Living with gods: people, places and worlds beyond at The British Museum, 2nd November 2017 to 8th April 2018

Arguing that belief in spiritual powers has been part of every known human society, this brave show attempts nothing less than to survey the history of religious belief. So pervasive is this instinct to find meaning, the show’s argument is that we might equally call ourselves ‘homo religiosus’, rather than solely ‘homo sapiens’. Focusing both chronologically and thematically on mundane, even trivial, items that attest to the power of belief, this show’s message of tolerance and respect is much needed in our fractious world. Ultimately though this is a show undermined by the contradictions of its assumptions. It might be about homo religiosus but it is for homo sapiens.

Opera: Passion, Power and Politics at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 30th September 2017 to 25th February 2018

Opera divides opinion. For the aficionado, opera appeals to the eye and the heart in a uniquely compelling way, but for others, operas are difficult, irrelevant and elitist, something only for the old and the rich. How then will this show featuring operas from seven different periods and styles appeal to me, the opera aficionado, and Frazer, my 16 year old nephew and opera novice?