Dine With Ruskin, The Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea, London

What/Why:

John Ruskin could be viewed as the Jay Jopling of his time. He tirelessly promoted the YBAs of his era – Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites. He was also thoroughly committed to the need for individual creative expression.

This evening’s meal takes place at the Saatchi Gallery. Whilst it’s unclear what Ruskin would have made of today’s arts scene, there’s no doubt his appreciation of the primeval pleasure of making something with your own hands, rather than relying on machines or other people’s labour, feels pretty contemporary.

In an evening which draws on Ruskin’s work as an art critic, social visionary, botanist, geologist and amateur artist, we’ll be covering a suitably wide range of topics, from creativity to worker rights to the environment.

Writer and social visionary in his own right, John-Paul Flintoff, author of Sew Your Own, will be in charge of keeping things moving in the right direction. Fortunately the joy of using your own hands doesn’t stretch to the food, which will be lovingly served up by the staff at Gallery Mess.