This Saturday 02 December, Saturday Club members from across the country will be coming together for the annual National Saturday Club London Visit. At a welcome event generously hosted by Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, Club members hear from inspirational speakers and see their creative self-portraits exhibited alongside those of their peers from across the network.
Cultural visits are arranged for each Club, with world-leading museums, galleries and performance spaces opening their doors to provide special access and bespoke workshops, including: Autograph, Barbican, The Courtauld Gallery, The Design Museum, Hayward Gallery, London Transport Museum, London Zoo, Makerversity, National Theatre, The Photographers’ Gallery, Science Museum, Somerset House, Tate Britain, V&A, and Whitechapel Gallery.
Read on to find out more about ‘What’s On’ for this year’s National Saturday Club London Visit…
Autograph: Armet Francis – Beyond The Black Triangle
Inspiration for ‘The Black Triangle’ came from Francis’ “personal need to discover the dimensions of the experiences of Black people… the triangle first came to me in thoughts of the slave trade route, that is how I came to live in the Triangle: Africa, the Americas and Europe…” – Autograph
Image: Carnival Sound System [detail], London. Credit to Armet Francis and Autograph
Barbican: Julianknxx – Chorus in Rememory of Flight
Sierra Leonian poet, artist and filmmaker Julianknxx explores themes of inheritance, loss and belonging as he crosses the boundaries between written word, music and visual art.
Image credit to Julianknxx
Courtauld
The Courtauld Gallery is particularly known for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings and exciting programme of temporary exhibitions. The Courtauld also plays home to The Courtauld Institute of Art: a research-led, independent college of the University of London.
Image credit to Ben Hughes
Design Museum: Rebel – 30 Years of London Fashion
“This landmark exhibition is one of the most wide-ranging surveys of contemporary fashion culture ever staged in the UK, offering an unprecedented look at how careers in fashion are forged, and the multitude of opportunities London’s fashion scene offers young creatives.” – Design Museum
Image credit to Rebecca Maynes and Design Museum
Hayward Gallery: Hiroshi Sugimoto
Hiroshi Sugimoto is a Japanese photographer and architect creating some of the most alluringly enigmatic photographs of our time. The exhibition features lesser-known works alongside key works from Sugimoto’s major photographic series.
Image credit to Mark Blower, Hiroshi Sugimoto and the Hayward Gallery
London Transport Museum
During their visit to the London Transport Museum, Club members will embark on a twenty minute STEM tour of the innovative past, present and future of transport in London, with the opportunity to explore the museum afterwards.
Image credit to London Transport Museum
London Zoo
During the London Visit, some Club members will be visiting London Zoo: the world’s oldest scientific zoo. The zoo is part of ZSL, an international science-driven conservation charity, working to restore wildlife in the UK and around the world.
Image credit to Magnus Andersson
Makerversity
Club members will experience a tour and workshop with Makerversity: a pioneering community of over 300 world-leading entrepreneurs, creators and innovators. Member companies work at the intersection of design, engineering and digital practice, developing ground-breaking solutions for the world’s biggest societal challenges.
Image credit to Makerversity
National Theatre
At the National Theatre, Club members will experience a workshop and tour. The theatre’s programme famously includes Shakespeare, international classic drama, and new plays by contemporary playwrights.
Image credit to Garry Knight and National Theatre
Somerset House: The Missing Thread
The Missing Thread, curated by the Black Orientated Legacy Development Agency (BOLD), explores black British fashion from the 1970s to the present day. The Missing Thread charts the shifting landscape of Black British culture and the unique contribution it has made to Britain’s rich design history.
Image credit to Eileen Perrier and Somerset House
Tate Britain
Club members will be taking part in a workshop at Tate Britain: whose collection displays 500 years of British art including work from the Pre-Raphaelites, David Hockney, Bridget Riley, Lubaina Himid, and JMW Turner.
Image credit to Tate Britain
The Photographers’ Gallery: Daido Moriyama – A Retrospective
For more than sixty years, Daido Moriyama (森山 大道 b. 1938) has used his camera to interrogate and revolutionise the way we look at the world. This retrospective celebrates Moriyama’s pioneering artistic spirit and visual intensity.
Image credit to Daido Moriyama and The Photographers’ Gallery
Victoria and Albert Museum
At the Victoria and Albert Museum Club members will be taking part in a ‘Decoding the Silhouette’ workshop and exploring the museum, which is the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts, and design.
Image credit to the Victoria and Albert Museum
Whitechapel Gallery: It All Starts With a Thread
This exhibition, curated by the 2023 cohort of Whitechapel Gallery and LSBU’s MA in Curating Art and Public Programmes, explores thread as a method and metaphor for connection. Club members will have the opportunity to spend time reading zines, listening to audio clips and engaging in knitting activities.
Image credit to Fikayo Adebajo and Whitechapel Gallery