A very Stitchy Monday Evening to you!
This week is the Animated Exeter Festival (AE), which means that Exeter comes alive with the best of world animation to audiences in Exeter, showcasing and encouraging the wealth of creative talent in the region, both amateur and professional.
It is also your last chance to see some of the current free exhibitions going on around the city and campus, as many come to an end on 23 Feb. Check out Dormitorium at the Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies, the sets/puppets/various other creations of the Quay Brothers; and Cory Arcangel at the Spacex Gallery, especially the music installation a couple thousand short films about Glenn Gould.
This week’s must-see events are…
Mon 18 Feb
AE: Drop-in Animation. Exeter Central Library. 10am-4pm. Free.
Learn how animation works and have a go at some basic animation techniques.
MUSIC: Nouvelle Vague. Exeter Phoenix. 8pm. £15.50 standing.
The brainchild of French musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, Nouvelle Vague specialise in startling bossa nova and jazz versions of songs from the new wave, punk and post-punk period. Their various female singers only perform songs that they are not previously familiar with, to ensure a unique and fresh quality to the interpretation.
Tues 19 Feb
FILM: AE: British Animation Awards. Exeter Picturehouse. 6.30pm. £4.50.
Wed 20 Feb
CRAFT: AE: Cardboard Man. Phoenix. 10am-12.30pm, and 1.30pm-4.30pm. FREE.
The first of three days of making a 3D cardboard man! Head over to the Phoenix to get stuck in!
FILM: FUTURE SHORTS. Exeter Phoenix. 6.15pm. £2.50.
Nat’s favourite monthly short screenings – she will definitely be there! This is an amazing hour of good quality short films from around the world. They can be anything from music videos, to animation, to film noir, or a random comedy skit. Big big hit with Stitch!
Thurs 21 Feb
AE: Arabian Nights. Exeter Phoenix. 10am-4pm. £10.
Through animation techniques, make mini-films out of paper and fabric.
Fri 22 Feb
AE: Model-mation. Exeter Phoenix. 10.30am-4pm. £15.
A day-long workshop in model animation, learning how to make wire armatures and create short sequences using them.
DANCE: Exeter Dance Festival: Championship Evening and Performance Awards. Part 1. Barnfield Theatre. 5.45pm. £4.
Dance includes ballet, modern, tap, character and song. Whether you are a participant or an observer, this is the highlight of the Exeter dance calendar.
Sat 23 Feb
PERFORMANCE: An Audience with Annette Crosbie. Brewhouse Theatre. 7.45pm. £14.
You may know her as Margaret Meldew from One Foot in the Grave, but she will also be speaking on most subjects including her passionate campaigning for the welfare of racing greyhounds. Random!
DANCE: Exeter Dance Festival: Championship Evening and Performance Awards. Part 2. Barnfield Theatre. 7.30pm. £4.
THEATRE: The Notebook of Trigorin. Northcote. Until 1 Mar. 7.30pm. £10.
Adaptation by Tennessee Williams of The Seagull by Anton Chekhov. At the heart of Chekhov’s The Seagull are the timeless dramatic triangles of love, hate and jealousy – of son, mother and lover. Williams takes this great play of human emotion, of the impossibility of people ever understanding each other, and makes it truly accessible for a modern audience. Buried conflicts are brought to the surface in a vigorous theatrical story, injected with visual magic and deliberate comedy.
Have a great week!
Stitch xxx