Culture Diary w/c 04-11-13

Tuesday – Cutie and the Boxer 6pm @ FACT

“Cutie hates Bullie,” says Ushio. “No, Cutie loves Bullie so much,” replies Ushio Shinohara’s wife, Noriko. Cutie and the Boxer is a documentary about painter Shinohara and long-suffering Noriko, a Japanese artist couple living in New York. Following the couple in the run up to an exhibition of Ushio’s work, Cutie and the Boxer also examines Noriko’s journey toward an artist identity of her own.

Wednesday – Future Station 6pm @ Metal FREE

Metal gallery’s Future Station returns this week with film and video artist Steve Hawley filling the guest speaker slot. Working in the medium since the early ’80s Hawley, a Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the Manchester School of Art, has had work screened on Channel 4. Preceding Hawley’s talk there will be a session on the video editing software Final Cut Pro.

Thursday – Aesthetica Short Film Festival (York) visit website for ticket prices

Hosted by the arts publication, Aesthetica Magazine, ASFF commandeers 15 venues across York to showcase some of the finest examples of short film from 30 different countries. Allied to the opportunity to see these films gathered together in one city are various talks and masterclasses, from the likes of Film 4, Beggars Group and Sheffield Doc/Fest. Until Sunday. Read our review of ASFF 2012.

Natalie McCool 8pm @ the Kazimier £5

Latest McCool single, an unexpectedly paired down (and impressively chilling) cover of Wondrous Place, helps cement the sense that the singer songwriter is here for the long haul. Winner of Female Artist Of The Year At The Liverpool Music Awards, you feel there’s only more to come. Read an interview with Natalie McCool.

Friday – Art Turning Left: How Values Changed Making 1789 – 2013 @ Tate Liverpool £8/£6

Tate Liverpool must be kicking themselves that the Red Ed versus The Ma*l furore hadn’t persisted that bit longer. More seriously, Art Turning Left, featuring (amongst others) works from Bertolt Brecht, Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane, Guerrilla Girls and Aleksandr Rodchenko, takes a look at how Left-wing political values have influenced art.

PICK OF THE WEEK: John Waters: This Filthy World 8pm @ the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall £20/£26

That Homotopia have snagged John Waters for this year’s 10th anniversary celebrations says much about the esteem and clout the festival now enjoys. The festival’s artistic director, Gary Everett, said: “From modest beginnings in 2004 Homotopia has grown into an international flag-bearer for high quality queer culture consistently punching above our weight.” Read our John Waters profile.

Chew Disco 10pm @ the Kazimier £7/£5

Timed perfectly for those spilling out of the Phil post-Waters is this special edition of Chew Disco, Liverpool’s queer DIY party night. Featuring queercore artist Ms Vaginal Davis (whose past collaborations include Sonic Youth, Le Tigre and Bruce La Bruce), post-punkers Shopping and Manchester five-piece Ill, it’s safe to expect a night to remember.

Saturday – Phosphorescent 8pm @ the Kazimier £13.50

Following the tour of 2010′s (presumably) ironically titled Here’s To Taking It Easy, Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck admitted, “I just checked out of my life for a while.” That this year’s follow up, Muchacho, was received so glowingly perhaps endorses the restorative powers of checking out for a while.

Sunday – I Am Divine 6.30pm @ FACT

Declared “Drag Queen of the Century” by People magazine, it’s fair to say that Harris Glen Milstead (aka Divine) was also John Waters’ muse, (in) famously appearing in Waters pictures Pink Flamingos and Hairspray. I Am Divine tells Milstead’s story, treating its subject matter to the serious analysis due a transgressive star such as Divine.