Dead Long Year. Author Justin Hopper in conversation with Travis Elborough
Dead Long Year. Author Justin Hopper in conversation with Travis Elborough about his book, Dead Long Year based in the famous artists club, The Cave of The Golden Calf on Heddon Street.
Private View for Paul Davis exhibition:
Paul Davis exhibition: God’s Chamber and Other Drawings.
‘The drawings in this exhibition are a small selection from thousands that sit in archive boxes in my studio. Most haven’t been shown before.
Drawing is the only thing I know that helps fend off insanity and, at the same time, embraces the wonder of existence. Plus, the act of drawing is, in itself, some sort of antidote to the times in which we’ve always lived. Humans are fabulous and terrible.
Being alive is beautiful, tragic and hallucinogenic - an experience that never fails to surprise or intrigue.
This is, obviously, dotted with the outcomes of infuriating policies that are made by a cabal of tremendously stupid - mostly male - ‘leaders’ that can lead to misery and much worse.
Now we find ourselves obsessing over AI: hilarious and worrying that the human has invented a technology designed to replace itself.
We’re driving us all mad.’
Untitled Event
April Book talk : Acme BOY: The Birth of Punk & Anti-Fashion 1975 - 1985...and Other Twisted, True Stories from Pre-Internet Counterculture.Author Philip Strongman in conversation with Cathi Unsworth
Hen Mistress of Mayhem: A Portrait of Henrietta Moraes
Author Darren Coffield talks about the bohemian legend, Henrietta Moraes, model and muse to Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Maggi Hambling.Book Launch and talk: A Muse by Kiernan Saint Leonard
Kiernan Saint Leonard in conversation with Peter Carty.
‘A mysterious chanteuse leads a reckless musician on a journey strewn with signs and symbols into the underworld of occult California. Permeated with mysticism and obsession, A Muse is a reflection on the perils of inspiration and creativity; a musical odyssey that veers across the spectral boundary between fact and fiction, reality and unreality.’
Fluent, mysterious...a great sense of place, an even more acute sense of person and a disquieting gape into a strange mind."- Jonathan Meades
THE SIX OF CLUBS
Written by and performed by Celine Hispiche
Nobody has ever shone the light or properly acknowledged the female impresario’s of nightlife.
Dating from the 1750’s till the 1970’s, in London establishments located in Soho, Chinatown and Mayfair, and from there to Venice and back, each segment deals with a single private member club owner.
With the help of music, speech, song, a little bawdiness and a lot of humour, Celine Hispiche embodies and recounts the achievements of these extraordinary women, whether hard-bitten Dublin demi-monde, Milanese socialite, or tough-talking Birmingham lesbian. From the fragrantly operatic to the flagrantly exotic, from multi-millionaire to hardened convict, all used their uncanny business sense and extraordinary personalities to launch venues that would attract and hold the attention of leading bohemians, bank-robbing psychopaths and artistic legislators of the day.
As much as any ground-breaking artist or inventor, these brilliant women were pioneers, trend-setters and rule-breakers: the booze-soaked catalysts of change. They rubbed shoulders - and other body parts - with celebrities as varied as Evelyn Waugh, Tallulah Bankhead and Barbara Cartland. They welcomed artists like Francis Bacon, pace-setting Vorticist’s, and sober post-impressionist Camden Town Group artists into their clubs. And left their mark, and many a sore head on the European capitals they enlivened and on which they emblazoned their unique mark.
These fiery figure heads glided their ships through storms of legal battles, licensing laws, envy and fast growing competitors.
Teresa Cornelys 1723 - 1797
It is clearly evident the Italian influence in the early 1800’s on London’s nightlife. The Masquerades and balls were just but a mere taste of what was to unfold in the dark hours of Carlyle House under the watchful eye of Teresa Cornelys the Empress of Pleasure.
Frida Strindberg 1872 - 1943
Frieda Strindberg originally from Vienna, prior to her London club The Cave of The Golden Calf opened the first cabaret club in Berlin.
Marchesa Luisa Casati 1881 - 1957
Party hostess extraordinaire. Adorning live snakes as necklaces, mother of pearl high heels and two cheetahs on diamond leashes.
Kate Meyrick 1875 - 1933
The Dubliner who came to London and transformed herself into The Queen of Clubs throughout the West End.
Muriel Belcher 1908 - 1979
Artist model and the founder of The Colony Room in Soho. Sharp tongued and always held court, perched at the end of the bar.
Lady Edith Foxwell 1918 - 1996
The Queen of London Cafe Society and then onto the Disco Dowager when she took over the Embassy Club in Mayfair in the early 1980’s
The performance takes the audience through the doors of these decadent clubs. With witty monologues and hand tailored songs performed by Celine.
Factual Nonsense: The Art and Death of Joshua Compston. 30th Anniversary Memorial Exhibition
Featuring: Tracey Emin, Gilbert and George, Gavin Turk, Gary Hume, Peter Blake, Jeremy Deller, Simon Bill, Damien Hirst, Darren Coffield, Angus Fairhurst, Gillian Wearing, Gordon Faulds, Paul Sakoilsky, Simon Periton, Tim Noble & Sue Webster.
Exhibition open daily 4 March - 11 April - admission free.
Slumlord: Peter Rachman and the post-war London Underworld Neil Root in conversation with Cathi Unsworth
‘Peter Rachman dominated housing in post-war London - he owned vast swathes in the west of the city, accumulating huge wealth as his tenants lived in squalor and fear of his hard-nosed collectors and enforcers. He was also at the heart of the city's murky, post-war underworld.
In Slumlord, Neil Root pulls back the curtain on this seedy world to paint a portrait of a fascinating man whose path intersected with figures as diverse as Christine Keeler, the glamorous society girl at the heart of the Profumo Scandal, and Michael X, the Black Power activist who later went on to be hanged for double murder.
Ruthless in his ambition, Rachman was the archetype of the exploitative landlord, and a man who was willing to use the prejudices of his time in order to maximise profits. He is also a compelling leading man in a story of post-war London, a city where, among the grime and the rubble, fortunes could be made. You just had to hold your nose, abandon your morals and be willing to take from those less fortunate.
WIP Flash Literary Salon
Hosted by Lana Citron, this open mic night gives writers and poets the floor to test new work. Smart, raw and beautifully unpredictable.
Soho Women in Publishing
From 7:30pm, a conversation celebrating women working at the heart of Soho’s publishing scene, with Sophie Mortimer and Ashley Brown. An evening of stories, insight and discussion around books, culture and the realities of publishing today. Pay bar open to the public.
In Conversation: Brian Haw
From 7:30pm, an evening reflecting on the life and legacy of peace protester Brian Haw, featuring a Q&A. The discussion explores protest, persistence and public space, followed by audience questions.
Philosophy Bar with Vanessa Brassey
From 7pm, Philosophy Bar returns to The Colony Room, an invitation to think out loud, without the pressure to perform. Guests are paired into short, informal conversations prompted by a single philosophical question, before drifting back into the room to keep talking, change subject, or abandon philosophy altogether. Hosted by philosopher and artist Vanessa Brassey, the evening is lightly structured, quietly provocative, and open to anyone curious enough to join in!
Give Me Some Truth - Richard Keith Wolff - Opening Party
From 7pm, join us for the opening party of Give Me Some Truth, a new exhibition at The Colony Room. The evening is open to the public for drinks, conversation and a first look at the work.
Q&A with Justin Hibbs and Sasha Bowles
From 8pm on Tuesday 27 January, The Colony Room hosts an evening with multidisciplinary artist Sasha, whose practice spans painting, sculpture, installation and performance. She’ll discuss the ideas and processes behind her recent exhibitions — Watching You / Watching Me at The Colony Room and Operatics at the Holland Park Café — offering a rare insight into the connective threads that run through her work.
Touched By The Presence
From Blondie’s Bowery and Rock and Roll, to Magic and the Occult By Gary Lachman - Book Launch from 7pm.
Soho Characters and Other Icons by Roman Koester
London-based photographer Roman Koester — known for his intuitive, street-led portraiture and two decades spent capturing the city’s rhythms — presents Soho Characters and Other Icons, a new exhibition of portraits drawn from the neighbourhood’s eclectic cast. Working primarily in analogue and with an eye for spontaneity, Koester’s images reflect Soho’s vibrant personality and the unique characters who define its streets and stories.