Things To Do In London This Weekend: 11-12 July 2015

This weekend’s Things To Do In London, sponsored by The United Society of Artists.

All weekend

A street art festival comes to Shoreditch. Photo: Matt Brown

HYPER JAPAN:
Hyper Japan is a weekend-long celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine, fashion and entertainment at the O2 in North Greenwich. Dine on freshly carved sushi, play the latest gaming releases, hear Japanese music and buy traditional items such as kimonos. From £14.25, 10-12 July
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URBAN ART:
Urban Art 2015, London’s largest annual open-air Contemporary Arts Fair, takes place along the railings of Josephine Avenue in Brixton. Over 2,000 pieces of work will be on display from over 200 artists with prices from £10-£1,000. The centrepiece is a 40ft shipping container that will be sprayed during the weekend by some of the UK’s leading street artists. Free, just turn up, 10am-6pm, 11-12 July

SHUBBAK FESTIVAL:
The festival of contemporary Arab culture begins on Saturday, with over 60 events taking place across London throughout the festival. Events include talks, films, music, performances and more. Until 26 July

LONDON ILLUSTRATIONS:
Visit London Transport Museum this weekend and in addition to an experience full of trains, tubes, buses, social history, design and fun for all the family, enjoy the new Prize for Illustration exhibition of 100 original London Places and Spaces posters. Admission: young people under 17 free, adults £16 with unlimited return admission for 12 months. Open 10am-6pm

COOKERY CLASS:
Whether you want to perfect your favourite curry, master the classic burger or produce fresh pasta, head to Mint Cookery in Walthamstow. During the three hour course you will learn to master a three course meal. Age 18+. Equipment and ingredients provided. £28.95, various dates and times all weekend
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STREET ART FESTIVAL:
Watch artists create new graffiti works and street art at the Nomadic Community Garden in Shoreditch and learn skills yourself, while listening to live music and tucking in at food stalls and a bar. Free entry, 11-12 July

Saturday 11 July

The 2012 Chap Olympics featured jousting on bicycles. Photo: psyxjaw

ITALIAN MARKET:
Enfield's first Italian Market is coming to Fountain Island in the town centre, selling cheese, cured meats, speciality pasta, olive oils and balsamic vinegars, a variety of hot foods and speciality bread. Free entry, just turn up, 9am-5pm

NAVY SHIP TOUR:
HMS St Albans, a Royal Navy frigate, will be moored at Thames Quay in the Isle of Dogs. The public are invited to  tour the upper deck, and have the opportunity to see some of the equipment used onboard, weapons systems, and an opportunity to speak with members of the ship's company. Free, prebook, 9am-4pm

INSTRUMENT AMNESTY:
Ronnie Scott's holds a Music Instrument Amnesty to collect unused music instruments and donate them to school aged children in the UK and overseas. Donated instruments will be given new life in the hands of children and young people participating in ambitious 'social action through music' projects, in targeted communities in England and abroad. If you want to donate an instrument, book an appointment between 10am-3.30pm

PECKHAM MARKET:
Peckham Market reopens today on the grounds of Peckham Academy. Go along and meet local producers showcasing exceptional produce, irresistible brunches and childrens' activities. 11am-3pm (will take place every Saturday)

CHAP OLYMPIAD:
How to explain the Chap Olympiad? The annual celebration of sporting buffoonery rewards those who excel at gentlemanly pursuits rather than actual sports; Tea Pursuit tests one’s mettle while holding a cup and saucer on a moving bicycle; Aunt Avoidance tests one’s mettle against marauding maiden aunts, and so on. Gentlemanly attire necessary, moustaches encouraged. £25, prebook, 12pm-9pm

ROOFTOP TENNIS PARTY:
Head to Queen of Hoxton for all things tennis. Lounge downstairs and watch all the Wimbledon action, or head to the roof for some ping-pong fun, while tucking into strawberries and cream and Pimms. £5, 12pm
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CARNABY STREET EAT:
A one-day street food festival comes to Carnaby Street with over 30 stalls and trucks tempting you with their wares, a live demo kitchen where chefs will be doing their thing, plus £5 taster dishes and all day offers and live music. Free entry, 12pm-7pm

REVERB FESTIVAL:
Paloma Ayana Stoecke, AKA Delilah, will be bringing her piano balladry and lush electronica to The Roof Gardens in Kensington, with a host of artists in support. Sup a cocktail, grab a BBQ bite and rock out to the likes of Etta Bond, Elli Ingram and The Thirst. £15, 12.30pm
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DAGFEST:
Dagfest is a free outdoor festival organised by Creative Barking & Dagenham, taking place in the space around Dagenham Parish Church. The line-up includes an acrobatic trampolining, contortionists, extreme balloon artists (no, we're not sure either) and the KinoVan screening archive footage of Barking & Dagenham. Free, 1pm-6pm

SUMMER OPENING TERRACE PARTY:
Enjoy a day of festival style partying over two terraces at a newly launched venue, The Brixton Courtyard. Expect an eclectic selection of funk, soul, disco and house music alongside fashion stalls and street food. £10, 1pm
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POLO:
Watch Dukes Polo VIP style. Watch two polo matches, enjoy vintage afternoon tea, an evening BBQ and complimentary entry to The Dukes Club, followed by free entry and transfer to Circuit Essex for a night filled with DJs and dancing. Polo takes place at The Willows in Hainault. Age 18+. £65, 1pm
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SPEED LISTENING FUNDRAISER:
Take along iPods, walkmans, anything that can play a tune to Brompton library for an afternoon of speed listening. This fundraiser put on by The Note Well encourages cross generational interaction with members of Age UK. Make friends, share stories and discover new music. £7, prebook, 2pm

SENSORY DINING:
Kitchen Theory's latest sensory dining event comes to Maida Hill. Chef Stefano de Costanzo, who has worked with Giorgio Locatelli and Gordon Ramsay, presents a sensual and sensory six-course dining extravaganza. From £54, 1pm/7.30pm
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PIZZA TOUR:
Love pizza? Go one better than tucking into a pancake of doughy deliciousness by going on this Pizza Lovers Tour. Visit some of London’s finest pizzerias, learning the history of the food and how it spread to the UK as you go — with tasters, of course. £25, 2.15pm
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MOTHERF**KER WITH THE HAT:
National Theatre's Lyttleton Theatre is showing The Motherf**ker With The Hat, a play about a man who has been released from prison in New York, and goes to his girlfriend's flat, where he finds a hat. It doesn't belong to him, and it doesn't belong to her; who's the motherf**ker with the hat? Read our review. £15, 2.15pm/7.30pm
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INDIAN FOOD TOUR:
Think the food down your local curry house is good? Take this three hour East London Indian food tour around Brick Lane, sampling food from around the Indian subcontinent as you go. Learn about the history of Indian food and its presence in London and the UK today. £35, 5.30pm
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GREAT GATSBY:
A secret location in Central London (revealed on booking) harks back to the 1920s with a Great Gatsby themed speakeasy night. Enjoy the glitz and glamour with live jazz music and cocktails galore. £15, 7pm
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WEREWOLF GAME:
Head to the City College Building in Old Street for an evening of interactive games. The Werewolf is an interactive party game in which the town has become infested with werewolves and the townsfolk must take immediate action before everyone is eaten. £7.50, 7pm
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LUCHA LIBRE:
Sixteen of Mexico's finest luchadores, led by the legendary Blue Demon J, battle it out at the Royal Albert Hall. See high flying acrobatics and astonishing moves, set to a soundtrack of funky live music. From £24.50, 7.30pm
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BUTTERFLY DREAMS:
Chamber choirs The Cantus Ensemble performs its summer concert, Butterfly Dreams, at St Gabriel's Church in Pimlico. Programme includes Britten’s Five Flower Songs, Paul Mealor’s Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal and Tavener’s Butterfly Dreams.£12/£8, 7.30pm
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10:10:10
At ArtsDepot in North Finchley, 10 comedians each do a 10 minute set, for £10. The line-up includes Seann Walsh, Pappy's, Mike Wozniak, Bec Hill, John Kearns and Jenny Bede. £10, prebook, 8pm

MODERN MAGIC:
Magic show Sprezzatura, at the Charlotte Street Hotel in Marylebone, combines magic with feats of mind-reading that are bound to leave you puzzling the whole way home. Smart dress code. £20, 8pm
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ROMEO AND JULIET:
Some Voices choir put on a special production of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet at Southbank Centre. Come dressed as either a Montague (Hawaiian-inspired glamour) or a Capulet (neo-goth Mafiosi) for the immersive event which lets you step inside Shakespeare's fateful masquerade ball. £15, prebook, 9pm

NOMAD CINEMA:
Nomad Cinema brings a screening of Napoleon Dynamite to Grosvenor Square in Mayfair. Watch the 2004 film with wireless headsets. Hot and cold food and drinks are available to buy on site, and tribute dress-up is very much encouraged. £15, 9.15pm
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LUNA CINEMA:
If Napoleon Dynamite (above) doesn't take your fancy, Luna Cinema screens outdoor cinema staple Dirty Dancing at Morden Hall Park. Food and drink are available to buy — don't forget to bring something to sit on. £13.50, 9.15pm
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Sunday 12 July

Circus trickery and the like at Scotch & Soda on South Bank

WIMBLEDON FINAL:
Get a front row seat of the action without any of the queues - watch the Wimbledon finals on one of these big screens dotted around the city.

ROMAN ROAD FESTIVAL:
Roman Road Market near Victoria Park launches its summer festival today with a day of street entertainment, games and sports, music, storytelling and more on Gladstone Road. Until 19 July

SUNWALK FESTIVAL:
The Sunwalk Festival takes places in Battersea Park, with three different walking challenges raising money for charity, plus live bands, fair rides, stalls, animals, food and more. Free entry, just turn up (register in advance to take part), from 8am

BASTILLE DAY:
Borough Market marks Bastille Day with traders selling their French fancies, as well as events including traditional waiter’s races, bi-lingual storytelling, face painting, and petanque. Free, just turn up, 12pm

WIMBLEDON WONDERLAND:
Watch the Wimbledon men’s finals over a fantastical feast, as part of a supper club in a secret location. Enjoy a BBQ and British themed tea, with plenty of cocktails. £60, 12pm
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FAMILY ART DAY:
Turner's House in Twickenham has a family art day, with children's workshops, art demonstrations and music, all in the house that once belonged to landscape painter JMW Turner. Free (donations welcome), 12pm-6pm

GIVE IT A GO:
Give it a Go! Festival at Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath lets people get involved with sports, fun, music and entertainment. Have a go at kung fu, croquet, a circus workshop, badminton and more. Free, 1pm-5.30pm

PICCADILLY LINE WALK:
Take a stroll through time on this Piccadilly Line walk, walking from Green Park to Covent Garden. Find out why there are no flowerbeds in Green Park, what Kenneth Williams had in common with Sherlock Holmes and more. £8/£5, just turn up, 2.30pm

EDINBURGH PREVIEWS:
Brett Goldstein and Nish Kumar both preview the shows they'll be performing at Edinburgh Festival in a few weeks time. At The Comedy Pub in Piccadilly. £8.50, 8pm (or £19 with a meal from 6.30pm)
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CHOCOLAT:
Joanne Harris's French-set novel, Chocolat, was made into a 2000 film starring Johnny Depp, Dame Judi Dench and Juliette Binoche. Watch the film tonight on the roof of Broadway House in Chelsea. Remember to dress warmly. £12, 7pm
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SCOTCH & SODA:
The acrobats in Scotch & Soda on South Bank provide enough thrills and spills to keep any big top fan entertained. The dexterity on display as one, then two, then three of the performers manoeuvre aboard a moving bicycle is a joy to watch and, for technical excellence, the pole work is as exhilarating as any we’ve seen. See our review of the show. From £25.50, 7.30pm
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Get inspired by talented British artists this week

The United Society of Artists (UA) celebrates its 94th anniversary with a vibrant exhibition opening at Bankside Gallery on Tuesday 7 July.

The UA was founded in 1921 with the aim of giving artists living outside London the opportunity to exhibit in the capital. Today it showcases the work of artists from all over the UK, including London, and represents some of the best contemporary artists working in different forms of art such as painting, sculpture, fabric-work, ceramics, printing and drawing.

Over 200 contemporary works created by UA members will be on display at the Annual Members Exhibition and if you fall in love with one of the artworks, you’ll have the chance to make it yours, as prices start from just a few hundred pounds.

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The United Society of Artists Summer Exhibition takes place from 7-12 July at The Bankside Gallery, 48 Hopton Street, London SE1 9JH. Entry to the exhibition is free.

Keep up to date with The United Society of Artists via their website, Twitter feed and Facebook page.


Other good stuff

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