In what has become something of a Christmas tradition in London in recent years, last night saw the first night of Super Busking in Covent Garden. The premise is pretty simple, instead of seeing the normal street performers in Covent Garden, during the Christmas season well known singers and bands take to the street and start busking for charity.
Each act is only announced two hours before they’re due to take to Covent Garden and perform. Last night was the first for this year and saw the band Athlete perform to the christmas shopping crowds. Other acts due to perform this year are The Saturdays, Jamie Cullum, the Stereophonics and the Feeling.
Of course, this is all for Charity and this year the Charity is Crisis, the homeless charity that does excellent work throughout the country. If you want to donate to Crisis just head over to their website www.crisis.org.uk
If you haven’t been to the Royal Academy of Arts in a while then chances are you’ve missed some fantastic work by renowned sculpter Anish Kapoor. Best known for his large scale works of art in the Tate Modern Turbine Hall and in Chicago, Kapoor is the first living artist to have a major solo exhibition at the Royal Academy. I’m coming a bit late to this exhibition as its been at the Academy for a few months now, but i’m so glad I found it last weekend.
If you haven’t seen the exhibition yet, then I have one word for you…HURRY! Its only on until the 11th December and then it packs up and moves on. Even if you don’t have time to see the exhibition in its entirety then just pop down Picadilly and take a look at the fantastic sculpture “Tall Tree and the Eye” that sits in front of the Royal Academy in the Annenberg Courtyard. It is this sort of work that Kapoor is perhaps best known for and this new scultpure is certainly drawing the crowds in London. I’m really hoping that when the exhibition closes this sculpture finds a permanent home in London as a piece of public art.
You can find out more information about the exhibition including ticket details at the Royal Academy’s website http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/
If ever there was proof needed that the people of Speakers Corner are dedicated (or crazy and obsessed) you would only have to look at today. Despite freezing temperatures and really heavy showers three Speakers dutifully turned out to entertain the crowds.
Well I say crowds, but to be honest there were only about 15 people there and they weren’t all that enthusiastic! Most seemed to see how quiet it was and give up only staying for a few minutes. Even one of the speakers who was there couldn’t be bothered and just sat there on his stool in the rain. Bit crazy if you ask me!
But despite the wind and rain, and the lack of much of a crowd one of the Speakers was going full force. He wasn’t one i’ve heard before, but his message wasn’t that uncommon. He was talking about the most common topic in the Corner, religion. He was obviously a proponent of a particular type of Christianity. But my description isn’t brilliant so why don’t you listen to the two audio clips i’ve posted to get a better idea. I have to say I think even the most religious people will disagree with this guys wide definition of what qualifies as murder!
Today about 1,000 students marched through central London calling for greater government action to tackle the increasing problem of youth unemployment. The group, called Youth Fight for Jobs started off at Malet Street surrounded by the University of London (where I have just finished as it happens) and finished across the river in Lambeth.
Although I knew today’s protest was going on I hadn’t actually planned on shooting it. I was actually in town to start my Christmas shopping and see a couple of exhibitions. It was by pure chance that as I left the National Portrait Gallery (where i’d been to see the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize – which is well worth a visit) the protest was heading down Charing Cross Road.
To be honest I probably shouldn’t have tried to photograph the protest with a bag of christmas shopping in one hand Not the best decision i’ve ever made and I definitely won’t try do it again in the future.
Not the best decision i’ve ever made and I definitely won’t try do it again in the future.
