Events in London

Events in London

Talks and discussions

* DzFest 2024: The Algerian Festival for Arts and Culture, events include 28 September, Sand Roses, Hamza Koudri on his latest book, 5.30pm, £3, Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA. Festival ends 29 September. Info:  Arab British Centre

Tuesday 1 October

* 'Am I Less British?', launch of Doğuş Şimşek's book Am I Less British?  Racism, belonging, and the children of refugees and immigrants in North London, that focuses on the children of migrants from Turkey, 5-6:30pm, free, Institute of Advanced Studies, G17, South Wing, UCL, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT. Info: University College London

* Raising the Net Zero Conversation: How to Stop Climate Becoming a Wedge Political Issue, Myles Allen, 6pm, Gresham College, Barnard's Inn Hall, EC1N 2HH. Info: Gresham

* Children of a modest star, Nils Gilman, Ganga Shreedhar, Karen E Smith on the need for new global institutions, 6.30-8pm, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2

* Investing for resilience: A panel discussion with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun + Sara Pantuliano, Jin Liqun, Sarah Colenbrander, Hans Peter Lankes, 5pm, online. Info:   Overseas Development Institute

*  An everyday political economy of food insecurity in Myanmar’s central dry zones, Mark Vicol, 1-2.30pm online.  Info:  Register now

Wednesday 2 October

* The Red Emperor: China & Xi Jinping, Michael Sheridan and Howard Zhang, 6-7.15pm, £6.50 livestream, £16.80 in person, The Conduit, 6 Langley Street, WC2H 9JA. Info:  Frontline

* Memorial 2007: Remembering Enslaved Africans and Their Descendants, Sir Hilary M Beckles, 6.30-9pm, Chancellor's Hall, 1st Floor, Senate House, Malet Street, WC1E 7HU. Info: [email protected]

Thursday 3 October

* Navigating uncertainty: Radical rethinking for a turbulent world, Ian Scoones explores themes of finance and banking, technology regulation, critical infrastructures, pandemics, natural disasters and climate change + Lyla Mehta, 4-5.30pm. Info:  Institute of Development Studies

* How Tyrants Fall, Marcel Dirsus, 5.30-7pm, King’s College, Strand Campus, Strand, WC2R 2LS. Info:  King’s College

Friday 4 October

* Dunhuang: The Story of the Caves, how the discovery of the “Library Cave” transformed understanding of the Silk Road, in-person and online, 7-8.30pm, £5-£10, British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1. Info: Library

Monday 7 October

* Revolusi: Indonesia and the Modern World, David Van Reybrouck and David Colmer on  the 1949 Indonesian revolution, 7-8.30pm, £6/ £12, British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1. Info: BL

* What’s next for the future of global immunisation and why does it matter?,  Sania Nishtar, 6.30-8pm, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2

* Surveillance in a Leninist regime, Minxin Peil, 5-6.30pm, online. Info: SOAS

Tuesday 8 October

* Bangladesh Uprising: what next for workers?, Tansy Hoskins, Syed Zebal, Bangladesh worker representatives, 6-8pm, online. Info: Global Justice Now

Exhibitions

* Silk  Roads, outstanding fresh look at east-west trade, cultural and intellectual routes in the period AD55-AD1000, £22-£25, British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1 until 23 February. Info: Exhibition

+ ‘Made in Syria, buried in Essex’: Silk Roads busts its blocks

* A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang, step into a once bustling town on the Silk Road to meet the people who lived, travelled through, worked and worshipped there, British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW! until 23 February. Info: BL

+ A voice from the Silk Roads: ‘I would rather be a pig’s wife than yours’

* Zanele Muholi, more than 280 photographs by the South African “visual activist” of her country’s Black lesbian, gay, trans, queer and intersex communities, including self-portraits, £18, Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG, until 26 January. Info: Tate

+ Black LGBTQIA+ lives matter, shout Zanele Muholi’s photos

* Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King, the life and legacy of the maharaja, 1780-1839, Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1 until 20 October. Info: www.wallacecollection.org

+ Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King: glittering remnants of empire

* Grace, Alvaro Barrington’s “reimagining of Black culture and aspirational attitude under foreign conditions … explores how my grandmother, my mother, and my sister in the British Caribbean community showed up gracefully,” free, Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG until 26 January. Info: Grace

* The Kola Nut Cannot Be Contained, display about the bitter-tasting fruit that has been important in West African culture and trade since at least the 11th century features stories about its entangled global histories, vibrant traditions, and new innovations,  Wellcome Foundation, 183 Euston Road, NW1 until 2 February. Info: Wellcome Collection

* Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times In An Instant), Mexican artist Teresa Margolles’  cuboid on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square is a memorial to trans people worldwide

* Inspiration Africa: Stories Beyond the Artifacts, exploration of V&A galleries through the lens of African heritage. Free, every second Saturday of the month, V&A museum, Cromwell Avenue, SW7. V&A tour

* Collecting and Empire, trail making connections between archaeology, anthropology and the British Empire. British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG.

* British Library, installation of 6,328 books celebrates the ongoing contributions made by immigrants to Britain. Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG.

* African Deeds, showcases a collection that includes diaries, cassette interviews, videos, photos and documents of three generations of family history, inspired by grandfather Thomas’ land title deeds brought from the Gold Coast in West Africa in 1901, Black Cultural Archives, 1 Windrush Square, SW2 1EF. Info:  BCA

* Target Queen, large-scale commission by British-Indian artist Bharti Kher, Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre

*  All Our Stories: Migration and the Making of Britain, the centrality of migration to British life, free, Thursdays-Saturdays, Migration Museum, Lewisham Shopping Centre, SE13 7HB, until December 2025. Info: Museum

* Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights, stories of under-represented workers and their rights within precarious and unsafe labour environments, free, Wellcome Centre, 183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE until 27 April. Info: Wellcome

+ Working yourself into the ground

* Turner Prize 2024, Pio Abad’s exploration of cultural loss and colonial histories, often reflecting on his upbringing in the Philippines; Claudette Johnson’s figurative portraits of Black women and men; Jasleen Kaur, a Glasgow Sikh, brings her sculptures of everyday objects to life using unique sound compositions; Delaine Le Bas draws on the cultural history of the Roma people, focusing on themes of death, loss, and renewal; £14/ concessions available, Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG until 16 February. Info: Tate Britain

* Art of Palestine: from the river to the sea, showcase that aims to share the culture, heritage, and struggles of the Palestinian people through artistic expressions, P21 Gallery, 21 Chalton Street, NW1 1JD, until 21 December. Info: P21

from Thursday 3 October

* Belongings, installation by Susan Aldworth featuring the imagined contents of the suitcase her grandmother brought when she migrated from northern Italy to London in 1924, King’s College, Bush House Arcade, WC2B 4PJ until 8 November. Info: King’s College

from Saturday 5 October

* The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975–1998, group exhibition by over 30 Indian artists, bookended by two transformative events: Indira Gandhi’s declaration of a state of emergency in 1975 and the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998, £20, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS until 5 January + 26-27 October, free  Info: Barbican

Film

* The Teacher, a Palestinian teacher struggles to reconcile his commitment to political resistance with the chance of a relationship with volunteer worker and his role as father figure to a student, Barbican; Picturehouses Crouch End, Ealing, Hackney, West Norwood; Vues Finchley Road, Fulham Broadway, Piccadilly, Shepherd’s Bush, Westfield Stratford City

* My Favourite Cake, delightful tale (which the Iranian authorities tried to ban) about a 70-year-old widow in Tehran who decides it’s time to look for romance… , Curzons Bloomsbury, Camden, Soho, Victoria, Wimbledon; 2-3 October, Garden;  until 2 Oct, Riverside

+ ‘The main issue was always the hijab’

* Invisible Nation, portrait of Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, Curzon Bloomsbury, until 2 October

* The Grab, world powers will one day be the countries that control food and water, one of the world’s biggest and least discussed threats, Curzon Bloomsbury until 1 October

* Taiwanese Cinema: Now and Then, includes 1 October, Days; Garden Cinema

* Unicorns, a queer South Asian nightclub owner meets a single father - sparking a search for identity, Whirled Cinema, 259-260 Hardess Street, SE24 OHN, until 1 October

* Three Promises, a Palestinian mother documents the Second Intifada; decades later, her son pieces together the video fragments, Curzon Bloomsbury, until 2 October

from Tuesday 1 October

* London Pakistani Film Festival, includes 1 Oct, The Legend of Maula Jat, historical action drama; Farar: Episode 1, three Karachi women’s lives; 2 Oct, Before Nikkah, heartwarming blind date; Nayab, cricketing ambition and family; 3 Oct, Gunjal, historical crime thriller; The Martial Artist, Zindagi Tamasha (Circus of Life), sports drama; Garden and Rich Mix cinemas, until 3 October. Info: Festival

Wednesday 2, Thursday 3 October

* The Fisherman and the Banker, the struggle of an Indian fishing community who take on one of the world’s most powerful institutions, The World Bank Group, Curzon Bloomsbury

 Thursday 3 October

* Hollywoodgate, Ibrahim Nash’at’s film spends a year inside Afghanistan following the Taliban as they take possession of the arms cache America left behind, 6pm, Curzon Hoxton

from Thursday 3 October

* Rewriting the Rules, Pioneering Indian Cinema after 1970, 3 Oct, Interview, a family friend promises the ambitious, personable young protagonist a job: all he needs to do is turn up to the interview in a Western-style suit. When the big day arrives, a strike at the dry cleaners throws everything into chaos; 6 Oct, The Wall, Yash Chopra’s Deewaar is one of the most significant and influential mainstream socio-political films of its time; 23 Oct, 27 Down, a young man’s life is irrevocably altered by a train journey from Bombay to Varanasi; 26 Oct, This Bit of India, experimental films that map the post-colonial experience through the artist’s lens; 2 Nov, The Circus Tent, the lives of a circus troupe; 7 Nov, Duvidha, a ghost falls in love with a bride; 13 Nov, India Cabaret + Maid Servant, double bill on women’s rights; 1 Dec, Report To Mother, road movie set in ‘80s Kerala; 4 Dec, In The Name Of God, provocative documentary; 12 Dec, Alley of Ill repute, India’s first queer film; £13, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, until 12 December. Info: Barbican

Friday 4 October

The Battle For Laikipia, unresolved historical injustices and a devastating drought raise the stakes in a generations-old conflict between indigenous farmers and white landowners in Laikipia, Kenya, a wildlife conservation haven + filmmaker Q&A, 6.20pm, Curzon Bloomsbury

from Friday 4 October

* The Teacher, a Palestinian school teacher struggles to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a romantic relationship with a volunteer worker, 3.30pm, Garden cinema, until 9 October

Saturday 5 October

* As Tears Go By (Wong Gok kaa moon), Maggie Cheung breakout as a formidable dramatic performer in Wong Kar Wai’s sumptuous debut, 12.30pm, BFI Southbank

* Borrowed Time, a story of regret and loss amidst the lush landscape of tropical Malaysia, part of the South China New Wave + Zoom Q&A with director Choy Ji, Garden cinema

* In the Mood for Love (Fa yeung nin wah), Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung take love and longing to extraordinary lengths in Wong Kar Wai’s breathtakingly romantic masterpiece, 6.15pm, BFI Southbank + 8 October, 6.30pm

from Saturday 5 October

* Children of the Cult, the Rajneesh movement is one of the world’s biggest cults. Now filmmaker Maroesja Perizonius tells the barely believable story of the treatment of children within the cult, where terrible crimes were facilitated and normalised, Curzon Bloomsbury + 8, 9 October

Performance

* My English Persian Kitchen, written by Hannah Khalil from an original story by Atoosa Sepehr, it’s a drama featuring cooking on stage. about one woman’s quest to start again after being forced to flee her country who discovers a recipe for a new life, Soho Theatre, Dean Street, W1 until 5 October. Info: Soho Theatre

+ Making a meal, building a community

* Ostan, when a failing outdoor carwash staffed by immigrants becomes a front for a human trafficking enterprise, one of the workers has to make a choice, and possibly the ultimate sacrifice, Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, N4 3JP until 12 October. Info: Park Theatre

+ Slice of life in a carwash under pressure

* nowhere - an anti-biography, inspired by his involvement in the 2011 Egyptian revolution and counter-revolution, actor and activist Khalid Abdalla takes a journey into his own history, set against seismic world events, bringing together the personal and the political that asks how we got here and how we find agency amidst the mazes of history, Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, SW11 5TN until 19 October. Info: Battersea Arts Centre

+ Post-show talks curated by Khalid Abdalla and the Palestinian Festival of Literature: 10 Oct, Nowhere: Spaces of Confinement, Solidarity and Freedom; 11 Oct, The Space of Confinement; 17 Oct, The Space of Solidarity

Thursday 3 October

* Lemn Sisay tour, the author, activist, performer reads and discusses his poetry and life, 7pm, The Kiln, 269 Kilburn High Road, NW6. Info: FANE

* Elefunny Comedy Night, Maple Zuo, Leah Davis, Jacob Hatton, Fitzgerald Honger, 8pm, £12/ £8, Blue Elephant, 59a Bethwin Road, SE5 0XT. Info: Blue Elephant

from Thursday 3 October

* National Changgeuk Company of Korea: Lear, visionary restaging of the Shakespearean tragedy in the form of Changgeuk, an artistically rich theatrical form in Korea, blending music, dance, and drama, from £16, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS until 6 October. Info: Barbican. Part of K-Music Festival 2024

Friday 4 October

* King Troll (The Fawn), Riya and Nikita navigate the increasingly authoritarian island where they live, insecure, stateless, desperate for somewhere to call ‘home’. Riya ihas a chance to create an advocate in the form of a homunculus and sees a chance to elevate herself above the cruelty meted out to others. Nikita tries to keep her saviour complex in check as she negotiates the challenges and hypocrisy of the third sector, where she supports migrant teenagers. Her deep connection with one client forces her to confront the limitations of her work, New Diorama Theatre, £3-£22, 15 - 16 Triton Street, Regent’s Place, NW1 3BF, until 2 November. Info: New Diorama

Saturday 5 October

* Songs From A Golden Age, Spanish classics reimagined through bilingual spoken word and contemporary music, focussing on women and migrants, Paula Rodriguez and Arthur Astier, 9pm, £15/£13, Omnibus Theatre, 1 Clapham Common Northside, SW4. Info: Omnibus

TV and radio

Saturday 28 September

* You’re Dead To Me, remembering US abolitionist Frederick Douglass, 10am, Radio 4

Sunday 29 September

* The Persian Version, a family secret emerges at a large Iranian-American family gathering, spurring estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of their past, 10.10am, 6.05pm, Sky Cinema Premiere

* State of Rage, film about children growing up in the West Bank, in a refugee camp and an Israeli settlement, 10pm, Channel 4

* The Base: A British Army Scandal, documentary about a murder in Kenya, 10.20pm, ITV1

+ British army to investigate troops in Kenya amid rape and murder claims

Monday 30 September

* How to Survive a Dictator: North Korea, Munya Chawawa uncovers the realities of life under Kim Jong-Un's regime, 10pm, Channel 4

+ Munya Chawawa’s charming documentary might just make Channel 4 cool again

* Start the Week, discussion on the international importance of China and India, 9am, Radio 4

Tuesday 2 October

* Surviving October 7th: We will Dance Again, harrowing glimpse into the attack on partygoers during Hamas’ cross-border attack on Israel,  midnight05, BBC2

Friday 5 October

* Shabu, coming-of-age film about a wannabee Dutch rapper, 2.15am, Channel 4

Thanks to volunteer Daniel Nelson (editor of Eventslondon.org) for compiling this list.