ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE

Tate Modern’s expansive is the Croydon-born artist’s largest retrospective to date. Undoubtedly the most talked-about exhibition of the season, Tracey Emin’s monumental A Second Life at the Tate Modern (running until 31 August) – backed by Gucci – presents the most comprehensive survey yet of Britain’s most renowned living female artist. This exhibition chronicles her fearless approach, showcasing how, over four decades, Emin has used the rawest experiences of her body, mind,

Barbie: The Exhibition is coming to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. It will be the first time it has ever been in Scotland, exploring the history of the doll from 1959 to the present day and features items including clothes, playsets and vehicles. Several groundbreaking Barbies will be on display, including the first black, Hispanic and Asian versions, as well as the first Barbie with Down’s Syndrome and the first in a wheelchair. Glasgow Life, the charity

Get ready to see Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel as you've never seen them before in this pop-music filled psychological thriller. It follows a famous singer who who reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer on the eve of her comeback performance. In addition to Hathaway and Coel, FKA Twigs, Hunter Schafer, and Kaia Gerber will also star. Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX have written and produced original songs for the film, with an original score compos

Hamnet star Jessie Buckley has made history by becoming the first Irish woman to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards in Hollywood. The prize went to Buckley for her role as William Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, in the drama directed by Chloé Zhao. Buckley burst into a fit of laughter before beginning her speech, saying, “This is really something.” “It’s Mother’s Day in the U.K. today, so I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart,” she said. “We

Powerhouse singer Jessie J returns to the stage this April for her No Secrets UK tour. Fans can expect the soaring ballads, high-energy hits and unmistakable voice that have made the Brit-school alumna one of the UK's most popular performers. With heartfelt moments and show-stopping vocals, this is your chance to see one of pop's finest doing what she does best. Various venues throughout the country from 7-14 April. ticketmaster.co.uk/jessie-j

Three days of jazz, neo-soul, hip hop and electronic sounds across venues in and around Brick Lane, London. It's intimate enough to feel friendly, but big enough to make a proper weekend of it, with excellent food and people-watching between sets. 24 - 26 April 2026 bricklanejazzfestival.com

The Spanish film industry has historically been dominated by men and, perhaps unsurprisingly, by the Spanish language. The country doesn’t have a great track record for valuing minority languages, or the cultural outputs made in them. Pioneering female directors including Icíar Bollaín and Isabel Coixet have paved the way for a new generation of female film-makers. Thanks to the influence of organisations such as CIMA (the Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media

Originally published in 1979, this eight-part epic by Barbara Taylor Bradford was a major success for Channel 4 when they first adapted it in 1985. The story of a Yorkshire housemaid's journey from poverty to becoming the leader of a retail empire—and the wealthiest woman in the world—remains as relevant today as ever. Emma Harte's life is filled with love, ambition, betrayal, and loss. We first encounter her as an older woman in a limousine traveling through New York City, j

The story follows five women and the circumstances that make them leave their lives to start anew in a garden on the outskirts of Tehran. Written in the late 1970s, it was immediately banned on publication. Shortly after, Parsipur was arrested and jailed for her frank and defiant portrayal of women’s sexuality. This groundbreaking book is now available for the first time in English, translated by Faridoun Farrokh. Set against the backdrop of the 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran,

No sooner has Meryl Streep kicked off Miranda Priestly's click-clacking red stilettos, than she's stepping into another iconic woman's shoes. It's been confirmed that Meryl, who again plays the formidable Runway magazine editor in The Devil Wears Prada 2 (in cinemas from 1 May) has been cast as Joni Mitchell in a new biopic. The film will focus on the later years of the singer-songwriter famous for hits such as Help Me. Streep has previously received two Oscar nominations fo

This story of vocal powerhouse Chaka Khan reveals the woman behind the diva and charts her rise to stardom - with Alexandra Burke in the title role. Bold and heartfelt, the production showcases her unwavering passion for civil rights, defiance in the face of a toxic music industry, battle with addiction and the juggle of being a working mother. "Almost 17 years ago, I sang Chaka for my very first non-televised audition for The X Factor,' reveals Alexandra. "To think that all

The award went to novel A Family Matter, about a lesbian affair and a custody battle Claire Lynch was presented with the £30,000 award for her book A Family Matter at a ceremony in London last night. “I’m genuinely knocked off my feet,” said Lynch, adding that the prize will “give me a bit of permission. I didn’t realise that I needed a prefect’s badge or something to say ‘You’re a real writer’, but it feels a bit like that”. Nick Hornby, chair of the judges, said the book wa

Patricia Cornwell's iconic literary character is brought to life in this gripping eight-part series starring Nicole Kidman as Dr Kay Scarpetta. Using her unrivalled technical skill, she is determined to serve as the voice of the victims. This story is told across two timelines, from Scarpetta's early career as a chief medical examiner in the late 90s to the present day, when she returns to her hometown and resumes her former position while investigating a grisly murder. Jamie

Many people don't know the extraordinary story of Ann Lee, one of the few female religious leaders of the 18th century, though most have heard of the Shakers. This film details how an illiterate Mancunian became a guiding force in the religion, known for worshiping through ecstatic song and physically expressive acts of devotion. "The world doesn't know what an incredible woman Ann Lee was," says Amanda Seyfried, who plays her. Haunted by personal tragedy yet driven by a firm

BAFTA-winning actor and comedian Aisling Bea began her career in acting but found her true calling in comedy, winning the So You Think You're Funny? award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2012, and being nominated for best newcomer in the following year's festival. Bea is best known for creating, writing, and starring in the his Way Up on Channel 4. Now she is taking her stand-up show on tour, featuring tales of travel, home, history, sex and babies. Older Than Jesus is UK

Born in 1926, self-taught artist Beryl Cook shot to fame in the 1970s with her raucous takes on ordinary British life, including the bingo hall, pub nights and seaside scenes.  Now a free exhibition marking her centenary is on at the Box in Plymouth until 31 May. 'Pride and Joy' is the most extensive display of Beryl Cook's work to date with more than 80 works, from iconic paintings to rarely seen treasures from private collections and the Cook family archives. Visit theboxpl

The star-studded BAFTA Film Awards  2026 ceremony in London on Sunday also put a spotlight on Donna Langley , chair of NBCUniversal  Entertainment and the first British woman to run a major Hollywood studio. The top executive, born and raised on the Isle of Wight in the U.K., took to the stage to receive the British Academy’s highest honor, the BAFTA Fellowship , to a standing ovation before highlighting cinema’s power to bring people together. “We are … facing moments of cha

Award-winning director Lynne Ramsay, who was born in Glasgow, is to recognised with a special award more than 25 years after she made her feature film debut. She will receive the special award on March 6 at a special In Conversation event entitled “From Page to Pulse,” which will be hosted by Glasgow filmmaker Adura Onashile (Girl) and be part of the festival’s annual Industry Focus strand. In it, the director will take “a deep dive into her unparalleled approach to adaptatio

When the album dropped at the stroke of midnight on February 13, I found myself lying in the dark listening to Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights. As her second soundtrack album (after Bottoms in 2023), this record was made for Emerald Fennell’s 2026 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights. But this collection of songs also stands as a musical adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel in its own right. The opening track, House, struck me with its ability to succinctly get to the heart of w

Jessie Buckley is no stranger to the London stage, and she most recently appeared in Rebecca Frecknall’s award-winning Cabaret  as Sally Bowles alongside Eddie Redmayne’s Emcee. The pair took their performance to Broadway, and Buckley’s star has only continued to rise since then. Just this month, she won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for playing Agnes Shakespeare in the historical film Hamnet  (which was previously made into a West End play in 2023) and she has jus