ONLINE
ART
Bevis Marks: Britain’s Most Significant Synagogue
Virtually explore four galleries dedicated to the UK’s oldest synagogue that’s still active. Bevis Marks was erected in 1701 following the resettlement of Jews in the UK in 1656. Its Wren-style interior remains unchanged, reflecting the influence of the great Portuguese synagogue in Amsterdam of 1675. The synagogue embraced a new Sephardi community, led by Rabbi Menasseh Ben Israel of Amsterdam, who acted as a Jewish ambassador to Oliver Cromwell. The services at Bevis Marks are today made up of Jews with Sephardi, Ashkenazi and Mizrahi backgrounds.
ONLINE. www.jewishmuseum.org.uk
David Breuer-Weil: Golden Drawings
A virtual exhibition of illuminated drawings made in isolation by London artist David Breuer-Weil, who’s well known for his huge bronze sculptures. He started the series on day one of lockdown as a form of meditation. Executed in pencil on paper with gold leaf, the pieces reflect different aspects of the current pandemic and the human condition. The series is partly inspired by medieval apocalyptic manuscripts that were often illuminated with gold leaf to give an otherworldly sense of reality, and were often produced in periods of great upheaval. Read more about this project in the Jan 2021 issue of JR.
ONLINE. www.davidbreuerweil.com
John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Manchester
The Many Faces of the Rylands’ Jewish Manuscripts
Manchester university celebrates the digital revolution by compiling 30 years of Hebrew manuscripts. The 400+ articles display exemplary literary and artistic style, spanning the 14th to 19th centuries, including an early 1400s Sephardi Haggadah and a text of Nachmanides' Commentary on the Pentateuch, containing illuminations by the Florentine artist Francesco Antonio del Cherico. The curators owe their thanks to the collections of Enriqueta Rylands, who founded the John Rylands Library in 1900, and Moses Gaster, the Haham (Chief Rabbi) of the Sephardi community in London.
ONLINE. www.manchester.ac.uk
Memory Map of the Jewish East End
Artist and writer Rachel Lichtenstein and The Bartlett research units present a new digital resource that allows you to explore former sites of Jewish memory in east London. On it you will find photographs and essays of more than 70 sites in the area, plus audio interviews with residents and testimony from the collection at Sandys Row, the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue in the capital.
ONLINE. https://jewisheastendmemorymap.org
Jewish Museum London
Jewish Britain: A History in 50 Objects
Highlights from the Jewish Museum London’s extensive collection. Each object tells a story about the history of the Jewish community in Britain, from medieval to modern times.
ONLINE. www.jewishmuseumlondon.org.uk
University of Durham
Bridging Identities: The Cultural Odyssey of Kurdistani Jews
Kurdistani Jews weaved an intricate tapestry of experiences and stories during their migration to Israel, and this exhibition intertwines historical events and personal aspirations to tell their stories. See how languages and encounters adapt from one generation to the next and from one country to another.
No end date specified.
ONLINE. www.stories.durham.ac.uk
BOOKS & POETRY
AVAILABLE INDEFINITELY
There is Sweet Music Here: The World of Wigmore Hall
Julia Boyd speaks to Ian Skelly about her new book, which explores the 125-year evolution of Wigmore Hall, and the artists and performances that make up its rich history. The Edwardian venue, which was designed by the same architect behind The Savoy Hotel, was a sanctuary for refugee Jewish musicians during World War II and showcased music by composers banned by the Nazis, including Gustav Mahler.
FREE. ONLINE. www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/podcasts/there-is-sweet-music-here-the-world-of-wigmore-hall
The History Podcast: Half Life
Welsh author Joe Dunthorne reads through his new book, Children of Radium: A Buried Inheritance, based on the discovery of his German Jewish great-grandfather Siegfried Merzbacher’s memoir. Spanning almost 2,000 pages, Merzbacher, who manufactured radioactive toothpaste and worked on developing chemical warfare for the Nazis, documented his family’s dramatic escape from Nazi Germany. Featuring interviews with members of Dunthorne’s family, including his grandmother, and music by Jeremy Warmsley.
FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002c4x0
Unseen: Photographs by Wolf Suschitzky, Dorothy Bohm and Neil Libbert
Three photographers, Wolf Suschitzky, Dorothy Bohm and Neil Libbert, present their responses to London, Paris and New York, photographing it without prejudice or expectation.
FREE. ONLINE. www.benuri.org
FILM & TV
Thursday 12 – Monday 23 November
Pizza in Auschwitz
Holocaust survivor Danny Chanoch returns to the Polish concentration camps where he was imprisoned as a child, accompanied by his now-adult children. Aptly named, the family eat pizza in Auschwitz, a place synonymous with the atrocities of the Holocaust, as Chanoch’s children struggle to understand the trauma he experienced. There will be a special screening followed by a discussion between Yonatan Nir and producer Osnat Trabelski on Sunday 18 November at 1pm.
FREE. ONLINE. www.docunation.org
Thursday 19 November
Capturing Kennedy
Discover the little-known story of Holocaust survivor Jacques Lowe, who went from the horrors of World War II to becoming the personal photographer to John F Kennedy. Newly uncovered historic interviews document Lowe’s experience and explore some of the most iconic images he took during America’s 35th president’s time in office.
Time tbc. FREE. Streaming on various TV platforms. www.capturingkennedy.com
Available indefinitely
The Last Spy
Age is just a number for 102-year-old Peter Sichel who, despite heavy dissuasion from the CIA, tells the unredacted story of his life as a spymaster in the OSS, America’s first intelligence agency. His memoirs reveal the lesser-known side of espionage throughout the Cold War, the accusations of him being a Soviet spy and questions over his allegiances. Katharina Otto-Bernstein presents the true story of a man who lived an extraordinary life through his rose-tinted glasses with wit and wisdom.
FREE. ONLINE. www.thelastspy.film
Orphan
Set in Hungary, 1957, a boy is reunited with his mother shortly after the failed revolution against Soviet rule. After being told his father died during the war, the boy longs to confront the truth. Hungarian director, writer and producer László Nemes, best known for the Oscar-winning Holocaust drama Son of Saul, presents the complexities of a Jewish community rebuilding itself following destruction in this new film. Read more about Orphan in the Spring 2026 issue of JR.
Stork of Hope
Based on true events, Stork of Hope tells the story of two brothers, Ilya and Sascha, who lose both their parents when they’re just eight and 12. The film traces the brothers’ harrowing journey, which sees them separated for 65 years before a long-awaited reunion. Directed by Alexander Franskevich-Leie, Stork of Hope is a poignant reminder that even in the darkest days of war, love and hope can prevail for a lifetime. Available to stream in the UK from 5 January.
FREE. ONLINE. www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/stork-of-hope
Book of Joshua: Walls of Jericho
In biblical Judaism, Joshua was instructed by Hashem to lead a procession while carrying holy texts around the fortress of Jericho for seven days. This intricately animated feature film recounts the story, where poorly armed Israelites faced the fierce soldiers of the city and managed to bring the mighty walls crashing down with their faith.
FREE. ONLINE. www.partingseasproductions.com
Solomon & Gaenor
In what may be the only time you will hear Welsh and Yiddish spoken in the same film, Solomon & Gaenor is an Oscar-nominated classic shining a rare spotlight on the little-known Welsh Jewish community. The touching and memorable love story focuses on two young people –Jewish Solomon, who hides his Orthodox heritage, and Christian Gaenor, who wants to escape her stifling family life. Both risk their families’ wrath amidst a looming miner’s strike in the background, provoking tensions and prejudices, further threatening the lovers’ happiness.
£3.99. ONLINE. https://ukjewishfilm.org
Other People’s Children
A bittersweet drama following Rachel, a single Jewish woman nearing 40, who appears content with the life that sees her falling in love with Ali and his four-year-old daughter Leila. However, their relationship, while filling Rachel with joy, only serves to remind her of her own childlessness, resurfacing feelings of regret about not becoming a parent when she had the chance. A bittersweet drama following Rachel, a single Jewish woman nearing 40, who appears content with the life that sees her falling in love with Ali and his four-year-old daughter Leila. However, their relationship, while filling Rachel with joy, only serves to remind her of her own childlessness, resurfacing feelings of regret about not becoming a parent when she had the chance.
£4.99. ONLINE. https://ukjewishfilm.org
Daughter of the Waves: Memoirs of Growing Up in Pre-War Palestine
The relaunch of Ruth Jordan’s autobiography. This poignant memoir follows her upbringing in British Mandate Palestine, as well as her career as a journalist – she was the first female news presenter on the BBC World Service Hebrew Section – and beyond. Jordan’s children, Sharon and Oran Kivity, share their mother’s journey 40 years after the book’s first launch, and speak to a former colleague of Jordan’s, the journalist, author and music expert Norman Lebrecht, to remember her life and work.
FREE. ONLINE. www.youtube.com/watch?v=411_740BUBg
Birds of Passage
Hormazd Narielwalla’s 11th ‘bookwork’ (a piece of art that folds into a book) draws comparisons between certain members of gay communities and birds, both moving from country to country seeking somewhere to live safely and comfortably. It is inspired by the artist’s own motivation for migrating to the UK from India to celebrate his sexuality and creativity. Learn more in this intimate, video exploration of the artwork presented by the Ben Uri Gallery and narrated by Dr Shaun Cole, who wrote the introduction to Birds of Passage.
FREE. ONLINE. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuRrVGnoNCI
Servant of the People
When Jewish comedian Volodymyr Zelenskyy co-wrote and starred in Servant of the People, a comedy series about a history teacher (Zelenskyy) who finds himself elected president, little did he know that life was to imitate art. Flash forward seven years since the show first aired, and Zelenskyy is not only Ukraine's heroic leader, but a household name internationally. It's no surprise then, that Channel 4 opted to interrupt its usual schedule of Sunday night reruns to screen the first three episodes. Catch up with them now on All 4. Read our review of Servant of the People on the JR blog.
FREE. ONLINE. www.channel4.com/programmes/servant-of-the-people
MUSIC
AVailable indefinitely
Alex Weiser: In a Dark Blue Night
Following his Pulitzer Prize-nominated album And All the Days Were Purple, a love letter to New York City, Alex Weiser introduces his new album, In a Dark Blue Night, comprising of two song cycles exploring the city from complementary perspectives. The first cycle features five settings of Yiddish poetry, written by newly arrived immigrants to New York over the 1800s and 1900s, and the second, told through the recorded memories of Weiser’s late grandmother, features vivid, buoyant adventures about childhood in the bustling world of Coney Island in the late 1930s and 40s. Combined, the two cycles explore a little-known chapter of New York City’s history.
£7.93. Online download. www.alexweiser.bandcamp.com
Faiths in Tune
Get a taste of Faiths in Tune, the interfaith music festival that takes place annually in various locations around the world. This playlist of 20 videos features previous performances from different years and countries.
FREE. ONLINE. www.youtube.com/CoexistinterfaithOrgplus
Music That Survived the Nazis
There’s a common idea that music created in Nazi Germany was only for propoganda. Historian Shirli Gibson clears up this misconception with a handful of rare and newly discovered recordings that show just how varied German musical output of the period was. In the first episode, she explores the music of the Jewish Culture League, as well two Jewish record labels, Lukraphon and Semer. Part Two is focused on music-making in the concentration camps and ghettos during World War II. Gibson takes a look at the stories that influenced the creative responses in a variety of ways.
FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct3c7z?utm
TALKS
Thursday 5 November
From the Creation of the World to the Creation of a Foetus: Pregnancy in Jewish Mystical and Magical Sources
Andrea Gondos discusses how Jews in the Middle Ages used magic, religious practice and traditional medicine to protect pregnant women and babies. She’ll touch on amulets that were worn, special prayers and sacred words that were said, herb and foods that were consumed and specific rituals that were performed to protect the expecting. Gondos explores the notion of pregnancy as a spiritual connection to the wider universe and will show an 18th-century Jewish birth amulet thought to repel Lilith – a mystical figure believed to threaten prenatal women, babies and newborns.
6pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanities/institute-jewish-studies
Tuesday 10 November
Did Zionists Cause Jews to Leave Arab Countries?
Lyn Julius discusses the exodus of Jews from Arab countries in the mid-20th century, and whether Zionists were behind it. Hear about the theory of ‘false-flag’ attacks – strikes that were said to be caused by Zionists, but made to look as though someone else carried them out – and whether they actually happened, who was responsible and how much they contributed to Jews leaving places such as Iraq and Egypt.
7.30pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.harif.org
Wednesday 11 November
Gaze Matters - When Does a Picture Become an Idol?
At first glance, the Torah seems clear that idolatry is strictly condemned, yet it also commands the creation of visual artefacts. Beniamino Fortis looks at how and why the devotion to imagery happens, drawing on biblical texts, Greek philosophy and modern picture theories, arguing that idolisation doesn’t come from the appearance of an object but the way it is perceived. He’ll take a closer look at pictures, presence, representation and visual understanding to see why some pieces become so precious and why others don’t.
6pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanities/institute-jewish-studies
Wednesday 18 November
Nietzsche, Judaism and Antisemitism
Professor Thomas Stern draws on letters, published works and contemporary analyses surrounding frequently quoted, controversial philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He claimed the Hebrew Bible as one of literature’s greatest achievements, targeted both Jews and self-declared antisemites and made statements that are difficult to be viewed as anything other than antisemitic. Stern explores Nietzsche’s remarks in a philosophical and historical context.
6pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanities/institute-jewish-studies
Wednesday 25 November
Babatha: The Life of A Jewish Woman in the Time of Bar Kokhba
Although she is not mentioned in any historical sources, Babatha, daughter of Shimon, is an ancient Jewish woman whose life is known in an unusually large amount of detail. We know about her through 35 legal documents relating to her family, dating from 93 to 132 CE. Philip Esler (University of Gloucestershire) explores Babatha’s life and struggles during a period of conflict between the Jewish people and Roman rule.
6pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.tickettailor.com/events/uclinstituteofjewishstudies
Wednesday 2 December
Frankfurt's Judengasse: The Street and Family that Shaped the Modern World
Academic Professor Jonathan Wolff explores the remarkable history of the Judengasse – a walled, gated, often locked street that Frankfurt am Mains’s Jews were required to live in from 1462 to 1811. The densely populated road was a place of close, platonic relationships, the descendants of some of its residents include well-known intellectual and cultural figures such as Sigmund Freud, Rosalidn Franklin, Anne Frank and more.
6pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanities/institute-jewish-studies
Tuesday 8 December
Local, National and Transnational: Jewish Agency and the Holocaust Commemorations in 1960s Poland
Janek Gryta (University of Southampton) explores how Jewish activists tried to pay tribute to Jews murdered during the Holocaust in the years leading up to 1968. She’ll discuss the difference between this initiative and the belief held by Poland’s Communist authorities that an international Jewish movement was trying to shift attention away from Polish suffering during World War II.
6pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.tickettailor.com/events/uclinstituteofjewishstudies
Available indefinitely
Jewish Medieval History at the Tower of London
Curator Charles Farris, Dr Rory MacLellan (University of Winchester) and historian Professor Miri Rubin (Queen Mary University of London) discuss the medieval Jewish community that once existed in England, drawing on research from Historic Royal Palaces, which has provided a nuanced picture of life at the time. Read more about Jewish Medieval History at the Tower of London in the Winter 2026 issue of JR.
FREE. ONLINE. www.historicroyalpalaces.libsyn.com/jewish-medieval-history-at-the-tower-of-london
Our Freedom: Then and Now
London’s JW3 marked 80 years since the end of World War II with an exhibition by people aged 18-35, exploring how the Holocaust is remembered by younger generations. This new podcast, featuring participants and artists who took part in the display, delves into what freedom means today for those living in the shadows of survivors, and how the stories of their ancestors shape their own sense of liberation.
FREE. ONLINE. www.production8x.podbean.com
What is the Right Pronoun to use for God?
Within its texts, Judaism affirms God’s supremacy beyond gender, however in further teachings and tradition, there is an overwhelming use of masculine imagery. This recording, made by Rabbi Louis Jacobs in 2005, argues the importance of neutral pronouns within the religion, especially for queer and non-binary worshippers to feel a sense of belonging, and to promote gender diversity.
FREE. ONLINE. www.buzzsprout.com/1859010/episodes/18036034
Bearing Witness: Documenting 7 October and its Aftermath
The National Library of Israel’s Bearing Witness Archive is an initiative that documents the events of 7 October and the aftermath. This discussion, which originally took place at Jewish Book Week, features the library’s head of collections Raqual Ukeles and historian Ilan Troen exploring the unprecedented scale of online coverage, vigils, rallies and memorials that have resulted from the Israel-Gaza war.
FREE. ONLINE. www.jewishliteraryfoundation.co.uk/videos/bearing-witness-documenting-7-october-its-aftermath
The Romani Holocaust
The destruction of the Roma by the Nazi state is sparsely understood and documented. Dr Barbara Warnock, Senior Curator and Head of Education at the Wiener Holocaust Library, is featured in this documentary about the Roma Genocide, which also features a representation of the first-hand account of a Sinti survivor of Auschwitz, held in the library’s archives.
FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct6r9x
Auld Lang Schmooze
Edinburgh Jewish Cultural Centre’s podcast kicks off with an in-depth conversation with Jewish Renaissance editor Rebecca Taylor and writer David Ian Neville, talking about JR’s Summer 2023 issue and how each edition of the magazine is planned and produced.
FREE. ONLINE. www.jcc.scot
I Belong to Glazgoy
Dr Phil Alexander pieces together the story of Isaac Hirshow, a virtuosic Russian Jewish synagogue cantor and composer, who was one of thousands of Jewish immigrants who arrived in Glasgow from Warsaw in 1922. Alexander excavates Hirshow’s story through archive, oral history, poetry, early recordings and specially performed music.
FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001n1x7
The Black Cantor
Thomas LaRue Jones, an African-American tenor, was known as the Black Cantor, singing Jewish music in the early decades of the 20th century. His soulful voice and perfect Yiddish pronunciation propelled him to fame, performing in synagogues and theatres across America’s East Coast and around Europe. However, after his death in 1954, LaRue Jones all but disappeared from history, leaving behind only one recording, made in 1923. Journalist Maria Margaronis unpacks the mystery of the Black Cantor’s career, looking at what drew him to the music, what his life tells us about race, faith and identity in America 100 years ago, and why he was so quickly forgotten.
FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fj1ylk
The Cockney Yiddish Podcast
Historians Nadia Valman and Vivi Lachs’ new podcast explores the unknown popular Yiddish culture of London’s East End against a backdrop of stories and songs from the 1880s to the 1950s. With special guests, including broadcaster Alan Dein and actor and comedian David Schneider, the hosts journey through music halls and street markets to revive London’s old East End. There are seven episodes in the series, six in English and one in Yiddish.
FREE. ONLINE. www.cockneyyiddish.org
Jewish Quest: Between the Lines Series
This weekly podcast provides a space where Jewish conversation can be free of denominational constraints, inspiring a deep love and knowledge of Jewish learning, teaching and debate. Previous speakers include Zvi Koenigsberg, Professor Mark Leuchter, Dr Kristine Henriksen Garroway and Chazan Jaclyn Chernett.
FREE. ONLINE. https://jewishquest.org
Anne Frank’s Stepsister: How I Survived Auschwitz
This raw and unfiltered two-part documentary offers a rare insight into the Frank family’s experience during the Holocaust. It’s a personal account by Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s step-sister and friend, who describes Anne humorously as ‘Miss Quack-Quack’ (a reference to her chatty personality). In the first episode, Schloss describes her life before Auschwitz and her family’s eventual capture. In part two, she focuses on her experience of the liberation of Auschwitz and her efforts to keep her brother Heinz’s memory alive.
FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct1k4b
Hardtalk: David Baddiel
BBC World Service presenter Stephen Sacker speaks to writer and comedian David Baddiel, who has a gift for finding the funny in some of the darkest corners of the human psyche. Now he is taking on modern culture, which is often toxic, and asks: is comedy becoming a victim of the culture wars? Baddiel gives as good as he gets in this frank, intelligent one-to-one interview that lives up to its name.
FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct1n6f
London’s Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony 2022
The capital marked Holocaust Memorial Day online again this year, featuring a moving address by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, alongside testimonies by Holocaust survivor Steven Frank BEM and Eric Murangwa Eugene MBE, survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Violinist Emmanuel Bach opened and closed the event with renditions of Bach’s Sola Sonatas. Watch the entire live-stream of the ceremony on the Mayor’s Office London YouTube channel.
FREE. ONLINE. www.jmi.org.uk
Opera Arias Reinvented and Holocaust Survivor Rachel Levy
Celebrate the achievements of Jewish women in this two-part podcast. Hear from violinist Charlotte Maclet about the award-winning, all-female string quartet Zaïde, and Rachel Levy, who is one of seven Holocaust survivors featured in the Portraits of the Holocaust project commissioned by the Prince of Wales.
FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013rn0
How Things are Done in Odessa
The city of Odesa has been at the heart of attacks by Russia in its war against Ukraine. It is famously fiercely independent from Moscow and Kyiv, and its legendary past and position as a nexus of global trade has given the city a distinctive character. Narrating this Odesan story are musician Alec Kopyt, shipping proprietor Roman Morgenshtern, journalist Vlad Davidzon, translator Boris Dralyuk, and poets Boris and Lyudmila Khersonsky.sav
FREE. ONLINE. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0ctvzj8
The Exchange - Breaking with Tradition
Former Chasidic Jew Emily and ex-Amish person John both grew up in strict religious communities that heavily governed their lives and maintained a degree of separation from the ‘secular’ world. Together, they discuss the challenges of living with rules they found impossible to relate to and the difficulties they faced while adjusting to life on ‘the outside’.
FREE. ONLINE. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001brqg
THEATRE
Available indefinitely
The End of the Night
A chance to stream Ben Brown’s phenomenal play, The End of the Night, directed by Alan Strachan and performed at Park Theatre. A singular meeting between a Jew and a Nazi during World War II is the main focus. As the war is coming to an end, Dr Felix Kersten, Himmler’s personal physiotherapist, uses his unique position of influence to facilitate a meeting between the architect of the Holocaust and Swedish Jew Norbert Masur, a member of the World Jewish Congress. Can Masur and Kersten turn Himmler’s thoughts away from the downfall of the Third Reich and towards a course of action that could save thousands of lives? It’s a joint attempt to release the last surviving Jews from concentration camps, contrary to Hitler’s orders that no Jew should outlast the regime. Read our review of The End of the Night on the JR blog and hear our interview with playwright Ben Brown on JR OutLoud.
From £20/a. ONLINE. https://originaltheatreonline.com
Otvetka
Under the shadow of an imminent Russian attack, a woman tries to hold her shattered life together after the father of her unborn child is killed in the Donbas region by a sniper. Suddenly, her phone pings with a delighted message from a friend on the other side of the border, inviting her to a wedding. How will she respond? Written by leading Ukrainian playwright Neda Nezhdana, this explosive monodrama confronts not only the war between Russia and Ukraine, but increased unrest sparked by fake news around the world. Dedicated to Ukrainian opera singer Vasyl Slipak, who went to war as a volunteer and died in the trenches of Donbas after being shot by a sniper, Otvetka (meaning ‘answers’ and ‘retaliation’ in Ukrainian) is currently being performed in Ukraine, despite constant interruptions from air-raid sirens. This stream is part of Finborough Theatre’s new digital initiative, #FinboroughFrontier, and part of the Worldwide Ukrainian Play Reading Series, a collaboration with the Theatre of Playwrights in Kyiv to read new Ukrainian plays around the world.
FREE. ONLINE. www.youtube.com/finboroughtheatre
Wednesday 18 November – Wednesday 2 December
From Hastings to Hockney: Narrative and Nationhood in British art
In tribute to the recent passing of David Hockney, explore how artists have shaped ideas of identity, belonging and nationhood through their works. This three-part course, timed simultaneously with the return of the Bayeux Tapestry – a visual narrative created after the Norman Conquest – to Britain, looks at who gets to tell history, the representation of power, and how ideas of sovereignty are constructed and challenged.
3.30pm. £45, £40.50 concs. ONLINE. www.nationalgallery.org.uk
AVAILABLE INDEFINITELY
Alex Weiser: ‘in a dark blue night’
Following his Pulitzer Prize-nominated album And All the Days Were Purple, a love letter to New York City, Alex Weiser introduces his new album, ‘in a dark blue night’, comprising two song cycles exploring the city from complementary perspectives. The first cycle features five settings of Yiddish poetry, written by newly arrived immigrants to New York over the 1800s and 1900s, and the second, told through the recorded memories of Weiser’s late grandmother, features vivid, buoyant adventures about childhood in the bustling world of Coney Island in the late 1930s and 40s. Combined, the two cycles explore a little-known chapter of New York City’s history. Read our interview with Alex Weiser in the Summer 2024 issue of JR.
£7.93. ONLINE. www.alexweiser.bandcamp.com
