Tue 8 April, 2014 The Culturist London’s cultural highlights this April It's warming up, there's a bank holiday weekend…could April get any better? Well, yes: London's offering up a whole slew of things to get you out and about this month. From a new hangout in an abandoned office block to an old boozer getting a facelift, stars on stage to an LA jaunt, take your pick. Not your style? You can always go for a champagne dinner. DRINK: THE CAT & MUTTON RELAUNCH Summer's coming, and along with it a host of new drinking options. Top of our list? Broadway Market boozer The Cat & Mutton, an institution that has had a facelift thanks to Tom Gibson (the brains behind cocktail den Ruby's). The ground floor is all about a classic pub experience, serving up craft beers and ales, while upstairs plays host to cocktail bar Pearl's, offering inventive drinks like Alfred's Porter (cognac, port, oyster sauce & honey). As for food, Ben Denner of Licky Chops is in the kitchen, with everything from small plates like burnt broccoli or vine-smoked salmon to a traditional Sunday roast on the menu. Opens April 11 76 Broadway Market, E8 4QJ Visit: Fairground We just said goodbye to Hawker House, and there's already a new kid on the block: Fairground. A multi-purpose venue from Street Feast guru Dominic Cools-Lartigue, Fairground takes over three storeys in an abandoned Haggerston office block. The first floor features live music and takeovers from the likes of Run Dem Crew, Field Day and WAH! Nails; the second sees talks and master classes from the city's cultural innovators (think The English Disco Lovers and design studio Form); and the third plays host to the Fairground Diner, with a bar and pop ups from chefs like Andy Oliver of The Begging Bowl. Street food faves like Yum Bun and Baba G. will also make appearances. Fun. From April 12 for 10 weekends 260-264 Kingsland Road, E8 4DG LAUNCH PARTY: MY ART INVEST Sponsored listing Ever wanted to own a Banksy? Make like an art collector on Thursday night and head to Shoreditch for the opening of London's most anticipated new contemporary art gallery. The gallery is linked to a unique trading platform that divides art into shares (starting at as little as £5 per share), so it won't break the bank. They have some of the world's biggest names in urban art on their books and if you go in for a quarter of an artwork, you can take it home and hang it on your wall for a quarter of the year. Easy! We've got 30 pairs of tickets to give away to exclusive launch party on Thursday April 10 (think flowing drinks, DJ sets, and some incredible art). Be quick and send an email to myartinvest@kallaway.com and quote "JUNKIE" to apply for the guest list, and visit myartinvest.com for more info. 6pm-10pm, Thursday April 10, 150 Commercial Street, E1 6NU. Ticket winners wil be notified by email by Wednesday evening SEE: THE FASHION WORLD OF JEAN PAUL GAULTIER: FROM THE SIDEWALK TO THE CATWALK Jean Paul Gaultier, enfant terrible and master couturier, is celebrated in the Barbican's latest exhibition. The first major show devoted to the French couturier explores his 40-year career, featuring pieces from his archive (a conical bra from Madonna's 1990 Blonde Ambition tour; signature Gaultier man skirts), alongside catwalk footage and clips from his late night TV show Eurotrash. Should you be inspired by Gaultier's iconic high/low mix, head to Hackney, where the Barbican is hosting a fashion market with wares from London's emerging designers. April 9 – August 25 Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS EAT: BREDDOS TACOS RESIDENCY AT TRIP KITCHEN The Haggerston restaurant explosion continues with Breddos Tacos setting up shop in Trip Kitchen. The street food favourites (and winner of this year's Taco Wars) are bringing their take on Mexican/American dining to the railway arches with a small-plate dinner menu. Expect Breddos classics like Baja fish tacos, new offerings including crispy pork belly with banana habanero ketchup, Breddos own sourced and cured 'Mexican' charcuterie, and a twist on American style brunch on weekends. Opens April 11 Arch 339-340, Acton Mews, E8 4EA   INTERNATIONAL: IMS ENGAGE, LOS ANGELES Hop a LDN>LAX flight for IMS Engage. The summit returns to the W Hotel Hollywood this year, bringing together the best in the biz to discuss the growing influence of electronic music. We're most excited about Moby pairing up with David Lynch for a dialogue about music and film…and did we mention the parties? If you're heading over, there are only 350 delegate badges available, so get in quick, and stay tuned to @urbanjunkies on Instagram for dispatches direct from LA. April 16 6250 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, Los Angeles KITSUNé CLUB NIGHT: EASTER SPECIAL Sponsored listing It's time to party. Following on from the sell out French Kiss night in February, Kitsuné returns to Shoreditch for an Easter Special line up. Electro masters Digitalism will be headlining, joined by new breed champions Beataucue, with a back to back set from Jerry Bouthier and Punks Jump Up, Parisian club stalwarts LOGO and Swedish up and comer Tobtok. So for a Bank Holiday weekend to remember, book now and hit the dance floor at Village Underground for a dose of house, electro and nu disco. Saturday April 19, Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ, tickets from £14.50, book here SEE: DORIAN GRAY The page to stage trend is still going strong, with Riverside Studio's production of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's novel about the quest for eternal youth. Ruby in the Dust's critically acclaimed adaptation sees the stage debuts of Daisy Bevan (Vanessa Redgrave's granddaughter) and Jack Fox (of the acting dynasty that includes Edward and Laurence Fox). The gothic play, set in the murky underbelly of 19th century London, runs for only three weeks, so get booking. April 16- May 10 1 Crisp Road, W6 9RL WATCH: LONDON…ON A REGULAR Following on the heels of Ewen Spencer's garage documentary Brandy & Coke comes club documentary London…On A Regular. Directed by Rollo Jackson, the short film traces the city's clubbing culture over the last decade, through interviews with pioneers including Seb Chew, Joe Goddard, Erol Alkan and Mark Ronson. Watch it here. Now showing INSTAGRAMMER OF THE MONTH: DONALD DRAWBERTSON We've got a lot of love for Donald "Drawbertson" Robertson at UJ. A co founder of MAC, Roberton is now a creative director at Bobbi Brown by day and an illustrator by night. He's all about irreverent, mixed media artwork: from lip motifs at Giles' SS14 show to pop culture mashups like Kermès: a painting in which Kemit meets Hermès. See for yourself, follow him on Instagram, stat. by NN LIKE SHARE FORWARD PREVIOUS EDITION (c) 2014 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved. Reproductions of any portion of this website only with our express permission. Urban Junkies is a free daily mailer. All listings and features are editorial: We do not receive any payment from venues, artists or promoters. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information listed but we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.