The charity U-Turn launches itself with style and gusto this Wednesday night in the historic and recently renovated venue of Shoreditch Town Hall. Not just a wine reception with nibbles and a token celebrity, the U-Turn party is an entertainment fest, with concert, guest DJs and cabaret plus a raffle, which means you could go home with a couple of holidays in your goodie bag. The obvious highlights are the chance to see the edgy genius of Martha Wainwright alongside Ed Harcourt, Sarah Jane Morris, Menlo Park and others. Richard Strange is compere for the evening and Burlesque dancers Medium Rare will be performing a saucy cabaret. Most importantly, the party is raising funds and awareness for U-Turn's work with women and children who are forced into prostitution in East London. The charity's outreach programme gives access to health agencies, drug support groups, drop in centres and its core work is helping women escape the "catch-22" of working on the streets and make real changes to their lives. If you can make it, this party is not to be missed.

NB: call 020.8983.1553 or click here for tickets.

Anyone with an interest in philosophy might be resistant to the idea that they need to be taught "how to read" it. The idea is even more unappealing given that introductions to the great thinkers tend to be either dry academic treatises that aren't exactly a great pick-me-up for the morning commute, or those acid-bright "an introduction to..." textbooks, which in literary terms are about as cool as a pair of stabilisers. The Granta How to Read series promises to offer something a bit different. The first six writers covered are Nietzsche, Freud, Darwin, Hitler, Wittgenstein and Sade, all thinkers whose potential for ambiguity has lead them to be widely discussed, argued over and frequently misused. Each has a distinctive idiom that is crucial to the understanding of their work, and it's a study of this which provides the focal point for the series. There will be mingling and canapes on the newly-refurbished Foyles balcony this Thursday, as writers including Josh Cohen and Gray Monk make their case. It promises to be a nice, informal event with a good mix of people and plenty of free booze. Just mind the stairs on the way out, as there are more of them than you expect.

NB: to attend you need to call Louise Campbell on 020.7704.9776 or email her at lcampbell@granta.com.

Interactive Architecture is set to transform the world in which we live over the next few years. "Smart" design was once confined to hi-tech advertising screens, web-based digital design and museum exhibits. In the future, it will reinvent our living space at work, leisure and home. This "multi-mediated" architectural revolution orbits around improving our sensual and cognitive well-being through responsive environments. It breaks new ground in transcending conventional boundaries of time and place. Benchmark interactive projects include the MIT Media Lab and those developed at the Interactive Institute at Ivrea in Italy. The launch of this new book explaining the subject, 4dspace: Interactive Architecture, will be showcasing cutting-edge developments in the field. Leading practitioners will present emerging working models of effective designs, and explore the dialogue of communication and utility that underpins these responsive environments. They will include cultural historian, critic, writer, curator and guest-editor of the book, Lucy Bullivant; editor-in-chief of Archis, Ole Bouman; and architect Vincent Guallart (the author of Media, Mountains and Architecture. Other speakers are Jason Bruges, Toby Schneidler and Michael Weinstock. The event will be a launch pad to inspire architectural enthusiasts and practitioners alike. Think interactive.

"What is philosophy?" Hmmmm. It's a toughie. But put "what is" in front of anything and deep and important ponderings are likely to be caused. "What is art?" "What is a chair?" "What is Henry Kelly?" Hmmmm. What What Philosophy Is is a book co-edited by Havi Carel and David Gamez. It attempts to open up philosophy's "many forking paths" by asking actual practitioners of the discipline to give a definition of philosophy. This talk is part of the weekly Borderlines series. It will feature four contributors to the book -- Havi Carel, Simon Glendenning, Hilary Lawson and Julie Kuhlken -- giving presentations and discussing the closely related Philosopy As project.

There was much gossip leading up to last year's Stirling Prize ceremony. Would Ken Shuttleworth, the design power behind king Norman Foster's throne, step up to the podium to collect the award for the comely Swiss Re? Well, no, as he was at home watching it on telly, apparently. But the rumour was driven by the fact that Ken had just ended a 30-year stint under Lord Stormin' Norman to set up his own practice, make, which has been grabbing headlines (and key Foster staff) ever since. Depending on whom you believe, Shuttleworth single-handedly designed City Hall, the Millennium Bridge and in fact all the cool stuff that Lord Norman lays claim to these days. Rather than dwelling on the theme of "they were all mine, actually", he'll be talking about his new practice and current projects. Not least of these is the vast Elephant & Castle masterplan, a scheme that he's taken with him from his former master. Tip: don't ask whether he still gets invited round for drinks.

NB: this lecture will take place in the Darwin Lecture Theatre, Darwin Building, UCL, Gower Street, WC1.

Can you tell the difference between your Penang Laksa and Pad Thai? No? Figures, we didn't think you would. However we expect you Flashers to know your Wong Kar-Wai from your Tsai Ming-Liang. As attentions have been drawn, of late, to Southeast Asia, it's a nice coincidence that director and cultural impresario Ong Keng Sen is able to demonstrate that Asia is not just a consumer of our goodwill but also producer of culture. From the self-portraiture of Su-en Wong to Choon-Hiong Ho's short films (on a beer garden, no less) and all of HK movie star Andy Lau's death scenes (yup, all of them!), this promises to be not your regular Asian movie fare, rather more regular ICA fare. From the outskirts of Bangkok to the centre of Acheh, from documentaries to animations, Asia is not just about pungent food, poverty, Gong Li, glamourous vamps or Kung Fu masters -- as the most populous continent it is rich with people and thus full of diversity. So sit back and be prepared for some insomnia.

NB: Insonmnia runs from 25/02 till 12/03. This event is part of a month-long Singapore Season that takes place all over London.

Short form moving image continues to be one of the most expressive and experimental of contemporary art forms, allowing filmmakers to explore ever evolving techniques and expand the boundaries of their craft. Mirrorball's "Best Of" showcases just that, with a compilation of innovative promos and ads curated from their picks of the past year. Animation is high on the agenda, proving its diversity and value in enabling directors to express the dreamy, the comic and the downright dark. Perhaps BAFTA winner Marc Craste's haunting blend of 3-D and live action for Icelandic band Mum best illustrates the vision of those artists and independents committed to experimental filmmaking. Other highlights include Daniel Levi's subversive and slightly disturbing work for LFO, a bittersweet tale of love and loss courtesy of Shynola and David Shrigley, and Mirrorball favourite Dougal Wilson's playful 3-D promo for Klonhertz.

NB: ticket price includes complimentary beer.

****THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED BUT NOW IS BEING HELD AT A NEW VENUE (SEE NB BELOW)***

This is an attempt by the V&A to make their Friday Night Late series appear vital and exciting, presumably to tempt a younger audience out of the bars and clubs and into the museum. This Friday's assemblage of poets, authors, filmmakers and punk-pop band The Others are seemingly united by their desire to provoke thought by exploring alternative means of presenting their chosen medium. Poets (Courttia Newland and Nii Parkes) will perform to musical scores, authors (Helen Walsh, Patrick Neate and Tim Guest) will read their words aloud and The Others will put on an "impromptu gig". However, tonight's gig is neither unexpected nor impromptu -- hence the screening of their film A Guide to Guerrilla Gigging (a paradox in itself, surely?) to explain the practice. With loosely political lyrics about not wanting to work for "The Man", The Others perfectly encapsulate this festival: sincere and well-meaning but vague and directionless. Go because the meeting between these disparate elements may produce some unexpected results, and because it's free, or even just because it's the only place you can find attractive young people sober on a Friday night.

NB: for some reason the V&A have cancelled this event at 48 hours notice. In the original spirit of the occasion, The Others, will be performing a guerrilla gig at the original time of 7:45pm, but now outside the museum. They have also, along with other original exhibitors, managed to resurrect some of the exhibition at a new venue, The Polish Club (55 Exhibition Rd., SW7) three minutes walk from the V&A. Tom Sheehan's film on Selfish Cunt will be shown around 8pm, as well as Mark Wigan's installation on 20 years of British Club Culture, and The Others will perform a 2nd set later in the evening. This new Veritable Alternative event at The Polish Club will run from 6.30 pm to 11pm, but there is a limited capacity.

"I don't mind if the audience don't like it but I'd hate for them to have a neutral view of it," Wayne McGregor muses on the artistic outcome of a research project he and his company Random Dance completed with Cambridge University Neuroscientists looking into Ataxia, a debilitating condition that robs its victims of their bodily control and coordination. Britain's most cerebral choreographer really needn't have worried. If you'd risked McGregor and collaborators' (Bombshell, Carter, Tomato and Ice Breaker) original assault on the senses at Sadler's Wells in June, odds are that you would have found yourself in a love-it or hate-it situation. The fact that at least several of the eleven who will be performing AtaXia at Laban this week are amongst the most bodily controlled and coordinated dancers on the current scene only serves to intensify the paradoxes and controversies at play in this most difficult and painful, yet fascinating and beautiful creation.

NB: AtaXia will be performed both on Fri 25/02 and Sat 26/02.

Along with the resurgent interest in the singer-songwriter, popular music has seen an equivalent but distinct rise in the influence exerted by folk. For some time, seen as a hackneyed and overly earnest cousin, folk and acoustic influences have been embraced by a wave of new artists -- whether in tradition forms or hybrids lumped with approximate if clumsy prefixes of nu-, alt- or -weird. Twisted Folk aims to showcase artists "that have unconsciously or deliberately embraced the traditions of folk music". The Earlies These Were... is a epic, rambling album that melds acoustic folk with proggy electronica and canny songwriting. Here they headline the QEH's Purcell Room supported by Hem (vintage Americana and chamber music) and Martha Tilson -- formerly of A Certain Ratio.

Any sour-faced doom-mongers still waiting for the much-vaunted "death of clubbing" had better avoid Brixton this weekend. For while the superclub is currently as attractive as a sleepover at Michael Jackson's, any number of small bespoke crews are packing them in fine style -- whether it be the real-life Nathan Barleys, the just wanna party hedonists or the likes of ALT*CTRL. The Telegraph -- a nominally restored boozer halfway up Brixton Hill -- has been used and abused by this crew for some time. Indeed there's nothing like staggering out of the main room, "off your chops on ecstasy pipes" and sharing a game of pool with the bemused locals, not that you've any excuse to stray from the floor. The line-up is top notch with Tim Wright, Cursor Miner, Yellotone, Seed's Ardisson and a bar hosted by Wheels Instead Of Hooves and the man from Soul Jazz.

London based Output Recordings label is the brainchild of veteran DJ and hip-hop producer/remixer Trevor Jackson, now more commonly know for his work in collaborative project Playgroup. Output Recordings have gone from strength to strength since their inception in 1996 as a label free of any preconceptions or expectations with a roster of international artists breaking new ground in electronic sounds, fusing a range of influences from electro, house and punk. Tonight's label showcase not only has Jackson DJing but also sets from the mixed-up genius of 2 ManyDJs, who as Soulwax, had Jackson provide the design and art direction for their latest album campaign. Supplying "pleasure from the bass" is teutonic Turbo Recordings boss Tiga, and with a touch of Parisien Nu-Wave Goth stylings Black Strobe's Arnaud Rebotini, will also be manning the decks. Other support comes from the twisted electro sleaze of Robi Insina aka Headman and Manhead (Gomma and Output), electro duo and longtime Output affiliates 7-Hurtz on decks and FX and N-DJ Baumecker. Visual delights come courtesy of world leaders in the VJ field, The Light Surgeons. All-in-all, looks likely to be an uncompromising night of schizophrenic electro-phunk.

Music can be a travel agent of the imagination, taking you to places you could never anticipate, but in performance can often too mundanely remain focused on the stage and the theatrics of the players. This night promises to explore regions beyond the edge of the stage, using projections, lighting (by Bruce "the boss" Springsteen's regular lighting designer) and the transformation of the platform for the musicians. Belfast-born Deidre Gribben, one of the UK's rising superstars of contemporary classical music, will present her Venus Blazing violin concerto in an immersive environment, transforming the QEH into an astronomical fantastical vision. Using her voice as a tour guide through this evocative world, Gribbin will be accompanied by a colour show that maps the soundtrack. Opening proceedings, the work of Scotland's James MacMillan will be presented before a backdrop designed by artist Sue Jane Taylor, a sandblasted eroded image of turbulent seas and sky, offering an alternative voice to the intense composition. It looks to be an engaging and colourful trip, resonating with memories of early Boyle Family illustrated Pink Floyd light shows soaked in Planetarium explorations mixed with James Turrell and a dose of Anish Kapoor.

Richard Wilson's most famous piece is 20:50, currently installed in the Saatchi Gallery at County Hall, (the only installation/sculpture to survive the Triumph of Painting), in which he half fills the room with sump oil, warping the viewer's sense of space and perspective. Originally conceived for Matt's Gallery 16 years ago, it was very much against the vogue of object-based sculpture. The piece has since been installed and replicated around the world, changing according to its surroundings, each new version being site specific but not site exclusive. Of course Wilson has produced a lot more since then but 20:50 is the best example of why he appeals across the art, architecture and design disciplines, as will be explored in Monday's lecture. The lecture promises to focus on the technical and practical processes of installation art as well as the regular theory that is the norm of lectures in art practice.

Certainly one of the bands highly credited for the burgeoning of Iceland's "atmospherically penetrating" music. Alongside country mates Sigur Ros, they have helped turn the public's attention towards the tiny island in the last five years and show (hidden) talents beyond Bjork's certain genius. Mum is Gunnar Orn Tynes and Orvar Aoreyjarson Smarason with twin sisters Gyda and Kristin Anna Valtysdottir and will be doing their unique London show after the sold-out ATP Festival, curated by Slint. Their debut LP Yesterday Was Dramatic Today Is Ok revealed their affinity for combining a delicate mixture of glitch electronica, acoustic instruments (such as accordion, glockenspiel, trumpet, bells, clarinet, violin, piano...) and atmospheric, murmuring vocals -- all put together to create a new form of nordic avant-folk. Such sound clearly drew interest from one of UK's most important independent labels FatCat which released their two follow ups, Finally We Are No One and the latest Summer Make Good, written and recorded in two remote lighthouses in Northwest Iceland. Support will come from Yorkshire's Domino signed Hood and fellow Icelandic figure, Emiliana Torrini.

Wes Anderson's magically off-kilter characters return to the screen in his pastiche homage to Jacques Cousteau. Much like The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic's complicated and unhinged plot unravels itself randomly, never taking the satisfyingly defined course of Rushmore. However, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Angelica Houston and Cate Blanchett deliver the magnificently deadpan lines with enough style to charismatically enchant audiences into playing along with Anderson's twisted, ultra-stylised world. Everything from the brightly glowing animated fish, to the yellow-coloured equipment and the pale blue "Z" insignia tracksuits with red woolly hats are part of Anderson's endeavour to produce a unique visual experience. Add a soundtrack consisting of a mixture of JS Bach and David Bowie songs sung in Portuguese by one of the crew members (Seu Jorge) and you get the feeling that Anderson and company have managed to slip a pretty avant-garde film into the mainstream.

Here's a company taking performance out of, and beyond, the theatre into a cavernous Victorian factory. Part installation, part performance, The Firebird Ball is an experience reflecting on the stories of Romeo and Juliet and Stravinsky's Firebird ballet. Punchdrunk have purposely avoided revealing too much. Surprise and intrigue is essential, the most comparable work being by the Shunt collective. Without wanting to spoil it for those of you who'll dabble with this hybrid, "dark fairy-tale", we can only advise that it is to be approached with a child-like playfulness and a will to explore, interact and be daring. You may find aspects of the installation rather thoughtless and dull and, although you may be aware of performances taking place around you, you may actually see very few. But then, you could be hugely inspired... On arrival you'll be given a "number" before being ushered into a red velvet lounge (very Modern Times meets David Lynch) with a four-piece jazz band doin' smoky numbers. Before too long, your number will be called and into The Firebird Ball you'll go. This is when the trouble/fun starts. Once inside... well, remember that "secret" party in Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut?

NB: runs till 27/03. Continuous performance cycle nightly from 7pm (last admission 9pm). Licensed bar from 7pm. Lastly... dress warmly!

Since being featured in both Venice and Prague Biennales in 2003, Katy Dove's animations have lent their unique lyricism to a number of London group shows. Dove's first solo exhibition in England includes two newly commissioned works and a selection of her drawings and prints. In The Sway (DVD, 2004) the artist tracks a proliferation of overlapping and nuzzling signs -- which simultaneously evoke beak, feather and wing forms -- to the recorded rhythmic movement of swaying branches. The attendant soundtrack of multi-voiced birdsongs befits the Pump House's idyllic lakeside setting. In Amanda (DVD, 2004), the artist makes use of hand-painted 16 mm film cells that she scans to create a patchwork of lilac, yellow and orange fields. These transient zones bleed into one another to suggest aerial landscape views. Above this beautiful fluxing ground, stacks of purple bird-shape silhouettes shuffle to the esoteric strains of "Hazel" by Glasgow's Hasslehound. The isolated elements described in the works on paper serve as raw materials for her animations. While some of these ciphers are destined only for fleeting roles, others such as her endearing bird/logarithm/amoeba motif are instantly recognisable from their frequent recurrence in the final works.

NB: runs till 10/04.

While Christian Marclay is not making canny collages of record sleeves -- figures writhing round endless poles or dozens of dictatorial conductors -- or cutting and pasting film segments in much the same fashion, he creates objects that resonate with the idea of music conducted through its supports and props. These include My Weight in Records (1995) that sits defiantly silent in a stack against a wall; even the crushed spines hide their identity. Across the gallery Endless Column (1998) is as mute, but the towering jet-black vinyl shimmers as if each record was spinning. Fans who saw Marclay's recent show at White Cube will be surprised that nothing follows 2002's beguiling and cacophonous Video Quartet, though it enjoys a generous installation. Nearly 700 clips from films including Barbarella, The Sound of Music and Back to the Future are sandwiched together side by side; while some images make merrily odd companions, the soundtracks make a symphony. The seminal Telephones (1995) is easily overlooked on a monitor stuck into a column by the entrance. It's not every time you wish for a bit more bombast in an exhibition, but his hits are still deserved.

NB: runs till 02/05. Various talks and workshops have been programmed in conjunction with this exhibition so make sure you check out the Barbican website.

Jenny Holzer's (bn. 1950) medium has always really been the word. Trained as a painter at the Rhode Island School of Design, it was at the Whitney Program that she really began her text-based, socially oriented artform. Hitting New York City with her Truisms in the '70s (texts on sticker or posters), she has over the years diversified her thought-messages into different forms (garden furniture, plaques, T-shirts, billboards, especially electronic text). It was the Guggenheim's spiral that was a key moment in the start of a more architecture-oriented sculpture. And in public, her Xenon projections have superseded the fly-postering.

Jenny Holzer is currently presenting two new large scale LED light works in her first commercial gallery show in the UK at Sprueth Magers Lee in London (runs till 23/04/05).

To read the interview click here.

Funeral's disjointedness is both to its detriment and the one thing that saves it. All the influences are very credible but is there enough of Arcade Fire in it to make the end result worthwhile? It is at its best in the quirkier moments; like Modest Mouse meeting They Might Be Giants, "Laika" bobs along quite merrily, sparse guitar clunks breaking to accordion jigs in a daft but pleasant way. An interesting fusion of British and American alternative indie, this album traverses some familiar ground but via a route not often taken, hopping from Mecury Rev's delicate vocals and epic guitars on "Tunnels" to Le Tigre's bubblegum popping hand-claps and yelps in the background of "Powerout". They skip through '80s synth pop on "Rebellion", dweeby keyboards and knock-kneed chick vocals on "Hati", dreary piano balladeering akin to the likes of Keane for "Crown of Love", only to end with a Kate Bush/Bjorkesque whispering fairytale on "In the back seat". Crazy but true, it's like nothing else and everything else, at the same time.

To buy Funeral online click here.

Like us, we bet that you're just sitting back in that comfy Wallpaper* approved office reading this newsletter. Like us, we bet you'd like to be leaning back in a nice piece from Herman Miller doing just this. D.J. DePree founded Herman Miller -- named after his father-in-law who bankrolled the company -- with the idea of creating office furniture. It was not until 1936, when he felt the moral impulse of Gilbert Rohde's designs, which were oriented towards working with the human form, that the company became the Herman Miller we know today. From then on, the company has worked with designers from Charles and Ray Eames to Alexander Girard and Don Chadwick (co-creator of the Aeron Chair, now also part of MoMA's collection), not to mention Isamu Noguchi, to manufacture the most advanced ways to help you be more productive. Look at MoMA's top choices for the last decade and you'll find that not only have the Herman Miller team contributed its fair share to the contemporary office, but that some of these things seem so wacky they could belong to the future. This definitive history of the company, written by a former VP for corporate communications, John Berry, should be well placed to document the goings on between the various designers, producers and cast of furniture... So maybe the future is now!

To buy Herman Miller: Classic Furniture and System Designs for the Working Environment online click here or buy it through Walther Koenig Books at the Serpentine Gallery (020.7706.4907).

KultureFlash is a free, weekly newsletter covering contemporary culture in and around London. Each week we track down some of the more unusual and interesting events taking place in the Capital and deliver them straight to your inbox. Featuring art, gigs, films, talks, clubs and more -- we are committed to bringing you an eclectic mix of the most stimulating events in London.

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