Off Script Into Grit, Colour, Taste

Quote of the Week - “Moments are lost, like tears in rain.” - Rutger Hauer

Good Afternoon, London. This week, The London Palette is all about breaking away from the script. From Tate Britain’s spotlight on Lee Miller’s surrealist and wartime vision to the creative energy surging through Chelsea’s inaugural colourstorm. There are lots of untamed ideas and fresh flavours for you to explore. Dive in because this edition is where boldness takes centre stage and the ordinary steps aside.

Snatched highlights from this edition:

1. Game On in Square Mile’s Summer of Sport

2. Atis Plant Powered Meals Take Over Covent Garden

3. Love Parks? Southwark Goes Green From Every Angle

4. Live Music - Incl., Tanya Stephens, Fleetwood Mac Tribute & more!

Let’s dive in.

—Bybreen Samuels

COUNCIL CANVAS

In Southwark’s Parks, Community Flourishes

You’ve heard the tired cliche of ‘greener cities’ and now is the time to forget it. This week, Southwark puts its own stamp on what it means to truly love local parks. As Love Parks Week sweeps across the borough and ends on August 3, Southwark Council is rolling out an all access celebration. Meaning that new residents and longtime locals have more reasons to explore the borough’s 130 green spaces. In them you’ll find pop-up yoga classes, creative workshops, youth festivals and buzzing community picnics. They’re transforming familiar lawns into the city’s beating heart. And they are flipping the script on the meaning of public spaces as mere backgrounds to daily life.

Our public parks are more than lungs for the city. They’re hubs for healthier, stronger, and more connected communities. In a year marked by rising living costs and a hunger for accessible wellbeing, Southwark’s Love Parks Week becomes an engine for both personal and civic pride. Councillors have doubled down on the theme, encouraging everyone to share their own #LoveSouthwark moments and spark up new connections. They can come from enjoying music in the park to rebuilding community gardens together.

When you peel back the festivities you’ll find more than scheduled fun. You’ll clearly see Southwark’s evolving investment in community ownership. £3.3 million has been pledged to a new neighbourhoods fund, with residents driving decisions about how their parks and open spaces are shaped and improved. This isn’t top-down consultation, it’s genuine collaboration, with local voices sitting at the decision-making table. They’re deciding what the future of their streets, playgrounds, and festivals should look like. Every event this week is a preview of how neighbourhood-led planning and cultural celebration will fuse in years to come.

Southwark’s Love Parks Week dares us to see public green space not just as a luxury, but as a right and as a platform for rewriting what city life can be. From tai chi in Burgess Park to scavenger hunts in Nunhead, each day has a clear message. These are not just parks, but playgrounds for a resilient, creative, and joyful city. And as this week’s celebrations wind down, the enduring legacy is perhaps less about any single event. Rather, it’s more about a community rediscovering what it truly means to belong in the heart of London.

Find out more here - https://www.southwark.gov.uk

CITY PALETTE

Lee Miller’s Lens Spotlight Surrealist and Wartime Grit

There’s a vibrant hum at Tate Britain this season, and it’s all down to the magnetic pull of the Lee Miller retrospective. The show leads you through a portal into Lee’s wild, world-spanning journey. Moving from glamourous New York in the 1920s to the raw frontlines of WWII, Lee’s lens captured it all. This milestone exhibition presents over 230 prints including many images you’ve probably never seen. So you have the rare chance to view her most emblematic works alongside the photographs, ephemera, and film that shaped her vision.

What makes Lee such a cultural lightning rod for Londoners this summer? Her story is pure cinematic adventure. She was an era-defining fashion model who became a surrealist protégé, forged her style with Man Ray in Paris. And, then hurled herself into the chaos of war as a photojournalist. The exhibition doesn’t shy away from showing Lee as both muse and maker, spotlighting how she pioneered techniques like solarisation. Also, she took on a creative partnership that redefined avant-garde photography.

As you wander through the galleries, you’ll find yourself pulled into the contradictions and complexities of Lee’s world. Stunning images of Egyptian deserts sit beside haunting portraits from liberated Europe. They prove her eye was both poetic and unflinching. There’s a thrill in seeing how Lee’s sense for the surreal translated into coverage of some of the most catastrophic and history defining moments of the 20th century. You’re reminded that the personal is always political when filtered through a camera as fearless as hers.

But perhaps the real resonance of this show is what it asks us about reinvention and risk. Lee once described her practice as “getting out on a damn limb and sawing it off behind you.” Basically, a motto anyone hungry for fresh perspectives can appreciate. Seekers of bold, new cultural voices and photography buffs, heed the call to book tickets for this exhibition. You’ll leave with a sense that Lee Miller’s life, like London itself, was always evolving, always on the move, and never just one thing at a time.

Book tickets here - https://www.tate.org.uk

Chelsea Colourstorm - Zandra Leads the Charge

Chelsea rolls out its most colourful cultural runway this September, with the launch of the inaugural Chelsea Arts Festival. It kicks off with a line-up that’s as glamorous as it is groundbreaking. Among the many luminaries lighting up the weekend, fashion legend Dame Zandra Rhodes headlines Saturday, September 20. Don’t miss this signature conversation at the Saatchi Gallery. This is a fitting venue for someone who’s spent her life championing self-expression in full technicolour. The fashion exclusivity guardrails have been lift because everyone gets a front-row seat for inspiration.

Chelsea’s streets will be buzzing as creativity spills out from Cadogan Hall and Saatchi Gallery onto King’s Road, Sloane Square, and beyond. You’ll find workshops, live art, free outdoor performances, and a city-wide swirl of style, music, and conversation. The festival blends spectacle with a chance to mingle with the minds shaping London’s future. And, to see the bohemian heart of SW3 beat louder than ever. This is an open invitation to sample bold new perspectives and maybe a few glittering surprises, on your doorstep.

Chelsea Arts Festival is distinctive because it fuses style, star power and the spirit of transformation, together. By uniting global artists, authors, designers, and performers, the programme puts as much emphasis on debates about the future of creativity. In addition, encounters with classical arts and practical workshops. Dame Zandra’s session is facilitated by Daniel Lismore, the avant-garde ‘living sculpture’ and podcast host Kate Hutchinson. Their conversation will explore fashion’s power to break barriers and reinvent selfhood. This feels urgent for anyone who sees style as more than surface.

So, if you’re searching for the pulse of cultural London this September, you’ll find it in Chelsea. It’s bright, invigorated, unafraid to mix the heritage of Mary Quant and Oscar Wilde with the energy of tomorrow’s rule breakers. Tickets are selling fast, but the festival ethos is all about access. You can turn up for ticketed specials or let your curiosity lead you through art-fuelled streets and sunny squares. Because for one unforgettable weekend in 2025, Chelsea isn’t just hosting the arts. It is the arts that are bold, brilliant, and open to all.

Book tickets here - https://cadoganhall.com

UNDISCOVERED GEMS

ITAV Ritzy Brixton - Breaking Barriers, Shining Stories

Anyone wandering through Brixton this week might sense something different in the air. There’s a quiet electricity gathering outside The Ritzy, where the inaugural ITAV Festival is bringing the city’s unseen creative journeys into the spotlight. This film festival is a carefully curated celebration of stories that are often overlooked. Now these emerging voices have a stage to showcase their experimental visions that shape London’s vibrant undercurrent. The heart of ITAV known as In The Artist’s Voice lies not just in what’s on screen, but in the creative odysseys that brought each film into being.

What sets ITAV apart is its unwavering commitment to the untold. Rather than chasing boldface names or safe narratives, programmers have scoured the scene for works that evade neat categorisation. Examples include a hand-animated short revealing a migrant’s London, a debut documentary crafted on nights off from shift work, a student film shot on borrowed cameras and hope. Each screening opens with the backstory, letting audiences see the obstacles hurdled, the risks taken, the rules flouted, and the moments where artistry triumphed over budget or bureaucracy.

Beyond the cinema, the festival transforms The Ritzy into a creative hub. You’ll enjoy panel chats with directors who blend genres and languages. Pop-up exhibitions revealing storyboards and scribbled scripts. And, a closing night open-mic session inviting new storytellers to share that first germ of a cinematic idea. There’s a kind of generosity in the air. Programmers, artists, and film lovers mingling around the café tables, swapping tales of rejection letters and last-minute revisions. Also, tales of the latter that led to the small, stubborn victories that only fellow creatives truly understand.

In a city often obsessed with the finished product, ITAV offers something rarer. Here’s: a celebration of process, persistence, and the messy magic of making art in the margins. If you are eager to step behind the main curtain of London’s culture, this festival is a powerful reminder that every film you see, polished or raw, carries with it a journey worth honouring. In the flicker of these unseen stories, you might just recognise echoes of your own.

Find out more here - https://www.theitav.com

LONDON BUZZ

Game On - Lunch Breaks Turn into Sporting Moments

A new Sporting City is transforming the Square Mile. Thanks to initiatives like the London Sports Festival, everything from padel and table tennis to basketball and crazy golf is popping up in iconic locations. The Guildhall Yard isn’t just for photo opportunities, it’s now pulsing with friendly competition, music, and a street food scene stirring the appetite for movement. Visitors, local residents and city workers are stepping away from their desks and discovering sport on their doorstep.

This initiative is a blessing because it provides relief from stressful environments. Physical activity is more than a wellness perk, it’s a rallying cry for urban connection and community vitality. Statistics from the City of London reveal that pop-up installations and accessible events are drawing thousands of people, boosting local business and well-being alike. The City of London Council is putting their Sport Strategy into practice. Particularly by opening up private and public venues for accessible, inclusive activities that bridge barriers of age, culture, and mobility.

Take a closer look and you’ll see a shift. Office lunch breaks now mean pilates in a secluded courtyard or archery at Leadenhall Live. While major sport events are screened in public squares, turning what once were silent city nights into shared, energetic gatherings. New projects driven by technology like app-based sports lockers, transform public spaces into instant activity hubs, thus lowering the entry barrier for spontaneous games. The London Sport Awards, now celebrated at the Guildhall, shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes building community through sport and innovative digital platforms.

Looking ahead, the Council’s commitment is more than a one-off summer buzz. It’s aimed at long-term transformation. The next seven years will see more buildings, plazas, and rooftops repurposed for play. You’ll see expanded support for youth clubs, activities for the over-60s, and initiatives breaking down access barriers. The future of Sport in the City isn’t about medals or trophies. It’s about a Square Mile where sport is a daily language, a spark for new friendships, and an engine driving both wellness and urban joy.

Find out more here - https://www.sportinthecity.co.uk

LONDON SOUNDSCAPE

Fox and Firkin - August 5

When Tanya Stephens takes the stage, you’re instantly swept into the powerful current of a true Jamaican trailblazer. Backed by the Upper Cut Band, Tanya delivers an evening drenched in fearless lyricism and infectious reggae grooves. You can expect anthems like It’s a Pity, These Streets, and Boom Wuk to be delivered with the same razor sharp honesty that’s captivated fans worldwide. As the room pulses with soul, energy, and vibes, each track is a reminder of Tanya’s enduring relevance and the rare thrill of catching such a legend live.

Book tickets here - https://foxfirkin.com

Glazier Halls - August 9

Settle into the historic charm of Glaziers Hall and discover The Beatles’ catalogue as you’ve never heard it before, bathed in the warm, golden flicker of hundreds of candles. The Tryst Quartet brings strings to John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s most beloved songs, from the sunlit optimism of Here Comes the Sun to the sweeping emotion of Eleanor Rigby. For 60 spellbinding minutes, that familiar melody, lit by candlelight, transforms the city’s riverbank into a space where every note feels intensely intimate, and every memory shimmers with new life.

Book tickets here - https://www.glaziershall.co.uk

Koko - August 4 and 7

Before the Hammond B3 even hums to life, you know something legendary is brewing at KOKO for Ace Records’ 50th anniversary. And, that’s because Booker T. Jones himself is in the house. As the architect behind Booker T. & The MG’s immortal grooves, this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer brings a show overflowing with soul, R&B, and memories from Stax to Motown. Don’t be surprised if you’re swept up in Green Onions fever: Booker’s set draws from decades of musical revolution, connecting the dots between past and present in one unforgettable night.

KOKO is set to become a funk lover’s paradise as The Fatback Band plugs into Ace Records’ 50th Anniversary Concert Series on August 7. With roots stretching back to the genre’s golden age, this legendary group will pull you into a nonstop groove fest. They’ll ignite the room with classic anthems like Do The Spanish Hustle, I Found Lovin’ and Backstrokin’ to ignite the room. If you’re ready for a night where each beat feels like a slice of music history, KOKO’s dancefloor is calling your name.

Book tickets here - https://www.koko.co.uk

Nextdoor Records - August 10

Let the piano lure you through the doors of Next Door Records, where Trail of Ganoush takes you on a border hopping musical voyage. This London-based duo conjures cinematic soundscapes steeped in Middle Eastern fire and tinged with Nordic reflection, weaving together influences from North Africa to Scandinavia. With Sass Hoory and Andrin Haag at the helm, their immersive instrumentals channel the spirit of jazz experimenters and world music trailblazers alike. Settle in as each note promises discovery, transporting you well beyond Shepherd’s Bush in just one memorable evening.

Book tickets here - https://www.nextdoorrecords.co.uk

Nightjar Shoreditch - August 9

Warmth seeps from every corner of Nightjar Shoreditch as Benoit Viellefon Hot Club conjures a Parisian night in 1938 on August 9. Tucked within the bar’s candlelit speakeasy, you’ll be swept into gypsy swing’s irresistible pulse. From fevered Django-inspired guitar licks to clarinet flights that echo Montmartre’s golden era. The ensemble’s world-class musicianship shimmers on French waltzes, American jazz classics, and the kind of romance inspired tunes that invite you to dance spontaneously by the bar. This is vintage escapism, delivered with panache.

Book tickets here - https://www.barnightjar.com

Ninety One Living Road - August 8

Big Ben Jorge is tuning up for a night that channels the freewheeling joy of 1970s Brazil. South London’s own tribute brings together musicians from bands like Electric Jalaba and Teotima, crafting a euphoric homage to Jorge Ben’s sun-soaked blend of samba, soul, and glittering disco. They promise to deliver a setlist that promises pulsing rhythms, nimble guitar licks, and irresistible melodies. So don’t be surprised if you catch yourself moving from first chorus to last. This is a tribute done right, it’s joyful, rhythmic, and absolutely impossible for you to sit still for long.

Book tickets here - https://91livingroom.com

Rose Theatre - August 2

Sink into the plush seats of the Rose Theatre and let the magic of Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits carry you through five decades of musical storytelling as Go Your Own Way: The Fleetwood Mac Legacy unfolds before you. This acclaimed show is a tribute and a full-throttle celebration of the Rumours lineup of Stevie, Mick, John, Christine, and Lindsey. All of it reimagined by stellar vocalists and musicians who channel every bit of the band’s legendary passion. Whether Rhiannon stirs up nostalgia or The Chain gets your heart racing, you’ll find yourself humming along, swept up in a truly impressive homage.

Book tickets here - https://www.rosetheatre.org

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club - August 1 and 2

Slip past midnight on Frith Street and you’ll find Ronnie Scott’s buzzing with post-bop renegades and boundary pushers for the Late Late Show with Future Movers. Phil Meadows’ ensemble is reshuffled for every gig and is always brimming with the UK’s boldest jazz new blood. Together, they ignite a genre-bending session fusing jazz, hip-hop, Afrobeat, funk, and soul. It’s as if Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, and Maceo Parker crash-landed in Soho and recruited the city’s sharpest improvisers. Lean into the high-wire solos, infectious grooves, because you’re witnessing tomorrow’s headliners cutting loose after hours.

Book tickets here -  https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk

606 Club - August 3

When powerhouse vocalist Mary Pearce headlines the 606 Club on August 3, the walls themselves seem to pulse with anticipation. Mary is known as the Queen behind countless studio and stage anthems. Her credits include sharing the mic with musical royalty and delivering those iconic hooks you can’t get out of your head. Her show at this Chelsea jazz haunt promises a night of raw soul and dazzling jazz. Her flawless delivery turns classics and originals into living, breathing stories. Settle in because you’re about to witness why every London band wants Mary at their side.

Book tickets here - https://www.606club.co.uk

The Jazz Cafe - August 2

Wave after wave of rhythm pulses through Camden as The Afrobeats Orchestra takes over The Jazz Cafe on August 2. Led by the magnetic Mahlon Rhamie and comprising a stellar 12-piece lineup. This band ignites the venue with both Afrobeats and Amapiano, seamlessly blending genres, cultures, and generations into a vibrant sonic tapestry. You can expect magnetic grooves, soaring horns, and irresistible vocals as musicians who’ve worked with the likes of Wizkid and Burna Boy bring a celebration of Africa’s modern music to London. The dance floor won’t just be busy, it’ll be electrifying.

Book tickets here - https://thejazzcafelondon.com

The Pheasantry - August 2 and 29

From the moment you stroll beneath The Pheasantry’s twinkling lights, you know something special is brewing as Selina Albright and Gavin Holligan join forces for Soulful Nights. Selina’s voice is a glowing blend of velvet warmth and multi-octave power, finding the perfect foil in Gavin’s earthy, soulful baritone and jazz-infused phrasing. Both accomplished in their own right with Selina having shared stages with legends like Chaka Khan, and Gavin shaping London’s soul and jazz fabric. Their chemistry ignites a set rich in emotion, original stories, and radiant improvisation. This is a night steeped in honesty, joy, and musical connection.

Book tickets here - https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com

BUSINESS SCENE

Salad Revolution Arrives when Atis Brings Green Power

Salad culture is getting a Covent Garden glow-up and Atis is leading the charge. The fast growing, plant-powered bowl bar has landed its flagship right on Long Acre. and is pouring fresh energy into the capital’s wellness food revolution. Don’t see this as yet another lunchtime salad bar. It’s the milestone 10th location for the homegrown brand, Atis. They have turned customisable bowls and protein plates into a kind of cult currency among health conscious Londoners.

London’s fast, casual food market is expected to hit £9 billion by the end of 2025. Consumers are prioritising nutritious, sustainable choices during the working week. Atis zeroes in on these trends by championing hyper-local produce, low-waste packaging, and a menu packed with seasonal flavour. Their new Covent Garden Goddess bowl, exclusive to this flagship, is powered by London-grown leaves and chef-driven toppings. A subtle flex in a postcode where discerning diners have infinite options.

What’s driving Atis’s rapid expansion isn’t just Instagram-friendly bowls. It’s more about a formula rooted in genuine community. As big brands try to capture the zeitgeist with wellness buzzwords, Atis invests in neighbourhood engagement. They source from local suppliers, collaborate with nearby gyms, and offer creative pop-ups. Their strategy punches above its weight because each opening feels less like a chain rollout. Rather, it’s more like a new local hangout, fusing speed with a sense of place.

Looking through a wider lens, Atis’ Covent Garden debut proves that the playbook for hyper growth food brands is being rewritten. It’s not about outspending rivals, but out-connecting them by building trust with a city hungry for health, transparency, and low-impact indulgence. In a business landscape littered with failed fads, Atis is betting that the next big thing in food is deceptively simple. Serve your neighbourhood first, and the rest will follow.

Find out more here - https://atisfood.com

LINGUISTIC TAPESTRY - WORDS OF THE WEEK 

English Word:
Cathode
Pronunciation: /ˈkaθ.əʊd/
Definition:  The electrode in an electrical device through which current flows in from the external circuit; in most electrical systems.
Cultural Note: Cathode was coined in the 1830s by English scientist Sir William Whewell, based on Greek roots meaning, down way. It holds a pivotal place in science and technology, from the discovery of X-rays to the cathode ray tubes that powered the first televisions and computer monitors.

Brazilian Word:
Ginga
Pronunciation: /Pronunciation: /JEEN-gah//
Definition:  Describes someone’s ability to navigate life with style, resilience, and flexibility.
Cultural Note: Ginga captures how Brazilians approach challenges, with playful resourcefulness, rhythmic flair, and an embrace of unpredictability. Whether dancing, playing football, or overcoming life’s hurdles, to “have ginga” is to turn any situation into an art form.

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