UK events: February 2018
North West
humansbeingdigital
18 Nov 2017 to 25 Feb 2018
Manchester
humansbeingdigital draws on an international selection of artworks focusing on the nexus between human beings and being digital. Engaging with art can be an emotional experience – performance, sculpture, painting or music can all touch us beyond words – yet technology is often considered mechanical, cold, or inhuman. So how can artists show new perspectives on life, emotion and relationships by using digital technologies to connect human beings and digital?
China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors
9 February to 28 October 2018
Liverpool
For over 2,000 years, an underground army of life-sized terracotta warriors secretly guarded the tomb of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, until a chance discovery in 1974 unlocked the mysteries of a vanished empire.
Showcasing objects from one of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries, this unmissable exhibition spans almost 1,000 years of Chinese history; from the conflicts and chaos of the Warring States period, to the achievements and legacy of the Qin and Han dynasties.
Scotland
SPECTRA Festival of Light
8 to 11 February
Aberdeen
Bringing together leading international artists with Scottish collaborators, this multisensory festival will deliver a light and music exhibition using new technologies and tools to animate Union Terrace Gardens, the Kirk of St Nicholas, and Marischal College. Alongside the regular light festival, this year there will be a music programme of UK and Nordic artists, as well as a two-day Catalyst Conference which will bring together cultural leaders, artists, and experts from the UK and Europe.
Fort William Mountain Festival
21 to 28 February
Fort William
The Fort William Mountain Festival is a celebration of all things adventurous and outdoors. By bringing together athletes, speakers, films, photographers and outdoor enthusiasts from a whole variety of backgrounds, the festival aims to encourage people to get out and explore the wilderness around them.
Scotland is home to a number of amazing wild places, including Ben Nevis (the UK’s highest mountain). The festival will host workshops, an arts programme, and a film competition, amongst other outdoors events.
Glasgow Film Festival
21 February to 4 March
Glasgow
The Glasgow Film Festival is one of the UK’s leading film festivals, and with good reason. You can watch films from a wide variety of genres: from mainstream crowd-pleasers to groundbreaking art-house experimentation to well-loved classics, there is something for everybody. Some films will even include special events, such as a cosmic screening of The Man Who Fell to Earth amongst the stars at the Glasgow Science Centre Planetarium, and a roller disco dance before a screening of Dazed and Confused.
Wales
Bangor Music Festival / Gwyl Gerdd Bangor
2 to 3 February
Bangor
For the past 18 years, the Bangor Music Festival has celebrated contemporary music in north Wales through a themed programme of performances, workshops, and activities. This year’s theme is space, and provides a unique opportunity to explore space, planets, stars, and galaxies through the medium of music and science.
North East and Yorkshire
The Long View
20 January to 4 March
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Long View exhibition begins with seven remarkably ordinary trees and reflects on what it’s like to visit them, again and again, in all seasons and all weathers, and to walk between them in one seven-day-long journey. The exhibition depicts seven trees in Cumbria through colour images, black-and-white hand-printed photographs, poetry, and land art. It highlights these seven individual trees as representatives of trees across the country, and offers an invitation to pause and step, briefly, into tree time.
JORVIK Viking Festival
12 to 18 February
York
This week-long commemoration of a seminal moment in British history, the arrival and conquest of England by the Great Viking Army in AD 866, is the largest event of its kind in Europe.
There is an exciting programme of events that explore the impact of the Viking invasion of Anglo-Saxon England, including living history encampments, walks, talks, tours, and of course, dramatic combat performances.
South East and London
Sculpture in the City
January to May
City of London
Each year, the critically acclaimed Sculpture in the City returns to the Square Mile with contemporary works from internationally renowned artists. Wander the City’s public spaces and stumble upon world-class public art, on an urban canvas recognised across the globe.
Pavilion Tales
Thursdays, 25 January to 26 April
Brighton
Join the staff of the Royal Pavilion & Museums for these regular pop-up talks in the Pavilion’s magnificent Music Room, where you’ll hear secrets, stories, and unexpected histories.
South West
Dressed to Impress: Netsuke and Japanese Men’s Fashion
4 November 2017 to 22 April 2018
Bath
Netsuke are a form of Japanese miniature sculpture that were primarily functional, but evolved into an important art form and accessory. This exhibition explores the intricate netsuke worn by Japanese men during the Edo period (1615-1868).
The exhibition features a selection of netsuke, chosen from over 2,300 in the British Museum’s collection, with more pieces added from MEAA’s collection to show the range and beauty of these objects and their excellent craftsmanship.
Bath Bachfest
22 to 24 February
Bath
What better to brighten the dark days of deep midwinter than the glorious combination of Bach and Bath? Now in its seventh year, the Bath Bachfest is a celebration of the music of Bach, his contemporaries and the Baroque period, as well as a chance to showcase the city’s stunning period venues.
Ireland
Reformation 500: The Reformation in Europe and its Local Legacy
11 October 2017 to 31 March 2018
Belfast
This free exhibit in Lisburn, just outside of Belfast, marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Through artefacts, rare books, prints, engravings, and texts, the exhibition traces the history of the Reformation, exploring its early roots in Europe, its progress in Britain, and its failure in Ireland.
Midlands
The Past is Now: Birmingham and the British Empire
28 October 2017 to 24 June 2018
Birmingham
The Past is Now explores Birmingham’s relationship to the British Empire, and has been co-curated alongside Birmingham-based designers, activists, writers, and artists. The exhibition challenges the typical colonial narrative used to present the history of the British Empire. By focusing on a few key events and themes, it examines the museum’s own bias in telling difficult narratives and explores other perspectives, which have been historically misrepresented.
Leicester Comedy Festival
7 to 25 February
Leicester
The Leicester Comedy Festival started in 1994 with 40 events; this year, it will bring over 830 comedy shows to venues across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. You won’t want to miss the UK’s largest and longest-running comedy festival!
Country-wide
Chinese New Year
Kick off the Year of the Dog with these celebrations across the country!
Guildford
Manchester (there’s also a film festival)
Liverpool
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Leeds
Bath
Edinburgh
Belfast
Bangor
Birmingham
London