Thursday
Arty London // 4 creative things to do in London
London is, in my humble opinion, one of the best cities in the world for experiencing the arts. There is such a rich, varied history of culture that continues to this day so there's no end of wonderful arty things to do. Of course, there are the obvious choices but I've tried to list my favourite slightly-underappreciated creative ventures in the capital.
ART GALLERIES
Yeah, ok, this is hardly innovative. London has some of the best art galleries in the entire world- and they're completely free to visit!- but they do tend to get pretty busy. My favourites are Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery but, if you want to try something a little less touristy, try the likes of the Hayward Gallery, Victoria Miro or Gagosian.
From the blog // National Portrait Gallery, Light Show at the Hayward Gallery, Grayson Perry at Victoria Miro
CAPTURING THE LANDSCAPE
Have you ever settled down somewhere beautiful with a sketchbook and art materials and just recreated what you see in front of you? Because if not, you really must. It's one of the most peaceful, serene ways to spend an afternoon, so long as you can cope with people standing behind you and watching over your shoulder! Although London has a reputation for being grimy, it actually has some areas of really outstanding beauty which are perfect for sketching. Try St James's Park for beautiful greenery or Primrose Hill for amazing views of the city.
ART FAIRS
Fancy some art of your very own? Course you do! I only have one piece of art at the moment (with plans to buy a second piece soon) from Art Republic, which is branded as the Lawrence Alkin Gallery in London. They offer Own Art loans, allowing you to spread the cost of artwork over 10 monthly installments intereste-free. Own Art is also available at the London Art Fair which is on right now! Alternatively, the Affordable Art Fair allows you to purchase art without spending tens of thousands.
TALKS & LECTURES
Something I keep meaning to take advantage of is all the amazing talks and lectures that take place in London's galleries and theatres. I've had the immense pleasure of seeing Grayson Perry speaking twice at the Southbank Centre (and am hopefully attending another of his talks in March) but there's so much more out there. The V&A hosts a quite overwhelming amount of events and courses, including free gallery talks and tours, as do the various Tate galleries. Many of these events are held in the evening when galleries and museums tend to be quieter, so you don't need to worry about elbowing confused tourists out of the way.
From the blog // Grayson Perry Live! at Southbank Centre, Vogue Festival Good Taste, Bad Taste
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
In a similar vein to talks and lectures, London has a whole host of classes and workshops available. If traditional drawing and painting is your jam, try Cass Art for classes in Islington and Hampstead. I've mentioned Bart's Pathology Museum a lot but they're perfect for more quirky crafts like taxidermy or heart potting. Moving away from visual arts, it's one of my goals to try a comedy workshop- Funny Women is probably the one I'm going to go for.
There are so many art-related things to do in London that I couldn't possibly list them all! Over the next few years, I intend to do as many as I can so let me know any recommendations that you have.
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This is really making me want to go to London now! I haven't been in a few years so there's so much left to explore. I have a few trips planned next month, so fingers crossed I can get to some galleries.
ReplyDeleteKirstie | Behind The Scent (formerly Kimamely Beauty)
It was the "Classes and workshops" that caught my eye. I work in London at least a couple times a year and I feel like I've *done* most of the museums so many times; I go to galleries and trade shows for work, so trekking around them feels almost like I'm still on the clock. Your suggestions for other arty fun to be had around the city is TOTALLY up my street though! I think I shall be paying a wee visit to Bart's Pathology Museum next time I'm down, and though the idea of a comedy workshop sort of terrifies me, I reckon it would be awesome fun! I loved this post! :-)
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