What we’re reading
- Mayor approves £1.4bn scheme to regenerate Croydon town centre.
- Artist JR unveils 22ft installation in Mayfair.
- Julian Assange's stay in London embassy untenable, says Ecuador.
- Take the kids to… the Ragged School Museum, east London.
- 19 amazing photos that prove London is beautiful in winter.
Things to do
100 BANNERS: Create your own suffrage banner inspired by the collection at the Women’s Library, at the London School of Economics, to mark the anniversary of the Representation of the People’s Act 1918. Kensington Palace, free, book ahead, 10.30am-2pm
PENGUIN PINATAS: Penguin Awareness Day is fast approaching (Saturday 20 January), but if you're busy that day pencil in this penguin piñatas session. Drink, Shop & Do (King's Cross), free with a drink, just turn up, 6pm
LOUISE DAHL-WOLFE: Hear a lecture on the snappily dressed fashion photographer. Your ticket includes entry to the Louise Dahl-Wolfe exhibition and a complimentary drink. Fashion and Textile Museum (Bermondsey), £15/£12, book ahead, 6pm-8pm
GIRLS, UNINTERRUPTED: Check out this exhibition of uncensored works of illustration, photography, paintings and sculptures created by 19 international badass stereotype-defying female artists. Creative Debuts (Shoreditch), free, just turn up, 6pm-11pm PV, until 15 January
TALK: Learn about the lives of Black seafarers in the Royal Navy and how their experiences helped shape Black revolutionary thinking across the Atlantic, from author and journalist S.I. Martin. Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives, free, just turn up, 6.30pm-7.30pm
INSTANT STORIES: Still living in the analogue era? Get expert tips on snapping super hip photos using your Polaroid camera at this informal night in the gallery bar. The Photographers Gallery, free, book ahead, 6.30pm-8.30pm
WOMEN ON TOP: The zine Sex+ is celebrating its first birthday with a series of racy panel discussions. The first takes a look at female dominance in the bedroom and beyond. Topics of discussion include finding your style, gender equality, playing safe and what's in it for men. The Book Club, £10.83, book ahead, 7pm-9pm
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: Spend your evening soaking up the stunning sounds of Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ Symphony, as performed by the uber talented London Symphony Orchestra. The Barbican, £15-£55, book ahead, 7.30pm
SPOKEN, NOT STIRRED: Bring your poems along to this friendly open mic night or just bask in some deliciously phrased sentences by headliner Celestina Rowaiye. Broadway Barking, £5, book ahead, 7.30pm-10pm
SKATE LATES: It's your last chance to glide around Somerset House ice rink before it packs up for the year. Helping you find your skating rhythm tonight are DJs from Strut Records, spinning the best in tropical and African style beats. Somerset House, £17+bf, book ahead, 8pm
Good cause of the day: Sundance Kids: Dancing For Mental Health
Whether you're looking to lose yourself in disco, electronic and afrobeat tunes or just have more fun when you're partying for a good cause, you should head to the launch night of Sundance Kids, which aims to fight the stigma surrounding mental health with epic tunes. All proceeds are donated to the charity SANE, which educates people about what it's like to live with a mental illness. The Book Club, £6/£4, book ahead, 9pm-2am
