The film opens in a distant, grainy, black-and-white past, showing us the opening ceremony for the permanent buildings of Ibadan University College of Nigeria by Lord Tedder, the then Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, in 1952. With its colonial origins established, we are aptly set up for a presentation of what has changed at the University of Ibadan in the last 70 years, and the work that has been done to keep the university in the light, away from these post-colonial shadows. In Coconut Head Generation, this light is provided by the cinema itself. The film follows the Thursday F ..read more

★★★★ Returning for its second revival at Covent Garden, Katie Mitchell’s infamous production of Lucia di Lammermoor has lost some of its shock-value, but it continues to add poignancy and insight, as well as blood and gore, to Donizetti’s gothic heroine, and to point towards further nuances which could be brought out of this complex and tragic tale. Mitchell’s production gained notoriety at its premiere in 2016 for its bifurcated staging, which sharpens the focus on Lucia’s character and motivations, and brings to the stage grisly details of the plot which the original libretto hides fro ..read more

As technology continues to become increasingly sophisticated and ever-present in all areas of life, the familiar boundaries of digital space are slowly starting to change. For many enthusiasts, gaming is largely considered as a bridge between reality and fictional, fantastical worlds. ‘Now Play This’ is an exhibition that explores the playful nature of gaming against the tangibility of physical spaces and hardware. Photo courtesy of Somerset House Presenting audiences with a curated selection of games, playful experiences, and activities with the aim of bridging the distance between art, en ..read more

Enter high society’s finest young royals, socialites, the heirs of industrial empires, and inspiring female entrepreneurs and artists: welcome to the 2023 Paris ‘Le Bal des Debutantes’. Organised by Ophelie Renouard, French PR extraordinaire and reviver of the debutant ball in 1991 at the Crillon Hotel, the 2023 ‘Le Bal des Debutantes’ in November at the Shangri La Hotel, Paris, was not to be missed. Raising funds for the cardiology research unit ARCFA of Necker-Engants Maldes Hospital and World Central Kitchen, the affair unified aristocrats, philanthropists, and young stars from across the ..read more

Sargent and Fashion installation view with Lady Sassoon,1907 and Opera cloak, c.1895 at Tate Britain 2024. Photo © Tate (Jai Monaghan). John Singer Sargent might be one of the most beloved artists of the Edwardian era, and the number of people crowded around each painting on view as part of Tate Britain’s exhibit Sargent and Fashion stands as testament to that. As the title suggests, this exhibit examines the importance of fashion in Sargent’s portraits as well as the ways that Sargent manipulated clothing and accessories in his artwork in a way that seemingly reveals his sitters’ whol ..read more

The Death and Life of All Of Us at Camden People's Theatre — starring Victor Esses — was perhaps less of a theatrical performance than it was a narrative. As I understood it, Esses sought to unpick the connection between his roots and character make-up, telling a story of identity. It is apparent that his present state has been informed by his somewhat unforgiving home environment and his questioning of cultural practices, but also in large by his long-lost great-aunt Marcelle, an influential figure in virtue of her shameless individuality and unapologetic embrace of difference. Esses d ..read more

Photo by Angelina Bengady Rave culture used to be about music and community, and served as an accessible leisure that was unpoliced, unadulterated and undiluted. Now, the scene has changed.  Today, the rise in DJs and ‘rave collectives’ run by young people has created a shift towards an environment very similar to clubbing just with more EDM and ketamine. So why the sudden change? Why are young people turning to DJing and running raves? In an effort to genuinely get to the bottom of the gentrification of rave culture, I’ve talked to and been amongst the underground scene from within ..read more

★★★★ ‘You only sinned out of love, as I sinned out of love’ sings Jenůfa, in the remarkable statement of forgiveness and hope which closes this dismal domestic drama of shame, betrayal, and violence. David Alden’s revived production transposes the drama from a rural Moravian village into a dreary twentieth-century industrial estate in the Eastern Bloc, the jangling of the millwheel in the xylophone becoming a factory bell portending Jenůfa’s fate. Although Janaček’s folk-inflected score is deeply rooted in its time and place, this restaging is convincing nonetheless in its depiction of family ..read more

When Sav Rodgers was twelve years old, he encountered Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith’s 1997 independent slacker comedy about a cisgender heterosexual man who falls in love with a lesbian. Whilst the film was met with criticism by the contemporary LGBT community, Kansas kid Rodgers found within it authentic-feeling representations of queer people like him. Now, years on, with his documentary Chasing Chasing Amy, Rodgers sets out to demystify a film that has sat differently for him than it perhaps does for his peers, his community, and even its creator. We sat down with him to discuss queer cinema ..read more

Photo by Daria Slikker Alex Monroe is a British jewellery designer and maker. His designs are beautiful expressions of nature that he found in both Suffolk and London. After attending the School of Art, Architecture and Design in London, he started creating his own jewellery and had his first collection by 1987. His business has continually grown, from being in London and Paris fashion week to being worn by famous actresses. He now has shops both in Covent Garden and London Bridge, where he spends his time running the business.    Daria Slikker: How would you say growing up in Su ..read more