THE first Hebridean Dark Skies festival has been launched.

Programmed by An Lanntair arts centre on the Isle of Lewis, it will take place at An Lanntair and across the Isle of Lewis from 8-21 February next year.

The festival has been programmed to bring visitors to the islands in the winter months: and highlight the islands dark skies, and the star systems that can be seen from there, including Orion, the rest of the Milky Way galaxy of which we are part, and the Andromeda Galaxy, as well as the northern lights.

The festival will see an evening of dark skies discussion and song with musician Emma Pollock and researcher Natalie Marr, a festival screening of The Rocket Post, a planetarium, a Valentine's Day screening of Starman, star gazing events at Gallan Head and Calanais visitor centre, and an exhibition of the best dark sky photography from the Hebrides.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landings, the festival will close with a screening of First Man, the acclaimed new film starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.

The festival will also screen In The Shadow of the Moon, the acclaimed 2007 documentary featuring interviews with every surviving member of the Apollo missions.

Andrew Eaton-Lewis, events and marketing co-ordinator for An Lanntair, said: “Lewis and Harris are incredible places to visit all year round, and with this festival we are giving people another compelling reason to travel here during the winter months – as well as putting on a packed programme of events for those of us who live here to enjoy.

"We’ve worked very hard to make sure this festival offers something for everyone – it’s part science festival, part arts festival, part outdoor festival, with things to do for all ages. There are plenty of events about space and astronomy, but we’ll also be exploring the theme of ‘dark skies’ in a broader sense."

John Brown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, said: “Being a great fan of the Western Isles and a part-time Skye-dweller, I am looking forward enormously to attending as much as possible of the very ambitious and exciting programme of the first Hebridean Dark Skies Festival in 2019."

www.lanntair.com

THE British Museum in London is to display its new acquisitions, including works by Phylidda Barlow and Jeremy Deller, in a new exhibition.

The exhibition, of prints and drawings acquired in the last five years, including works by David Hockney, Bridget Riley, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Raphael, and Edgar Degas among others.

In total, 150 artworks are on show in the free exhibition New Acquisitions: Gozzoli to Kara Walker.

Since 2013, the British Museum has added 3000 graphic works into its prints and drawings collection.

The oldest work on show is by the Renaissance master Benozzo Gozzoli from around 1460, and the newest is Kara Walker’s 2017 print Resurrection Story with Patrons, which depicts a giant statue of a black woman being erected.

Another highlight is the British Museum’s first ever drawing by Andy Warhol, which depicts a study of a theatre set he designed in New York in 1959.

The exhibition will also show the Museum’s first ever work by Phyllida Barlow, which is a study for one of the sculptures in her British pavilion installation at the 2017 Venice Biennale.

Barlow recently unveiled a large sculpture at Jupiter Artland, outside Edinburgh.

Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, said: "We are delighted to be hosting this special exhibition which shines a light on a less well-known but vital part of the British Museum’s collection. New Acquisitions: Gozzoli to Kara Walker is a roll-call of the some of the very best and most well-known artists of the past 600 years and all of these newly acquired works are now held by the British Museum on behalf of the nation and for the enjoyment of everyone around the world."

www.britishmuseum.org

THE Stellar Quines theatre company have launched a new project, Make Do and Mend, which offers seed funding for artists to develop new work in any art form.

The company says it "aims to excite and inspire artists by encouraging ambition, bravery and experimentation in their creative enquiry."

Each year the company will be offering at least five artists up to £2000 to develop a new work in any art form.

The project title, Make Do & Mend, is derived from a World War II pamphlet "that encouraged women to be frugal and stylish."

Make Do & Mend offers a total of £8000, a maximum of £2000 per application to respond to the question, ‘How have the rights of women changed since 1918 and what does the future hold?’.

Mini Make Do & Mend is in partnership with Glasgow based, Terra Incognita and offers a total of up to £1500 to respond to the question, ‘Campaigning women over the last century – what next?’

www.stellarquines.com