Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style: From Pamela Anderson's famous one-piece to Tom Daley's tiny Speedos
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style intends to celebrate 'our enduring love of the water over the last 100 years' by showcasing swimming's evolution in its social, cultural, technological and environmental contexts. The exhibition is divided thematically, with each of the three main spaces of the museum's basement dedicated to one of the three major swimming arenas: pools, lidos, and nature. While the carefully thought-out 1950s retro pop ambience initially comes across as vibrant, an imminent sensation of drowning takes hold as one dives deeper into this subterranean hoarder's paradise of any and all swimming-related paraphernalia.
At best it is a 'fun' exhibition (not necessarily a bad thing) which ping-pongs the viewer's attention between an abundance of trinkets, advertisements, magazines, posters, goggles, rubber pool slides, costume sketches, swimming pool designs and rather unsightly swimming costumes covering the expanse of modern swimming history.
As with all decent British museums these days, a sociopolitical angle has not been neglected, even for this seemingly benign activity. Playing on a loop in the first room is a video about The Subversive Sirens, who define themselves as 'a Minnesota-based synchronised swimming team committed to black liberation, equity in swimming/aquatic arts, radical body acceptance, and queer visibility' and won a joint gold medal for their free combo routine at the Gay Games in 2018. The video of their practice includes members of the team talking about what they enjoy about synchronised swimming: 'Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare. We're not gonna wait for the world to be, like this perfect 'da da da da da' to start living free now.'
While there are some engaging artefacts in this first room – the first Olympic solo swimming gold medal won by a British woman, Lucy Morton at the Paris Olympics in 1924; the microscopic Speedos worn by Tom Daley at the Tokyo Olympics, where he won gold in 2021 – it was quite difficult to concentrate over the omnipresent sound of the liberation of swimming being played in a running loop. 'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight' go The Subversive Sirens as they practice their neverending underwater routine. How tiring it must be for them to be trapped underwater in the basement of the Design Museum in perpetuity.
The Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style exhibition is certainly a spectacle and will be especially worthwhile for those who are swimming enthusiasts, nostalgic for the lido age, or curious about the sociopolitical importance of swimming since the 1920s. Come for the refreshing aquatic levity and stay for the Facekini, Monokini (topless bikini), and a silver swimming thong; if this is the way modern swimming is headed, then let's bring back the bathing machines, none of which are on display. This is a good opportunity for viewers to dip their toes into the nourishing waters of swimming sub-culture; without any risk of verrucas.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
10 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight set to write next James Bond movie
British screenwriter Steven Knight has reportedly been tapped to write the next James Bond movie. According to Deadline, Knight recently met director Denis Villeneuve and landed the job after various other writers were also considered. Villeneuve is currently filming the third Dune instalment. The 65-year-old writer is best known for co-creating the long-running gameshow Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and creating the hit crime series Peaky Blinders. His other small-screen credits include Taboo, A Thousand Blows and The Veil starring Elisabeth Moss. On the big screen, Knight was written the scripts for acclaimed dramas Eastern Promises, Dirty Pretty Things, Locke and Spencer. He also wrote and directed sci-fi thriller Serenity starring Matthew McConaughey, which received negative reviews. The Guardian's Charles Bramesco called it 'magnificently terrible'. His upcoming credits include Peaky Blinders movie The Immortal Man and period drama series House of Guinness for Netflix. When talking about The Immortal Man in 2023, Knight name-checked 007. 'The biggest difference between a film and TV series is the budget,' he said to the Mirror. 'When you do stuff for TV, you often have to ask people to imagine it. But with a film, you can really do it. You can blow stuff up. Will Tommy be giving James Bond a run for his money? Maybe. There are parallels. We always thought of Peaky as very cinematic, so we are finally finding a screen big enough for what we want to do.' While the role of James Bond remains up in the air, a June report claimed that Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson and Jacob Elordi were top of the wishlist. The news came just after Dune and Arrival director Villeneuve was officially attached. 'I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come,' he said in a statement. 'This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honour.' The 26th Bond film will follow Daniel Craig's final outing No Time to Die, which made over $774m at the global box office. Earlier this year, in a reported $1bn deal, Amazon MGM bought the rights to gain 'creative control' of the franchise.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
90s pop legend spotted at SPFL club's stadium before huge headline gig as another club bid to make him their newest fan
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN icon of British music made a surprise visit to an SPFL club's home stadium before a huge headline gig. But it was ANOTHER club altogether that bid to make him their newest fan! Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Paul Heaton is headlining in the Highlands tonight Credit: Splash 3 He paid a visit to Inverness Caledonian Thistle Credit: INSTAGRAM/@ICTFC 3 But another club may have stolen a march! Credit: X/@CLACHFC Legendary 90s pop hero Paul Heaton is in Scotland to headline a major festival. Alongside Scots singer Rianne Downey, the Beautiful South legend is the headline act for the opening night of this year's Belladrum festival in the Highlands. Heaton, who also fronted the Housemartins, is a big football fan. He's well known for being a huge Sheffield United supporter and even played a huge show at the club's Bramall Lane home back in May. While he's a bit far from his favourite team's home, Heaton has been spotted at TWO different Scottish footie grounds. SPFL League One outfit Inverness Caledonian Thistle shared a picture of Heaton at their Caledonian Stadium home in the hours leading up to his headline gig. The snap showed the Rotterdam singer pitchside with the club's groundsman Dale Stephen. It seems he didn't leave empty handed either with the club telling fans to "watch out for his ICTFC pin badge at his performance tonight." But it seems another club in the city made their very own pitch for Heaton to pick them as his Scottish team! Highland League club Clachnacuddin are located just a five minute drive away from Inverness CT's home stadium. Scott Kellacher on saving Inverness Caley Thistle from the brink, his Celtic days & meeting Al Pacino And Heaton popped in there too! The club shared an image of the music hero on their pitch - and revealed they'd made him a MEMBER of their supporters' trust. Clachnacuddin posted: "Perfect 10. "We were delighted to welcome along to Grant Street tonight's headlining Belladrum act, Paul Heaton. "Paul was given a tour of The Ferry San Siro and presented with his own Supporters' Trust membership card. "We would like to thank Paul and co for stopping by." Have YOU got a point for Kris Boyd? Kris Boyd and Roger Hannah chew over the big talking points each week SOMETHING you've just got to get off your chest from the weekend action? A burning Scottish football talking point you can't wait to bring up with Kris Boyd and Roger Hannah? SunSport's GoBallistic show wants to hear from you! So why not help set the Scottish football agenda for the week ahead! Have your say on the game's big topics by emailing us on: GoBallistic@ It's YOUR turn to Go Ballistic! Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
How Sylvia Young went from housewife charging 10p for drama lessons to theatre school boss who made Britain's top stars
FOR a housewife who started out charging ten pence for after-school drama lessons, Sylvia Young had an incredible ability to spot raw talent. The 85-year-old, who died on Wednesday, helped hone the skills of a who's who of the British entertainment industry. 15 Sylvia Young had an incredible ability to spot raw talent Credit: Alamy 15 Sylvia helped hone the skills of a who's who of the British entertainment industry Credit: Facebook/FrancesRuffelle 15 Amy Winehouse passed the audition to join Sylvia's theatre school in London Credit: Getty 15 A young Amy Winehouse pictured at the Sylvia Young Theatre School Credit: X Among those to have passed the audition to join her theatre school in London were singers Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora and three-quarters of All Saints. Dua, who has won seven Brit awards and three Grammys, said that she did not know she could sing until a teacher at the Sylvia Young Theatre School told her how good she was. Actors who attended her classes include Keeley Hawes, Doctor Who's Matt Smith, Nicholas Hoult, who is in the latest Superman blockbuster, and Emmy-nominated Adolescence and Top Boy star Ashley Walters. The school was also a conveyor belt for EastEnders stars, with Nick Berry, Letitia Dean, Adam Woodyatt and Dean Gaffney all passing through its doors. Stage fright But there were problems along the way. In 1998 one of the drama masters was arrested for indecent assault, and the company struggled to survive the Covid shutdown. The pressures of fame also proved too much for some former pupils, including the late Winehouse and EastEnders' original Mark Fowler, David Scarboro, who was found at the bottom of cliffs as Beachy Head in East Sussex in 1988. Sylvia, though, was loved by her former pupils, many of whom paid tribute to the 'backstage matriarch'. Keeley Hawes wrote: 'I wouldn't have the career I have today without her help'. And All Saints singer Nicole Appleton commented: 'This is going to really affect us all who were lucky enough to be part of her amazing world growing up. What a time, the best memories.' DJ Tony Blackburn added: 'She was a very lovely lady who I had the privilege of knowing for many years. She will be sadly missed.' Winehouse Shows Star Quality Actress Sadie Frost commented online: 'What a woman, what a family, what a legacy! Sending everyone so much love and support. She was always so lovely to me.' And TV and radio presenter Kate Thornton said she 'meant so much to so many'. Sylvia did not boast about the success of her students and the school's website does not mention its incredible roster of ex-pupils. But it is hard to imagine a single drama teacher ever having as much impact as her. Sylvia's two daughters, Alison and Frances Ruffelle, who are directors of the theatre school, said: 'Our mum was a true visionary. 'She gave young people from all walks of life the chance to pursue their performing arts skills to the highest standard. 'Her rare ability to recognise raw talent and encourage all her students contributed to the richness of today's theatre and music world, even winning herself an Olivier Award along the way.' 15 Pop star Rita Ora also attended Sylvia's school Credit: Getty 15 Rita Ora pictured as a student of the Sylvia Young Theatre School Credit: John Clark/22five Publishing 15 Denise Van Outen was a product of the prestigious school Credit: Getty 15 A young and smiling Denise at Sylvia's school Credit: YouTube Sylvia made it to the top of the British entertainment industry the hard way. She was the eldest of nine children born to Abraham Bakal, a tailor's presser, and housewife Sophie in London's East End. Born in 1939 just after the outbreak of World War Two she remembered the air raid sirens during the Blitz of the capital. She was evacuated to a village near Barnsley during the war, only returning home once it was over. At the local library she was gripped by reading plays and would meet up with friends to perform them. While still at school she joined a theatre group in North London, but her dreams of treading the boards in the West End were dashed by stage fright. She said: 'I used to lose my voice before every production. When I think about it, they were sort of panic attacks.' Instead, she married telephone engineer Norman Ruffell in 1961 and stayed at home to look after their two daughters. When Alison and Frances attended primary school, Sylvia started teaching drama to their fellow pupils. It cost just ten pence and the kids also got a cup of orange squash and a biscuit. Word spread and when her students got the nickname the Young-uns, Sylvia decided to adopt the surname Young for business purposes. The first Sylvia Young Theatre School was set up in 1981 in Drury Lane in the heart of London's theatre district. Two years later, it moved to a former church school in Marylebone in central London, where most of its famous pupils got their start. Even though it is fee-paying, everyone has to pass an audition — and only one in 25 applicants are successful. 15 Dua Lipa, who has won seven Brit awards and three Grammys Credit: Redferns 15 She did not know she could sing until a teacher at the Sylvia Young Theatre School told her how good she was Credit: Instagram 15 Emma Bunton joining the Spice Girls was thanks to Sylvia's school Credit: Getty 15 It was thanks to talent scouts and casting agents putting up requests on the notice board at the school Credit: Shutterstock Editorial It costs up to £7,000 per term for full-time students and only has places for 250 pupils aged ten to 16. There are bursaries and fee reductions for pupils from less well-off backgrounds, plus a Saturday school and part-time classes. Sylvia was always keen to avoid it being a school for rich kids. When she took an assembly she would ask pupils, 'What mustn't we be?', and they would shout back, 'Stage school brats'. Keeping kids level-headed when stardom beckoned was also important for the teacher. She said: 'I offer good training and like to keep the students as individual as possible. 'We develop a lot of confidence and communication skills. Of course they want immediate stardom, but they're not expecting it. You don't find notices up here about who's doing what. It is actually played down tremendously.' 'Baby Spice was lovely' A need for discipline even applied to Sylvia's daughter Frances, who she expelled from the school. Frances clearly got over it, going on to have a career in musical theatre and representing the United Kingdom in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing tenth. Those genes were strong, with Frances' daughter, stage name Eliza Doolittle, having a Top Five hit with Pack Up in 2010. The ever-rebellious Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011 aged 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning, claimed to have been kicked out, too. She said: 'I was just being a brat and being disruptive and so on. I loved it there, I didn't have a problem, I just didn't want to conform. 'And they didn't like me wearing a nose piercing.' But Sylvia did not want Amy to leave. She said: 'She would upset the academic teachers, except the English teacher who thought she'd be a novelist. She seemed to be just loved. But she was naughty.' Other singers were clearly inspired by their time at the school, which moved to new premises in Westminster in 2010. 15 Billie Piper had her acting skills honed thanks to Sylvia Credit: Getty 15 Billie attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 15 Sylvia was loved by her former pupils, many of whom paid tribute to the 'backstage matriarch' Credit: Alamy Dua Lipa, who went to the Saturday school from the age of nine, was asked to sing in front of other pupils shortly after joining. She said, 'I was terrified', but that the vocal coach 'was the first person to tell me I could sing'. Talent scouts and casting agents would put up requests on the notice board at the school. One such posting led to Emma Bunton joining the Spice Girls. Of Baby Spice, Sylvia said: 'She got away with whatever she could. But she was a lovely, happy-go-lucky individual with a sweet singing voice.' Groups were also formed by Sylvia's ex-pupils. All Saints singer Melanie Blatt became best friends with Nicole Appleton at Sylvia Young's and brought her in when her band needed new singers in 1996. But Melanie was not complimentary about the school, once saying: 'I just found the whole thing really up its own arse.' Casting agents did, however, hold the classes in very high regard. The professionalism instilled in the students meant that producers from major British TV shows such as EastEnders and Grange Hill kept coming back for more. Hundreds, if not thousands, of less well-known performers treading the boards of Britain's stages also have the school's ethos to thank for their success. Those achievements were recognised in the 2005 Honours List when Sylvia was awarded an OBE for services to the arts. Sir Cameron Mackintosh, who has produced shows including Les Miserables and Cats, said: 'The show that provided the greatest showcase for the young actors she discovered and nurtured is undoubtedly Oliver! which has featured hundreds of her students over the years. 'Sylvia was a pioneer who became a caring but formidable children's agent.'
