Arts Aloud Review: Taking Cézanne Portraits at face value

Paul Cézanne
French, 1839-1906
Madame Cézanne in a Yellow Chair, 1888/90
Oil on canvas
31 13/16 x 25 9/16 in. (80.9 x 64.9 cm)
Wilson L. Mead Fund
1948.54
The Art Institute of Chicago

Almost a year to the day since we braved the half term chaos to enjoy the opening days of Picasso Portraits, we found ourselves battling the crowds again at the National Portrait Gallery, keen to explore one of the most eagerly awaited exhibitions of the year.

Cézanne Portraits brings together for the first time, over fifty of the artist’s portraits from collections all over the world, celebrating some of his most iconic pieces and uncovering a number of works seen for the very first time on British soil.

I’ve long carried affection for this ‘father’ of the Post-Impressionist era, but admittedly my exposure has been limited to reoccurring images of his landscape Mont Sainte-Victoire, or his fruity still life arrangements. A somewhat underwhelming introduction for my companions perhaps, but with thousands of paintings produced throughout his life, under 200 of which were portraits, we could at least agree that what we were about to see was very special, and more importantly, new for us all.

Armed with sketchbooks and a spectrum of coloured pencils to pay homage to his bold colours, the girls were excited to be back in this magnificent gallery and couldn’t wait to start exploring. Sadly, the position of Room 1 smack bang in front of the main entrance, created an unpleasant bottleneck from the outset, rendering The Artist’s Father, Reading “L”Evénement and Self Portrait c.1862-4 almost impossible to view, and failing to provide the introduction that both the artist and these eager young viewers deserved.

Cezanne Portraits – Uncle Dominique in Smock and Blue Cap by Paul Cezanne 1866-7 Metropolotan Museum of Art, Wolfe Fund 1951, 1951 acquired from The Museum of Modern Art, Lillie P. Bliss

By the third room, space began to level out, with the man himself replaced by evolving portraits of his Uncle Dominique, providing the perfect cue to plot down and pay closer attention. We really enjoyed the imperfections of work in this room, with so many of the pieces feeling like a test run for the larger work. His distinctive manière couillarde style, also caught us by surprise. Scared to represent his heavy-handed use of paint with their meagre art pencils, the children instead used adjectives to describe his expression, appearing to have sat so long, yet left with so many details seemingly incomplete. Impatient, bored, dull, fidgety.

Lessons in conserving canvas was another highlight for this room, where Cézanne’s sister and mother are displayed back to back, resulting in his poor mum being viewed upside down on her debut in London. We had to giggle.

As we journeyed through his life and his work, the boldness of his palette knife and the non compliance of his sitters, seemed to continue in earnest, with Madame Cézanne capturing even more of their imagination by Room 7.

Without the urgency to clamber over other visitors in order to spy the iconic set of self portraits, or the famous Man with Pipe, they instead flocked to the fabulous skirt of Madame Cézanne in a Red Armchair, hair in bun, lips pursed, hands folded and unresolved. One of twenty-nine completed portraits of his wife, Hortense Fiquet, the children surmised that she must have sat for so many pictures, she didn’t even bother to look up for Madame Cézanne Sewing. Her narrow eyes in one piece made me think they had a point.

Cezanne Portraits – Madame Cézanne in a Red Armchair © Museum of Fine Arts Boston

With lengthy wall panels to digest and growing crowds, the atmosphere began to move from enjoyment to intensity, with attention starting to wane. We had just enough time for a quick mid-gallery loo stop (handy) and to marvel at the angel-like translucency that the artist had gifted his son’s skin in The Artist’s Son. It was interesting to see how his touch became more gentle and colours had become lighter, almost watercolour, as he faded into his later years.

As we escaped into the fresh air and freedom of London’s west end, heading onto St. James’ Park, we had no regrets about making the visit. We might not have had the energy or endurance to complete every room, or enjoy the additional children’s activities on the first floor, but we felt that we had made the right choice in focusing on the main show. We were grateful to the gallery attendants for batting away the few ‘old guard’ objections that came from us sitting and sketching, but what was really missing was a guide of some description to bring Cézanne’s form, friendships and focus to life, to wade us through the jargon and smooth our passage.

From unknown entity to surprise hit, it was testament to this magnificent body of work that we took away so much discussion around what we had seen. With so little to go on before, during and after we left, all we could do was take each room, each piece and each detail at face value. Surely the best way to tackle any world-class collection of portraits, don’t you think?

Cezanne Portraits is at the National Portrait Gallery until 11 February 2018
St. Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE
Opening hours: Sat to Weds 10am-6pm, Thurs and Fri 10am-9pm
Admission Adults £20 (including donation), Children under 12 free, concessions available

Speeding around Electronic Superhighway with a toddler in tow

So if you’re a parent to very young children, you’ll know that the days of taking a slow and luxurious meander around an exhibition are long gone. I for one, feel very fortunate for the amount of work I have managed to see in the last (almost) 6 years with the children in tow. But nothing prepared me for the rate that my toddler was keen speed around our recent visit to Whitechapel Gallery’s brand new multimedia exhibition; Electronic Superhighway.

Named after the term coined in 1974 by South Korean video art pioneer Nam June Paik, who foresaw the potential of global connections through technology, the exhibition brings together film, painting, sculpture, photography and drawing by over 70 artists. Starting in the current day, and working its way back in time, ending in the 1960’s.

We were lucky enough to grab the last place on their fantastic Crib Notes session. Held for every major exhibition, Crib Notes is a unique opportunity for parents with children under 5 to enjoy a dedicated tour of a current exhibition, without the fear of ruining the enjoyment for other patrons. Staff are well briefed, relaxed and genuinely empathetic to visiting parents, whilst parents can (for a moment) feel at ease with the surroundings and pride at sharing something more than just the usual playgroups and kiddi-haunts.

The retractable belt barriers outside the exhibition entrance might as well have been a starting block, as my toddler could not wait to zip these back and get inside. What better place to start than being greeted by James Bridle’s Homo Sacer; a projected ‘hologram’ similar to those increasingly ‘keeping us company’ in stations and airports.

Installation photograph by Maxime Dufour © Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

Sadly, this was the last I heard of the tour by Assistant Curator Séamus McCormack. I was being dragged back in time almost as quick as Doctor Who, by a toddler exploring at her pace. ‘This is a disaster’I thought, and then it dawned on me. Her pace was not so much about her lack of interest and her impatience at having to stop, stand and listen. It was in fact the complete opposite. It was her insatiable appetite to see more and more and more. To seek out the kind of works that she was interested in seeing, which in this instance, was anything and everything with a screen.

Highlights for our visit, therefore included:
– More Songs of Innocence (Thomson & Craighead) – This karaoke machine installation pokes fun at the Dickensian english and strange translations used by the many unsolicited spam emails that we receive as part of modern communication. Toddler’s dulcet tones left our group in fits of giggles. Luckily she can’t read.

– A Family Finds Entertainment (Ryan Trecartin) – The artist himself stars in this weirdly warped and colourful video installation which reflects on the chaotic culture of celebrity and reality TV that we now live in. Hypnotic viewing for toddlers, but keep it brief!

– Substrate (Thomas Ruff ) – Plenty even for the very young in this kaleidoscopic abstraction which takes Japanese anime images and distorts them beyond recognition, exaggerating their neon colours and detaching it far from its original source of reference.

– Glowing Edges_7.10 (Constant Dullaart) This first ever picture to be manipulated using Photoshop has undergone a range of treatments resulting in what the toddler referred to as a ‘wobbly’ wall.

– Surface Tension (Rafael Lozano- Hemmer) Continuing the theme of surveillance which underpins a vast amount of work in the exhibition, this Big Brother inspired eye (Orwell, not Endemol) follows your every move, barely letting you out of its site.

© (2008) ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, photo: ONUK (Berhard Schmitt) © Nam June Paik Estate

In addition to this, Gallery 8 also plays host to the hypnotic Internet Dream (Nam June Paik); a video wall consisting of 52 stacked monitors to form a large image surface which streams content from multiple information sources. I chose not to include it in our highlights as oddly it drew no reaction whatsoever from toddler (despite it being the screen to end all screens). Proof that too much screen-time causes them to implode.

A celebration of how long the digital world has been influencing our lives, there is so much to see here. For once, this is actually a big plus for parents, ensuring they can leave still having seen a great deal for their admission fee, however speedily they might be led around by little ones.

Electronic Superhighway succeeds where previous exhibitions like Digital Revolution and more recently Big Bang Data fail. It isn’t overly techie and it doesn’t live or die by over-interaction. There are no silly queues nor a bun-fight over the big-ticket exhibits. It’s held together by its exciting variety of work and fantastic storytelling. Not completely what I expected, but in many ways a very pleasant surprise too. Much the same as every time I take a deep breath and allow my toddler to explore a major exhibition.

Electronic Superhighway is at the Whitechapel Gallery until 15th May
Tues-Sun 11am – 6pm, Thurs 11am – 9pm
Admission £13.50 (incl Gift Aid) £11.95 (without) Under 16s Free

Whilst you’re there: Loose yourselves in some classic computer game graphics by standing in the middle of Harun Farocki’s multi-screen installation Parallel I-IV (2012-14), Admission Free

The gallery is also hosting a Family Day around this exhibition on the 12th March, providing a chance to explore digital technology in art and take their new activity trail (Booking advised).

Noémie Goudal’s brilliant West End diversion

Noémie Goudal Station V, 2015 © Noémie Goudal Courtesy of the artist and Edel Assanti

It’s that time of year when love it or hate it, whether you live in London or elsewhere in the UK, you’re likely to find yourself in the heart of the West End. If you’re planning on braving it for a spot of Christmas lights action, scoff free samples at the Christmas markets or take in one of London’s fantastic family theatre shows then I’ve got just to spot to escape the crowds.

Tucked away at the very top of The Photographers’ Gallery is a gorgeous bite size exhibition that will give you all a warm glow, without a touch of mulled wine.

In her first major solo exhibition in London, artist Noémie Goudal explores our relationship with the sky, taking inspiration from myths and legends and using research from antiquity to the Middle Ages to inform her work. By placing ambiguous shapes and constructions in the middle of some incredible landscapes, she cleverly tricks the viewer into believing that these incredible images have some kind of solar or celestial significance.  But take a closer look and you’ll see ropes, a platform or some scaffolding, holding it all together.

Whether or not you understand the theories at play here, the landscapes themselves are awe-inspiring and the space a breath of fresh air from the mayhem on the streets below.

Without doubt the centrepiece of the exhibition is an observatory-style construction where (with a bit of a lift up from you) little ones can look through and marvel at some spectacular 3D cloud images, all of which will fire their imagination and make them feel like a magical floating fairy (or elf for that matter).

For those still not convinced about combining kids and the meditative feel of London’s premiere photographic gallery. Rest assured, you won’t need to stay long. One word of advice on your way out, don’t stop for a gander on the lower floors, which are currently showing the gripping yet macabre Burden Of Proof: The Construction of Visual Evidence. A collection of war crimes photography and corpse shots from real forensics, this is definitely one for the grown ups, and even then, it’s guaranteed to give you nightmares.

Far more fun is the Camera Obscurer which can be found in the Eranda Studio on the 3rd floor. Set in a darkened room, pull back the curtain (which is exciting enough in itself) and you’ll find a small hole in the wall which projects an inverted image of the world outside onto the screen inside. More than your average camera obscura, this particular set-up has a wheel and a mirror to rotate what you might spot into a range of interesting positions. So when you finally feel ready to move on from the peace and tranquility, no matter how obscure the scene you’ve created inside, you’re all the better prepared for the chaos that awaits you back on the streets.

Noémie Goudal – Southern Light Stations is at The Photographers’ Gallery until 10th January 2016.

16–18 Ramillies Street, London W1F 7LW
Mon- Sat 10am- 6pm, Thurs 10am-8pm during exhibitions, Sun 11am-6pm. Admission free before midday (daily), £3 thereafter or £2.50 advance/concessions.

NOTE: The Photographers’ Gallery is hosting a festive family photography workshop on Sunday 6th December, 2-5pm. Free, drop-in, no advance booking required.

Alexander Calder’s Performing Sculpture is a hard act to follow

Triple Gong, ca. 1948. Brass, sheet metal, wire, and paint, 39 x 75 x 2 3/4 in.

I couldn’t help but have a giggle at The Guardian’s Adrian Searle admitting that ahead of reviewing Performing Sculpture, which opened today at Tate Modern, he had long before relegated Alexander Calder’s work to ‘child’s play’, characterised by ‘New Yorker cartoons and twangly mobiles dangling over the trust-fund infant’s cot’. ‘The irony’, I thought. It was actually these qualities that I would be using in order to entice the kids to experience the sheer wonderment of this incredible exhibition – much of which has never been seen before on British soil.

One of the truly ground-breaking artists of the 20th century, Calder was born into a family of artists (his mother was a portrait artist and his father was a well known sculptor). With them keen for him to get a ‘proper’ job, he initially trained as an engineer, before enrolling at the Art Students League in New York. Following his dream, Calder eventually moved to Paris where he settled down and made a host of artistic friends, before developing the unique wire sculptures, which were soon to become his signature work.

I was hooked from the minute I entered the gallery. I almost completely overlooked the intricacies of his early work, having been immediately drawn to the wire sculpture portraits of art heroes such as Fernand Léger and Joan Miró, staring down at me from a great height. As with traditional sculpture, you can’t help but move backwards and forwards in front of them, peeking through the gaps in their caricature faces, desperate to see a nuance or change in the shadow reflected on the wall behind.

This early body of work also introduces Calder’s fascination with the circus and performance art, having been commissioned to illustrate the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus whilst jobbing on the National Police Gazette. With the mind of an engineer he was fascinated by the mechanics of the circus, the placement of wires and how (to the viewer on the ground), it was achieving something impossible, suspended out of reality and defying all logic.

Calder went on to set about creating an entire circus, complete with a full complement of characters that are bound to excite younger viewers. These early works are playful and figurative – such as Circus Scene (1929) and Acrobats (1927), but even the later mechanical pieces which are boxed in glass, require little more than a child’s eye and an active imagination to bring them to life, making many of the accompanying video demonstrations seem slow and clunky by comparison.

Calder’s work really came to life when he met abstract artist Piet Mondrian in 1930, and he began to imagine what could be achieved by bringing Mondrian’s famous geometric landscapes into the 3D space, setting them free to move about. This combination of strange shapes and glorious colour gave rise to the invention of the Mobile in the mid 1930’s, and a host of other ‘framed’ mobile sculptures, that now teeter way up high, safely away from curious little fingers, looking very much like illustrations of molecular science or abstract micro-worlds.

The splash of colour continues in a room dedicated to Calder’s ‘panel’ works, never been shown together before and typical of some of the artist’s more experimental work with painting and sculpture. This is a great room to allow kids some interpretation; I spotted a butterfly in Blue Panel (1936) and a gliding bird in Form Against Yellow (1936).

Photo credit- Calder Foundation, New York : Art Resource, NY © ARS, NY and DACS, London 2014

The centrepiece of the exhibition is Black Widow (1948), recently restored and standing in stark isolation before you exit through the gift shop. For me, however, the crowning glory is in the penultimate room, which from the moment you enter casts you out into an incredible universe of mobiles, a sea of drifting forms all moving on the natural air currents in the space.

Suddenly, instead of the usual rushed-parent desire to push on to what’s next, you’ll all be looking up in a zombie-like fashion, enjoying a rare, almost meditative, opportunity to be ‘in the moment’ at an art gallery, safe in the knowledge that anything of any value is safely strung up out of harms way. “Look a Snow Flurry!” and “How many circles are in Triple Gong?”, “If you stand for 5 minutes more it might come around again”. Games like these could run and run.

There’s so much to see here, it’s hard not to divert in different directions, almost completely missing exhibits like Small Sphere and Heavy Sphere, hidden in the nooks and crannies. The abundance of space between each exhibit makes you want to dash from piece to piece, but what I especially loved about Calder’s work was how he liberates the viewer by celebrating the unpredictability of what you’ll experience on your own personal visit. There’s no right or wrong view and it’s unlikely that you’ll ever see a piece in the same position twice, with sculptures free to thrive on the excess energy that you might bring to a room, or simply be still in the wake of your exit.

If that isn’t akin to how the average family experience an exhibition, then i don’t know what is.

Alexander Calder Performing Sculpture is on at Tate Modern until 3rd April 2016.
Sunday to Thursday 10am-6pm (last admission 5.15pm), Saturday & Sunday 10am-10pm (last admission 9.15pm)
Admission: Adults £18, Under 12’s free, Concessions and Family Tickets available

London Design Festival: 6 Amazing Family-Friendly Installations

The London Design Festival started last weekend, with a view to promoting everything that is great and good about the city’s creativity. The event is running at various venues across the capital, and as well as a host of dedicated family events, including an 80’s Pop-Up Dress Up & Dance performance and Alice in Wonderland inspired workshops, there is also an immense collection of family-friendly installation work.

Here’s 6 of the best on display until the festival closes this Sunday.

1. The Drawing Room, Faye Toogood
Literal depiction of a drawing room, where visitors can relax in an environment that evokes a derelict country house, where surroundings have literally been drawn in.
West Wing Galleries Somerset House, 21-27 Sept Mon-Wed & Sun 10am-6pm, Thu-Sat 10am-9pm, Free

2. My Grandfather’s Tree, Max Lamb
When an old ash tree on his grandfather’s farm started to rot, Max was keen for it to take on a new life beyond its original roots. The result is 130 logs all created from sections of the tree and laid out in order of diameter, with the 187 annual growth rings clearly visible.
The Embankment Galleries – Mezzanine & Studio, Somerset House, 21-27 Sept Mon-Wed & Sun 10am-6pm, Thu-Sat 10am-9pm, Free

3. The Wave, Alex Rasmussen with Neal Feay
The West Wing Galleries will be awash with 700+ anodized aluminum panels, invisibly fastened to form a structural swell, reflecting crystalline shades of Pacific blue.
West Wing Galleries Somerset House, 21-27 Sept Mon-Wed & Sun 10am-6pm, Thu-Sat 10am-9pm, Free

4. Tower of Babel
A monument to the great British pastime of shopping, the tower stands 6m high and comprises of 3000 bone china shops, each depicting a real London shop as photographed by the artist.
Brompton Design District, Medieval & Renaissance 1350-1600 The Paul and Jill Ruddock Gallery, Room 50a, Level 1, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, 19-27 Sept, Mon-Sun 10am-5.45pm, Free

5. The Cloakroom
Don one of the 150 navigational Toogood coats from Room 55 and be guided to 10 places in the Museum galleries where unique sculptural garments offer a response to items in the Museum’s collection.
V&A Museum, Britain 1500-1760, The Clore Study Area, Room 55, Level 2, Cromwell Road, 19-27 Sept, Mon-Sun 10am-5.45pm, Free

6. Curiosity Cloud
Supported by Perrier-Jouet, enter this playful installation exploring the interaction of humans and nature, comprising of 250 mouth-blown glass globes set in a darkened room, 25 of the which contain insect species either extinct, common or newly discovered.
V&A Norfolk House Music Room, Brompton Design District, Gallery 52b, British Galleries, Level 2, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, 19-27 Sept, Mon-Sun 10am-5.45pm, Free

In Pictures: The art of Dreamland, Margate

HemingwayDesign, led by Wayne, Geraldine and Jack Hemingway have worked closely with local artists and Margate enthusiasts to recreate the sights, sounds and even the smells of a good old fashioned seaside fun park. The result is a visual feast for visitors of all ages.

Dating back to 1922, the traditional traveller art signage has been lovingly restored on the Carousel

Littleboy’s restored Austin Cars

Dreamland Margate, 49-51 Marine Terrace, Margate, Kent, CT9 1XJ
Mon to Weds 10am-6pm, Thurs to Sun 10am-9pm
Admission Adults £17.95, Children 3+ £14.95 (advanced online concessions available)
After 5pm Adults £7.49, Children £4.95 (Thurs-Sun, until the end of August) half price admission after 5pm

5 arts-inspired family day trips from London

Henry Moore’s bronze Sheep Piece 1971-72 at Perry Green. © The Henry Moore Foundation

If you’re still feeling that your world has shrunk a little too much since having kids, the summer months are a great excuse to venture further afield, with a reduced rush hour, no school run traffic and (hopefully) more hands on deck. Here are 5 family day trips from London with fantastic arts appeal:

1. Explore Henry Moore’s giant sculptures in the open countryside

Henry Moore was an early pioneer of modernism and large-scale public art in the UK and a visit to his former home in Perry Green, Herfordshire offers the chance to be dwarfed by over 20 of his monumental sculptures in the setting that he always intended. Kids will love exploring the 70 acres of sheep-filled gardens and fields, as well as curious barn-based galleries and studios.

The Henry Moore Foundation, Perry Green, Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, SG10 6EE
Sculpture garden’s open Weds-Sun & Bank Holidays, 11am-5pm, 1st May to 25th Oct 2015, admission £15.70 for a family of 4

2. Visit an artist’s enclave with a difference in Dungeness

This other-worldly outpost on the Kent coast has so much for visiting families; a historic lighthouse with panoramic views, a ride on the small and rickety Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway and incredible bird life but curious beachcombers will love treading the delicate pathways to marvel at the curious collection of flotsam and jetsam in the garden surrounding late filmmaker Derek Jarman’s house. Particularly if fish and chips at The Pilot pub lie at the end.

Prospect Cottage, Dungeness, Romney Marsh, Kent TN29 9NB
Lighthouse open daily throughout August, 10:30am-4:30pm, admission adults £4, children £2.50, under 5s free

Children in Mottisfont’s plane tree (c) Lauren Child

3. See how Charlie & Lola started life at Mottisfont house and gallery

It’s never cheap visiting any of the magnificent National Trust properties that grace our home counties, but Mottisfont is proving a big draw this summer with an opportunity to explore The Art of Lauren Child. The award-winning creator of Charlie and Lola will be exhibiting 50 original art works in the gallery of this stunning medieval riverside property, alongside other objects that helped inspire the stories, such as Lola’s pink milk glass. Activity weekends extend the theme with craft activities, storytelling and face painting. Outside in the grounds, kids can also try their hand at building a den in the hidden hide out of the Wild Play Trail.

Mottisfont, Hampshire SO51 0LP
The Art of Laurent Child until 6th Sept. Gallery open daily throughout August, 11am-5pm, admission adults£14, children £6.50, National Trust members and under 5s free

Music mural at Prince Albert pub, Brighton

4. Seek out hidden street art in Brighton

You don’t need many excuses to jump on a train to Brighton with the kids this summer. Since the development of the amazing seafront boardwalk scattered with artisan stalls and loved by kids of all ages, from roller-skating teens to scooting pre schoolers and bumbling toddlers, Brighton has started to feel like the UK’s answer to Venice Beach. But who’d have though just a few metres back from the seafront, hidden in a the sneaky side streets off of Trafalgar Road, as well as between George Street and St. Andrews Churchyard, and North Laine would be Brighton’s answer to San Francisco’s Mission district? Street art in Brighton really brings to life a different side of the city’s arts community. Be sure to see the incredible music mural on the side of the Prince Albert pub. The kids might not recognise most of the subjects but that didn’t make it any less impressive.

Street art is free to view by all ages, all over the city of Brighton, but Visit Brighton’s top picks is a great place to start.

5. Re-imagine a theme park as a Pleasure Park at Dreamland

Following a 12 year campaign led by The Dreamland Trust and £18m in public funding, the once popular theme park is back from the dead having been stylishly restored under the watchful eye of internationally renowned designer and local resident Wayne Hemingway. Rather than simply create just another theme park, Dreamland pays homage to the golden age of British seaside holidays by recreating the entire experience; right through to the sights, the sounds and the smells. The result is a visual feast; carousels adorned in original traveller art, lovingly restored rides and amusements (including the famous Hurricane Jets), a ballroom, a roller disco and a plethora of sideshows. It needs to be seen to be believed.

Dreamland, 49-51 Marine Terrace, Margate, Kent, CT9 1XJ
Daily, 10am-5pm, admission adults £17.95 adults, children £14.95. Reduced admission Thurs to Sun after 5pm.

9 family-friendly arts activities for this summer

Blue Bear © The Paddington Partnership

If you’re looking for something different to do over the school holidays or struggling to find ways to occupy toddlers now that the playgroups are on summer lock-down, fear not! You haven’t already missed out on booking those one-off sought-after events and you don’t have to spend a fortune on big-ticket activities. Arts Aloud has a host of arts-based family fun that you can’t afford to miss!

1. All aboard the Floating Cinema Various London locations (including Regents Canal near Broadway Market E8 and Canalside Steps near Kings Cross, various times, admission £TBC, 20th Aug-20th Sept)
As well as a chance to venture off to some of London’s hidden canals and waterways, this is far more than a chance to watch a few films on a barge. UP Project’s award winning architectural structure returns to London this summer bringing a programme of film screenings, participatory events, workshops and talks, many of which are suitable for visiting families. This year’s theme, curated in partnership with artist / film-maker duo Somewhere (Nina Pope & Karen Guthrie) is a journey beyond earth and into space, and is set to include an immersive space odyssey, open air screenings of sci-fi cult classics and a summer space school. Sign up to the mailing list to hear full details of the programme when it launches.

2. Banish a rainy day in London’s artiest soft play Abbey Leisure Centre, Barking, Mon-Wed & Fri 10am-7pm, Thurs 10am-6pm, Sat & Sun 9am-6.30pm, admission for £1.50 for under 1’s, £4.50 under 3’s, £5.50 3-12 yrs. Age & height restrictions apply to some areas. Check website for details
Everything about this soft play is extraordinary, including it’s Barking location. Flying in the face of conventional multi-coloured soft play, The Idol’s monochrome appearance was the brainchild of Turner Prize-nominated artist Marvin Gaye Chetwynd and took inspiration from a Neolithic figure discovered in the borough in 1922. Kids can climb the two-storey-high climbing frame, venture into the mythical creature’s head and look out of its two giant eyes, before heading down a giant slide.

3. Explore poetry written just for kids in a secret corner of the Southbank Centre The Saison Poetry Library, Southbank Centre, Tues-Sun 11am-8pm, admission free
Believe it or not, during the school holidays you can still find a cosy quiet corner of the Southbank Centre. Take the marvellous JCB singing lift to the 5th floor and while away the day exploring some of the 200,000 items making up Britain’s most comprehensive collection of poetry, including a dedicated children’s section. Read your favourite poems and discover new ones, plus listen to poets perform on CDs and DVDs. Kids can even try their hand at writing their own using rhyming dictionaries. Plus for the very young there’s Rug Rhymes (24th Jul 10.30-11am, 25th July 11-11.30am, foyer spaces).

4. Listen to the sound of a masterpiece at Soundscapes The National Gallery, daily 10am-6pm, until 6th Sept, admission free for children under 12, adults £10, concessions available
If you’re intimated by by taking the kids into the silence of a gallery space, then worry not! Here’s one exhibition where they’ll be drowned out by the soundtrack. Soundscapes exhibition commissioned musicians and sound artists, from classical composers to club DJs, to select a painting from the collection and compose piece of music in response. The result is an immersive experience that allows you to ‘hear’ the paintings as well as see them.

The Saison Poetry Library © Southbank Centre

Floating Cinema, UP Projects © Hydar Dewachi

Serpentine Pavilion Photograph © NAARO

5. Lose yourself in the Serpentine Pavilion Next to the Serpentine Galleries, Kensington Gardens, daily 10am-6pm until 18th Oct, admission free
Explore the secret corridors and pathways of this colourful cocoon by Madrid-based architects SelgasCano, and reward yourselves with a knickerbocker glory when you reach the middle. Read up on my most recent visit.

6. See the best in free street theatre on the National Theatre’s River Stage National Theatre, South Bank, various times, 24th Jul-30th Aug, River Stage admission free, fees apply to NT workshops
If you’re struggling to find theatrical delights to entertain kids of various ages, you’ll love the drop-in nature of this summer’s brand new River Stage. Playing to the strengths of its South Bank location, the recently created Riverside Square will be showcasing a host of free public performances at family-friendly times, including street theatre, live music, circus and dance. There’s also a programme of hands-on workshops for families and children to discover the skills and secrets behind productions in the Clore Learning Centre.

7. Discover playground design from the post-war era at the Brutalist Playground RIBA, 66 Portland Place, Mon-Sun 10am-5pm, Tues 10am-8pm, until 16th Aug, admission free
In contrast to today’s risk-averse playground surfaces, this part-sculpture, part architectural installation harks back to an era of post-war design which prioritised creating areas of play space for children within social housing, through making the best of the ruins of wartime devastation. Commissioned by Turner Prize nominees Assemble and artist Simon Terrill, this revival of now-lost Brutalist landscapes is a softer-squidgier version, recreated using foam-blocks to protect your little cherubs should they fall.

8. Take a baby-friendly gallery tour at the National Maritime Museum National Maritime Museum, Sammy Ofer Wing Foyer, 5th Aug, 11am, parents & carers with children under 1 year, admission free, booking recommended
Finally another London arts institution inviting parents and carers with very young babies into their gallery space, to enjoy a talk with a squawk! Step forward the National Maritime Museum’s Curator of Art, Dr Melanie Vandenbrouck, who will lead you on a tour of art highlights around the site, including Yinka Shonibare’s Ship in a Bottle. If you need to divide and conquer, older kids (6-12 years) can join Punchdrunk’s immersive theatrical journey through the museum’s incredible maritime history, by joining the crew of HMS Adventure in Against Captain’s Orders (Daily until 31st Aug, admission £19.50, booking advised).

9. Follow the bear around an arts trail with a difference Pick up a free Pawprint Trail map from the Paddington Shop, Paddington Station, Mon-Fri 7.30am-7.30pm, Sat & Sun 9am-7pm
Last summer was awash with arts trails, from buses to bears. For those still crying into their marmalade sandwiches, lamenting the loss of Paddington from the streets, cry-not! Instead, seek out some familiar faces from last summer on the brand new Pawprint Trail. There’s 4 uniquely decorated Paddingtons to spot, as well as a Water Maze, unusual mechanical bridges and a Puppet Theatre Barge, all housed in this hugely underrated area of West London. Grab a map from the Paddington Shop in Paddington Station, where you can also buy a furry friend to take on your way. Read more in Londonist.

Colour me happy at the @SerpentineUK Pavilion 2015

Serpentine Pavilion Photograph © Iwan Baan

Serpentine Pavilion Photograph © NAARO

Imagine if, instead of a cocoon that was drab and brown, Eric Carle had given us a sneak-preview of our friend The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a magnificent multi-coloured butterfly. Well this year’s 15th annual Serpentine Pavilion is a great indication of exactly what that might have looked like.

Approaching through a sea of greenery that is the beautiful Kensington Gardens, prepare to be hit by a wall of colour followed by a frisson of excitement at the prospect of losing yourselves in this brand new magical space.

Designed by Madrid based architects SelgasCano, this unusual polygon, made from panels of translucent, multi-coloured polymer, was inspired by the chaotic yet structured way that us Londoners move around our city. The result is a maze-like structure, with ‘secret corridors’ between its outer and inner layers, creating a fun, interactive and welcoming space for visitors of all ages.

Wherever you choose to enter or exit the Pavilion, each path walks you through a variety of colours and fractures of light before eventually leading you into the kaleidoscope interior. The process of walking in and out of the tunnels will feel strangely addictive, with an overwhelming feeling of wanting to rush back in as soon as you find yourself on the outside of the fun.

For visitors hoping to find an airy shade for little ones on a sunny day, you might be disappointed. On the day of my visit, the temperature was upwards of 25 degrees, creating a near greenhouse effect as layers trapped warm air inside rather than providing free-flow. That said, however, once you’re inside, you’re definitely in the best place, with Fortnum & Mason in residence serving cold drinks, ice cream scoops and even a Knickerbocker Glory, providing the perfect compliment to this colour therapy for keeping everyone happy.

As well as a playful public space by day, the Pavilion is a forum for learning, debate and entertainment by night, with Park Nights bringing together art, poetry, music, film and literature, every Friday between July and September.

With such a stunning setting, it’s easy to while away a day here with the kids, particularly if you are considering combining it with a visit to Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, Serpentine Lido or even the nearby Science Museum or Natural History Museum. Visit on Sunday 5th July and you’ll get the added treat of the gallery’s Family Day (12-5pm, admission free) promising free, artist-led events open to families with children of all ages.

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is open daily 10am-6pm until 18th October 2015, admission free.

** NOTE The Pavilion is closed to the public on 2nd and 3rd July for private function**

Nearby: Walk 5 minutes over the bridge to neighbouring Serpentine Sackler Gallery, where kids will marvel at the work of artist Duane Hanson, who has created incredible life-like sculptures portraying working class Americans in everyday life. With meticulous details such as body hairs, veins and bruises, every figure makes you double take, particularly if your little ones are prone to giggling and staring at statue street performers for hours on end.

Carsten Höller @HaywardGallery: What every parent should know before they visit.

Carsten Holler Flying Mushrooms

There’s no mistaking the big draw of Carsten Höller’s new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery. With my eldest referring to every non-conventional slide as a helter skelter, we couldn’t wait to be one of the first to slide down ‘the slide to end all slides’. So there there was a bit of making up to do before we’d even set foot in the door, when we collected our tickets and found out that the much heralded Isomeric Slides were 100% not for little people.

Passing trade or speedy bookers will have missed the disappointing news that the slides carry a minimum height restriction of 120cm/4ft, and given that the slide marks the exit of the exhibition (and there isn’t a child relocation service!) this news will also disappoint accompanying parents when they have to bow their heads and take the lift instead. And if you’re thinking of enjoying this whilst your baby is in the pram fast asleep, your luck is out too, you’ll need to take an alternative entrance. It’s not the greatest start to my review, granted, but it’s important to state this up front.

Now, hopefully you are still reading, because what you also really need to know that slides aside, you are just about to witness one of the most awe-inspiring and family friendly exhibitions I have seen in a very long time. Hayward Gallery, you are very much forgiven.

So much is great about this exhibition, it has to be seen to be believed, so I don’t want this review to turn into a series of spoilers. Believe me, however, when I say, that if you brave only one exhibition with the kids this year, brave this one, because even to a seasoned kiddy gallery-goer like me, it’s the most relaxed I have been in a major gallery for a while.

Here’s my top 3 Arts Aloud highlights:

Flying Mushrooms – Alice in Wonderland fans will love these fairytale mushrooms, strung upon a mobile structure that can be manually swung in different directions to spin above your heads. The only thing that interrupts the hallucinogenic feeling for parents, is the consciousness that visitors of a certain height can be knocked out or decapitated by them at any time.

The Forests – Comparable with that moment on an aeroplane, when finally the in-flight entertainment comes on; a rare moment to focus on your own destiny. No head is too small to don the 3D headset and headphones to embark upon a night journey through a snow-covered forest, which eventually forces you to see double. If that’s too much for your 2 year old, the Start and Reset buttons are hours of fun.

Fara Fara – A bit like standing in a multi screen cinema without the seats, this two-screen video installation is based around the music scene in Kinshasa, Congo. Before you even get in the room it sounds like there is an all-night party going on that you need to be part of. The spirit of this piece picks you up and keeps you there. My 2 year old groover had to be dragged out kicking and screaming.

In summary, Decision offers visitors just that; a choice. A choice when, how and why to interact with a series of installations, devices and situations designed to throw all the gallery rules out of the window and liberate even the most inhibited audience.

For me it was the ultimate meeting of art and science, theatre and fun all wrapped up with a healthy portion of visitor camaraderie – something you don’t experience much of when you visit galleries with under 5’s. So if you are lucky enough to experience the Two Flying Machines high upon the roof or exit by hurtling down the Isomeric Slides (and not through the gift shop), you might have a rare moment of peace to ask yourself the age-old question; “..but really, is this art?” The Decision is yours.

Decision is at Hayward Gallery until 6th September 2015 (Mon 12–6pm, Tues, Weds, Sat & Sun 11am-7pm, Thurs & Fri 11am-8pm, Standard Admission £15, Children under 12 free).

Nearby: Southbank Centre’s Festival of Love has more explorative installations on the riverfront terrace, as well as pop-up theatre, live music and daily free activities for kids of all ages.