Mind & Body - A special free event for
the National Year of Reading
Tuesday 20 May 2008
In the information age, the quest for knowledge never ends and with the ever-present pursuit of self-improvement, better health and fitness, where is the best place to acquire this knowledge? With days filled by websites, emails, text messages, newspapers and magazines, we could find ourselves overwhelmed with information and less likely to succeed in reaching our wellbeing goals. How much of the information that we experience can we actually retain and make use of to develop ourselves each and every day? How much of what we read actually helps us?
Jeff Archer is Director of wellness company The Tonic and author of two Teach Yourself books on Fitness and Life Coaching. For this evening he'll be talking about how to channel the information and inspiration that surrounds us and turn it into positive action. He'll outline the key factors for achieving the right mindset for perfect focus, energy and enthusiasm to face the challenges of modern life, and how you can get started immediately with living your life to its full potential.
The National Year of Reading is a year-long celebration of reading, in all its forms. It aims to help build a greater national passion for reading in England for children, families and adult learners alike. Each month has a different theme: the month of May is all about celebrating the links between reading and health.
www.yearofreading.org.uk
Event time: 18.30 20.00
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: Free
1968 The Counterculture In Print
Wednesday 21 May 2008
Crucial to the success and spread of the Sixties counterculture,
its values and its new voices, was the vast underground press it
generated. From San Francisco to Paris, and Berlin to Tokyo, there
was an explosion of self-made newspapers, magazines, leaflets, polemics
and manifestos challenging the mainstream.
London was one of the global centres of pioneering print, with
its publications Time Out, Oz, International Times, Black Dwarf
and others becoming iconic titles in the Movement. In this unique
event, Tony Elliott, founder and owner of Time Out, which started
in August 1968, will be joined by Marsha Rowe,
founder of Spare Rib, John Hoyland, a regular
contributor to Tariq Ali's Black Dwarf to examine
the life and legacy of a publishing revolution and Barry Miles, writer, biographer and founder of International Times and Indica. The discussion will
be chaired by Nigel Fountain, writer and author
of Underground: The London Alternative Press: 1966-74.
Event time: 18.30 20.00
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6 (concessions £4)
Book
The Beatles White Album - Forty Years On
Tuesday 27 May 2008
In late May 1968 the four Beatles came together to record a magnificently
diverse collection of music, released as a double album in a blank
white cover.
The range of styles, from 1930 dance hall, to proto heavy metal
and Avant Garde sound loops reflects the individualism that was
asserting itself among the band members, while its references
from political unrest to spiritualism and the album's minimalist
design itself are crucially of its time.
An evening to rediscover the music of the White Album,
set against the life and times of a relentlessly fascinating group.
Among others, participants will include David Quantick, roadcaster,
journalist and author of Revolution: The Making of The Beatles
White Album'; and Tot Taylor, co-director of Riflemaker.
Event time : 18.30 20.00
Location : Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6 (concessions £4)
Book
Ramayana Events
The Ramayana events programme celebrates
the excitement and diversity of this timeless story. Music and puppetry
performances, lectures, film screenings, gallery talks and family
events bring the Ramayana to life and explore the themes, history
and cultural significance of this great epic from India.
More about the exhibition
Free family activities for Half Term
28 31 May 2008
Making Shadow Puppets
Work with artists to make your own shadow puppets and perform
with your creative characters in the Ramayana
exhibition.
Suitable for children aged 4 11 years.
Event time: 11.00 12.30
Location: Education Room and the Pearson Gallery,
British Library
Price: Free, drop in.
Performing with Shadow Puppets
Using traditional South Asian puppets, work with artists to create
your own shadow puppetry performance in the Ramayana
exhibition and be part of one of the oldest storytelling traditions
in the world.
Suitable for children aged 7 14 years.
Event time: 13.30 15.00
Location: Education Room and the Pearson Gallery,
British Library
Price: Free, tickets must be booked in advance.
Book
Gamelan Workshops
Explore the sounds of Indonesia in gamelan workshops. Inspired
by the Ramayana and Raffles collections
on display (a collection focusing on historic South East Asia ),
try out a range of instruments to create a musical ensemble in the
Library!
Suitable for children aged 7 14 years.
Event time: 13.30 15.00
Location: Education Room, British Library
Price: Free, tickets must be booked in advance
Book
The Ramayana
Javanese Shadow Puppetry and Gamelan Performances
Thursday 29 Saturday 31 May
Shadow puppet theatre wayang kulit remains a vibrant
and popular tradition across South
East Asia and in particular in Java and Bali, where it is accompanied
by the hypnotic chiming rhythms of the gamelan. Its combination
of action, comedy, morality play and social commentary makes it
perfectly suited to telling the story of the Ramayana. The British
Library is proud to present an ensemble of world class performers
bringing the Ramayana to dramatic life
over four days.
Please note these will be unseated performances.
Event time: Thursday 29 Saturday 31 May, 19.30
Location: Entrance Hall, British Library
Price: Free. Tickets must be booked in advance.
Book
Malcolm McLaren on the Avant Garde
Wednesday 28 May 2008
WE REGRET THAT THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Vaughan Williams Study Day
Saturday 31 May 2008
The Philharmonia Orchestra joins forces with the British Library
to celebrate Ralph Vaughan Williams 50 years after his death, with
a varied day of music and lectures.
Keynote speech by artistic advisor Michael Kennedy,
focusing on the man and his contribution to English music.
Event time: 10.30 17.00
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £12
To book call The Philharmonia Orchestra, freephone
+44 (0)800 652 6717.
The Ramayana:
Javanese Shadow Puppetry and Gamelan Performances
Thursday 29 Saturday 31 May 2008
Shadow puppet theatre wayang kulit, remains a vibrant and popular
tradition across South East Asia and in particular Java and Bali,
where it is accompanied by the hypnotic chiming rhythms of the gamelan.
Its combination of action, comedy, morality play and social commentary
makes it perfectly suited to telling the story of the Ramayana.
The British Library is proud to present an ensemble of world class
performers bringing the Ramayana to dramatic life over four days.
Please note these will be unseated performances.
Event time: 19.30
Location: Entrance Hall, British Library
Price: Free. Tickets must be booked in advance.
Book
Home > 
