Things To Do Today In London: Friday 24 February 2017

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Things to do today is sponsored by CommuterClub. Scroll down for the chance to win free London travel for the rest of 2017.

Pieter Ampe: So You Can Feel at the Southbank Centre

What we're reading

Things to do

EAST END CANALS: Check out a fascinating exhibition on the history of canals in the old East End of London. London Canal Museum, £4, just turn up, 10am-4.30pm

BOTANICAL ART: Curiosity is a strong driving force for drawing. Helen Allen discusses her own creative process and why people are so obsessed by drawing nature. RHS Lindley library, free, book ahead, 6pm

GAL-DEM: With this month's V&A Friday late, GAL-DEM shares its take on the world through film. Step into Oscar nominated movie posters, perfect your Bollywood dance moves and learn how to shoot a movie on your phone. Stratford Circus Arts Centre, free, just turn up, 6.30pm-10pm

AFTER HOURS: Explore the the relationship between plants, animals and humans and find out how they shape our world with this Museum Late at NHM. There's storytelling, stand-up comedy and pop up science stations throughout the night. Natural History Museum, free, just turn up, 7pm

BOOK WORMS: Enjoy an evening of readings from A Country of Refuge, Lucy Popescu's acclaimed anthology of writings on refugees, migration and asylum seekers. Waterstones Piccadilly, free, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm

Jally Kebba Susso at Rich Mix

MISSING BUST: When you enter Conway Hall you might notice an empty niche built into the entrance. It was meant for a statue that never turned up. Watch a film that investigates The Empty Niche. Conway Hall, free, book ahead, 7pm-9pm

SEX, DRUGS & SAUSAGE ROLLS: Tour the naughtier side of Tudor London, when Southwark was the Las Vegas of its day. You'll even learn the root of the nation's f@!%ing favourite swearword. Bunch of Grapes, £15.46, book ahead, 7.30pm

CONTEMPORARY DANCE: Pieter Ampe brings his bold and brazen solo show to the Southbank Centre, where he shows if we're aware of how others perceive us through the medium of dance. Southbank Centre, £15/£7.50, book ahead, 7.30pm

FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC: Join musician Jalley Kebba Susso as he launches his brand new album, Banjul-London. A night of traditional Gambian kora music, jazz, rock, blues and Afro-funk will leave you feeling uplifted and captivated. Rich Mix, from £10, book ahead, 8pm


Sponsor message

Free travel for the rest of the year with CommuterClub

CommuterClub are offering a fantastic opportunity for Londoners on their transport for the year ahead. You can win a free travelcard, valid for the rest of 2017. Whether you're a keen urban explorer determined to hit up every nook and cranny of London, or if you're just looking to save some money on your daily commute, this is the key to your success.

Enter before 25 February for your chance to master the transport network. Even if you don't win, check out the massive savings you can get buying a travelcard with CommuterClub: often over £100 a year.


Art review: Brilliant pictures of a tumultuous time

Photo (c) 2016. Digital image, The Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florence

The 1930s were a tumultuous time for America coming out of the Great Depression. It resulted in some fine paintings, and a collection of 45 of them are on display at the Royal Academy of Arts. The mysterious paintings of Edward Hopper rub shoulders with the domestic snapshots of Grant Wood. Covering landscapes, abstract art and surrealism, this is also the first time American Gothic has left the States. A superb exhibition. America after the Fall: Painting from the 1930s, Royal Academy of Arts. Until 4 June, £13.50. ★★★★★ (Open every day)

Art review: Puerile and pointless

Tim Noble and Sue Webster are known for making seemingly random sculptures that create fantastic shadows. But their latest project is just big wire sculptures with exaggerated genitalia. It's puerile and pointless, possibly a sign that their creative juices have dried up. Tim Noble & Sue Webster: Sticks with Dicks and Slits, Blain|Southern, 4 Hanover Square, W1s 1BP. Until 25 March, free. ★☆☆☆☆ [Monday-Saturday]

(Just because we didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean you won't).

Good cause for the day

VERTICAL RUSH: Race up all 932 steps of London's Tower 42 at Vertical Rush, in aid of the homeless charity Shelter. Book ahead for the chance to help battle a prominent London struggle, with the reward of some beautiful views at the top. Tower 42, £30/£25, book ahead, Thursday 9 March, 8am-5pm

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