6 Awesome London Events that Will Get You Out of the House this Autumn

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‘My Name Is’ dives into the experiences of individuals with non-western first names, the link between their names and their identity, and how it correlates to the pressure of conforming to westernised English norms.

October is finally here. No more heat waves or inner-thigh chafing - for now. While we’re collectively settling in and getting cosy, piling on books on the nightstand and getting ready to hibernate until March, there are still good reasons to get out of the house. From immersive exhibitions to sustainable living workshops that may come in handy when bills rise this Winter, here are 6 awesome events to attend this Autumn.

1) Taking Part 25 at The Young Vic

Taking Part 25, a series of events celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Young Vic’s creative engagement department is coming this month with 3 major projects: YV Unpacked: I Wonder If…, a new play directed by Daniel Bailey and devised by the Company exploring human relationships through dance, music and dialogue, running at the Young Vic’s Maria Theatre from 24-29 October following a tour with 10 organisations at eight community venues; The Twenty Thrive Exhibition, a free, interactive exhibition on the Young Vic’s role in the community over the past 25 years, at the Maria Theatre from 14th to 21st October; and new episodes of Journeys: the Podcast, celebrating Taking Part 25 and featuring past and current members of the Neighbourhood Theatre Company.

Tickets for the in-person and live-streamed performances are on sale now at youngvic.org.

2) Blues for an Alabama Sky at the National Theatre

Set in New York, 1930, Blues for an Alabama Sky follows the story of Angel and her friends during the Harlem Renaissance, and their battle to keep their artistic dreams alive in the midst of the Great Depression. Lynette Linton directs a startling revival of this extraordinary play by Pearl Cleage, showing at the National Theatre from 21st September to 5th November. The Handmaid’s Tale and Orange Is the New Black star Samira Wiley makes her UK stage as Angel, alongside a cast that includes Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo (Three Sisters), Osy Ikhile (Sweat), Sule Rimi (Barber Shop Chronicles) and Giles Terera (Death of England: Face to Face).

More info and tickets on nationaltheatre.org.uk.

3) FOC IT UP! Comedy club in Soho

The FOC IT UP! Comedy Club provides a space for comedians to experiment with material in a way they might not experience on other mixed bills. The joy of FOC IT UP! is that the acts get to see themselves reflected offstage, by a diverse audience of women, queer people and allies from all backgrounds. The acronym FOC stands for Femmes of Colour, however the show platforms women, gender non-conforming, non-binary and trans-masculine performers of colour. The club disrupts the status quo and fights tokenism with a 100% no-white-dudes-onstage guarantee, and white audience members are encouraged to check their privilege at the door. Catch their next show on 20th October, a Podcast Edition at 21Soho with Dana Alexander, Chin Wang, Kiran Saggu, Nayonica Ghosh, Heleana Blackwell, The Mollusc Dimension and Cansu Karabiyik, hosted by Kemah Bob.

Find tickets on tickettext.co.uk

4) IBEYI Live at Koko London

The twin sisters of the French-Cuban electronic-soul duo Ibeyi, Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Díaz, were born in Paris but lived in Havana for the first two years of their lives before moving back to Paris. Their father was the famed Cuban percussionist Anga Díaz, a member of the Buena Vista Social Club. The sisters' music is a bewitching conflation of influences and storylines. They’re now on a SPELL31 tour (after the release of their latest album) until April 2023 in Europe and USA with a show in London on 14th November at Koko London.

Catch tickets and more dates on ibeyimusic.com

5) Perennis sustainable living talk and workshops in London

Perennis, a British female-led community engagement project inspired by the Perennial Philosophy, has just announced its two upcoming events, which will take place at the London Central Mosque and Anomalous Space in October, in partnership with Algbra, the home of ethical finance. Its mission is to create a circular food system through the strength of our communities, by educating people on how to care about the environment and their health, and how to live, cook, and eat sustainably, locally, and seasonally. The first event will take place on 13th October at the London Central Mosque, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, followed by a full day of workshops on 23rd October at Anomalous Space in London, from 10am to 5pm. Both events are free to register and will include free gift bags to inspire sustainable eating. The full day event on 23rd October will include three workshops: “How to do urban composting at home”, “Food preserving techniques”, and “How to follow healthy seasonal eating”. A seasonal lunch will also be served.

For more information, check out Eventbrite.com or perennis.org

6) ‘My Name Is’ Screening at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

‘My Name Is’, is a 20-minute short film by Tony Giroux. The mini-documentary series dives into the experiences of individuals with non-western first names, the link between their names and their identity, and how it correlates to the pressure of conforming to westernised English norms. This event in London is the first in-person screening of the award-winning series, and will be followed by a Q&A with Giroux and the documentary’s featured guests, as well as a panel discussion with Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE, Kelechi Okafor, Dr Muna Abdi, and Dr Riadh Ghemmour, facilitated by Dr Javeria K. Shah. This official screening for the documentary will take place on 15th October from 12.45pm to 4pm at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. The Spill is an official supporter of the event.

For more information about the event and registration, visit Eventbrite.com