WHAT’S ON
SU CARROLL rounds up the very best activities to do and things to see close to the coastline this month
1 VIVA VIVALDI
Cornwall-based James Wilton Dance have created a spellbinding show which blends elements of Vivaldi’s instantly recognisable The Four Seasons and reimagines it with composer Max Richter and contributions from Michal Wojtas.
Choreographer James Wilton, who set up his company in 2010, performs with Sarah Jane Taylor, taking the audience on a journey through the seasons. Spring (The Singularity) is frenetic and full of energy, like the shoots of plants forcing their way into the sun and gives way to Summer (The Expanding Universe) with its emotional heat and sensual connections. Then you slip into Autumn (The Cooling Universe), the time of harvest, full of hope and expectation, and then Winter (Entropic Heat Death) beckons.
The Four Seasons blends elements of classical dance with acrobatics, martial arts and the demanding capoeira dance. James Wilton Dance are at The Landmark, Ilfracombe on March 2. queenstheatre-barnstaple.com
2 ALL DRESSED UP
Whitby, on the north Yorkshire coast, had a successful textile industry with tailoring, dressmaking, millinery and shoemaking thriving, especially during Victorian times when it was a popular tourist destination. This year marks the bicentenary of Whitby Museum and an excuse to show some of the star exhibits from the museum’s costume collection. Because of the quality and condition of the Victorian and Edwardian fabrics they are not always on display to the public.
The costume collection is just one of the many highlights at the museum which also has fine art, jewellery, a photography collection, fossils and exhibits reflecting the area’s maritime and social history. whitbymuseum.org.uk
The atmosphere. Bram Stoker visited in 1890 and was struck by the environment – the river running down a deep valley to the sea, the busy town, the ruined Abbey and the graveyard that descends down towards the harbour. It formed the perfect location for his Gothic novel, Dracula, published in 1897. Discover it for yourself with a visit to Whitby Abbey, in the care of English Heritage. English-heritage.org.uk
3 BE MY VALENTINES
The story behind Valentines, one of the most innovative publishers of postcards and greetings cards in the world, is explored in a free exhibition at V&A Dundee, Scotland’s design museum. Best known for popularising the picture postcard, Valentines mass produced a fascinating body of work and was one of Dundee’s most successful employers for over 150 years.
The exhibition, Sincerely, Valentines – From Postcards to Greetings Cards, continues until May 21. Entry is free. vam.ac.uk/Dundee
4 FEEL
