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In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.
Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk: On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.

Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed. All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.

Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

The Post War Avant-Garde in Soviet Russia
Dr Elizaveta Butakova Kilgarriff, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will talk about Socialist Realism. John Barkes, curator of Highgate Gallery’s current exhibition PAINTINGS FROM SOVIET RUSSIA 1950-1980, will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.

Dr Kilgarriff is an academic focussing on the Russian post-war avant-garde. In 2015 she completed her thesis entitled ‘A-Ya Magazine: Soviet unofficial art between Moscow, Paris and New York, 1976-1986’ at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Based on this research, in 2014, she curated the exhibition ‘Paper Museums: Moscow Conceptualism in Transit’ at the John Hansard Gallery, Southampton. She has been a visiting lecturer at the Courtauld, UCL and the Ruskin. In 2016, she co-taught the MA ‘Global Conceptualisms’ at the Courtauld Institute.

Doors open 5.15pm. Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.
Exhibition open 11am-5pm.

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.
Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Wednesdays and Fridays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.
Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

A dynamic dance and fitness class designed for kids and their parents or carers. Recommended age 4 to 10 years old but younger children welcome to join in the fun.

Classes are drop in but places are limited so booking is advised.

£8 one child and 1 adult; £2 per additional child; first Class £5

Weekly drop-in Hatha yoga classes suitable for all levels, beginners welcome. Come and practice some lovely postures in a safe environment that will leave you feeling uplifted and refreshed. I am certified by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and classes include a mixture of pranayama, postures and relaxation with focus on correct alignment. The steady flow of postures will improve your strength and flexibility. Mats, blocks and bricks provided or you are welcome to bring your own.

*Email me to book your place and receive your first class FREE*

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.
Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Fridays and Wednesdays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.
Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk: On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.

Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed. All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.

Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.
Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Wednesdays and Fridays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.
Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

Weekly drop-in Hatha yoga classes suitable for all levels, beginners welcome. Come and practice some lovely postures in a safe environment that will leave you feeling uplifted and refreshed. I am certified by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and classes include a mixture of pranayama, postures and relaxation with focus on correct alignment. The steady flow of postures will improve your strength and flexibility. Mats, blocks and bricks provided or you are welcome to bring your own.

*Email me to book your place and receive your first class FREE*

In the year of the centenary of the Russian Revolution, Highgate Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition of works by members of the Artists’ Union of St Petersburg 1950-1980.

Curator John Barkes has been working with artists in St Petersburg for more than twenty years. A chance meeting in 1993 with a painter with close links to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts resulted in nearly a hundred trips to the city, with visits to more than three hundred studios. The collapse of the Soviet system in 1989 left many elite professions without salaries or resources. Members of Artists’ Unions were no exception, but crucially they retained their studios and the paintings that represented their lives’ work.

To the artists’ surprise, and often severe irritation, John Barkes nearly always ignored their finished exhibited paintings, which tended to be rigid and formal, selecting in preference the vibrantly observant oil sketches and drawings that had no monetary value under the old system. It has thus been possible, by chance and the accidents of history, to exhibit and sell a great number of works by eminent artists and teachers at very accessible prices.

One wall will feature designs for major mosaic and mural projects from the 1960s and 1970s by Evgeni Kazmin. He is most proud of his scheme for the Sochi State Circus building, and is delighted that it survived the depredations associated with the recent Winter Olympics. The main theme of any Socialist Realist exhibition is life under the Soviet system – work, leisure and the family – paintings of a time that has passed into history, brilliantly observed.

All works are for sale, mostly priced from £400 to £4,000.

Gallery Talk:
On Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm. Dr Elizaveta Butakova, visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute, will lecture on Socialist Realism. John Barkes will share the platform giving his insights into the Soviet art education system.
Admission £10 (HLSI members £5) on the door.
To reserve your place please eMail admin@hlsi.net or telephone 020 8340 3343.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.
Exhibition continues until 16 February and is free.

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Fridays and Wednesdays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

Baby Circus is an awakening of curiosity and joy. Beginning gradually and softly, performers get acquainted with each infant as the audience arrives before moving to the performance space. As circus characters and acts are introduced, infants will be captivated and parents entertained. Developed by director Mette Ylikorva and appearing as part of Jacksons Lane’s Sirkus Finnish showcase. 11am and 1pm sessions are for those aged 0 to 1. 3pm performances for those aged 1 to 3.

Baby Circus is an awakening of curiosity and joy. Beginning gradually and softly, performers get acquainted with each infant as the audience arrives before moving to the performance space. As circus characters and acts are introduced, infants will be captivated and parents entertained. Developed by director Mette Ylikorva and appearing as part of Jacksons Lane’s Sirkus Finnish showcase. 11am and 1pm sessions are for those aged 0 to 1. 3pm performances for those aged 1 to 3.

Baby Circus is an awakening of curiosity and joy. Beginning gradually and softly, performers get acquainted with each infant as the audience arrives before moving to the performance space. As circus characters and acts are introduced, infants will be captivated and parents entertained. Developed by director Mette Ylikorva and appearing as part of Jacksons Lane’s Sirkus Finnish showcase. 11am and 1pm sessions are for those aged 0 to 1. 3pm performances for those aged 1 to 3.

This exhibition entitled Energy shows mixed media land and seascape originals, limited edition prints, and seven small oil paintings illustrating the landform project being created in Cornwall. Elspeth works on the cusp of abstraction and figuration. “I attempt to reveal energy, a vitality which, once engaged, never diminishes with time.” This has been the appeal.

Elspeth qualified as an architect from Liverpool University, practiced for years and was invited to teach soon after qualifying. She has no formal training in painting but as an architect was regularly asked to make substantial commissions in glass and paint, and to lecture abroad.

She designed three large stained windows in West London in 1981, 1989 and 1996, and in 1983 painted a huge political cartoon, a mural in a house in Westminster for an active politician. It was during these projects she realized the power of communication through composition. In 1999 Elspeth was shortlisted for Millennium artist for North Cornwall. Six interactive proposals were made, all local and doable, including a dark skies project down-directing street lighting – all seen as too ambitious.

This exhibition can be seen as a retrospective on 20 years of painting. Three years of blindness (2013-16) make this show a real celebration and a natural transition to any potential new work. Elspeth started painting landscapes in 1991 while teaching design workshops in Australia. In November last year she returned, with improved – but impaired – vision, to Australia to paint the extreme coastal points including Point Lookout in the west and Albany in the south-west, which may lead to an inevitably different style of future work, but for now a celebration of sight and works dated to 2013.

Initially Elspeth exhibited her paintings in themed shows, for example at Salisbury Playhouse in 1996, with 80 small works around the drum to highlight erosion and pollution (the Sea Empress oil spill off west Wales and the breakage of Spurn Point road in Lincolnshire), issues in the environment but always the aesthetics of light, heat and sound as space makers, interactions that make a whole. This interest, focusing on energy and environmental conditions, has been reflected in the choice of subject and titles of earlier exhibitions. She has held a total of 22 exhibitions in London and elsewhere since 1994 and reviews, including the Spectator in 2002, have recommended a wider audience. She has also been interviewed on radio: Woman’s Hour 1994, BBC Radio 4 2013 and Liverpool City Radio 2008. Her paintings are held in collections in the UK and overseas. The concerns reflected in her shows underpin the educational facility in Cornwall as it progresses.

Intensity is a quality that penetrates the images which range from the quietude of a scene on the Thames to a force 9 wave off Land’s End. The interrelationship of abstraction and figuration mentioned earlier remains the prime creative interest to the artist. A timeless zero.

The next few years may prove very different. Elspeth hopes you and your friends will share refreshments with her as this new journey commences. She will be in the gallery throughout the exhibition.

Image: Shadows near Bridge of Orchy © Elspeth Hamilton, 2016. All Rights Reserved
Tuesday-Friday 13:00-17:00; Saturday 11:00-16:00; Sunday 11:00-17:00. Closed Monday
10-23 March

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Wednesdays and Fridays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

A dynamic dance and fitness class designed for kids and their parents or carers. Recommended age 4 to 10 years old but younger children welcome to join in the fun.

Classes are drop in but places are limited so booking is advised.

£8 one child and 1 adult; £2 per additional child; first Class £5

Weekly drop-in Hatha yoga classes suitable for all levels, beginners welcome. Come and practice some lovely postures in a safe environment that will leave you feeling uplifted and refreshed. I am certified by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and classes include a mixture of pranayama, postures and relaxation with focus on correct alignment. The steady flow of postures will improve your strength and flexibility. Mats, blocks and bricks provided or you are welcome to bring your own.

*Email me to book your place and receive your first class FREE*

An absurd and comic duet of circus, Cul de Sac explores the sometimes gentle, sometimes brutal nature of human relationships. Featuring world-class juggling, dance and acrobatics, performers Gemma Palomar and José Triguero take us through a cycle of love, irritation, pain, euphoria, caresses and carelessness as they journey beyond the stereotypical male-female relationship. Combining astonishing physicality with evocative imagery and humour, Cul de Sac is at once entertaining, troubling and touching, light and dark.

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Fridays and Wednesdays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

An absurd and comic duet of circus, Cul de Sac explores the sometimes gentle, sometimes brutal nature of human relationships. Featuring world-class juggling, dance and acrobatics, performers Gemma Palomar and José Triguero take us through a cycle of love, irritation, pain, euphoria, caresses and carelessness as they journey beyond the stereotypical male-female relationship. Combining astonishing physicality with evocative imagery and humour, Cul de Sac is at once entertaining, troubling and touching, light and dark.

Where do books come from? Using the ideas of stories, characters, and their wild imaginations, JL Circus will be taking you on a beautifully bonkers adventure through books! Be amazed as Jacksons Lane’s young circus people weave their stories through acro, hula-hoop, juggling and drama skills in a fun, engaging performance for the whole family.

A circus show like no other! Max lives on a trampoline, with only his little pet bird for company. Every day his life is the same, but Max decides he wants a new life. Follow the two friends in their funny, bouncy daily routine, with breathtaking trampoline skills and hilarious clowning. A brilliant and unique new show for all the family.

Ages 3+

This acclaimed Edinburgh sell-out production from Jacksons Lane’s Artistic Director Adrian Berry tells the story of a young David Bowie obsessive.

Martin is a boy with problems – an illness no-one understands and a head full of sound and vision. So when an unexpected gift arrives on his birthday, Martin embarks on a thrilling journey in the footsteps of his obsession, leading him to discover some long-hidden truths about himself. What follows will change his life forever…

Powerful and touching, music and magic realism collide in this darkly funny and moving solo production featuring Alex Walton and the voice of writer & comedian Rob Newman. With a blistering Bowie soundtrack, the life of the pop fan is dissected in this tale of unnatural teenage wildlife.

“Moving and touching, it blew me away. I cried my eyes out. You forget you’re in a theatre, and you can’t ask for much more than that” BBC London Live

After three years of training together at Circomedia in Bristol, a new group of performers are ready to enter the real world. Now it’s time for the last ten standing to make their mark.

Ten is a combination of acrobatics, aerial, juggling and physical theatre presented with a twist. Join them for an evening of contemporary circus, laughs, and possibly some tears as they celebrate one journey coming to an end – and many more that are only just beginning.

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Wednesdays and Fridays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

A dynamic dance and fitness class designed for kids and their parents or carers. Recommended age 4 to 10 years old but younger children welcome to join in the fun.

Classes are drop in but places are limited so booking is advised.

£8 one child and 1 adult; £2 per additional child; first Class £5

Weekly drop-in Hatha yoga classes suitable for all levels, beginners welcome. Come and practice some lovely postures in a safe environment that will leave you feeling uplifted and refreshed. I am certified by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and classes include a mixture of pranayama, postures and relaxation with focus on correct alignment. The steady flow of postures will improve your strength and flexibility. Mats, blocks and bricks provided or you are welcome to bring your own.

*Email me to book your place and receive your first class FREE*

Why do whales sing? Why do humans wail? Last year, Little Bulb Theatre embarked on a quest to discover the answers to these perplexing questions and more. Now, they share their findings in an aquatic cabaret of songs, science and soundscapes with chances to win cheap prizes galore! Little Bulb Theatre return to their lo-fi roots in this haphazard two-hander that’s sure to be a whale of a time. Part gig, part lecture, part your lips and WAIL!

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Fridays and Wednesdays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

Why do whales sing? Why do humans wail? Last year, Little Bulb Theatre embarked on a quest to discover the answers to these perplexing questions and more. Now, they share their findings in an aquatic cabaret of songs, science and soundscapes with chances to win cheap prizes galore! Little Bulb Theatre return to their lo-fi roots in this haphazard two-hander that’s sure to be a whale of a time. Part gig, part lecture, part your lips and WAIL!