What's On Scotland 2-9 Dec: Bethlehem Cultural Festival & more

It is finally December which means it is officially the (acceptable) start of the festive season. And what could be more festive than the place where Jesus himself was born? Bethlehem Cultural Festival returns to Glasgow this weekend, running from 2-4 December, with a celebration of the arts, culture and heritage of Palestine and a packed programme of screenings, workshops and performances.

Highlights from the programme include a spoken word evening with the likes of Tasneim Zyadaand Iyad Hayatleh, an unmissable-y vibe-y night of Palestinian dance music with the likes of Zenobia, Momin Swaitat and DJ Hiba on the decks at Civic House, and a programme of Palestinian shorts curated by Sarah Agha (founder of the Arab Film Club) and Wisam Al Jafari (an award-winning filmmaker from Bethlehem). Browse the full small but mighty programme here.

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Endless Love Creative Makers Market
Fruitmarket, Edinburgh. 4 Dec, 10am
A curated Christmas market from Endless Love Creative, this is a chance to pick up some beautiful and unique gifts - think prints, ceramics, and jewellery - from local artists in the beautiful gallery space of Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket, as well as some artsy workshops. Image: Endless Love Creative.

Matthew Arthur Williams: Soon Come
DCA, Dundee. 10 Dec–26 Mar 2023
A new body of work by Glasgow-based artist Matthew Arthur Williams, this exhibition emerges from the close collaborative practices Williams builds with those around him, forming an archive that queries the positionality of Black, queer identities. Image: Matthew Arthur Williams.

EHFM: anu + Mixed Feelings
Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh. 3 Dec, 11pm
It’s only appropriate that EHFM wind up a glorious year with guest DJ anu, one of the UK’s buzziest up-and-coming radio DJs. Known for her residency on the BBC Asian Network, anu will be bringing their signature vibey mix of dream pop, Bollywood-inspired beats, and hip-hop. Image: Courtesy of EHFM.

CMAT
The Garage Glasgow, Glasgow. 5 Dec, 7pm
CMAT’s debut album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead exploded earlier this year, marking out a voracious new talent in the indie landscape. The Dublin singer-songwriter leans into rather than away from genre, blending and subverting familiar takes on country and pop. Image: Courtesy of artist.

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↪ AMPLIFI
The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh. 7 Dec, 8pm
The last of award-winning AMPLIFI's 2022 gigs sees Queen of Harps, a Scotland-based artist blending spoken word with harp compositions, Colombian-American soprano Stephanie Lamprea and Glasgow-based composer Sagnick Mukherjee take to the stage. Image: Courtesy of Queen's Hall.

→ Extra Teeth Issue Six Launch
The Portobello Bookshop, Edinburgh. 7 Dec, 7pm
Nothing says cosy winter night than being snuggled in with a good book. Take this to the next level with the launch of Issue Six of legendary Scottish literary magazine Extra Teeth, with readings from contributors Miles Greenwood, Alexandra Ye and Amanda Thomson.

→ Katherine Ka Yi Liu: neither the West nor the East can be a determinate location
Collective Gallery, Edinburgh. 3 Dec–26 Feb 2023
The latest in Collective’s groundbreaking Satellites Programme, this complex, multimedia installation draws on handmade paper, found objects, scent, and ceramics to interrogate the West’s colonial and geological impositions on Hong Kong.