This evening marks the end of London's first major light festival, Lumiere London, which has seen the capital's iconic architecture transformed with 3D projections, installations and unique light works. The 4 day festival ran from Thursday 14 - Sunday 17 January, every evening from 6.30pm-10.30pm . Produced by Artichoke and supported by the Mayor of London, it has widely been hailed as a success, with works shown in central locations, from Kings Cross, Mayfair, Picadilly, Regent Street and St James's to Trafalgar Square and Westminster. 

My favourite works were Janet Echelman's 1.8 London at Oxford Circus and Patrice Warrener's The Light of the Spirit at Westminster Abbey. 
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​As the final months of 2015 arrived and the year sped towards its final hour, I visited a flurry of participatory art exhibitions across London, all of which had something in common. In a city which constantly churns out exhibitions and events, it was, as ever the immersive shows which won my time and appreciation. The Old Masters never did appeal to me; a child of the times, it has always been Contemporary Art which strikes a chord. 
 
Viewing art is always fascinating on some level, but truly experiencing art is something altogether more memorable. With so much visual stimulation in today’s world, now more than ever it is not enough just to look, we want to get involved. Art which forces the viewer to in some way participate is not new. In the 1960s American artist Bruce Nauman’s ‘Performance Corridor’ forced his viewers to walk down a 20 inch wide corridor, and experience the constraints of space - not too dissimilarly to Höller’s opening corridor in his 2015 ‘Decision’ show, albeit with light rather than space being withheld. Such experiences place the viewer in situations which stimulate the senses and provoke a reaction; this is the artist’s intent.

When the viewer becomes a performer in the work, they are given a role to play in creating its meaning. It is the participation itself which completes this kind of work; unlike a painting which needs no viewer to add the finishing touch, without the viewer participatory art remains incomplete.

Today the Royal Academy closes its doors to Ai Weiwei’s first British survey show. An artist arguably more famed for his political activism than his works alone, Weiwei's blockbuster show was bound to be met with mixed reviews. Like most art, particularly that which comes with a political message, his is not to everyones taste.

He is renowned for creating works which speak of exploitation and injustice, particularly pertaining to the Chinese Government. Whilst I appreciate the concepts behind his work, not all of it resonates with me and whilst I wouldn’t go so far as to say it myself, I can see why some critics label it nothing more than a spectacle. That said, his enormous ‘Straight’ installation certainly wowed.

‘Roaring Trade’ is the latest play to grace the stage at Finsbury Park’s intimate neighbourhood theatre venue, Park Theatre. It shines a spotlight on Canary Wharf, exposing the ugly dog-eat-dog world where money is everything and humility is unheard of. Playwright Steve Thompson (think Sherlock and Dr Who) has whipped up a storm of a script which sees speedy dialogue and short scenes offering a snapshot of life as a bond trader at investment bank McSorley’s.

Written in the wake of the financial crash, Roaring Trade is all about the people behind the screens: the competitive scramble to the top, the pressure of delivery, class rivalry, betrayal, insecurity, greed and pride. Director Alan Cohen has successfully ensured that the actors dialed up expression to the max; sitting a mere metre away from the stage the tension for the audience during scenes of conflict is electric, and the stress experienced by the characters truly palpable.

I first met artist James Pimperton in 2011, during his first solo exhibition of his work in London at George and Jørgen. I was fascinated by the hyper-real non-spaces depicted in his paintings. His fictitious landscapes were recognisable yet entirely obscure, possessing traditional painterly skill in a futuristic way; quite unlike anything I’d seen before. Their dream-like qualities inspired me to select him to exhibit in a small exhibition around the theme of Utopia at a local-run gallery in Kentish Town. 

Back then he was living in Leicester, but three years on he’s a Londoner. I met up with James at the Chelsea College of Arts Summer Show, as his Fine Art MA came to a close.

Camden’s Roundhouse was recently home to Utopia, a reimagined sensory city experienced through a series of walk-through environments. Created by filmmaker, writer and artist Penny Woolcock and renowned Glastonbury Festival stage designers Block 9, the series of installations, projections and sound pieces brought to our attention the substance of the city; the voices that we would otherwise miss. Recognising that ‘most of the time we just pass each other’, Woolcock spoke to a number of Londoners about their lives and experiences, encouraging them ‘to tell stories which were unique to them, but somehow told a bigger truth’. With an overwhelming number of voices combining to disorientate the senses, visitors had to get close to each speaker, and give the stranger’s voice their undivided attention; quite uncommon for London.

As the Canadian circus troupe The 7 Fingers (Les Sept Doights) close their London show ’Traces’ at Holborn’s Peacock Theatre this evening they’re sure to be celebrating what can only be described as a feat. The multi-talented heptad wove together a collage of scenes incorporating acrobatics, acting, musical talent, dance and art to demonstrate skill and strength with the greatest elegance.

We took our seats to a stage backdrop lit up by a live streaming of the audience filing into the auditorium courtesy of the reception security cameras. Real time projections continued once the show started, with Hou Kai's cityscape illustrations, created onstage, projected for all to see.