July 18 to July 25: From Lovebox to Artsy Golf

Lovebox Festival Pic: Garreth Keogh

Lovebox Festival Pic: Garreth Keogh

There will be plenty of opportunities to soak up both sun and sounds this weekend, as well as getting your groove going around the ELL boroughs.

Here is our Pick of the Line for the coming week…

Hackney

Shake your hipster hips at Dance Nations Dalston this Saturday, July 19, as Gillett Square fills with banging beats and cool steps. Now in its fifth year, the free event offers live music and dance for all ages.  For the opening act at 1.50 pm, East London students involved in Drum Works will sound the first beats, before the programme goes on into the night with a mixture of dance and music.

If your hips need a break, head over to the launch day of ‘Sclater Street Stalls’ in Brick Lane. The Art, Food, Fashion, Handcrafted and Vintage Market will offer the very best of East London culture – live art, galleries, vintage stores and tasty street food. The market opens for the first time on Saturday and will continue to open fortnightly.

Tower Hamlets

One of London’s biggest festivals, Lovebox, kicks off in Victoria Park this weekend. Slimming the festival from three to two days has not hurt the line-up which features acts such as MIA, Nas, Chase & Status, Katy B, The Horrors and Crystal Fighters.

If you feel like a break from the music, you can go check out a boxing ring dance-off with Breakin’ Convention and East London Dance, circus treats from Continental Drift and many other artsy pleasures.

If you want to move those dancing feet again, head off to tango outside at Spitalfields at 1pm on Sunday, July 20, as Tango Fever returns. The free open-air tango dances are held monthly under the canopy in Bishops Square. And no need to be shy: a tango taster lesson for beginners will take place at 12.30pm.

Tango Dancing Pic: MC SimonE

Tango Dancing Pic: MC SimonE

Lewisham

Get a first view of a selection of movies by local directors at the Forest Hill Film Festival’s Saturday Night Movie Gala at Doopo Doopo Art Hub on Saturday. Starting at 7.30pm, local short films will be followed by a screening of ‘Karl’s Birthday,’ a French language feature film shot in and around Forest Hill. The evening is rounded off with the shortlist and results of their international short film festival.

The New London Opera Players will perform Puccini’s Tosca in St. Bartholomew’s Church in Sydenham on Saturday at 7.30 pm. Sung in Italian, the intense and passionate love story takes us through the timeless themes of love, political repression and corruption.

Croydon

Are you into art, or maybe golf? Or both? If so, get yourself down to Ruskin Square on Friday evening for an art exhibition that takes the form of a crazy golf course. Putt Putt #2 showcases newly commissioned work from artists across the country. There will also be family-friendly workshops and events to support networking amongst Croydon’s artists and businesses. Come for the preview from 5pm to 9pm on Friday, or take your time to visit between Wednesday and Saturday every week until the end of August.

The Murder Mystery Season – The Devil at Midnight at the Ashcroft Theatre in Fairfield Halls is back by popular demand. Andrew Paul (The Bill, Where the Heart Is) and Corrinne Wicks (Emmerdale, Doctors) star in a spine-tingling, morally searching and topical thriller from the creator of The Avengers. Come by for the evening performance at 7.30pm on Friday or Saturday. The theatre promises that “a ticket will entitle you to a whole seat, however you’ll only need the edge of it!” Sounds like a mystery worth checking out!

Ashcroft Theatre Pic: Stephen Richards

Ashcroft Theatre Pic: Stephen Richards

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