Together with

Autumn in London comes with a welcome air of getting back to business.

Gone are the distractions of warm weather, with its tempting occasions for squiffy dancing in the streets or lazing in the parks; such al fresco revelries usurped by a welcome return to focus - and a drive towards achieving a few decent things before another year is done in a flash.

Accordingly, this week I dashed over to the studios of Bloomsbury Radio to get the inside track on an upcoming conference hosted by the Knowledge Quarter, direct from their Events Manager, Lucy Young.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the KQ, an organisation that brings together and showcases the incredible wealth of educational, tech, scientific and cultural institutions we have clustered around us here, within a one-mile radius of King’s Cross Station.

“When I was drawing up the concept behind this year's conference,” says Lucy, who is being interviewed live on air at the time (see video below), “I knew that it provides an opportunity for us to talk about all the wins we've had over the past decade, but it’s equally important that we continue looking forward.

“That’s why we chose the to include the word ‘vision’ in the title, and also something actionable, like ‘impact’.”

The Future of Knowledge: From Vision to Impact takes place on Thurs 25th Nov at the brand new hot ticket events location inside the scrubbed up old Camden Town Hall (main photo above).

“The venue is called Vision Hall, and our KQ offices and coworking space are Impact Hub, so if anything, I think the ethos behind the conference was already written in the stars,” she smiles behind the mic.

Much like the KQ itself, the event aims to be a space for connection, brining together institutions and entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers, artists and educators, to see what might bloom when these busy, locally-based people get a rare chance to gather in the same room.

“The agenda is so broad, and that's done intentionally,” says Lucy. “Our members work across so many different disciplines, so we’ve tried to capture that with our programme.”

Working at its best, the KQ umbrella introduces the smallest of local community stakeholders to their neighbouring global behemoths, and students from the area’s bounty of universities and colleges to opportunities for joining startups or spinning out their own ideas with the support of being based within this dynamic ecosystem.

And this week saw the launch of the KQ Masterclass Programme, the organisation’s latest initiative, alongside Camden Learning and Google, connecting students from 10 Camden schools with all kinds of skills, knowledge and a route into the local networks, based at the acclaimed London AI Campus in Somers Town.

Of course, many other locals can still feel excluded from the gleaming offices and ivory towers dotted all around, but anything that breaks down the traditional silos and celebrates being based in the same physical location feels like progress.

Equally, there’s the chance for commercial rivalries to be put aside for a moment in pursuit of a shared purpose, which is not only a good idea as neighbours, but has global significance when it comes the fields of AI and life sciences, which increasing numbers of KQ organisations do.

“A great example is that we have Dave Hallett joining us on stage from [AI drug discovery pioneers] Recursion, who joined the KQ earlier this year,” continues Lucy.

“He’s on a panel alongside leaders from Novo Nordisk and Isomorphic Labs. Working in the same fields, in ordinary circumstances they’d all be classed as ‘competitors’, but it’s being part of the KQ that can bring them together to discuss the realities of the landscape today, and to look at collaborations and partnerships, which is a hugely important opportunity.”

Other highlights include panels shining a light on the growing life science cluster in the area, sustainability, fundraising and growth for local community and cultural organisations and plenty more.

It’s weighty stuff, but ideal for an autumnal hunkering down kinda focus, offering something for everyone invested in the future of Camden - let alone the human race - so I’ll see you there…

More info on the full event programme and to book tickets

CAMDEN CURATED

🤯 Here’s your weekly source of inspiration & quirky local pursuits to try

WINE: 🍷Tonight, Fri 24th Oct, you can still get a last-minute place at Food of War’s first Bottles Under Fire, a tasting of premium wines sourced from some of the world’s toughest conflict zones. You’ll experience five rare wines from Ukraine, Lebanon and Syria, and help directly support winemakers working in extreme conditions to preserve their traditions against all the odds on the frontlines of war.

FOOD + MUSIC: 🍕🎶 Turkish-Italian DJ Carlita brings her Senza Fine multi-sensory party to KOKO Electronic tonight, Fri 24th Oct, a mix of music, fashion and art for an altogether more immersive kinda night out. On top of those sensations you can add taste, too, as her co-host for the night, DJ Tennis, presents a one-off Senza Kitchen takeover at Don KOKO in the cafe ahead of the club opening, where he will curate both the music and the food coming from the kitchen. Book a table.

DANCE: 💃🏼 The nights are drawing in fast, but you can catch the final big outdoor salsa circle of the season at Coal Drops Yard on Wed 29th Oct, and add a last little al fresco Cuban vibe before hunkering down for winter, with the enthusiasts at Rueda Libre.

INSTALATION:⚡Dance supremo Wayne McGregor launches his spectacular-sounding new show at Somerset House next week, with an offshoot at Charing Cross Road’s Stone Next from Thurs 30th Oct (pictured above). On The Other Earth allows groups of up to 20 people to enter a radically immersive space (think panoramic, 360-degree stereoscopic, 12k LED, 26-million-pixel screens) for an otherworldly encounter with dancers, digital imagery and sonics that might just point towards the future for entertainment. Runs to 22nd Feb.

MUSEUM: 🎃 King’s Cross’ fascinating London Canal Museum are going big on half term distractions, with three days of Terrifying Tunnel & Scream Tea Halloween canal boat trips with a cream tea afterwards, Wed 27th - Fri 31st Oct, plus a Family Fun Day on Tues Oct 28th.

THEATRE: 👻 Also on that currently unavoidable spooky tip, The Courtyard Theatre is hosting its first-ever Horror Festival 2025, Oct 28th- Nov 2nd with a programme of shows incorporating spine-chilling storytelling, improv, comedy and Halloween burlesque.

PIZZA: 🍕Reportedly some of the best 100% gluten free pizza in London, DIJöN opens a new takeaway hut at Hampstead Community Market this Sun 26th Oct. They do have room for a few outdoor tables and chairs in the little alleyway, and will offer GF bagels, pastries and doughnuts all day, too.

PHOTOGRAPHY: 📸 Snapper to the stars, Rankin, is running another of his popular RankinLIVE sessions from his Kentish Town studios in December, so if you want your portrait shot by the guy who did the same for Queen Elizabeth II, Madonna, David Bowie, Quentin Tarantino and many more, best book now.

REVIEW

Sunday in Camden Town reveals the spectrum of live shows

It was raining most of Sunday, so what better excuse to spend the whole day enveloped in the warm hug of some darkened, pleasingly packed out local music venues?

At lunchtime I ducked off a damp Chalk Farm Rd for three hours of pure energy and emerging talent at the latest showcase from music youth music INTRA at the Camden Club.

What the organisers and the bands are doing is genuinely exciting for anyone interested in the future of live music, with a seemingly unstoppable momentum right now, and I can’t wait to announce some of the ideas we’ve been hatching for a few local pop-up collaborations. Watch this space…

Then it was on to the Jazz Cafe to catch the much-loved Brooklyn Funk Essentials, with fabulous local vocallist, Alison Limerick, on devastating lead form.

They ripped through classic cuts and super-tight covers, consistently choc full of funky sass, and exactly the stuff to brighten up a wet early doors show at this iconic venue, which can pretty much be relied upon to deliver every time.

Limerick successfully channels her inner (cockney) Grace Jones, while regularly allowing the other member of the band ample space to shine, digging deep across a 30-year history and influences from the purest of funk to fusion dancehall, hip hop and beyond.

New single Never Give Up lands a new upbeat soul nugget upon the faithful, which has them whooping and relishing the polished smooth, cheery good times vibes alongside the more familiar tracks.

The inevitable but very welcome brassy update of Limerick’s massive Where Love Lives also has them in raptures to top things off.

Brooklyn Funk Essentials are in many ways a quintessential Jazz Cafe band, totally on top of their funk-drenched sound and comfortable in their well-earned swagger, with a loyal and fondly cozy fanbase to boot. They’re at the other end of the journey to the enthusiastic teen guitar heroes I’d enjoyed equally at the start of the afternoon, but share the simple pleasures of belting out great live music to a receptive Camden crowd.

It was certainly a good way to be reminded once again of how privileged we are to have such a variety of bands, music and venues available to enjoy on our doorsteps, seven days a week.

FEEDBACK

✍🏼 Thoughts on last week’s edition

• The new Camdenist social media policy of publishing content to delight our community, and not worry about clicks, going viral, or pleasing the algorithm, has been going nicely. Thanks to the new followers and hope you are enjoying sing alternative views of the neighbourhood: @camdenist

• Following on from the theme of social media and AI in 2026, there was a good read this week in Time Magazine asking the question that when everything is fake, do the social platforms begin loose their grip over us?

• And we received an interesting letter on the Heath Ponds post, adding some important background:

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