Soho has been voted London’s favourite neighbourhood by Time out London, but what is it that draws people to Soho, is it the lively atmosphere ? the food? or the crazy Clubs?

Soho is located right in the centre of London and is known for its culture and nightlife, There are a number of LGBTQ venues in Soho and during pride in London you can watch Soho’s streets come alive with colours and music.

G-A-Y bar one of London’s most known gay clubs is located in Soho along with Heaven and village.

There is no doubt that Soho is a neighbourhood that is much loved by the LGBTQ community in London as you see gay pride flags hanging from houses and shop windows throughout Soho.

Soho is also known for its raunchy shops and window displays which certainly catch the attention of passers by and help to distinguish Soho as a wild and open community.

There are also dozens of Clubs and restaurants all around Soho, so you can go for Food with friends then hit up the hottest clubs in London such as Libertine and Club 49 after.

 

Chinatown is part of Soho and pays homage to Asian culture, there are many restaurants serving authentic food from Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and china. there are also many fun activities and events that take place in Chinatown for example their annual Chinese new year celebrations.

Soho also has a variety of theatres, cinemas and jazz clubs such as Ronnie Scott’s, a renowned jazz bar that has been in the same spot since 1959 and has added to the rich history of Soho which used to be home to Mozart and the Sex pistols.

Soho is known for its diverse community, you see people of all ages and backgrounds, whether they are there to shop, eat or party all night.

Soho is a neighbourhood that brings everyone together to celebrate diversity in the heart of London.

 

Every week selfridges corner shop is home to a different brand displaying their collections and telling stories through their outrageous designs and unexpected collaborations.

This week untill the 6th of may The corner shop was home to A.F vandervorst a Belgian fashion house that has been around for 20 years, they have displayed their collections on runways around the world and have been featured in vogue magazine.

A.F vandervorst recently hit their 20 year anniversary and to mark the milestone the two designers An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx have decided to go their separate ways in the fashion world.

The artists met three decades ago on their first day at the world renowned royal academy of fine arts. this meeting led to one of fashions most distinctive creative collaborations when their emerged in the fashion industry in 1988 with their debut show.

This fashion show took place in a schools courtyard with a glass roof, the designers placed beds around the yard with models lying down in different positions fully dressed in the pieces from the collection, this was to show  “the behaviour of a woman lying on her bed and the integration of that environment into her wardrobe”- vandervorst

 

To commemorate 20 years in the fashion industry this one week residency in selfridges is inspired by the concept behind their debut show. The pair are also launching a collaborative collection with super-stylist B Åkerlund inspired by pieces from their favourite collections, this will be available online and in-store.

 

Since the dawn of time the art world has been dominated by white men, whether it’s an abstract painting by Pablo Picasso or an impressionist piece by Van-Gough, our historical figures across the art world are always male; So to show that women do have an artistic voice and influence the Victoria miro gallery has launched “surface work” a new exhibition to showcases abstract art through the generations from women around the world.

This exhibition sends a powerful message that women were there through history right alongside the great men in art, pushing gender boundaries and creating beautiful abstract work. Lee Krasner is an example of someone who worked with a great man but was never seen as his artistic equal, she was the wife of Jackson Pollock, one of the most influential artists of his time.

Krasner was an abstract expressionist painter who throughout her work never had a single recognisable style but chose to incorporate and explore different artistic techniques, she is one of few female artists to have had a retrospective show at the Museum of Modern Art.

only one of her paintings is displayed in “surface work” but this one image shows why she deserves just as much recognition as her significant other.

“Even though it’s specifically a show of art by women, you can’t really come away from it with any single conclusion about how women paint, you just come away thinking that it all deserves as much attention as any art by men.”- time out London

The exhibition runs until the 14^th of May across the galleries three spaces and celebrates artists like Betty Blayton, an African American activist turned painter, Tomie Ohtake a leading Brazilian abstract artist and many more women in the art industry.

This exhibition tells a story of empowerment that resonates with people around the world. By showing that women have always been prominent in the art industry the Victoria Miro gallery is helping us take another step to gender equality by adding to the list of inspirational and influential women throughout history and Art.

The streets of Brixton are coming alive on the 28^th of April, with a new day and night festival celebrating 40 years of disco in some of Brixton’s most renowned venues.

The Brixton disco festival is set to take place in venues surrounding Brixton’s iconic wind rush square the electric Brixton is going to be home to hundreds of ravers until 4am with live performances and DJ sets. The Ritzy picture house, the black cultural archives and POW club and rooftop bar will be hosting both day and night events to celebrate disco music and culture. Brixton’s night market will have dozens of stalls providing food and refreshment’s in wind rush square along with an all-day roller disco!

Disco music first emerged in the 1970s, it brought communities of all ages and ethnicity’s together to dance, listen to music and have fun. Disco music was around for years in clubs and parties before it became mainstream thanks to shows like soul train (a dance show aired in 1971) and artists like the Supremes, Stevie wonder and donna summers. Disco music in many ways changed music forever as it united people, gave us the world’s first explicit songs and openly gay and coloured musicians on the radio. In retrospect disco music liberated and empowered generations through uplifting songs like “we are family” and “I will survive” as well as it shining a light on social issues such as sexuality and racism.

Disco music was there through the times- it was present at studio 54 home to some of the world’s most outrageous fashion, art and people, it was there to unite races and create social awareness and now in the 21^st century disco music is still prominent in clubs, music and fashion. So it’s no surprise that disco music is being celebrated and remembered for what it once was by bringing a thousand ravers together in London’s cultural centre Brixton.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq khan, has launched a new culture strategy providing financial grants between £1,000 to £5,000 for small companies, organisations and creative individuals to fund their ideas and make them a reality.

This strategy is called cultural seeds and aims to preserve London’s culture as well as enabling people to explore their creativity and community.

The Mayor’s culture strategy lays out a vision in which London is enriched with culture and excitement. He launched the culture seeds scheme at the Battersea Arts Centre, a public place in which people come together to express their creativity.

Culture seeds is a $1 million micro-grant program set to support new businesses and organisations that work locally within their communities and might not have the financial resources they need, the end goal is for Londoners to feel a strong sense of identity and cultural understanding.

Successful applicants will become part of the culture seeds network as well as receiving up to £5,000 to help further their creativity and ideas.

The Mayor is “calling on all Londoners” to let them know “how a small grant could make a big difference in your neighbourhood. From kick-starting a new arts festival, to funding a pop-up cinema screening in your local park – the possibilities are endless.” For more information visit www.london.gov.uk/culture-seeds 

The Mayor of London has said he has “invested more in culture than any other mayor” because he believes “in its trans-formative power”, he also believes that this new scheme will create tight knit communities and allow “all young people in the city to feel they can pursue careers in the creative game”.

Creative and cultural industries add 47 billion to London’s economy every year and account for one in six jobs, it also so it’s no wonder that London is on its way to becoming the world’s capital for culture.

Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, said “Culture Seeds is the perfect project to demonstrate what the Mayor’s draft Culture Strategy is all about – using the power of culture to make a real difference in communities across the capital. Small grants can make big things happen and we want everyone to have great culture on their doorstep”.

A summer campaign in the capital is also one of the plans set out in the Mayor’s new culture strategy,  “sounds like London” aims to put a spotlight on new talent and young women in the music industry, as part of a campaign which will take place during June 2018 there will be shows all around London supporting independent music venues, there are many partners involved including Air bnb and BBC music.