Events

Lecture Series: A Closer Look at Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando

21st Apr 2026 , 6:15pm - 7:30pm - The Mayor's Parlour, Croydon Town Hall

Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando, painting by Degas, on display at The Queen's Gardens in Croydon
Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando, painting by Degas, on display at The Queen's Gardens. Credit: Glenn Foster

This April, Croydon Town Hall opens its doors for a special series of talks exploring the hidden histories behind masterpieces from The National Gallery – now on display in Croydon as part of Art On Your Doorstep.

Across three evening lectures, leading historians, authors and curators will take a deep look at iconic paintings and the stories they carry.

On Tues 21 April, Art Historian, Melissa Baksh, will be joined by Circus Director, Vicki Dela Amedume MBE to discuss Degas’ Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando revealing stories of both Degas and circus artist Miss La La – Anna Albertine Olga Brown (1858‒1945). 

Croydon Town Hall
Tuesday 21 April, 6.15pm – 7.30pm

About Melissa Baksh

Melissa Baksh is a London-based art historian, writer, educator, curator and broadcaster/DJ. A desire to make art accessible and open up art collections to a wide range of audiences underpins her work and she has delivered lectures, tours and workshops at the National Gallery, Tate, Hayward Gallery and Wellcome Collection. She has written for publications including The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The Art Newspaper, Frieze and ArtReview on Old Masters, Italian Renaissance art, contemporary art, the colonial history of art collections and public art. Melissa DJs regularly across music venues in the capital, and has hosted radio shows on Rhythm and Frames, Netil and Balamii Radio.

Headshot of Melissa Baksh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGXZI8QmhBo
This website uses cookies to improve your experience Read more