Along with eating, drinking and sleeping, we'll also be going to some very exciting events this weekend...
BIRMINGHAM
ART CENTRAL
Fierce Festival has an eclectic programme of spoken word, interactive events and art parties. Bennett Miller’s Dachshund UN – a playful reproduction of the United Nations populated by sausage dogs – kicks-off the 11-day festival. Until 8 April; various times and prices; citywide
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Artist Monica Ross leads unique performance Acts Of Memory, where residents will perform extracts from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their native languages. 31 March; 2pm-3.30pm; free; Birmingham Cathedral, Colmore Row, B3
PICK ’N’ MIX
Sample food from of the kitchen of nine different restaurants in Taste of The Mailbox. Restaurants include pan-Asian eatery The Oriental, Japanese noodle bar Shogun Sushi and Parisian-inspired bistro Côte Brasserie. 29-30 March; 11am-3pm; free; The Mailbox, 61 Wharfside Street, B1
SHOP THE PAST
Clothing, accessories, footwear and jewellery go under the hammer at the Vintage Fashion Auction. Browse the online catalogue, with fashion pieces from the Twenties to Eighties and then bid for them on the day. 31 March; 10am-1pm; free; Custard Factory Theatre, Gibb Street, Digbeth, B4
APPRECIATE BEER
TV presenter, journalist and beer enthusiast Marverine Cole returns as host of the Fem-Ale Appreciation Society. Six of the finest, including Veltins Pilsner and Maisel’s Weisse, will be matched with tapas-style dishes. 29 March; 6pm-9pm; £25; The Mailbox, One Wharfside Street, B1
LONDON
BODY ART
If you don’t think tattoos are art, Japanese master tattooist Horiyoshi III will change your perspective. Kokoro: The Art of Horiyoshi III, showcasing his mythical artwork, is the first time his work has been exhibited in the UK. Until 1 July; times vary; free, Somerset House, WC2
SHOPPING FOR VINTAGE
The historic Masonic Temple at the Andaz hotel will be transformed into the ultimate vintage boudoir. Held in conjunction with fashion blogger Girl.Stole.Vintage, expect shopping, makeovers and live music. 31 March-1 April; 10am-4pm, Andaz, EC2
ALL ABOARD
For a party oozing decadence and nostalgia, set sail on the SS Atlantica, the Thirties ocean liner that harks back to the golden age of travel. Fine dining, champagne and dancing will be ubiquitous. Dress code: stars of the silver screen. 31 March; 6.30pm; from £20; Savoy Pier, WC2
CIRCUS FEST 2012
The circus but not as you know it. Guinean troupe Cirque Mandingue open five-week festival Circus Fest with an amazing blend of acrobatics set to a background of hip-hop and live African drumming. We dare you not to get up and dance. Until 29 April; £20, The Roundhouse, NW1
STYLE FOR A CAUSE
Save the Children is hosting a night of shopping and styling with fashion portal ShopStyle and Mrs Jones, stylist to stars such as Kate Moss and Madonna. 29 March; 6pm-9pm, free; Mary Portas’ Living & Giving Shop, W11
LEEDS
A LEEDS LEGEND
This Saturday, some of Leeds’ finest artistic talents take to the stage for Gala For Geri. Celebrating the late director Geraldine Connor, there will be performances from her masterpiece, Carnival Messiah. 31 March; 7.30pm; £10; West Yorkshire Playhouse, Quarry Hill, LS2
HOUSE PARTY
To celebrate its 33rd birthday, The Warehouse is hosting a party this Saturday. The night will be headed up by Frankie Knuckles, who’ll play a four-hour DJ set. 31 March; 10pm- 7am; £15; The Warehouse, 19-21 Somers Street, LS1
SPRING VINTAGE
Coinciding nicely with our thoughts of spring wardrobe updates, Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair returns to the Corn Exchange this Saturday with 35 stalls filled with former-era fashions. 31 March; 10am-6pm; free; Corn Exchange, Call Lane, LS1
CUPCAKE BAKE-OFF
The monthly Iron Cupcake competition falls a week early this Sunday. The theme is Easter and you can still sign up to bake. If you prefer judging – of course you do – it’s £5 on the door. 1 April; 6-8pm; £5; The Adelphi, 1-3 Hunslet Road, LS10
VIENNA BALLET
Vienna Festival Ballet is dancing the iconic production, Swan Lake in York tomorrow night. Cue more desk-based daydreams about becoming a ballerina. 30 March; 7.30pm; £13.50-£28.50; Grand Opera House, Clifford and Cumberland Street, York, YO1
MANCHESTER
CHOCOLATE FEST
Travel by steam train on the East Lancashire Railway to Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival for a chocolate market, tastings and masterclasses in one of the region’s most charming towns. 31 March-1 April; free; various venues, Ramsbottom
YOUNG THEATRE
A group of 20 young performers stage a dramatic exploration of the identity, stereotyping and shared values of northerners in Sarah McDonald- Hughes’ The North. 29-30 March, 7.30pm; £7; The Studio, The Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, M2
PHOTOGRAPHY RETROSPECTIVE
Working in black and white square format, Roger Ballen has captured images from all walks of South African society, showcased in this major exhibition Shadow Land. 30 March-13 May; free; Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, M2
DINE AND DANCE
Food Club offers a three-course dinner at The Deaf Institute, plus entry to new monthly club night Pop, featuring all-girl DJ trio Dance Lady Dance. 31 March, 10pm-4am; £20; The Deaf Institute, 135 Grosvenor Street, M1
PEARL ONE
Whether you’re new to knitting or a pro with a knotty problem, knitting blogger Cecily can give you all the guidance you need at this workshop. 1 April, 3.30pm- 5pm; The Nip and Tipple, 197 Upper Chorlton Road, M16
SCOTLAND
A GIRL’S TAIL
New Yorker Ann Liv Young brings Mermaid Show, her edgy, physical theatre piece to Glasgow and poses questions such as, “How can mermaids be sexy when they are, in fact, sexless?” 31 March-1 April; 7.30pm (Sat), 8.30pm (Sun); £12; The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2
VINTAGE DEBUT
For the first time, vintage fair Gin in Teacups is heading to the capital. With clothes and accessories, a toe-tapping soundtrack and a fair share of baked goods, too. 1 April; 12pm-6pm; free; The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, Edinburgh, EH2
CHARITY COUTURE
The largest student-run fashion show in the UK returns this weekend. Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show has raised over £250,000 for charities and this year’s cause is the Children’s Hospice Association of Scotland. 29-31 March; various times; £25-£70; 1 Summerhall, Edinburgh, EH9
DANCE SCHOOL
This weekend, as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, discover how and why we dance in The Dancing Brain (your hormones and genetic make-up have a lot to do with it). 1 April; 5.30pm; £8; National Museum Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1
BE EARLY FOR LATES
Missed out on the first two Museum Late Nights? Book now for A Night in Wonderland before it sells out. There’ll be the silent disco, face-painting and tunes from Django Django and Discopolis. 18 May; 7pm-10.30pm; £10; National Museum Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1
