10 cultural events we can’t wait to see in 2022

From Mozart to BalletBoyz, Surrealism to Stonehenge, these are the events we are most looking forward to 

Grayson’s Art Club

This blockbuster show takes over three floors with work chosen by Grayson Perry and guest celebrities during the hit Channel 4 series Grayson’s Art Club. The artworks, created by celebrities, artists and members of the public, are a personal response to the pandemic.  

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, until 4 September

bristolmuseums.org.uk

Bronze twin horse–snake hybrid from hoard, 1200–1000 BC. Kallerup, Thy, Jutland, Denmark. National Museum of Denmark/Ofret Museum. CC-BY-SA, Søren Greve, National Museum of Denmark

The World of Stonehenge

Following the story of Britain and Europe from 4000 –1000 BC, this exhibition sheds light on the iconic monument that is still shrouded in mystery and myth. Featuring objects such as axes, jewellery and even the world’s oldest surviving map of the stars, it paints a picture of what life was like when the stones were erected and why they continue to inspire to this day. 

British Museum, 17 February–17 July
britishmuseum.org

Koga Harue, Umi (The Sea), 1929. The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Photo: MOMAT/DNPartcom

Surrealism Beyond Borders

Looking at the original group of artists who termed themselves ‘Surrealists’, and far beyond, this groundbreaking exhibition examines art from Paris, Seoul, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Tokyo and more, across a span of 80 years. It draws connections between seemingly disparate practices that are nevertheless underpinned by an exploration of the unconscious and the uncanny, from Lionel Wendt’s experimental photography to Ithell Colquhoun’s subversive paintings. 

Tate Modern, 24 February–29 August
tate.org.uk

NDT 2: Nederlands Dans Theater 

One of the world’s leading dance companies presents three works. The Big Crying is choreographed by Marco Goeke to songs by Tori Amos. Hans van Manen’s quartet features Haydn’s Piano Trio No 28 in E major. Johan Inger’s piece IMPASSE uses the joyful sound of French-Lebanese jazz trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf. 

The Marlowe, Canterbury, 4–5 March
marlowetheatre.com

Beauty and the Beast concept art (1991), Peter Hall. Walt Disney Animation Research Library

Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts

See how 18^th-century French art inspired some of the most beloved Disney animated films and characters, including Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. This exhibition, organised by The Wallace Collection and The Met, examines Disney’s fascination with European art and the use of French motifs in both films and theme parks.

The Wallace Collection, 6 April–16 October
wallacecollection.org

Raphael, Saint John the Baptist Preaching, 1505

The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Raphael

His career may have lasted just two decades, but Raphael shaped the course of Western culture in a way that few artists have done either before or after him. With loans from the Hermitage, the Louvre, the Prado Museum, the Uffizi and the Vatican, this exhibition spans Raphael’s work in painting, drawing, architecture, poetry and design.

The National Gallery, 9 April–31 July
nationalgallery.org.uk

BalletBoyz: Deluxe

The six award-winning dancers return to deliver their unique blend of dance, music and film. Deluxe features work by some of the world’s most exciting and creative artists, including choreographer Xie Xin, composer Jiang Shaofeng, choreographer and director Maxine Doyle of the immersive theatre company Punchdrunk, and jazz musician and composer Cassie Kinoshi of the Mercury-nominated SEED Ensemble. 

Lighthouse, Poole Centre for the Arts, 14 May
lighthousepoole.co.uk

Scottish Opera: Don Giovanni

Scottish Opera revives its 2013 production of one of the world’s most performed operas. This time, the tale of serial seducer Don Giovanni is directed by Sir Thomas Allen, who was responsible for Scottish Opera’s 2019 sold-out revival of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. 
Theatre Royal Glasgow, 15, 18, 21 May and 23–25 June; Eden Court, Inverness, 24, 26, 28 May; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 5, 7, 9, 11 June; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, 16–18 June

KITE 

Head to Kirtlington Park in Oxford for a new festival of ideas with a line-up including music from Grace Jones, Mavis Staples and Saint Etienne, and appearances from award-winning journalist, author and editor Tina Brown, historian David Olusoga and former Minister of State for International Development Rory Stewart.

KITE Festival, 10–12 June
kitefestival.co.uk

Awol Erizku, Nefertiti (Black Power), 2018 © The Artist, Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts

Visions of Ancient Egypt

Examining how ancient Egypt has shaped the cultural imagination over the centuries, the Sainsbury Centre brings together art, photography, fashion, architecture, film and more. It covers everything from Shakespeare’s Cleopatra to the influence of hieroglyphics on Arab scholarship, not to mention the motifs and aesthetics that continue to be celebrated in pop culture. 

Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, 3 September 2022–1 January 2023
sainsburycentre.ac.uk