But digital art goes far beyond iPads and iPhones, and its flexibility and potential makes it a very exciting medium, from online art galleries, from the Science Gallery’s voyeuristic installation The Listening Post, which processes a huge amount of information pulled from chat rooms and Youtube commenters alike to give a snapshot of the digital realm, to projects where lie-detector tests are pitted against robotic voices to test their validity, digital art isn’t bound to a specific gallery and can be produced inexpensively if you have a good knowledge of computer programming or the world-wide web. It is this sense of possibility, which makes The Art Council’s new project so fascinating. The Space is a multi-media platform, which has commissioned 53 digital art projects from organisations throughout the UK, which will be streamed and broadcast on phones, tablets, computers and interactive TVs as they take place. Some big names are involved, including The Globe Theatre, which will showcase all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, each performed by a different international theatre group; The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts, which will recreate the legendary DJ’s home and make an interactive museum; The Tate Gallery, which will create a video postcard wall; and the BBC, who will help to select and mentor projects. With £3.5 million in funding behind the project and an audience that could spread over the world, it’s a fantastic way to put British art and creativity on the map and a great way to expand upon the artistic mediums of the future.

If you would like to visit some of the centres and find out more information about the project, there are lots of centrally located hotels from which to explore. The Globe is close to The Bridge Hotel, which offers very tasteful rooms for reasonable rates, and its location makes for easy exploration of both the South Bank and the West End. The Tate is one of Britain’s best-loved galleries, and if you would like to cast your eye over some Old Masters, The Sanctuary House Hotel offers comfortable rooms and all the amenities you could need, just five minutes walk away from the gallery, in a safe a secure part of London. If you want to take a tour of the BBC studios, but don’t want to splash out too much on a hotel, Shepherd’s Bush offers some great budget hotels, including The Dalmacia, a clean and convenient place to rest your head in this lively west London spot.

The building, which some say resembles an upside down table, with its four neo-classical columns that act as smoke funnels on top of the brick structure, is badly in need of repair, which is why so many projects brought to the table have been thwarted, including a proposal from Chelsea Football Club; suggestions that it would be a fantastic arena after the Princess of Wales memorial concert was held there; and $5.5 billion bids for an office complex by Irish firm REO. There has been plenty of interest in the Giles Gilbert Scott designed building, but so far nothing has come to fruition and the structure’s future is looking even more uncertain than ever.

Perhaps the answer lies in another Gilbert Scott conversion, which as proved very successful, the Bankside Power Station, which now houses the Tate Modern. The power station has sporadically been used for exhibitions and events, including the 4-dimensional Bjorn Borg underwear show for London Fashion Week 2012, so could become another important cultural centre, if someone is willing to put up the cash and undertake the massive renovation project.

Although Londoners may be up in arms about it’s demolishment, perhaps they should take note that whilst other historic London buildings have been updated and brought into the 21st century as part of London’s ever shifting landscape, the Power Station has largely remained stagnant; gloomily crumbling like a gothic castle for our times. It may provide pleasing fodder for melancholy photography projects, but maybe it’s time to say goodbye and embrace the new.

Battersea may be getting the chop, but you can visit Gilbert Scott’s more lasting design at Bankside, and luckily there are many fantastic hotels close to the Tate Modern. The Mercure London City is a very reliable and comfortable option with reasonable room rates. The Southwark Rose Hotel offers contemporary design, which reflects the modern art on display in Bankside, or The Bridge Hotel offers a more classic approach, housed in a traditional pub with elegant decor in well-appointed rooms. For a truly superb experience, stay in The Rookery, which features period fittings and stunning design flourishes including copper baths and antique beds.

So it is reason to celebrate that after a 17 year break Fry is returning to act on the London stage. Of course, the last time Fry took to the stage in the Simon Gray scripted play Cell Mates, he deserted the production mere days into its run and fled to Belgium, citing stage fright and his bipolar disorder as a reason for his bizarre disappearance, so it remains to be seen if he will stay the course. The role is a very suitable one for Fry, who is starring as comedic buffoon Malvolio in an all-male production of Twelfth Night, opposite love interest Lady Olivia, played by Mark Rylance, who was much lauded in his role as Jez Butterworth in the phenomenally popular play Jerusalem in London and New York.

The play will be staged at The Globe Theatre, a very suitable venue, not least because it was where Shakespeare originally staged the play in the 16th century, but because the play harks back to the traditional casting of men in women’s roles, as it would have been played in Shakespeare’s day. The play will run for three weeks, and the run will undoubtedly sell out very quickly, especially with the addition of Fry to the cast. The beloved personality has addressed queries about his recent stage faux pas and he has said he is now ‘a man content’, so it seems he will stay the course and bring his inimitable eloquence to the role.

If you would like to see the production, which begins on the 22nd September this year, it’s advisable to book tickets and accommodation well in advance. Luckily there are some fantastic hotels near The Globe such as the Southwark Rose Hotel, where you can enjoy the contemporary style of todays London and the traditional grandeur of London in the surrounding area. If you want a private, relaxing space in which to stay, The Kings Wardrobe Apartments offer elegant, tastefully decorated units in this historic area. If you want to experience some of the British eccentricity of the area, The Mad Hatter Hotel is a quirky, friendly establishment with plenty of character. For a very special stay, it is worth booking a room at the five-star Threadneedles Hotel , housed in a Victorian banking hall with many of the original features, so you can experience three of London’s most exciting eras, the intrigue and political turmoil of the 16th century, the pioneering advances in technology and arts of the Victorian era and of course modern day London

Early reviews of ‘Picasso and Modern British Art’ have stated that the British artists on show, some of the most respected names in the industry, including David Hockney, Francis Bacon and Henry Moore, ‘wilt’ when compared to the Spanish master and there are fears that Mondrian’s work will dwarf his London contemporary Ben Nicholson’s pieces. Nicholson was a close friend of Mondrain’s who invited him to stay with him in London during the war. Mondrian’s work had been exhibited at the Nazi’s infamous exhibition of ‘degenerate art’ and he felt his position in Europe was unstable, so even bomb-ravaged London seemed favourable. The war did eventually drive Mondrian out of London in 1940 after his windows were blown in during a blitz raid, after which he moved to New York, a city his work became synonymous with. However, during his time in London, he was very influential on emerging artists, Nicholson in particular, whose work during this time became less colourful and frenetic, morphing into austere white reliefs, clearly influenced by Mondrian’s strict colour palette and restrained use of detail; a characteristic that made him an important component of the De Stijl movement.

The curator of the Mondrian and Nicholson show, Dr Barnaby Wright, has stated that “The shows are not some kind of boxing match, they’re about how inventive, in relation to European artists, British artists are.” and whilst the shows may invite comparison, these comments from detractors seem unfair. First one should consider that these European artists themselves, whilst they were masters of their field, were in turn influenced by the arrival of artifacts of African art into Europe after centuries of being dismissed as primitive, compared to which, European art of the time looked less bold and much more stagnant. One should also take into account that whatever influence these artists had on specific artists of the time, their influence on British artists paved the way for a new wave of art, which would give way to the vibrant and decidedly British movement of Pop Art. It may be that anyone’s work held up to such a genius as Picasso or Mondrian will pale by comparison, but to deny that these works lack inventiveness neglects their wider influence on modern art, let’s hope the Mondrian show goes some way towards setting the detractors correct.

If you would like to visit the Mondrian and Nicholson show to decide for yourself. The Courtauld Gallery is near The Strand and there are many elegant and affordable places to stay nearby. If you want to treat yourself to a few nights immersed in the glamour of turn of the century London, book into the Royal Horseguards for a very luxurious rest. The Radisson Edwardian Leicester Square offers a more contemporary style with the convenience of a very central location and reliably good service. The Royal Trafalgar Hotel is also very close to the gallery and enjoys chic modern rooms, which seems a suitable style option considering Mondrian’s work. Or if you want to show your solidarity with our native artists, choose the most British accommodation of all, a pub, The Wellington offers tastefully decorated rooms in a Londoner’s favourite location, so you will definitely pick up some of the local colour.

The QS Best Student Cities poll ranked London the second best city for students out of the 50 ranked. Whilst the top spot went to Paris, London scored highly on the reputation of its institutions, such as Imperial College London and University College of London and factors, which would be of the utmost importance to visiting students, such as the price of a burger. Quality of life and crime rates were also taken into account. Unfortunately the poll indicates that London is still a very expensive place to study, with a high cost of student accommodation and tuition fees as high as £20,000 a year, which seems astronomical when compared to Paris’s very affordable £1,000 a year. However, the price reflects the quality of education and tuition and international students who wish to study in this historic and vibrant city should consider it an investment.

There was an estimated 1.8 million international students in the UK last year, many of who were studying in the capital and these numbers are expected to increase. Aside from adding to the vibrant melting pot, which makes London’s community so exciting, international students bolster the economy, so it is important to address the factors that pushed London into second place, perhaps by introducing cheaper student apartments, such as NIDO Student Living, or perhaps by assessing the cost of tuition to see where improvements could be made. Certainly, Londoners themselves would welcome the idea of cheaper flats and possibly burgers.

If you are considering studying in the second best student city in the world, you may want to pay a prospective visit to some of the best institutions. UCL is in north London, near Euston tube station and there are many fantastic places to stay nearby. MIC is a reasonable hotel with funky rooms, which will give you a glimpse of the kind of style you can expect in this cosmopolitan city. Euston Square Hotel is a charming establishment, which offers very affordable cheerful rooms, which won’t require an extension on your student loan. Imperial College London is in Knightsbridge, one of London’s more exclusive areas, close to Harrods Department Store. If you can afford the luxury prices, you can splash out ad treat yourself to an opulent, stately room at The Cadogan, very close to the college.

In 1927 Hollywood released a film called The Jazz Singer, the first feature length picture to make use of a technical revolution in filmmaking, which would shake the foundations of the Studio System. It was the first film to use synchronized dialogue, and for many stars of the silent era that relied on overwrought facial expressions to convey drama, it signaled the end of their careers as they were revealed to have heavy accents or voices unsuitable for screen. The last silent film was made in 1935 and since then, silence in cinema has been the mainstay of avant garde projects, that is, until last year, when The Artist, a film starring actors Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, then unknowns in the UK, which harks back to the Golden era of Hollywood, with a story that involves the romance, drama and intrigue of the transition from silent to sound using almost entirely no sound itself.

The Artist is a rare beast, a sleeper hit that has captured peoples imaginations and proved to have widespread appeal, and this was made most apparent at last night’s BAFTA awards, where the film had 12 nominations and swept the board with 7 wins, the most of any film of the night. It bodes well for Oscar glory and it’s a curiously cyclical turn of events that a stylistic technique, which was once so derided for being outmoded is now the flavour of the day due to a mix of nostalgia and the need for more novelty in films. Could this see a slew of actors returning to hammy facial contortions? One can only hope.

Another film to win big was The Iron Lady, portraying Britain’s first female Prime Minister as played by the inimitable Meryl Streep. Margaret Thatcher was a divisive figure, a woman who made the suits in Parliament quiver in fear and wielded her handbag like a gavel; and a pariah who earnt as much of a reputation for taking away free school milk as she did for starting the Falklands War; but perhaps in Streep’s award-winning, subtlety and style the history books will be revised with a decidedly rosier tint.

If you would like to celebrate The Artist’s BAFTA awards, you can watch it in style in one of London’s elegant and funky cinemas which handily have fab hotels just a short walk away, Notting Hill’s Electric Cinema offers cocktails whilst you watch and comfy sofas, and if you stay in the Abbey Court Hotel just a few minutes walk away, you can enjoy Hollywood glamour in four-poster beds and antique features. The Renoir Cinema is an elegant old-school cinema in Bayswater and the Orchard Hotel offers cheap, welcoming accommodation so that you don’t have to scrimp on style whilst you save. The Odeon in Leicester Square is a modern, flashier multiplex cinema, but film premieres are held there, so there is a chance you could end up celeb spotting on the sly. Stay at the Radisson Edwardian Leicester Square for elegant contemporary chic, worthy of a modern movie star. If you want to see where Margaret Thatcher ruled with her be-ringed iron fist, you can visit the Houses of Parliament then stay in the stately Royal Horseguards hotel very close by, the Prime Minister herself wouldn’t have settled for anything less.

With the glitz of the Christmas party season now a distant memory and bikini season still several months away, February can feel like a style limbo for Londoners, with our trademark eclectic fashions hidden from view under winter coats. So what better time for London Fashion Week to roll into town to give us a sneak peek at what we will soon be adorning ourselves in and to remind us all that there is light at the end of the proverbial catwalk in these dark months of thermal underwear.

Considered one of the ‘Big Four’ fashion shows alongside Milan, New York and Paris, the event is firmly fixed inside the diaries of designers, press, bloggers and buyers, and is attended by over 5,000 people. It is the UK’s largest and best looking trade show, where an estimated £40 million of orders are taken, making it a very significant event for London’s economy, alongside promoting British designers all over the world and maintaining the city‘s long-standing reputation as a style Mecca.

The event is sponsored by fittingly sleek luxury car brand Mercedes Benz and runs from the 17 – 22nd February, with over 50 catwalk shows and designers, both established and fledgling. The best of British design will be featured in shows for Vivienne Westwood, Burberry, Alexander McQueen and Ozwald Boateng and the event is also a great place to predict the style innovators of the future as students from institutions such as The Central St Martins College of Art and Design present their inaugural collections. Always exciting and surprising, this season shows the introduction of unique trends such as studded slippers and brightly coloured sleeveless shirts for men alongside less bold offerings such as beach tousled hair and block coloured dresses from newcomer Holly Fulton. In past events controversy has also stalked the runways, with designer Mark Fast debuting his collection in plus size models, which sparked a debate about size-ism in fashion and at the other side of the spectrum, the Model Health Agency expressed concern about the thin frames of some models, but this year promises to be a less scandalous affair with the focus on the clothes.

London Fashion Week is held in Somerset House, the former residence of Queen Elizabeth I, who was known for her pioneering fashion looks in her own era, popularising ruffs and tapered bodices. Whilst the cobbled courtyards may wreak havoc with designer heels, the magical setting lends itself well to the theatre of the shows, some of which are very elaborate. Although the event is usually invite only, it is possible to wangle tickets from time to time. The area will also be abuzz with some of the biggest names in the industry, so if you fancy catching a glimpse of Anna Wintour or what you will be wearing next season, there are some great hotels nearby where you can stay. The Strand Palace Hotel offers old-world class and elegance with comfortable contemporary interiors. Kingsway Hall is convenient for Somerset House, Covent Garden and London’s Theatreland and has a great selection of rooms in a traditional style alongside extras such as a Jacuzzi and steam rooms. The five-star Chancery Court Hotel offers very opulent interiors with chandeliers and colonnades, with a very stylish bar, so you can mingle with a fashionable set. If you have a budget to consider, but don’t want to sacrifice a sartorial ambience, you can stay at Citadines Aparthotel, which offers self-contained units in a modern style, where you can experience how Londoners live.

Covering a range of disciplines, from architecture to fashion, the exhibition brings together designers from all over the world, and represents some of the biggest names in the industry including Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton for her design of the Duchess of Cambridge’s stunning wedding dress and architect Zaha Hadid for her Guangzhou Opera House. There are a few curious additions however, for every design that becomes a staple of homes across the nation, there are the odd entries that are perhaps more suited to surrealist pondering than resting a mug of coffee on. A table made out of humble polystyrene looks as though it would collapse if one so much as sneezed near it, but could prove to be an eco friendly solution to a place to fan out your magazines, Werner Aisslinger’s stackable chairs made from hemp are similarly biodegradable. A particularly whimsical entry is Gordon Young’s comedy carpet, a concrete wall with jokes in a music hall, letterpress style font embedded into the raw material. It might be a cheeky, Monty-Pythonesque wink at British wit, but the designer worked closely with chemists to create the specific alchemy to produce such a curious product, showing that even the most bizarre entries are brought about with the utmost seriousness.

Whilst these products may not become commercial successes, they represent an earnest attempt at the future of design to impact the world less whilst enhancing it all the more. This is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the museum, designs that move us into a more convenient but less disruptive future. Designs for electric cars rub shoulder’s with Korean chain Homeplus’s supermarket vending machines and £D printers which can make objects out of glass, intended for use in harsh desert environments. A product with a particularly anthropological bent is the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design’s prototype for a new style of ambulance, with 360 degree access to the gurney, easy-clean surfaces and better-utilised space to allow paramedics to operate with ease. It has bee estimated that this design would reduce hospital admissions by 60% and save the NHS tens of millions of pounds.

Therein lies the crux of the museum, come April the winner of the award will be announced, but unless these designs are seriously considered for investment by those they were created to help, this will just be another ghost town of fantastic ideas stagnating. One would hope that the NHS will see the long-term impact rather than the amount of zeroes on the cheque, and maybe this year the press surrounding the exhibition will be enough to convince them.

If you would like to see the wild and wonderful designs on show, there are many fantastic hotels in the surrounding area. The charming, two-star Mad Hatter hotel offers very reasonable rates within a traditional pub setting in nearby Southwark. Another pub hotel with plenty of character, low-cost rooms and elegant decor is The Wellington, just a short walk away from The Design Museum, or if you require added privacy, or are travelling with a family, Kings Wardrobe Serviced Apartments might be just the ticket, with bright, cheerful interiors and modern kitchen units.

It’s a welcome return to form after Weiwei has been held in custody in China for 81 days over the past year for his activist activities, in a round up of lawyers and perceived dissidents. Weiwei is still embroiled in the controversy, with alleged charges of failing to pay £2.5 million in back taxes to Chinese authorities. The artist previously courted controversy when his sunflower seeds installation in the Tate Modern, which featured thousands of hand made porcelain seeds, which visitors were allowed to walk over, released potentially harmful dust fragments; so it is a welcome update to see positive stories relating to Weiwei again.

The artist and architects have previously teamed up before to build a stunning bird’s nest inspired stadium for the Beijing Olympics and this collaboration marks continuity between the Beijing Games and London’s 2012 games. The project seems to be conscious of the environmental impact of building, requiring a 1.5 metre ditch to be dug for the foundations, from which rainwater will be collected and used in the structure. One can only speculate as to how the project will unfold or what fantastical form it will eventually take, but without a doubt this will be one not to miss.

If you want to experience Ai’s work in the flesh and sit, stand or lie under it as the artist intends people to use it, there are some fantastic hotels placed near Kensington Gardens, within walking distance of The Serpentine Gallery, the Montana Hotel London on the south side of the park offers good value tourist class accommodation and is also within walking distance of Harrods Department Store and London’s museum district. For a decadent treat, you can book into one of Park Lane’s exclusive establishments, if you want opulent traditional surroundings aim for Grosvenor House, or if you want to be immersed in surroundings as artistic as the Pavilion itself, The Metropolitan Hotel offers trendy minimalist chic. If those are a little out of your price range, the Kensington House Hotel is a few minutes walk from the Gardens and offers 19th century fittings with all modern conveniences.

More hotels near Hyde Park London

Dickens moved to Camden, north London in 1822, which was to have an enormous affect on his writing. His work was heavily influenced by the grimy industrialism of the Victorian age, so often hailed as an age of progress, Dickens work delved into the underworld of the great city to expose the social injustices and abuses of the time. When writing A Christmas Carol he would ‘walk about the black streets of London fifteen or twenty miles many a night when all sober folks had gone to bed’. His tales replete with ragamuffins, thieves, orphans and corrupt authoritarians, Dickens sought to put a face to the working class and educate fellow literati about their plight, in the horrific conditions of the factories and slums of London. However, as much as his prose elucidates his vitriol for the disgraceful state of London, he strove to improve conditions in the city. He was known for his philanthropic efforts as much as his writing, helping to establish a home for fallen women, which sought to educate them rather than the cruel punishments meted out to them in similar establishments. When he was involved in the Staplehurst Rail crash, he helped tend to the injured whilst help was on the way and he helped to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital by giving readings, writing articles and using his position in society.

London was as much a character in Dickens’ tales as Oliver Twist or Ebenezer Scrooge, as he documented the streets, rivers and coaching inns in his inimitable style. Although the London of today is unrecognizable from the city he knew, for example, St Paul’s Cathedral dome is no longer blackened, he would still have found the shifts in social change, the multiculturalism of society and the advances in technology fascinating and one can only imagine what he would write about the city today, perhaps critiquing the NHS or documenting the Occupy protests. If you happen to be visiting London on this day you could visit the Charles Dickens Museum in Bloomsbury to learn more about this fascinating character, or pay a trip to historic pub Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, which Dickens frequented, to toast him with a pint of Sam Smiths.