While TED talks are a chance to hear from some of the world’s most influential figures and learn about a wealth of different topics, there’s something special about ditching the screen and booking a ticket to hear those who inspire you speak in person. Each month, the Culture Whisper team round up the most exciting talks happening in London to book now.
While tickets to the BFI’s Q&A with Maggie Gyllenhaal have sold out, there’s still a chance to hear the actress and producer speak live this autumn. Autograph Collection Hotels has announced the launch of Behind The Scenes, an all-new speaker series shining a light on inspirational industry insiders from the world of independent film. Debuting on the 17 October with Academy Award and Emmy nominated, Golden Globe-winning actress and producer Maggie Gyllenhaal during London Film Festival, the series will give film-industry talent a stage to share unheard stories about life behind the lens.
COST: Free to apply for tickets
RSVP to: behindthescenes@
Artist Chris Levine is in conversation with V&A curator Susanna Brown, discussing his approach, inspiration and cross-media collaborations. Levine is known for his use of light in pursuit of an expanded state of awareness through image and form. His cross-platform work has produced iconic images of a wide range of subjects, from Queen Elizabeth II to Grace Jones. The talk precedes an exciting new display of Levine’s portraits at the V&A, featuring Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, which will be on display in the Photography Centre in 2019.
Price: £12 - £15
As part of its London Literature Festival, the Southbank Centre is hosting Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, authors of 2018’s inspiring read Slay in Your Lane, to talk about the experience of navigating the map of life as a black woman. In their compelling and urgent book, Adegoke and Uviebinené explore education, work, dating, representation, money and health, with stories from their own lives, and from interviews with dozens of the most successful black women in Britain, including Amma Asante, Charlene White, Jamelia, Denise Lewis, Malorie Blackman and Dawn Butler MP. This event is chaired by Chrystal Genesis from Stance Podcast.
Price: £12
Ask most physical theatre companies in the UK where they found inspiration for their work and they’re likely to reference L'École Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Jacques Lecoq was one of the major figures of Western theatre in the second half of the 20th century, known especially for his teaching of movement, play, improvisation, masks, language, comedy, and tragedy. The event explores this legacy with an overview and analysis of Lecoq's life, work and philosophy of theatre. It also examines Lecoq’s influence on prominent performers and directors currently working in contemporary UK theatre today. The event is chaired by Claire Brennan and includes contributions from Mark Evans, author and co-editor of The Routledge Companion to Jacques Lecoq, and Simon Murray, the author and academic behind Jaques Lecoq (Routledge Practitioners).
Price: £7/£5 concessions
Book tickets
Take a walk on the wild side of fashion with award-winning journalist Hilary Alexander and fashion designer Henry Holland, as they discuss the world's enduring love for leopard print. As the fierce pattern returns to the catwalk this season – trickling down to street style, too – the pair discuss the history and appeal of fashion’s most perennial print.
Price: £12 - £15
In a rare live appearance, Malala Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin will explore his passionate campaigning for girls’ education, their work for the Malala fund and Ziauddin’s lifelong fight for equality – proving there are many faces of feminism. The talk comes days after the release of Ziauddin’s book Let Her Fly, depicted as a poignant and optimistic portrait of parenthood and modern feminism, by a father determined to raise his daughter and sons in an equal world.
Price: £28
Artist and designer of the moment Es Devlin OBE is giving a keynote talk about her work in relation to her new exhibition Space Shifters at Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery. Devlin has pioneered an artistically and technically ambitious approach to theatre that bridges the gap between audience and performer. She has worked with some of the world’s most renowned performing artists including Beyoncé, Adele, Kanye West and U2; designed stage productions, including The Lehman Trilogy, currently showing at the National Theatre; and is behind the staging for Louis Vuitton’s current women’s shows. Her solo projects include the projection-mapped sculpture Mask (2018), currently installed at Somerset House.
Price: £15
Award-winning Getty Images photographer Chris Jackson has been by the Royal Family's side documenting their movements for the past fifteen years. He’s photographed everything from royal tours and appearances to charitable events and moments shared by the younger generation of royal couples. In this talk at the V&A, Jackson shares tales from his experience in the royal front-row.
Price: £12 - £15
Although tickets for the RA’s coveted event ‘Renzo Piano in conversation’ have already sold out, other events in the institution’s Renzo Piano series are still available to book – providing a chance to learn more about the highly esteemed Italian architect’s life and work. This particular talk is an examination of a formative building in Piano’s career: the Pompidou Centre. The talk will explore the ideas that underpinned its creation and how these have played out over time.
Price: £15/£9 concessions
Tickets are now on sale for the fifth annual How To Change the World conference. Keynote speakers include Dr Jane Goodall, DBE on 'How To Make the World a Better Place for People, Animals and the Environment', and Lord Rees on 'The Future Of Humanity'. Seventeen speakers will take to the stage in total, each delivering a 20-minute presentation on topics ranging from astronomy and neuroscience to the environment and journalism.
Price: £139 - £149
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