Originally intended to house an equestrian statue of William IV, the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square lay empty due to lack of funds for many years. Eventually, it was decided to use it for what has been described as ‘the smallest but most prominent sculpture park in the world’.

The inaugural work, ‘Ecce Homo’, a poignant life-sized figure of Christ in white marble by Mark Wallinger, fittingly presided over the arrival of the new millennium and since then many contemporary artists have had their work displayed there. From horses to hotels, bottles to cockerels, we follow the course of the Fourth Plinth Commission, up to (and beyond) David Shrigley, who gives it a big ‘thumbs up’.

Rosalind Whyte holds a BA and MA from Goldsmith’s College, and an MA (distinction) from Birkbeck College. She is an experienced guide at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the Royal Academy and Greenwich. Rosalind lectures at the Tate, to independent art societies and on cruises.

The Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, 2024. Photo credit Hilary Williams

Every year the Royal Opera House puts on a season of Christmas shows: the Royal Ballet in Nutcracker and Cinderella, the Royal Opera in any piece with a folk tale theme, and either genre if it features snow.

How do we cope with all those magic coaches and snow bags? Not to say 17 Sugar Plums, 12 Princes, and the entire Lower Ballet School backstage?  This talk takes you into the wings, down the traps and under the stage as our legendary Christmas Tree is moved on to its lift. Based on interviews and live video clips.

Sarah Lenton has spent her working life in the theatre: her principal employers are the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Garsington Opera. She writes programme articles, radio scripts, gives lectures on the operas and ballets in the rep. and broadcasts regularly for BBC Radios 3 and 4. She is also a cartoonist. All the talks listed come with audio and/or video clips.

Image attached- Credit- The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, auditorium