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Illumini Event 2012
Illumini will take you on a journey of Victorian hauntings, explore the dark side of a city long forgotten. Take torch light tours beneath the haunted streets of the city
Presents - 'Secret subterranean London' © 2010
Visiting Details below
For full program of events, including historical talks and tours on underground London & creative talks and workshops please click here or scroll down.
Visiting Info
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THE VENUE.The Basement Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LT DATES & TIMES9th Sept 2010 - 15th Sept Open daily 11am-7pm Free OPENING NIGHTThursday 9th September 6pm – 10pm Free TRAVEL By tube or rail: Old Street (Exit 3 ) 6 mins walk, Liverpool Street 12mins walk CLICK HERE FOR MAP |
Program of Events
The event will start with a grand opening night on 9th Sept from 6pm-10pm. Free entertainment, were everyone is welcome. Live acts: stilt walkers, light shows, performance artists,tarot reading, travel back in time with historical costumed performers and many other surprises. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment.
During Illumini 2010, there will numerous talks, workshops and even tours about historical underground London and also artists' talks and workshops. All talks are free and are held at the Illumini Event 2010, The Basement Shoreditch Town Hall, (Full address and map above), or less indicated otherwise . Details are below into 2 sections Historical Talks and Artists' Talks & Workshops. They show the times description of the talk. Most talks do not need to be booked,you can just turn up on the day, but if you want to be guaranteed a seat it would be best to email us in advance, for disabled and elderly visitors we can reserve seats and offer assistance. If you would like to bring a large group, also please contact us so we can accommodate your requirements. To book a seat on any of the talks please email us
Historical Talks & Tours
Talks and events are listed below, for further details on the organisation or talker please click on the image or logo . All Events are free or less other wise stated . You are welcome to just turn up on the day, or we would advice you to email us to book , this way you are guaranteed a seat . Some tours have limited numbers and have to be booked in adavnce, each event has full details listed below. Talks are held at the Illumini Event, The Basement Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Sreet, London or less other wise stated.
Tour of Shoreditch Church Crypt, by Torch light 10.45am Friday 10 Sept also Tues 14th Sept 2pm and Wed 15th Sept 2-15pm Booking in adavance is essential. Wed 15th is the only tour avaliable, the other 2 are fully booked This tour will be by courtesy of Rev'd Paul Turp who has a broad and intimate knowledge of the rich and resonant history of this - The Actor's Church - place of burial of many of the most significant figures of Elizabethan and Shakespearean theatre. Here lie James and Cuthbert Burbage - founder managers of the nearby original Theatre and Curtain Theatre. Also buried here lies Richard Burbage , the first actor to play Hamlet and many of the iconic leading roles of English drama. The tours are limited to 10 people for each tour please book with Illumini for this tour, it's free of charge although donations - at the visitor's own discretion - are always welcome towards the maintenance of the fabric of the building and the vital work of Shoreditch Parish Church. The crypt can be claustrophobic to some and retains something of the dust and darkness of a unique site of centuries old subterranean character, so please wear comfortable clothing and foot wear and bring a torch. The tours will last at least one hour. Meeting point will be at the front of the church situated at St Leonard's Shoreditch Church, Shoreditch High Street , Shoreditch , E1 6JN |
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The Occult World of Subterranean London. Fri 10th sept 11am Free
The talk will cover where to meet druids, witches and wizards; how to find good tarot readers; the hidden, occult places of London, and more. |
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Scott Wood Click on the image to view their profile page or website |
"Crypts, Creatures and Caverns: the Folklore of Subterranean London." on fri 10th Sept 2pm Free
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Subterranean City on Fri 10th Sept 5pm Free Antony Clayton, author of Subterranean City (now in its 2nd revised edition) will talk about various aspects of the inverted city beneath our streets such as lost rivers, sewers, underground railways and government bunkers. The talk will also uncover some of the colourful folklore of underground London including legends of secret tunnels and passages. There is also the opportunity to buy a signed copy of the new book after the talk. |
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Living London uncovers the mysteries that lie beneath us. Sat 11th Sept at 11 am Free Living London will give a free talk on Subterranean London. Find out about secret tunnels and rooms that exist in our city. The talk will explore many locations, uncovering the mysteries, they lie beneath us. There will also be a guided tour arranged for the 15th Sept, please see other listing
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'Eighth Wonder of the world' on Sat 11 th Sept 2pm Free Brunel's Tunnel was designed to move cargo under the Thames, but opened as a banquet hall, shopping arcade and underwater fairground. Now part of the London Overground, this is the oldest tunnel in the oldest metro system in the world. Robert Hulse, Director of The Brunel Museum, tells the story of the men who worked in the dark, dodging flames and raw sewage every day to build what the Victorians called the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'
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Please note tours leave from the Brunel Museum .Click on their image to get directions, all money raised goes to opening the shaft to the general public, with new stairs and entrance. Illumini is very pleased to have The Brunel Museum involved, they do some outstanding work for the community, which is a passion of ours and also preserving our history of subterranean spaces.We hope you can support them by going to see this eighth wonder of the world! |
Special event: Sat 11th Sept & Sun 12 th Sept Tours of the Grand Entrance Hall of The Thames Tunnel Tickets £5 Description of tour of shaft or Grand Entrance Hall Crawl through a short tunnel to descend by temporary staircase into a subterranean amphitheatre, half the size of Shakespeare's Globe, but hidden underground. The Grand Entrance Hall once echoed to the sound of fairground entertainers but for 140 years has lain forgotten and entirely inaccessible. Illumini will present artists Genetic Moo, who will be the first artist’s to exhibit in this space for over 140 years, with their light installation ‘Animacules-the drop of water'. To fundraise for the re-opening, the Brunel Museum is organising tours on Sat & sun 11th & 12th Sept 2010. Tickets cost £5 and include admission to the Museum. Tours leave 17.00 & 18.00 on Saturday 11 th and hourly 12.00 to 16.00 Sunday 12 th Sept. No need to book, just turn up on the day |
Rosie Murdie, ghost investigator
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"What lurks beneath - spirits and spectres of subterranean London" on sat 11th Sept
4.30pm Free Are spirits still imprisoned in the underground cells of the House of Detention? Who is the actor that haunts the tunnels of Covent Garden station and do ghosts still roam the secret labyrinths beneath the streets of London? In this talk, Rosie Murdie, ghost investigator and member of The Ghost Club will tell some of the ghostly tales associated with subterranean City of London. |
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Post Office underground miniature Train on sun 12th Sept 11am Free Chris Taft, the curator of the postal museum and archives, will give a talk on the post office miniature underground railway, which was used to carry post through central London. The talk will also including rare footage of the underground railway and the train, which is now no longer used. |
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Discover underground London on your mobile phone Sun 12th 1pm Free Talk from the creator of Riverians, where you can even take your own personal tour of subterranean London with this clever application, Using GPS and QR code reading, participants can use their mobile phone like a douser, to discover this hidden underground world, which will correspond to real underground locations in Shoreditch, aligned with the sites of past events, and, then use the Riverain's overheard tales to map those sites and find clues and directions to others. One can participate as a team or an individual. |
Member of London Underground Staff Click on the image to view their profile page or website |
Mysteries & ghosts of London Underground sun 12th Sept 3.30 pm Free A talk from a member of London Underground Staff, covering the baffling mysteries & ghosts in the dark dank recesses of London's Subterranean Tube System |
Silver Vaults Tue 14th 11am Free Rebecca will reveal the history and secrets of one of London's oldest trades, taking visitors on a virtual tour through the underground jewelers workshops of Hatton Garden. Here we will see how some of the most illustrious gems are forged carefully by hand, using tools and techniques that have remained unchanged for hundreds of years, and follow stone-setters, polishers and engravers as they work their magic below the streets and shops of the city. |
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Empire of Shadows Tue 14th Sept 1.30pm Free This talk explores Victorian London's criminal underworld through contemporary representations and popular melodramas in which the metropolis was reproduced on-stage. It will investigate the notorious subterranean locations believed to be occupied by a vast criminal and outcast population. The talk will also reveal the symbolism of London 's depths in the nineteenth century as the locus of buried desires, a dark mirror to the world above ground and a lost realm of magic and superstition in contrast to the daylight city of rationalism and progress.
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Tour of Shoreditch Church Crypt by Torch light. Tues 14 Sept 2pm. Booking in adavance is essential. Sorry Fully Booked This tour will be by courtesy of Rev'd Paul Turp who has a broad and intimate knowledge of the rich and resonant history of this - The Actor's Church - place of burial of many of the most significant figures of Elizabethan and Shakespearean theatre. Here lie James and Cuthbert Burbage - founder managers of the nearby original Theatre and Curtain Theatre. Also buried here lies Richard Burbage , the first actor to play Hamlet and many of the iconic leading roles of English drama. The tours are limited to 10 people for each tour please book with Illumini for this tour, it's free of charge although donations - at the visitor's own discretion - are always welcome towards the maintenance of the fabric of the building and the vital work of Shoreditch Parish Church. The crypt can be claustrophobic to some and retains something of the dust and darkness of a unique site of centuries old subterranean character, so please wear comfortable clothing and foot wear and bring a torch. The tours will last at least one hour. Meeting point will be at the front of the church situated at St Leonard's Shoreditch Church, Shoreditch High Street , Shoreditch , E1 6JN |
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Paul Dobraszczyk
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'Into the Belly of the Beast: Exploring London's Sewers' Tue 14th 4pm Free This talk will consider the allure of London's sewers, past and present. It will cover early explorations of these secretive spaces - from the poet Ben Johnson to the Victorian journalist John Hollingshead - to the present day activity of 'draining'. Drawing on the speaker's own experiences and richly illustrated with photographs, this talk will appeal to all those fascinated with London's underbelly. |
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A Walk 'Living London uncovers the mysteries that lie beneath us' first walk at 11am on the 15th Sept, and the 2nd at 2pm at Embankment station. £5 Please note 2pm walk is fully booked. 11am is still avaliable This walk needs to booked, in advance full details below. See the clues that show us the extent of the Thames in the early 19th century; secret government tunnels and the deepest underground station in central London; find the doors that lead to secret tunnels; hear about the bodies that no longer lie underneath the Abbey and what is that huge brown concrete block on the edge of Horse guards Parade for? A fascinating walk that will have you asking "what's beneath me?" for weeks to come. The walk costs £5 and needs to be booked as limited numbers. Payment via paypal or cheque. Please note the walk starts at Embankment tube station not Illumini. You will all meet outside on the left entrance from Embankment station at 2pm on 15th September. For full booking details please email us |
St Leonard's Shoreditch Church
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Tour of Shoreditch Church Crypt by Torch light. Wed 15th Sept 2.15pm. Booking in adavance is essential. This tour will be by courtesy of Rev'd Paul Turp who has a broad and intimate knowledge of the rich and resonant history of this - The Actor's Church - place of burial of many of the most significant figures of Elizabethan and Shakespearean theatre. Here lie James and Cuthbert Burbage - founder managers of the nearby original Theatre and Curtain Theatre. Also buried here lies Richard Burbage , the first actor to play Hamlet and many of the iconic leading roles of English drama. The tours are limited to 10 people for each tour please book with Illumini for this tour, it's free of charge although donations - at the visitor's own discretion - are always welcome towards the maintenance of the fabric of the building and the vital work of Shoreditch Parish Church. The crypt can be claustrophobic to some and retains something of the dust and darkness of a unique site of centuries old subterranean character, so please wear comfortable clothing and foot wear and bring a torch. The tours will last at least one hour. Meeting point will be at the front of the church situated at St Leonard's Shoreditch Church, Shoreditch High Street , Shoreditch , E1 6JN |
Artist's Talks & Workshops
A series of workshops and talks will be held for creative individuals at this years Illumini Event, all talks are free, you are welcome to just turn up on the day, or email us to book a seat
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Click on the image to view their profile page or website Catching Fireworks
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The Light at the End of the Tunnel. Mon 13th 11am free, booking essential, please email us Sorry Fully Booked Facilitated by Diane Parker and Deborah Henry-Pollard This workshop, which will combine fun and good sense, will give you some tools and insights to use when you find yourself hitting a creative brick wall. We will use interactive processes, games and exercises, so come in comfy clothes and prepared to participate fully! The workshop is for anyone who wants to embrace and develop their creativity, at whatever level and in whatever medium. The workshop will run for 2 hours and spaces are limited to 15, so pre-booking is necessary. |
Artists Interaction and Representation
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Talk on the 13th sept 2pm Free Elpida Hadzi Vasileva will talk about her national and international artistic practice and her role as an advocate and adviser for AIR - Artists Interaction and Representation, the UK's largest membership and representative body for visual and applied artists.
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Art proposal &submission tips. Mon 13th Sept 4.30pm Free The founder of Illumini, Jane Webb will do a workshop for artist's on submitting to art exhibitions. Illumini noticed nearly 80% of artists lack the knowledge of sending in a good submission. This talk will give tips and useful information that will get you noticed next time you apply to an exhibition.
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'Shed Light on Copyright' on Wed 15th 4pm Free Please note this talk needs to booked direct with Own-it, this guarantees you a seat. You are still very welcome to just turn up on the day, but we cant promise there will be seats left. To book via their website, just become a member for free, then you can book the event at the bottom of the page. Click here |
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Musion Academy Wed 15th Sept 11am Free Musion will be giving a range of talks on their holographic projection system, artist talks and networking sessions More details to be confirmed |
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Creative Capital
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Creative Capital Wed 15th 2pm Free The talk will focus on surviving the first year or two after graduation, some tips and tricks plus what the organisation itself offers in supporting emerging designers and artists. |
