A SPECIAL event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau will be held at Kendal Town Hall on Monday, January 26, as part of commemorations organised by South Lakeland District Council.

Kendal has been chosen to host the lighting of one of 70 candles designed by eminent artist Sir Anish Kapoor as part of a national initiative to commemorate the anniversary.

Internationally renowned concert pianist Anthony Hewitt perform a free concert at the town hall at 2pm, against a backdrop of projected films from the archive of Trevor Avery's Lake District Holocaust Project.

Featured will be music by musicians from the Theresienstadt concentration camp as well as works by Jewish composers, including Mendelssohn, Ravel and Gershwin, plus the Chopin piece from The Pianist, and will be preceded by the lighting of the special candle by Theresienstadt concentration camp survivor Joe Berger. Earlier, there will by a short ceremony at The Birdcage on Finkle Street, Kendal, at noon.

Ulverston Pantomime Society stage Mother Goose at the Coronation Hall this week, running until Saturday, January 24. A traditional pantomime by Ron Hall and by arrangement with NODA Limited, the story tells of how Mother Goose is about to be thrown off her land because she cannot pay the Squire and his Bailiffs the rent. Fairies, baddies, ghosts, monsters and a couple of love stories all feature in the family-friendly show with Andrew Barrow as Mother Goose. Performances start at 7pm with a 2pm matinee on the Saturday. Box office 01229-587140.

Singer/songwriter Richard Dawson will be playing a live show at Ulverston Sports and Social Club, on Thursday, January 29 (7pm) - a fundraiser in support of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), organised by local musician Phil Powell. Joining Richard on the bill will be Little Hero, the solo incarnation of Peter Rawlinson, an engrossing, intimate singers/songwriter. Tickets are available online at www.seetickets.com/go/dawson.

The Lakes Players 20th anniversary production of Aladdin is running this week at The Lakes School, Troutbeck Bridge, until Sunday, January 25 (7pm). The lavish, laughter-laden, all singing all dancing, show, features flying carpets, elephants, camels and lashings of glitz and glamour. Stewart Hart directs - and plays Widow Twankey - Becky Ives takes the role of Aladdin, Anthony Dean plays Abanazer, and Simon Yaxley is in the guise of the Genie. Matinees start at 1pm; no evening performance on Sunday. Tickets are available from the Royal Oak pub in Bowness.

Blackwell opens its 2015 programme tomorrow (Friday) showcasing the work of up and coming ceramic artist, Emilie Taylor. Often working with vulnerable people or those on the fringes of society, Emilie utilises her MA in psychotherapy together with her BA in fine art to create socially engaged ceramics. On show at the Bowness Arts and Crafts House until April 12, her work combines humour, the patterns of flock wallpaper, the images of those she works with in the style of a graphic novel, all overlaid on her large scale pots.

An artist’s personal tribute to thousands who died in Nazi raids can be seen in an art exhibition commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day at The Dukes theatre's gallery. Diana Zwibach’s Responses To Racija exhibition is running at the Lancaster theatre's gallery until February 1, and includes oil paintings, drawing and mono printing, and can be viewed during The Dukes normal opening hours. Those who are making a special trip to see the show are advised to first contact the box office on 01524-598500 as occasionally the gallery is used for other activities.