What’s on in Leeds in February

For many people this month is predominantly spent keeping their other half happy or finding something to do that is completely unrelated to anything remotely love related. Whatever it is that you’re looking to do this, there’s plenty on offer in Leeds and here are my picks for the remainder of the month:

May at The Carriageworks on Tuesday 14th February
Pitched as a critically acclaimed and daring new piece of dance theatre, this montage of dance, words and music is destined to leave you breathless. May tells the tale of a passionate relationship between two misfits whose coming together brings them both close to destruction. The piece is performed by Probe’s founder Antonia Grove (Rambert Dance Company, The National Theatre, and many more), accompanied by Place-Prize winner Ben Duke (Lost Dog) and musician Scott Smith.

Liam Henry (No Culture Icons) + Matt Saunders (Rabbit Portal) at TopUp on Thursday 16th February
This is the third exhibition from Catch Up, a series of exhibitions featuring illustration, graphic design and photography, this month’s includes work by Liam Henry and Matt Saunders. Liam Henry is a local photographer whose works offer a comparative view of snap shot moments both in the public and private sphere. Matt Saunders is a freelance illustrator/director/animator based in Leeds who has worked with companies from Channel 4 to Cath Kidston.

Mick McCann at Headingley Library on Thursday 16th February
If like me, you don’t realise how much this fair city has to offer and its achievements, pop along to Mick McCann’s event at Headingley Library where he’ll be talking about his book, How Leeds Changed the World. Since its release in 2010, the book has been highly rated across the web so use this event to find out what all the fuss is about.

Perceptual Motion at Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre (Northern Ballet) until 18th February
Northern Ballet allows us to get up close and personal this month through their first programme of short dance pieces in their new home. Featuring Rhapsody in Blue from I Got Rhythm (a preview from the full length ballet which is visiting Leeds Grand Theatre in May) and the choreographic debut of Premier Dancer, Kenneth Tindall, Project#1 this is a show for both ballet aficionados and novices.

Chris Addison at Leeds Town Hall on Sunday 19th February
Best known for his role in The Thick of It and the Direct Line adverts, Chris Addison comes to Leeds Town Hall as part of his latest tour, The Time is Now, Again. A stand-up since 1995, Addison is good at his game and will undoubtedly unleash his politic observations similar to those seen on panel shows such as Mock the Week and Have I Got News For You.

Field Music at Brudenell Social Club on Monday 20th February
Occasionally when looking through the gig listings, I have vague recollections of having seen the band live before. This is one of those and it’s managed to work its way into my ‘what to see’ list after listening to A New Town on Field Music’s website. The North East super band line up has previously included members of The Futureheads, Maximo Park and Frankie and the Heartstrings and they are known for their intelligent, intricately crafted pop songs.

Film Favourites at Leeds Town Hall on 23rd and 24th February
As a member of the Leeds Film team, it’s great to be involved in the great film heritage in the city. Whilst there’s various film screenings and events showcasing new emerging filmmakers at the moment, the Leeds Film programmers have chosen to look back to their ‘film favourites’ and show them on the huge screen in Leeds Town Hall this month. The chosen ‘film favourites’ are: Alfred Hitchcock’s magnificent thriller North by Northwest (1959); Powell and Pressburger’s beautiful The Red Shoes (1948) starring Moira Shearer as a young ballet dancer; Nicolas Roeg’s haunting Venice-set mystery Don’t Look Now (1973); and the Coen Brothers’ hilarious comedy The Big Lebowski (1998).

Albion Place Undiscovered Market on Saturday 25th February, 11am – 5pm
Visit the Artsmix ‘Undiscovered’ market on Albion Place (near WH Smiths) to find the best of the regions art, design and contemporary craft in the heart of the city. Everything at the market is hand made by local creatives and includes fine art, jewellery, ceramics, graphic design, wood work, photography, fashion, textiles and more.

Leeds Ice Cube on Millennium Square until 26th February
If you prefer to glide on the ice rather than slide around the city, the Ice Cube is a must-visit this month. Returning for its 12th year, the Ice Cube has had a makeover and now offers a dry slope Snow Slide and an extreme ski run or high speed bobsleigh course motion simulator, giving a first-hand experience of the speed, twists and turns of two of the world’s most thrilling winter sports.

Test Space at Leeds Corn Exchange until 26th February
Test Space are returning to Leeds Corn Exchange following a successful pop up shop late last year. If you missed it last time, the Test Space: Store is a unique temporary art space selling work by some of the North’s most original and exciting artists, designers and more. Selling a whole range of one off and limited edition prints, cards, t-shirts, books, ‘zines, canvases and more, the store is sure to have something unique for your someone special (or you!).

Back to Basics at Leeds Gallery until 17th March
The latest exhibition from Leeds Gallery is presented by Hebe Media and draws together a collection of the iconic images, used to promote just some of more than one thousand parties thrown by legendary Leeds club night Back to Basics, since it opened its doors 20 years ago. Each image was created by the club’s promoter, resident artist and “purveyor of good times“, Dave Beer, as part of an ongoing collaboration with designer Nic Gundill – a partnership that has lasted two decades.

I could write, re-write and add even more as I think about what else is going on but then there wouldn’t be much point in me selecting my personal highlights of this month’s events.

If you have an event or want to recommend something that’s happening to The Culture Vulture readers, let us know by leaving a comment below. If you want your event to be considered for our ‘What’s on in Leeds’ guide for March, tweet me at @KayLinaBrown