Culture
Rita Ora apologises for second breach of Covid lockdown restrictions
December 5, 2020British singer Rita Ora has apologised after reports emerged that she should have been self-isolating when she celebrated her birthday at a London restaurant last month. The 30-year-old flew to Egypt in a private jet on 21 November to perform at the five-star W Hotel in Cairo, an appearance for which she was paid a […]
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Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan review – a sombre salute
December 4, 2020This full-length profile of the former Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan emerges just as the annual debate over the lyrics of his biggest hit, Fairytale of New York, gets into full swing. While the controversy is not specifically addressed here, you have to wonder how the defund-the-BBC types will react to MacGowan’s enthusiastic endorsement of Irish […]
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Rita Ora throws birthday party at London restaurant despite lockdown
November 30, 2020Rita Ora at Milan fashion week in September. The singer turned 30 last week. Photograph: Jacopo Raule/Getty Images for Fendi Police have said they were called to investigate a potential breach of Covid regulations after reports that the singer Rita Ora hosted a birthday party with friends at a restaurant in west London. Images showed […]
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Night riding in London during the lockdown – in pictures
November 30, 2020Like many others, I’ve found the pandemic difficult. Both from a shielding perspective and from the way it has separated me from the favourite aspect of my work, portraiture, with all the possibility for human connection and the closeness that represents.
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Will theatres reopen after lockdown? Rules for the arts in tiers 1, 2 and 3 explained
November 24, 2020On the flip side, this of course means that many will have to stay closed – indefinitely. Will your favourite venue be open this December? When will you know? And what social distancing measures might be in force? Here is what we know. ( Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden ) But any venue placed in tier […]
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Arts world dismayed at fate of London home of Rimbaud and Verlaine
November 22, 2020It was the London home of the 19th-century Decadent poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, two of France’s greatest literary heroes, whose tempestuous love affair ended with a shooting and prison. A Georgian building in Camden, where they rented lodgings in 1873, was to have become “a poetry house”, an arts and education centre in […]
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The Millennium Dome Heist with Ross Kemp review – turgid true crime with TV’s top hardman
November 11, 2020Following his well-worn formula, the ex-EastEnder somehow stretched the straightforward story of a plot to steal £350m of jewels into an hour-long programme Ross Kemp outside the Millennium Dome, now The O2 Arena. Photograph: ITV Recipe for one hour of ITV presented by Ross Kemp. Ingredients: one headline story from between five and 20 years […]
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New wave of public art not about celebrating “great men or women”, says Hackney mayor
November 5, 2020H ackney’s new wave of public art will not “celebrate the great men and women of history”, according to the borough’s mayor. Philip Glanville said the recent controversy over the destruction of the statue of slave trader Ed-ward Colston in Bristol showed the importance of making work that reflects the borough. Plans are currently been […]
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Royal palaces seek curator to uncover their links to slave trade
October 28, 2020Historic Royal Palaces is launching research into the properties it manages, which include Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace, and their connections to the slave trade, with a curator tasked with uncovering ties. HRP confirmed that the new curator for inclusive history will be in charge of the study and be supported by the organisation’s […]
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Stormzy vest and 3D Covid virus among Designs of the Year nominees
October 20, 2020A vegan burger, the 3D rendering of the virus causing Covid-19 and the union flag stab-proof vest worn by Stormzy are contenders in the Designs of the Year, which its curator says tells the story of a tumultuous 12 months before the coronavirus pandemic. The Design Museum in London has announced the 74 nominees for […]
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