Events in London

Events in London

Talks and discussions

Monday 1 December

* Race and the question of Palestine, Lana Tatour, 5 - 7pm, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street WC1

* Identity and politics in Xi Jinping’s China, Emily Feng on her new book, Let Only Red Flowers Bloom, 5 - 6.30pm, online. Info: SOAS

* Annual lecture on literary translation, Elif Shafak, in person and online, 7pm, £15, British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB. Info: Library

Tuesday 2 December

* From engines to heads: Sisyphus’ task and the almost normal logic of Africa’s formal economies, Chongsheng Yang, 12, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, WC2. Info: SOAS

Wednesday 3 December

* The politics of hunger in Sudan, Nisrin Elamin, 6.30 - 8pm, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2

* Fair doses: An insider's story of the pandemic and the global fight for vaccine equity, Seth Berkley, 5.30 - 7pm, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT.

Thursday 4 December

* Humanitarian aid at a crossroads: making the case for global solidarity, Shahin Ashraf, Adelina Kamal, Ben Phillips, 6.15 - 7.30pm, in-person and online, Overseas Development Institute, 4 Millbank SW1. Info: ODI

* Framing resistance: protest photography, collective memory, and the civic struggle for hope in Israel, Tanya Zion-Waldoks, 6 - 7.30pm, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2

* The carbon problem, Lubos Pastor, 6.30 - 7.35pm, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2

* Digital gender backlash: strategies to counter it, Maíra Kubík Mano, Sandra Aceng, Becky Faith, Rachel Grant, Iffat Jahan Antara, Çimen Günay-Erkol, 12 - 1.30pm. Info: Institute of Development Studies

* Disability inclusive disaster risk reduction: Gaps in knowledge and practice, Jorg Weber, Roz Price, Brigitte Rohwerder, Mary Wickenen,  Muhammed Atif, 1 - 2.30pm. Info:  Register now

* HLPE report on food system resilience, webinar on the latest report of the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition, Alison Blay-Palmer, Garima Bhalla, Lidia Cabral, Paola Termine, John Thompson, Robert Arcidiacono, 2 - 3.30pm. Info: Institute of Development Studies

Friday 5 December

* Nairobi to Yaounde: securing Africa’s trade and development future, 9.30am - 5pm. Info: Overseas Development Institute

Monday 8 December

* Securing a fair green transition: balancing  climate action and economic equity, 9.30am - 3pm, online. Info: Overseas Development Institute

Tuesday 9 December

* The Nordics’ Leadership to the World - a panel discussion with Nordic Investment Bank president André Küüsvek, Frederique Dahan, André Küüsvek, Dora Meredith, Rebecca Harding, 5.30 - 7.30pm. Info: Overseas Development Institute

Exhibitions

* Emergency Exits: The Fight for Independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus, how post Second World War “Emergencies”, as they were termed by the UK, shaped Britain, its former territories and the modern world, Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road SE1 6HZ until 29 March. Info: IWM

* Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, from ancient Mesopotamia and Victorian London to modern-day Nepal and Singapore, the exhibition combines art, science, history, technology and indigenous knowledge to deepen understanding of our relationships with freshwater, free, Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE until 1 February. Info: Wellcome

+ Thirst: an exhibition bridge over troubled water​

* Kerry James Marshall: The Histories, “the most important artist” in the US, who places the lives of Black Americans front and centre, £23.50-£25.50, Royal Academy, Piccadilly, until 18 January. Info: RA

+ ‘If you say Black, you should see Black’

+ ‘My paintings don’t fit the narrative’: Kerry James Marshall on why he’s depicting black enslavers

* Botanical Tales and Seeds of Empire & Flora Indica: Recovering the lost histories of Indian botanical art,  The Singh Twins examine the global mythologies of plants and the histories of Empire + Flora Indica – a world first display of work by historical Indian botanical artists, admission included in Kew entry fee, Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens until 12 April

+ The Singh Twins light up the dark links between empire and botany

+ The Singh Twins spotlight Kew’s role in the business of Empire

*  A Story of South Asian Art: Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle, artists who have shaped the trajectory of Indian Modernism, £17, Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly W1J until 24 February. Info: RA

* Nigerian Modernism,  Nigerian artists working before and after the decade of national independence from colonial rule in 1960, Tate Modern, Bankside SE1 9TG until 10 May. Info: Tate

*  Mumbai + London: new perspectives on the ancient world, small exhibit focussed on Greek god Dionysius and India’s Vishnu, British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG until 11 January 2026. Info: Exhibition

* 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

* Collecting and Empire, trail making connections between archaeology, anthropology and the British Empire, British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1. Info: British Museum

* British Library, installation of 6,328 books marks the contributions of migrants to UK, Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1. Info: Installation/ 7887 8888

* Inspiration Africa: Stories Beyond the Artifacts, exploration of V&A galleries through the lens of African heritage, free, second Saturday of every month, V&A, Cromwell Road, SW7. Info: V&A

* 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 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

* Making Egypt, exploring ancient Egypt's creativity and how it continues to influence art, design and popular culture today, £10, Young V&A, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA. Info: V&A

* Imaging Peace, outdoor exhibition featuring global community peace photography projects, part of ‘Lost & Found: Stories of sanctuary and belonging’, a free programme of arts and ideas at King’s College, Strand, WC2R 2LS. Info: Peace exhibition

*  The Presence of Solitude, through film, photography and costume,  Taiwanese artist Val Lee explores isolation, solitude and the resulting human connections, free, Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road until 11 January. Info: Hayward

* I Still Dream of Lost Vocabularies, examination of political dissent and erasure through the idea of collage, Sabrina Tirvengadum, Sunil Gupta, Qualeasha Wood, Jess Atieno, Sheida Soleimani, free, Autograph, Rivington Place, EC2A 3BA until 21 March. Info: Exhibition  

* Parliament of Ghosts, site specific work by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama that repurposes colonial-era furniture and jute sacks alongside newly crafted elements, inaugural show at Ibraaz, 14 Mortimer Street, W1W 7SS, a space dedicated to Global Majority culture, until 15 February. Info: Ibraaz

* Wildlife Photographer of the Year, from £15.50, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, DW7 5DB until 12 July. Info: Museum

* Jennie Baptiste: Rhythm & Roots, the Black British photographer offers a visual narrative of the dynamic movements which shaped and define British music, fashion, and youth culture, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA until 4 January. Info: Somerset House

* Secret Maps, the stories hidden in some of history’s most mysterious maps, £20, British Library, 96 Euston Road NW1 2DB until 18 January. Info: Library

* The Land Carries, work by three international artists: Ahmed Akasha (UK), Dina Nur Satti (US) and Yasmin Elnour (Bahrain) responding to material in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology, 1 - 5pm, Petrie Museum, University College London, Malet Place, WC1E 6BT until 16 May. Info: Sudan exhibition

Film

* London Migration Film Festival, programme includes 1 Dec, Solleil O, Med Hondo’s freewheeling 70s masterpiece on Black consciousness; Aisha Can’t Fly Away, magical realism and horror; Meals and Movement: Recipe Writing Workshop; 2 Dec, Open Projection Night & Networking; Mexico 86, motherhood and activism; Under the Open Sky, a camel-herder v modernity; Maydegol, an Afghan teen wants to become a Thai boxer; 3 Dec, Migrant Cinema - A Journey Through Time, review and reflection. Ritzy, SOAS, Genesis, ICA, Curzon Bloomsbury, Lexi, Cine Lumiere, Rich Mix, Rio, National Maritime Museum, St Margaret’s

House. Until  3 December. Info: Festival

Tuesday 2 December

* The Dating Game, three perpetual bachelors join an intensive seven-day dating camp led by one of China's most sought-after dating coaches + Q&A with Violet Feng, Joanna Natasegara and Julia Nottingham, 7 - 8.30pm, from £5.94, Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place W2 1QJ. Info: Frontline

* It Was Just An Accident, Iranian filmmaker and rights campaigner Jafar Panahi returns with a brave black comedy thriller of revenge and state violence that won him the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Picturehouses Central, Clapham, Crouch End, Ealing, East Dulwich, Finsbury Park, Gate, Greenwich, Hackney, Ritzy, West Norwood

+ Twice-jailed Panahi spins a moral tale for our troubled times

Wednesday 4 December

* Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War, investigation into  allegations of serious breaches of international law, from indiscriminate bombardment, to the use of human shields and shooting of civilians, 7 - 8.30pm, from £5.94, Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, W2 1QJ. Info: Frontline

from Thursday 5 December

* Dreamers, queer romance set in an immigration detention centre, where two UK asylum seekers find love and community in the face of darkness, National Film Theatre, until 11 December

from Thursday 5 December

* It Was Just An Accident, Jafar Panahi’s award-winning Iranian black comedy thriller is a powerful indictment of state-sponsored terror and a moving drama of individuals seeking to rebuild their lives after being subject to it, ICA, until 11 December

+ Twice-jailed Panahi spins a moral tale for our authoritarian times

Sunday 7 December

* Rhino, a dedicated wildlife ranger has protected his critically endangered black rhino population so well that they have now run out of space, 1.45pm, Curzon Bloomsbury

Monday 8 December

* Black Ops, preview episodes from the second series of popular TV show, 6.15pm, National Film Theatre

* Colossal Wreck, a personal  odyssey inside the COP28 climate conference. Are these get-togethers all about false promises or the only hope for saving the world? +  Q&A with filmmaker Josh Appignanesi and artist-photographer Diana Matar, 6.20pm, Curzon Bloomsbury

Tuesday 9 December

* New Women (Xin nuxing), iconic silent star Ruan Lingyu gives a heart-wrenching performance as a single mother driven to the brink by inequality and objectification + intro by Cynthia Gu, 6.10pm, National Film Theatre

Performance

* After Sunday, Ty, Leroy and Daniel have signed up to a new Caribbean cooking group led by their occupational therapist, but when you are locked in a secure hospital, too much food for thought can be a bad thing, £10 - £35, Bush Theatre, Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ until 20 December. Info: Bush

+ Caribbean-British ‘kitchen sink’ drama set in a secure hospital

* The Horse of Jenin, an ode to the power of imagination and the resilience it brings, constructed from the fragments of Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada’s memories, Bush Theatre, Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ until 20 December. Info: Bush

+ A Palestinian tale straight from the horse’s mouth

Friday 5 - Sunday 7 December

* That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore, three-day exhibition and series of events (posters, spoken word, sound, cooking, and conversation, blending humour and grief) by Palestinian artist Rand Hamdallah, in collaboration with online artist-in-residence Shahd Itbakhi, House of Annetta, 25 Princelet Street. Info: Opening and performance

* In the Shadow of the Martyr, a doorman delves into fractured psyches and evolving brain lineages as he confronts his brother’s martyrdom, in Arabic with English subtitles, £25/ £18, Theatro Technis, 26 Crowndale Road, NW1 1TT. Info: Theatro Technis

Sunday 7 December

* We Are Not Numbers, readings from a collection of essays and stories written by young Gazans + discussion with Palestinian artists, journalists and scholars including Ahmed Alnaouq, Malak Mattar and Sarona Bedwan, in aid of WANN’s mission to nurture emerging Palestinian authors and amplify Palestinian voices, 7.30pm, £15 - £30, Arcola Theatre, 25 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL. Info: Arcola

TV and radio

Sunday 30 November

* Sorry, I Didn’t Know, Black comedy quiz,  10.55pm, ITV1

* The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu, documentary, 1.30am, BBC4

* Four Months in Gaza, aid worker Hanya Aljamal’s personal perspective, 7.15pm, Radio4

Monday 1 December

* Global Eye, current affairs, 7pm, BBC2

* Piccadilly, the stories of five migrants to UK in the ‘60s, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4

* The Arrest, series on the legal struggle to prosecute Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in London, 1.45pm, Radio4

Tuesday 2 December

* Piccadilly, the stories of five migrants to UK in the ‘60s, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4

* The Arrest, series on the legal struggle to prosecute Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in London, 1.45pm, Radio4

* Omid’s Tapes: The Afghan Memory Keeper, Afghan journalist and film-maker Tamana Ayazi joins an attempt to save two rare collections of Afghan music cassettes, 9pm, Radio4

Wednesday 3 December

* Prisoner 951: The Hostage Story, in the wake of the TV drama about Iran’s six-year detention of British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, she tells her own story,, 9pm, BBC2

* Piccadilly, the stories of five migrants to UK in the ‘60s, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4

* The Arrest, series on the legal struggle to prosecute Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in London, 1.45pm, Radio4

Thursday 4 December

* Piccadilly, the stories of five migrants to UK in the ‘60s, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4

* The Arrest, series on the legal struggle to prosecute Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in London, 1.45pm, Radio4

Friday 5 December

 * Piccadilly, the stories of five migrants to UK in the ‘60s, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4

* The Arrest, series on the legal struggle to prosecute Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in London, 1.45pm, Radio4

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