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Artists have a history of destroying work that they're not happy with. Cezanne, Bacon, de Kooning, Monet: all are known to have destroyed pieces for a variety of different reasons. One of the most famous examples in recent years was Michael Landy's 2001 work Break Down in which the artist incinerated every single one of his possessions, including

Skank out the mid-winter shadows with some of UK reggae's biggest names in Jamaican institution The Globe, Notting Hill as Police & Thieves put on a rankin January Blues Dance. Featuring Musclehead, the brains behind Saxon Studio International - the most influential reggae sound system in the UK; Lloyd Bradley, one of the world's foremost

Forward-thinking dubstep night Deadly Rhythm continues to impress with enviable line-ups. In 2009 Dutch producer 2562 released the LP 'Unbalance' to wide acclaim, becoming a standout in the experimental dubstep/future garage scene. As headliner for the night he's sure to dish up all kinds of glitchy, ambient, minimal-influenced beats. Meanwhile

It's the annual 'New Act of the Year' bash at the Hackney Empire tonight - one of the UK's most prestigious competitions for discovering new talent on the British comedy circuit. Over the last 29 years, it's introduced several comics who are now TV stars including the likes of Harry Hill, Eddie Izzard and Russell Brand. Hosted by legendary comedy

Once again The Blitz Party returns to Shoreditch for a night of 1940s reminiscence. Always a sensation, you can expect to step into a wartime East End air-raid shelter under The Arches at Village Underground with oil lamps and searchlights lighting your way. The night will feature some of London's finest swing bands and DJs, including

One of the best promotions in London - mulletover celebrate the onset of another decade with a January sale.

NYC house invigorators Wolf and Lamb join Soul Clap, Richie Ahmed and the main man Geddes.

2010 begins in earnest at the Saatchi Gallery with the opening of The Empire Strikes Back. After China, the Middle East and America, Uncle Charles turns his attention to the contemporary art being produced in India right now. Expect the usual works that Saatchi likes - big, bold, sculptural pieces and the odd painting, occasional political

In a special charity gig for The New Victoria Medical Foundation, the producers of the Funny Women Awards present a one off comedy gig showcasing the best in female comedy. Featuring stand-up, sketch, character and musical comedy from some of the best new talent from the 2009 Awards and beyond, the event will be headlined by Jan Ravens, from BBC's

A collection of plays set in Russia and/or originally written in Russian. All the shows have free post- show discussions from specialist speakers.

Dreams by Natalysa Kolyada (1 Feb)
Founder of underground Theatre group 'Free Theatre' whose patrons are Vaclav Havel and Sir Tom Stoppard, Kolyada's play brings to our attention four women whose husbands have 'disappeared' in Belarus.

Barry Award winner and one of the UK's leading ventriloquists Nina Conti presents brings a host of new characters alive in a special preview of her new show Talk to the Hand.

Anyone who think ventriloquism is a dead art or something best left for kids needs to see Conti. What really impresses aside from her funny dialogue is her deconstruction of the ventriloquism process, analysing the schizophrenia of her act.

At a first glance you could be forgiven for assuming that Miike Snow is some guy with a typo, but it is in fact a band who have taken their name from Japanese film director Takashi Miike.

Their début release, self-titled album 'Miike Snow', has created a lot of hype, and the trio has been dubbed the next big thing in electro-pop.

Charlie Chaplin is one of Britain's greatest comedy legends so why is the toothbrush moustache no longer sported by men? Bloody Hitler that's why. He's always ruining things. Over the next two weeks, Richard Herring brings his critically-acclaimed Hitler Moustache to the Leicester Square Theatre; exploring iconography, racism and innocent facial hair.

The show was a talking point last summer when a Guardian journalist wrote an article about a 'new breed of offensive comedy', taking some of Herring's words out of context. A furious debate ensued between people who hadn't seen the show and those who could read between the lines. All was eventually resolved: Herring was allowed to write a response in said publication and the show recieved plenty of publicity and high ticket sales. Fun was had by all.

Whores, sailors, pimps and revolutionaries at the forefront of a war of identity.

In 1958 the British announce the impending execution of an IRA man, the IRA retaliate by taking a cockney soldier hostage. They keep him at a Dublin boarding house with a circus of eccentric characters, each with their own views on the etiquette of war.

Sure to be a brilliant revival of a great piece from one of the most prolific Irish writers. 

What a wonderful idea. For the first time ever, a national museum has invited a group of children to curate an exhibition. Children from nearby St Vincent's Catholic Primary have delved into the eclectic and fascinating Wallace Collection in order to present an exhibitition at the venerable institution this February and March.

Themed around ideas of secrecy and discovery, the exhibition features a wide array of stunning pieces, including an 18th century snuff box, an elegant French writing desk and Nicolas Maes' enchanting painting The Listening Housewife.

Given the way in which children always approach things with a fresh and ever-questioning attitude, this seems like a brilliant way in which to open up the marvellous (but occasionally a tad intimidating) Wallace Collection to a whole new audience.

Abi Titmuss stars as Geraldine the deceptively vulnerable actress that comes between two best friends, who are both actors and happen to be co-starring in the same production. Pride, reputations and identity are at stake.

Sion Tudor Owen (The Bill, Emmerdale) also stars. Expect comedy and an attempt at social analysis from writer Lyn Howes.

The ever-innovative Giacomo Brunelli takes nature photography to a whole new level with his recent series of images that capture animals on patrol in their native London streets. 

The sometimes savage, eerie quality to his photographs, shot on black and white film with an old 35mm camera, intrusively depicts the instinctive ways animals inhabit and move through their environments.

Liverpudlian stand-up John Bishop brings his latest, Eddie Award nominated show to North Finchley's artsdepot tonight.

Bishop is now the same age as Elvis was when he died (hence the title). This fact has led him to reconsider the way he lives his life, since giving up his job in marketing to follow his dream of being a comedian.

A married father to three teenage sons, this could be humdrum middle-aged stuff but somehow, using his own inimitable style of good humour and charm, Bishop manages to turn routine observations into comedy gold.

Decked Out are the DJ agency which launched in 2000 as an offshoot of the infamous Bugged Out - and tonight is their 10th anniversary as well as being one of the most exciting club nights to rear its head in 2010.

The DJs will be playing special sets:  Justice's Xavier is playing with Erol Alkan, Busy P is playing a French touch set, Crookers are spinning techno, Dave Clarke tries his hand at electro and Boys Noize and Mehdi are strictly on vinyl.

Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo of The Bloody Beetroots will be closing the party.

A grouping of three London youths signed to über dance label Kitsune, Chew Lips have been hailed as the saviours of 8-bit drone disco/synth pop.

If your wondering what that's like, then try to imagine Gang Gang Dance fronted by Karen O doing a Debbie Harry impression. Yeah, it's as awesome as it sounds.

Character comedian Adam Riches brings his hilarious Rogue Males show to the Soho Theatre.

An examination of the essence of chap, the show features a new line up of characters including Lottery Voice Guy, disgraced court minstrel The Lone Dueller, Hernan the angry Latino waiter and Ian Dustry, the Busiest Most Powerful Entertainment Agent in the WORLD - we're laughing at the names alone!

Anyone ever been to the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford? Man, it's cool. Set up in 1884 by the wonderfully named General Augustus Pitt Rivers, the museum houses his weird and wonderful collection of bits and bobs he found on his travels round the world. Stuff like Hawaiian feather cloaks, early japanese Noh masks, and - the best of the lot, we reckon - weird old shrunken heads. They're real, repellent and utterly captivating.

Anyway, we're reminded of this treasure trove of anthropological oddities by the work of Boo Saville, who has her second solo show at Trolley Books this February and March.

Punsmith Tim Vine returns with a new show, Joke-amotive.

Train gags aside, expect more razor-sharp one-liners, first class punnery and pinpoint comic timing. If such one-liners as: "I was reading this book, 'The History of Glue'. I couldn't put it down." and "Exit signs. They're on the way out, aren't they?" make you guffaw like an old school degenerate then you should definitely check this guy out.

Catch him at the Bloomsbury Theatre tonight, with support from John Archer.