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NOVEMBER'S NEWS
Tis November and already the Christmas lights are going up on the Walworth Road though at last glance, Camberwell Green has not yet followed suit. Let's have a look at the Camberwell delights in store in this, the last month before the festive season is upon us.
Theatre
Black-i continues at the Oval House Theatre til Saturday. However, the main event at Oval House Theatre is the CASA Latin American Theatre Festival, running 9-13th November. All shows in Spanish with English surtitles - an interesting experience. As well as a range of exciting shows, Saturday 13th will also have a free all-day event at the theatre with Latin American poetry, art, music and more. All details at www.ovalhouse.com After that, from 16th November, Oval House brings us an intriguing Zimbabwe version of Hamlet, Kupenga Kwa Hamlet. Do also check out their post-show discussions on 23rd Nov (Women, Africa and Shakespeare), 24th November (Q&A with the creative team) and 30th November (Death in Translation: cultural contexts). Over at the lovely Blue Elephant Theatre, The Cave finishes on Saturday. From 9th November we have The White Devil, 'one of the finest and most complex Jacobean tragedies'.
Film
We are still working hard to bring back Pink Screen Sundays. In the meantime, don't forget the Sun and Doves has free films every Tuesday evening, despite their refusal to update their website to tell us what they are... it seems to be Argentinian movies. Plus, as a one off on Monday 8th, a Venezuelan film in association with the Venezuelan Solidarity Campaign. Whirled Cinema has City of Life and Death tonight at 8:30 only, then The Time that Remains on 11th and 12th and Wild Grass on 18th-20th. See the arty section below for more info on arty films.
Art and Arty Performance/Film/Talks/Events
As ever, we are spoilt for choice with art this month. The South London Gallery's expansion means we have three exhibitions at once. Tatiana Trouve and Michal Budny both run til the end of the month. South London Gallery also has an array of performance type events. Massimo Bartolini has a light sculpture inspired by choreography, which involves a dance performance at the following weekend sunset times: Sunday 7th Nov 4-5, 14th 3:45-4:45, 21st 3:30-4:30, 28th 3:30-4:30. On 10th November at 7pm (free), Jimmy Robert presents Consensus Rouge Noir, 'a new performance featuring text read over filmed imagery'. On Wed 17th November (£5/3) we have Philip Warnell in Outlandish: Strange Foreign Bodies. This is a film screening about the history and integrity of bodies and has a discussion afterwards. Finally on 26th November 7pm (free) there is a screening of Nollywood, Losing the Plot, about the phenomenon of Nigerian Cinema. Check out all the South London Gallery stuff at www.southlondongallery.org
Outside of the South London Gallery, we have:
- Terminator at the Camberwell College of Arts til 26th November.
- GX Gallery continues with Stone+Bronze+Rope til the 18th, so don't forget to catch that before their new exhibition from 20th November, Journeys of the Mind by Stefano Paolicchi. The private view for that exhibition's on the 19th at 7:30pm - do pop along. Private views at GX Gallery are great.
- Evolution of Shape/Space/Time is ongoing at Sun and Doves.
- House Gallery has Wound til tomorrow, then on Friday 12th Nov 5-10pm an intriguing music/wifi/art night. On 19th November 5-10pm House have an event about environmental pop videos. And then from 22-27th, they have a show called Amo Amas Amat by Mel Lloyd.
- Art's Bar, now established in its home upstairs in Le Petit Parisien, have their second exhibition from 2-7 November, Hidden Depth by Terry Ryan - private view on 4th November.
- Red Gate Gallery has new exhibition EUMAN's Autumn Salon (an EU artists' collective), from 12-25th November - private view on the 12th. From 26th November they have London, A Visit, which is an exhibition of London-themed paintings by Deric Ch'ng. They have a private view on Friday 26th, plus on Saturday 27th, host the launch night of Unused LDN, an organisation to bring new, exciting, alternative performers into the spotlight. Expect an intriguing line-up with live performers and DJs.
Camberwell Gay Book Group has moved to the third Monday of the month, still at 7:30 at Le Petit Parisien. This month's discussion on 15th November is about Emma Donoghue's book Room. New members welcome. I must start going into Camberwell Library to check on their book events, but no reply when I called them today...
Music
There is still weekly jazz every Friday night in the St Giles Church crypt, and every Sunday night at Le Petit Parisien. Plus this Saturday at the Sun and Doves, the South London Jazz Orchestra.
If we're missing any events, do let us know! Hope you have a nice November enjoying the delights of sunny Camberwell.
OCTOBER'S NEWS
Greetings Gay Camberwellians,
Halfway through the month, it's a rather belated October newsletter - sorry about that! But hey, better late than never. And here's what's coming up in the next couple of weeks in sunny SE5.
Film
Regular films continue at the Sun and Doves on Tuesdays (they rarely seem to update their website film listings, but I understand it's a Francophile season this month), and at Whirled Cinema on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (coming up this month is Tetro, The Killer Inside Me, and The Milk of Sorrow). Wednesday 27th October sees an interesting film event at South London Gallery: Marguerite Duras's films are 'films of voices' in which one 'reads the film and sees the book'.
Art
There is a veritable whirl of art in SE5 at the moment. Great news that Petit Parisien has given a home to Art's Bar (formerly above the Funky Munky but asked to leave a couple of months ago - a great and thankfully temporary loss to Camberwell). They launch their new home with a show by Lisa Biles - Beyond the Safety Curtain, from 19th October, and with a private view/celebration on 21st. GX Gallery's showing Somewhere Under the Rainbow by Martin Grover and then pop down on 29th October for a private view of Peter Brooke-Ball's new exhibition Stone+Bronze+Rope. South London Gallery has Tatiana Trouve and Michael Budny. On weekdays there's still time to catch Terminator at Camberwell Space. Details of all are on the Gay Camberwell calendar . Just over the border in SE15 the New Gallery London is building up a steady reputation with its rapidly rotating, interesting art shows, and serves drinks and snacks to boot - my friend likened it last night to an experimental Berlin bar. Their website isn't always updated but keep up to date via their Facebook page.
Music
Contrary to any rumours about Jazz at the Crypt that may be circulating, Friday night jazz is going strong. Different managers but the same great jazz, food, drink and atmosphere. They have a new website . The previous managers have moved operations round the corner to Le Petit Parisien. Every Sunday and free too - we are spoilt. Listings here. On a non-jazz note, Art's Bar at Le Petit Parisien has Voices of the Fall, a song and poetry night, on 20th October.
Theatre
Catch the intriguing Jukai at the Blue Elephant Theatre (incorporates half-mask, contemporary theatre and Japanese traditional music to tell a story about straying from the path). From Tuesday 19th October, Oval House Theatre is showing Black-i, described as: East End Naz disturbs Mayfair Rose on a London roof at 3am. She’s 16 in Paul Smith, he’s 17 in a hoodie and jeans. He’s Muslim but she’s covered up from head to toe. Both are in trouble; both need out by sunrise. From the 21st October, Blue Elephant Theatre has The Cave, an 'unsettling and powerful play by Mervyn Peake - author of Gormenghast - a dark, inquisitive look at the nature of authority and its effect on the human condition.'
Books
Camberwell Gay Book Group meets at Le Petit Parisien on Tuesday 19th at 8pm to discuss Generation A by Douglas Coupland, one of the shortlisted books for this year's Green Carnation prize (the gay man's answer to The Booker).
Other
All over the world, people are designating 20th October 'Spirit Day', a day to wear purple (the colour of 'spirit' in the LGBTQ rainbow flag) in memory of the six US gay boys who recently committed suicide due to homophobic abuse in their homes and schools. Info here. Our local Mental Health Arts charity CoolTan Arts are putting on a one-off dyeing workshop (open to all) on 18th Oct to dye clothes purple in preparation - open to all.
Finally - you may have noticed there are now 2 ping pong tables on Camberwell Green. Gay Camberwell were instrumental in getting them there, so do pop down with your bats and balls for a game before winter.
Have a great October!
Layla
http://www.gaycamberwell.com
SEPTEMBER'S NEWS
Greetings, Gay Camberwellians,
After a summer break in newsletter action, we are back, with all the best things to do in the SE5 vicinity over the next month.
Film
Whirled Cinema's summer holiday ends this week with an autumn programme of films. Across the border to the east, the 5th - 12th September sees the Peckham and Nunhead Free Film Festival, with an array of interesting films and events in quirky venues. And we are making progress in our search for a new home for Pink Screen Sundays, since the Castle closed its doors.
Art
GX Gallery is currently showing Flock, showcasing 12 of the top graduates from Camberwell, Wimbledon and Chelsea Colleges of Art. We went to the private view and thought it was one of the most interesting SE5 art shows of late. Then from the 10th September they show Outsiders - catch the private view. Elsewhere, the South London Gallery has Nothing is Forever, their fascinating new show (made all the more tempting by the promise of the adjoining cafe), the Red Gate Gallery continues its quirky programme (best enjoyed on Friday nights when the bar is open). On 27th September, the Camberwell Space opens, a new public art gallery at the Camberwell College of Arts, with its new show Terminator, showcasing 15 contemporary London-based artists. If it's more participatory art you desire, Art's Bar has a new weekly event on Tuesdays called Textile and Turntable - do crafty things while listening to vinyl. Though Art's Bar recently cancelled an event so we're still checking they're okay. And House is about to start Friday night events curated by locals, in a programme called Halfway House. No details available yet, but keep an eye on their website... and why not propose an event yourself?
Theatre
Camberwell's theatre scene returns from its summer holiday on 21st September with Estate Walls, an inner city show at the Oval House Theatre. 21st September also marks the start of a 3 week festival of Nigerian playwriting at the Oval House, with performances, readings, and debates. On the 28th September, Blue Elephant Theatre's autumn programme starts with Jukai, a new piece incorporating half-mask, contemporary theatre and Japanese traditional music to tell a story about straying from the path.
Music
We are spoilt for jazz at the moment in Camberwell. Jazz in the St Giles crypt continues its atmospheric weekly slot on Friday nights. Le Petit Parisien has live jazz every Sunday from 8, and the Sun and Doves on the first Sunday of the month. If you're looking for outdoor music, this Sunday is the last chance to catch the summer music programme at Myatt's Fields bandstand. On the more experimental side, on the 10th and 11th September, South London Gallery hosts an 'exceptional, captivating sensory experience, mixing experimental industrial music and sounds recorded from the Serengeti', East African Nocturne.
Books
Camberwell Gay Book Group is now meeting on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm at Le Petit Parisien. This month's book is Chalcot Crescent by Fay Weldon. New members are very welcome.
All dates and details are on the Gay Camberwell website homepage.
New on the Gay Camberwell Website
There's a new section called 'Learn' with details of courses you can take in Camberwell.
We've also been writing a couple of restaurant reviews, including No 67, and Pizza Lenuccia.
And we have written quite a few recent blog posts about life in and around SE5.
Random other bits of Camberwell news
Camberwell Leisure Centre has obtained more money for further refurbishment, which means it's now not due to re-open til February 2011. The extra money will be spent on re-tiling the pool, improving the gym, and restoring the facade.
South London Gallery has re-opened with a brilliant new cafe, No 67
And opposite South London Gallery, just over the SE15 border, New Gallery London has just opened - owned by the Bar Story people.
Have a great September!
Love Gay Camberwell
