A Woman of Heart and MindJoni Mitchell, £15.99
International Arts and Crafts exhibition Victoria & Albert Museum, London until 24 July Go to www.vam.ac.uk The Arts and Crafts movement of the 1860s and 1870s was a response to the soulless nature of capitalist development. Architects, designers and artists pioneered new apporaches which drew on less industrial techniques, instead venerating individuality and the dignity of labour.
Maria, a 17 year old living in rural Columbia, has a monotonous factory job, stripping the thorns off roses which her friend Blanca then packages into romantic bouquets. She shares a cramped concrete house with her sister, infant nephew and mother who demands she hand over her pay.
Kite, Electric Landlady, Titanic Days and From Croydon to CubaKirsty MacColl
The View from Manchester, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, until 3 April Don McPhee’s exhibition The View from Manchester reflects the lives of ordinary people, encapsulating the world but focusing on the north west of England. What really struck me was the humanitarianism and compassion of his work.
Dave Randall: Maxi, you’ve consistently supported the movement against the war and the occupation of Iraq. Why do you think it’s important to be involved?
African SpiritsVarious artistsSoul Brother In 1995 the John Coltrane disciple Pharoah Sanders sang the refrain, "Our roots began in Africa." He was recreating a form of music that developed in the late 1960s, known as "spiritual jazz".
One Touch of Venus tells the story of the Roman goddess of love coming to life again in 20th century New York. It is not altogether surprising that a new British production of this forgotten 1940s musical is enjoying the sort of success that it originally achieved on Broadway.
Kurt Weill (1900-1950) stood squarely in the tradition of "democratic" opera — the kind that looks at the lives of ordinary people and enlists our sympathy for those who are both victims of and fighters against injustice.
Frida Kahlo photo exhibition Frida Kahlo — Portraits of an Icon is a free exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London, until 26 June. The 50 photographic portraits of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo span her life, beginning with a photograph of her as a two year old and ending with the image of Kahlo on her deathbed.
Human Rights Watch international film festival 16 to 25 March
Caravaggio: The Final YearsThe National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London 23 February to 22 May, £7.50/£6.50
