Free And Cheap London Events: 31 August-6 September 2015

By Londonist Last edited 102 months ago
Free And Cheap London Events: 31 August-6 September 2015

Image taken from Covent Garden website.

Interesting and unusual things to do for a fiver or less this week.

All week

BERMONDSEY FOLK FESTIVAL:
Bermondsey's first folk festival begins on Tuesday with six days worth of talented, established and emerging folk acts. The first four gigs take place in pubs and the final two on open air stages. Highlights include Irish folk singer Thomas McCarthy, who'll be performing on Wednesday, and an acoustic blues night on Thursday. Check the events page for full details. Free, prebook, until 6 September

SWEET 'ART' SUMMER FESTIVAL:
Shoreditch is hosting its first summer arts festival over three venues. Expect an exciting week of art, installations, music and activities. Everyone is invited to interact with the beach-ball ball-park installation, snack on themed edibles and drinks, and enjoy a night of live music, live painting and DJs at this arty party. Free, just turn up, until 13 September

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION:
East London Life is an exhibition of black and white photographs by Colin O'Brien, which documents life both past and present in East London. The exhibition is on at Unit G Art Gallery in Hackney. Free, just turn up, until 14 September

COVENT GARDEN INSTALLATION:
Head to the indoor market at Covent Garden to see a new installation by French artist Charles Pétillon in the form of giant pulsating white balloons meant to reflect the dynamism and energy of the area. Free, just turn up, until 27 September

RELAY DOWN THE THAMES:
Now in its third year, the Source to Sea River Relay is bigger and more diverse than ever. It features a bottle journeying downstream from the source of the Thames in a field near Kemble in Gloucestershire. It will be filled with fresh river water then helped on its journey downstream towards London by rowers, walkers, swimmers, paddleboarders, kayakers, sailors, punters and many more. Find out more about where the bottle will be popping up on the Totally Thames website. Free, just turn up, until 30 September

RIVER PHOTOGRAPHY:
Thames: Heart of London is a new exhibition of photographs by Henry Reichhold at London Blackfriars Thameslink station which aims to capture the character of the Thames as it winds through the city. Free, just turn up, until 30 September

PARLIAMENT FESTIVAL:
Festival of Freedoms is a series of free talks and workshops focusing on equality legislation. Highlights include talks on women's suffrage, the Magna Carta and the legacy of British slave-ownership. Free, some events bookable, until 25 October

POWER AND BEAUTY:
This exhibition at The Royal College of Physicians explores 800 years of royal authority and symbolism through a stunning series of charters, seals and deeds from the college collections. A chance to see some rarely exhibited treasures. Free, just turn up, until 23 December

Monday 31 August

FREE FROM FESTIVAL:
Free From Festival is a godsend for anyone with dietary requirements and food allergies. It takes place at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. Check out the food demonstrations for recipe ideas you can take home, pick up some freebies and enjoy the live music. £3.50, registration required, 10.30am-6.30pm

ENVIRONMENTAL FAIR:
At Carshalton Environmental Fair you'll have over 150 stalls to browse as well as children's activities, local craft, interactive demonstrations, farmers' market, music and performing arts, lots of tasty food and a bar for the adults. This year there's also a cinema and campaign groups showcasing local sustainability initiatives. There's even a bus to take you to and from the fair. £3/£5, just turn up, 10.30am-8pm

Tuesday 1 September

PHOTOGRAPHY TALK:
Join Alan Ainsworth at St Joseph's Church Hall for a talk about his latest book The Barbican: Architecture and Light. Alan will talk about the photography behind the book, finding distinctive approaches to architectural subjects and the advantages (and pitfalls!) of publishing in print and electronic form. Concrete as you've never seen it before! £5, prebook, 6.45pm

MAKE YOUR OWN MAGIC LANTERN:
It's your last chance to take kids along to the The Science Museum to build their own magic lantern and light it up in different colours to celebrate 2015 as the year of light. Sessions run all day in intervals. Suitable for 7+, Free, just turn up, noon-12.30pm, 1.30pm-2pm, 3.15pm-3.45pm, until 2 September

Wednesday 2 September

Enjoy London Riviera screenings as part of More London Free Festival

FILM SCREENING:
Tonight there's an outdoor screening of The Imitation Game as part of More London Free Festival. Enjoy summer cocktails, Eastern Mediterranean street food and settle down for the film with sundown views of Tower Bridge and the Thames. Arrive early to bag a seat. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

FOLKING AROUND:
Spend a relaxed evening listening to some of the best folk musicians in town at Folking Around, a monthly acoustic music night. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

Thursday 3 September

LAMBETH'S WATER LANDSCAPE:
Explore Lambeth's hidden waterways in this exhibition at Morley Gallery. It features paintings, photographs, museum objects and maps from Lambeth Archives alongside the work of contemporary photographers to document the vanished medieval village of ‘Water Lambeth', the riverside Doulton pottery works that closed in the 1950s and the hidden course of the Effra. Free, just turn up, until 13 September

POETRY COMICS:
Tucked away behind Covent Garden station and down a quiet side street is The Poetry Cafe. Tonight The Poetry Society is hosting An Introduction to Poetry Comics to launch their new exhibition. There will be readings from poets such as Amy Key and Chris McCabe who contributed to the accompanying anthology. The exhibition is on display until 31 October. Free, just turn up, 6.30pm

FILM SCREENING:
The Water Poet in Liverpool Street is putting on a free film screening of Citizen Ruth, a satire on American society and politics if you hadn't guessed. The screening is followed by a chat about the film. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

Friday 4 September

365 Postcard exhibition at Stour Space

WELLCOME COLLECTION LATE:
Join the Hubbub team to investigate rest and its opposites: from daydreaming and doodling to fidgeting and lullabies. Explore the meanings of noise, tumult, activity and relaxation through talks, performances, films, installations and workshops taking place throughout Wellcome Collection. Free, just turn up, 7pm-11pm

POSTCARD EXHIBITION:
365 Postcards is a new exhibition opening today at Stour Space, featuring a collection of artist's postcards from museums and galleries around the world. Often of artworks from private collections, or those that are rarely seen, the postcards are snap-shots of our ever-growing art world, each made more accessible by Hill’s evocative text. Free, just turn up, until 28 September

SILK INSTALLATION:
A giant painted silk installation will be draped from The Royal Opera House today, telling the story of the Royal Opera House in 12 11 metre banners. This installation is part of Deloitte Ignite 2015 festival. Free, just turn up, until 6 September

Saturday 5 September

GIRL KART GRAND PRIX:
Mudchute Farm hosts a Go Kart Build and Race event today. Get together an all women team of under 16s and let the fun begin. Prizes available for the best design as well as for the fastest go kart. Free, prebook by application pack, 11am-4pm

OFF THE GRID SCREENING:
Head to The Actors Temple for a special double screening which explores the lives of people who live off the grid in two different communities across the world. Off the Grid is a short documentary by Meghna Gupta and Raihana Ferdous set on the remote island of Sandwip in Bangladesh. The film documents the arrival of solar energy to the community and the impact it has on everyday life. The screenings are followed by a panel discussion. £5, prebook, 7pm

WALTHAMSTOW MYSTERIES:
The Return of the Walthamstow Mysteries is a theatre production which takes place in Coppermill Fields today and tomorrow. Guides reveal the ghostly secrets of the marshes. Meet outside Coppermill pub at 2.30pm before walking to the show. Free, prebook, 3pm

Sunday 6 September

Try out a dance class at Omnida Studios

DANCE CLASS:
If you fancy trying something new, Omnida Studios in Turnpike Lane is offering a day of free taster sessions covering a variety of dance styles. Sessions last 45 minutes and include everything from ballet and tap to Bollywood and bellydancing. Free, prebook, 10am-5.45pm

ACOUSTIC SUNDAY CIRCUS:
Acoustic Sunday has teamed up with Sunday Circus to bring you a day of fun entertainment at The Crypt in Hackney. Grab a drink from the sensibly priced pop-up bar and enjoy the talented musicians, spoken word artists and comics on the open-mic stage. Free, just turn up, 2pm-8pm

Last Updated 01 September 2015