Arts

By David de Winter - Sports Editor @davidjdewinter ***** It’s a Saturday night in Elephant & Castle in the 1950s.  Teenagers Josie and Teddy are grooming themselves for a night on the town with the sounds of Johnny Valentine ringing in their ears over the airwaves.  There is an air of post-war optimism in the two youngsters as they preen themselves in front of the mirror looking dapper in their drainpipe trousers, pristine shirts and smart ties. And how apt that...

“Stay low, keep your face hidden, and remember: you are Rebel X,” our masked military leader barks at us, as we dash full pelt through the winding tunnels of a mysterious army base. Not your usual Thursday afternoon in central London. This is not a covert military mission, but Secret Cinema’s latest, and possibly greatest, offering - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Here at TLE we’re not ones for spoilers, but given a price tag that would uncurl Princess...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Central London’s Edel Assanti are set to present the debut UK solo exhibition from Puerto Rican artist Radames Juni Figueroa. Opening on June 12th, the site-specifically designed installation will be open until July 31st and is set to merge art, cocktails, concerts and live performances. All of these will be transmitted from a Tree House within the venue that’s constructed from materials inspired by the tropical rainforest and the streets of San Juan where...

A truly modern collective, Variant Space founders Nasreen Raja and Nasreen Shaikh Jamal Al Lail met not at art school or in a studio, but on Instagram. We caught up with one half of the team to learn more about their London-based, all female, all Muslim, creative collective. Both artists identify as British Muslims but with deep connections to other places, and explore ideas of identity, culture, faith and gender through their work. Nasreen Raja specialises in printed textiles, inspired by...

By Miranda Schiller @mirandadadada Monet, Renoir, Cézanne – today, these painters' and their fellow Impressionists' works are as ubiquitous and well-known as it gets, adorning calendars, mugs and coasters. But of course at the time these young artists started painting in their now recognizable style, they caused quite the stir in the art world and were seen as an abomination by the establishment. Their transformation into respectable artists was not least due to the art collector and dealer Paul Durand-Ruel....

By  Ben Gelblum, Contributing Editor @BenGelblum The Siege by The Freedom Theatre is the largest tour ever mounted by a Palestinian theatre company in the UK. But according to the Mail on Sunday - the 10 city UK tour is “£15,000 of public money given to show based on the words of Hamas killers.” The Freedom Theatre in Jenin refugee camp in Palestine has been an artistic hub of cultural resistance to occupation since it was established in 2006. Obtaining visas,...

Think you know your Moschino from your Naf Naf? This photography exhibition might be just the thing to test your 90s fashion know-how, and the chance to glimpse a scene that (despite Urban Outfitters’ best attempts) is long-gone, along with car phones, Pogs and disc-mans. Ruffnecks, Rudeboys and Rollups (Rx3) will celebrate the influential (and current darling of the fashion world) phenomenon of 90s streetwear; showcasing the iconic and rebellious style of Londoners, through both professional and amateur photography. Rx3...

Theatre can sometimes seem like a closed shop, one of stuffy, expensive theatres, or intimidating, pretentious improv nights in achingly cool bars. Then there’s Etch. The Peckham theatre project is about to turn just one year old, but with award nominations and international festivals already under its belt, the young venture is far from am-dram. Etch is the brainchild of Lucy Hollis and Ruth Milne, two Scottish actors, who set up the project as a sort of antidote to some of...

Despite London being a rich, diverse tapestry of people, classes and cultures, it’s sadly a well-known fact that the city’s creative industry – as is the case across the UK – is not a reflection of this. Access to accommodation (not to mention food transport and, apparently, a well-heeled social life) while hopefully clinging to endless unpaid internships is something the bank of Mum and Dad often funds, and it’s not one many of us have an account with. There’s...