Brixton Empire: A Theatre Opens in Brixton

Brixton has always seemed like the perfect area to live in for culture vultures like myself. You could spend a whole day in Brixton, starting with a stroll through the market and Brixton Village, followed by a film at the Ritzy in the afternoon and a quick bite at Bamboula restaurant before heading off to a gig at Brixton Academy and then finish the night at Plan B. Now you can add “see a play at the Brixton Empire” to this wonderful list. So it’s with great excitement that we interviewed the Empire’ s founding artistic director Daljingher Singh about her plans for this brand new venue.

 

A new theatre in Brixton: how did that come about?

Brixton has just about everything. The one thing it didn’t have was its own theatre. After looking around for a while, I came across St Matthews Church and Mass nightclub. It seemed the perfect solution since the club nights in the building are infrequent and this seemed the most logical and exciting use of the space, which was otherwise largely empty.

 Brixton is an area that is not short of entertainment. How do you plan on carving a place for theatre goers?

One of main challenges is to make sure that theatre is seen as just as valid a choice of entertainment as music and film. Our focus will be on creating productions that excite the people in the locality and intrigue them enough to take the risk of coming. We are lucky in the sense that Brixton has a strong culture of live events, music and spoken word. People are used to going to live events and engaging with live performances. We are also offering our lowest prices to individuals who come from SW2 and SW9.

Read article

Contemporary African Fashion – The Shopping Guide

Tribal, ethnic, African… Prints are this summer’s fashion trend with established designers and the high street drawing inspiration from Africa’s vibrant fabrics. Independent London designers are offering a more authentic take on the trend, working with kente cloth or ankhara to offer fresh and contemporary summer tops, dresses, t-shrts and accessories.

Find out who they are, what they are selling and where to find them.

Contemporary African Fashion – The Shopping Guide. DOWNLOAD NOW! (pdf)

Click here to download Adobe Reader

At the Heart of the Community: Brixton Village

In the heart of Brixton, partially concealed amidst the thriving commerce beneath the railway bridge, an oversized blue door announces the entrance to Brixton Village.

Also known as Granville Arcade, Brixton Village is a sprawling indoor market that until late last year was slowly but certainly limping towards obsolescence.

The property company managing the market hadn’t received a rental enquiry in 18 months and 20 shop units stood empty by the time they realized radical action was necessary. So they offered up the units for three months, rent-free and brought in the Space Makers Agency (SMA) to manage the project.

“You walk in and see this beautiful 1930s structure with skylights and arcades – a very unique place – to see it on its knees was terrible.” Julia Shalet, the SMA project manager for this scheme, sits in a café in the Village, her flyaway hair in bunches, dressed casually in jeans and a sleeveless top, talking animatedly about what it took to turn around the ailing market. “One end of the market was pretty vibrant. The traditional grocers, fish and meat traders, hair shops and restaurants were doing well. But the other half of the market was derelict.”

Read article

The City as a Canvas: Street Art In London

Black Rat Projects was created to represent established and emerging contemporary artists, both from the UK and internationally. It’s ‘Now’s The Time’ exhibition focuses on street art, showcasing work by some of the key figures of the movement spanning the past four decades, by the likes of Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Shepard Fairey, Swoon, Banksy, Barry McGee, Faile and Os Gemeos. Catchavibe caught up with Mike Snelle, from Black Rat, to discuss the position of street art in the current decade.

Black Rat Gallery is housed in a space in the heart of Shoreditch, far removed from the ‘clinical established art world’ it is countering in the works it showcases. Indeed, it is committed to supporting both established artists and the ones who aren’t, as Snelle points out: “These ‘80’s artists we’re exhibiting are well accepted but what about the ones that haven’t been?, we also try and work with the artists, so there is no tension between us as a gallery and them”.

Read article

Where to buy African and Caribbean art in London

The best galleries, markets and store spaces to source authentic African and Caribbean art in the city.

 

Tribal Gathering
Tribal Gathering London is effectively one of the few, well established specialist galleries selling African tribal art in London. Founder Bryan Reeves has travelled extensively across Africa for the past twenty years, aiming to provide authentic pieces, such as jewellery, figures, masks and furniture, with a particular focus on the East African Great Lakes region. The store is relocating in January 2010, so visit now to grab last minute bargains on quality pieces.

No 1 Westbourne Grove Mews W11 2RU
020 7221 6650
Notting Hill Gate tube
www.tribalgatheringlondon.com

Portobello Market
While you’re in Notting Hill Gate, have a wander down to Portobello Road Market, where there are African art stalls dotted around, offering a good quality antique piece or two.

Portobello Road, W11 1LU
Notting Hill Gate tube

 

Guruve
Guruve promotes the cream of contemporary African art and is committed to ethical business, collaborating with local artists in Zimbabwe to sponsor children’s workshops. The company has a particular emphasis on the Shona Art movement (stone sculpture) from Zimbabwe as well as works from The Gambia and Uganda. The website showcases garden sculpture as well as paintings and prints, such as artist Njogu Toray’s kenyeleng series (inspired by a women’s group in The Gambia).

To request a private viewing, visit www.guruve.com

 

 

Read article

The Double Club: art installation meets funky bar

* This venue is now closed *

Thursday 20 November saw the pre-launch of a temporary new hangout in London, as the German artist Carsten Höller, known for his slide installation at Tate Modern last year, unveiled his new design. This time, Höller cast his craft on a former warehouse in Angel, North London, and turned it into a stylish bar, restaurant and nightclub, themed around Congolese art and culture, which he has increasingly become fond of.  The event  (co-sponsored by the Nigerian Guaranty Trust Bank) was attended by artists, creatives, media execs and celebs, including designer Ozwald Boateng, actor and model Rodney Charles, Sharleen Spiteri (former singer of rock band Texas) and TV presenter George Lamb,  all up to see this new bona fide extravaganza!

Read article

• 
• 
• 
•