LONDON.- On the last weekend of July 2018, Kensington & Chelsea Art Weekend will celebrate the rich cultural heritage and future of the borough.

Connecting more than 50 galleries, creative spaces, museums and cultural institutions, the weekend will facilitate public engagement in the local culture, introducing audiences to its rich history as a leading creative hub. Celebrating the artistic traditions and future of the borough, Kensington & Chelsea Art Weekend’s diverse programme includes gallery and museum exhibitions and specifically-curated events, public talks, blue plaque tours, public art installations and food pop-ups, all taking place throughout the weekend.

The Kensington & Chelsea Art Weekend invites audiences to experience the borough as never before. From exclusive behind-the-scene tours of the Royal Albert Hall and the Design Museum to a diverse lecture series hosted by After Nyne Magazine at Saatchi Gallery, The Museum of Architecture and The Royal Society of Sculptors. From Sloane Square’s public art installation by celebrated photographer Terry O’Neill, to emerging talent in ‘Not Another Degree Show’, a graduate group exhibition and public party held in South Kensington. From the performance of a murder mystery at the Central Library to a cult film screening at the iconic Electric Cinema, panelled by Raindance founder Elliot Groves.

The full programme is announced this week on the Kensington & Chelsea Art Weekend website, participating partners’ websites, Artsy.net, designated newsletters and social media channels.

The specially designed Kensington & Chelsea Art Weekend Map, created by artist and Chelsea Arts Club member Anne Smith, will be distributed across the borough at participating venues.

• Over 50 participants including museums, galleries, artist studios, and iconic local venues will open their doors for pop-up events, workshops, bespoke tours, talks, late night openings and exhibitions from North Kensington to South Kensington to Chelsea riverside and Kings Road.

• Sloane Square will be transformed with a dynamic public art installation from legendary photographer Terry O’Neill, honouring the people of Kensington and Chelsea through iconic, historic images.

• The bespoke Red Double Decker Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus Tour will operate on Saturday and Sunday across 20 locations across the Borough, broadcasting Portobello Radio with Piers Thompson, with a feature on Kensington and Chelsea’s very own local heroes and heroines as voted for by its residents.

• See The Notting Hill Carnival In Preparation at the Tabernacle, as Mangrove, one of Notting Hill Carnival’s Masquerade and Steelbands, will be preparing for one of the biggest events in London’s Cultural Calendar - the Notting Hill Carnival.
 • Specially curated world-art talks, staged by galleries including Serena Morton, Catharine Miller, Jorge Welsh and Gregg Baker Antiques offering a global perspective on the arts.

• The After Nyne Talks Programme will feature a wealth of influential speakers including Alison Jackson, Alistair Hicks, Michael Wolfson, and Debbie Carnes across key locations including Saatchi Gallery, The Museum of Architecture and The Royal Society of Sculptors.

• Explore the hidden histories and eclectic culture of the borough with an English National Heritage Blue Plaque Tour and discover the story behind the Victorian era’s Green Cab Shelters where you can still pick up a cup of tea for £1.

• In Holland Park, The Design Museum will be offering exclusive architectural tours of their iconic ex-Commonwealth building reborn with new purpose.
 • Vardaxoglou present ‘Not Another Degree Show’, a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the tired model of the art degree show held in a special location selected by South Kensington Estates, opening with a public celebration on the evening of Friday 27th July.