Poppy Reed

Have you ever wanted to see how a legendary gallery like the Courtauld conserves centuries-old artefacts? Now, you can. Longthorpe Tower’s fourteenth-century medieval wall paintings were once described by English archaeologist E Clive Rouse as the ‘most important domestic mural paintings of the medieval period in England’ due to their rare mixture of secular and religious themes. Now there’s a chance to see the conservation of ye olde masterpiece in action at the Courtauld's upcoming display, which will provide invaluable insight into the role of the Courtauld's Conservation Department in safeguarding one of the UK’s most remarkable medieval wall paintings. 

Tate Britain is hosting the first major solo show dedicated to the Turner Prize-nominated Hurvin Anderson this spring, bringing together more than 60 of his vibrant paintings. Born in Birmingham to Jamaican parents, Anderson’s work flits between the two regions, exploring his struggle with belonging and cultural identity. His colour-drenched landscapes and interiors are uniquely composed to exquisitely explore markers of identity.

When the Royal Academy was founded in 1768, its members included two women, yet there would not be another female academician until Dame Laura Knight was elected in 1936. Despite this institutional exclusion, women artists in Britain continued to train, practice and exhibit during this period, particularly in the field of landscape watercolours. The Courtauld Gallery’s upcoming exhibition seeks to bring to light some of these women artists. Focussing on 1760-1860, the showcase will take you through the work of 10 artists over 100 years of landscape drawings and watercolours including some of the first ever depictions of the ethereal Lake District. 

Between 1885 and 1890, OG Neo-Impressionist Georges Seurat spent five summers observing the port towns along the northern coast of France, capturing impressive seascapes, regattas and other oceanic activities. Twenty three of these paintings, oil sketches and drawings are to be showcased at the Courtauld from February next year, offering a nautical insight into this elusive French artist. The exhibition will borrow works from world-class galleries including MOMA and the Musée d’Orsay, making it even more worth the peek.

If you don’t happen to be a massive film buff, you might not have heard of Laura Mulvey, but the British critic and filmmaker is a real trailblazer when it comes to film theory, greatly influencing the way we think about gender, the male gaze and psychoanalysis in film. Her influence is such that Mulvey was recently awarded a prestigious BFI Fellowship, and the South Bank institution has scheduled an entire season of screenings and special events the celebrate her achievement.  The showcase includes the collaborative films she created with former husband Peter Wollen and Canadian artist Mark Lewis, including Riddles of the Sphinx, a seminal work of experimental cinema drawing on feminist theory and the avant-garde. Mulvey herself will be apprearing at the South Bank institution to receive her recent award at an In Conversation event where audiences will get to hear more about her distinctive career.  Essentially, this will be the perfect chance to embrace your inner film nerd and deep-dive into the unconventional world of a lesser-known cinema legend. 

As the days get darker and colder and seasonal depression rears its ugly head, we can all be prone to a touch of melodrama. Therefore, it seems fitting that the BFI has curated the perfect line-up of emotionally-driven films that are sure to get you swept away in the drama from October to December. Heightened emotion is the common thread in this programme, so expect to be on a rollercoaster of feelings. The centrepiece will be the re-release of Douglas Sirk’s colourful, high-octane love story All That Heaven Allows (1955), a transgressive portrait of 1950s Eisenhower-era Americana. Importantly, this season will feature films driven by the inner workings of women's lives and showcase the sensational performances of the line-up’s female stars. Spanning across generations and the globe these films each connect and highlight the harrowing aspects of the female experience such as longing, rage, desire, sexuality and motherhood. Check out the full programme on the BFI website here. 

London already boasts a formidable art and gallery scene – and soon it's getting three more arty institutions. Even more intriguingly, they’ll be inside one of the most aesthetically controversial buildings in the city (and City): No 1 Poultry.  The new galleries have been launched by art charity Hypha Studios, and they’ll open next week (on September 24). The venues will then be open to the public for 12 months and totally free to access. We’re sure they’ll provide very serious, very white collar Bank some much-needed avant-garde flair.  The artists set to go on display were selected from an open call. Here are the details on the first three exhibitions in the programme: The Turn Named after the moment that an object vanishes during a magic trick, ‘The Turn’ will bring together 10 artists each exploring complex states such as the feelings that arise from disappearance, and how this can lead to emotions of feeling suspended and withdrawn. The exhibition will feature intriguing media such as ritual-inflected painting and taxidermy. Photograph: Carlo Zambon Blackhorse Lane Makers  In collaboration with art blog recessed.space, Blackhorse Lane Makers will be presenting sculptural and immersive works by a community of artists led by north London based maker and artist Nina Oltarzewska. The exhibition space will be transformed into an immersive installation featuring structures such as stairwells and fences, and artists will explore how these types of objects function as physica

If you’re planning a picnic at one of London’s best-loved green spaces this weekend, watch out for unexpected farmyard creatures. Sheep are roaming Hampstead Heath, thanks to a conservation grazing scheme. Adding a tad more biodiversity to London’s wonderful city farms and ecosystem of pesky pigeons and foxes, Hampstead Heath is currently borrowing five rare-bred Norfolk Horn and Oxford Down ewes. The sheep come courtesy of east London’s Mudchute City Farm, one of Europe’s biggest city farms, and you’ll be able to see them grazing from 8am to 7pm until Monday September 15. Experts remind us that having these wooly mammals on the Heath is not just a wholesome gimmick, but an effective method of maintaining one of London’s most beloved green spaces. They will maintain habitats without the need for heavy, clunky machinery that is often both an eyesore and harmful to sensitive ecosystems.  Photograph: City of London Corporation Alderman and Sheriff Gregory Jones, chair of the City of London Corporation’s Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee, has commented saying the project will provide a ‘nod to Hampstead Heath’s rich heritage while providing real benefits for biodiversity.’ Members of the committee warn London’s dog owners (especially of sheepdogs) to keep their furry-friends leashed around the grazing area (on anthill site on the Heath’s Extension) to ‘ensure the safety and welfare of these animals’. We wouldn’t want to end up with a dog-on-sheep pursuit