliest dateable image of the Buddha shown as a man, as coins found with it could date to the late 1st century AD. The Buddha stands with his right hand raised in the gesture of reassurance and is flanked by the gods Indra (right) and Brahma (left).

• The origins of three of the world’s major religions – Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism – and their practice today are explored through a new exhibition of sacred art at the British Museum. Ancient India: living traditions features more than 180 objects including sculptures, paintings, drawings, and manuscripts. Among the objects on show is a statue of the elephant-headed god Ganesh made of in Java from volcanic stone, dating from about AD 1000–1200, while among the stories told in the display are how depictions of Buddha have changed over time while those of Hindu goddess Lakshmi have remained relatively unchanged. Runs until 19th October in The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery. For more, see www.britishmuseum.org.

• The circus and street performance are coming to Hampton Court Palace this weekend for a three day family-friendly festival featuring live music, acrobatics and physical theatre. Featuring performers from Cirque Bijou, the Big Bahooey will, as well as breathtaking stunts, slapstick comedy and interactive performances, feature hands-on workshops where you can learn skills such as juggling, wire walking or spinning plates. Entrance is included in palace admission. Runs from 24th to 26th May. For more, see www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/whats-on/the-big-bahooey/.

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This Week in London – John Singer Sargent’s American portraits; Story Explorers at the British Library; and, narrative, humour and nostalgia at the Heath Robinson Museum…

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Kenwood House. PICTURE: Krisztina Anna Berecz/Unsplash

• An exhibition marking the centenary of the death of painter John Singer Sargent
(1856-1925) opens at Kenwood House tomorrow. Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits focuses on a series of portraits of women who married into British and European aristocracy and who were once dismissively referred to as the “Dollar Princesses’. They include a war-time nurse, a helicopter pilot and the first sitting female MP. Among the works on show are Kenwood House’s portrait of Daisy Leiter, a Chicago heiress who married the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire; a portrait of Edith, Lady Playfair, from the Museum of Fine Art, Boston; and a portrait of Mrs Joseph Chamberlain from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Runs until 5th October. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/whats-on/kenwood-heiress-exhibition-16-may–5-oct-2025/.

• A new experiential space to help children and their families journey through the British Library’s collection opens tomorrow. Story Explorers takes children on a journey, directed by Daisy the library cat, through four distinct environments – a library, the far reaches of outer space, a jungle and the bottom of the ocean floor – and features sound recordings, artworks, prints and books from across the world. Among the objects they’ll encounter are Victorian record from the Library’s Sound Archive featuring animal sounds, one of the first photographs taken of the Moon, an Arabic astrological and astronomical handbook from the Middle Ages and one of the earliest printed Japanese works that captures the anatomy of a whale. The free space is open for children aged two to nine and their families until 18th January. Booking is essential. For more, see https://events.bl.uk/exhibitions/story-explorers.

• Narrative, humour and nostalgia are explored into a new display at the Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner. Ways of seeing; Narrative-Humour-Nostalgia, which opens on Saturday, features painting, sculpture, video, soundscapes, and augmented reality to show how artists continue to use storytelling, satire, and memory to “provoke thought, entertain, and challenge perceptions”. Artists represented include Glenn Baxter, Sir Peter Blake, Chila Burman, Peter Coyte, Adam Dant, David van Eyssen, Nicky Hirst, Patrick Hughes, John Humphreys, Harland Miller, Heath Robinson, Richard Wilson, and Ronnie Wood. Runs until 19th July. Admission charge applies. For more, see https://www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org/whats-on/ways-of-seeing-narrative-humour-nostalgia/

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This Week in London – VE Day commemorated at St Paul’s; the National Gallery redisplayed; and, Tate Modern celebrates its 25th…

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• VE Day commemorations continue in London this week with an Evensong service to be held outside St Paul’s Cathedral this evening. The service to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe will be held between 5pm and 6pm. Following the service will be a lamp-lighting ceremony and blessing on the cathedral’s west steps with the cathedral bells being tolled as part of a national bell-ringing at 6:30pm. A replica of a World War II Spitfire can also be seen in front of the West Steps. The service is free and unticketed – entry is via Paternoster Square. For more, see www.stpauls.co.uk/whats-on/special-evensong-to-commemorate-80th-anniversary-of-end-of-second-world-war-in-europe-ve80.

Central Hall, The National Gallery. Image and Identity: Full-Length Portraits 1550-1900. Part of ‘C C Land: The Wonder of Art’. PICTURE: © The National Gallery, London

• A major redisplay of the National Gallery’s collection – created as part of its bicentenary celebrations – can be seen from Saturday. C C Land: The Wonder of Art, which coincides with the opening of the transformed Sainsbury Wing after more than two years of building works, features more than 1,000 works and traces the development of painting in the Western European tradition from the 13th to 20th centuries. Among the works displayed are the Coronation State Portraits, commissioned from the artists Peter Kuhfeld and Paul S Benney and unveiled by King Charles III and Queen Camilla this week, which will be on display until 5th June when they will be moved to the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace. There are also newly restored works including the Pollaiuolo brothers’ The Martyrdom of San Sebastian and Jan van Eyck’s Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?) and newly acquired works such as Eva Gonzalès’ The Full-length Mirror (about 1869‒70), Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s After the Audience (1879) and Nicolas Poussin’s Eucharist (about 1637‒40) – one of the greatest paintings of the Last Supper. Meanwhile, a series of rooms have been dedicated to the work of individual artists including the likes of Titian (active about 1506‒1576), Rembrandt (1606‒1669) and Monet (1840‒1926) and one part of the new display focuses on King Charles I (1600‒1649) as a collector of art and includes major loans from the Royal Collection. Finally, in a first for the gallery, Segna di Bonaventura’s Crucifix (about 1310‒15) has been suspended from the gallery’s ceiling, enabling today’s audiences to view the work in the way it would have been seen in the 14th century. Entry to the gallery is free. For more, see nationalgallery.org.uk.

Tate Modern. PICTURE: Courtesy of the Tate Modern.

• The Tate Modern is celebrating 25 years this weekend with four days of festivities starting from tomorrow (Friday). A number of recent additions to Tate’s collection will go on display around the building for the anniversary and some of the most iconic works from Tate Modern’s history are coming back including Louise Bourgeois’s 10 metre high bronze spider Maman which was the first work to greet visitors when Tate Modern opened in 2000. Other returning works include Mark Rothko’s Seagram murals and Dorothea Tanning’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik while among contemporary works being highlighted over the weekend is an immersive multi-screen film installation by Nalini Malani. Two new exhibitions are also open for the anniversary weekend – A Year in Art: 2050 which explores how artists imagine possible futures, and, Gathering Ground which features international contemporary art united by a deep connection to land and community. The weekend also features live music and performances, pop-up talks and tours, and special food and drink offers. For more, see https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/birthday-weekender.

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