February Culture Update!

If we had to sum up this month’s Culture Update in one word, it would have to be “eclectic”! We’ve found some extraordinarily diverse events on offer this February with some awesome opportunities to get out and experience something you’ve probably never experienced before.

Where can you hear an award-winning violinist, a graduate of the prestigious Gnesin Academy and a virtuoso balalaika player performing, jazz vocals, classic piano, and compositions from Russian composers including Tchaikovsky, Dargomizsky, Rachmaninov and Sviridov? Well, Russia probably. But for one night only, believe it or not, you can experience all of this in Torquay's Central Church at the Russian Gala Ball, where graduates of Russia and its former republics will take you on a "musical journey to the heart of Russian heritage". Guaranteed to be a unique evening, there's also the chance to win a traditional Russian prize in the interval raffle. Tickets start at £10 and are available online for the performance on 9th February.

Keeping with music, we've got something a little different for lovers of Torquay's alternative nightlife scene. Early creators of original Euphoric Trance, Psychedelic Trance, Astral Dub, Trance, Experimental Techno and Ambient Dance, Astralasia, are in attendance at The Attic this month. Formed out of the now defunct Magic Mushroom Band, Astralasia, known as "wizards" of psychedelic electronica, offer music to melt to, and a performance from them is likely to be, turbulent, meditative, transformative; an immersive trip. Tickets for this one start at £8.50 and in the interval, there'll be a chance to win a traditional, psychedelic raffle prize! Just kidding, there's no interval all the way through from 11pm to 3am!

If just thinking about staying up that late has you reaching for the cocoa, we've got a more civilised alternative which promises a slightly different illusory and fanciful experience. The ever-inventive troupe at The Pocketwatch Theatre Company add their creative twist to Kenneth Grahame's classic riverbank tale, Wind in the Willows, with live original score and beautiful handcrafted puppets. Their family friendly and traditionally versatile performance will be brought to Torquay museum on 15th and 16th February with 4 performances in total and tickets starting at a bargain £8; a great way to wrap up half-term!

Finally, we want to let you know about a great new CIC delivering arts workshops with a difference. Somewhere between a square and circle, you’ll find the Squircle Arts team. This roaming band of creative folks like nothing better than a pop up arts workshop and they’ve got a packed calendar for February in locations across Torbay. Whether you’re a big person or a little person, they’ve got something on offer for everyone from Collagraph Printmaking, to Linocuts, to Stone Age Cave Art. The best way to keep track of them is on their Facebook page (/squirclearts) where they’ll be confirming their February dates soon!

Here at the gallery we’re far from quiet! We’ve got our Cocktails and Conversation launch on February 1st, followed by an Artist Preview event on February 2nd. Creative Writing with Harula Ladd returns on the 5th, Steve Jenner headlines our Acoustic Night on the 19th, and Robert Garnham returns with Stanza Extravaganza on the 26th! Full details of all of the events in this month’s update can be found on our website, www.art-hub.co.uk!

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