Absolutely’s guide to what’s on in October, here’s all the best in art and culture London has to offer this month.
LONDON LITERATURE FESTIVAL
Southbank Centre
20-30 October
You can expect a lot of page-turning action when the London Literature Festival returns to Southbank Centre this October. The central theme of this year’s event is climate change, and attendees are in store for ten days of challenging and inspiring talks, panels and writing débuts from established authors and newcomers alike.
DANCE UMBRELLA
Multiple Locations
7 – 23 October
Since its foundation in 1978, this annual contemporary dance festival has been bringing some of the world’s most exciting talent to iconic venues around London. This year’s programme is an exciting hybrid of live performances taking place across the city, as well as digital explanations for online audiences to enjoy.
LCF EXHIBITION
Soho
Ongoing
The streets of Soho just got a bit brighter thanks to this exciting new outdoor exhibition. 250ft of construction site hoarding on Berwick and Hopkins Street is now home to vibrant illustrations by students from the London College of Fashion’s BA (Hons) Fashion Imaging and Illustration course. The ten finalists were selected by a panel for the original way they depicted the history of the dynamic district.
JEWS. IN THEIR OWN WORDS.
Royal Court Theatre
Until 22 October
What could a refugee, a decorator and a politician possibly have in common? This powerful new play, unravels the common thread of antisemitism that runs through the lives of many Jewish people in modern Britain and shares their stories of prejudice, told in their own words.
A FORCE OF NATURE
The National Gallery
Until 8 January 2023
No painting by American artist Winslow Homer has ever been present in a UK collection, well up until now that is. This Autumn, over 50 works by one of America’s most celebrated and admired painters have made their way across the Atlantic for the first time. The exhibition explores Homer’s 40-year career both chronologically and thematically and is an exciting opportunity for Londoners to view his powerful compositions for themselves.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Rose Theatre
1 – 12 November
Widely considered Oscar Wilde’s greatest dramatic achievement, ‘the Importance of Being Earnest’ is one of the playwright’s sharpest and most outrageous comedies. This new production, directed by Denzel Westley-Sanderson, is a refreshing take on the Victorian-era material.
