LISTED: 10 events and activities in the Portsmouth area this week

Stuck for ideas of what to do this week? Luckily The News is here to help, and we've got music concerts, museum exhibitions and charity competitions in our guide this week.

1- JAZZ FLUTE

Portsmouth Jazz Society is hosting a concert by the Gareth Lockrane Quartet.

The quartet, featuring the eponymous flautist extraordinaire, are at the Inn Lodge, Burrfields Road, Portsmouth, on Monday from 7.15pm.

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Debuting at the 2008 London Jazz Festival, they blend heavy grooves and luscious orchestrations to spectacular effect, largely drawing on Lockrane’s own compositions and arrangements.

Go to portsmouthjazz.com.

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2- OPEN DAY

The Kings Theatre is inviting the public to have a look behind the scenes at its annual open day on Saturday January 14, from 10.30am to 4pm.

The day promises to have something for everyone: from puppetry, arts and crafts, to storytelling for younger visitors and performances on stage including extracts from Hamlet by Icarus Theatre Collective, 9 To 5 by the Portsmouth Players and The Kings Youth Theatre.

And the Albert Road venue’s archivist will be on hand to give a unique behind the scenes tour, guiding you through the history of this amazing Edwardian theatre, while giving an insight into some of the colourful characters involved in the rescue and restoration of the building.

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Tickets cost £6 adults, £4 children. Money raised from the day goes towards the theatre’s ongoing restoration.

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3- SCHOOLS OUT

Struggling to keep the kids entertained while the days are still short? Portsmouth’s Blue Reef Aquarium has launched its ‘After School Offer’ for January, offering great family discounts.

As part of the offer, which will be available on Thursdays throughout the month, £5.25 will buy entry for a mum, dad, grandparent or a child minder plus up to two children after 3pm to see more than 40 displays of astonishing sea creatures.

Call (023) 9287 5222 for more information.

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4- HANG TOUGH

Pole dancing pupils will be pitted against each other in a charity competition this weekend.

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The Poles and Poses competition is taking place at The Spring Arts Centre in Havant from 11am to 4pm on Saturday January 14.

Hosted by Tiger Tone Studio, I:POLE for Fitness, Partipole, Princess K and Chrome Spinners will also be taking part. The Teenager Cancer Trust will be among the charities to benefit from the day.

All are welcome. Tickets cost £7. Go to thespring.co.uk

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5- GET SPOTTING

From gulls to geese, more than 55,000 birds are spotted around Chichester Harbour.

Pack some binoculars – if you have them – and climb aboard the harbour conservancy’s silent solar-powered vessel, the Solar Heritage, and get an insightful introduction to birdwatching.

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The Solar Heritage sets off from the Harbour Office, Itchenor on Sunday January 15 at 10am. An adult ticket is £9.50, or £4.50 for children. Friends of Chichester Harbour also get a £1 discount. Call 01243 513 275.

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6- LET ME TELL YOU A STORY...

Fort Nelson is holding a new storytime for the under-fives, starting this coming Wednesday.

The sessions will feature popular children’s tales, with a different theme each month.

Each session at the Portsdown Hill museum lasts about 20 minutes and includes an engaging story and mixture of toys designed to provide hands-on fun for young children.

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Sessions start at 11am on the third Wednesday of every month and entry is free.

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7- TEA AND CAKE

The Lord Mayor, David Fuller, and Lady Mayoress, Leza Tremorin, are inviting the public to join them in the Banqueting Hall of Portsmouth Guildhall for their monthly coffee morning on Wednesday from 10am.

The mayor asks for a contribution of £3 towards his charity appeal and will provide tea, coffee and cake. His charities are the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, Help for Special Kids and the oncology and haematology department at the QA.

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8- PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN ART

An exhibition of remarkable classical figure drawings and mural studies by Hans Feibusch (1898–1998) will open in Pallant House Gallery’s De’Longhi Print Room on Wednesday, until March 5.

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The German émigré artist, who was dubbed a ‘degenerate artist’ by the Nazis, settled in England in 1933 and became Britain’s most prolific specialist in mural painting in churches. Drawn from the substantial archive gifted to the Chichester gallery from Feibusch’s London studio, the display features drawings that have not previously been exhibited.

The display complements the gallery’s major exhibition, The Mythic Method: Classicism in British Art 1920-1950. The gallery is closed on Mondays.

Go to pallant.org.uk.

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9- OPEN WIDE

Spoken word night Open Ya Mouth, hosted by Trash Arts, returns to the Fat Fox in Victoria Road South, Southsea on Sunday January 15, from 8pm to 11pm.

As the organisers put it: ‘We have Scott Jowett, our comic nutter on hosting duties with all the usual fun and madness of Open Ya Mouth.

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‘All are welcome to showcase their poetry, music, storytelling or general ranting.’

Entry is free with a donation for local charity recommended.

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10- PLAY ON!

Video game fans should check out Game Over: The Future of the Past, the largest single private collection of TV games, home computers and consoles spanning 40 years on display in the UK.

The free exhibition is at Portsmouth City Museum in Museum Road. Go to portsmouthcitymuseums.co.uk.