Fancy having a go at new activities from the comfort of your own home? Here's Corinne with her pick of May's cultural highlights including Yoga, Dance, Art and Black History. Tune in if you want to unwind, be creative, be informed and inspired..........
Here are all the links to tune in and sign up -
2 May at 6.00 pm. Social Care and Medicine in the Stone Age
When we think of people during the Stone Age, we usually imagine them hunting, foraging, or creating tools and art. But what do we know about how they interacted with each other? In this talk, Andrea will discuss some key aspects of the lives of Stone Age people: care, healing, medicine and rituals.
8 May at 10.00 am. Hatha Yoga for beginners
De-stress and make time for yourself at our relaxing and calming Hatha Yoga workshop with Pui Lee. Hatha Yoga is the foundation from where many popular styles of yoga have developed. The word “yoga” is actually derived from the Sanskrit root, “yuj”, which means union, join, or bring together; thus, bringing mind, body and soul together in a harmonious way. The session will include: breathing technique, limbering up exercises and then the practice of the main yoga movements (asanas). The session will then conclude with relaxation and some top tips for improving your overall health and wellbeing.
You will focus on centering the mind and body to improve overall bodily awareness, as well as improving strength and flexibility.
9 May 6.30pm Get drawing with Pui Lee
Join in with this mindful art session where you will have the freedom and support to unwind and to get creative in a series of guided drawing activities with artist Pui Lee. For the warm-up, you will try out some mindful mark-making. Then for the main activity, Pui Lee will show you step-by step how to draw a dog! She will then show you how to complete your picture by either adding tone and/or colour using drawing tools.
Art is always great for relaxation, reduction of stress and above all, is good fun! This workshop is well suited for those not so confident with drawing, aiming to help get you started with some creative ideas and techniques to try out. You will end up with some drawings that you can continue with at your own leisure if you don’t finish within the session itself. No experience necessary.
10 May at 2.00 pm Women in Medieval London
In the years following the Black Death of 1348-9 in London, in which as many as 50% of the population died, women enjoyed something of a ‘Golden Age’. Young women can be found apprenticed in a number of crafts, married women could trade as ‘femmes soles’ and widows are to be found running businesses, trading with Italian merchants and taking on apprentices of their own. The rise in population in the early sixteenth century and the advent of Protestantism altered the opportunities and the public profile of women in London. This talk by Professor Caroline Barron will explore some of the evidence in the city’s records which can reveal the different roles played by women in London the medieval period.
18 May at 6.30pm Olivia De Havilland
What do Courtney Love, Jared Leto and Johnny Carson have in common? All took greater control of their careers by using “the de Havilland law”—the result of a landmark legal battle between a movie star and a studio that would change not just the film industry, but music and TV as well. Join us for the story of one of Hollywood’s most resilient stars: two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland.
20 May at 5.30 on line Classical Chinese dance workshop
Workshop leader Annie will guide participants through dance exercises, steps and techniques. By the end of the lesson, you'll have learned a beautiful Classical Chinese dance! The dance steps will be easy to follow, and you'll have a taste of Chinese culture while having fun.
21 May at 8.00 pm. Frida Kahlo
Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist. She is known for painting about her experience of chronic pain.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/frida-kahlos-casa-azul-blue-house-mexico-city-livestream-tour-tickets
22 May at 5.30 to 8.00 African Odysseys film programme
The African Odysseys film programme has been screening fantastic Black films once a month with Q&A's for 15 years. It is the only such programme in the country and was initiated and maintained by community activists. Some of the films we have shown have been literally banned and this presentation will go through 20 of them explaining what these films were about, why they were banned and the current methods of suppressing Black films that challenge Hollywood stereotypes.
23 May at 6.30. Evelyn Dove Britain's Black Cabaret Queen
Evelyn Dove was an amazing, famous and well-respected entertainer who was as popular in World War Two as Dame Vera Lynn. A student of the Royal Academy of Music in 1917, when there were very few black people in attendance ,she went on to excel in the 1940s. Compared, at the the time ,to Josephine Baker, she was the darling of BBC Radio and TV and pioneered all Black shows on the channel.
Lastly an event you can watch anytime
Ten minute talks from the National Gallery
Why does this lady have a fly on her head and what can this tell us about the tricks artists play. Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, The Myojin-Nadar Associate Curator of Paintings 1600–1800, investigates the unusual addition to 'Portrait of a Women from the Hofer Family'. There are other stories if you like this one.
Best wishes to everyone see you next month
Corinne