Culturemakers on their favourite cultural spaces

Aoife Leach

Managing Director, London Craft Week

It’s difficult to choose one favourite, with so many incredible cultural spaces, but one that will forever be close to my heart is the Hayward Gallery (confession, I am biased, having worked there for several years!). The building, part of London’s Southbank Centre, was designed as a purpose-built art gallery from the inside out; four main exhibition galleries across two levels, with a central staircase connecting them. This inside-out approach is what gives it its unique external form, which I’ve often thought of as a friendly Brutalist creature.

There has always been something otherworldly, a little bit magical, about the gallery spaces to me. In part, it’s their materiality: the ultra-high ceilings, board marked concrete, brass railings and atmospheric lighting of the first gallery you encounter give it a cave-like feel; but it’s also the art, of course. The Hayward does exhibitions like nowhere else. Where else could you see a ceramic giant squid in a pool of its own ink, or a life size boat floating on the roof terrace, or a slide out the window of the gallery? There is even some art in the toilets, if you know where to look.

londoncraftweek.com

Yasmine Naghdi

Principle Dancer, The Royal Ballet

A favourite cultural space of mine is the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, set in a landscaped garden dating back to the 18th century. When I went for the first time a few years ago I was struck by the sculptures and energy of the natural surroundings of the park. It had such an impact on me, and being able to connect with nature whilst engaging, discovering and contemplating the modern and contemporary sculpture collection was magnificent.

It is truly a heavenly day out in nature that also lets you experience some of the most amazing collections from some of the world’s best artists including Barbara Hepworth, Barry Flanagan, Henry Moore, and Sophie Ryder, to name just a few. All of the work there is incredible, but my personal favourites are the site-specific art installations involving natural materials by renowned UK contemporary artist Andy Goldsworthy.

To have a space that combines the beauty of art with the beauty of nature is incredibly special and makes Yorkshire Sculpture Park a truly standout cultural experience.

rbo.org.uk

Teo van den Broeke

Editor-in-Chief, Esquire UK

Part of me feels as though I should be suggesting a space a touch more esoteric than the grand dame of galleries that is the National Portrait Gallery. But if I’m honest, the NPG is the cultural space which always leaves me feeling the most inspired. Not only are the exhibitions excellent – the recent Francis Bacon and Jenny Saville offerings, most notably – but the permanent collection is fantastic, too.

I’m a hobbying painter (I did my degree in Fine Art), and my favourite things to paint are people. Immersing myself in the daubs, splatters and sketches which line the walls of the NPG helps me to feel more creative. So much so that I always leave feeling desperate to go home and pick up my paint brush; energised by the extraordinary talent of others - talent which utterly eclipses my own.

As a fashion magazine person, I love visiting the pictures of the great and good from the worlds of style and media. Alex Katz’s portrait of Dame Anna Wintour is a favourite, as is James Lloyd’s take on Sir Paul Smith. I’ll happily while away a Sunday afternoon at the NPG.

It’s also one of my favourite spots to visit if I have a rare lunch break, as my office is just around the corner on Leicester Square.

esquire.com

Katy Wickremesinghe

Founder, The Wick

I grew up nearby, so the Dulwich Picture Gallery has always been central to my cultural life. It’s a pioneering space; the world’s first purpose-built public art gallery, designed by Sir John Soane in 1811, with global significance, yet firmly rooted in South London.

Despite its storied history, the gallery keeps evolving. The current Rachel Jones exhibition, Gated Canyons (running until 19th October), marks the first time a contemporary artist has taken over the main galleries, and is a bold step that brings new conversations into these historic rooms. The newly opened ArtPlay Pavilion has created a new hub for creative learning and community engagement.

For me, the Dulwich Picture Gallery embodies both continuity and innovation, a familiar place that never stands still and my favourite culturally curious spot.

thewickculture.com

Learn more about what our members are up to over the coming season by downloading the Walpole Culture Month Guide 2025