October 2024
This October make sure you don’t miss any of the wonderful events and exhibitions that are taking place at our member venues for the rest of this year – for example learn about exceptional historical timepieces and the science behind timekeeping or discover new ways of seeing the world through captivating verses and talks. Take part in a Halloween trail or a twilight tour, perfect for the spooky season! Alternatively, experience the wonders of life on Earth through a world-renowned Wildlife photography exhibition or marvel at an amazing blockbuster theatre show. You can even dance the day away at a daytime disco or get your skate’s on for ready for the festive celebrations. Whatever you choose you won’t want to miss it!
Image credit: © The Wallace Collection
For the first time, the Wallace Collection is bringing together its clocks by one of history’s greatest designers and cabinetmakers, André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732), in a display that explores the art and science of timekeeping. Five exceptional timepieces, brought together in a free display, will tell the story of how Boulle took advantage of scientific discoveries to create unique clock designs, whose influence spread throughout the world and across the centuries. The clocks on display show the wide range of objects that Boulle turned his hand to.
A monumental wardbrobe from 1715 that encloses a clock, crowned with cherubs; two mantel clocks, one from around 1715 featuring Venus and Cupid, and another, from a decade later, with the figure of Father Time; as well as two extraordinary pedestal clocks.
This exhibition is free to enjoy daily from 10am to 5pm. If you are interested in adding this display onto your evening event, please get in touch with the Wallace Collection events team at events@wallacecollection.org / 020 7563 9507
Voice and Verse at Westminster Abbey - Don't Miss for 2024!
Poets’ Corner is a literary pilgrimage like no other. Join Westminster Abbey this Autumn season as we celebrate the power of words and stories penned by historic and emerging poets. Discover new ways of seeing the world through their captivating verses.
The season includes daytime talks, tours, a concert of Handel's Messiah and a family friendly creative session just in time for the half term holidays. Get creative with our workshops, Strokes of Poetry and even a Book Binding workshop on Saturday 2nd November.
The season finishes on 27th November with an unforgettable evening of poetry at 'Portals of Discovery', curated by Jade de Robles Rossdale and held in the iconic Poets' Corner.
Image credit: Yifan Liu
Spooky Season at the Soane
Halloween is the perfect time to explore the basement of Sir John Soane’s remarkable home. Filled with artefacts related to death, this underground floor evokes a gloomy underworld, best experienced after dark.
Don’t miss the chance to explore this labyrinthine space with colleagues, clients, friends, or family at our special Halloween Twilight Tour: Descent into the Underworld. Our expert guides will steer you through this maze-like space, sharing stories of death and the Beyond, from ancient Egyptian gods to the rise of Gothic literature. As twisting shadows dance across the walls, explore the tomb of the resident hermit monk who is said to still haunt his parlour, experience the artistry of the catacombs of ancient Rome, and know that death is not the end.
Timed entry at 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, and 7:30pm on Thursday 31 October. Book your place now https://www.soane.org/whats-on/twilight-tour-descent-underworld
Image credit: William Fortescue
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
The Natural History Museum’s world-renowned competition launches its sixtieth exhibition on Friday 11 October. Through the eyes of the world’s best wildlife photography, visitors will experience the wonders of life on Earth and uncover what we can do together to protect it.
Book your tickets: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year.html
The National Theatre is ending the year with a bang, with two blockbuster shows over the Autumn and Winter period. Combine an event at the rooftop Buffini Chao Deck with tickets to a performance for an experience no-one is likely to forget!
Families will love Ballet Shoes, a re-imagining of the best-selling book, exploring how three adopted sisters learn who they are and what they want to be under the watchful eyes and guidance of their guardian Sylvia, Nana and some unlikely lodgers.
Billed as a trivial comedy for serious people, The Importance of Being Earnest returns to the National Theatre stage, starring Sharon D. Clarke, Hugh Skinner and Ncuti Gatwa. Impress clients and colleagues with tickets to what is bound to be a sell-out show this winter season.
Get in touch with our events team to find out how we can create a bespoke event this year. With state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment, panoramic views of London and a blank canvas space, the stage is set for a fantastic end to the year.
Image credit: Artwork © Tim Burton
October 2024 at the Design Museum will be suitably spooky as we welcome ‘The World of Tim Burton’ to the museum on the 25th October. This will be the final stop in a decade-long world tour of this exhibition so don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Design Museum and experience this incredible exploration of the design of Tim Burton’s unique aesthetic.
Don’t just stop with a visit to the exhibition! Create your own 'The World of Tim Burton' experience with our bespoke Tim Burton event packages! We have collaborated with some of our expert event suppliers to help you host an entirely Tim Burton themed event, from catering to production to entertainment!
Thinking about booking this year’s Christmas party? Have your very own ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ at the Design Museum (well, maybe not the nightmare part!)!
Get in touch with our Venue Hire team by emailing venuehire@designmuseum.org now to book your weird and wonderful Tim Burton event!
Located in the heart of London’s Mayfair, the Royal Institution offers an exceptionally elegant and versatile events venue. Do not miss the chance to hire the newly released space in its inaugural year, known as the ‘Speakers Room’.
As with other hiring spaces at the Royal Institution, its incredible antique décor is perfect for filming and serves as an excellent meeting space for small corporate away-days. The ‘Speakers Room’ is able to facilitate from 7 people for a small meeting up to 20 for a drinks reception. The natural lighting of the space compliments the dark wooden materials of the furniture, creating a sophisticated atmosphere. The traditional interior design reflects the Royal Institution’s values of fostering knowledge and preserving heritage. The Speakers room includes hybrid conference technology and a small area for amenities.
This room is available to hire either hourly or by set timings, enquire with venuehire@ri.ac.uk to find out more.
Image credit: Chloe Hashemi
Skate, London's premier winter experience, returns to Somerset House in November, welcoming visitors for an unparalleled skating experience in the heart of the capital, against the magical backdrop of their iconic courtyard.
Hailed as one of the capital’s favourite winter experiences, Skate at Somerset House signals the start of the festive period with unrivalled skating, contemporary music and tasty food and drink. From skating lessons with Skate School and our Chilled Out sessions, onwards to trailblazing DJs on the rink-side decks, there's something for everyone. More information and tickets can be found HERE
You can also add exclusive ice-skating sessions for up to 250 guests, available alongside your venue hire. Check out Somerset House’s Christmas package HERE
Speak to the Somerset House team via events@somersethouse.org.uk or 020 7845 4618, and discover how you can make the most of their unique offering by incorporating their programme into your event.
London Museum Docklands: Historic events with a spirited twist
London Museum Docklands is inviting guests to explore the spine-chilling history of the East End docks with a unique team experience perfect for the spooky season!
Docks after Dark is an exclusive after-hours event that reveals the hidden stories of London’s historic docks. Hear the eerie tales of the men, women, and children who lived and worked here – and visit the most haunted corners of this 200-year-old building.
As guests journey through the museum’s atmospheric galleries, brought to life by engaging storytelling, they will be treated to a bespoke cocktail specially created for the occasion – a Black Widow Martini! The Docks after Dark tour can be booked as an add on to an event at the museum or as a standalone experience.
If you want to include Docks after Dark as part of a daytime or evening event, why not book the Rum Store as your main space as it’s only available until the end of the year!
For more information or to book Docks after Dark or the Rum Store, contact the team at venuehire@museumoflondon.org.uk.
For one week in December, RIBA at 66 Portland Place will be taken over by club phenomenon Day Fever. Taking residence at the venue from 16th – 20th December, Day Fever at 66 Portland Place will run from 13:00 – 16:00 / 16:00-20:00 for company Christmas parties, ensuring guests are home for dinner and fresh faced for the next day.
Day Fever has taken the going out scene by storm by creating the UK’s first nationwide daytime disco headlined by the greatest hits of the 20th century, big lights and flash-back films of the era. Noted for getting guests ‘home for dinner’ Day Fever fits with new working ideals where hangovers, missed trains and enforced fun outside office hours are being shunned. The residence also recognises the changing face of team socials where finishing early is the new staying out.
Priced from £119 + VAT per person, Day Fever at 66 Portland Place includes: specially curated all killer no filler music set, light and video show, 2 drinks tokens per person and a rolling buffet to keep your disco moves fully charged.
To book the hottest daytime ticket in town for your team, email or call: venues@riba.org / 020 7307 3888
Image credit: Jack Lowe
At RMG you can tie in an exhibition tour with your next event, and as the end of the year is rapidly approaching, don’t miss out on our 2024 exhibition special: Women of the RNLI at The National Maritime Museum.
Life savers, fundraisers, trailblazers: discover the vital roles that women play in saving lives at sea, this exhibition celebrates the work of women in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
2024 marks 200 years of the RNLI. In this anniversary year, Women of the RNLI shines a spotlight on the various roles that women have – and always have had – in this vital charity.
The exhibition explores the experiences of current volunteers as well as the stories of the people who paved their way. From crewmembers and lifeguards to fundraisers, mechanics and station managers, women contribute to every aspect of the RNLI’s work.
With our wonderful catering, floristry & production partners, our experienced events team is on hand and ready to start discussing plans for your next event. Contact them now at events@rmg.co.uk or on 0208 312 8517.
From October 17th to November 2nd Luke Jerram’s Gaia will be suspended in Southwark Cathedral. Gaia is a seven-meter replication of our planet, which will be suspended in three dimensions in the Cathedral’s Nave. Providing visitors with the ‘Overview Effect’. The feeling of awe and reinvigorated responsibility for the environment which astronauts experience when seeing the planet from space.
The exhibition is supported by a wide variety of events with a focus on climate justice, and the positive action all visitors can take to protect our planet. This including night viewings, musical performances, and climate focused talks.
More information is available here.
Image credit: Instillation shot of Lygia Clark: The I and the You
This Autumn at Whitechapel we have a variety of exhibitions and events aimed at provoking expanded encounters and thinking with artists from different generations and geographies.
Lygia Clark & Sonia Boyce
Whitechapel Gallery presents two exhibitions especially conceived to be in dialogue with each other. Lygia Clark: The I and the You and Sonia Boyce: An Awkward Relation explore pivotal moments in the artists’ careers, where each began experimenting with participatory practices.
Peter Kennard: Archive of Dissent
The exhibition marks one of the most extensive displays of Kennard’s work to date. It brings together work from across the artist’s prolific and influential five-decade career, offering an important repository of social and political history while illuminating an artistic practice that has continuously countered and protested the status quo.
Archipelago: Visions in Orbit
An original exhibition curated by students from the MA Curating and Public Programmes course organised in collaboration with London South Bank University (LSBU).
At a cost of £150 + VAT, we offer exhibition tour led by our professional guide. If you are longing for extended sunlight in the short Autumn days, with sunset views of the iconic East London skyline, our Clore Creative Studio is the space for you. After enjoying our exhibitions, you can head up and enjoy an inspirational meetings or festive drinks in our spacious, airy space. New for Autumn 2024 is also the opportunity to hire Gallery 2, the former reading room of the old Whitechapel Library, with exposed bricks and original Victorian features, this highly sought-after space has hosted gala’s and film screenings to name a few.
Get in touch with us at hire@whitechapelgallery.org) for more details.
Image credit: © Horniman Museum and Gardens
Landmarks Late: Part of Being Human Festival - Thursday 7 November, 5.30-9pm
Visit the Horniman Museum and Gardens for a unique night of interactive experiences, installations and performances exploring how humans mark the land and how the land marks us, in collaboration with Goldsmiths, University of London.
In this special Horniman Museum Late, Landmarks Late explores themes of the Anthropocene, climate crisis, and indigenous ways of knowing.
Experience an interactive augmented reality performance inspired by human evolution, explore sustainable Caribbean crafting, contribute to an evolving soundscape based on field recordings made at the Museum, enjoy a walking tour of the Museum, take part in a drumming workshop and watch an exclusive performance by IRIE! dance theatre, the UK’s leading company working in the field of African and Caribbean dance fusion.
Plus enjoy the Horniman’s current displays, including Natural History Pop-up, Adolescent Wonderland, music and drinks in our Café.
Free. Find out more https://www.horniman.ac.uk/event/horniman-museum-lates/
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