Film
Meet Me in St Louis
Vincente Minnelli’s 1944 classic – split into a series of seasonal vignettes and featuring Judy Garland sweetly crooning her way through festive standard Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – is being shown at HOME, Manchester, to 23 December. Call it early Christmas carol practice.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Bad Teacher director Jake Kasdan takes on this sort-of sequel to the Robin Williams-starring 1995 original, in which the titular board game has now developed into a computer game that sucks those stupid enough to play it directly into the action. Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart star, while Nick Jonas is involved too, for some reason. Out on 22 December.
Pitch Perfect 3
The Bellas are back! Following the high of winning the a cappella world championships in Pitch Perfect 2, comes the devastating low as our harmonising heroes – including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Brittany Snow – struggle to find jobs that utilise their ability to sing in unison without music. Thankfully, getting the old band back together is still an option so – spoiler! – that’s what they do. Out on 22 December.
Classical music
The Hallé: The Snowman
There is more festive nostalgia at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, where Raymond Briggs’s animated film classic is given a symphonic overhaul by the Hallé orchestra. As well as a stirring rendition of Howard Blake’s instantly recognisable score, a chorister will be on hand to belt out Walking in the Air. Lovely. There’s one performance on 22 December and three on 23 December.
Kids
Our Kids Social x Drag Queen Story Time
In which Divina De Campo promotes ideas of uniqueness and individuality via a story about a snowflake. Plus there’s a silent disco! At Z-arts, Manchester, today.
Podcast
2 Dope Queens
This podcast on WNYC is hosted by friends Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams, and features frank discussions with some of their favourite comedians about everything from romance and race to living in New York and falling for Billy Joel. Recent episodes have featured Tig Notaro sharing the worst advice she’s ever received; former SNL star Vanessa Bayer addressing a rumour involving Beyoncé; and Tegan & Sara chatting about their mum’s thoughts on safe sex.
Exhibitions
BBZ x TATE
Famed for throwing London’s best parties for queer people of colour, BBZ – a collective started by film-maker Nadine Davis and photographer Tia Simon-Campbell – is teaming up with Tate Modern to create “a multimedia, multi-sensory exhibition spotlighting the production of QTIPOC (queer, transgender and intersex people of colour) communities” via various workshops. Until 17 December.
Mapping the Limits of Space
Photography-based artist Dan Holdsworth describes his art as “future archaeology”, in that he utilises new technologies – in this case, GPS and digital mapping software – to recreate the geological details of some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. Mapping the Limits of Space at Graves Gallery, Sheffield, mixes new and old artwork, including 2016’s Continuous Topography, a spectacular re-imaging of the Mont Blanc Massif glaciers in France, and the Blackout series of mountains. Open until 16 March.
Distinct Surfaces
This new exhibition at Arthill Gallery, west London, finds artists Sandra Pulina, Lena von Gödeke and Qiwei Zhang exploring painting and the surfaces used to create art. While their works are distinctive, they’re connected by the questions they each pose. Until 28 January.
Music
Charli XCX
Nine months after Number 1 Angel, the last “mixtape” (album) by British agit-pop experimentalist Charli XCX, comes the equally forward-thinking Pop 2. It’s again co-masterminded by PC Music’s AG Cook and comes with a host of guests, from Mykki Blanco to Mø; Carly Rae Jepsen to Tove Lo. It doesn’t feature Boys, though; that’s saved for her “proper” third album, due some time in 2018. Pop 2 is out right now.
