CULTURE/ International Lyceum Club of Florence
Henrietta Rae’s Miss Nightingale at Scutari, coloured lithograph, 1881-91, Wellcome Library
Tune in for “Culture Pills” with the Lyceum Club’s virtual programme. The month of May will be filled with artistic, musical, literary, scientific and agricultural installments. Concerts, readings and theatre are rolled out weekly on the website and Facebook page as part of the #pilloledicultura programme. On May 12, celebrate the International Year of the Nurse/Midwife to mark 200 years since the birth (in Florence) of Florence Nightingale. See this and more here.
ORACLES/ Palazzo Strozzi
Tomás Saraceno, Arachnomancy Cards, 2019
Consult spiders to find out what lies ahead, if you wish. Entangle yourself with the arachnomancy app created by Studio Tomás Saraceno to interact with the Argentinian artist’s exhibition currently on hiatus at Palazzo Strozzi. To use the app, photograph a spider web to become an active participant in the ‘Mapping against extinction’ initiative. Learn more about this project on the Arachnophilia.net website and www.palazzostrozzi.org.
ONE-MAN-SHOW/ Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin
Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin
Streaming live from Florence on May 10, Hershey Felder presents his acclaimed musical show Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin to raise funds for 13 theatres and arts organizations across the US. The performance will go live at 2am CET, but will be viewable for 72 hours subsequently. The Canadian actor and pianist will perform his show on a recreated set of Irving Berlin’s Beekman Place home. Tickets cost 50 dollars (around 45 euro) per household. Tickets purchasable from participating theatre websites, which include Berkeley Rep, Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and Lyric Chamber Music Society in New York.
ART/ Manifattura Tabacchi Living Room series
ph. Gabriele Galimberti @manifatturatabacchi
Living Room from Manifattura Tabacchi centres on culture and contemporary art on their website. Comfortable though it may sound, the series focuses on research and experimentation with regular content released via the regenerated cultural hub’s hyperactive social channels. Film, books, podcasts, poems, interviews and various artistic contributions make up the packed programme and the multidisciplinary approach is sure to appeal.
PERFORMANCE/ Monteverdi Tuscany
Stunning live performances
Luxury retreat hotel Monteverdi Tuscany hosts cultural events online that bring world-famous names into your lounge. Throughout May, renowned international musicians perform jazz, classical, opera and many other genres accessible via social media and www.monteverdi.com. Scheduled performances include Matthew Polenzani and Sylvia Vole, accompanied by Linda Hall, performing Richard Strauss on May 9; Wendy Bryn Hermer treats us to Strauss and Vaughn Williams on May 16; and Nicole Cabell sets us soaring with tunes from West Side Story on May 23.
HISTORY OF ART / The British Institute of Florence
Tune in for culture
The cultural series at Il British continues to keep us company this month with the institute’s ultra-popular Wednesday night lectures on Zoom. A pilot week-long seminar is being introduced this May 11-15 by the history of art department as Jeremy Boudreau leads Keeping Tabs on Florentine Art. Register here (20 euro per session or 75 euro for the full week).
COMMUNITY/ TF Together
Online community series
The Florentine launched the TF Together online community series in March as a way to bring Florence lovers together during lockdown. From hairdressing to legal advice and everything in between, the series has evolved to bring you regular and top-notch encounters streamed live on our Facebook and YouTube channels. This week’s program features Lungarno Chats on Tuesday May 5 at 6pm with host Morgan Fiumi in conversation with financial expert and 10x New York Times bestselling author David Bach in a talk titled ‘Prospering in challenging times’. Turn in at 5pm on May 8 as bestselling author Frances Mayes talks about her new book, Always Italy. Check out the ever-updated programme here.
