V&A Museum of Childhood

This event promises a wild and wacky journey through the childhood of Quentin Blake and Roald Dahl. This travelling exhibition shows off some of Roald Dahl’s best stories, with illustrations by Quentin Blake.

http://london.londinium.com/81446

Tate Britain

Tony Swain uses old newspapers as his canvas, layering on top of it with paint to create dream-like paintings. Any text that is let through takes on new meaning in his paintings.

http://london.londinium.com/91510

Tate Britain
Price: Free

This free exhibition showcases Turner’s exploration of methods and techiniques, of colour and line. It follows Turner’s travels through Europe and his responses to different places, lighting and materials available. This ongoing exhibition will change exhibits every 6 months.

http://london.londinium.com/91509

Soho Theatre

This sell-out event is proving Russell Howard as a big star in the comedy world. The star from Mock the Week, Russell Howard is even better on stage. His new material is great, and when he gets on a roll his comedy is some of the best around!

http://london.londinium.com/73870

Imperial War Museum
Admission: Free

Marking the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush to Britain, this exhibition tells the story of Black men and women from the West Indies and their involvment in WWI and WWII.

http://london.londinium.com/90056

Imperial War Museum
Price: Free

Breakthrough is an art exhibition showcasing British art from both WWI and WWII, focusing particuarly on non-official and contemporary work. Official works shown will include some by Paul Nash, CRW Nevinson, John Piper and Eric Ravilious. Until the 28th June an additional display ‘The Neo-Romantics At War’ will also be on show, exploring the rise of British Neo-Romanticism during World War Two.

http://london.londinium.com/90055

Kew Gardens & Wakehurst Place

There are many great events happening to celebrate Kew Garden’s 250th Anniversary this summer. Events will be held in both Kew Gardens and Wakehurt Place to mark this momentus occasion.

Exhibitions and attractions at Kew Gardens include:

• Kew around the World
• Timeline and Broadwalk
• Seed Walk and ‘Banking on Life’ Exhibition
• The International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition
• The Power of Plants Exhibition
• Guided Tours
• Behind the Scenes Guided Tours
• Plant Spy Thinking Walk
• Kew Social
• Garden Open Evenings
• Many Talks and Lectures

Exhibitions and Attractions at Wakehurst Place include:

• Dispersal Exhibition
• Giant 10%
• Meadows Exhibitions and Events
• Guided Tours
• Summer Holiday Activities
• Millenium Seed Bank Activity Days
• Members Open Evening
• Early Morning Walk
• Coffee Mornings
• Talks and Lectures

http://london.londinium.com/89844

British Museum
Cost: Free

This exhibition features coins, images and other objects illustrating Isfahan’s rich history, from its pre-Islamic foundation until the present day.

http://london.londinium.com/88710

British Musem
Cost: Free

The Indian landscape is vast and has many diverse regions – from the rocky environment of the Himalayan Mountains to the tropical zones of southern India and temperate zones in the plains. This unique partnership between the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the British Museum has resulted in this wonderful landscape at the British Museum.

http://london.londinium.com/88711

Natural History Museum
Daily: 10am – 6pm

This exhibition takes you on a magical journey from the deepest depths of the jungle to the tops of the trees, experiencing butterflies and other jungle creatures along the way.

http://london.londinium.com/88694

Science Museum

In this exhibition, Wallace and Gromit guide you through a world of inventions – some simple ideas that a life changing, some wacky objects, and some of the first ever patented inventions from the Science Museum’s collection.

http://london.londinium.com/88639

Science Museum
Cost: Free

The exhibition has four sections focusing on 100 years of making plastics: The Birth of Plastics, Plastic Dreams, Plastics Now, and Plastic Futures.

http://london.londinium.com/88638

Science Museum
Cost: Free

This temporary exhibition showcases 20 examples where F1™ technology is impacting on our lives, from changing the way we look after patients and design our sports equipment, to maintaining the heating systems in our homes.

http://london.londinium.com/88637

Science Museum
Cost: Free

This exhibition showcases ERNIE 1 – the first random number generator machine created for premium bonds. It explores its development and popularity, its link to the first digital electronic computer – the code-breaking Colossus – and the role of random numbers in computing today.

http://london.londinium.com/88636

Science Museum
Cost: Free

This exciting new temporary exhibition explores the role played by technology in creating post-war Britain.

http://london.londinium.com/88635

Thu 23rd Apr  – Sun 6th Sep  2009

PACCAR Gallery, British Library

Price: Adults £9 (concessions £7 / £5)

This unique exhibition looks beyond the myths and stereotypes surrounding Henry VIII, to address the inner intellectual journey of Henry’s monarchy and re-examine our perceptions of the great Tudor monarch. Through fresh interpretation of rich source material the exhibition will examine the extraordinary transformations – personal and political, intellectual and religious, literary, aesthetic, linguistic – of Henry’s reign. Books, manuscripts and letters written or annotated by Henry will offer an unprecedented insight into the mind of the king, revealing the driving forces behind his actions, and telling the story of his reign from his own perspective.

“This exhibition draws on the British Library’s rich collections – including the books that Henry himself chose, read and annotated – which outline the revolutionary change in ideas that took place during the reign of Henry VIII and take us, as nothing else can, into the King’s own mind.”

Dr David Starkey

Learn more about Henry VIII through the Library’s vibrant and engaging events programme: a rich mix of performances, talks, family events, screenings and more. Highlights include: a Henry VIII Day – an open house for all the family featuring Tudor re-enactments, sports, games and workshops; a celebration and late opening with live music by Alamire marking 500 years since the coronation of Henry; and a series of three lectures by Dr David Starkey.

http://london.londinium.com/78008

FASHION, JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES
Magnificence of the Tsars, Magnificence of the Emperors: From The Moscow Kremlin Museums Collection

10 December 2008 – 29 March 2009, Fashion, Room 40,
The grandeur of Imperial Russia is captured in this display of the dress and uniforms of Emperors and officials of the Russian court. Starting in the 1720s with the lavishly embroidered coats and elaborately patterned silk banyans from the wardrobe of Tsar Peter II, the display spans a period of almost two centuries.

Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones.

24 February – 31 May 2009, The Porter Gallery
Working with radical hat designer, Stephen Jones, the V&A presents an ‘anthology of hats’. Drawn from V&A and international collections and ranging in style and period from a 17th-century Puritan’s hat to a 1950s Balenciaga couture piece to hats by Jones and his contemporaries including to the latest creations by young milliners such as Noel Stewart, the exhibition investigates the cultural and historic importance of millinery. The exhibition is arranged in four main themes – Inspiration looks at the myriad of sources including historicism, exoticism and the natural world; Creation explores the techniques, materials and processes; The Salon focuses on the buying and selling of hats and the millinery shop; and The Clients which examines the wearing and etiquette of hats and features headgear worn by well known clients of some of the world’s top milliners including Audrey Hepburn, Anna Piaggi, Dita von Teese.

The Olympic Stadium Project – Le Corbusier and Baghdad
9 October 2008 – 29 March 2009,  Architecture, Room 128a
This display examines one of the last projects by Le Corbusier, begun in 1957, his fascinating design for a sports stadium in Baghdad. With specially commissioned models, it gives a sense of what this marvellous structure would have looked like had the project come to fruition. The stadium was planned around a set of innovative radially arranged ribs or “voiles”, the designs for 20 of which also feature in the display.
Le Corbusier regarded athletes as metaphors for modern man, and with Pierre Jeanneret he created an experimental design for a huge stadium for 100 000 people for athletic/cultural use. Le Corbusier referred to it as a “civic tool for a modern age.”

‘Seasons through the Looking Glass’ Tunnel Installation
28 March 2008 – 29 March 2009, Tunnel Entrance
Alice’s adventures began when she fell into a tunnel that unexpectedly twisted downwards to form a deep well. She landed abruptly on a heap of sticks and dry leaves. This notion of mythical underground spaces is the subject of CJ Lim’s installation, a multi-sensory and tactile intervention which explores the spatial possibilities of a subterranean garden.

Libraries of Light: Photographic Books from the V&A Collection
24 April 2008 – 19 April 2009, Photography, Room 38a
Photographic books are almost as old as photography itself. Indeed, one of the inventors of photography, William Henry Fox Talbot, was also author of one of the very first books to include photographs, The Pencil of Nature (1844). This display features highlights of historic, classic and contemporary photographic books from the Museum’s library alongside prints from the photographs archive.

The Booker Prize, 6 September 2008 – 17 May 2009
This display celebrates the 40th anniversary of the leading literary award, The Booker and Man Booker Prize. It presents winning and shortlisted books from the past forty years, alongside promotional material and the original Booker trophy, created by the artist Jan Pienkowski. It explores the practice of collecting Booker Prize books, featuring signed limited first editions and proof copies from the collection of the literary agent and book collector Peter Straus. The display demonstrates how the design of book jackets has changed since the first prize was awarded in 1969 and includes examples of bespoke bindings of shortlisted books created by members of one of the foremost societies devoted to the craft of fine bookbinding, the British Society of Designer Bookbinders.

Capturing the Moment. Photographs by Reg Wilson
18 March 2009 – 10 January 2010, Theatre and Performance Temporary Exhibition Gallery, Room 104
Reg Wilson is one of Britain’s most prolific performance photographers.  From the 1960s he has recorded four decades of the performing arts in all their richness and variety, capturing the great and the good on stage, backstage and in the studio. This selection from Wilson’s archive, chosen by the artist, shows every aspect of the performance process from the studio to the finished product.  It also demonstrates a range of techniques, from the staged photo-call to the snatched backstage shot and includes some of the earliest stage photography and colour productions.

Contemporary Drawings ‘Wine, Women and Song 1′, Martin Fuller,
7 March – 30 July 2009,Leighton, Room 102
The V&A has recently acquired an extensive group of contemporary drawings by artists who work across all the fine art disciplines: painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers and installation artists. The drawings in this display are very diverse, ranging from the figurative, to the abstract, to the conceptual. What connects them is the versatile medium of drawing itself, the essential foundation of all art practice.

Medieval & Renaissance highlights – Makers and Markets
26 March 2007 – 27 April 2009 Sculpture, Room 117
This small display highlights the growing market in 16th century Europe for decorative goods – from costly lustreware, enamels and sculptures to more modest domestic stoneware pots. Works by some of the greatest sculptors of the period, such as Michelangelo, Benvenuto Cellini and Giambologna, are included. These artists were celebrated figures in their own lifetimes and princes, popes and the rising merchant classes were keen to acquire works by such celebrated masters.

Cultural Connections: Africa
July 2008 – June 2009, Sackler Centre, Room 220
This display presents a diverse group of objects with links to the African diaspora interpreted by an invited artist. Maria Amidu is interested in the relationships between people and public collections. Here she reflects on the role museum curators play in determining what appears on display and how it is presented.

The Art of Drinking
26 September 2007 – 26 April 2009, Room 66,
For the past 500 years drinking has stimulated a rich material culture. Specific situations and drinks require particular vessels, from stoneware beer mugs to jade wine cups and silver goblets. This display explores the varied and often curious designs of drinking vessels in order to explain their function and importance.

Fragments
10 November 2008 – 8 November 2009, Room 116, The Belinda Gentle Metalware Gallery
The metalwork collection includes fragments of objects. These are often beautiful, intriguing and revealing in their own right. On first seeing them, we often wonder what they are. By examining a detail we can understand more about the whole object, what it is made of, and how it was made. This display showcases fragments of objects and looks at how they were made.

http://london.londinium.com/1833

The british Library  holds 14 million books, 920,000 journal and newspaper titles, 58 million patents, 3 million sound recordings, and so much more.

May Events

Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat! Carol Ann Duffy with John Sampson, Sat 2 May 2009, 14.30 – 15.30
Price: £6 / £4 concessions
Enjoy this exciting mixture of music, poetry and fairytales with the talented Carol Ann Duffy one of Britain’s most admired and successful poets.

Henry VIII’s May day celebration, Mon 4 May 2009, 12.00 – 16.30
Price: Free, no booking required
Join us with all the family for what promises to be a veritable feast of entertainments at King Henry VIII’s May Day celebration!

Inspiring Entrepreneurs: The entrepreneur in a changing market,Wed 6 May 2009, 18.15 – 21.00
Price: £10 / £7.50 concessions
This inspiring event brings together a group of truly inspirational entrepreneurs to discuss how they are giving birth to a sustainable economy.

Mendelssohn and Purcell anniversary concert, Sun 10 May 2009, 14.30 – 15.15
Price: Free, no booking required
Join the British Library and British Museum Singers as they present Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer as part of the BBC Radio 3 celebration marking 200 years since his birth.

Native American Theatre: A Panel of Playwrights, Mon 11 May 2009, 18.30 – 20.00
Price: £6 / £4 concessions
As part of the Origins Festival of First Nations Theatre and Culture, a distinguished panel of Native American theatre-makers join us to discuss their work.

David Starkey: The young Henry,1491 – 1509, Tue 12 May 2009, 18.00 – 20.00
Price: £6 / £4 concessions
In the first of three special talks by David Starkey, the historian and broadcaster will explore themes in the Henry VIII: Man and Monarch exhibition and link them to the different stages in Henry’s life.

European literature night, Wed 13 May 2009, 18.30 – 21.30
Price: £6 / £4 concessions
Take part in the largest transnational literature night of the year as venues across Europe host nights dedicated to celebrating the written word.

Show and tell: A British Library miscellany, Thu 14 May 2009, 11.00 – 12.00
Price: Free, booking recommended
At this unique event, you will be able to see some of the weird and wonderful items in the British Library’s collections.

The books that made me, Mon 18 May 2009, 18.30 – 20.00
Price: £6 / £4 concessions
This poignant event brings together a panel of distinguished writers and aims to explore the profound and often lasting impact that books can make on our lives.

The Josephine Hart poetry hour: A H Auden, Tue 19 May 2009, 18:30 – 20:00
Price: £7.50 / £5 concessions
Join us for another of the acclaimed poetry hours, this time exploring the works of W H Auden.

Henry VIII: England’s absolute monarch? Wed 20 May 2009, 18.00 – 20.00,
Price: £6 / £4 concessions
Join us for a wide ranging and insightful discussion about the King who made perhaps the most dramatic and lasting impact on this country and its position in the world.

Poetry workshops for children,Tue 26 May 2009 – Fri 29 May 2009, 10.30 – 12.00 and 14.30 – 16.00
Price: Free, no booking required
To accompany the Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat! exhibition. Join us for rhymes, rhythms and verse in these fun-filled poetry workshops for families.

Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall, Wed 27 May 2009, 18.30 – 20.00
Price: £6 / £4 concessions
Acclaimed novelist Hilary Mantel frequently brings the darker side of history into her work. Join us as she discusses her new work Wolf Hall with Erica Wagner and Derek Wilson.

http://london.londinium.com/817

The 23rd London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

Welcome to the 23rd London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, one of the highlights of the BFI’s cultural programme, which this year also sees us welcoming three new programmers to the Festival. The combined efforts of our committed and talented curatorial team have ensured that the 2009 edition does indeed celebrate the best in new queer cinema, with dramatic and entertaining features from 25 countries, acclaimed and insightful documentaries, a wealth of shorts and special events - and singing! Alongside these there are some reclaimed and about to be re-released gems from years gone by, spanning the breadth from Ron Peck to Rita Hayworth. Truly international in scale, and properly diverse in scope, the LLGFF helps the BFI in our ambition to present the broadest spread of moving image work to the most wide ranging audiences, both in London and beyond. We aim for the Festival to be inclusive and in-touch, an event where celebration and cultural engagement can comfortably co-exist. We offer huge thanks to the many people whose contributions shape the Festival and make it possible - to the filmmakers whose creativity offers inspiration, provocation or downright pleasure; to the festival staff, whose work is truly a labour of love; to our partners, funders and sponsors whose support is so invaluable; and to our loyal and enthusiastic audiences. Thank you all for bringing the Festival to life and making it such a unique and vibrant event.

http://london.londinium.com/76483

Madness & Modernity: Mental illness and the visual arts in Vienna 1900

European Modernism reached its purest and most concentrated expression in Vienna at the turn of the century. This was a tumultuous period of transition in which the arts, literature, architecture and philosophy blossomed; a time when Sigmund Freud, among others, pioneered new ideas about the self and psychiatry. This multidisciplinary exhibition explores the influence of psychiatry on early Modernism and how these formative attitudes still influence the way we think about mental illness 100 years on.

http://london.londinium.com/75579 – Madness and Modernity

Bobby Baker is one of the most widely acclaimed and popular performance artists working today. She began her diary drawings in 1997 when she became a patient at a day centre. Originally private, they gradually became a way for her to communicate complex thoughts and emotions that are difficult to articulate to her family, friends and professionals.

The drawings cover Bobby’s experiences of day hospitals, acute psychiatric wards, ‘crisis’ teams and a variety of treatments. They chart the ups and downs of her recovery, family life, work as an artist, breast cancer and just how funny all this harrowing stuff can be.

This exhibition is free.

http://london.londinium.com/75579 – welcome collection

A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget!

Over 32 million people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that make MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel-good show!

Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, and every night everyone’s having the time of their lives!

http://london.londinium.com/19541 – Mamma Mia

This exhibition explores a fascinating but relatively unknown type of portraiture that flourished in Georgian and Regency Britain between the 1730s and 1830s.
It features intimate portraits by Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, John Downman, Richard Cosway, David Wilkie and many others, all drawn from the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland and the British Museum, many never exhibited before.

Free

http://www.londinium.com/london/68773.html

This major exhibition explores seventeenth-century Iran through the reign and legacy of one of its most influential rulers, Shah ʿAbbas I (reigned AD 1587–1629).

http://www.londinium.com/london/68727.html

This exhibition will be the most significant overview of American artist Roni Horn’s work to date. Horn trained as a sculptor but this exhibition will show the full range of her practice as a photographer, draughtsman, installation artist and writer.

http://www.londinium.com/london/68665.html

Rodchenko & Popova: Defining Constructivism will explore the work of Alexander Rodchenko and Lyubov Popova between 1917 and 1929. Arguably two of the Russian avant-garde’s most influential and important artists.

http://www.londinium.com/london/68664.html

This visually sumptuous exhibition brings together some of the finest and most magnificent paintings that Van Dyck produced during his years in Britain. It also reveals his continuing visual legacy through portraits by artists from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, including Sir Joshua Reynolds and John Singer Sargent.

http://www.londinium.com/london/68604.html

As nearly a billion people go to bed hungry again tonight, the question of feeding the world has never been more urgent. But is genetically modified food a good choice to have on the menu for our planet? Or does it leave you feeling queasy? This new exhibition explores the science and technology that could boost crop yields. Do we need GM to increase food production in the future, or are there other options? Weigh up the benefits and risks – then step up to the table and have your say. This exhibition is supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

http://www.londinium.com/london/65673.html