There’s no two ways about it: London’s cultural scene is one of the best in the world. (Ok, yes, we know, it’s THE best, but in the name of being neutral…)
From exciting new food trends being served up at a thousand different restaurants to world-renowned galleries and an outstanding commitment to finding new talent across the creative industries, there really is never a dull moment.
And so it was with the arrival of 2017’s new kid on the block, The Curtain. Since its opening in May, the hotel, restaurant and bar has pulled in the coolest crowd and featured consistently in the party pages. So we wanted to go behind the scenes to find out – what makes it so special?
From sourcing the hottest new music to setting the capital’s cocktail agenda, these are just some of the incredibly successful women who make The Curtain – and London’s cultural scene – what it is.
Culture Manager – Irene Agbontaen, 33
It sounds like Irene Agbontaen is friends with all the best people in London – which is lucky, as her job relies heavily on having good relationships with the people she collaborates with. She began her working life as a part-time retail assistant at Selfridges. Fast-forward a few years and she’s playing a fundamental role in the launch of The Curtain.
Since joining the team, the 33-year-old has curated events with everyone from Halle Berry to Erykah Badu, Chance the Rapper and Skepta. “I’ve been fundamental in bridging the gap between VIPs and the hotel,” explains Irene, who loves the freedom that comes with working for yourself as well as the excitement of working with the industry’s biggest names. And even the hard work is fun, she says: “I’m lucky enough that a lot of my friends and peers work in the same industry. It’s great when you can leverage that.” In a tidy twist of fate, Selfridges was also the first store to stock Irene’s clothing label, Taller Than Your Average.
London born and bred, with parents hailing from Nigeria, Irene loves her home city for its multiculturalism. “It’s the flexibility of being able to be a creative in London,” she says with unbridled enthusiasm, “and to live in a society where everyone is accepted. You can come to London and you know that you’re going to see every race. Until I started to travel with work, I thought that was the norm, I thought everywhere was like that. It’s not. We’re blessed to live in a city that is at the front of the culture agenda.”
Managing Director – Elli Jafari
Elli Jafari is a very international citizen. Finding her way to London by way of the US and her home country of Iran, she has a unique perspective on what makes the city cool and why she likes working here. "I love it," she says directly. “It didn’t start that way, though; at first, as a New Yorker you think you’re living in the best city in the world. But now I think London is the centre of the world, it’s very diverse, the clientele here are very open-minded.”
When she met The Curtain’s founder two years ago, Elli was instantly blown away by the concept. “He told me all about his vision and what he was about to do and it sounded terrifying and amazing, so I decided to join him.” Now, a couple of years on, she still adores what she does. “I love my team, that’s what makes me very engaged,” she explains. “I always love to surround myself with people who have vision and drive. This is exactly where I wanted to be. It’s a lot of work but it’s wonderful, if I didn’t do it I wouldn’t know what to do with myself, I have a lot of energy!”
Music Manager – Belle Wade
Belle Wade first started booking bands when she was just 16, organising gigs in her parents' backyard because she was too young to get into music venues. This was back in Melbourne, which has a thriving cultural scene, which set her up well for a life in London’s breakneck industry.
Since moving to London five years ago, aged 22, she has worked for some of the city’s biggest venues. Now, at The Curtain, she’s responsible for the music programming. “I curate all of the events for the members,” she says. “It’s amazing and it’s a lot of work, but I love having creative freedom. Not many people in my position have the freedom over what they put in the spaces they work at. I can host anything from a documentary screening to a showcase of some new music."
So does this mean she has to have her finger on the pulse of what’s good and new? “A lot of people pitch things to me, if they’re looking for a space to put on their own event. And I’m always out, I’ve got an incredible friendship group and we go to a lot of screenings and events. I’m part of an amazing music community in London.”
To some this kind of work/play schedule may sound a bit overwhelming but for Belle it’s a brilliant and exciting opportunity, and she can’t get enough of it. “I’ve always known that I wanted to do it, and I’ve always had quite a good work ethic,” she reflects. “It’s such a competitive industry, if you know it’s what you want, you really have to work.” Plus, she finds London more diverse than her hometown, despite its multiculturalism. “London’s incredibly creative, it’s electric,” she eulogises. “It doesn’t feel monotonous, there’s always something to do and something to see.”
Beverage Director – Jenny Willing
With an artist father and a creative upbringing, Jenny Willing always knew she’d never have a normal 9-5. But after helping launch several venues in her hometown of Glasgow (via a print studio job and what she thought would be a short-term restaurant gig), Jenny opened the award-winning seafood restaurant Café Fish on the Isle of Mull. She’d realised that creativity didn’t have to be confined to the visual arts and that she had a bit of a thing for hospitality. “I think when you’re younger, creativity seems seriously limited to ‘the arts’ – and your career advisor would never suggest making Tequila Slushies,” she quips.
Next Jenny headed to London, where she now spends her time devising different drinks programmes across The Curtain’s eight bars and restaurants. “Being creative in one space is totally different to being creative in another space,” she says of her ever-changing job. “When I moved to London I fell in love with the cocktail scene down here. Cocktails took over my life.”
“There’s a huge Scottish mafia taking over hospitality in London,” she continues. “I like it because it’s super diverse. And in terms of the drinks scene, London is super far ahead. And at The Curtain, I’m working with the best in the industry. Belle and I sit back to back and even though her passion is music and mine is drinks, we’re endlessly bouncing ideas off each other. I’ve never had more fun at work in my life.”
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