TV: Being Blacker
You have a day left to watch the very excellent Being Blacker on BBC iPlayer this week. The first film in 10 years by legendary filmmaker Molly Dineen, it follows the life of Steve ‘Blacker Dread’ Martin — a figurehead in Brixton’s Jamaican community and a lightning rod for many of the major social and cultural issues that have shaped the country over the last half-century. On BBC iPlayer until 17 April.
Book: You Had Better Make Some Noise
Noble words to embiggen even the smallest man now. Bringing together quotations from social activists, revolutionaries, artists, writers, philosophers and politicians, You Had Better Make Some Noise comes complete with perforated paper pages, making it easy to tear them out and plonk wherever you feel appropriate. We’re hoping for that one from Taken for our Walkers multipack in the office kitchen. Out 17 April via Phaidon.
Film: Crop Circle
London rapper Nines premieres Crop Circle this Tuesday, a short film that he wrote, directed and co-produced. Taking place at Soho’s Prince Charles Cinema, with a guest-list including 200 of Nines’ friends and family — as well as key names from the UK rap scene — it should be a real moment for an artist who has quietly built his fanbase over the last seven years or so. If you can’t bag a invite, he’ll be streaming the film on his Youtube channel from 9pm the same night too. 17 April, Prince Charles Cinema, London.
LGBTQ+: London Community Centre
Following in the footsteps of other cities such as Los Angeles, New York City, Zurich and Berlin, London announces its very own LGBTQ+ Community Centre this week. A completely accessible multi-purpose venue — open from morning till night for individuals, communities, and campaigning groups — the proposed centre will serve as a vital physical space run by and for LGBTQ+ people: a cafe, meeting point, workplace and social centre all rolled into one. Announcement event 18 April, Hackney Showroom, London.
Fashion: Fashioned from Nature
The first UK exhibition to explore the complex relationship between fashion and nature opens at the V&A now. Featuring over 350 items including Emma Watson’s Calvin Klein dress made from recycled plastic bottles and a pretty nifty cape crafted from cockerel and pheasant feathers, it invites visitors to have a think about the materials of fashion and the source of their clothes — the first time an exhibition has looked at sustainable fashion in a properly historical context. 21 April, V&A, London.
Gig: Gisela João
One of fado‘s brightest new voices, Gisela João, “treads the boards” at London’s Union Chapel this weekend. If you don’t know much about it, fado is a form of music characterised by mournful tunes and lyrics, often and infused with a sentiment of resignation, fatefulness and melancholia. It’s basically The Smiths, but make it Iberian, and Gisela is one of the very best. 21 April, Union Chapel, London.
Event: Secret Cinema
And finally, we held off writing about this until we actually went along, but Secret Cinema kicked off last month with a screening of Blade Runner: The Final Cut. Comprised, this time, of a faithfully restored Los Angeles (all cyberpunk-y neon and dimly lit noodle bars), we don’t want to give too much away but will say this: bring an umbrella (clear vinyl, preferably) and fork out for the spenny tickets if you can. You might have to sell your own grandmother but it’s worth it.
More info here.
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