Southbank Centre: Your culture fix
A forest of art, literary giants in conversation and a conductor who changed history.
Home is where the art is
Didn’t manage to make it to our Among the Trees exhibition before lockdown? No problem – go beyond your four walls and into the forest on a virtual tour with Hayward Gallery Director Ralph Rugoff.
You can also hear two Booker Prize winners in conversation, learn the intriguing story of conductor Kurt Masur, tune in to some new music and enjoy our interview with prima ballerina Natalia Osipova.
explore stories →Green is good
Among the Trees: A virtual tour with Ralph Rugoff
Did you know that even looking at an image of a tree can make you less stressed? We all need some of that right now, so take a virtual tour of our leafy exhibition Among the Trees with the Hayward Gallery’s Director. The Japanese call it ‘forest bathing’ and it’s said to improve health and wellbeing – jump in and feel the benefit.
Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Horizontal – Vaakasuora, 2011. Installation view, Among the Trees, Hayward Gallery, 2020. © Crystal Eye, Helsinki, 2020. Courtesy of Hayward Gallery. Photo Linda Nylind.
watch now →Meeting of minds
Podcast: Kazuo Ishiguro and Michael Ondaatje in conversation
Hailed by The Nudge as ‘a treasure trove’ of entertainment, our literature podcast is a window into the thoughts of today’s most intriguing writers. Try this dreamily erudite conversation between Kazuo Ishiguro and Michael Ondaatje, each a winner of the Booker Prize for The Remains of the Day and The English Patient respectively.
listen now →Rise and shine
Playlist: futuretense
Our free Friday gigs are something of an institution. Once known as Friday Tonic, futuretense is an early evening showcase of up-and-coming musical talent to close your working week with a bang. Weekends might be looking a bit different these days, but you can still discover hotly tipped new artists with the help of our playlist.
listen now →A podium for peace
Kurt Masur: the conductor who brought down a country
This surprising tale outlines how Kurt Masur, a previous conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, helped bring about the fall of East Germany. At a key moment in 20th-century history, the classical maestro felt compelled to turn his attention from music to politics, with extraordinary results.
read now →Mother of dancers
Natalia Osipova on The Mother and dancing for herself
If you’re a balletomane (that’s ‘ballet fan’ to dance newbies), you’ve already heard of Natalia Osipova, the blazingly talented Russian dancer who’s a principal at the Royal Ballet. We interviewed her about her life, work and starring role in The Mother, a dark and different contemporary production at the Southbank Centre last summer.
read now →Coming this week
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performs Strauss
Put this date in your diary: on Wednesday 8 April at 4pm, you can have a classical concert on your sofa. See Strauss’ colossal orchestral work Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life) performed by the RPO under the baton of Vasily Petrenko. Recorded in the Royal Festival Hall in June 2019, the video is available for 24 hours only – look out for the link on our Twitter and Facebook accounts.
see all stories Make tracks