In some places (Bulgaria, China, Russia, Vietnam) International Women’s Day is a national holiday.

Here in London, there are lots of events to celebrate IWD. We want to know what you’re up to on this special day.

International Women’s Day Events in London:

• Novelists Diana Evans and Benardine Evaristo are at Rich Mix tonight, talking about the theme of migration in their work. This event is also part of the East Festival.  7.30pm.
• Join Me On The Bridge is an international campaign promoting peace and development across the world. In London, a parade is gathering at Victoria Embankment Gardens for 10am, and walking to the Millenium Bridge at 12noon for a photograph. (The same thing is happening on bridges across the world from the Bahamas to Uganda, including the Brooklyn Bridge)
• Tonight at the Haunch of Venison, there’ll be a series of dance performances for International Women’s Day. Contemporary ballet, traditional Balkan and South Asian and Sufi whirlers as well as pieces from top female performance artists Eloise Fornieles and Kirstie Mcleod
• And, with Kathryn Bigelow’s fantastic, ground-breaking success at last night’s Academy Awards, don’t forget the Birds Eye Film Festival starts today: nine days of celebration and support for international women filmmakers.

What are you doing to celebrate International Women’s Day in London? Let us know in the comments below.

Using abandoned everyday items, British artist and designer Stuart Haygarth has created some of the most gorgeous art on show in London at the moment.

We are used to seeing recycled materials in art these days, but I don’t think anyone could be prepared for the beauty that Haygarth has created out of smashed car wing mirrors gathered from some of London’s more treacherous roads. The Rotherhithe Tunnel to name one. The most stunning piece is a hanging mirror ball made from 350 smashed mirrors attached to a mirrored sphere.

Haygarth is known for his fascination with spectacles and has created a series of urchin lights and an amazing chandelier made out of tinted optical lenses. The urchin lights are extraordinary and took years of collecting from markets and car boot sales. Apparently the artist collected so many old pairs of spectacles he had to rent extra storage and spent many weeks measuring and configuring them.

We also found the works using hundreds of retro ceramic cats and dogs particularly alluring.  Found is showing at the Haunch of Venison gallery until the end of January 2010.

London is packed with smaller art galleries: the choice is fantastic.

From the Wapping Project in East London to the South London Gallery, to the Camden Arts Centre, London’s art offerings are many and varied. There’s the Serpentine in Kensington Gardens, the Gagosian on Britannia Street, the brilliantly named Haunch of Venison, and the Parasol Unit, to name but a few. In East London alone, you can tour more than 100 galleries for free as part of Time Out’s First Thursdays campaign.

We want your recommendations.

When the queue snakes around the corner at the Royal Academy, and you don’t feel like pushing through the crowds at the V&A, Tate Modern or the National Portrait Gallery, which are the smaller London galleries that get your vote?

Let us know!

How was your day in London?  I spent the day with my mum and auntie and had the most interesting and exciting time. I truly saw what this wonderful city has to offer. The combination of things we did in one day was astonishing.

To start the day we went to the National Gallery which has a great collection of art. One of the best things is that it’s free, like many other museums in London which is wonderful because everyone can appreciate the art the city has to offer. We saw the new exhibition Corot to Monet which is a collection of landscapes by European artists. After the exhibition we looked at some of the museum’s vast permanent collection.

Did you go anywhere nice for lunch? Yes. We walked down The Mall to a great Japanese restaurant called Sake No Hana. The food was amazing, the service was good and everyone was friendly and organized. The interior was very interesting and designed in an authentic Japanese style with a modern twist.

What came next? We went to Dover Street Market in Mayfair to look at the interesting clothes and shoes. The new Haunch of Venison gallery is round the corner so we went there too. I thought the contrast of the lovely old building with contemporary art inside was really interesting.  The Royal Academy of Arts was our next stop and we saw the J W Waterhouse exhibition, which was lovely and featured some beautiful paintings.

We needed a rest after all that art and went for afternoon tea at Sketch - a restaurant, tea room, art gallery and bar close to the Royal Academy. The interior is amazing. Each piece of furniture and art is different and better then the next. The afternoon tea was delightful and I will definitely go back.

What was the highlight of your day? The most exciting part happened right at the end. We went to a  charity preview screening of Harry Potter and the Half  Blood Prince! It was at the VUE cinema in Leicester Square at the same time as the premiere. The movie was wonderful and it really made a great end to the day.

My day in London was so interesting and diverse, there is so much happening and each experience is different. There is so much to see and do in London and that’s what makes it an amazing city.