Jasmine Naziha Jones, writer of Baghdaddy
Chelsea History Festival takes place between 17 and 25 September
Hallyu! The Korean Wave opens at the V&A on 24 September
Tyler Mitchell, Untitled (Hijab Couture), New York, 2019, from The New Black Vanguard (Aperture, 2019)
With summer behind us and life getting back into a routine, there is a host of exciting events to look forward to in Chelsea this autumn. From a classical music tour de force at Cadogan Hall and a photography exhibition that celebrates the work of 15 young black fashion photographers at the Saatchi Gallery to Baghdaddy, a playfully devastating coming-of-age play at the Royal Court, here’s what to book now.
CHELSEA HISTORY FESTIVAL
Now in its fourth year, the Chelsea History Festival has become a highlight on the neighbourhood’s cultural calendar, marking the start of autumn with an engaging week-long programme of events, featuring an incomparable line-up of experts, storytellers and performers to bring the past to life. Expect talks, performances and a range of fascinating walking tours scheduled, covering subjects from Chelsea’s rock’n’roll heritage to the spies that have called the neighbourhood home. There’s really something for anyone who’s even a little bit curious about the past – including kids.
Read our edit of the Festival’s most unmissable events here.
20 to 25 September, 2022
Various prices
BAGHDADDY AT THE ROYAL COURT
Written by Jasmine Naziha Jones, Baghdaddy is set in 1991. While Darlee is eight years old and the Gulf War rages 3,320 miles away, she realises that she’s Iraqi. Or half. Maybe both. Told through clowning and memory, Baghdaddy is a playfully devastating coming-of-age story that explores the complexities of cultural identity, generational trauma and a father-daughter relationship amidst global conflict.
18 November to 17 December, 2022
£10 – £49
HALLYU! THE KOREAN WAVE AT THE V&A
With South Korea at the forefront of pop culture right now, Hallyu! The Korean Wave will showcase the colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea, exploring the makings of the Korean Wave and its global impact on the creative industries of cinema, drama, music, fandom, beauty, and fashion.
From 24 September, 2022
£20
SEOUL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA AT CADOGAN HALL
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra makes its inaugural visit to Cadogan Hall with a tour-de-force concerto with soloist Sunwook Kim that will leave you breathless, opening with Tchaikovsky’s romantic piano concerto and including the energetic and poetic, seven-minute Frontispiece for Orchestra by Unsuk Chin (the phenomenally creative mind behind the opera Alice in Wonderland), and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite, what many consider the ultimate fairytale ballet score.
27 October, 2022
£18 – £49
THE NEW BLACK VANGUARD AT THE SAATCHI GALLERY
Curated by Antwaun Sargent, a celebrated writer, critic and curator whose work emphasises black representation in contemporary culture, The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion opens in October in celebration of UK Black History Month. The exhibition is a celebration of blackness, gender fluidity, diversity and inclusion featuring the work of 15 young black photographers pushing the boundaries of high-fashion editorials and developing a new aesthetic.
28 October, 2022 to 22 January, 2023
From £5
