Meet Vincent van Gogh in London - Experience a journey through his life

There is always something new and exciting to do in London, and at The Amazing Blog, we're looking forward to seeing the much talked about Meet Vincent van Gogh, which is an immersive art experience that has just made its debut here in London. The interactive exhibition is open now and will be on display until 21 May on London’s South Bank at 99 Upper Ground, London SE1.

Created by experts from the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the exhibit will take visitors on an experience where they can get up close and personal with large recreations of some of van Gogh’s most famous works, as his original works are too fragile to travel outside of Amsterdam. Guests are encouraged to touch all the installations to get a feel of Van Gogh’s brush strokes and the details of his artwork. Graphics blend seamlessly with projections with audio and lighting that create a multisensory experience. The exhibit facilitates engagement and interactivity, with video effects and lighting and other multi-sensory effects (such as the smell of hay when entering one of his most famous works). See the video link here.

Often referred to as the 'misunderstood genius,' Meet Vincent van Gogh will educate guests on everything there is to know about the famous painter's life, from his upbringing to his struggles with mental illness and poverty later in his life. The exhibit also features interactive stations and beautiful light projections. Previously on tour in Beijing, Barcelona and Seoul the Meet Vincent van Gogh won a Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for Immersive Touring Exhibit in 2017. It shows how modern tools and techniques can transform the way we view and experience the Post-Impressionism movement.

Tickets to the experience include a free audio guide featuring Van Gogh’s voice as he guides visitors through the inspirations and the despair that influenced his life’s works. Tickets for the experience costs from £16.50 ea. and can be purchased ahead of time here. Be sure to check out this interactive experience before it disappears off to Lisbon later this year! Thank you to Pelham Communications for giving us permission to use these photographs - all images are courtesy of Meet Vincent van Gogh.

BREW//LDN – Beer Festival

With the new year here, it’s time to put yourself out there and part takes in some new activities and perhaps even pick up a skill or two on the way. After all, New Year new you right? Here at The Amazing Blog we researched and found an event to kick start your year in a fun, active and entertaining way! We’d like to introduce to you Brew//LDN.

Brew//LDN is an exciting beer festival on from the 27th – 29th February, 2020 at The Old Truman Brewery, London, showcasing the world’s best brewers, quality street food and a fantastic music programme. It is going to bring together three distinct aspects i.e. Brew//BEER, Brew//MUSIC and Brew//KITCHEN to give you the perfect start to your weekend.

At Brew// BEER is represented by the people who make craft beers, so you can meet and hear their story. With over 150 brewers, cider and spirit producers exhibiting you are sure to see old favourites and discover new ones and enjoy your day as you dance away all your worries while deeply relishing the perfect pint. It supports independents, ethical direction, promBeerotion of diversity in brewing, and we think will be a leading event in the UK beer calendar for years to come.

However, the fun won’t be complete with the sound of your favourite tunes.  Brew//MUSIC is all about the party, and they pride themselves on working with some great talent to create the right backdrop for their festival and giving you melodies to shake your hips and bob your head to.

Lastly, as a part of Brew//KITCHEN, they aim to bring together 8 gourmet street food vendors and 6 carefully selected premium drinks partners to your tummies nice and full as you load up on pint after pint. Brew//KITCHEN collaborates the very best of food and drink for your enjoyment. Missing out on this fun-filled and exciting event will haunt you until the end of time thus, go over to their official website to purchase your tickets online before they all sell out! The prices range from £11.28 to £28. See here.

The AIM Escape Room

At The Amazing Blog, we love to have a good bone-chilling themed challenge! Readers may remember last year we were ‘Trapped in a Prison Van’  here, and if you are like us enjoy this thrill of the game, then the AIM Escape Rooms are for you!

HQ of AIM Escape Rooms

This East London based adventure spot has four different ultra-realistic ‘rooms’ with various difficulty levels, so if you or your children fancy being spies, then Spy Heroes would be ideal for you where you all go undercover. Then in Patient Zero 2150 is where you are battling a global bio-threat, otherwise, humanity will cease to exist – one of the challenges is to see if you can hold your breath for 60 seconds!  The spookiest has to be The Psychopath’s Den, perfect for those who love a spin-chilling experience or lovers of horror movies – because here you are part of it. Or there’s the Hangover-Deja Brew for those wanting to experience what happened the morning after the night before … However, this is ONLY for Adults 18+!

The Psychopath’s Den

Are you feeling the adrenaline rush already? Then hurry to get locked up one of the themed hi-tech adventure rooms, and become a player ready to escape the room by solving a series of their puzzles and riddles. These 60-minute nerve-wracking experiences are perfect for friends and family get-togethers or as a great ‘ice-breaker’ for even a date!

Patient Zero 2150

BTW, if you don’t pick up on clues and fail to escape on time….. you will be doomed. Ha! Fear not, the staff will be watching over you and provide you with some guidance without spoiling your fun.

Of course, before entering the room in the first place you need an appointment, which can be made via an online booking system. Decide on the number of people (between 2 and 5) and select your time slot. AIM Escape Room is open 7 days a week. Prices start from £25, but it depends whether you select a peak or off-peak ticket. It’s worth checking the website from time to time as you may be lucky enough to stumble across some discounts. You can get the tickets and all the information here. Bonne chance!

London International Mime Festival 2020

Let this New Year begin with laughter and joy as you soak up brilliant talent, skill and humour at the London International Mime Festival 2020. Commencing on the 8th of January until the 3rd of February, the 44th year of London’s Annual International Contemporary Visual Theatre Festival is here to keep you entertained, gleeful and excited. Be sure to find your way to at least one if not all the shows coming up at theatres around town such as The Soho Theatre, Shoreditch Town Hall, and Wilton’s Music Hall etc. Missing these astonishing, fascinating and exquisite performances will mean forfeiting the opportunity to experience one of the best mime shows in the world.

With 20 performances going on throughout the early year, the festival is pulling in talent from all ends of the world including Puppetry from New York and France, a dance theatre company from Belgium as well as talent from Australia amongst various others ensuring they’ve got something or the other for the diverse and distinct taste of all Londoner’s. 

First, we’d like to introduce Australian artist Fleur Elise Noble who has spent seven dedicated years towards creating The Magical Universe of Rooman. The show incorporates a rich tapestry of puppetry, projection, moving animation, dance, music and sound effects. Rooman highlights a fable of romance, fantasy and the eventual pursuit of happiness. Centred around a girl meeting a kangaroo man in her sleep, Fleur Elise Noble explores the theme of romance, life and furthermore the human psyche. On at The Pit in Barbican from the 14th – 18th January, book your tickets online for only £18.

Up next is BOYS presented by The PappyShow (UK), a celebration of male tenderness, silliness, vulnerability and community performed by a cast of exceedingly talented young men. Unscripted and refreshing, each story is told uniquely in every performance. BOYS is a joyful, electric, occasionally raw but always tender piece that hopes to unravel preconceptions and uncover the endless possibilities that can make up a man. Brought to life in 2013 by director Kane Husbands, the PappyShow is one of London’s finest theatrical ensembles.  On at the Southbank Centre's Purcell Room on the 20th and 21st of January, the show has been said to be an essential viewing for every boy, so be sure to get your tickets well in time! Tickets are priced at an easy and affordable £18.

Last but certainly not least is Optraken created by the ferociously talented Galactik Ensemble. Unstable ground disappears underfoot, walls wobble, ceilings collapse, danger’s come from every side. Forget elegant tumbling and spangly tights – this wonderfully inventive and original piece of physical theatre is a battle in which every movement matters for survival as five breathtaking acrobats pit themselves against a hostile environment. The show proves to be spectacular, impressive, unpredictable and enormous fun at The Peacock from the 29th of January to the 1st of February online. Ticket prices range from £15 - £45 depending on the seats you choose to buy.

Finally, we at The Amazing Blog highly recommend you see a minimum of one of the twenty shows being putting on by the London Mime Festival not only to enjoy the various talents of the participants but also to give yourself that much-needed break from your hectic schedules! Hop on over to their official website here for more information regarding the same.