Culture
The South Bank is a significant arts and entertainment district. The Southbank Centre comprises the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward. The Royal National Theatre and BFI Southbank are located adjacent to the east, but are not part of the centre. County Hall is no longer used as the seat of London government and has been converted to house the Sea Life London Aquarium, the London Marriott Hotel County Hall, the London Film Museum, and is the location of the London Eye. The OXO Tower Wharf is located towards the eastern end of South Bank, and houses gallery@oxo, shops and boutiques, and the OXO Tower Restaurant run by Harvey Nichols.
Cultural organisations situated near to the South Bank include The Old Vic Theatre which has been under the artistic direction of Kevin Spacey since 2003, the Old Vic Tunnels which operates under the artistic direction of Hamish Jenkinson, and the Young Vic which specialises in giving opportunities to young actors and directors. IWM London (Imperial War Museum) is also near the South Bank, hosting exhibitions from the first world war to the present day. The Florence Nightingale Museum is situated close by, next to Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital. Coin Street Community Centre host exhibitions throughout the year.
Part of the South Bank Centre known as the under-croft, has been used by the skateboarding community since the early seventies. Originally an architectural dead-spot, it has become a home of British skateboarding. The size of the under-croft has been reduced in recent years and was supposed to be returned to original size. This now seems unlikely and the future of the whole space is completely unsure at present. Part of the South Bank Centre has been turned into shops looking out over the river.
The South Bank is a central location in the 1952 comedy film The Happy Family which is set around the Festival of Britain.
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