Art performances, shopping, exhibitions and culinary adventures set the tone for a vibrant start to spring
The mornings and nights are lighter, the sun’s just peeking its head out and we’re feeling the shift in our mood and energy levels. With that in mind, we’re championing getting out and about this March and enjoying all the culinary and cultural joys that Scotland has in abundance. Enjoy picks from independent ballet performances to locally-sourced al-fresco eats. There’s something for all to enjoy.
Head to the ballet
When: Saturday 9th March at 2pm and 7.30pm
Where: Tramway, 25 Albert Dr, Glasgow, G41 2PE
For a Mother’s Day celebration with a twist, head to Tramway Glasgow to enjoy Barrowland Ballet’s latest production, Chunky Jewellery.
The new work celebrates friendship, motherhood and womanhood during the weekend of International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day, and focuses on two friends, one year, two births, a death, 18 bursts of laughter, 34,000 tears (each) and one piece of chunky jewellery.
Using words, dance and song to offer audiences an alternative love story, Chunky Jewellery is a personal and poignant autobiographical piece that celebrates friendship, motherhood and womanhood.
“Friendship is at the heart of Chunky Jewellery, like an alternative love story. The title of the work came from a playful conversation Jude and I had about chunky jewellery and how it signified women of a certain age,” explains director Natasha Gilmore.
“It focuses on the stories of women in the middle of their lives, taking our personal experiences, and making it universal. The title captures the humour of the work and of our laughter filled relationship. The jewellery women wear and are gifted over their lifetimes tell a story.”
Enjoy a whimsical cocktail experience at Somewhere by Nico, Six by Nico’s new cocktail bar
When: Somewhere by Nico opens its doors Wednesday 20 March
Where: Somewhere by Nico, First Floor, 358 Byres Rd, Glasgow, G12 8AW
Head along to Byres Road this March to be the first to sample the delights of Somewhere by Nico, who have just announced their first theme as – drumroll, please! – The Land of Oz.
The immersive new cocktail experience bar features a cocktail menu (includes alcohol-free options) that draws on classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, with alcoholic and alcohol-free cocktails inspired by iconic characters including the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Wicked Witch of The West.
Similar to sister restaurants Six by Nico, the six-course experience takes customers on a journey, with each creative cocktail accompanied by a playful food pairing. Somewhere by Nico will announce a new cocktail experience – drawing from dreams, stories, memories, and myths – every six weeks.
Take in the Edinburgh landscape works of Scottish artist Alice Newman
When: Now until mid-June
Where: Anthropologie, George Street, Edinburgh
Landscape artist Alice Newman will be showcasing her works at Edinburgh’s Anthropologie store until summer this year, with the pieces exhibited also on sale for those eager to secure an original of their own.
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The mixed media artworks see Alice focus in on Edinburgh’s vibrant streets, capturing the city’s charm and character in a uniquely energetic and captivating way.
And especially timely, they celebrate the transition of the seasons, from the low sun and early nights of winter, to the abundance of colour in spring, in harmony with Edinburgh’s most iconic landscapes like the Grassmarket, Princes Street Gardens and the Old Town.
Celebrate British Pie Week at The Palmerston
Say aye to a pie at Edinburgh culinary institution The Palmerston this March for British Pie Week (4th-10th March).
On the menu, a native angus short rib and suet pie and a mutton and bacon pie. The perfect way to end a day’s shopping in Edinburgh’s West End if you’re looking for more relaxed, weekend eats.
Swing by Chanel’s Pop-Up Beauty Boutique
When: March 9th – March 30th
Where: No.8 Charlotte Square
This March, fashion and beauty design house Chanel will be opening a beauty boutique pop-up in Edinburgh’s West End, with interactive immersive experiences for beauty loving guests to enjoy.
The unique pop-up experience is designed to feel like an exciting nighttime excursion where night owls can discover a curated experience for the launch of Rouge Allure Velvet Nuit Blanche.
The first stop in the pop-up is the cinema, where guests are introduced to the Nuit Blanche campaign film. Chanel beauty advisors will be on hand to invite visitors to play with an interactive digital clock and discover their favourite lipstick shades.
In the backstage beauty area, guests can try on their favourite lipstick shade and explore the products used to create the nighttime makeup looks worn by Margot Robbie in the Rouge Allure Velvet Nuit Blanche campaign. Exclusive to Edinburgh, Chanel School of Makeup masterclasses will be available to pre-book for guests to create the ultimate show-stopping evening look.
Visit the Louise Bourgeois ARTIST ROOMS exhibition
When: Now until 9th June 2024
Where: Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB10 1FQ
A drive up to the Granite City can be a bit of a trek for those based in the central belt, but if you’re looking for an excuse, let it be the Louise Bourgeois exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery. It’s currently the only Scottish gallery showing work by the French-American artist, who is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential figures of modern and contemporary art.
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In a career that spanned most of the avant-garde artist movements of the 20th century, Bourgeois stayed true to her unique vision. Her endlessly inventive work, inspired by her memories and experiences, spanned monumental installations, sculptures, fabric collages and drawings. She is perhaps best known for her large-scale spider sculptures, including one she created for the opening of Tate Modern in 2000.
This exhibition focuses on works produced during the last 20 years of her life, a period of extraordinary creativity, during which Bourgeois re-examined many of her lifelong concerns to create a body of new work exploring identity, gender, childhood, family and memory. Personal, provocative, vulnerable and raw, her work reaches us with a powerful immediacy more than a decade after her death.
Dinner by Arete
When: Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd March
Where: Guardswell Farm, Kinnaird, Inchture, PH14 9QZ
New to the Scottish foodie scene is cooking duo Arete. But the pair are familiar with working together.
George Colebrook and Neil Paterson (Arete) first met cooking together at restaurant Barra in Berlin where they immediately clicked. George has since gone on to hone his skills as Sous chef at Bright in London before helping to open Margot Henderson’s pub and restaurant, The Three Horseshoes.
After spending four years at Barra as one of the founding members Neil moved back to Scotland and worked at The Palmerston, learning a little more about life on the other side of the pass before getting back to cooking in some of Scotland’s most prestigious homes.
Buy tickets here.
