Workshop of the World, National Railway Museum, York
2 February-6 July
The exhibition focuses on Britain's role in building railways across the world. It explores how British technology was exported to 57 countries, such as India, from the 19th to the mid-20th century. Objects on show include parts from a Glasgow-built, flat-packed locomotive that was shipwrecked en route to Canada in 1857.
My Love and Native Land Farewell, City Art Centre, Edinburgh
7 February-22 March
What has motivated Scottish citizens to move vast distances from their homeland over the past 350 years? The show charts the development of the Scottish diaspora from 1650, with sections on the most popular destinations including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Dora Gordine: Sculptor, Artist, Designer, Dorich House Museum, Kingston University/Kingston Museum
11 February-22 March/2 May
The first major retrospective of the Estonian sculptor Dora Gordine features more than 70 works across two sites. The exhibition includes a selection of comparative pieces by Jacob Epstein, Aristide Maillol and Henry Moore, among others. Works are on loan from the Tate and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
A Picture of You?, Graves Gallery, Sheffield
18 February-2 May
A look at how we define ourselves in the age of the individual. The show will feature videos, sculptures, photographs and drawings from artists such as Grayson Perry, Gillian Wearing and Mona Hatoum. A Picture of You? is the first of a series of exhibitions in Sheffield that will explore identity through British art.
Shah 'Abbas, The Remaking of Iran, British Museum, London
19 February-14 June
The show, the latest in a series of loan exhibitions of treasures from Iran, focuses on the religious shrines of Mashhad, Ardabil and Qum, which flourished under the rule of the Persian emperor Shah 'Abbas. About 200 artefacts, including copies of the Qur'an, mosque lamps and silks, will be displayed.
Picasso: Challenging the Past, National Gallery, London
25 February-7 June
Featuring loans from public and private collections in the US and Europe, the exhibition examines Picasso's responses to the works of earlier artists such as El Greco and Goya. More than 60 works are divided by theme, such as self-portraiture and the seated female figure.
Only Human: Social History and Ethnography Seminar, Leeds City Museum
27 February
Organised by the Museum Ethnographers Group and Social History Curators Group, this seminar examines the similarities and differences between the disciplines of social history and ethnography. The role of museums in interpreting the lives of humans will be discussed. A guided tour of the recently opened Leeds City Museum is included. For more details, email kylea.little@twmuseums.org.uk
2 February-6 July
The exhibition focuses on Britain's role in building railways across the world. It explores how British technology was exported to 57 countries, such as India, from the 19th to the mid-20th century. Objects on show include parts from a Glasgow-built, flat-packed locomotive that was shipwrecked en route to Canada in 1857.
My Love and Native Land Farewell, City Art Centre, Edinburgh
7 February-22 March
What has motivated Scottish citizens to move vast distances from their homeland over the past 350 years? The show charts the development of the Scottish diaspora from 1650, with sections on the most popular destinations including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Dora Gordine: Sculptor, Artist, Designer, Dorich House Museum, Kingston University/Kingston Museum
11 February-22 March/2 May
The first major retrospective of the Estonian sculptor Dora Gordine features more than 70 works across two sites. The exhibition includes a selection of comparative pieces by Jacob Epstein, Aristide Maillol and Henry Moore, among others. Works are on loan from the Tate and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
A Picture of You?, Graves Gallery, Sheffield
18 February-2 May
A look at how we define ourselves in the age of the individual. The show will feature videos, sculptures, photographs and drawings from artists such as Grayson Perry, Gillian Wearing and Mona Hatoum. A Picture of You? is the first of a series of exhibitions in Sheffield that will explore identity through British art.
Shah 'Abbas, The Remaking of Iran, British Museum, London
19 February-14 June
The show, the latest in a series of loan exhibitions of treasures from Iran, focuses on the religious shrines of Mashhad, Ardabil and Qum, which flourished under the rule of the Persian emperor Shah 'Abbas. About 200 artefacts, including copies of the Qur'an, mosque lamps and silks, will be displayed.
Picasso: Challenging the Past, National Gallery, London
25 February-7 June
Featuring loans from public and private collections in the US and Europe, the exhibition examines Picasso's responses to the works of earlier artists such as El Greco and Goya. More than 60 works are divided by theme, such as self-portraiture and the seated female figure.
Only Human: Social History and Ethnography Seminar, Leeds City Museum
27 February
Organised by the Museum Ethnographers Group and Social History Curators Group, this seminar examines the similarities and differences between the disciplines of social history and ethnography. The role of museums in interpreting the lives of humans will be discussed. A guided tour of the recently opened Leeds City Museum is included. For more details, email kylea.little@twmuseums.org.uk
