Arts and Culture
Harry & Meghan Spill the Tea
“This is a great love story,” gushes Prince Harry, about his and wife Meghan’s relationship. “I think this love story is only just getting started.”
With Harry & Meghan, an unprecedented six-part documentary series, lighting up screens the world over on Netflix, there’s certainly no turning back for the couple and those in their close circles now.
In just the first episode, truths were revealed about both Harry and Meghan’s battles from within and outside of the Royal Family, referred to at times as “The Institution.”
“This is about...
Read the full story
More Arts and Culture
Review of The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre
There is no doubt that this is a children’s Christmas classic, I remember watching it as a child and now I’m all grown up and taking my own two little people! After a magical walk looking at the Christmas lights, we headed to the theatre in the heart of London’s West End; full of excited children, nostalgic parents and many cuddly snowmen. The Snowman is directed by Bill Alexander and features music and lyrics by Howard Blake, including the famous song ‘Walking in the Air’, spectacular design by Ruari Murchison, magical lighting by Tim Mitchell, and amazing choreography by Robert North.
In Conversation with Gregory Batsleer, Artistic Director...
Crafted to captivate both classical music enthusiasts and newcomers to the genre, "Handel’s Messiah: The Live Experience" will grace the stage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, for a sole evening on December 6th, 2022. This exceptional event marks the debut of a groundbreaking style of classical music concert. The inaugural performance revolves around Handel's renowned masterpiece, "Messiah," a composition of unparalleled acclaim and a favoured selection on Desert Island Discs. This event guarantees an exceptional spectacle, featuring virtuoso musicians and a fusion of pioneering lighting design, imaginative visual effects, choreography, and staging. As a result, the audience will be fully immersed in a dramatic and novel presentation of Handel's cherished musical narrative, which narrates the story of Christ and delves into universal human themes encompassing birth, hope, joy, suffering, sacrifice, and redemption. In an exclusive interview, Niamh Walsh engages in conversation with the ingenious visionary behind this ambitious endeavor, Gregory Batsleer. Renowned as the Chorus Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Chorus and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus, along with being the principal conductor of the National Portrait Gallery’s Portrait Choir, Batsleer has garnered acclaim as one of the preeminent choral conductors of our time—an accolade that is well-deserved given the magnitude of his accomplishments and creative insights.
Women Who Launch: Ofelia Botella
Making a career out of your passion isn’t always as straightforward as one might think. Despite the clear enthusiasm that comes with getting paid to do what you love, the path is often far from being sustainable. “Growing up, I fell into this narrative that I’d never be able to make a living as a creative and would instead need a ‘serious job’,” says artist and illustrator Ofelia Botella. This mindset pushed her to study business and put her knowledge into practice by working in art galleries, museums, and auction houses in London, Paris, and Shanghai. “After a while I realised that as glamorous as that life sounded, I wasn't feeling very fulfilled simply working in art but not being a creative myself,” she shares. She then left the art industry and entered an entirely new space—the world of technology, whilst still maintaining her art as a hobby on the side. Botella tells me that the pandemic was a real turning point for her, where she found herself painting daily. It was also during this time that she made her first sale, which encouraged her to pursue this new channel further. She then started selling more of her work, making bespoke wedding stationery and illustrations, doing murals in private homes, and hosted her first exhibition. The biggest leap of all came this year when she decided to officially take some time off from her tech job to dedicate to her new business. “I haven’t looked back since!” she says.
Featuring The Rise of Rishi: Britain's Richest Prime Minister
The UK's 3rd Prime Minister in 2022, Sunak is a relatively new figure on the political scene, emerging back in 2020 when he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by Boris Johnson. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was popular by the standards of British politics, described by one analyst as having "better ratings than any politician since the heydays of Tony Blair", his recognition accumulating in 2022 when he participated in the Tory Leadership Race against Liz Truss. Although losing out for the role of PM originally, the following terrible 6 weeks of governance by Truss and her cabinet meant that after 49 days, Sunak was finally given the keys to No. 10. Described as the "British Establishment's version of progress", today we're taking a look at Rishi Sunak's rise to power.
Featuring Black History Month: 1-54 & The Modern African
Hosting 50 international exhibitors across 17 countries, the distinction and multi-faceted quality of art within Africa is astounding. Featuring 3 different artists from 3 different countries, I hope to illustrate to our readers the profound variety of cultures, influences and creatives that have spawned from Africa and it's diaspora; spotlighting Hassan Hajjaj (a Moroccan artist), Kenrick McFarlane (a Chicago-born, Jamaican-American artist), and MoXC4 (a Brazilian artist).
Inside the Private World Suite of VistaJet’s Frieze guests
VistaJet - the first and only global private aviation company - has partnered with Frieze London to provide guests with VIP access to the exhibition with private tours by leading art curators and intimate dinners. Together with Savills Private Office, VistaJet has opened a Regent’s Crescent property as a Private World Suite which members can access throughout the course of the art fair. It’s here we chat to VistaJet’s Chief Marketing Officer, Matteo Atti, about how they’re catering to guests’ Frieze London experience, what goes into curating the services VistaJet travellers benefit from onboard and on-the-ground, and what their plans are for the future.
Celebrating UK Coffee Week: The Coffee Politik
Since the 17th century, coffeehouses have been central to British cafe culture, depositing political importance due to their popularity as places of debate. Known as "penny universities", the crowds that they attracted were synonymous of scholars and students alike, and anyone with a penny could enter and sit in on a lecture or have access to books or print news. Coffeehouses boosted the popularity of print news culture and helped the growth of various financial markets including insurance, stocks, and auctions, as they became arenas for culture and politics.
Featuring International Scottish Gin Day
The owners of mainland UK’s most northerly mainland distillery will be welcoming gin tourists on Scotland’s first nationwide chauffeured gin-immersive tour. Luxury Scotland represents twenty-six luxurious and exclusive Scottish properties including the country’s floating hotel, Fingal, next to the Royal Yacht Britannia. In celebration of International Scottish Gin Day, they are offering a seven-day motorized gin crawl, starting and ending in Edinburgh.
Women In Art: Kate Daudy & The NFT Gallery
Situated on the historical Dover Street famed for its parade of London clubs, hotels and contemporary art galleries, The NFT Gallery is Mayfair’s first physical NFT Gallery to open. One of the first of its kind in Europe, the female-founded and female-first gallery is an exciting new physical space for art collectors and creators alike to purchase, produce and learn about NFTs and digital art. Existing to make NFTs more tangible, from the moment you step inside the gallery you are thrust into an immersive experience. The mirrored floor functions analogously: refracting and reframing its digital and colourful surroundings, where one can enjoy the curated selection of NFTs in a physical space, as well as online.
Burning Man 2022, exclusive interview with Nana Sao
"It's significant", modestly affirms Nana Sao, founder of Project Aikido, in this rare interview with The Sybarite, as we discuss the art installation Project Aikido has proudly funded. Project Aikido is a platform dedicated to African art and music development, which resulted from Nana's participation in Burning man 2019 and noting the lack of representation, which has since led to this monumental moment for African artists. "When attending Burning Man, I looked around and saw there weren't a lot of African art installations. Burning man is a project. One of the things of art is self-expression and the principles of engaging with people. Project Aikido is the marrying of promotion with African art."
Featuring The Sybarite Art Club present: In the Black Fantastic
From 29 June to 18 September 2022, the Hayward Gallery presents In the Black Fantastic, the UK’s first major exhibition dedicated to the work of Black artists who use fantastical elements to address racial injustice and explore alternative realities. Showcasing new works and special commissions, this exhibition adds a new chapter to the Hayward Gallery’s tradition of presenting ground-breaking shows that respond to and illuminate pivotal themes in contemporary art. Curated by Ekow Eshun, In the Black Fantastic brings together a group of artists who inventively recycle and reconfigure elements of folklore, myth, science fiction, spiritual traditions, pageantry and legacies of Afrofuturism.
Review of Ada \ contemporary art gallery presents, cross...
April 22, 2021 (Accra, Ghana) – Accra-based ADA \ contemporary art gallery, specialized in the work of emerging artists across Africa and its diaspora, unveils its fourth consecutive debut solo exhibition since opening in October 2020 – Cross Hatching Affluence, an exhibition by emerging Ghanaian artist Hamid Nii Nortey (b. 1987). On view from May 6 – June 16, 2021 in person and online, the selection of 20 new figurative paintings acts as a mirror onto the Ghanaian capital’s fast-evolving urban and social landscape, thereby reappropriating a narrative long dominated by socioeconomic and political hardship.
Learn more about luxury lifestyle by signing up for free
For our latest experiences and editorials, be the first in the know. You'll learn about upcoming experiences happening worldwide and the secrets and lifestyle of a sybarite.