Things To Do In London: Wednesday 11 June 2014

If you’ve not already done so, you can subscribe to these daily listings and have them delivered to your inbox at 7pm each evening, so you have enough time to plan for the day ahead. Alternatively, subscribe to Londonist Daily to hear about events further in the future. And help spread the word to your friends who haven’t discovered us yet!

Kosmos Ensemble play in the Thames Tunnel shaft at the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe, South East London on 18 October 2012. Harriet Mackenzie (violin), Meg Hamilton (viola) and Miloš Milivojević (accordion).
Listen to Kosmos Ensemble play at the Brunel Museum. Details below

Listings

BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are at The Hop Exchange on Southwark Street and at the Emirates Stadium in Holloway Road. See site for terms and conditions

COOL RESEARCH: The week-long Universities Week starts today, showcasing some of the UK’s cutting-edge university research. The event takes place at the National History Museum: there will be 50 interactive exhibits, talks and demonstrations throughout the week and a special late opening of the museum tonight (Free, just turn up, 6pm-10pm). See website for full programme. Free, until 13 June

PUB ART: The walls of Colonel Fawcett in Camden get covered with artwork and video installations during Martinelli and Artists' art evening. See short art videos by artists from Argentina, Scotland, Colombia, Iran, Russia, Poland and Portugal. Free, just turn up, from 6pm

EXPLODING MIND: Join a screening of film The Man Whose Mind Exploded at the ICA on The Mall. The screening is followed by a Q&A with director Toby Amies — note that the event is on until 19 June. £10/£3, prebook, 6.15pm

PENGUINS: Sara Wheeler, a travel writer who has written much about the polar regions, is the latest writer to talk about her work at London Zoo, with specific emphasis on penguins. £12, prebook, 6.30pm

TALK ART: Tate Modern welcomes five international artists who talk about the importance of biennials for their work, focusing on the Gwangju Biennale. Hans Haacke, Do Ho Suh, Sheela Gowda, Camille Henrot and Roman Ondák talk to Jessica Morgan, Artistic Director of the 10th Gwangju Biennale. £12, prebook, 6.30pm

BOOK TALK: Bonnie Greer talks about her new book, A Parallel Life, and her career as a playwright, essayist and journalist at Hatchards Bookshop in Piccadilly. The ticket includes a complimentary glass of wine. £5, prebook by email, 6.30pm

OPEN MIC: Vestry House Museum in Waltham Forest presents an open mic evening, featuring Michael McKimm and Kayo Chingonyi reading their poetry. The event is free and there are drinks as well, donations welcome. Free, just turn up, 7pm

MUSIC UNDERGROUND: The underground Thames Tunnel Shaft in Rotherhithe — part of the Brunel Museum — hosts an evening of music featuring the Kosmos Ensemble. Expect music from around the world in a hidden venue. £10+bf, prebook, 7.30pm

SUPPER CLUB: Talk To Me London Supper with Strangers is a supper club experience to share with those you don't know. As you arrive you get paired up to dine opposite a stranger, then you have to pick a Talk Card and start a conversation. The event takes place at Fish in a Tie in Clapham. £25/£22, prebook, 7.30pm

RICHARD STRAUSS: To commemorate the classic composer's 150th birthday, the Church of St Barnabas in Dalston hosts a dedicated concert. Line-up includes: soprano April Fredrick and Jacqueline Bremar, Madeleine Mitchell on violin and Nigel Foster at the piano. £15/£10, prebook, 7.30pm

COMEDY: Richard Herring and Shappi Khorsandi are on stage at the Hackney Picturehouse, presenting their upcoming Edinburgh shows. £6, prebook, 7.30pm

MORE COMEDY: The Big Wednesday Comedy Club takes over the Charterhouse Bar in Smithfields tonight, for an evening of stand-up comedy. £7+bf, prebook, 8pm

Find more London events in our Free & Cheap events listings.

Want to see your event in these last-minute listings? Email us at hello@londonist.com at least 48 hours before the event, and we will consider it for inclusion. Note, due to high volumes of email, we can’t always reply.


Good Cause of the Day

Make a donation while enjoying a theatre play: on Friday 13 June, New Diorama Theatre in Warren Street hosts the play Henna Night by Amy Rosenthal, about a troubled love relationship. Half of the money raised from tickets sale will be donated to London Drama, a professional association supporting teachers of drama across London.  £12.50/£10.90, prebook, 7.30pm

London Connection Puzzle

Your first clue was CASTLE BAYNARD. The second is COLEMAN STEET. What's the London connection (and it's something more specific than 'City wards')? If you think you know, email matt@londonist.com.

From the Archive

On this day last year we rounded-up ten places in London you'll probably never visit: these include a sewer, a plague pit and a ghost station.

Pub of the Day

Today, we're giving some love to The Ship in Wandsworth. It has a huge (and slightly peculiar) Thames-side beer garden in which to soak up the early-summer rays, and it serves up some seriously good food. Indeed, it was recently declared the 14th best gastropub in the UK. You lot also voted it as the best pub in Wandsworth and one of the best pubs along the Thames in our recent polls. You'll find well over 200 other options in our growing Best Pubs in London microsite.

shio