London is buzzing with events this summer, but if you’re looking for something a little closer to home in the south west area, the Southbank Centre should be high on your list.
The best part? Much of the programme is completely free.
Various types of Summer activities like cultural excursions, amusement park visits, games at local fairs, and overnight stays at hotels and camping spots can all put a dent in your wallet, so finding ways to fill the calendar without spending much means you can save your money for other treats along the way.
A summer of dancing
Are you the active and curious type who also loves to dance?
Then you will love the programme this year.
Our Heartbeats: Unity in Motion is not a dance event per se, but a music event created to remind us how music can bring us all together.
Led by DJs from Ghana and Venezuela, the music will tickle your legs and make you want to move.
If you are more into the rave scene, this summer will also be amazing for you.
Another free event is the 12-hour rave featuring Tianzhou Chen and the Asian Dope Boys collective.
Southbank Centre’s Summer of Play is for everyone, so if you’re not into this type of modern entertainment, why not take part in a panel talk led by Zakia Sewell, which will discuss Folk Dance in the future.
It is a major contrast to the raves and parties, but it is a discussion that can open your eyes to our traditions, and also how we can preserve them in the future.
Never forget to dance
Summer of Play has events other than dancing, such as concerts, listening parties, and talks, but in all honesty, there is a heavy focus on dancing this year, and that is amazing.
Dancing is a part of any known culture in the history of our planet, but with the internet and the shift in how we come together, dancing has been forgotten by many people.
That is a shame because dancing can improve life quality, and it brings joy like nothing else.
It can bring people from all walks of life together and create a feeling of joy and unity that many of us long for in our modern and somewhat crazy world.
Whether you are into the rave and techno scene, hip-hop in different shapes or forms, or if you don’t care for specific style or dance, the summer activities give you, your friends, and family a chance to get back to what is so essential for us humans – community and unity.
And that is truly what makes this summer event special.
This is not just about the art and the music, and it’s not about prestige or profit.
It’s about bringing people together – people that might not have anything in common, but that can unite around one thing: The feeling of unity and belonging, that dancing and having fun can provide.
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
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