5 things to do this weekend, including Lunar New Year lantern-making and dance performance

When it gets cold and dreary, I love to work on crafts with friends. I have a tote bag full of patterned papers and old magazines in my closet for whenever I feel the urge to collage. This weekend, crafters like me can make their own paper lanterns to celebrate Lunar New Year at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. If you would rather see art than create it, there’s also a dance performance, film festival and more in Greater Boston this weekend.

Arts enthusiasts can head to the Harvard Museum of Natural History this Thursday for a cozy evening of science and crafts. Guests can create Lunar New Year paper lanterns with artist Zhonghe (Elena) Li and wander around the exhibitions. Eureka Ensemble — a group that tackles social issues through music — will perform. Attendees can also learn about bioluminescence by examining museum specimens glowing under UV light. Hot chocolate and churros will be available for purchase. The event is free and open to all. There will be free parking available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

The first graduating class of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s commercial dance bachelor of fine arts program will perform at the Berklee Performance Center on Thursday and Friday. The three-year program is the first and only degree to prepare dancers and choreographers for jobs in the entertainment industry like film, concert tours, theme parks and Las Vegas residencies. The concert will include hip-hop, jazz, heels, K-pop and cirque/circus arts. Some of the featured guest choreographers include Cherice Barton, who has worked with Katy Perry and Gwen Stefani, and Boston-born Keenan Cooks, who has choreographed for Ice Spice and Cardi B. Tickets range from free to $25.

Amplifying Voices Film Festival at The Cabot will show films by and about people of color. The program will open with “Igualada,” a film directed by Juan Mejía Botero about Black Colombian activist Francia Márquez launching a presidential campaign and using the formerly derogatory term “igualada” as a symbol of rights defiance. Botero will take part in a Q&A moderated by Sabrina Avilés, executive director of Cinefest Latino Boston, after the screening. The festival will close with “Sing Sing,” a film directed by Greg Kwedar about a man wrongfully imprisoned who finds solace in a theater group. There will be a discussion after the screening moderated by Lisa Simmons, executive director of the Roxbury International Film Festival. On Saturday, the festival will screen short films related to themes of strength and struggle. The festival is free for students, seniors, veterans and EBT cardholders. Tickets range from $10 to $85. [Check out our winter arts guide for more film festival recommendations.]

Digital media artist Cliff Notez in collaboration with HipStory and BAMS Fest presents a weekend of music by Black creators. The event at Club Passim in Cambridge crosses genres with performances by blues/folk/jazz artist and former educator Kemp Harris, folk singer-songwriter and 2024 Maker Naomi Westwater, soul singer-songwriter Chris Walton and more. Tickets are on a sliding scale with a suggested price of $20.

Astronauts, feminism and theater converge in the world premiere of “S P A C E” at Central Square Theater this weekend. The play by LM Feldman tells the story of the Mercury 13 female pilots who trained for space but never got to go and their descendants who completed the journey. The production pulls from Congressional transcripts and imagined interactions to explore the intricacies of the Civil Rights Space Race. Tickets range from $27 to $103. [For more theater recommendations, read our winter arts guide.]

Editor's note: The reporter has a relationship with a cast member in this production.