New play Boots follows two women’s effect on each other’s lives. Zoe Paskett talks to playwrights Jessica Butcher from Clapton and Sacha Voit from Camden and actor Illona Linthwaite

Hackney songwriter, producer and talent developer Darren Martyn has spent two thirds of his life in music. Now he is publishing a book to share his expertise and experience

Any body who is anybody will soon walk through the door of The Blues Kitchen’s new basement venue, opening at the end of March

Running at L’etrangere in Shoreditch until April 21, CANAN, Paula Chambers, Malgorzata Markiewicz and Su Richardson consider the impact of 1970s feminism on intersectional conversations around class, gender and global inequality

Opening on March 7, the exhibition includes Mark Wallinger, Ben Eine, Camille Walala and Jake & Dinos Chapman

The event is raising awareness and funds for Solace Women’s Aid, a charity that seeks to put an end to domestic and sexual violence

From March 5-9, Penguin is partnering with Waterstones to open the bookshop, which will feature works from Malorie Blackman, Zadie Smith, Malala Yousafzai, Caitlin Moran and Margaret Atwood

The author and illustrator Sandra Dieckmann, who works out of Hackney Downs Studios, has been nominated for her book Leaf, from Hackney publisher Flying Eye

Spring this year is a fully female season at Hoxton Hall and the perfect way to celebrate the centenary of female suffrage.

24 artists have been selected in a competition to illustrate a new edition of The Selected Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Martina Paukova’s first exhibition at The Book Club in Shoreditch depicts Girls going about their daily business away from the gaze of the outside world

Twelve of the best seats will be auctioned off in support of Refettorio Felix

The Hackney and Dalston based actor and musician talk to Zoe Paskett about a new musical starring a young woman navigating through a messy, complicated and relatable life

On February 2-3 . the annual festival returns, showcasing the best in dance this year

From February 1 to 11, the exhibition will showcase some of the world’s most interesting and revolutionary contemporary collagists, looking at redefining how the art form is expressed

Lumiere London festival of lights returns to King’s Cross this weekend with installations from 10 different artists

Here & There brings together a selection of her works from the past fifteen years

Three of the 20 will win £10,000 to go to their charity of choice

131 exhibitors are participating in this year’s modern and contemporary art festival

Cornwall theatre company Kneehigh returns to Shoreditch Town Hall with their production of The Tin Drum. Director Mike Shepherd fills us in

The Homerton performer’s show is back for a week in December, with a modern and “ridiculous” retelling of the New Testament

Christmas can be a difficult time for care leavers, says Lemn Sissay. That’s why he decided to start organising Christmas dinners for them

Expect a fun-filled, frothy, festive, feel-good, fab-time show at the Hackney Attic

Emma D’Arcy talks to Zoe Paskett about the return of Callisto: a queer epic to the Arcola Theatre

Essex Road IV exhibition returns to Tintype gallery, with films from eight artists about the area

126 films have been selected from the 2,600 entered and are all on show over the 10 day festival

What the Dickens is this? Michael Joyce finds this a disappointing Christmas flick

At Hackney Showroom, $elfie$ by Malik Nashad Sharp, aka marikiscrycrycry, talks about issues of nationalism, gun violence and the black, queer aesthetic

Zoe spends a stylish weekend in Paris, visiting the newly opened Yves Saint Laurent museum

North London Chorus continues its 40th anniversary season with Zurich’s Contrapunto Chor, who are currently celebrating their own 30th birthday.