If you're on the look out for summer entertainment, look no further. Here the AnOther team brings you our top ten July recommendations – from futuristic roller skating in King's Cross to floral delights at Hampton Court Flower Show, as well as some
If you're on the look out for summer entertainment, look no further. Here the AnOther team brings you our top ten July recommendations – from futuristic roller skating in King's Cross to floral delights at Hampton Court Flower Show, as well as some key cinematic and festival highlights.
1. A Mexican Celebration at the Royal Academy & Casa Negra
The latest offering from the Royal Academy, Mexico: A Revolution in Art will provide a fascinating look at a key thirty year period in Mexican history during which time the country experienced extraordinary political and cultural changes. Boasting over 120 works, the exhibition illustrates the diversity and creativity that blossomed throughout Mexico during this much documented cultural renaissance. East London's latest hotspot Casa Negra, will be hosting a week-long fiesta to celebrate the birth (and death) day of Frida Kahlo (5-13 July).
2. Skate King's Cross – July 12 - September 6
A pop-up roller skate rink promises eight weeks of summer fun, and harks back to King's Cross' recent heritage as a site for legendary roller discos. Designed by up and coming architecture studio Feix and Merlin, the futuristic setting, complete with custom light installations, gold and chainmail, will allow for 100 skaters per session, while punk cuisine will be provided by Disco Bistro, and disco beats by a number of DJs including Trevor Jackson.
3. The Hothouse at Trafalgar Studios – until August 3
Harold Pinter's macabre tragicomedy returns to London's West End in this new production directed by Jamie Lloyd, starring Simon Russell Beale, John Simm and temptress Indira Varma. A maniacal and self-obsessed leader breeds a contagion of hierarchical savagery amongst his staff at a state-run mental institution, who thrive on a noxious diet of delusion and deceit.
, September 1)
4. Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s – 10 July - 16 February 2014
In the 1980s London fashion reached dizzying heights of popularity and spawned a generation of celebrated designers, all inspired by the blossoming underground club culture of the capital. This summer, a new V&A exhibition takes an all-encompassing look at the era, featuring designers such as John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood, and one-off custom creations alongside rare photography, film and music.
"Casa Negra, will host a week-long fieta to celebrate the birth (and death) day of Frida Kahlo, starting July 5"
5. David Lynch: The Big Dream – July 15
This month marks the release of David Lynch's second studio album, The Big Dream, featuring 11 self-penned tracks in what he terms his "modern blues" style, and an idiosyncratic take on Bob Dylan's folk hit, The Ballad of Hollis Brown. For the bonus track – a lilting, dreamy affair with (in Lynch's words) "a doo-wop sort of thing going on" – the cult director joined forces with Swedish singer/songwriter Lykke Li.
6. RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show – July 9-14
The worlds largest annual garden show returns to the regal grounds of Hampton Court Palace for another year. Featuring exquisite floral displays and original garden designs, the show makes for a perfect British summer's day trip.
7. The Paper Architect – July 3-21
This month, as part of Beyond the Barbican, the Barbican's off-site summer venture, The Paper Architect makes its debut at the Corner of Leytonstone Library. Created by award winning multi-disciplinary artist duo Davy and Kristin McGuire, the melancholy tale of a man dreaming of a life he never lived is brought to life through paper craft and unique video projection, as he creates intricate paper structures to house his lost hopes and memories.
8. Latitude Festival – July 18-21, and Manchester International Festival – July 4-21
Techno virtuosos Kraftwerk are set to headline at this year's Latitude Festival which boasts a fantastic line up all round with performances from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear, Cat Power, Foals and James Blake – to name but a few. Equally, Manchester International Festival (MIF) – exclusive in its showcasing of new work – will feature some unique perfomances from artists including Massive Attack, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Willem Dafoe, Kenneth Branagh, Goldfrapp and The xx; while many of the world’s leading artists, including Tracey Emin and John Baldessari, are taking part in do it 20 13, created especially for MIF and curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist.
9. Rooftop Film Club and Symphonies of Life: The films of Jean Gremillon at the BFI – throughout July
July is a jam-packed month for film fanatics as the popular outdoor cinema Rooftop Film Club returns (this time at the Bussey Building in Peckham Rye) with screenings of timeless and cult classics, from Casablanca and Brief Encounter to Withnail and I. Meanwhile the BFI is holding a new retrospective, Symphonies of Life: The films of Jean Gremillon, a month long celebration of the talented, but generally little known French film director Jean Gremillon.
10. Dover Street Market's A/W13 Tachiagari – July 13, and LN-CC's Damir Doma Archive Sale – July 15
On Wednesday 10 July, London's Dover Street Market will close for three days to prepare for its biannual Tachiagari or "beginning", which sees the location transformed for the new season. The much anticipated revamp will include a brand new concept space for Jil Sander, combining men's and women's wear for the first time, opening on Saturday 13. At 9:30am on Monday July 15, LN-CC.com will present a an archive sale of garments by influential menswear designer Damir Doma, spanning his entire career – from his second collection right up until A/W12. The archive consists of 50 key pieces, including a striped grey cardigan with belt detail from S/S09, which provides a pioneering example of Damir's earlier work.
Compiled by Daisy Woodward and Rhiannon Wastell
