Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Festival of Britain




Festival of Britain 60th Anniversary at Southbank Centre

The Southbank Centre celebrates 60 years since the 1951 Festival of Britain with a four-month programme of events and activities.
Enjoy themed weekends, talks, performances and exhibitions by leading British artists and thinkers – including many free events.

Highlights of Festival of Britain at the Southbank Centre

London in Love, 29 Apr-2 MayA royal wedding-themed weekend with an outdoor screening of the Royal Wedding, comedy, live music, dance, exhibitions, club nights and a Chapel of Love
Lang Lang Inspires, 20-22 MayClassical pianist of the moment Lang Lang performs with Brazil's Bahia Youth Orchestra and young pianists from across Britain as part of his week-long residency
Stewart Lee's Austerity Binge, 27-30 MayControversial comedian Stewart Lee presents a weekend of events, including his own stand-up show, a celebration of alternative comedy, plus musical gigs and tributes
Meltdown Festival, 10-19 JunFormer Kinks' singer Ray Davies artistically directs this year's Meltdown Festival, celebrating culture from the 1950s to today
London Literature Festival, 1-10 JulExploring 'Britishness' with spoken word artists and major authors, including Alan Hollinghurst author of Booker Prize winning novel The Line of Beauty
Intelligent Movement, 15-17 JulTop British and international DJs, MCs, b-boys and graffiti artists showcase their talents with gigs, battles, open workshops, debates, master classes, demonstrations and talks
London Is The Place For Me, 22-24 JulRemembering seminal moments in black British music from the last 60 years, including a celebration of Steve Williamson by Tomorrow's Warriors Jazz Orchestra
Vintage Festival 2011, 29-31 JulGeraldine and Wayne Hemingway showcase 20th century British creativity with a weekend of vintage markets, catwalk shows, dance lessons, bands and DJs, workshops and makeovers
Festival of Britain Strands: National TreasuresSeries presenting change-making British politicians, writers, chefs, musicians, comedians and thinkers, including Heston Blumenthal, Philip Pullman and Alexander McCall Smith
E4 Udderbelly Festival at Southbank Centre, 28 Apr-17 Jul
The purple cow returns with a packed programme of comedy, cabaret, theatre and music. The Udderbelly National Treasures line-up includes Paul Daniels, Roy Walker and Barry Cryer

History: Festival of Britain 1951

The first Festival of Britain took place in 1951, to celebrate Britain's recovery from WWI.
Much of the action centred round London's South Bank, where old Victorian industrial buildings were replaced with new structures, including the Royal Festival Hall, the Dome of Discovery and Skylon (the inspiration for the Skylon restaurant).
More than eight million people visited the exhibitions on Britain's landscape, character, industry and science – some seeing their first-ever TV pictures in one of the pavilions.