Fight the temptation to sneak under the duvet tomorrow night - it may be getting dark ever earlier and there's a definite hiding-under-duvet chill in the crisp air but fight! Resist! Protest! Agitate! Agitate: Late at Tate Britain!
The first Friday of every month is the special late opening of Tate Britain and there have been some very good themed nights to kick off the weekend in style - the burlesque evening, the village fete evening, the galleries-become-electrobeat-nightclubs evening. And now it's time to get fierce. And the best place for it? An art gallery.
The need to stand up for your rights and to protect your fellow human is distinct and ongoing. Current focus on Burma and the extraordinary protests, campaigns and activism taking place around the world for the Burmese people show us the need for solidarity and action. The Agitate: Late at Tate Britain evening is a chance to see protesters, campaigners and activists in action, learn more about certain campaigns and unwind at the end of the week in the pleasant surroundings of the Tate galleries while simultaneously having your heart and mind moved and indeed, agitated.
Within the evening's programme, the charity WeZimbabwe will present the band Thabani and raise funds for the human rights campaigning in Zimbabwe, Nigerian novelist and poet Ben Okri will read from his new novel Starbook and Judge John Deed star Fraser James and photographer Franklyn Rogers will discuss their latest project Underexposed which is about promoting Black British role models and the 4 The Record Initiative.
A special talk by Canon David Isherwood, Rector of Holy Trinity Church Clapham is scheduled in which he will discuss the bi-centenary of the abolition of slavery and the work of William Wilberforce in the campaign and other things to see and do is the chance to make your own slogan t-shirt, play around on the Human Rights Jukebox and take in a few film presentations between drinks from the bar and half-price entry to the Millais and Turner Prize retrospective exhibitions.
A worthy evening, worthwhile.
Agitate: Late At Tate Britain, Friday 5 October, from 6pm to 10pm, entry is free. For more information, go to the Late At Tate Britain website here.
