Dulwich Picture Gallery has distanced itself from the Sackler name by quietly changing the title of its director. The gallery stopped describing Jennifer Scott as the “the Sackler Director” in April, but only confirmed the change last week, according to the Art Newspaper.
The Sackler family have been under fire over the US opioid crisis, as a company owned by one branch created and sold the drug Oxycontin. The Sacklers donated millions to the arts around the world. Dulwich joins the Tate, British Museum and National Gallery, which all removed the name from buildings this year. The Serpentine dropped the Sackler name in 2021, while the National Portrait Gallery rejected a donation in 2019. The V&A has a new Sackler Courtyard, and has said it will “reflect” on whether to change the name.
Wombles had nothing in common
Seventies favourites The Wombles stole the show on a children’s character float at yesterday’s platinum jubilee pageant. But Mike Batt, who took The Wombles band into the charts with a series of novelty songs, declared himself “not impressed” with the costumes. “They weren’t supplied by me, and have nothing to do with the pop group,” he said. Batt said his mum made his outfits, which “were fatter and much more fun”.
Oscar winner hates playing famous people
Mark Rylance says he is “wary of playing very famous people”. The actor and his fellow cast members in 2020 film The Trial of the Chicago Seven were criticised by real-life participants in the anti-Vietnam riots for inaccuracies. “The nasty things they said about us… stung,” Rylance says. Luckily, one famous part, that of Henry VIII aide Thomas Cromwell, can’t object these days.
To be or not to be PM?
Boris Johnson is facing a confidence vote, but his former adviser Dominic Cummings thinks the PM won’t be that sad to leave No 10. “He’s not actually interested in the job,” Cummings said last week, adding all Johnson wants is to “not be a loser… put out in disgrace”. Cummings claims that by early 2020, Johnson was already saying he didn’t want to go “on and on” in office, and planning a long-awaited Shakespeare book. Will he get time soon?
Kate Moss heads up the Brit Pop bus at Platinum Jubilee pagent
Supermodel Kate Moss prepared for the platinum jubilee pageant, where she headed up a Nineties bus, with a party at Claridge’s hosted by make-up guru Charlotte Tilbury. Attending were actor Phoebe Dynevor, hairdresser Sam McKnight, and model Rosemary Ferguson. One of Moss’s model colleagues explained she wasn’t paid for the event. Elsewhere across the long weekend, musician Skepta hosted a Greatness Dex BBQ at Ned’s Club which was attended by models the Flag Twins, Jo Wood supported her daughter Leah at a Farringdon art show, and Daisy Lowe headed off to Ibiza in a bright yellow dress.
