Fun
There are a few floating restaurants in London (like Caravel, and The Cheese Barge), floating hotels, a floating bookshop, and now, we’ve got an arts space to add to the list of buoyant attractions. It’s called Theatreship and it offers a programme of film, theatre, visual arts and music performance, featuring a mix of local and international talent. Originally a cargo ship built in 1913, Theatreship took 18 months to convert into its current form and is now home to a 100-seater theatre, a cafe & bar and exhibition space, making it the UK’s largest floating theatre and cinema.
Take London river cruising to a new level with GoBoat, the self-drive boating experience. Round up your friends (you can fit up to eight people per boat), pack up a picnic, and choose your captain before jumping on board and driving your way through the Docklands. You start at Bellmouth Passage but from there, the route is up to you, so you’re free to explore the neighbourhood’s architecture, green parks and local landmarks however you wish. AHOY!
If you feel the need, the need for speed, then there’s one place you should head for and that’s Capital Karts. It boasts the UK’s largest and fastest indoor go-karting track, where you can reach speeds of up to 45mph in the electric karts. The professionally designed course has enough twists and turns to keep even the most wannabe Lewis Hamiltons amongst you on your toes, and with different kinds of races on offer, including Sprint Sessions and Grand Prix Sessions, there are plenty of ways for you to get your adrenaline fix on the track. Once you’ve zoomed your way to victory, you can conduct your own post-race analysis in the on-site bar and lounge.
CANADA SQUARE PARK
This is one of the most popular and beloved green spaces in Canary Wharf. Restaurants and bars like Shake Shack and The Parlour are dotted around the outside whilst the green itself plays host to a range of outdoor events throughout the summer like film screenings, children’s festivals and music concerts.
You can’t beat a good rooftop, especially one that’s got a garden, and Crossrail Place Roof Garden is one of the biggest in London. It showcases some of the plants that were brought to the capital by explorers in the 18th and 19th centuries, and as Crossrail Place is almost exactly on the Meridian Line the layout reflects different hemispheres. You’ll find Asian plants like bamboo and Japanese maple on the eastern side of the garden, with ferns and sweet gum from the Americas on the western side. You can wander through and explore the foliage or take five on the benches nestled into the pathways.
Harbour Quay is the closest thing you’ll find to the beach in the capital, and if you stroll along the long boardwalk and look out over the water on a sunny day it definitely won’t feel like you’re in the city. There are plenty of great picnic spots on the lawn for when you want to chill out and watch the world go by or you can burn off some energy with the outdoor fitness equipment.
If you’re in the mood for some friendly competition, then move on over to Electric Shuffle. They’ve levelled up traditional table shuffleboard with interactive screens and vision technology, so you focus on the game and not on the scoring. To keep you fuelled between rounds, Electric Shuffle serves up pizzas, craft beer and cocktails perfect for enjoying with your team.
A HOME AWAY FROM HOME | THE INDIA CLUB
The National Trust is showcasing the rich history of the India Club with this audio-based exhibition inside the iconic venue. The India Club has been a significant meeting point and community space for Anglo-Indian organisations as well as immigrants, journalists, artists, writers and students. The venue recently came under threat from redevelopment but was saved following an extensive campaign, with the likes of food writer Sejal Sukhadwala, critic Marina O’Loughlin and Will Self lending support. The oral history interviews feature a range of people connected to the Club, from the late 50s to today, and provide a real insight into how important a place it is.
ROBERT FRASER'S GROOVY ARTS CLUB BAND
Gazelli Art House is hosting this celebration of gallerist Robert Fraser, who bridged the worlds of art and music in the sixties. The show brings together artists that Fraser championed, including Clive Barker, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Bridget Riley, Ed Ruscha and more, and there’s also an accompanying double vinyl album featuring songs in tribute to Fraser.
HANNA MOON & JOYCE NG | ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
A new photography exhibition exploring the feeling of “being lost in translation” by two most acclaimed fashion photographers Hanna Moon and Joyce Ng is coming to Somerset House. Driven by the feelings of being immigrants in London, the work showcased by the two artists will celebrate the vitality of international perspectives within our multi-cultural society, challenging the concept of ‘otherness’ and the power fashion photography holds in shifting our perceptions of beauty, style and taste.
BILL VIOLA | MICHELANGELO
The Royal Academy is bringing together the works of Michelangelo and Bill Viola, who though born centuries both explore the themes of the cycle of life. A selection of Michelangelo’s drawings will be on display, as will the Virgin and Child with the Infant St John, his only marble sculpture in the UK. Twelve of Viola’s installations will feature in the show, including the five-metre high projection Tristan’s Ascension (The Sound of a Mountain Under a Waterfall), which depicts the ascent of the soul after death.
ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG | SPREADS 1975 - 83
Large-scale pieces (with one stretching to six metres) from Robert Rauschenberg are on display for the first time in the UK at the Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac. The Spreads series, inspired by “autobiographical feelings”, feature many of his best-known motifs like doors, lights and tyres though they are used with a brighter colour palette. If you liked the retrospective the Tate held in 2016, you’ll want to come and check these out.
To honour the centenary of women’s suffrage, SHOWstudio is hosting a fashion illustration exhibition that features images of 100 models, including Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, Andrej Pejic, Devon Aoki, Slick Woods, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Iman and Karlie Kloss, in an outfit they wore that made them feel most empowered.
If exercising around the four walls of your gym seems boring, or you just really wanna get up in some nature, a Go Ape treetop adventure is the one for you. At Alexandra Palace, you can work your way through a range of rope courses, stomach-churning swings and fling yourself down a zip wire. Just don’t look down.
MODERN COUPLES | ART, INTIMACY AND THE AVANT-GARDE
The Barbican is showcasing the creative collections of over 40 artistic couples, from Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar to Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo. Modern Couples exhibition features work from iconic duos of painters, sculptors, photographers, architects, designers, musicians and performers, alongside personal material that defined their relationships. A true collab of modern art and modern love.
For their big winter exhibition, Somerset House is celebrating the cultural legacy of Peanuts, showcasing contemporary works inspired by Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang, alongside original drawings from creator Charles M. Schulz. As one of the world’s most influential comic strips, the exhibition explores the lasting social and political impact of one of our favourite cartoons.
ELMGREEN & DRAGSET | THIS IS HOW WE BITE OUR TONGUE
Scandi duo Elmgreen & Dragset, who are known for exploring social politics and power structures through their sculptures and large-scale installations have taken over the Whitechapel Gallery with works from across their 20+ year collaboration. As well as pieces that reference masculinity and identity, the specially commissioned ‘Whitechapel Pool’ – an actual, full-size abandoned swimming pool – is a comment on the loss of civic space.