South London has always been known for having a strong culture in the creative arts. From famous musicians and songwriters through to artists and architects, the creative arts sector has always been strongly supported in South London since time anon. None of this could be possible if it wasn’t for the great support that the sector has had through various institutions. Not least of these are the vast array of independent art galleries that exist all over the area, that help to promote and showcase work of artists living in South London. We happen to know quite a few of these, and thought it good to share with you some of them to check out if you are into buying art or are an artist and are looking for the perfect place to showcase and sell some of your work...
11 Best Independent Galleries in South London
It may come as something of a surprise to some of you, but art does not have to be in a ginormous, grandiose space in order to be good. In fact, art doesn't have to be anything to be good, you know why? Cos it's all subjective! Art is a matter of taste and taste should be utterly personal, though if we're going to be truthful, that isn't entirely the case. Just like wine and music, it's what you like that matters - not what people tell you to like. Just because something is expensive, and it's by a famous name does not make it good. If you want some art that you like, go find some art you like, and a really good way of doing that is by visiting independent galleries. Just like independent theatres, it's a great place to find emerging artists who haven't necessarily been annointed by wealthy backers, and have had to work their damn socks off even to get in these small galleries. To give you a head start, we've brought together a list of what we, and stress that we part, think are the 11 best independent galleries in South London.
10 Independent Cinemas in South London
Ah the silver screen! Romance, drama, comedy, horror, sci-fi - we've all got different tastes. Some of us like watching movies at home, curled up on the sofa with loved ones, or on our own, becoming absorbed in a world away from ourselves, that's cool, we understand. A lot of us though, we love going to the cinema, to see films in a special setting, and to make an evening of it. What do independent cinemas have over, say, your Odeons? Let's just tell it straight - character. These places are unique on the inside and out, and if you're going on a date, then surely it's better to go somewhere a little different, rather than the flat-pack, business park cinemas littered all over the country. Anyway, we thought it would be nice to compile a list of the 10 independent cinemas in South London. Before you moan at us for not including Picturehouse, they're owned by Cineworld and have been since 2012, so they're no longer independent in our eyes.
Crystal Palace Overground Festival
Having not been held last year, the Crystal Palace Overground Festival is set to return this year with events being held in conjunction with the festival from 12th-18th June. Having started in 2006, the festival has grown and grown, with approximately 10,000 people visiting over five days back in 2015, as it seeks to create cultural events and activities that bring the local community together, and promotes Crustal Palace as an interesting and special place to live and work in. We at South London Club love anything that promotes the diverse culture of South London, and we also love events that promote local independent business, so we’re definitely big fans of the event. To give you an idea as to what is on offer during the festival we’ve gone through the programme of events and have worked out a short guide of what we reckon are the best bets for each day, starting with the last day of the festival.
Balham Literary Festival
From the 8th-11th June, Balham will play host to the second Balham Literary Festival, produced by Dulwich Books. The event will feature talks from numerous different writers, and is going to be hosted at the Grade-II listed Bedford Pub. The talks will explore numerous different themes relevant to those that call Balham home, and even further afield, and there will also be a pop-up bookshop at the pub all weekend.
London History Day
On Wednesday 31st May 2017 the first ever London History Day is set to he held. The date marks the anniversary of the day in 1859 when Big Ben began keeping time for the residents of London. The aim of the day is to highlight our great city’s wonderful history and is part of Historic England’s wider ‘Keep it London’ campaign, which aims to make Londoners discuss and celebrate the heritage of the capital. All across London, more than 40 galleries, museums and institution will be showing rare London-related objects, or staging special events and conducting tours to mark the occasion. A number of these special events will be happening south of the river in the more pleasant half of London. To save you time, we at South London Club have compiled a list of the events happening in South London