On Fridays (but sometimes on Thursdays too), at 12 noon at the Café Consort (Door 12, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP) the Royal Albert Hall often features free lunchtime gigs called “Ignite” by rising (mostly jazz or folk) stars. The quality of the performances is high and in most cases you can be sure you will be listening to some great music. Aim to be there about 30 minutes earlier if you want to have a seat; some of the gigs are very popular and you could end up standing for the whole duration of the performance.

We have collected the free gigs to be held in May and June 2013 and we present them here. Enjoy!

All gigs start at 12 noon.

• May, 17 (Friday): Giacomo Smith and Robin Katz’ Club Royale Giacomo Smith (clarinetist) and Robin Katz’ (guitarist) Club Royale performing a mix of jazz music
  

• May, 23 (Thursday): Junior Ignite – Out of the Loop rising stars from the National Youth Jazz Orchestra
• May, 24 (Friday): Peter Michaels Trio (guitar, double bass, percussion) performing jazz and Brazilian music compositions
• May, 31 (Friday): Ma Polaine’s Great Decline (vocals, blues harp, a horn section, accordion, guitar, piano, double bass and drums) performing a mix of jazz and blues music
  

• June, 6 (Thursday): Trey and Freddie song-writing duo from Sedgehill School in Lewisham who use a mixture of folk, country and indie influences to create their sound
• June, 7 (Friday): Atonga Zimba playing the koliko (or molo), a two-stringed lute, which is used throughout the savannahs and deserts of West Africa
  

• June, 14 (Friday): FB Pocket Orchestra performing hot jazz, blues, ragtime and popular dances of the 1920/30s and earlier
  

• June, 21 (Friday): Melange performing a blend of Middle East and other world music genres
  

To get the full list of events and all their details in order to make plans for any future dates please scroll down to the calendar and click on the event(s) you are interested in.

On Fridays (but sometimes on Thursdays too), at 12 noon at the Café Consort (Door 12, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP) the Royal Albert Hall often features free lunchtime gigs called “Ignite” by rising (mostly jazz) stars. The quality of the performances is high and in most cases you can be sure you will be listening to some great music. Aim to be there about 30 minutes earlier if you want to have a seat; some of the gigs are very popular and you could end up standing for the whole duration of the performance.

We have collected the free gigs to be held in April and May 2013 and we present them here. Enjoy!

All gigs start at 12 noon.

• Apr, 5 (Friday): Moscow Drug Club 1930s Berlin Cabaret / Hot Club de Jazz / New Orleans / Gypsy Campfire Band
  

• Apr, 26 (Friday): TG Collective a quartet from the larger TG Collective performing a mix of gypsy jazz, flamenco and contemporary classical music

• May, 17 (Friday): Giacomo Smith and Robin Katz’ Club Royale Giacomo Smith (clarinetist) and Robin Katz’ (guitarist) Club Royale performing a mix of jazz music
  

• May, 23 (Thursday): Junior Ignite – Out of the Loop rising stars from the National Youth Jazz Orchestra
• May, 24 (Friday): Peter Michaels Trio (guitar, double bass, percussion) performing jazz and Brazilian music compositions
• May, 31 (Friday): Ma Polaine’s Great Decline (vocals, blues harp, a horn section accordion, guitar, piano, double bass and drums) performing a mix of jazz and blues music

To get the full list of events and all their details in order to make plans for any future dates please scroll down to the calendar and click on the event(s) you are interested in.

Hello there & happy new month! Here is a round-up of the free events held at The National Gallery in April:
DAILY (and Friday evenings)
Every day at 11.30am and 2.30pm there is a free introductory guided tour of the collection; lasts 1 hour. During the tour a Gallery lecturer will take a closer look at five to six paintings so that you can get an overview of the collection. Every Friday (the only day of the week the National Gallery stays open late until 9pm) there is an extra tour starting at 7pm. Don’t miss the ones on Saturday, 20 April, by Leslie Primo. He is humorous, informative and inspiring!

FOR CHILDREN
On Sunday mornings (10.30am & 11.30am) there are free interactive story sessions (last 30 minutes) inspired by pictures in the National Gallery for children aged 2-5 years. For children aged 5-11 years there are free creative workshops starting at 11am and 2pm (last between 80 minutes and 2 hours). Places are limited and allocated up to one hour before the event (children must be accompanied by an adult).

There are extra similar events on Monday 8 April and Tuesday 9 April 2013.

FOR FRIENDS OF MUSIC
There are free concerts/recitals on two Fridays this month (12 & 19 April) all starting at 6pm (they last one hour):

• 12 April: free concert with baritonist Luke Williams and pianist Ian Tindale, performing a varied repertoire inspired by the paintings in Room 34
• 19 April: Free concert with quartet Tir Eolas (Philippa Mercer (flute/voice), Laura Snowdon (guitar), Georgie Harris (bass) and Ruairi Glasheen (percussion)), performing a varied repertoire inspired by the paintings in Room 34.
  

FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE
On Saturday 27 April (11.30am) there is a free description session of three landscape oil sketches by Frederic Church – “Niagara Falls, from the American Side”, “Winter Twilight from Olana” and “Floating Iceberg, Labrador” for blind and partially-sighted visitors. Meet at Sainsbury Wing Information Desk; advance booking recommended to guarantee a place: Tel: 020 7747 5855 Email: education@ng-london.org.uk

FOR DEAF, DEAFENED AND HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE
On Thursday 18 April (1pm) there is a free talk by Aliki Braine who will look at the general practice of sending artists out alongside explorers during the 19th century, together with the sketches produced by Balke during his epic journeys; with live speech-to-text transcription supported by STAGETEXT.

FOR CREATIVES & DOERS
If you like drawing there are free Talk & Draw sessions on Fridays (5, 12 & 19 April) starting at 1pm (last 1 hour) and an extra one on Friday 5 April at 6.30pm, where the participants join a lecturer and an artist in order to explore one of the paintings of the collection. Places are limited to 40 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment. Firstly, the lecturer discusses the painting in a short talk and then the participants respond to the painting by making their own drawing. Materials provided (for free).

In April your inspiration will be:

• 5 April: Frans Hals’s painting “Young Man holding a Skull“
• 5 April (6.30pm): Carracci’s painting “Silenus gathering Grapes“
• 12 April: Tintoretto’s painting “The Origin of the Milky Way“
• 19 April: (attributed to) Sebastiano del Piombo’s painting “The Raising of Lazarus“

There is also a free Talk and Create event on Friday 26 April at 1pm where artist Jo Lewis will show the participants how to capture and experience the dynamic elements of light, movement and energy in Turner’s painting “Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway” through thinking and sketching quickly.

FOR THE BUSY ONES
On weekdays at 4pm there are free 10-minute talks/introductions to one painting each day (on a weekly basis). In April the paintings to be examined are:

• on Mondays (1, 8, 15, 22, 29 April): Altdorfer’s “Christ taking Leave of his Mother“. Where are the 7 little people?
• on Tuesdays (2, 9, 16, 23, 30 April): Titian’s “The Death of Actaeon”
• on Wednesdays (3, 10, 17, 24 April): Corot’s “Italian Woman”
• on Thursdays (4, 11, 18, 25 April): Canaletto’s “The Stonemason’s Yard“. Can you spot the spinner?
• on Fridays (5, 12, 19, 26 April): Titian’s “The Death of Actaeon”.

For those interested in jazz, folk and world music, Djanogly Concert Pitch (Lyttelton foyer, National Theatre, London) has been offering for years free gigs. Musicians, singers and small ensembles showcase their talent, mostly to theatre goers, before the actual plays start. The atmosphere is informal, friendly and it is a great opportunity to discover hidden gems and listen to good music.

However, due to building work and refurbishment, foyer music is taking a break from April 2013 for at least 12 months. So we present here the scheduled gigs until the end of March, your last opportunity (for the time being!) to experience some free music at the National Theatre. Enjoy!

ALL THAT JAZZ
Seems that jazz is the dominant genre you can experience until the end of March at the foyer. Singers include:

• Kate Eden (13 March – Wednesday, 5.45pm) | Singer performing jazz standards
• Jane Parker (17 March – Sunday, 1pm) | Trio performing jazz classic & lounge favourites
• Irene Serra (19 March – Tuesday, 6pm) | Jazz, blues, soul & funk

• Gabrielle Ducomble (21 March – Thursday, 5.15pm) | Quartet performing jazz, bossa nova and French songs
• Caroline Loftus (23 March – Saturday, 1pm & 5.45pm) | Band performing jazz (press the ‘Play’ button on the top left of her page)
• Zena James (28 March – Thursday, 6pm) | Quartet performing jazz & soul songs
  
• Nette Robinson (30 March – Saturday, 12.30pm & 6pm) | Lyric trio performing jazz & soul songs

BLUES, SWING & RAGTIME

• Duck Baker (15 March – Friday, 6pm) | Trio (featuring fingerstyle guitarist Duck Baker) performing blues & Americana music
  
• David Perkins (26 March – Tuesday, 6pm) | Pianist performing ragtime pieces

• Martin Nickless (27 March – Wednesday, 6pm) | Band (featuring clarinetist Martin Nickless) performing swing music
  

CLASSICAL, FOLK & WORLD

• Secret Minstrels (18 March – Monday, 6pm) | Duet (violin & piano) performing folk & jazz music
  
• Zenoria Trio (20 March – Wednesday, 6pm) | Trio performing tango, classical, folk and jazz music
• Byron Johnston (22 March – Friday, 5.45pm) | Flamenco guitarist performing world music

Hello there & happy new month! Here is a round-up of all the free events held at The National Gallery in March:
DAILY (and Friday evenings)
Every day at 11.30am and 2.30pm there is a free introductory guided tour of the collection; lasts 1 hour. During the tour a Gallery lecturer will take a closer look at five to six paintings so that you can get an overview of the collection. Every Friday (the only day of the week the National Gallery stays open late until 9pm) there is an extra tour starting at 7pm. Don’t miss the ones on Monday, 11 March, by Leslie Primo. He is humorous, informative and inspiring!

FOR CHILDREN
On Sunday mornings (10.30am & 11.30am) there are free interactive story sessions (last 30 minutes) inspired by pictures in the National Gallery for children aged 2-5 years. For children aged 5-11 years there are free creative workshops starting at 11am and 2pm (last between 80 minutes and 2 hours). Places are limited and allocated up to one hour before the event (children must be accompanied by an adult).

FOR FRIENDS OF MUSIC
There are free concerts/recitals on three Fridays this month (1, 8 & 22 March) all starting at 6pm (they last one hour):

• 1 March: free recital with students from the Royal Academy of Music performing pieces by the 19th-century Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (piano & vocal pieces)
• 8 March: free concert with cello quartet Yuki Ito, Ariana Kashefi, Cleo Erte and Jordan Gregoris performing a varied repertoire inspired by the paintings in Room 32
• 22 March: Free concert with violinist Sean Riley, accompanied by Maria Setiadi on piano, performing a varied repertoire inspired by the paintings in Room 32.

On 13 March (Wednesday afternoon) there are two free 15-minute talks/introductions to Music and Harmony in Paintings: at 1pm you will be looking at Lorenzo Costa’s painting “A Concert” (Room 6) and at 1.20pm at Hendrick ter Brugghen’s painting “The Concert” (Room 24).

FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE
On Friday 30 March (11.30am) there is a free description session of Vigée Le Brun’s painting “Self Portrait in a Straw Hat” for blind and partially-sighted visitors. Meet at Sainsbury Wing Information Desk; advance booking recommended to guarantee a place: Tel: 020 7747 5855 Email: education@ng-london.org.uk

FOR CREATIVES & DOERS
If you like drawing there are free Talk & Draw sessions on Fridays (1, 8, 15 & 22 March) starting at 1pm (last 1 hour) where the participants join a lecturer and an artist in order to explore one of the paintings of the collection. Places are limited to 40 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment. Firstly, the lecturer discusses the painting in a short talk and then the participants respond to the painting by making their own drawing. Materials provided (for free).

In March your inspiration will be:

• 1 March: Mantegna’s painting “The Virgin and Child with Saints“
• 8 March: Rubens’s painting “Portrait of Susanna Lunden(?) (‘Le Chapeau de Paille’)” & Vigée le Brun’s painting “Self Portrait in a Straw Hat”
• 15 March: (attributed to) Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo’s painting “Don Adrián Pulido Pareja“
• 22 March: El Greco’s painting “Christ driving the Traders from the Temple“

There is also a free Tour and Draw event on Tuesday, 5 March at 1pm where you will have the opportunity to discover how tone is vital in creating space, illuminating subjects, providing settings and portraying characters. You need your own sketchbook and materials.

Finally on Friday 22 March (1pm) there is a free activity where you create your own Easter card inspired by the opulent colours and textures found in Barocci and other National Gallery paintings.

Hello there! For Friday we have collected 21 free events taking place in and around London. Here are some ideas:

• free sessions (with pass available from the Information Desk area at 10.30am & 11.145am) where young children (under 5s) and their carers participate in creative play, enchanting stories from around the world, simple art and craft, songs and a whole lot of Horniman fun (Horniman Museum, 10.45am, 11.30am & 12.15pm).

Love chocolate? You shouldn’t miss The Chocolate Festival at Southbank Centre which starts today! For three days (7 December – 9 December 2012, 11am-8pm, Sunday until 6pm) there will be lots of free demonstrations, talks, tastings and other events related to all things cocoa. Watch this video to get the Chocolate Festival feeling!

If you are looking for a free gig/concert here are some of your options:

• free performance by the Junior Warriors, young people at the start of their jazz journey playing some of their favourite jazz tunes (Southbank Centre, 1pm). There is also an evening session at 5.30pm (same place) by Tomorrow’s Warriors Youth Jazz Orchestra and ensembles from the award-winning Youth Warriors
• free gig with singer/songwriter Juliet Howland who incorporates elements of English folk music in her songs (National Theatre, 5.45pm). Watch her singing “Good luck“!
• free Christmas favourites concert with Wells Cathedral School Chamber Choir (The National Gallery, 6pm).

For the friends of arts we have included the following:

• free Talk and Draw workshop (The National Gallery, 1pm) where inspired by Reni’s painting “The Adoration of the Shepherds”, the participants will have the opportunity to draw their own masterpiece. Even materials will be provided for free!
• free 10-minute talk discussing the juxtaposition of photography (“Hedgerow (New Forest) by Richard Billingham”) and art (John Constable’s “The Cornfield”) and how the latter inspires the former (The National Gallery, Room 34, 4pm)
• free talk about artist-photographer Dave Lewis’s work, and how the collection inspired him, from the artist himself (The National Gallery, 6.30pm)
• PLUS  the daily free guided tours of the Victoria and Albert Museum (highly recommended) and  the National Gallery ones; on Fridays there is an extra, late (7pm) tour at The National Gallery; a great way to spend your evening!

Hello there! For Friday we have collected 21 free events taking place in and around London. Here are some ideas:

• free sessions (with pass available from the Information Desk area at 10.30am & 11.145am) where young children (under 5s) and their carers participate in creative play, enchanting stories from around the world, simple art and craft, songs and a whole lot of Horniman fun (Horniman Museum, 10.45am, 11.30am & 12.15pm).

If you are looking for a free gig/concert here are some of your options:

• free recital by pianist Joseph Houston (Southbank Centre, 1pm). Watch Joseph Houston playing the piano here
• free gig by World Sanguine Report band (Southbank Centre, 5.30pm), featuring vocalist/guitarist Andrew Plummer, James Allsopp (sax and bass clarinet), Alex Bonney (trumpets), Matt Bourne (Rhodes, synths), Ruth Goller (bass, vocals) and Tom Greenhalgh (drums). Watch World Sanguine Report performing live here
• free gig with Zenoria Trio (2 violins & a double bass) performing Tango, Classical, Folk and Jazz among other styles (National Theatre, 5.45pm). Find more information about the artists and listen to their music by clicking here
• free concert with marimba player Joseph Richards. A pre-concert talk will be given by Katy Hamilton (The National Gallery, 6pm).

For the friends of arts we have included the following:

• free activity where you explore how to take a photograph without using a camera working from Zurbarán’s “A Cup of Water and a Rose” (The National Gallery, 1pm). Materials will be provided for free!
• free 10-minute talk/introduction to Niccolò dell’Abate’s painting “The Death of Eurydice” (The National Gallery, Room 2, 4pm). Can you spot the snake?
• free Talk and Draw workshop (The National Gallery, 6.30pm) where inspired by Rubens’s painting “A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning”, the participants will have the opportunity to draw their own masterpiece. Even materials will be provided for free!
• PLUS  the daily free guided tours of the Victoria and Albert Museum (highly recommended) and  the National Gallery ones; on Fridays there is an extra, late (7pm) tour at The National Gallery; a great way to spend your evening!

Hello there! For Tuesday we have collected 12 free events taking place in and around London. Here are some ideas:

• free themed tour with Ben Street examining how new technologies help us to see beyond the surface of paintings and discover how they were created (The National Gallery, 1pm)
• if you are still there at 4pm why don’t you attend the free 10-minute insight into the exhibition “Richard Hamilton: The Late Works” (Sunley Room)
• free ukulele club every Tuesday evening. From beginners to experts everyone is welcome to attend. Bring your own instrument (The Lewis Club, Lewisham Hospital, 8pm-10pm)
• the daily free guided tours of the Victoria and Albert Museum (highly recommended) and the National Gallery ones are a good option too.

Have a happy Tuesday!

To get the full list of events and all their details for Tuesday, 27 November 2012, or to make plans for any future dates please scroll down to the calendar and click on the event(s) you are interested in.

Follow us on Twitter for short texts about free shows and events in London or like us on Facebook. If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail us at: LondonFreeShows@gmail.com

Hello there! For Wednesday we have collected 15 free events taking place in and around London. Here are some ideas:

• free sessions (with pass available from the Information Desk area at 10.30am & 11.145am) where young children (under 5s) and their carers participate in creative play, enchanting stories from around the world, simple art and craft, songs and a whole lot of Horniman fun (Horniman Museum, 10.45am, 11.30am & 12.45pm)
• two 15-minute introductory talks to painters Memling and Caravaggio (The National Gallery, 1pm and 1.20pm respectively)
• free themed tour on objects of Wellcome Collection that share a story with certain celebrities (mostly related to medical history) from King George III to Florence Nightingale (2.30pm)
• the daily free guided tours of the Victoria and Albert Museum (highly recommended) and the National Gallery ones are a good option too.

To get the full list of events and all their details for Wednesday, 21 November 2012, or to make plans for any future dates please scroll down to the calendar and click on the event(s) you are interested in.

Have an inspiring Wednesday!

Follow us on Twitter for short texts about free shows and events in London or like us on Facebook. If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail us at: LondonFreeShows@gmail.com

Hello there! For Tuesday we have collected 13 free events taking place in and around London. Here are some ideas:

• free themed tour with artist Nick Pace focusing on the skills, methods and colours artists used to create their paintings (The National Gallery, 1pm)
• if you are still there at 4pm why don’t you attend the free 10-minute insight into the exhibition “Richard Hamilton: The Late Works” (Sunley Room)
• free gig with tenor saxophone player Renato D’Aiello who performs jazz standards. Watch Renato D’Aiello performing live here
• free ukulele club every Tuesday evening. From beginners to experts everyone is welcome to attend. Bring your own instrument (The Lewis Club, Lewisham Hospital, 8pm-10pm)
• the daily free guided tours of the Victoria and Albert Museum (highly recommended) and the National Gallery ones are a good option too.

Have a happy Tuesday!

To get the full list of events and all their details for Tuesday, 20 November 2012, or to make plans for any future dates please scroll down to the calendar and click on the event(s) you are interested in.

Follow us on Twitter for short texts about free shows and events in London or like us on Facebook. If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail us at: LondonFreeShows@gmail.com