Events and activities in libraries
The following are events and activities that are taking place in Lambeth libraries.
We have organised them into three categories, current events, major council events, and other annual events.
If you need any further information, please contact your local library, call 020 7926 1000 or email: libraries@lambeth.gov.uk.
Current events
Dickens 200th Anniversary
Dickens 2012 is an international celebration of the life and work of Charles Dickens to mark the bicentenary of his birth, which falls on 7 February 2012. Institutions and organisations from all over the world are partners of Dickens 2012 and work together to deliver a programme of events and activities to commemorate this very special anniversary. Although a writer from the Victorian era, Dickens work transcends his time, language and culture. He remains a massive contemporary influence throughout the world and his writings continue to inspire film, art, literature, artists and academia. Dickens 2012 sees a rich and diverse programme of events taking place in the run up and throughout the whole of 2012.
In Lambeth we will be running a full programme of events throughout April with London's City Read - Oliver Twist. We're inviting London's residents, visitors and students to find out more about the book, its author, and London's history in a month-long programme of events in libraries, cinemas, museums. This will be London's first ever pan-London community reading festival, with all 33 of the capital's library services hosting a programme of more than 300 events during the month, including book groups, children's events, local studies walks, author readings, film showings and more.
Art Exhibition - Karen D Tregaskin
Dates: 10 January to 14 February
Venue: Streatham Library
Karen D Tregaskin was born in Hertfordshire and has lived on 3 continents. At age 21 she started taking a sketchbook along to clubs, bars and gigs as a way of recording passing thoughts and fancies. As Masonic Boom, Karen has had her artwork published in many places and she has designed album artwork, t-shirts and posters for many bands. Streatham Library is pleased to show her architectural drawings, which have been featured on local news sites including Streatham Pulse, The Londonist and the Streatham Guardian. You can contact Karen at her Flickr website.
Full of Life!
Dates: Saturday 21 January and every Saturday for 8 weeks
Venue: Durning Library
Time: 11am to 12pm
The Young Foundation and Age UK Lambeth have teamed up to provide innovative self-help, peer-support groups for people 65 years and over in Lambeth. The 'Full of Life' project aims to enhance important life skills and increase the wellbeing of older residents so that they feel more able to deal with day to day challenges in life.
The group will meet weekly and cover topics such a coping with change, identifying personal strengths, strategies to increase mood and wellbeing and understanding how thoughts and beliefs impact on mood and behavior. All over 65s welcome.
Without Warning - Work inspired by Brian Keenan's book - An Evil Cradling
Reading Group Dates: Tuesday 31 January, Thursday 2 February and Tuesday 7 February
Venue: The Old Vic Tunnels, Leake St. London SE1 7NN
Time: 8 to 9.30pm
Lambeth Libraries are proud to be working in partnership with the The Old Vic Theatre and Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance to bring you work inspired by the award-winning book by Brian Keenan - An Evil Cradling - about his period of captivity in Beirut in the 1980s.
The project is in three parts which can be taken seperately or altogether for the full experience.
An Evil Cradling Reading groups event - For three nights we will be running reading group discussions on An Evil Cradling (dates above). These are free to attend and include a free copy of the book. For the Reading group nights please RSVP to: readersandwriters@lambeth.gov.uk or phone 0207 926 1105. On confirmation of your place you will receive a free copy of An Evil Cradling to read before the discussion courtesy of Random House publishers.
An Audience with Brian Keenan - Brian will be specially flying in to talk about his work and to mark the performance of 'Without Warning'. He will be speaking at the Old Vic Tunnels on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 February.
'Without Warning' is a piece of contemporary live theatre combining dance and live music inspired by Brian Keenan’s compelling account of his four and a half years in captivity. Following sell-out premier performances at Laban Theatre in 2010, Without Warning is re-siting the work for two weeks at the Old Vic Tunnels between 31 January and 11 February.
Tickets for the author talk or theatre performance can be obtained from the Old Vic Box Office on 0844 871 7628, for your free place at one of the reading group nights please RSVP as above.
Mood-Boosting Books - January
The Festive season can be a very stressful time. Our new Mood-boosting Books promotion will launch in January 2012. Research shows that reading improves mental well-being. The Mood-boosting Books promotion is aimed at adults, particularly those who might have experienced mild to moderate mental health conditions linked to stress, anxiety and depression.
Eight reading groups around the country have read, reviewed and recommended 27 Mood-boosting Books which includes novels and non-fiction, poetry and graphic novels. There are also titles which are suitable for less confident readers - find them at your local Lambeth Library.
TV Book Club - January to April
Lambeth Libraries are pleased to be promoting the TV Book Club which highlights ten books, carefully chosen out of the thousands published each year, and which are soon to become the titles everyone is talking about on TV's best known literary discussion forum. The programme launches on Channel 4 on 29 January and runs through to April. Why not read along - all of the titles featured will be avavilable in your local library.
National Libraries Day - 4 February
A national day to celebrate libraries has been launched and Lambeth Libraries hope you will support the day by joining a friend up to your local Library, coming in to see us on the day or leaving a message on your local library Facebook page. National Libraries Day will be the finale to a week of events that will celebrate libraries and librarians, and highlight the importance of reading.
British New Wave Film season - Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
Date: Tuesday 7 February
Venue: Minet Library
Time: 6.30pm
In the late 1950's there emerged an exciting new approach to British filmmaking, influenced by French Nouvelle Vague cinema. Usually in black and white, these films had a spontaneous quality, drawing on the literary influences of the Angry Young Men to portray day to day real life in a gritty passionate and honest way. Minet Library Film Club is pleased to showcase a range of the best films of the genre.
Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is the second of our Tony Richardson films and tells the story of a rebellious youth (played by Tom Courtenay), sentenced to a borstal for robbing a bakery, who rises through the ranks of the institution through his prowess as a long distance runner. During his solitary runs reveries of his life and times before his incarceration lead him to re-evaluate his privileged status as the Governor's prize runner.
Forthcoming films include:
- Tuesday 6 March - Billy Liar (1963)
- Tuesday 3 April - A Hard Day's Night (1964)
'Lambeth Prospects' Archives Exhibition
Dates: Thursday 9 to Thursday 23 February
Venue: Morley Gallery, Morley College, 61 Westminster Bridge Road, London. SE1 7HT
Times: 11am to 5pm
This exhibition draws on the most historically and visually interesting images from the 50,000 or so items in the visual collection at Lambeth Archives. These views, in media including oil, watercolour, print and photography give a rarely-seen insight into Lambeth over the centuries. It focuses on the north of the borough's transition from a riverside village to a Victorian industrial centre and then to todays diverse 21st century community, but also on the development of its suburbs in Brixton, Streatham, Clapham and Norwood.
LGBT Valentines Day poetry special
Date: Tuesday 14 February
Venue: Brixton Library
Time: 8pm
February is National LGBT History month and as part of our celebrations we are delighted to invite you to a special valentines poetry night like no other.
Come and join in for a delicious feast celebrating the power of Black erotica, love, attraction and desire through poetry, prose and performance. The evening will include established and emerging poets and writers sharing their passion for erotica as well as paying respects to people who have influenced their work. Performers on the night include your host Antoine Rogers, Dean Atta, Jocelyn Watson, Godwyns, Olumide Popoola and special guests. Join Ajamu, Godwyns and Lambeth Libraries for a fun poetic valentines night to move, to inspire and to arouse.
Jewish Book Week 2012 - 18 to 26 February
2012 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the first Jewish Book Week in London. It was first organised by the Jewish Book Council in November 1952. Lambeth Libraries are again pleased to be supporting this festival of some of the best literature by Jewish authors. This year's line-up includes Umberto Eco, Alain de Botton, Linda Grant, Jonathan Freedland and Lambeth's very own Jay Rayner among others. Full details at www.jewishbookweek.com
Chris Mullin - A walk-on part
Date: Monday 20 February
Venue: Durning Library
Time: 6.45pm
£2 Donation
Chris Mullin, ex-MP, will talk about the third and final volume of his widely acclaimed diaries. A Walk-on Part, the first book chronologically, covers the rise of New Labour in 1994-1999. We can be assured of a fascinating evening, all welcome.
World Book Night - 23 April 2012
World Book Night is an amazingly ambitious project that launched in the UK in 2011 and saw 20,000 people volunteer to share that incredibly simple experience of gifting a book. In total 1 million books were gifted across the UK and Ireland on street corners, on buses and trains, in cafes, pubs, bars, village halls, arts centres, libraries and bookshops and in prisons, hospitals and workplaces of some of the hardest to reach non-readers.
Lambeth Libraries are proud to again be part of WBN for 2012 and all of our Libraries will be available to gift books from. If you are passionate about reading and would like the opportunity to get involved, sign up at World Book Night as a giver. We look forward to working with you to spread the joy of literature and reading.
Activities
BBC Breathing Places library project
Breathing places is a three-year campaign from BBC Learning, which aims to get 1 million people involved in nature and their local environment. Lambeth Libraries are pleased to be able to join the BBC in this campaign.
Major council events
October
Black history month - Events arranged throughout our libraries, aimed at both young and old.
Celebrating Age - Again a variety of activities throughout the borough's libraries and usually an event in the assembly hall of the town Hall - we work closely preparing this event with Age Concern Lambeth.
Age Concern Lambeth
336 Brixton Road
London
SW9 7AA
Telephone: 020 7733 0528
Email: admin@aclambeth.org.uk
Other annual events