Featured Events in Greenwich in March, 2024 (May Updated)

The artwork is displayed on powder-coated steel gates, designed by Whittle and made at Glasgow Sculpture Studios. It was unveiled on 5 October 2023 at the Queen’s House in Greenwich. Feeling Blue has been developed in response to RMG’s large and varied collections, as well as the history and cultural significance of Greenwich. The 160 x 155 cm tapestry is filled with richly evocative textures, symbolic shapes, and tropical colours. It was woven by hand over a period of six months by Naomi Robertson and Elaine Wilson at Dovecot Studios. They used a variety of techniques, yarns, and over 150 colour mixes to add variety and depth to the surface of the tapestry. Dominating the tapestry is the phrase ‘feeling blue’ which stands out from a background of blues and greens, the combination of different shades resembling water in motion. Blue is immediately associated with oceans and seas but there are also more emotive connotations which Whittle chose to explore. The colour blue, and in particular the term ‘feeling blue’, is used to describe sadness or depression. While the exact origin of the term is uncertain it has been suggested that it comes from the tradition of ships flying blue flags and officers bearing a painted blue band when a captain or officer died. For others, blue symbolises tranquillity. In the Queen’s House the colour blue is used throughout for decoration, notably the balustrade of the Tulip Stairs. Drawing on her research of the British naval uniform, Whittle also reflects on the legacies of British colonialism. From the mid-eighteenth-century, the Royal Navy introduced a uniform for officers made from a deep blue fabric. The colour was achieved using a dye from the indigo plant that was native to India. Until the end of the eighteenth century the indigo plant was grown, harvested and processed by enslaved people on North American plantations. Indentured labourers in India and modern-day Bangladesh also produced indigo for the East India Company. Today, Navy blue endures as a colour of authority from police to military officers, though the history of the colour and connection to colonialism is little known. Whittle continues her exploration of maritime worlds by the inclusion of coloured ropes – reminiscent of those used on ships. For Whittle, rope is a symbol of both hope and oppression. Ropes are associated with bondage, imprisonment and even execution but are equally symbolic of lifelines for people in distress. Whittle’s ongoing engagement with the climate crisis is found in the decorative coral that frames the tapestry. The delicate pastel pinks and vibrant yellows evoke the beauty of tropical oceans and are a reminder of the importance of reefs. Decorative cultured freshwater pearl beads have also been stitched onto the tapestry. As well as representing an oceanic realm, Whittle connects Feeling Blue with two sixteenth-century paintings the Armada Portrait and Sir Francis Drake which will be displayed alongside the tapestry. In both portraits, pearls are used as a symbol of wealth, some of which was derived from colonial trade and exploitation. The tapestry is hung on a set of blue ‘gates’, which are an important component of Whittle’s work. Whittle sees the ‘gates’ as reminiscent of fencing, suggesting containment and control. Placed within the gallery space the gates no longer act as a barrier. Instead, Whittle uses the gates to expand rather than restrict as visitors are free to walk around them and view the tapestry from both sides. The decorative fretwork on the panels evokes the architecture of the Queen’s House, in particular the Tulip Stairs. Alberta Whittle, said: “The commission has been a wonderful opportunity to think deeply about maritime histories and consider the powers in place that decide how these histories are portrayed. This new tapestry is a chance to explore these ideas of power alongside the rhythms of the ocean and its vulnerability under climate colonialism. The commission has also provided me with the opportunity to continue to work with Naomi Robertson and Elaine Wilson at Dovecot Studios and the rest of the fantastic weaving team.” Celia Joicey, Director of Dovecot Studios, said: "This commission represents the contemporary significance of tapestry as a collective medium. Started in the midst of the 2021 lockdown, it is testimony to a group of people responding creatively and collaboratively to the Museum collections. Feeling Blue embodies the passion, focus and skill of Dovecot’s weavers, Alberta Whittle’s endlessly interesting ideas and the care and enterprise of the commissioning team." Katherine Gazzard, Curator of Art, Royal Museums Greenwich, said: “At Royal Museums Greenwich, we are committed to working with contemporary artists whose practice engages with our historic sites and collections, as well as with the present challenges facing our communities and our planet. The opportunity to commission a contemporary tapestry from Alberta Whittle and Dovecot Studios spoke powerfully to this ethos. The finished tapestry will go on public display in the Queen’s House, our flagship art gallery. When the Queen’s House was built in the early 17th century, it was at the cutting edge of art and design. Commissions like Feeling Blue help us to honour that legacy, ensuring that, four centuries after the building’s completion, the Queen’s House continues to showcase artistic innovations and new perspectives.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feeling Blue Alberta Whittle Tapestry by Dovecot Studios 2023, cotton, linen, synthetic yarn, cultured freshwater pearl beads Tapestry woven for Dovecot by Naomi Robertson, Master Weaver, and Elaine Wilson Displayed on powder coated steel gates made by Glasgow Sculpture Studios Purchased with assistance from the Contemporary Art Society

Life savers, fundraisers, trailblazers: discover the vital roles that women play in saving lives at sea. Women of the RNLI at the National Maritime Museum celebrates the work of women in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Featuring striking photography, personal testimony and breathtaking film, the exhibition offers a window into the lives of volunteers across the UK and Ireland. Visit the National Maritime Museum for free and be inspired by the women of the RNLI.

C2C is delighted to announce that it will return to The O2 from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 March 2024. Country to Country has become a staple in the UK festival calendar and has brought country music to the UK and Ireland masses, with tens of thousands of fans attending each year. The festival will bring three days of the best in country music and programming that fans have come to love and expect from the weekend, with performances from the world’s best country stars as well as emerging talent from Nashville, UK and Europe.

Open to the public between 29th March – 2nd June 2024, Like a Melody will see Charlotte Mei transform NOW Gallery into an otherworldly realm through paintings, giant figurines and sculptures of ancient artefacts from a parallel universe. Drawing heavily from the worlds of fantasy, mythology and anime, Mei explores the power of escapism as a means of processing the challenges that life throws our way whilst exploring our own selfhood and identity. In Like a Melody, Mei invites visitors to become the main characters of her ethereal world and go on their own hero’s journey, uncovering their sense of purpose and meaning in the world around them. Large-scale, multi-canvas paintings in Mei’s signature expressive, pastoral style will create an expansive backdrop that absorb the viewer, whilst larger-than-life action figurines will nod to the dolls and toys that many of us loved and projected onto as children when we wanted to access bravery, strength and adventure. Displayed in cases will be ‘excavated’ artefacts such as chainmail underwear, which plays with notions of defence, armour, femininity, and softness, and subverts the historically male dominated iconography of the fantasy genre, reimagining it through a feminine lens. As a female, British-Chinese artist and lifelong fan of fantasy, Mei grew up with stories whose protagonists were predominantly male and Eurocentric. Like a Melody is her retelling of the fantasy narrative in a way that is representative of her own cultural background. NOW Gallery and Greenwich Peninsula curator Kaia Charles says, “NOW Gallery is thrilled to present Mei’s fantastical universe. We hope it inspires the viewer to explore the artist’s unique creative voice and build their own modern-day fairytale.” Charlotte Mei is an artist and illustrator based in London. Like a Melody follows the success of Mei’s painted comic, Pipette and Dudley’s Charming Dog Adventure, and a 40-page Lord Of The Rings magazine featuring paintings, drawings and features inspired by Tolkein’s creation, released with fellow illustrator Chris Harnan. Her hugely popular illustrations have been commissioned by brands such as Hermès, Nike, Rimowa, Lulu Guinness, Beams Japan and The New York Times, and her artworks have been exhibited in London, Hong Kong, Berlin, Tokyo and more.