What’s on in London : May Edition
With the Sun a pretty solid staple in London right now, it’s been easy to while away the days doing pretty much nothing but sitting on a blanket in the nearest park. If you aren’t ready to get back to work just yet here’s a list of options to get you out the house and help wake up your brain cells a little bit!
The Venue, Sheffield St. – 31st May – Booking Required
This year’s Summer Ball, taking place on 31st of May, sees the turn of CSM students to play host. This means an evening, not just of dance and drink (although there will be a lot of that), but of immersive performances and instillations- this is UAL after all… The theme, Power & Equality, aims to highlight the zeitgeist subject dominating conversation this year, celebrating the #MeToo movement and 100 years of Women’s Suffrage. A worthy cause to drink to don’t you think? The evening will kick off with a prosecco and canapé reception (all included in your ticket), followed by DJs to keep you dancing into the early hours. Organisers also plan to empower students by commissioning 3 projects from CSM students. The deadline to apply is this Friday so if you want to get paid to display your art at one the SU’s most popular events of the year, find the details to apply here! The SU expect the event to sell out, and with early bird tickets already gone, we’d advise you get booking for you and your friends asap!
 Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier
The Design Museum – 10th May – 7th October – Booking Advisable
Launching today, the Design Museum will host the first UK solo exhibition of master couturier Alaïa. Known for his mix of traditional and modern crafting techniques and his structural designs that admire the female form, Alaïa rebelled from the much critiqued fashion schedule and was respected for successfully working to his own deadlines, dressing the likes of Grace Jones and Naomi Campbell. The exhibit was co-curated by the iconic designer himself before his untimely death in October, when the fashion world and beyond poured in to testify of his genius. Alaïa personally selected the rare and iconic works that make up a journey through his time as sculptor come couturier in this exhibition, with tales of his life and career to accompany the garments. Student tickets come at a reduced rate of £10.75- well worth it to see what is bound to be one of the most talked about fashion exhibitions of the year.
Peckham Rye Park – 27th May – Booking Required
If you are already dreaming of the next bank holiday weekend (us too) you don’t have long to wait, and with GALA festival, the independent music and food festival based in Peckham Rye Park, selling out fast it’s best to plan ahead for what’s set to be a scorcher (if the recent weather is anything to go by). A carefully curated list of some of the most fun names in house and disco music make up the line-up, with the likes of Mr Scruff, Honey Dijon, Crazy P Soundsystem and Donna Leake to name a few! Also coming in a curated line-up is the food and drink selection with some of London’s finest vendors such as Honest Burgers, The Cheese Truck and Nonna’s Gelato. Tickets currently stand at a reasonable £40, so grab them before they hit final release.
 Mary and the Witch’s Flower
Barbican Cinema - Until 14th May – Booking Required
One of the most talked about anime films of the year has arrived at the Barbican cinema this May. Mary and the Witch’s Flower comes from Hiromasa Yonebayashi, animator on Spirited Away and director of When Marni Was There. The beautifully depicted tale based on Mary Stewart’s classic children’s book tells the story of a lonely country girl Mary, who discovers a broomstick and rare flower that whisk her up into the clouds where she finds a magic school, home to terrible happenings that she must attempt to put right while risking her life. The Barbican cinema is a fantastic backdrop to watch this Japanese animation, voiced in the English version by Jim Broadbent and Kate Winslet. The film is being shown until 14th May so hurry down, particularly if you want to grab a £5 Young Barbican Member ticket which is only available Monday-Thursday. To become a Young Barbican Member sign up free here.
 Anthea Hamilton: The Squash
Tate Britain – Until 7th October
Inhabiting the rooms of the Duveen Galleries at Tate Britain right up until October, Anthea Hamilton’s, The Squash, will work its performance around the artist’s tiles, sculptures and structures, inviting a different performer every day to choose from one of seven beautifully designed costumes and interpret through movement what it feels like to live life as an ‘other’ or in this case ‘vegetable’. The costume takes reference from a 1960s image Hamilton found, which, unknown to her at the time, depicted a dance by American choreographer Erik Hawkins, where he was dressed as the name sake root vegetable lying amongst makeshift vines and leafs. Hamilton reimagined the image to create this exciting piece of performance art. The exhibition is set to be a mesmerizing and often unexpected experience, and since it is completely free it’s not to be missed.
