Ten things to do in … February

1. Mingle with the Vikings

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Jorvik Viking Centre in York. To celebrate, the centre is pulling out all the stops for 2010’s Viking Festival. It kicks off with an academic conference that examines developments in Viking research over the past quarter-century. There are also to be several living history events, culminating in a grand battle re-enactment on Saturday 20 February.

Event: Jorvik Viking Festival
Various Venues, York
13 - 21 February
Tel: 01904 543400
www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk

2. Savour shots of 20th-century stars

Born during the First World War, photographer Irving Penn’s lengthy career stretched well into the 21st century. During his seven decades of work he snapped global icons including Marlene Dietrich, Pablo Picasso, Truman Capote and Nicole Kidman. His work is now being celebrated at a major National Portrait Gallery exhibition. On show will be 120 prints – the largest collection ever exhibited in the United Kingdom.

Exhibition: Irving Penn Portraits
National Portrait Gallery, London
18 February – 6 June 
Tel: 020 7306 0055 
www.npg.org.uk

3. Discover your ancestors

The UK’s biggest family history event in 2010 will offer expert advice on tracing your ancestors. Genealogist Nick Barratt is among the speakers, celebrities such as Tony Robinson will recount their experiences on the programme, and there will be a series of special workshops.

Exhibition: Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE
Olympia Exhibition Centre, London
26 - 28 February
Tel: 020 7471 1099
www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.co.uk

4. Develop a taste for the 1940s

Feeding the population was one of the biggest challenges the British government faced in the Second World War. With foreign imports under threat, Britons were urged to grow their own, reduce waste and create new recipes that didn’t rely on scarce foodstuffs. One of the key measures to deal with shortages was rationing, which ran from 1940 until the mid-1950s. To mark the 70th anniversary of rationing’s introduction, the Imperial War Museum opens a new exhibition which looks at how the country ate and offers a wide-ranging examination of wartime food.

Exhibition: The Ministry of Food
Imperial War Museum, London
12 February – 31 December 2010
Tel: 020 7416 5439
www.iwm.org.uk

5. Explore Moore’s complex world

The two world wars had a profound impact on the British artist Henry Moore (1898–1986). His experiences serving on the Western Front in the First World War influenced him greatly, while in the Second World War he was an Official War Artist, producing era-defining images of the Blitz. This month, the Tate Britain launches a major new retrospective of Moore. The 150 pieces on display reveal a man of artistic brilliance who was heavily shaped by the times he lived in.

Exhibition: Henry Moore
Tate Britain, London
24 February - 8 August
Tel: 020 7887 8888
www.tate.org.uk

6. Meet the people who saved ships

Lighthouse keepers are no more in Britain. The last manned lighthouse went automatic over a decade ago and what was once a vitally-important craft is now dying out. A new exhibition at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall looks back at the lighthouse keepers of old. There are a selection of artefacts from lighthouses as well as a recreated lighthouse keeper’s living quarters. Find out the innovative ways in which these sole workers enlivened their quiet days.

Exhibition: Lighthouses
National Maritime Museum, Falmouth, Cornwall
6 February – 2012
Tel: 01326 313388
www.nmmc.co.uk

7. See photos from the front line

On the occasion of his 75th birthday, the Imperial War Museum North is paying tribute to the photojournalist Don McCullin. McCullin has been on the front line of several major conflicts over the past half-century, including wars in Vietnam, the Middle East and Biafra. His work has not been without controversy, especially in 1982 when the British government refused to allow him to cover the Falklands War. This exhibition displays some of McCullin’s most evocative images together with associated artefacts. The photographer also provides a commentary on his long career. 

Exhibition: Shaped by War 
Imperial War Museum North, Manchester
6 February - 13 June 
Tel: 0161 836 4000 
www.iwm.org.uk

8. Enter China in transition

The late 19th century saw the country increasing its ties to the west. One man who observed China first-hand was photographer John Thompson, a visitor from 1868–72. He captured the essence of Chinese life with photographs of people from all strata of society. Street gamblers mingle with bureaucrats and brides in his work. A selection of Thompson’s pictures go on show at the Merseyside Maritime Museum this month.

Exhibition: China Through the Lens
Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool
5 February - 6 Jun
Tel: 0151 478 4499
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

9. Get a Frank education

A chance for anyone in the Chester area to see one of Britain’s most renowned travelling exhibitions. It is split into five themes – racial hatred, conflict and peace, inclusion and exclusion, democracy and dictatorship, and responsibility and indifference – each illuminated by photographs and film documenting Anne Frank’s story. There’s also a virtual tour of her hiding place in Amsterdam.

Exhibition: Anne Frank & You
Chester Cathedral
3 – 24 February
Tel: 01244 324756
www.chestercathedral.com

10. See artefacts in amber

For fossilised tree resin, amber has certainly inspired many an imagination, and has been used since Neolithic times to create ornaments and jewellery. This exhibition brings the important Malbork Castle collection from Poland to our shores, a treasure trove of Baltic amber artefacts. Included is a look at the techniques used by craftsmen down the centuries, a collection of insects trapped in amber, and a history of the art form from its prehistoric origins.

Exhibition: Amber: Treasures from Poland
Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow
5 February – 17 April
Tel: 0141 330 5431
http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/amber/