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Listings
SHORT FILM FESTIVAL: London Short Film Festival kicks off today, with screenings at venues across London. 75 events over 10 days see 300 films being screened. Take a look at our preview of the festival for more information (and info on how to bag a free beer). £7-£14, prebook, until 18 January
MORNING PAPERS: Storylines at The Deptford Lounge uses the morning papers to create a play. Everyone in The Lounge is able to join in with making the show, as will anyone following the action on Twitter. Free, just turn up, 9.30am
CHEWING GUM TOUR: Once again, Art no Cube runs free tours on the Millennium Bridge, exhibiting the artwork of chewing gum artist Ben Wilson. Free, prebook by emailing [email protected], 10.30am/11.30am/12.30pm
CHEAP ART CLASSES: City Lit runs an afternoon of introductory art classes for £5 per class. Several have sold out but at time of writing, tickets remain for animation and photography lessons. £5, prebook, 2.30pm-8.30pm
JOSHUA REYNOLDS: The Wallace Collection near Bond Street hosts an evening dedicated to the portraiture of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the leading figure in Georgian London’s art world. Takes place ahead of the major exhibition Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint, which opens in March. £12.50, prebook, 6.30pm
UNIVERSITY THEATRE: Queen Mary University Theatre Company presents Tango at the End of Winter at Rich Mix in Shoreditch. It focuses on the life of Sei Kiyomura, a once successful actor who returns to his childhood home. £5/£7, prebook, 7.30pm
MUSIC NIGHT: The Good Ship in Kilburn hosts as evening of soul, rock, pop and groove, with live music from 8pm until 11.30pm, followed by soul, funk and blues until 4am. £4, prebook, 7.30pm
ASTRONOMY: Hampstead Observatory's weekly open nights give the public a chance to view the heavens. NOTE: The observatory only opens if the skies are clear — keep an eye on the Facebook page for updates. Free, just turn up, 8pm-10pm
COMEDY: Marcel Lucont, who recently told us his favourite places to be French in London, headlines Amused Moose at Soho’s Sanctum Hotel. Also on the bill are Angela Barnes, Tom Allen and Rhys James. £13.50-£15, prebook, 8.15pm
BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are at City Temple on Holborn Viaduct, Stoll in Fulham, Finchley East station car park, and Tesco in Beckenham. See site for terms and conditions. Scared of donating blood? Watch our video.
Find more London events in our Free & Cheap events listings.Want to see your event in these last-minute listings? Email us at [email protected] 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
Book ahead for Royal Geographical Society's evening with Ralph Bousfield, one of the most successful safari guides in Africa, on 14 January. He'll be speaking about Botswana and the history of conservation. All ticket money goes to Ralph's rhino charity and there will be fundraising on the night for Rhinos Without Borders and Wilderness Safaris' Botswana Rhino Reintroduction & Monitoring Project.
From The Archive
How Bow's Bells (classic criteria for being born a cockney) went digital in a bid to create a new generation of "global cockneys"; we took a look at the history and significance of the bells of London.
