Station House Opera presents Mind Out, in which each performer controls the mind of another character whilst simultaneously being controlled. Watching as one character ponders a cup of tea, another switches the kettle on and a third waits for it to boil (pouring requires two additional bodies), could feasibly become a little dull. However, the quasi-improvisational talent of this cast and the fluidity of their interaction render the performance compelling -- the spontaneous collaboration of the group is the essence of their act. The play employs elements of surrealistic slapstick; the set is joyfully abused, whilst both violence and affection shock when aimed at actors who are defenceless without instruction. A degree of inhumane detachment lends a chilling edge to this comically anarchic portrayal of life broken down into moments of extreme isolation. Mind Out explores the necessity for individual thought and the contradictive power of suggestion. The BAC, known for its experimental scratch theatre, has backed an innovative game that commands attention right up to the appearance of the pinstriped, trombone-led trio.

NB: Mind Out is performed from 20/11 till 22/11 and from 27/11 till 29/11.

Sankai Juku: hypnotic, dreamlike, mesmerising (unsettling, perplexing, intense). Butoh as a dance form grew out of the post-Hiroshima period of change in Japan. On one hand it represents a fusion of Noh theatre and traditional dance, while at the same time it came about as a rejection of the traditionally formal rigidity of those two forms. It's a profoundly physical form of dance, whose aim is to use the body to convey basic emotions -- fear, wonder, anger. Sankai Juku, created in 1975, has become the best known Butoh company, and has toured widely. The dancers, with their shaved heads and nearly naked muscular white-painted bodies, are deliberately stripped of individuality. At times they appear to have evolved into rare deep sea creatures or a species of mutated underground beings. They seem to defy gravity -- or at least move within an alternative sphere of gravity. Their movements, often exceedingly slow, and frequently performed in silence, communicate a hypnotic physical stillness, whilst at the same time having an unsettling visceral intensity. Unusual and definitely not everyone's idea of dance, but an incredibly compelling performance.

NB: Sankai Juku perform at Sadler's Wells on 19/11, 21/11, 22/11 and 23/11.

Muncheners The Notwist have had as many reincarnations as they have had albums, sweeping through hardcore, punk, and mournful indie. They are now feeling distinctly electronic -- though their dark side is still on top. Their recent offering, this year's The Devil, You And Me was hotly anticipated as it had been six years since their last effort, the breakthrough Neon Golden was released. Their new LP contains a backdrop of Autechre leanings but sufficiently catchy tales up front. Six albums and almost two decades in, they do seem to have found their stride, melding sonically interesting dalliances in electronics with a neat grasp of subtle melancholy that recalls -- for a moment at least -- Kings Of Convenience. That is, until their guitar roots choose to show themselves and give things a more traditionally indie turn. There's a lot of fodder here for the shoegazers to chew on, and if the expansiveness of their sound makes it to the stage it should draw in others.

NB: another concert of note on the same night is the Matthew Herbert Big Band at the Royal Festival Hall (7:30pm).

Like a Blue Whale drifting through the soupy ocean sifting the contents through its baleen filters, Parisian label Kitsune has made quite a name for itself in recent years by picking up the best of the rest and documenting the results on their Kitsune Maison compilations. With Volume 6 just released they've teamed up with London's Neon Noise Project for a night of brightly coloured electro. Expect the venue's main room to go off with DJ sets from Digitalism and Punks Jump Up and live sets from autoKratz and Hearts Revolution all sure to hit the right distorted notes. Ponystep (formerly BoomBox) will add a touch of East End glamour and excitement in Room 2, whilst those who love to read the goings-on of minor celebs in Metro might find something of interest in the Jefferson Hack hosted Dazed & Confused Room 3. If you feel the need to treat your eyes as well as your ears you can even head next door to accompanying bar The Island, where you'll find a variety of visual treats on offer from film screenings to a celebration of the label's artwork.

Iconic artist and Soho legend Francis Bacon may not be the obvious choice as the subject of a symposium at the AA, yet on reflection the sculptural forms of a typical Bacon canvas speak loudly to designers and architects. Organised by AA teacher and critic Brian Hatton, with a stimulating panel consisting of, among others Robert Maxwell, Nigel Coates, Cerith Wynn Evans and John Maybury this discussion of the late Bacon -- currently the subject of a major retrospective at Tate Britain -- should be a thought-provoking event. The panel consists of some of our leading creative thinkers; Coates is an AA alumnus whose own buildings and interiors are often influenced by art and literature; architect Maxwell founded Maxwell Scott Architects in 1993, and is a world-renowned academic whose teaching posts include Dean of Architecture at Princeton University and Professor of Architecture at the Bartlett; conceptual artist Wynn Evans has collaborated with film-maker Derek Jarman and worked on Maybury's film of Bacon Love Is The Devil, so he and Maybury should be able to provide not only the point of view of a fellow artist and filmmaker, but maybe some more personal insights.

NB: the Francis Bacon retrospective runs at Tate Britain till 04/01/09.

In Jurassic Park Dicky Attenborough reanimated the dinosaurs, now The Rug Company has tried something similar: resuscitating the dead art form of tapestry via artificial insemination into living artists. In a drafty warehouse in Bloomsbury we see the dramatic results of this chemistry -- a menagerie of giant wall hangings from 15 eminent contemporary artists. The surprise is how well some of it works. Grayson Perry is used to working with uncool mediums: Vote Alan Measles For God is funny and shocking. Tapestry's establishment feel heightens the disgust at Kara Walker's brutal subject matter. The illustrative styles of Julie Verhoeven and Fred Tomaselli also translate to cloth effortlessly. Turning 20 square metres of Paul Noble pencil drawing into millions of stitches seems like madness, but the results are undeniably impressive. Only Gavin Turk turns out a turkey, a world map of floating junk food wrappers in woolly thread. There is something deliciously undemocratic about all this. You can't help wondering -- who are these vast things for? Striking just the right tone between opulence and currency, perhaps they might work nicely on-board Oleg Deripaska's superyacht next time he's chatting up some discerning politicos.

NB: runs till 22/11.

Glasgow based Alasdair Roberts is the Celtic fringe's answer to Will "Bonnie Prince Billy" Oldham (himself an early adherent of Robert's former Appendix Out manifestation). The latter-day Caledonian troubadour's records appear on Chicago's Drag City (also home to Oldham), but he is at heart a Green Man-approved, beard-sporting UK folkie whose focus has been increasingly on traditional British Isles balladry. Roberts' most recent albums, Farewell Sorrow (2003), No Earthly Man (2005) and last year's Amber Gatherers, evince an inexorable evolution from stark, solitary voice and guitar epistles to a more band-oriented, "folk orchestral" sound. Expect more of the former (and selections form a forthcoming album, earmarked for the Spring) at this intimate, art space-like Dalston venue, whose soft lighting, wooden tables and random seating will help provide the requisite folk club vibe. Support comes from Stolen Recordings artist Mathew Sawyer. Minus most of his "Ghosts" backing band, expect strummed, Leonard Cohen-esque disquisitions on life, death and l'amour fou.

For those of you not keen on the traipse to matter for the recent DFA showcase, a consolation of sorts can be found at dollop's celebration of one year of dirty dirty dancing in London over two venues in Shoreditch. In and amongst the mammoth line-up of funny names is The Juan Maclean, shining as bright as his bald head. Responsible for perhaps this year's most joyous slice of piano infused throwback house music in the shape of "Happy House", The Juan Maclean will be performing a special live acid set which will hopefully sneak in some tracks of his eagerly awaited sophomore LP, The Future Will Come. Further reason to recommend attendance comes in the shape of Buraka Som Sistema whose new album Black Diamond is a quite brilliant frenzied mishmash of kuduro, dubstep, bass heavy house and incomprehensible lyrics. More live action is provided by the shape of the perennially tipped Chik Budo and super fun synth punk noise Brooklyn's Team Robespierre. The usual ragtag of electro, dubstep, hip-hop, disco and indie floorfillers are provided by London's promoting hoi polloi with Snap Crackle & Pop, Solid Gold, Cocadisco, Deadly Rhythm and Tomb Crew hogging the CDJs.

Carl Craig's reputation as second generation Detroit torchbearer certainly precedes him. For a while back there, he looked like the ideal man to continue the legacy of Kevin, Derrick and Juan -- three techno pioneers who had, at various points, dropped the ball somewhat. Craig had his own blueprint -- staying true to the Detroit lineage but with a twist that made more of jazz influences and breakbeats. It's perhaps fair to say, though, that in recent years the bulk of his work has consisted of remixes -- for artists including Theo Parrish, Goldfrapp and Junior Boys -- and it could also be said that his sound has taken on a more populist and less challenging bent. His DJ career has followed a similar trajectory -- with such a profile, he's more likely to be playing the likes of Room 1 at Fabric these days, so this appearance at the more modestly proportioned East Village will be of note to fans. Whether he chooses to tailor his selection for a more intimate environment, or stick to the tried and tested big room formula is another question, but his credentials make him worth a punt for novices or fanboy/girls alike.

NB: also of note on the same night is the last ever Border Community party at The End with James Holden, Kieran Hebden, Ellen Allien, Nathan Fake and Avus (10pm - 7am).

How do you animate a film about human suffering and political chaos? And why? Perhaps the barely spoken yet enduring thoughts of tragedy and trauma are rendered too bare by film or video -- some personal horror is so profound that it can only be exposed through artistic re-representation. Using animation as a narrative tool, the real events alluded to in the film are dissolved by the battle between the id and the ego for control of the future of the individual. In the long term, for many, the particulars of the events witnessed and enacted fall away from the enduring dismay and impressions of destruction. So why does director Ari Folman adhere so diligently to the strategic norms of the political documentary? After a powerful opening sequence -- effective, emotive and startlingly readable, quite literally the stuff of nightmares -- Waltz With Bashir oscillates between the horrific honesty of the post-combat trauma suffered by Israeli soldiers involved in the 1982 Lebanon War, and the conventions of collective retrospection. As it progresses, WWB loses its edge and digresses from the avant-garde to the formulaic. An expedition into the means of erasure of the horrors of war by the human subconscious sadly stumbles into a universal lament to its victims.

NB: Waltz With Bashir is released in London on 21/11. Also of note and released on the same day is Choke and Belle Toujours. Finally for comic book fans make sure you check out the ICA's Comica 2008 festival (runs till 30/11).

There is apparently no taboo that author Chuck Palahniuk will not tackle: addiction, torture, death, incest. This is the appeal and the difficulty of adapting his books to film, and Choke comes with its own set of transgressions. The narrative centers on Victor Mancini, played by the rakish Sam Rockwell, who divides his time between a medieval theme park, his senile mother's bedside, sex addict meetings and restaurants where he chokes on food in order to be rescued by patrons who will forever feel a responsibility towards him. That's really just an introduction -- things get really convoluted when Ida, Angelica Huston as the kooky mother figure, tells her son that she was inseminated with the semen of Jesus Christ and that her doctor concurs. Where David Fincher turned Fight Club's dystopia into a tour de force, denouncing the emptiness of the self-help, celebrity obsessed consumer culture just as much as he pandered to it, first time director Clark Gregg tones down the outrageousness of the tale, letting the vulnerability and likeability of Palahniuk's anti-hero come across. At times not quite fully committed to its potential quirkiness, the film is nonetheless a feat of dark humour.

NB: Choke is released in London on 21/11. Also of note and released on the same day is Waltz With Bashir and Belle Toujours.

The popular belief that New York City spurts out alt art pop at a rate of several knots is given added kudos with the arrival in London of Telepathe. Trading in the sort of eerie electronic noise and ethereal shoe gaze that makes a Pitchfork reviewer do a sex wee, Telepathe's year to date reads like a hastily conjured Vice guide to instant hipsterdom. Being invited on the Mad Decent US Tour; getting remixed by fellow bright young things The Mae Shi, Frankmusik and Free Blood; securing a single deal with ace indie Merok; having their debut album, Dance Mother, produced by Dave Sitek (him from TV On The Radio) and releasing it on a major label subsidiary. It's unlikely that theirs is a name that will engender any scratching of heads on its appearance in the Observer Music Monthly by the time Dance Mother is released next year. Handclaps all round to arch promoters Eat Your Own Ears and No Pain In Pop who join forces and coax Busy Gangnes and Melissa Livaudais to Kingsland Road for a one off show which is likely to pack out Shoreditch sweatbox Catch.

Are the Chapman Brothers really so universally talented that they can accomplish anything they put their hands to? We say "accomplish" because, well, anyone can write a romance novel, for example, but few (very, very few) can do it well. Many of you may be surprised to hear that Jake Chapman has written a romance novel entitled The Marriage Of Reason And Squalor (don't worry, we've heard it's suitably trashy and splashy -- what's not to like about a desert island romance whose main character is called Chlamydia Love?) and for those of you who aren't, you may be surprised to find he wants to talk publicly with Dinos about it. Over dinner. A work of fiction which Will Self claims made his eyes bleed could only make for suitable table talk in the company of the Chapmans, all under the auspices of civilized intellectual discourse, of course. To be fair, under all the goony layers of guffawing adolescent charmlessness, talking shop is something that they do very well indeed. The venue promises an intimate setting -- capacity is 55, so get clicking -- and sparkling conversation that's a touch lewder than your typical dinner/drinks affair.

To celebrate of the arrival of U, the new album by these artists, the triangulation of differing sound directions coalesces with this live collaboration. Osaka-born Tujiko Noriko was formerly on Austria's Mego imprint -- known for the more abrasive laptop sounds of Peter Rehberg and Florian Hecker -- a songwriter on such an uncompromising label being a radical departure. Since then Tujiko joined the delicate aesthetic of Australia's Room40 label, showcased on 2004's album Blurred In My Mirror. On this year's U, her voice plays against the abstract elements provided by Lawrence English and John Chantler, with a firm Bjork-esque grip on song structure. Guitar and off-kilter rhythms merge with multi-tracked vocals and floating chords, amid Oval-like glitches. Brisbane-based English himself plays a rare UK solo set. As well as curating the Room40 label, he recently garnered high praise for his latest album on Touch, Kiri No Oto, a platform for his processed of field recordings. Meantime, antipodean Chantler -- solo artist and half of duo For Barry Ray -- adds elements of deftly improvisational acoustics. Intimate but unpredictable, it will be an evening of compulsive listening.

Robin Rhode is breaking new ground in contemporary art circles as a young, mixed-race artist from post-apartheid South Africa, who explores issues among youth today. Using the city walls as his canvas and simple media like chalk, spray paint and charcoal, he creates light-hearted images of contemporary street culture as a means of exploring serious urban issues. Hip-hop, graffiti and skateboarding become vehicles for highlighting urban poverty, colonialism and personal freedom in figurative works that call to mind silent films and the photographs of Eadweard Muybridge. Rhode's first solo show in a UK museum, Who Saw Who at The Hayward, surveys his work over the last ten years through photographs, drawings, films and sculptures. The artist or his hooded doppelganger perform simple acts, bringing the street to life. In Catch Air (2003), a skateboarder makes a careful jump, in Candle (2007), a scene flickers as a man tries to blow out a chalk candle and in Soap And Water (2007), a sculpture of a bike cast from soap dissolves outside. In this talk, Rhode discusses the ideas behind his practice, and sets the context for his White Cube show, Through The Gate, which explores the passage from colonial to imperial city.

NB: Who Saw Who runs at The Hayward runs till 07/12. Through The Gate runs at White Cube Hoxton Square from 26/11 till 10/01/09.

Is it ever possible for us to know an artist's work? Or even for us to know one another? Ryan Gander, whose exhibition at the SLG, Heralded As The New Black, drew criticism for obfuscation and obscurantism, here presents a delicate polemic on intimacy, concealment and revelation. In Gander's film Basquiat or I cant dance to it, one day - but not now, one day I will but that will be it, but you wont know and that will be it features a recreation of a transitional scene in Julian Schnabel's film Basquiat (1996), his gallerist both plays the title role and narrates what purports to be a press release describing the work as it happens. Whilst this may sound complicated, it is actually a moving narrative describing our need and inability to speak for someone in their absence, and the desire to hold something back. Gander has also collaborated on a work with Bedwyr Williams, in which each has created the other's future newspaper obituary. These are delivered with a wink and a smile, but push a moving point home: once a loved one is gone, they stop being able to fight and confound the idea that you have of them.

NB: runs till 29/11. Ryan Gander's work is also on view at Somerset House's Wouldn't it be nice... exhibition which runs till 21/12. On 20/11 (6:30pm) catch Gander when he gives at talk at Somerset House and again there on 22/11 (1 - 6pm) when he performs in a card tournament with graphic design collective Europa.

Although this is Daria Martin's first solo show at Maureen Paley, Martin has already exhibited at SMAK, the Stedelijk Museum and the Tate Triennial. Harpstrings And Lava, which was shown last year in the New York PERFORMA festival, is a tableaux vivant of a fictional world inhabited by Martin's real-life collaborators, Nina Fog and Zeena Parkins. Composer Parkins takes on the role of harp-playing alchemist whilst actress Fog poses as a feral child, the contrast between the two characters a study of order and chaos. This exploration of dark and light is continued in an accompanying series of drawings of a cavernous space seen from inside and outside, going towards the light or retreating away from it. The inspiration for the film was a friend's nightmarish vision of a collision between uncontrollable rivers of volcanic lava and rigid, ordered harp strings. This vision is translated successfully here on celluloid, with the use of film enabling Martin to cast an artistic eye over the divide between order and chaos. The collaborative nature of the film lends it an unpredictable quality of improvisation and intense depth of vision.

NB: runs till 14/12.

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