There’s plenty to keep arts students entertained in London this May, from art and photography exhibitions to festivals and brand new theatre. Here is our pick of the best for the coming month.

 

Chris Ofili: Weaving Magic – until late Aug

Turner Prize winner, Chris Ofili, returns to the National Gallery to unveil a brand new tapestry, Weaving Magic, handwoven by Dovecot Tapestry Studio.

Interested in and inspired by mythology and magic, Ofili’s collaboration with the Dovecot Tapestry Studio has seen his design brought to life in this wonderful piece of handwoven artwork, which was commissioned by the Clothworkers’ Company.

You can find the exhibit in the Gallery’s Sunley Room and can visit free of charge. The National Gallery opens daily from 10am to 6pm, remaining open until 9pm on Fridays.

 

Wandsworth Arts Fringe – 5 - 21 May

Enjoy two weeks packed full of arts and culture thanks to Wandsworth Council, with dance, comedy, theatre and much more. There will be more than 140 events taking place across the two weeks, with both indoor and outdoor performances.

This year’s line-up includes stand up poetry from Dan Simpson, comedy from award winning Louise Reay and TavIntensive – a two-day workshop held by Bawren Tavaziva for professional dancers. There is also a great selection of plays to choose from, including The Monologues of a Tired Nurse and Mums the Word.

Each event has an individual ticket price. For more information on prices and the festival’s schedule, please visit the official website.

 

Woyzeck – from 6 May

Georg Büchner’s breath-taking play, Woyzeck, is opening at the Old Vic theatre this week, reimagined by Olivier award winner, Jack Thorne.

As the Cold War rages in 1980s Berlin, a young soldier resides on the border between East and West, trying desperately to build a brighter future for his child, along with the woman he loves, telling the important story of the people society leaves behind.

Starring John Boyega (Star Wars), Nancy Carroll (You Can Never Tell) and Ben Batt (Captain America), tickets start at £12.

 

David Mach: Incoming – from 11 May

Sculptor and installation artist, David Mach, has been setting up his new exhibition in the Griffin Gallery since April 26; as well as being live streamed, the ongoing installation was and still is open for the public to watch take form.

From 11 May, Incoming will be open as a complete installation: 20 tonnes of newspaper will twist its way around the room, bursting through walls and engulfing objects as it goes.

You can visit the gallery between 10am and 5pm Monday to Friday, and from 12 to 5pm on Saturdays. Incoming will be on display until 7 July.

 

Photo London at Somerset House – 18 - 21 May

Referred to by the Guardian as ‘the UK photography event of the year’, Photo London celebrates its third year running in 2017, with talks, awards and major exhibitions all featuring.

Photo London’s Master of Photography for 2017, Taryn Simon, will present her indexing tool, Image Atlas. There will also be a virtual reality artwork from Mat Collishaw and a Great Arch Hall takeover by Jeurgen Teller.

Day tickets for a single day at Photo London cost £29.16 for adults, and £21.60 for those with a valid student card. Weekend tickets (for the Saturday and Sunday combined) will set you back £43.20.