Back to school month is back again! Yes, September does mean summer is officially over – did it ever really begin? – but it also marks the start of one of the best seasons of the year: autumn.
With bonfire night, falling leaves and a surge of pumpkin related dishes being added to menus, what's there not to love? Plus, this month sees the return of IRL fashion month, making for a very eventful few weeks indeed. That said, there's plenty of cultural things to do if watching models strut down catwalks isn't your thing, and we've pinpointed the best events just for you.
Music of Spheres at The Royal Docks
You may be sick of the concept of bubbles after hearing about it over the past 18 months, but trust us when we say this is worth paying attention to. Over three shows on September 4th, the Royal Docks will be taken over by musicians and aerial performers in huge transparent globes. The shows begin with dancers and musicians moving through the audience in land-based spheres, which will finish with a special performance by Simon Desorgher, where he will execute a piece of flute music composed especially for this occasion, based on a theme from Debussy’s La Mer. Happening on one day only, this shouldn't be missed.
Book your tickets for Music of Spheres here.
A Scratch! A Scratch! at the Camden Arts Centre
After spending the last six months working in the Camden Art Centre to develop this exhibition, A Scratch! A Scratch! by Phoebe Collings-James is finally open this month. The multidisciplinary artist is the third recipient of the Freelands Lomax Ceramics Fellowship, and this exhibit encompasses sculpture, video, sound and performance as well as a new set of ceramic sculptures. These works explore an empowering relationship to the erotic, and dig deep into how that emotion can unearth a fountain of meaning, knowledge and creative energy. As Phoebe's first solo exhibition in the UK, this special event will leave a lasting memory.
A Scratch! A Scratch! opens from September 10th and runs until December 23rd at Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, London, NW3 6DG.
Theaster Gates: A Clay Sermon at the Whitechapel Gallery
Through a collaborative effort from the Whitechapel Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and Serpentine, Theaster Gates: A Clay Sermon is a celebration of the artist's clay practice. This exhibition, first taking place at the Whitechapel Gallery, presents ceramic objects, sculptures, installations, film and studio materials from the past two decades of Theaster Gates' career, and shows how he's used the material as a powerful metaphor for his socially-engaged work and wider artistic practice. As a V&A East Emeritus Fellow, the exhibit will also include Theaster's response to the V&A's ceramics collection, and next year sees him conceive the 2022 Serpentine Pavilion; the Serpentine’s annual architectural commission and platform for live summer programmes. If you're new to Theaster's work or are a hard-core fan, this exhibition will give an insightful analysis of the artist's work and abilities. 
Theaster Gates: A Clay Sermon open on September 29th until January 9th, at the Whitechapel Gallery, 77 – 82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX.
POP GOES THE PASTORAL
Don't be fooled into thinking that metropolises are the only hub of creativity within the country. This month sees a celebration of friendship, colour and the countryside via POP GOES THE PASTORAL. Set in the rural market town of Framlingham, Suffolk, close friends Kate Boxer, Don Brown, Gary Hume and Sarah Lucas have come together to showcase their mixture of paintings and sculptures that were made throughout the many lockdowns of the pandemic. Not only will this exhibit make you appreciate what's outside the London bubble, but it'll also reignite the simple pleasures that were enjoyed during lockdown.
POP GOES THE PASTORAL opens from September 4th till October 2nd at The Old Theatre, Church Street, Framlingham, IP13 9HB.
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