Travesties by Tom Stoppard
Sunday 3 February 2008
Extracts from Tom Stoppard's classic play introduced by the playwright.
With John Hurt and Anthony Sher. Directed by Nina Raine (all participants TBC)
In partnership with the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies
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Event time: 16.00 - 17.30
Please be aware that the Library itself closes at 17.00 on Sunday evenings so viewing of the exhibition will only be available before the event.
The Avant Garde: Study Day
Monday 4 February 2008
To accompany the current British Library exhibition Breaking the Rules: The Printed Face of the European Avant Garde 1900-1937 the British Library, in partnership with the Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies have organised a study day to explore the various movements that made up the European Avant Garde.
Talks by leading academics include:
Dawn Ades on DaDa: Word and Image;
Günter Berghaus on Futurism: From Visual Poetry to Electronic Media Art;
Andrew Webber on the Avant Garde City;
Michael Berkowitz on Reading Between the Lines: Avant Garde Publishing and its Jewish Questions;
Frank Whitford on Avant Garde under dictatorships and Charlie Leadbetter on how avant garde ideas have fed the growth of the internet.
Event time: 10.00 – 17.00
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £15.00 (concessions £10.00)
Ticket cost includes Tea and Coffee.
Lunch not included
Book
Everything must be dared and tried!
Photography and the Avant Garde
Monday 4 February 2008
Photography became a truly dynamic art form for the first time in the early 20th century and Breaking The Rules exhibition includes superb photo books and other work by Man Ray, Brassai, Bill Brant, Ehrenberg, Roh and Moholy-Nagy. A discussion event with Peter Kennard, photographer renowned for his photomontages, David Campany author of Art and Photography, and Olga
Sviblova, Russian curator of the Hayward Gallery's
Rodchenko
exhibition, the Russian Pavilion at Venice Biennale and director of the Moscow House of Photography.
Event time: 18.30 – 20.00
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6.00 (concessions £4)
Book
Polish Avant Garde
Tuesday 5 February 2008
Discover more about Breaking the Rules by coming along to a gallery talk given by one of the exhibition's curators.
This talk is given by Magda Szkuta, Slavonic and Eastern European Collections. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Spaces are limited. These talks are not seated.
Event time: 12.30 – 13.00
Location: In the Breaking the Rules exhibition
Price: free
Book
Avant Garde Manifestos
Tuesday 5 February 2008
Discover more about Breaking the Rules by coming along to a gallery talk given by one of the exhibition's curators.
This talk is given by Stephen Bury, Head of European and American Collections. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Spaces are limited. These talks are not seated.
Event time: 18.00 – 18.30
Location: In the Breaking the Rules exhibition
Price: free
Book
Ukrainian Panfuturism and Constructivism
Tuesday 12 February 2008
Discover more about Breaking the Rules by coming along to a gallery talk given by one of the exhibition's curators.
This talk is given by Olga Kerziouk, Slavonic and Eastern European Collections. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Spaces are limited. These talks are not seated.
Event time: 18.00 – 18.30
Location: In the Breaking the Rules exhibition
Price: free
Book
Mingle / Late Date
Wednesday 13 February 2008
As part of an irregular series of 'Mingles' the British Library presents a relaxed and fun open house for single people on Wednesday 13 February. A chance to meet like-minded others and to enjoy some of the Library's treasures, temporary exhibitions and some special treats laid on for the occasion.
In particular the event features late access to the exhibition Breaking The Rules: The Printed Face of The European Avant Garde 1900-1937 with its magnificent display of graphics, film, photography and magazines - truly reflecting the sublime to the bizarre from an era of explosive creativity. Our Mingle therefore has something of an avant garde twist.
The event also features a range of intriguing attractions, games, competitions, quiz trails. and on the night surprises .. to get you talking to each other!
- Extraordinary bard Sean McCann composing instant sonnets that bring two people together - at least in words!
- Bookchase ® A special demonstration and chance to play the rapid version of this new, hugely successful board game. It's the perfect game for anyone who has read a book (or two): beg, steal or borrow books for your bookshelf to win!
- Meet international flirting guru Marco Gambino for a easy going one-to-one session of advice on how to seduce a man or a woman - the Italian way.
- Win concert tickets or a meal for two by finding answers to cunning questions hidden away in the galleries.
- Enjoy the company of some rather unusual hosts
- Find your famous partner and win a free drink.
Plus more to be confirmed.
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Offer available to UK residents only, ends 29 February.
Event time: 19.00 – 22.30
Location: Entrance Hall, British Library
Price: £5.00 (no concessions)
Book
A slap in the face of public taste: The art of manifestos
Monday 18 February 2008
The great artistic movements of the Avant Garde - Futurism. Surrealism, Dada were characterised by remarkable statements of intent, designed to stir, and often shock society and radicalise creative expression often into a semi-political force. The Manifesto phenomenon has continued in rude health ever since.
This panel discussion will unpick the motives behind the creation of manifestos, how they are both similar and dramatically different, and explore what impact they have had.
Participating will be Gustav Metzger, artist and political activist best known for his extreme Auto Destructive Art actions and manifestos from 1961 onwards; Lee Scrivner, author of How To Write An Avant Garde Manifesto ; broadcaster, comedian and creator of Arturart Arthur Smith and Stephen Bury, Curator of the British Library exhibition Breaking The Rules: The Printed Face Of The European Avant Garde 1900-1937 and Head of European and American Collections at the British Library.
The discussion will be chaired by Esther Leslie, Professor of Political Aesthetics in the School of English and Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London.
The title of the event is taken from the Russian Futurist manifesto signed by David Burliuk, Alexander Kruchenykh, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Victor Khlevnikov in 1912.
Event time: 18.30 – 20.00
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6.00 (concessions £4.00)
Book
Free Activities for February Half Term
Monday 18 February - Friday 22 February 2008
Join us for myths, tales and riddles in drop-in storytelling sessions exploring the Treasures of the British Library gallery.
Suitable for families with children aged 4-11 years.
Storytelling sessions
Daily from 11.30-12.15
Journey through the exhibition with storyteller Kevin Graal and discover more about the magical books, letters, maps and music on display in the Treasures gallery.
Storytelling workshops
Daily from 13.30-15.30
Join storyteller Kevin Graal as he uses stories to unlock hidden secrets behind some of the most exciting items in our collection. You can then create your own imaginative story!
FREE. No booking is required. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Meet at the Information Desk in the Entrance Hall of the British Library.
France–Italy
Tuesday 19 February 2008
Discover more about Breaking the Rules by coming along to a gallery talk given by one of the exhibition's curators.
This talk is given by Chris Michaelides, Romance Languages Collections. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Spaces are limited. These talks are not seated.
Event time: 12.30 – 13.00
Location: In the Breaking the Rules exhibition
Price: free
Book
Impresarios of the Avant Garde: Malcolm McLaren
Monday 25 February 2008
This event has been cancelled
The Avant Garde in Yugoslavia
Tuesday 26 February 2008
Discover more about Breaking the Rules by coming along to a gallery talk given by one of the exhibition's curators.
This talk is given by Milan Grba, South Eastern European Collections. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Spaces are limited. These talks are not seated.
Event time: 12.30 – 13.00
Location: In the Breaking the Rules exhibition
Price: free
Book
(nobleandsilver): manifesto
Tuesday 26 February 2008
A specially commissioned one-off performance lecture with a premise to create a contemporary manifesto for our times.
Presented by multimedia art and comedy mavericks and Edinburgh Festival Perrier Newcomers Award winners Kim Noble, Stuart Silver together with assorted others including The Cesarians.
'A rare chance to see the greatest and the only Avant Garde theatre/ comedy/ visual art act in the business' The Guardian
'Their show is damn near indescribable, a radical and sublime achievement. I was crying with laughter. All I can say is if traditional comedy bores you, go and see this. It's wonderful.' The
Observer
'Sensational... an original, spellbinding experience. This is as thrilling a comedy show as you will find' The Guardian
Event time: 18.30 – 20.30
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £7.50 (concessions £5.00)
Book
