Culture Tiger

Since my childhood obsession with flamenco, I have adored fans. Fans are effortlessly stylish,convey expression as well as being practical in the heat. I also have a life-long affair with Greenwich - I feel lucky to have been born in a leafy part of London rich in multilayered history. Based in a couple of Grade II listed 18th century townhouses, next to the immense Greenwich park, The Fan Museum satisfies two of my loves. The only museum in the UK completely dedicated to fans, The Fan Museum provides a comprehensive guide to the materials and elaborate skills used to create these handheld accessories, from all over the world, spanning centuries. And, of course, the building and its countless exhibits are a treat for the eyes. Apart from displaying fans from the past, including an exceptionally rare embroidered number from around the Elizabethan period, The Fan Museum also works towards reviving the disappearing craft of fan-making. Workshops are frequently hosted and recent campa...

T  Curtain Up: Celebrating 40 Years of Theatre in London and New York at the V&A is a proud and joyous transatlantic display of the rich and glittering history of two theatrical heavyweights - London’s West End and New York’s Broadway. A small (and free!) exhibition, Curtain Up brings visitors up close and personal with iconic costumes. Many of the costuming highlights range from the lavish Red Death ensemble from the eternal blockbuster The Phantom of the Opera to the roughly shredded chiffon bottoms from Matthew Bourne’s erotically charged Swan Lake. As well as an insight into the painstakingly fine details of costumes, there is an array of intricate set designs, scripts, letters detailing challenging props transfers, a wonderfully charming note from Ian McKellan to an understudy and videos of industry insiders revealing the demanding highs and lows of the business. Curtain Up goes beyond the glamour of a night watching a stellar performance - it also guides you through the...

Following the success of Hollywood Costume, the V&A brings us another box office smash hit with David Bowie Is. So far in 2013, David Bowie has reappeared at the forefront of the public conscious with the build up to this exhibition and the release of new album The Next Day following a refreshingly subtle marketing campaign. The V&A’s latest offering will undoubtedly attract masses of visitors even more eclectic than usual to a single exhibition - there is no such thing as a typical Bowie fan. My first memory of Bowie was his introduction in the TV production of Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman with butter yellow hair and patterned jumper. But for others, their first Bowie memory could be anything from a Top of the Pops appearance from one of several decades to one of many feature films.