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 rounds up the most exciting talks happening in London to book now.
Since Wolf Hall in 2009 and Bring Up the Bodies in 2012, readers have been eagerly awaiting the final instalment of Hilary Mantel's thrilling Cromwell trilogy. The Mirror and the Light comes out in March 2020, and Mantel is giving an exclusive talk at the Southbank Centre to mark the occasion.
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With the birth of new-wave band Blondie in 1975 came a whole new sound and music scene. Merging the genres of rock, punk, disco, reggae and hip-hop, Blondie were the epitome of New York City cool. Founding members Debbie Harry (the vocalist and face of the band) and Chris Stein (its guitarist and songwriter) are in conversation at the Barbican. Come along to hear the duo explore the history of the band and their music.
Price: £30 - £65
The second season of ‘By Design’ talks at the Sir John Soane’s Museum kicks off on 24 February. Held in collaboration with luxe rug manufacturers Luke Irwin, the series sees leading designers from across the nation discuss their practice through the lens of a single object. Co-hosted by BBC arts editor Will Gompertz and award-winning design critic and author Alice Rawsthorn, the new season of monthly talks, held in the museum's Library Dining Room, welcomes: landscape gardener Dan Pearson (24 February), designer Ilse Crawford (30 March), fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu (20 April), architect Amanda Levete (18 May) and British artist Phyllida Barlow (1 June).
Price: £30 per talk
Elizabeth Day’s chart-topping podcast (and best-selling book) How To Fail celebrates the things that haven’t gone right in life. Why? Because Day firmly believes these mishaps ultimately make us stronger. Every episode, Day interviews a different special guest, who talks through three of their most defining failures to date. On 11 March, the award-winning journalist and author is taking to the National’s Lyttelton stage, accompanied by a yet-to-be-revealed special guest, to deliver an episode of the podcast live. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask Day their own questions about turning crisis into clarity.
Price: £15 - £45
Hear from Professor of Circadian Neuroscience Russell Foster and British painter Tom Hammick as they discuss the effect of different sleep patterns and nocturnal working on an artist’s practice, using Léon Spilliaert’s battle with insomnia – and the work he produced as a result – as the starting point of the talk.
Price: £15
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London may no longer be consumed by dense smog, but air quality in the city is still a serious problem. In fact, certain pockets of the city are permanently engulfed in illegal levels of air pollution. This talk is the final part of the RA’s panel series responding to its Eco-Visionaries exhibition, and is a chance to hear from a panel of architects, activists and scientists as they discuss air pollution in our cities, and how information about the problem is presented to us.
Price: £9 - £15
Hear from national treasure Maxine Peake (Avalanche: A Love Story, Hamlet, The Cherry Orchard) and rising star Ria Zmitrowicz (Three Girls, The Doctor) as they discuss the rewards and challenges of performing in Lucy Kirkwood's new play The Welkin at the National Theatre. Set in 1759, the play follows a jury of 12 women who must decide if another woman is hanged.
Price: £9/£6 concessions
Initially known as the son of Timothy Spall, Rafe Spall has carved out an impressive acting career of his own, spanning big-screen romcoms (I Give It A Year), cult TV series (Black Mirror) and plays (Hedda Gabler, National Theatre). He’s currently starring in Clint Dyer and Roy Williams’ one-man show Death of England, an exploration of class, race and identity in modern Britain at the National Theatre. Hear Spall reflect on the rewards and challenges of performing in the show.
Price: £9/£6 concessions
Hear from Booker-Prize winning author Bernardine Evaristo as she discusses her 2019 novel Girl, Woman, Other in conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed. Evaristo will reflect on being the first black woman to win the Booker Prize, while the two will explore what the new decade means for writers and artists of colour in Britain.
Price: £15 - £35
Comedian and presenter Michael Palin has travelled all over the world to bring his audience tales from far-flung places. His recent trip to North Korea, documented for a Channel 5 TV show, saw him enter the notoriously secretive country and experience its unusual customs. Hear Palin’s stories first-hand as he divulges his experience in conversation with writer, broadcaster and campaigner Mariella Frostrup in a talk at the National Theatre.
Price: £15 - £45
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Dame Helen Mirren is one of the best-known, most respected actresses in the world, with a career spanning stage, screen and television. As a one-off fundraising event, and part of the Kiln Theatre’s In Conversation series, Mirren is sitting down with actor Jim Carter to discuss her career in the spotlight. Proceeds from the evening are in aid of the Kiln Theatre.
Price: £95 - £125
Join leading writers Blake Gopnik and Olivia Laing as they reflect on the life and work of Andy Warhol. Coinciding with the opening of Tate Modern’s new Andy Warhol exhibition, the talk is a rare chance to hear more about the artist’s career and ongoing cultural influence, from those who have studied his work intently.
The discussion marks the publication of art critic Blake Gopnik’s biography Warhol: A Life as Art, which draws on hundreds of interviews and years of archival research. Gopnik is joined by writer and critic Olivia Laing, whose engagement with Warhol’s work includes a new essay in the Tate exhibition catalogue. The conversation is chaired by writer and journalist Charlie Porter, who has also contributed to the Warhol catalogue.
Price: £12/£8 concessions
Join Gwendolyn Dubois Shaw, Afua Hirsch and Frances Morris as they discuss Kara Walker’s 2019 Hyundai Commission, Fons Americanus, in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. The 13-metre-high fountain, populated with characters from art historical, literary and cultural sources, narrates the history of slavery in Britain, Africa and the Americas. The talk explores the key themes and questions raised by the installation, while considering the role that art and artists play in bringing about change.
Price: £12/£8 concessions
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Sir Michael Parkinson has interviewed over 2,000 of the most important cultural figures of the 20th and 21st centuries. Hear all about his highlights at a very special evening at the National Theatre, where Parkinson is in conversation with his son Mike. The event features footage from some of Parkinson’s most defining career moments and is a chance to revisit the show that for many, defined their Saturday night between the 70s and 00s.
Price: £15 - £45
Ever felt that you should be a better feminist? If the answer is yes, then you’ll be happy to hear that Deborah Frances-White has too: once, she went to a women’s rights march, popped into the toilet at a department store and got distracted trying out face cream – and when she came out again, the march was gone. Instances like these make up the podcast The Guilty Feminist, where Frances-White and her guests discuss topics that ‘all feminists agree on’, while confessing the paradoxes and insecurities that undermine their principles.
The podcast has been downloaded over 60 million times since 2016 – so check out what the hype is about and join Frances-White and her special guests live.
Price: £16.50
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