DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY HOLDS FIRST CULTURE FESTIVAL
plus: EVENTS AT BOOKSELLER CROW / CROYDON’S CULTURAL REVIVAL MOVES A STEP FORWARD / AT THE CINEMA MUSEUM
DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY HOLDS FIRST CULTURE FESTIVAL
Dulwich Picture Gallery is holding its very first weekend culture festival ‘MayFest: Men of Mystery’ (15–17 May 2015) which includes two Vintage Evenings featuring outdoor cinema, exhibition tours, swing dancing and street food in the gallery’s grounds.
This year the festival will celebrate the work of the ‘Master of Suspense’ Alfred Hitchcock and the 20th century artist Eric Ravilious whose work is said to have been inspired by Hitchcock’s shadowy interiors, mysterious scenarios and strange perspectives.
The Gallery will open late on Friday and Saturday nights with a line-up inspired by the intriguing similarities in the work of both Alfred Hitchcock and Eric Ravilious.
Outdoor cinema screenings of Rear Window and The 39 Steps will follow exclusive ‘Ravilious: Man of Mystery’ tours of the new exhibition. Visitors can also enjoy a free swing dance lesson at 7.15pm from renowned dance school Swing Patrol followed by a show-stopping pre-film performance, as well as indulge in the latest street food trends courtesy of popular vendors from the West Norwood Feast.
A pop-up vintage shop courtesy of East Dulwich’s ChiChiRaRa and make-up artist Billie MacKenzie will be on hand to help visitors get the vintage look. Visitors are encouraged to ‘dress the part’ in 1930s and 40s style dress with prizes for those with the best vintage style.
Over the weekend the Gallery will be inviting visitors to take part in a mass-installation drop-in workshop for all ages in the Gallery’s grounds. Families are invited to come along and take part in the session coordinated by a teaching artist. All creations will be hung on the outside walls or of Sir John Soane’s Gallery throughout the day.
On Saturday morning an ‘Eye Spy’ Storytelling session in the Gallery will bring Ravilious’ paintings to life for young visitors with an animated teller using interactive techniques to help children engage.
May Fest: Men of Mystery is part of Museums at Night, the annual UK-wide weekend of late openings at arts and heritage venues, which captures people’s imaginations and encourages audiences to do something different with their evening.
Museums at Night is the annual after-hours celebration of arts, culture and heritage when hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites open their doors for special evening events. It takes place over the weekend of Friday 18th – Sunday 20th May 2012. www.museumsatnight.org.uk (FULL LISTINGS AT END)
EVENTS AT BOOKSELLER CROW
Two weeks, two great events
Thursday 9th April 2015, 7pm: Tim Clare and The Honours
We’re going to be bold and say we think you’ll like Tim Clare. When Hanif Kureishi publically bemoaned the dearth of talent in his creative writing students, Tim Clare penned a response – Can Creative Writing be Taught? Not if your Teacher’s a Prick – that scribbling crows everywhere could rally around. That and he says that writers should “be careful not be self-aggrandising arseholes”. So, expect a wild story of conspiracy theories and teenage spies and a lack of ego. Remember to book here – £3 a ticket.
Thursday 16th April 2015, 7pm: Jesse Armstrong and Love, Sex and other Foreign Policy Goals
You might remember The Guardian wrote about New faces of fiction in January, heralding Jesse Armstrong as one of our ‘hottest comedy writers’. More likely, you’ve known and loved Peep Show, Fresh Meat, The Thick of It and Four Lions – Jesse had a hand in all those things. Love, Sex and other Foreign Policy Goals is his debut novel, and he’s coming to the Crow to read from it. Join us: book here.
Inspired?
If Tim Clare’s blog post has acted as clarion call to your inner Scribbling Crow, then you might like to know that there are just a few places left on the summer writing retreat in Normandy. Time, space, encouragement and delicious writer fuel. What more do you need? Contact [email protected] for more information.
You deserve our thanks
The Bookseller published a report today, showing that the number of independent bookshops fell again in 2014. There are now fewer than 1000 across the country. We are still here, though, thanks to you, who keep walking through our door, and clicking ‘buy’ on our website. Do keep coming, won’t you?
We’re excited about Tim Clare joining us next week with his debut novel. So much so that we asked him for some book recommendations: Tim Picks Three… Tim said: “I love Wind In The Willows, I love Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and I love True Grit. The Honours, I hope, has a little of all three.”
Wind in the Willows: a classic for kids and adults alike. And trust us, if your only memory of Wind in the Willows is from childhood, then reading it again as an adult will guarantee lots of surprises. Cross-dressing. Intoxication. Guns. Mobs. Reckless driving. And a good ticking off from a badger.
Poop poop! Get your Toad on.
In spite of its size, Reader-in-Residence reckons Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is a page turner: it sinks its hooks into you, and leaves you hanging at the end of each chapter. The setting and the characters are strange and compelling. There’s magic here, but it’s as far from black and white wands and Harry Potter as you can get.
Right now, there’s a quid off the cover price. So go on. Be mesmerised.
Rolling Stone magazine reckon of Charles Portis that “A generation of novelists have simply called him a writers’ writer and have made his name a sort of secret password. Soon, they’ll no longer have him to themselves.”
The Coen brothers’ film adaptation pulls dialogue straight from the book, which is reason enough to get on the sharp end of True Grit.
This quarter’s FAT book club choice is 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (books 1-2) Meeting Weds 10th June from 7.30pm
Want time and space to grow your words? The next Scribbling Crow writing retreat in Normandy takes place: 1st-6th June 2015
For more information,please email: [email protected]
(Source: Bookseller Crow website)
CROYDON’S CULTURAL REVIVAL MOVES A STEP FORWARD
Croydon-based consultancy Mott MacDonald and architects Rick Mather, renowned for working on some of the biggest theatres in the country, will oversee the design of the redevelopment of College Green, at the heart of which will be Fairfield Halls.
Mott MacDonald, of Sydenham Road, has been appointed as the lead consultant for the project, which promises to breathe new life into Croydon’s cultural offer.
Rick Mather Architects will be a key player in the project team, and has a strong track record in renovating theatres. Rick Mather boasts an excellent CV having previously worked on projects for the Royal Festival Hall in central London and the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith.
Mott MacDonald was lead engineering consultant for the Sage Music Centre in Gateshead and for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. The consultancy also has a broad portfolio of international urban regeneration projects.
The project team’s objective will be to deliver a planning application for the College Green area, which includes a full scale refurbishment of the famous Fairfield Halls.
This includes exciting new elements helping to reinvigorate the centre and ensure it is able to grow further and play its part at the heart of Croydon’s cultural life.
The team begins work on the College Green project next month (April) with a view to submitting a planning application by autumn this year.
The regeneration of College Green is central to the revival of Croydon’s cultural quarter, and has the potential to offer an innovative and inspiring area with a lively and sustainable mix of homes, offices, shops and restaurants.
The wider scheme will create a high quality public space and provide a through route to and from East Croydon station, quickly connecting visitors with Queens Gardens, the Clocktower, Surrey Street and Exchange Square.
It is planned to integrate the Fairfield Halls into the scheme, potentially including in the long-term a new entrance on the Ashcroft side of the building on to College Green.
Jo Negrini, Croydon council’s executive director of place, said: “We are delighted to have appointed Mott MacDonald who were selected because they offer a clear vision for the redevelopment of College Green.
“It is fantastic that they are also a Croydon-based company, and bring with them the knowledge and expertise of Rick Mather Architects.
“This represents an important step forward in the cultural regeneration and economic development of the town centre.”
Paul Bates, Mott MacDonald’s divisional director, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity on so many levels.
“As a locally based company, the regeneration of Croydon’s cultural quarter is of huge significance to so many of us who live and work in the town.
“We also look forward to helping reinstate the Fairfield Halls as one of the most prestigious venues in the country for entertainment and the performing arts.” (Source: Croydon council press release.)
AT THE CINEMA MUSEUM
Screening of The Seventh Bullet (1972)
Fri 10th 19:30
A 35mm screening of USSR/Uzbekistan film, The Seventh Bullet / Sedmaya Pulya(1972), directed by Ali Khamraev (84 mins). This special retrospective screening is part of the 7th Asia House Film Festival, supported by Prudential. This stunning “Red Western” is a real revelation. Adapting the gritty nihilism of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns to local landscapes, its story unfolds during the Basmachi Revolt of the 1920s, in which Communist reformers sought to suppress an uprising by the Muslim peoples of Central Asia.
In a feat of daring, Maxumov, a Red Army officer whose troops have deserted him for the charismatic rebel leader Khairulla, allows himself to be captured and attempts to win back his men to the Bolshevik cause from within the enemy stronghold. The resulting mind games admirably refuse to paint either side in black and white. (Source: Cinema Museum)
DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY CULTURE FESTIVAL – FULL LISTINGS
MayFest 2015: Men of Mystery
Friday 15 May 2015
Eric Ravilious: man of mystery
6pm, 7pm, 8pm
Join us for an intriguing tour of Ravilious with one of our expert guides. The exhibition includes over 80 watercolours as well as archival material from the mid-1920s until the artist’s death in 1942 at the age of just 39. Ravilious’ images rarely contain figures and yet his images often create a sense of palpable human presence. He said little about his work but his paintings and their themes offer an enticing starting point to get closer to one of the finest watercolourists of the 20th century.
Outdoor screening: Rear Window, 9pm (112mins), Rating: A
9pm
Considered by many to be Hitchcock’s finest film, murder-mystery Rear Window plays to the voyeur within us all. Photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (James Stewart) is cooped up in his Greenwich Village apartment after breaking his leg. Convinced he has spied a murder, he calls upon the help of his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) to discover the truth.
Film only: £15 / Friends/Concessions £12
Exhibition and film: £20 / Friends/Concessions £18
Tour, exhibition and film: £25 / Friends/Concession £20
Saturday 16 May
Study Day: Made in China
10:30am – 1pm
Join the creators of Made in China:A Doug Fishbone Project, conceptual artist and Dr Xavier Bray, Chief Curator, for a morning of debate and discussion.
£19,(Concessions and Friends £14) including morning coffee
For Families: Eye Spy Storytelling, all ages
11am in gallery
Look up, look down, look all around. Discover how looking in different ways changes what you see. Families are invited to join a special session in the Gallery to experience the magic of storytelling and learn about the life and work of Eric Ravilious.
Free with Gallery ticket
For Families: Eye Spy Workshop
11-5pm, Sackler Centre and grounds
Join is for a day of family fun. If you could pierce the gallery walls from the outside, what would you find? Children of all ages are invited to contribute to a mass installation creating a “view through” the walls into the gallery. Hang your creations on the arches and on the building throughout the day.
Free with 1 Adult Gallery ticket
Look Closer Tour: Eric Ravilious: man of mystery
12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm
Join us for an intriguing tour of Ravilious with one of our expert guides. The exhibition includes over 80 watercolours as well as archival material from the mid-1920s until the artist’s death in 1942 at the age of just 39. Ravilious’ images rarely contain figures and yet his images often create a sense of palpable human presence. He said little about his work but his paintings and their themes offer an enticing starting point to get closer to one of the finest watercolourists of the 20th century.
Outdoor screening: The 39 Steps (86mins), Rating A
9pm
A man is forced to go on the run after assisting a beautiful counterespionage agent. When Annabella (Lucie Mannheim) is stabbed in the night, Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) has no choice but to follow her instructions to escape to Scotland. Hannay’s fleeing of the crime scene sparks a nationwide man-hunt, as he is wrongly accused as Annabella’s murderer. But what are the 39 Steps, and how will Hannay prove his innocence?
£14.50/ £12 Friends/Concs
Film only: £15 / Friends/Concessions £12
Exhibition and film: £20 / Friends/Concessions £18
Tour, exhibition and film: £25 / Friends/Concession £20
Sunday 17 May
For Families: Eye Spy Workshop
11-5pm, Sackler Centre and grounds
Join is for a day of family fun. If you could pierce the gallery walls from the outside, what would you find? All ages are invited to contribute to a mass installation creation on the external walls of Sir John Soane’s famous building!
Free with Gallery ticket
Book launch: The Art of Forgery
2.30pm
Did you spot our Chinese replica? How can you spot a copy? How have some master forgers fooled the art market and what made them choose to do it? To mark the release The Art of Forgery (Phaidon Press), join art historian, art crime expert and author Noah Charney as he tells the stories of history’s master forgers exploring how and why they turned to a life of crime.
£8, £24 including signed copy of The Art of Forgery (RRP £19.95)
ALL WEEKEND!
Get the vintage look! We will have our very own make-up artist and pop-up vintage shop courtesy ofChiChiRara and vintage make-up artist Billie McKenzie to get you in the mood from 6pm Friday and2pm Saturday. Book your make-up slot online!
Win! We’re looking for the best vintage outfits all weekend! Those with the best vintage style will win a selection of Ravilious gifts.
Swing! Join Swing Patrol/Swing Land (tbc) for a free dance lesson at 7pm, Friday and Saturday, followed by a pre-film performance.
Eat and drink! A selection of food will be on offer from Sugar Mountain, Proper Corn and select stalls from the West Norwood Feast.
