Sitting in a black binliner until the garbage men arrived, at which point she jumped up and ran home; sunbathing in her garden exposing only her breasts and pudenda, creeping into Soho pubs dressed as a ghost to steal locals pints on Halloween; orchestrating a silent choral concert of cigarette smoking -- Hayley Newman is clearly a performance artist of some controversy. However, what's more intriguing is that these were all realised only for the camera. None of these events actually happened. Addressing issues of authenticity and mythology, the illusory and the genuine, Newman is interested in how performance is remembered and captured. Back in 1996 she developed Rude Mechanic in collaboration with Pan Sonic and a host of guests, including SFT, Bruce Gilbert, David Cunningham and our very own Scanner, an extended series of musical performances, and in 2001 she lived in Matt's Gallery exploring an assimilation of six months news in print through performance and interventions. With nods to Chris Burden, Valie Export, Dan Graham, Vito Acconci and Marina Abramovic, her body is the central focus, with sound at its hub. Wearing a leather skirt of microphones, she once danced in galleries, amplifying the resulting thuds and knocks, and later performed 10 stone 12 pounds in which the weight of various objects triggered sound samples to provide the soundtrack to her routine. Now she's performing as part of the Christian Marclay exhibition and rumours of a karaoke evening are not to be under estimated. Then again until the night who will know, and afterwards perhaps we'll be asking, did it really happen after all?

NB: free with admission ticket to the Barbican's Christian Marclay exhibition.

From the moment you hear the first notes of Johan Soderqvist's score and watch the flat Danish countryside flying by you can sense the emotional tautness of Brothers. Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen's story begins with the brothers of the title reuniting at a pivotal moment. Michael, who lives an idyllic suburban life with his beautiful wife and two young children, is about to go on a UN mission to Afghanistan and serve his country. His younger brother Jannik is just out of jail after serving time for armed robbery. Made using the brutally realistic Dogme filmmaking technique Susanne Bier creates an all sensory experience, shooting her talented Danish cast very close up. Her attention to detail is superb -- you can almost hear the ideals of suburban life in the clunk of the Michael's car doors. Connie Nielsen, better known for her roles in Hollywood movies such as Gladiator, makes her Danish feature-film debut in great company. Experienced Dogme film actors, Ulrich Thomsen and Nicolaj Lie Kaas, who have had starring roles in Thomas Vinterberg and Lars Von Trier's films including Festen and The Idiots, use the genre brilliantly, exploiting its emotionally explosive capacity with great style.

NB: this special screening is part of the Dogme season at the Curzon Soho (runs till 01/05).

Absurdly talented scratch DJ Qbert will bring his incredible record collection and deft fingers to the roomy arches of Cargo this week. Given that the chin-strokingly earnest hip-hop boys who frequent the venue nearly pee themselves with excitement whenever a DJ attempts the simplest of baby scratches, the rapt euphoria in the room whilst one of the world's most talented and innovative turntablists hits the decks should be a bewildering joy to behold. Qbert was asked to judge the DMC Championships in 1995, having won them the four years previously, as the organisers thought his continual domination of the event was a little unfair. His scratching skills have graced records by artistes as diverse as Dr Octagon and Buckethead, and his swift, jittery cuts and lightening-quick scratches make for an intriguing and deeply jazzy and funky tapestry. Come along to watch a true pioneer at work, but if you've ever attempted to scratch a record yourself, be aware that the superhuman talent on display might make you feel a little bit humble.

A rare opportunity presents itself this Friday when I Am Kloot play in London, for a change, at the Electric Ballrooms. Often it seems that they are tied to the North quite literally; their character and even their beautifully understated vocals seem to evoke a peculiarly Northern temperament. Bramwell's voice sounds both cosy and old fashioned, like your grandparents' living room, but this familiarity is in contrast to the unexpected and often stark music behind it. Their new album Gods and Monsters experiments with structure and sound far more than their last eponymous album, which reminded one of early Badly Drawn Boy before he became twee. At times they touch on free form jazz, as in the title track's clonking piano, at other times a bossa nova beat pushes through and on "The Stars Look Familiar" the echoing guitar refrain even recalls The Shadows. Despite this rich variety of sounds and styles there remains a rawness; bare without being sparse, their music reveals a vulnerability and honesty. Performed live, it'll be fascinating.

Calling architecture "iconic" these days is a bit like calling someone a genius; there's been a devaluation of the currency. But Richard Rogers' and Renzo Piano's Centre Georges Pompidou was, and still is, the genuine article. It looks like the living embodiment of Archigram -- an "instant" building, with a brightly coloured kit-of-parts thrown together for the needs of the moment. Appearances are deceptive however. You could argue it's the exact opposite of the Archigram ideal -- in fact a beautifully and highly crafted artefact, a founding prototype for much of so-called British High-Tech and beyond. Now here's a chance to find out, from some of those who were actually there: the design will be presented as a crit by some of the original team to a panel which, by less than coincidence, includes an actual live Archigram member -- though notably not the ubiquitous Peter Cook, but the more unassuming David Greene, whose views on the subject of both the Pompidou and Archigram may differ from the official view.

NB: the symposium is free but you need to reserve a place by calling 020.7911.5000 (ext. 3103) or by emailing s.hardingham@wmin.ac.uk.

After the highly successful Warp Xmas party and the Relief Benefit, Furthur return to quality rave venue Jacks with an awesome line-up of acid-tinged electro techno stalwarts Berlinette. DJ, producer and founder of the BPitch Control label, Ellen Allien, spins cutting edge electro/techno fused with chunky glitchtronix and machine pop elements. With a rare live set in the main room Warp artist and electronic wiz-kid Chris Clark combines heavy apocalyptic beats with gentler, smoother melodies. Furthur favrs the DMX Krew (Rephlex), Ceephax Acid Crew (Breakin') and Cylob (Rephlex) will be raving up the masses into an acid frenzy with dedicated dancefloor bombs for guaranteed electro feet fever. But that's not all. Room 2 hosts a veritable feast of electronic delights with some jiggy Braindance action from Rephlex artist Global Goon; Lektrolab founder, DJ and promoter, Lektrogirl; Seed Records artist and DJ Digitonal; glorious electronic soundscapes from London-based Uncharted Audio artist LJ Kruzer; a DJ set from UA founder DJ Kone-r; and finally some crunchy electronics and visuals from AV supremos, Octavcat. Keeping the party going 'til the early hours are Furthur DJs John Power and Sun Ov.

NB: tickets available in advance from ticketweb.co.uk.

A long, long time ago, there was a group (ironically called the Futurists) who created a manifesto that called for mankind to drive forward ever faster towards the future, abandoning everything that was not progressive, or to die trying. Amidst the exclamation points and phrases such as "Museums are Cemeteries!" there was a valuable sentiment: a not-so-subtle seed of truth about our insatiable desire for progress. Neen is a concept for the 21st century. A word that can be used as a sort of stand-in for art (as in "art, non-art and Neen") this flashy new product is designed for those who seek a brighter future for all things creative -- and don't forget progressive -- than that which lies ahead for the commonplace conceptual art world. And what better venue for a venture into hyperreality than sketch. NeenDay invites anyone with a laptop to take part in an event rich with talks, digital video, animation and "recontextualizations of sound" by a variety of stimulating artists and theorists from accomplished architect Andreas Angelidakis to peculiar French sound artitst Digiki. So, this Saturday, bust out your space boots and tiny little super-computer and step into the brave Neen world on display in full force all day at sketch.

This one's free and it sounds fantastic. Spend a day exploring your inner Kung Fu movie! This is an all day celebration of dance and the parallels with fight choreography. There are workshops and demonstrations of capoeira, karate, sanjuro and stage combat. State of the art motion capture technology and techniques will also be on display. There's a different workshop or demo starting every half hour, from 10:30am. The finale at 5:30pm is the Take Action Performance 1 in collaboration with Vicon Peak -- the results of a two week workshop with professional artists and Vicon Peak Systems, the leading provider of digital optical motion capture systems. It all takes place on the Ballroom Floor at Royal Festival Hall. And around the Ballroom, there will be screenings -- highlights include clips of Jackie Chan and cult physical theatre company DV8. Sounds too good to be true for you jaded Londoners? As the blurb on the site says "Just turn up on the day and have fun exploring. No booking, no hassle"!

Ping... ping... ping... goes the score by Andy Cowton for Two, the magical solo by Sylvie Guillem choreographed by Russell Maliphant. Guillem appears to float above the stage, restricted only by four walls of light forming a mysterious box around her and designed by Michael Hulls. Described as a "mesmerising sight" by the Times, Guillem has the fragility of a butterfly and the strength of the gymnast she used to be before becoming the world famous superstar ballerina. Her long arms and legs cut the air and sometimes the walls of light create sparks of intense light on her hands or feet. The torsion of her arms seems to never end and like a chrysalis she gains strength, energy and grace as the box that constricted her changes slowly. During the whole piece she is in the middle of the vast stage and yet her movements carry the presence, emotion and power of a whole corps de ballet. Before Two, the show opens with Torsion featuring Nunn and Trevitt (the Ballet Boyz), hailed as "a mutual virtuosity of lifts and balances that's both touching and thrilling to watch" (Guardian). Finally the three dancers come together for the last piece of the evening: Broken Fall, which was specially created for the trio and won the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2004.

NB: this run has basically sold out, very very few tickets remain. Grab your tickets asap for the Sat 23/04 matinee performance as it is the one with the most tickets left.

The comedian's comedian is not quite like the artist's artist. We're may be lost in art, but we certainly can always find ways to laugh at a joke, especially if it's a pratfall by Buster Keaton. Now Keaton is certainly more than just a comedian -- after all Sam Beckett selected him to be the on-screen personification of his everyman. Here Comedy Store regular and Have I got news for you's Paul Merton, with former Dr. Who Paul McGann in tow, is spending a weekend introducing his slapstick favorites. Perhaps the appeal is the comedian?s ability to be in the moment, the "here and now", be it on the run or in the fall. Appealing to intellectuals and comedians alike, his comedy of the body is tuned in The Cameraman to being a filmmaker trying to attract the attention of a pretty office worker. Here piano accompaniment is provided by Neil Brand. While in Buster Keaton Di Corsa, a compilation of sequences by Italian filmmaker Francesco Ballo, is accompanied acapella by Paul McGann and the re-united Darts.

NB: Paul Merton's Slapstick Weekend is split into two parts -- Sat 23/04's Celebrating Buster and Sun 24/04's Paul Merton's Silent Clowns.

Now we don't like to be mean at KultureFlash but some people may find young, female "Classical Artistes" of the likes of Vanessa Mae and Charlotte Church a tad more than annoying (Ok, male voice groups even more so; step up Il Divo and G4 -- URGH). It's the marketing, the pop crossover, the soft/blurry focus, the endless walking-outta-the-sea videos, the dignity of Coleen "Rooney" mixed with the cheese of the big gorgonzola Jane Macdonald. So like a big packet of Refreshers Leila Josefowicz has come onto the accessible edge of the classical violin scene as a cheese antidote. A Canadian child prodigy (while we were eating dirt she was playing the violin at 3), Leila has grown into an international sensation, and is back at the Barbican by popular demand after a storming performance at their Mostly Mozart series. Her idols include Nathan Milstein, Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Kreisler, and it wouldn't be irreverent to suggest that Miss Josefowicz will be hot on their heels into the music hall of fame. With the cheapest tickets going for little more than a packet of cigarettes everybody can afford it, and if it's a choice between fags and virtuosos, you should really give up!

NB: for some contemporary classical music Oliver Knussen will be conducting Peter M Davies' Revelation and Fall, Blind Man's Buff and the UK premiere of De Assumtione Beatae Mariae Virginis at the QEH (22/04) as part of the South Bank's Peter Maxwell Davis series (ends 30/04).

Midday on Sunday is a pretty nondescript time for clubs in London, with a few low key exceptions. In New York, things are slightly different, as Saturday nights effortlessly follow through well into the next day, perhaps the most notable being Shelter, whose veracious motto proudly states "house music all night long". Whereas in England, most attendees left at the end of a clubbing night will resemble drug addled wrecks, the remnants in New York are rather different, being generally older, more sober, decked out in gym shoes with talcum powder (for smoother dancing) and almost religiously enthusiastic and rapturous in their response to the dancefloor experience. Shelter is a special club and by common consensus the best place in the world to hear deep ecstatic soulful house music. Many attendees actually set their alarm early on Sunday morning before leaving for their morning out. At the helm, overseeing proceedings for the last 11 years is, Timmy Regisford, now in his 40s and formerly Vice A&R President for Motown. Shelter Is Regisford's baby, and an experience that rarely leaves New York, so Whistlebump have gained another coup by getting Regisford to return to these shores. The fun doesn't stop there as a characteristically stellar line up appears in support, including that unpredictable legend Andy Weatherall along with the ever-reliable Whistlebump residents.

NB: on the same night Derrick Carter and Luke Solomon celebrate Classic's (their label) 10th birthday at The End.

When you've got a deeply damaged family history that haunts you every time you look in the mirror then you might start to think about how it all happened. In the case of Jonathan Caouette, nearly all that had happened in the 20 years since he was 11 had been recorded in the form of home videos, family photos, answerphone messages and telephone conversations. Editing his personal history on his partner's Apple Mac, Caouette created the award-winning experimental documentary Tarnation. Though his footage doesn't contain the sexual violence, drug abuse and incorrect psychiatric treatment that impacted so much on Caouette's mother, the central subject of the film, the struggle to cope with the aftermath is all there. Caouette's compelling footage, with its strong echoes of Nan Goldin's photography, turns the amateur recordings of a teenager into a cinematic journey that provokes a different understanding of a troubled existence.

NB: Tarnation is released in London on 22/04. Another film of interest that is being released on the same day is The Lizard at the ICA.

The sister of Rufus, who currently has the role of Queen Diva off to a T, Martha Wainwright is gaining ground. While he spent several years enjoying the effects of crystal meth and other distractions, she did excess in a more modest way, for which her brain is probably thanking her. That's not to say that she has no wounds to bear, and bear them she will. Her voice is the equal of any of her family in terms of power and she wins one over Rufus with her unconstrained energy and, she claims, the ability to rock. Now that her first album is released he will have to fight her for the follow spot.

NB: support from Jonathan Rice.

Courtesy of Eat Your Own Ears an evening with Sam Prekop at W12's lovely Bush Hall, an artist whose career illustrates the symbiotic relationship of the Chicagoan music community. Centred on the Thrill Jockey label, Prekop has formal and indirect connections with artists including Tortoise and Isotope 217, both of which share members with his band The Sea And Cake. Tonight he is joined by a full band including Sea And Cake alumnus Archer Prewitt. Prekop's latest solo work, Who's Your New Professor, bears all the hallmarks of his band's best work, namely a shimmering production that allows moments of pop, rock and jazz to shine through, quirky yet easy arrangements and a Prekop's mellifluous vocals. Listen here. Also, look out for a new album from Archer Prewitt -- Wilderness (released 25/04) -- as well as new full-length work from Tortoise later this year.

Oh how the citizens have suffered for a lack of Strange, oh how Soho has been brought low by the Tescofying of its darkly delicious corners. Sleazy alone is not good enough, decadence deserves to dance, and sing and proclaim its rude heritage from on high. So thank you Richard Strange, for doing your job, if job it is. Not since 1980, we're told by those old enough to remember, has Soho served its just deserts with a sauce saucy enough to bring the Weimar days alive and conjure the ghost of Burlesque from its cramped lantern. For it was in 1980 that Richard Strange brought Cabaret Futura and with it The Pogues, Depeche Mode and Keith Allen into the blinking neon. 25 years later, the man who claimed his generation invented everything from sex, to environmentalism, protest and the media, is helping re-invent the Raymond Revue Bar with Raymondo's a show which promises to be-fit the man described by Julian Cope as the issue of a shag between Ziggy and all of Amon Duul 2 at the Berlin premiere of A Clockwork Orange. The renaissance of Soho starts here.

NB: advanced tickets can be acquired by calling 020.8743.7674 or by sending an email to Milly@Mediumrare.tv.

Summer seems to be attempting to poke its head round the seasonal corner: the Tube has become hotter and stuffier and the annoyance of being blasted with air conditioning whilst locked to a computer screen has been compounded. With this the city dweller's mind begins to wander beyond the M25. Traditional great escapes to the delights of Clacton and Margate have been rejected in favour of more exotic locations. However those who attend Death in Vegas's live soundtrack to edited highlights from a selection of surfing films may have the same desire to jettison the Oyster Card and take the nearest train to Newquay. The instrumental soundtrack will score three cult films, which will be mixed and spliced into each other live by visual wizards Flat-e. Using three films that span 35 years, Liquid Time (2003), Morning of the Earth (1972) and The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun (1968), the event promises to capture the human imagination's facination with surfing, the ocean and our attempts to harness the power. In addition to this performance a variety of other surfing films are to be screened Saturday afternoon before the performance (Land of Saints at 1pm, Dog Town and Z-Boys at 2:15pm and Riding Giants at 4pm).

NB: this event is part of the Barbican's Only Connect series of events. It will most likely sell out so get your tickets fast!

In his third solo show at Sadie Coles HQ, Jim Lambie continues to use his trademark glitter, belts, shoes, mirrors, dripped gloss paint and colour photocopied eyes to bring the indie underbelly to the surface. In Blacktronic a pair of jeans have been customized with black paint and silver cubes and are hooked onto the wall by the heel of a stiletto. While these jeans wouldn't look out of place on a Milan catwalk they also capture the essence of punk rock; raw and shouty with the guts to exist. What has made and continues to make Lambie's work interesting is the way his sculpture captures with authenticity, a scene that's pretty marginalised, but does it by using serious, recognised styles of art making. Think Ian Davenport making work at a Buzzcocks' gig... something one just does'nt see much of in Art Galleries.

NB: runs till 07/04.

The "O" is being given a hard time. This could be a result of the investment lavished upon them by the Barbican, loyally commissioning show after show. Or maybe because the work is so tight, so keenly detailed -- every breath and step scrutinised -- that any faults noticed seem particularly glaring. It's true that Astronaut, only their third show, is not without them. The story may go to faraway places, but it keeps dropping us off along the way. However, unlike their last show The Argument, the action often manages to escape the shackles of storydom and enjoys instead the extraordinary richness of Theatre O's attention to detail, physical ability and newfound technological innovation (their pioneering use of sound cue systems by Orbital meant they had to do a special show for geeks...) Toni Arteaga -- who plays an everyday man picked out of the blue to go to Mars on a space mission -- is unspeakably brilliant with what he does with so little, managing at points a characterisation that goes so far beyond the grotesque it's thrillingly clear no-one in the room knows where they are any more. With such spellbinding light and sound design in accompaniment, these moments mean Astronaut remains an unmissable delight.

NB: Astronaut runs till 07/05.

The most famous Cornish love story is performed here by one of Cornwall's best loved theatre companies, Kneehigh. Presented in the smallest space of the National Theatre, the Cottesloe, "Lovespotters" welcomes you as you come into the auditorium, which has been transformed into an old fashioned ballroom. The band, standing proudly on a raised platform plays romantic tunes and slowly the action begins. Using a lot of circus effects and techniques, the company dances, sings, plays music, flies and jumps and plays both melancholic and passionately comic characters. Although the general theme of impossible love dominates the show, Kneehigh have brought to it a great sense of comedy with, for example, a virgin maid played by an oversized man or "forest" costumes that can only make you laugh. But as the story unfolds the laughter becomes more nervous and the emotion intensifies with a beautiful performance by Eva Magyar as Yseult that will bring tears to your eyes. Altogether a very unusual and emotionally enjoyable experience and a great way to discover the NT. Make sure you buy the programme before the show!

NB: Tristian and Yseult runs till 07/06.

Simplicity is the word we associate most with the paintings of Robert Mangold (bn. 1937). Known for "situating" simple organic structures (drawing) within the frame (shape) of his paintings, Mangold has distilled a certain essence at painting's core, its basic language so to speak. Part of that Minimalist generation, his very early work consisted in "reconstructions" of the shapes created by the spaces between buildings. Since then Mangold has been working at this tension between painting-as-image and painting-as-object, between the organic and the geometric. It is his succinct and deadpan drawing, not to mention those rolled-on colours, that has given his mature work its verve and sense of measured pleasure. Through a system of variants and series, Mangold has slowly been working towards a Matissian sort of grace.

To read the interview click here.

In Europe, one used to be able to separate the locals from the tourists just by their footwear. The latter often wore sports shoes, yet today that "trainer", more commonly known as the "sneaker", has become so ubiquitous that even professionals consider them important style statements. Maybe it's that Star Wars generation that never grew up, or the comfortable shoe revolution trickled down, or maybe it's the fashionability of urban street culture... Whatever the case, since kids have been held up at gunpoint for their Air Jordans, sports shoes have never seemed the same. Such is their fashion kudos today that even giants like Adidas, Nike and Puma have retro lines. Some brands have even collaborated with top fashion designers: Puma with Jil Sander and Adidas with both Yohji Yamamoto and Stella McCartney. Nike even has a site where one can buy customisable sneakers (it re-launched last month). There's also a new film on sneakers and online sneaker communities. Now Thames & Hudson, with the team behind that sneaker site Unorthodox Styles, has written and designed a lavishly illustrated mini-encyclopaedia to cover the 11 leading brands, detail their histories and remind us of the classics that have gone by. Sneakers: The Complete Collectors' Guide should fulfil many desires while creating others...

To buy Sneakers: The Complete Collectors' Guide 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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