Alternative

London Bicycle Film Festival at Barbican, October 3-6th – It’s officially a decade since the Bicycle Film Festival was created to celebrate urban cycling around the world, so this year’s events are quite the milestone. The London leg kicks off with a party at Hackney Downs Studio followed by a symposium and a selection of insightful short film screenings at the Barbican – all worth checking out, especially if you’re a lover of bike culture.

Arts & Culture

We Love Mandela: Art Inspired by Madiba exhibition, October 3rd – 16th – The touring exhibition of paintings, photographs, sculptures and artefacts were created to celebrate the milestone birthdays of the South African leader and comes to London following a stint at Johannesburg’s Peacemakers museum. It makes a brief visit, so catch it if you can.

Arts & Culture

BFI London Film Festival, October 9-20th – After a run-of-the-mill summer movie season, autumn really needs to start with a bang. Thankfully, the 57th BFI London Film Festival is more than up to the task. The LFF has assembled its strongest line-up in years and there is something for every film lover in this twelve days celebration of the magic of cinema.

Music

Bilal at Islington Assembly Hall, October 24th – This Philly soul singer has collaborated with some of the best in the biz (Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, Robert Glasper), but has always put on a heck of a show when rolling solo. We’re looking forward to seeing him in action when he hits North London at the end of the month.

Eat & Drink

PipsDish, 15 Exeter Street Covent Garden – The Islington pop-up makes a permanent home on Exeter Street in Covent Garden this month, promising to bring something new to the table. They’ll be serving brekkie for starters, and will continue their “no-menu” tradition of offering a variety of seasonal dishes made with quality, locally-sourced ingredients.

Best bits from last month

• Somewhere you should go… Deptford X: London’s Contemporary Art Festival
• Somewhere you should eat… Obika
• Something You Should See… Endless Stair
• Something you should see… Anjin 1600: Edo Wonderpark
• What we’ve been up to… Coal Vaults

The post TCé picks: A selection of things to do and places to go – October 2013 appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Cinema

Gimme The Loot – May 3rd sees the long-awaited UK cinema release of a American graffiti flick/love story that won the Grand Jury prize at SXSW and featured at Cannes last year.

Music

Saluting The Black President: Fela Kuti  May 17th – To mark a new release of the Afrobeat legend’s entire back catalogue comes a unique concert featuring some of Fela’s contemporaries (like Tony Allen) and the new-gen of artists influenced by him, including Ty, Blak Twang and the Noisette’s Shingai Shoniwa.

Art & Culture

Breakin’ Convention 2013, May 4-6th  -10 years in existence,  Breakin Convention continues to be a celebration of Hip Hop dance – the groups showing this year will be from around the globe including, Korea, France, Spain, and USA – and for the first time the festival will have a UK only night, showcasing the latest in UK urban dance style.

Alternative

Spin London, May 3rd-5th – Spin London is the world’s first urban focused bicycle show and festival, featuring talks, music, installations, demonstrations, films, food, static cycle racing (!!) and an opportunity to feast your eyes on some of the leading fashion brands in the world of two-wheeled transport.

Music

Field Day festival at Victoria Park, May 25th – Field Day is all about hip, electronica music with an ear-poppingly good line up, so get ready to  get lost in the crowds, have a sweaty dance off in a packed tent and glory in the fact that all of East London will be there.

Art & Culture

Art of the Moment Festival, May 11-12 – This new festival is all about celebrating innovation in music and art and will feature a whole host of workshops, interactive installations, live cinema and a few other  experimental surprises that might just blow your mind.

Best bits from last month

• What we’ve been up to… cheering at the London Marathon 2013
• Somewhere you should go… Bouchon Fourchette, Mare Street
• Something you should see… Claire Aho: Studio Works at The Photographers’ Gallery
• Somewhere you should go… SLAM Last Fridays
• Somewhere You Should Go… Pick Me Up Graphic Arts Festival at Somerset House
• Something You Should See… Screens at Space Studios

The post TCé picks: A selection of things to do and places to go – May 2013 appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Cinema

Bird’s Eye View Film Festival: Celebrating Arab Women Filmmakers, April 3-10th – This year’s BEV will be honouring the work of women in the Arab world, offering insightful docs, film shorts, Q&As, live music and a special Fashion Loves Films programme, offering a host of parties and galas.

Art & Culture

Gaia: A Show of Hands at Nelly Duff, April 11th – One of the most thought-provoking street artists of our time will be presenting his first UK exhibition for one week only. The New York-born, Baltimore-based artist has built an international rep for his street murals, and this show will demonstrate his continuous fascination with hands through his unique style.

Eat & Drink

Dante Fried Chicken at Death by Burrito April 11-14th – We happily chowed down at Mr Dante’s finger-lickin’ pop-up last year so pleased to hear he’s back on our shores, this time with a cookbook and an exhibition. He’ll also be joining forces with Death by Burrito for a guest chef residency, where he’ll be serving up an exclusive dinner menu and all day brunch on April 14th, to mark the final day of the show.

Nightlife

The Doctor’s Orders Presents
The Doctor’s Orders 250 Featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Nextmen And Rich Medina At Scala, April 13th – To mark their 250th event, the Doctor’s Orders guys are going all out to bring together some of the most celebrated DJs in hip-hop – and this is one party that won’t stop until the sun comes up.

Art & Culture

Pick Me Up 2013: Graphic Arts Festival at Somerset House, April 18-28th – Feast your eyes on an incredible array of illustrations and designs at this 11-day celebration of all things graphic. Highlights include workshops, creative forums and lively events every evening.

Eat & Drink

The Lab at Tobacco Docks, April 25-27th – The creators of the Taste of London fest are debuting a new experimental foodie weekend, featuring some of the most innovative chefs from around the world and masterclasses in experiencing food like never before.

Best bits from last month

• Somewhere you should go… Mama Shelter, Paris
• Something you should see… David Bowie Is at the V&A
• Metropolitans: Leo Bedford, DJ
• Somewhere you should eat… Morena Bakery
• Something you should see… Yinka Shonibare: POP! is on at the Stephen Friedman Gallery

The post TCé picks: A selection of things to do and places to go – April 2013 appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Special Event

Ice-Skating at Somerset House, November 16th-January 6th 2013 – By mid-November you’ll be able to get your skates on and once again glide around the glamorous Somerset House grounds to get you in the mood for the wintery season.  Look out for the  special club nights the luxurious pop-up shop too.

Cinema

Sci-Fi Film Festival, November 9-11 –  The Picturehouse in Stratford is offering a quirky programme of sci-fi themed flicks, premieres and special events – noteworthy films include festival opener The Human Race (“Makes The Hunger Games and Running Man look like a Sunday perambulation in the park” say the blurb), the 48-hour film challenge and the Anime all-nighter.

Arts & Culture

Choose Your Own Documentary, Southbank Centre, November 6-10th – Inspired by the ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ phenomenon of the 1980’s – Nathan Penlington’s Choose Your Own Documentary tells the true story of the discovery of a long-forgotten diary and his attempts to unravel its many mysteries. Part stand-up, part film documentary and part spoken word, it’s a unique and compelling interactive experience in which the audience play the most important role.

Eat & Drink

Wishbone, Brixton (opening early November) – Fried chicken fans have been (im)patiently waiting for the launch of this new spot down South which has been pushed back a few times – but November is meant to see it finally opens it’s door to the masses and offer lots of finger-licking free-range dishes and yummy cocktails.

Music

London Jazz Festival, November 9-18th –  The London Jazz Festival is the capital’s biggest pan-city music festival, taking place annually in November. The Festival has long been acclaimed for showcasing a heady mix of talent from around the world. Widely acknowledged for delivering world-class artists and emerging stars, the Festival continues to take jazz to a massive audience, in one of UK’s landmark music events.

Best bits from last month

• Something you should eat… Peruvian
• Something you should see… William Klein & Daido Moriyama at Tate Modern
• Something you should see… Seduced by Art at the National Gallery
• Somewhere you should go… Film Africa 2012
• Somewhere you should go… Dach & Sons, Hampstead

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