Arcadia Scotland

Art and Culture

Edinburgh Student Arts Festival: 12-19 February, Various venues and times
A student-run festival celebrating and showcasing art of all kinds from Edinburgh's educational institutes.

IDST (If Destroyed Still True): Saturdays in February, Summerhall
Multi-screen video installation powered by open submissions. Send your video work to the email address above.

The Artist and the Sea: Throughout February, City Art Centre
Images of the sea by generations of Scottish artists, drawn from the Centre's collection.

British Art Show 8: Talbot Rice Gallery, Inverleith House and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Beginning 13 February
Works by 42 artists in the nationally touring show curated by Lydia Yee and Anna Collin, exploring the increasing convergence between the real and virtual spheres.

Another Minimalism: Art After California Light and Space: Through 21 February, Fruitmarket Gallery
A look at the work of minimalist artists of the current generation who are influenced by the Californian Light and Space artists of the 60s and 70s. Featured artists include Uta Barth, Larry Bell, Carol Bove, Sarah Braman, Tacita Dean, Olafur Eliasson, Sam Falls, Jeppe Hein, Robert Irwin, Ann Veronica Janssens, Spencer Finch and James Welling.

Document Scotland: The Ties that Bind: Through 29 February, Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Images of Scottish people from the collective founded in 2012, comprising Colin McPherson, Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert, Sophie Gerrard and Stephen McLaren. The show is timed to take place one year after the referendum on independence, and is designed to reflect the multiplicity of views and challenges associated with the event.

John Bellamy and the Scottish Women's Hospitals: Through 29 February, Scottish Parliament
Archive materials related to the Scottish Women's Hospitals, plus paintings and drawings inspired by them, by the late John Bellany.

Music, Comedy and Dance

The Nutcracker: 6 February, Edinburgh Playhouse, 2:30 and 7:30pm
Full-length classical ballet set to Tchaikovsky's music and performed by the renowned company.

Ragged Glory: 9 February, Leith Folk Club, 7:30pm
Contemporary folk with vocal harmonies performed by the four-piece.

Anti-Valentine's Day: 14 February, The Stand, 8:30pm
It's sickening, isn't it? All those people being happy all over the place. If you can't be bothered with Valentine's day, go into a basement and laugh at it all.

The Edinburgh Quartet: Storm and Stress: 17 February, Queen's Hall, 7:30pm
The 'Sturm und Drang' movement in 18th century German culture was all about passion; literally translated as Storm & Stress, it expressed itself in the work of writers but some of Haydn's earlier masterpieces have also been linked to it. The quartet plays Haydn's Op 76 No 2 as well as Bartok'sQuartet No 3 and Grieg's Quartet.

The Jellyman's Daughter: 23 February, Leith Folk Club, 7:30pm
Edinburgh alternative-acoustic duo featuring Graham Coe on cello and Emily Kelly on guitar.

Michael McGoldrick, John Doyle & John McCusker: 26 February, Summerhall, 8pm
Traditional music from master flautist McGoldrick (Flook, Lunasa and Capercaillie), McCusker (Battlefield Band) and guitarist Doyle.

Lectures, Sports and Local Festivals

Edinburgh International Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace: 2-29 February, Various venues and times
This international festival draws together people from a wide range of spiritual backgrounds, cultures, traditions and communities to celebrate peace and mutual understanding via spiritual, educational, artistic and cultural events.

Edinburgh Iranian Festival: 19-21 February, Various times and places
A welcome return for this volunteer-run biannual cultural festival, which celebrates the heritage and creativity of Iran. The programme features art exhibitions, live music by Glasgow-based Arazoo Symphony Orchestra, fashion by contemporary Iranian designers, an Iranian film season organised in collaboration with the Filmhouse Cinema Edinburgh, workshops, a lecture series and an Iranian teahouse set up within Persian Rug Village.