Now that the festive period is over and done with, there’s still plenty more to look forward to! Here are just a few of London’s up and coming events for the next few weeks.

 

Australia’s Impressionists – until late Mar

The National Gallery is currently showcasing the works of four of Australia’s finest impressionist artists: Tom Roberts, Arthur Street on, Charles Conder and John Russell. As the first exhibition of its kind in the UK, these paintings are exactly what you need to brighten a cold winter’s day.

Boasting Australia’s sense of national identity, the pieces in this collection range from the cityscapes of Sydney and Melbourne, through to coastal scenes and bushland landscapes.

Many of the pieces in this exhibition have never before been seen in the UK, and features generous loans from some of Australia’s finest museums. The exhibition is held is collaboration with Art Gallery of New South Wales and opens daily from 10am until 6pm, except Fridays when it remains open until 9pm. Tickets are priced at £6.50, or £3.50 for those with a valid student ID.

 

Star Wars Identities – until early Sept

The o2 Arena is the new temporary home of more than 200 props, models, costumes and pieces of artwork from the original Star Wars films, providing fans of the Force with a unique experience to see them up close for themselves.

The exhibition provides visitors with an interactive identity quest and insightful scientific content, all the while following the journeys of the characters fans have grown to love, and helping visitors create their very own Star Wars identity.

Tickets range from £20 to £25 (£15 to £18 for students) and can be purchased on the o2 Arena’s official website. The exhibition is open daily from 10am, with last entry at 6pm. You must select a fifteen minute timeslot when you book your ticket.

 

Virtually Real - 12 - 14 Jan

This collaborative project, put together by HTC Vive and the Royal Academy of Arts explores the increasing popular virtual reality with two former students and one current student having been selected to create works of art using the VR platform.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to move through and interact with their VR creations, as well as having the opportunity to discover what the creative process entails. Visitors will also be able to have a go at creating a virtual reality artwork of their own.

The event costs £45, and this includes entry to the Keeper’s House after the main event, with a complimentary drink and snacks, too.

 

Risograph Printing Workshop – 14, 21 and 28 Jan

At the heart of Shoreditch, you will find bookshop and printing press, Libreria. For two Saturdays this month, they are holding risograph printing workshops for a reasonable price of £40 per person.

Get to grips with the basics of riso printing with this chance to create an edition of fifteen A3 prints and truly experiment with pattern, texture and shape. All materials needed are covered in the price of your ticket, but make sure to book in advance on the Libreria website.

If you’re unable to make the January dates, these workshops continue into the following months. Full details are available on the Libreria website.

 

Lockwood Kipling: Arts and Crafts in the Punjab and London – from 14 Jan

This V&A exhibition takes an in-depth look at the life and legacy of one of art and craft’s most influential figures: John Lockwood Kipling. Once a campaigner for the preservation of Indian crafts, Lockwood Kipling played a huge part in shaping the V&A’s foundation collection, and this exhibition celebrates that fact.

As an illustrator for his son, Rudyard Kipling’s books too, the exhibition features illustrations, as well as paintings of the Indian section of the Great Exhibition and furniture designed for royal residences Bagshot Park and Osborne.

Held in the museum’s Porter Gallery, the exhibition is open daily from 10am, until 9.30pm on Fridays and 5.30pm the rest of the week. Entry is free of charge.

 

The Glass Menagerie – from 26 Jan

After a Tony Award-winning run on Broadway, Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is returning to the West End at the end of this month.

Directed by John Tiffany, the play focuses on an overbearing mother and her search to find her sickly daughter an appropriate life partner, with a little help from her son. Drawing on aspects from Williams’ own life, The Glass Menagerie is hugely insightful and frightening realistic.

Held at the Duke of York’s Theatre and starring Cherry Jones and Kate O’Flynn, tickets to the show are selling fast, so be quick if you’re hoping for a chance to catch it. The run will end on 29 April.