Latest reviews for Arts & Culture in Shoreditch, London, United Kingdom

Rich Mix - cool by topruss

topruss — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:09:15 +0000

Review by topruss

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7613 7498

Website: http://www.richmix.org.uk

Tags: cultural, modern art, art

best movies and great for food and ocasional footy toobest movies and great for food and ocasional footy too

NO:ID Gallery - No: IDea by Scandalism

Scandalism — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:22:11 +0000

Review by Scandalism

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7729 7819

Website: http://noidgallery.net/

Tags: modern art, paintings, sculptures

The NO ID 'gallery' which might more rightly be christened NO IDea is a woefully lacking - rather than underground - space which operates under the aegis of promoting young artists.

Elvis Costello's aphorism "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" aptly describes No IDea's artistic fare. Which, while ostensibly laden with political undertones, in fact smacks of amateurish phonyism and makes one question the veracity of the oft quoted fact that Shoreditch houses the most artists per square mile of anywhere in Europe.

One star for managing to find a place to squat on lovely Calvert Avenue though!The NO ID 'gallery' which might more rightly be christened NO IDea is a woefully lacking - rather than underground - space which operates under the aegis of promoting young artists.

Elvis Costello's aphorism "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" aptly describes No IDea's artistic fare. Which, while ostensibly laden with political undertones, in fact smacks of amateurish phonyism and makes one question the veracity of the oft quoted fact that Shoreditch houses the most artists per square mile of anywhere in Europe.

One star for managing to find a place to squat on lovely Calvert Avenue though!

Women's Library - A lovely place and so important by karenquirk

karenquirk — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:33:59 +0000

Review by karenquirk

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7320 2222

Website: http://www.thewomenslibrary.ac.uk

The Women's Library is a sweet place and more people should know about it. The exhibitions (about different women's issues) are really thoughtful and contrary to the review above you don't have to pay to read the books, just fill out a form.The Women's Library is a sweet place and more people should know about it. The exhibitions (about different women's issues) are really thoughtful and contrary to the review above you don't have to pay to read the books, just fill out a form.

Hunga Munga - The Arty Party without Arty Farties by idoru

idoru — Mon, 28 May 2007 21:25:26 +0000

Review by idoru

Rating: 4.00

Tags: art, messy, fun

If the words arts and crafts when coupled together cause a little flutter in your chest, then this is the place for you! Last Wednesday I had the absolute pleasure of attending Hunga Munga(£5) at Favela Chic in Old St. I was so excited when my friend invited me, I had visions of colourful pipe cleaners, plasticine, snips, glue and paper maiche. A once monthly event the next one is at the Bethnal Green Working Men's Club on June 14th.

This is not an event for people who are afraid to get paint on their shoes, and it introduces a sense of togetherness you never see at your average music gig. Yes that right, live acts and djs preform as you create your mini masterpieces.

Their tagline on the their myspace page is "arty parties without the arty farties" so compared to PaintJam(£40) in Angel where you see a more professional crowd, and the Craft Night (£6) at Notting Hill Arts Club where you get a craft bag and everyone makes the same thing (sock puppets embroidery), Its free range creativity for the creatively inclined though not necessarily creatively gifted.

The best thing is watching a whole room of people sharing recycled bits and bobs, paint trays and scissors while being totally engrossed in what they are doing. You have a beer or two as props but for the first couple of hours I was all hands on and in the crafts. Oh and I mustn't forget the fairy cakes on the tables when we arrived and the BEST arts and crafts supply table you've ever seen (a million times better than kindy)

I created some kind of alien plant thing, my friend a tv head, another a miniature garden and another a mask. I painted a picture of seahorses for a friend who couldn't come and after that I was artied out and ready to party, so I wandered around comparing my art with others seeing if we could combine them in to mega installations. I even had a certain puffed chest pride when the Hung Munga photographer took pictures of my piece.

So if you want to have a wholesome night, meet a bunch of interesting people and feel generally good about yourself go and get lost in the world of arts and crafts for a couple of hours, you never know you might actually win a prize.
If the words arts and crafts when coupled together cause a little flutter in your chest, then this is the place for you! Last Wednesday I had the absolute pleasure of attending Hunga Munga(£5) at Favela Chic in Old St. I was so excited when my friend invited me, I had visions of colourful pipe cleaners, plasticine, snips, glue and paper maiche. A once monthly event the next one is at the Bethnal Green Working Men's Club on June 14th.

This is not an event for people who are afraid to get paint on their shoes, and it introduces a sense of togetherness you never see at your average music gig. Yes that right, live acts and djs preform as you create your mini masterpieces.

Their tagline on the their myspace page is "arty parties without the arty farties" so compared to PaintJam(£40) in Angel where you see a more professional crowd, and the Craft Night (£6) at Notting Hill Arts Club where you get a craft bag and everyone makes the same thing (sock puppets embroidery), Its free range creativity for the creatively inclined though not necessarily creatively gifted.

The best thing is watching a whole room of people sharing recycled bits and bobs, paint trays and scissors while being totally engrossed in what they are doing. You have a beer or two as props but for the first couple of hours I was all hands on and in the crafts. Oh and I mustn't forget the fairy cakes on the tables when we arrived and the BEST arts and crafts supply table you've ever seen (a million times better than kindy)

I created some kind of alien plant thing, my friend a tv head, another a miniature garden and another a mask. I painted a picture of seahorses for a friend who couldn't come and after that I was artied out and ready to party, so I wandered around comparing my art with others seeing if we could combine them in to mega installations. I even had a certain puffed chest pride when the Hung Munga photographer took pictures of my piece.

So if you want to have a wholesome night, meet a bunch of interesting people and feel generally good about yourself go and get lost in the world of arts and crafts for a couple of hours, you never know you might actually win a prize.

Freedom Press & Bookshop - England's oldest anarchist publishers by rkn

rkn — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 22:56:36 +0000

Review by rkn

Rating: 5.00

Tags: cosy, bookshop, friendly

Freedom Press and Bookshop is down an alley off Whitechapel High Street next to KFC.

Past the mural of prominent anarchist figures from the last century or so, behind the painted door then up a narrow flight of stairs lies a cosy hive. To your left is a computer resource space, on the right the bookshop housing anarchist texts, newspapers and pamphlets from the world over.

Upstairs is a small meeting room and the offices of Freedom Newspaper (the oldest anarchist newspaper in the world) founded by several influential anarchists in 1886.

This place is well worth a visit, not only for the books it houses but because its a little bit of the historical East End of London.

Its own website can be found:
http://freedom.libcom.org.uk/Freedom Press and Bookshop is down an alley off Whitechapel High Street next to KFC.

Past the mural of prominent anarchist figures from the last century or so, behind the painted door then up a narrow flight of stairs lies a cosy hive. To your left is a computer resource space, on the right the bookshop housing anarchist texts, newspapers and pamphlets from the world over.

Upstairs is a small meeting room and the offices of Freedom Newspaper (the oldest anarchist newspaper in the world) founded by several influential anarchists in 1886.

This place is well worth a visit, not only for the books it houses but because its a little bit of the historical East End of London.

Its own website can be found:
http://freedom.libcom.org.uk/