City Events May to July 2016

SUMMER EVENTS 2016

Summer in the City May to July

ART AND EXHIBITIONS FAMILY MUSIC SPECIAL EVENTS THEATRE WALKS AND TALKS

ART AND EXHIBITIONS

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MUSIC 11

SPECIAL EVENTS

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THEATRE 19

WALKS AND TALKS

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Great British Summer, p18

Summer has finally arrived – and with the sizzling sunshine comes a superb selection of summer events in the Square Mile. So get out and sample all the fun in the sun.

Strawberries and cream, anyone?

If you’re not lucky enough to get Centre Court tickets to Wimbledon this year, make your way to the Roof Terrace of One New Change for the next best thing. Enjoy the Great British Summer with two weeks of free outdoor Wimbledon screenings overlooking the iconic St Paul’s, whilst sampling some of the best seasonal produce on offer at the weekly artisan food market (p18).

As the City prepares to mark the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, keep an eye out for an array of events and exhibitions marking this momentous event in the City’s history. Out of the Fire: St Paul’s, fire and rebirth at St Paul’s Cathedral gives you the chance

to explore the devastation of this icon of the City, and its subsequent rebuild (p8). Fire! Fire! opens at the Museum of London in July with an interactive display showing how London changed forever as a result of the Great Fire (p8).

This summer also marks the 100th anniversary of one of Europe’s darkest days. Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace: Somme 100 (p7) is an outdoor photographic exhibition in Guildhall Yard, displaying evocative photographs of the battlefields of the Somme as they are today, alongside archive images from 100 years ago.

For more events and information about the City go to www.visitthecity.co.uk or visit our City Information Centre by St Paul’s Cathedral, where our friendly, multilingual staff are ready to help you plan your days out: City of London Information Centre St Paul’s Churchyard London EC4M 8BX

The information in this leaflet has been researched and compiled in good faith and checked as thoroughly as possible with the relevant sources. It is correct to the best of the publisher’s knowledge at the time of printing (April 2016) and the publisher cannot accept any liability for errors and omissions howsoever caused. No payment was either solicited or received for inclusion of entries (with the exception of the back page advertisement) and it does not claim to be fully comprehensive.

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On-Going

London at Night

On-going

Unseen City: Photos by Martin Parr Through Parr’s playful eye for detail and visual dynamism, visitors will gain access to the world of private ceremonies, ancient and modern traditions, processions, banquets, public occasions and informal behindthe-scenes shots.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 12noon-4pm Admission: £5, concs £4 (combined price of £13 for a joint ticket with Martin Parr’s Strange and Familiar at Barbican Art Gallery (p6). Joint tickets can be purchased at the City Information Centre or the Barbican Box Office) Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ martinparr T 020 7332 1868

On-going

City of London Heritage Gallery Showcasing rotating exhibitions of the City’s treasures, this summer the City of London Heritage Gallery has a number of exciting items on display: n 18th century letters from the US Founding Fathers to the City, seeking the City’s support to avert war with Britain. n In commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, the Memorial Book for St Matthew’s Church in Brixton is displayed with open pages, telling the story of three young men who died at battle.

n The earliest surviving archives of London Bridge, from the time of its building in 1176. This earlier bridge became a great commercial success for London and provides the basis of the Bridge House Trust today.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 12noon-4pm FREE City of London Heritage Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ heritagegallery T 020 7332 3700

London is a remarkable city at any time of day, but London at night has a magic all of its own. Photographer Simon Gregor often leads tourists and Londoners on night-time photo walks of the city, to try to discover some of the intrigue, atmosphere and charm of the metropolis ‘after hours’. In this exhibition, Simon shares some of his own favourite images of London after dark.

Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until 7.30pm. Open alternative Sat. FREE Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871

Claes Jansz Visscher’s 1616 engraving is one of the most recognisable images of London in Shakespeare’s day and is one of the few visual records of the City before so much of it was swept away in the Great Fire of 1666. Four hundred years on, artist Robin Reynolds repeats the exercise. His version of modern London, arranged to fit the Visscher landscape, is exhibited at Guildhall Art Gallery and displayed alongside Visscher’s original print. William Shakespeare died in the year that Visscher’s print was published. In the new drawing there are references to his 37 plays, three major poetic works, and the sonnets.

How many can you spot?

Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun 12noon-4pm FREE Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ visscher T 020 7332 1868

Arts and Exhibitions

Visscher Redrawn: 1616–2016

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On-going

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Feeding London: The Forgotten Market Gardens

View this site-specific installation of natural materials inspired by gardens within the City. This micro-theatre of London’s natural world will feature fresh flowers entwined with copper wire that will dry and preserve as they are suspended above headheight. Two films of City gardens accompany the exhibition together with a map of the gardens that inspired the artist’s installation.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm FREE The City Centre 80 Basinghall Street EC2V 5AR www.thecitycentre.london T 020 7600 8362

Celebrate the long history of market gardening in South West London, telling the story of commercial food-growing in the area. Sound-recorded memories of workers and families bring the past to life. It is accompanied by a selection of materials from Guildhall Library’s collections.

Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until 7.30pm. Open alternative Sat. FREE Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH T 020 7332 1869/1871 www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary

Until 19 June

Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed

by International Photographers Curated by iconic British photographer Martin Parr, this exhibition considers how international photographers from the 1930s onwards have captured the social, cultural and political identity of the UK. Sat-Wed 10am-6pm (bank holiday 12noon-6pm); ThuFri 10am-9pm (bank holiday 12noon-9pm)

Admission: £12 (Combined price of £13 for a joint ticket with Martin Parr’s Unseen City at Guildhall Art Gallery (p4). Joint tickets can be purchased at the City Information Centre or the Barbican’s Box Office and website.)

Barbican Art Gallery Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7368 8891

1 June – 3 July

Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace: Somme 100 One of the worst days in the history of the British Army is commemorated by a photographic exhibition in Guildhall Yard, as part of a programme of events to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.

This exhibition features Michael St Maur Sheil’s evocative photographs of the battlefields as

they are today, alongside archive images from 100 years ago.

The outdoor exhibition is accompanied by a series of guest lectures and a display of Somme artefacts in the City of London Heritage Gallery (p4).

FREE Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/somme T 020 7332 1868

From 1 July

Anatomy of London: Survey of Contemporary London by Tony Phillips For 15 years Tony Phillips has been creating work which investigates the nature of contemporary London, referencing its complexity, diversity and multilayered history. This exhibition displays the results of the project: pen-and-wash drawings and etchings, which follow in the graphic tradition of social commentary developed by Hogarth and Dorè.

Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm; Wed until 7.30pm. Open alternative Sat. FREE

© Tony Phillips

The Garden City

Arts and Exhibitions

Until 24 June

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On-going

Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871

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Mini moles babies groups Sensory, hands-on and playbased activities for you and your baby to enjoy together.

Wed 11am-12noon (no session 1 Jun) FREE (book in advance) Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk T 020 7001 9844

From 1 July

Out of the Fire: St Paul’s, fire and rebirth 2016 marks the 350th anniversary year of the Great Fire of London.

One of the great losses of the inferno was the cathedral which had stood at the top of Ludgate Hill for over six hundred years.

Discover a collection of scorched pre-fire artefacts and learn of the re-building challenges Sir Christopher Wren faced with his radical design.

Mon-Sat 8.30am-4.30pm (open on Sun for worship only) Admission: £18, concs £16, child £8 (discounts available for groups of 10+ & online bookings) St Paul’s Cathedral St Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8AD www.stpauls.co.uk/fire T 020 7246 8350

From 1 July

From 14 July

Dr Johnson’s House and the Two Great Fires of London: 1666 and 1940 The former home of Dr Johnson has a long and unique association with the fire services.

Built in 1698 as part of local reconstruction after the Great Fire, it was saved from the Blitz some 240 years later thanks to the Auxilliary Fire Services who used the building as their meeting ground. This anniversary year a special selection of archival material is displayed in the very garret that still bears scars from 1940.

Mon-Sat 11am-5.30pm Admission: £6, concs £5, child £2.25. Exhibition free after entry.

Dr Johnson’s House 17 Gough Square EC4A 3DE www.drjohnsonshouse.org T 020 7353 3745

Ragnar Kjartansson Swinging playfully between romantic melancholy and lightheartedness, go on an emotional journey with Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson through his performances, films and paintings.

Sat–Wed 10am–6pm; Thu-Fri 10am-9pm Admission: £12 Barbican Art Gallery Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7368 8891

From 23 July

Fire! Fire!

Discover London before, during and after the Great Fire of 1666 in this interactive family exhibition.

Check website for event times.

Admission: £8, child £5 Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/fire T 020 7001 9844

Family

On-going

On-going On-going

Afternoon Tea in the Barbican Conservatory Enjoy the chicest tea in town with a delectable selection of handmade patisserie and savoury delights. One of London’s hidden treasures, the Barbican Conservatory, is now open for afternoon tea on Sundays.

Sun 12noon-4.30pm (last orders at 4pm) Menu from £25 (check website for occasional Sunday closures) Barbican Conservatory Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/ restaurants-bars/afternoon-tea T 020 7588 3008

Little moles toddlers group A fun, hands-on and creative session for toddlers, parents and carers.

Wed 3.30pm-4.30pm (no session 1 Jun) FREE (book in advance) Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk T 020 7001 9844

On-going

Hands-on history at Museum of London Get close to history at our object handling table, and hear incredible London stories.

Sat 2pm-4pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk T 020 7001 9844

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Black Arm Band – dirtsong

28 May – 5 June

Half term fun: Buildings of London Get to know the capital’s buildings better with a week of events all about architecture.

Design bridges and towers, take a walk of archaeological discovery, and explore the objects found beneath London’s streets.

Check the website for event times.

FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk T 020 7001 9844

31 May – 3 June

Picture Perfect Explore the Bank of England’s inspiring photography exhibition Capturing the City: Photography at the Bank of England, revealing some of the Bank’s historical moments. Capture your museum experience by becoming the face of a current banknote with the giant banknote photo board.

Join a creative workshop and make your own ‘Funky’ photo frame to display your picture.

Mon-Fri 10.30am-4.30pm FREE Bank of England Museum Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH www.bankofengland.co.uk/ museum T 020 7601 5545

23 – 24 July

Archikids Festival See the Square Mile overrun by mini archi-tectives discovering the iconic buildings and hidden gems of the City. Archikids is a weekend festival of free activities for kids and their families to explore the City. It’s a chance to explore London’s iconic buildings while completing scooter trails, building lego landscapes and designing your own skyscrapers.

When: 10am-5pm FREE Various venues in the Square Mile. Check the website for details. www.archikids.org.uk/festival T 0207 383 5722

From 25 July

Every Image tells a Story The Bank of England Museum is home to many fascinating and intriguing items, each with its own unique story. Make your museum visit a day to remember by creating your own photo album. Choose your favourite museum objects from a selection of images and use your creative talents to tell your own story.

Mon-Fri 10am-4.30pm FREE Bank of England Museum Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH T 020 7601 5545

Indigenous music group Black Arm Band provides a glimpse into the cultural heartland of Australia, exploring land rights and lost languages through song and film.

When: 7.30pm Admission: £15-£25 (plus booking fee) Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891

5 May

6 May

Grand Organ Gala Concert

The Gold Medal

Enjoy a celebration of the Grand Organ at St Paul’s Cathedral, one of the finest musical instruments in the world. Listen as the instrument performs with the City of London Sinfonia for Saint Saens’ epic Organ Symphony and Messiaen’s L’Ascension. City of London Sinfonia conducted by Simon Johnson, with Peter Holder (Organ).

When: 7pm-8.30pm Admission: £10-£30 St Paul’s Cathedral St Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8AD www.stpaulsorgangala. eventbrite.co.uk T 020 7246 8350

11 Music

4 – 5 May

The Guildhall School’s most prestigious prize for musicians.

This year, instrumentalists perform a concerto with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra conducted

by Adrian Leaper. The finalists are: pianist Antonina Suhanova (performing Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2), harpist Oliver Wass (Ginastera Concerto for Harp, Op. 25) and pianist Scott MacIsaac (Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2).

When: 7pm Admission: £10-£15, concs £5 Barbican Hall Silk St EC2Y 8DS www.gsmd.ac.uk T 020 7638 8891

8, 12, 28 May & 10 June

LSO Artist Portrait: Leif Ove Andsnes Leif Ove Andsnes, focus of the LSO’s 2015/2016 Artist Portrait, is performing in three concerts and one solo recital. Enjoy concertos by Mozart and Schumann as well as works by Sibelius, Debussy and Brahms.

When: 7pm 8 May; 7.30pm 12 & 28 May & 10 June Admission: £10-£40 Barbican Hall, Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891

Star Violinists with the LSO

This series of free lunchtime concerts is inspired by the English countryside before and during World War I, beginning with a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Flute, Gareth Davies, on Fri 13 May. On Fri 1 July, members of LSO Create, a programme for adults with learning difficulties and their supporters, come together to take over the lunchtime concert series and perform a piece they have created with an LSO soloist.

When: 12.30pm-1.15pm FREE LSO St Luke’s 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891

Working with world leading violinists, the LSO presents a series of concerts featuring some of the finest concertos written for the instrument. Including performances performances of Shostakovich No 1, Beethoven and Bartók No 1, to be performed by Viktoria Mullova, Nikolaj Znaider and Lisa Batiashvili, alongside orchestral works by Mahler, Elgar and Dvořák.

Music

LSO St Luke’s Friday Lunchtime Concerts: Between Earth and Sky

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19 May – 9 June

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13 May, 2 & 24 June, 1 July

When: 7pm Admission: £10-£40 Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891

26 June

LSO Children’s Opera with Sir Simon Rattle

14 May

19 June

LSO St Luke’s Community Singing Day: Jazzamatazz!

LSO Discovery Soundhub Showcase

A day of singing great vocal jazz arrangements of songs like Blue Skies, It don’t mean a thing (if it ain’t got that swing), Just the way you look tonight and others. You’ll be joined in the afternoon by a jazz trio who will lift your spirits even further. The day will culminate in an informal performance. Whether you sing in a local choir, or haven’t sung since school, this is an exciting opportunity to rediscover your hobby.

When: 10.30am-4.30pm Admission: £20, concs £15 LSO St Luke’s 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891

LSO Soundhub provides a flexible environment where composers can explore, collaborate and experiment, pushing their music in unexpected directions. These performances showcase what the composers have been working on over the past year.

This concert will feature music

by Phase I composers Yasmeen Ahmed, Ben Gaunt, Oliver Leith and Lee Westwood, performed by chamber ensembles from the LSO. When: 7pm-9pm Admission: £7, concs £5 LSO St Luke’s 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891

Sir Simon Rattle’s LSO Discovery concert includes a brand new children’s opera, The Hogboon, by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, performed by young people alongside the LSO. Story-telling is at the heart of this concert: Berlioz uses a gargantuan orchestra to depict his ‘Fantastical Symphony’, portraying dreams, both good and bad. Maxwell Davies’ opera is based on a local monster myth from his home in Orkney.

When: 7pm-9.30pm Admission: £10-£29 Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891

1 – 3 July

Possibly Colliding: A weekend curated by Nils Frahm Bringing together a community of like-minded artists, Nils Frahm provides the opportunity to see some exciting new projects from musicians, artists and filmmakers, packed into three days this summer.

Various times and admission prices. Check the website for details.

Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/nilsfrahm T 020 7638 8891

Snapshots of London: As Captured

by International Filmmakers

Dr Johnson’s Reading Circle

Leadenhall Shakespeare Sonnet Celebration Day

Dr Johnson’s Reading Circle meets every other month in the unique surroundings of 17 Gough Square to read and discuss literature from, and about, the Age of Johnson.

Meetings are led by Dr Jane Darcy of UCL who encourages lively and informal conversation on pre-selected texts.

When: 6.15pm Admission: £10 (includes a complimentary glass of wine) Dr Johnson’s House 17 Gough Square EC4A 3DE www.drjohnsonshouse.org T 020 7353 3745

Explore London through the lenses of international film directors from the 1960’s and 1970’s, including Antonioni’s Blow Up and Truffaut’s Fahrenheit 451.

Various times. Check the website for details.

Admission: £8.50–£9.50 Barbican Cinemas 2 & 3 Beech Street EC2Y 8AE www.barbican.org.uk/film

Mark the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare’s death at the Leadenhall Market Sonnet Celebration Day. Festivities include wandering minstrels, sonnet reading and a wheel of fortune.

When: 12noon-2.30pm FREE Leadenhall Market EC3V 1LR www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ leadenhallmarket T 079 7076 6565

Special Events

26 May

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17 May

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5 – 29 May

12 May 12 May, 23 June, 21 July

Guildhall Yard Lunch Market Guildhall Yard hosts a regular lunch market with more than 20 stalls serving up mouth-watering dishes from around the world.

Feast on some Greek wraps, Jamaican jerk chicken, cracking Korean dumplings and more.

Time for dessert? There are also plenty of sweet treats, including gourmet brownies and decadent doughnuts.

So ditch the packed lunch, leave the office and get out into the fresh air.

When: 12noon-2.30pm FREE Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhallmarkets

Late-night Opening at Dr Johnson’s House Spend a summer’s evening exploring the four floors of 17 Gough Square before enjoying a glass of wine in Johnson’s atmospheric drawing room. Discover the garret where the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language was written in the mid-18th century and see a first-edition copy of the work on display. Part of the Museums at Night festival.

When: 5.30pm Admission: £6, concs £5, child £2.25 (includes a complimentary glass of wine) Dr Johnson’s House 17 Gough Square EC4A 3DE www.drjohnsonshouse.org T 020 7353 3745

4 June

London Nocturne An award-winning cycling event in the heart of the City.

A festival by day and an elite bicycle race by night, this is an action-packed programme combining the traditional Folding Bike and Penny Farthing Races with the Elite Criterium that features a host of British and international cycling stars.

When: 3pm-10.30pm FREE (Grandstand and Hospitality tickets are available if you want to watch the racing in style, from £15) St Paul’s (Cheapside) www.londonnocturne.com T 020 7490 3000

Immigrants of Spitalfields Festival

To mark 200 years since Jane Austen finished her novel Persuasion, Guildhall Library invites you to A Regency Dance Experience. Discover what it might have been like to attend a Regency dance in a historical setting, with expert dance tuition from Mrs Bennet’s Ballroom and live Regency music.

When: 6.30pm-9pm Admission: £15 (plus booking fee, must be booked in advance.

Includes a complimentary glass of wine) Livery Hall, Guildhall EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1871

Celebrate the lives, heritage and outstanding contribution made by people from different faiths and cultural backgrounds who have made Spitalfields their home. Experience a great range of events, listen to Klezmer music in the atmospheric setting of London’s oldest Ashkenazi Synagogue; hear Bengali poetry spoken in its original form; see an illustrated talk about the

18 -19 June

Discover a greener side to the Square Mile. Gardens ranging from the historic and traditional to the new and experimental will open over this spectacular weekend. Explore the secret gardens of the City with rooftop tours, poets-in-residence, pop-up cafes, exhibitions and walks. Highlights include ‘The

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19 - 21 June

A Regency Dance Experience

Open Garden Squares Weekend

17 Special Events

14 June

City Garden’ art installation by Rebecca Louise Law at The City Centre and the latest approach to urban horticulture at Beech Gardens. Opening times vary, not all gardens open both days.

Check website for full listing.

Admission: £12 for weekend ticket; child FREE. Available to purchase at the City Information Centre or online www.opensquares.org T 020 7374 4127

17th-century Huguenot silk weavers; take a multi-faith walk around Spitalfields; along with many more events, talks, walks, performances, film screenings, readings and tasting experiences.

Various venues and event times.

Please check the website for details. www.immigrantsofspitalfields. org.uk

23 June

Midsummer Fete Enjoy a traditional English summer fete at Leadenhall Market, with loads of fun and games for the whole family.

When: 12noon-2.30pm T 0797 7076 6565 Leadenhall Market EC3V 1LR www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ leadenhallmarket

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6 July Get your sunglasses ready for the return of this open air beer and music festival in the historical Guildhall Yard. Last year’s event was a brewing and musical success with more than a dozen of Britain’s most popular breweries gathering to serve up a selection of beers. Now in its fourth year, the event promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Live music will be on stage throughout the day. Now in its fourth year, the event promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

FREE (drink tokens available for purchase, check website for details) When: 12.30pm-9pm Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.citybeerfest.org

27 June – 10 July

Great British Summer If you didn’t manage to get tickets to Wimbledon’s Centre Court this year, make your way to the Roof Terrace of One New Change for the next best thing. Enjoy two weeks of free outdoor Wimbledon screenings overlooking the iconic St Paul’s, whilst sampling some of the best seasonal produce on offer at the weekly artisan food market.

Daily 11am until late FREE On the roof terrace of One New Change 1 New Change EC4M 9AG www.onenewchange.com or www.greatbritsummer.com T 020 7002 8900

Theatre

City Beerfest

12 – 14 May

27 July

Police Museum Open Day In October 2016, the City of London Police Museum will open in a new location at Guildhall Library. To celebrate, the Museum will be holding an open day in Guildhall Yard with police horses and dogs and officers in uniforms from the past 175 years.

Come along to find out about the history of the City of London Police and the forthcoming museum.

When: 10.30am-3.30pm FREE Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary

The Dark Mirror: Ian Bostridge in Zender’s Winterreise Schubert’s haunting song cycle is reinterpreted with colourful orchestration by Hans Zender, evoking the cabaret style of post-Weimar Germany, and adapted for the stage in this landmark production by Netia Jones. Sung in German with English subtitles.

When: 7.45pm Admission: £16-£50 (plus booking fee) Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/music T 020 7638 8891

17 – 21 May

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Play for the Nation Royal Shakespeare Company in association with Tower Theatre Company presents this nationwide tour, combining eighteen RSC professional actors and fourteen amateur theatre companies from around the UK, selected to play Bottom and the Mechanicals.

In London, members of Tower Theatre Company perform these popular roles.

When: 7.30pm Admission: £10-£55 (plus booking fee) Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre T 020 7638 8891

9 – 18 June

Phaedra(s) French actress Isabelle Huppert makes a rare London appearance to play Phaedra.

Staged in a contemporary setting by radical director Krzysztof Warlikowski, Artistic Director of Warsaw’s Nowy Teatr.

When: 7.45pm Admission: £16-£50 (plus booking fee) Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre T 020 7638 8891

land, identity and legitimacy.

When: 7.45pm Admission: £16–£38 (plus booking fee) Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre T 020 7638 8891

Guildhall Library afternoon talks

Learn something new about London, history and literature – and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine – at one of Guildhall Library’s regular evening events.

Highlights include: Memorialising Shakespeare: The First Folio and other Elegies (5 May); London at Night: An LMA Film Club Special (2 June); The Other Migrants of Spitafields (21 June); Anatomy of London: Exhibition Late View and Launch (5 July).

When: 6pm-8pm Admission: £5 (plus booking fee), please book in advance via Eventbrite www.ghlevents. eventbrite.co.uk Guildhall Library, Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871

Find out something fascinating about London at one of Guildhall Library’s free talks.

Highlights include: Seafaring Ancestors on Camera (3 May); Shirley Hibberd, the Father of Amateur Gardening (12 May); London’s Villages: Paddington (16 June); British Empire Voice Recordings from the Great War, 1915-1918 (12 July); Shakespeare in the City (20 July).

When: 2pm-3pm FREE Please book in advance via Eventbrite www.ghlevents. eventbrite.co.uk Guildhall Library, Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871

Walks and Talks

Transporting King Lear to the story-rich and resource-laden terrain of northern Australia, The Shadow King reimagines Shakespeare’s tragedy as a blood-soaked tale of two indigenous families divided by

Guildhall Library evening events

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The Shadow King

On-going

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22 June – 2 July

On-going

7 – 16 July

Needles and Opium Spellbinding technical wizardry illuminates a multi-layered tale of heartbreak as Robert Lepage takes inspiration from the lives of Jean Cocteau and Miles Davis to explore addiction, disorientation and the creative drive.

When: 7.45pm Admission: £16–£40 (plus booking fee) Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre T 020 7638 8891

On-going

City of London Guided Walks The City of London is the historic heart of London with almost 2,000 years of history. Behind its street facades are alleyways with nooks, crannies and hidden depths. A great way to explore them is with an experienced qualified guide who can give you unique

insights about the City’s architecture, history, customs and pageantry, as well as a range of entertaining stories.

Daily 11am & 3pm Admission: £7, concs £6 Walks leave from City Information Centre St Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8BX www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/thingsto-do/visit-the-city/walks

Billingsgate Roman House & Baths tours

Guildhall Tours

Unseen City: Photos by Martin Parr Lunchtime Curator Talks

Join Museum of London Guides for a weekend talk and tour of remains of the Billingsgate Roman House & Baths, discovered in 1848. Hidden under the buildings on Lower Thames Street, the guide will lead you on an unforgettable exploration of this amazing Roman site.

Various times – check the website Admission: £8; concs £6 Billingsgate Roman House & Baths 101 Lower Thames St EC3R 6DL www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ tours T 020 7001 9844

Take a tour of the iconic Guildhall complex, including the Great Hall and its crypt.

When: 11am-12noon Admission: £7 (must be booked in advance) Meet guide at Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondonguides.com T 020 8398 4715

Walks and Talks

2 June & 7 July

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12 May, 23 June & 21 July

23

On-going

Join curator Katty Pearce for a lunchtime talk on the Martin Parr photography exhibition at Guildhall Art Gallery.

When: 1pm Admission: £5, concs £4 Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ martinparr T 020 7332 1868

23 June

London’s Roman Amphitheatre – free introductory tours

28 May 7 – 8 May

Duckie Queer Heritage Spring Weekender What was the LGBT scene like in London in the 1920s and 30s?

Join Bishopsgate Institute, in association with Duckie, for a weekend packed full of thinking, talking, listening and playing with research salons from E-J Scott, Matt Houlbrook, and many more. Duckie is London’s premier alternative queer performance club and this project is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund.

When: 11am-5.30pm FREE (booking is essential) Bishopsgate Institute 230 Bishopsgate EC2M 4QH www.bishopsgate.org.uk/events T 020 7392 9200

Living in Dr Johnson’s House A curious building sits next door to Dr Johnson’s House: ‘The Curator’s Cottage’. Built in 1912 when the House first opened to the public, the cottage was occupied by three successive generations of female custodians from the same family. In this talk Laura Carter, PhD student at the University of Cambridge, will draw on the House’s recently catalogued archives and the contemporary popular press to explore the working lives of these live-in keepers.

When: 2pm-2.30pm General admission: £6, concs £5, child £2.25 (Talk is FREE) Dr Johnson’s House 17 Gough Square EC4A 3DE www.drjohnsonshouse.org T 020 7353 3745

9 June

Universities: Some Policy Dilemmas What kind of system of higher education do we need? How should it relate to secondary schools and other forms of post school education and training?

How shall we pay for it? What kind of international role should universities have? And how should they contribute to the public realm? Baroness (Tessa) Blackstone, former Minister of Education, will address these issues in this free public lecture to be held in the Guildhall.

When: 6pm FREE (booking required) Guildhall Gresham Street EC2V 7HH www.gresham.ac.uk/lecturesand-events T 020 7831 0575

Free introductory tours of the amphitheatre with resident archaeologist Andrew Lane.

Find out more about one of the most important buildings in Roman London.

When: 12.15, 13.15, 14.15 FREE (no booking necessary) Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ amphitheatre

24 June

Drop in Roman object handling session Ever wanted to handle something nearly 2,000 years old? Join a trained archaeologist, for the chance to handle some genuine roman antiques.

When: 12.15pm FREE (no booking necessary) Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ amphitheatre