Something for the weekend in London: February 24-26

February’s wrapping up (already?!), so make the most of our mish-mash selection of events this weekend to ease you into March. There’s the V&A’s Bright Young Things Friday Lates event  – inspired by the classic collection of Cecil Beaton’s 20s & 30s celebrity photography, the pop-up “Words, Words, Words” library which is finishing  at Selfridges, or the Ritzy cinema, which is screening an insightful documentary on Robert Mugabe in What Happened? And if you want to experience a bit of Russia on your doorstep, all roads lead to the Maslenitsa festival in Trafalgar Square on Sunday…

Friday

CINEMA: ROBERT MUGABE…WHAT HAPPENED? plus producer Michael Auret Q&A at The Ritzy,  Coldharbour Lane, London SW2 1JG

How much: £12.60
They say: “ROBERT MUGABE… WHAT HAPPENED? charts the Shakespearean rise and fall of the man who led a very successful African country, and then ruined it.  Mugabe was damned as a terrorist, then knighted by Queen Elizabeth, and is still in power more than 30 years later” Rich Mix
Info: www.picturehouses.co.uk

ARTS & CULTURE: V&A Friday Lates: Bright Young Things, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL

How much: FREE
They say: “Step into the glittering world of Cecil Beaton – photographer to royalty and the stars. Don your tiara or pose in your top hat and tails to sip cocktails with the best of the Bright Young Things. From re-creations of Beaton’s theatrical sets, to readings from his diaries and explorations of his work for Vogue, this evening celebrates Beaton’s obsession with all things beautiful.” V&A
Info: www.vam.ac.uk

Saturday

ALTERNATIVE: Words Words Words library, Selfridges, 400 Oxford St, London, W1A 1AB

How much: FREE
They say: “For seven weeks only, Selfridges hosts a pop-up library complete with comfy seats, iPads, listening posts, 15,000 books and a series of events, lectures and courses based around reading and writing” Time Out
Info: www.style.selfridges.com

ARTS & CULTURE: Curry Chefs of Brick Lane exhibition (Mezzanine Gallery), Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road  Greater London E1 6LA

How much: FREE
They say: “This exhibition is a celebration of these proud chefs “working away like those engineers below deck on the great steam ships of old, they are the unseen and unsung heroes of Brick Lane’s Curry Mile.” These are the previously unseen faces and untold stories that reveal the personal narratives of Spitalfields’ Bengali residents” Rich Mix
Info: www.richmix.org.uk

Sunday

EAT & DRINK: Electric Social (New venue), 40 Acre Lane, Brixton, London, SW2 5SP

How much: Various
They say: “ Electric Social is a new independent Brixton bar, club and kitchen; a wayward English country manor nestled at the foot of Acre Lane. The venue offers its own exclusively brewed ale, bespoke cocktails and seasonal British cuisine. Sundays at Electric Social have proven a huge hit with 12 year old DJ sensation” Scoutlondon.com
Info: www.electricsocial.com

ARTS & CULTURE: Maslenitsa Festival, various places in London (check link for locations)

How much: Varies depending on event
They say: “ Say goodbye to winter with Vodka and pancakes, music and song at the London Maslenitsa Festival a traditional Russian festival to welcome the spring that takes place across London from 19 – 26 February 2012. The London Maslenitsa Festival is the largest celebration of Russian culture, art, music and food anywhere outside Russia ” Kallaway
Info: www.maslenitsa.co.uk/home/week/2012

For more things to do in London, visit www.theculturalexpose.co.uk

(Extra research: Hollie Hines)

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