Free And Cheap London Events: 14-20 March 2016

By Londonist Last edited 96 months ago
Free And Cheap London Events: 14-20 March 2016

All week

Get the unseen look at London with Martin Parr's exhibition. Image: Artfund.org

UNSEEN LONDON: See London through the lens of Magnum photographer Martin Parr, as he reveals the Unseen City in this Guildhall Art Gallery exhibition. Go behind the scenes at some of the city's high profile events from the photographer's year in-residence. £5, prebook, 10am-5pm

SURVIVE OR THRIVE: The Platform Project presents a season of talks designed to help creatives sustain their careers through the good and bad times. They'll be hosting workshops on mindfulness, managing stress and gaining funding, plus providing an opportunity to meet other artists. Free, prebook, various times, until 20 March

Monday 14 March

THE BOOK PEOPLE: If you speed read, you might find it hard to justify the price of books. Don't worry, The Book People offer them at a discounted rate at today's event at the Cottons Centre. It's free to browse and 10% of any sales go to Cambridge House and Parkinson's UK. Free entry, just turn up, 10am-2pm

MUSIC: Arcana Ensemble bring saintly sounds to St James's Piccadilly this Monday lunchtime, with pieces by Hayden and Smetana. Free, just turn up, 1.10pm

WASTE AND SCANDAL: With Harley Granville Barker's Waste playing at the Lyttleton Theatre, medical historian Richard Barnett, broadcaster Juliet Gardiner and novelist Kate Mosse discuss the waste and scandals of the Edwardian era. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm

CONTEMPORARY SOUL GROOVE: Get on your dancing shoes for Conway Hall's Contemporary Soul Groove. Led by dance artist Tania Soubry, this two hour class will help you learn new skills, release your hidden talents and get in touch with your creative side. £5, prebook, 7pm

SMALL PRESS BOOK CLUB: Dalston independent book shop Burley Fisher Books presents its first book club. Tonight they're discussing Claire-Louise Bennett's short story collection, Pond. £3 (includes a glass of wine), just turn up, 7pm

Tuesday 15 March

OSCAR-WINNING FILM FOR £5: See recent Best Picture winner Spotlight at JW3 tonight. This true story behind the Boston Globe's "Spotlight" team and the allegations of abuse they uncovered has been sweeping the awards boards. £5, prebook, 6.15pm

WHAT ARE PRISONS FOR: In these austere times, is prison still an effective way of dealing with Britain's criminals? Join the debate at LSE with lecturers Christopher Bennett, Kimberly Brownlee and Andrew Neilson. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

BRAIN AWARENESS TALK: We've all got one, but how much do we know about our brains? As part of Brain Awareness Week, get your little grey cells down to Holborn for an evening of informal discussion with King's College and Cosy Science. Free, just turn up, 7pm

FREE SAMBA COMPETITION: Barrio East throws its doors open for The London School of Samba's Carnival Song competition. Hear entrants perform their samba and catch a performance from the school's own dancers. Free, just turn up, 9pm

Wednesday 16 March

Get crocheting at Museum of Childhood

PROJECT AWESOME: Get a 'power boost of positivity' at Project Awesome's fitness movement at The Scoop, Tower Bridge. Expect dazzling views of the city as you catch it at its best time. Free, prebook, 6.30am

BAT DETECTIVE: Holy bikini, Robin! As part of Bat Week, the Grant Museum offers free bat-based talks this week. Today, discover more about the online citizen science project Bat Detective, and find out how you could help. Free, just turn up, 1.30pm

CROCHET CIRCLE: Get hooked on crochet at the Museum Of Childhood's friendly crochet workshop. Bring a hook and some yarn (though there'll also be some available there) and get knotting. Beginners welcome too. Free, just turn up, 2pm

FREE FILM CLUB: This week's London Metropolitan Archives Film Club dips into history to show three films about the city's business and industrial side. It's a great chance to see footage of how London life used to be. Free, prebook, 6pm

EDIBLE SOUND: The Science Gallery presents Edible Sound, a one-off performance from artist, musician and composer Matthew Herbert. With research into the acoustic properties of our food, Matthew encourages us to listen to what we eat  and to consume the records. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

Thursday 17 March

ST PATRICK'S PARTY: It's the day to celebrate all things Irish, so whether you've got Michael Flatley moves or not, get in on the action at The Sun Tavern in Bethnal Green. Tonight's party night features oatmeal stout, Irish cocktails and free pie and mash. Free, just turn up, 6pm-1am

UNTHINKING PHOTOGRAPHY: As technology grows, so does new software available for the aesthetic evaluation of photographs. In this discussion at The Photographers' Gallery, an expert panel will explore the way photography is sifted and evaluated online. £3, just turn up, 6.30pm

THE ENCHANTMENT WILL FIND ME: The Royal Festival Hall's Poetry Library invites you to be intoxicated by Portuguese poet Alberto de Lacerda and his love of art. Hear readings from Christopher Reid, Anthony Rudolf and Luis Amorim de Sousa while surrounded by some of his famous art collection and possessions. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

Friday 18 March

Reclaim your lunch break at Drink Shop Do

OLD DOLLARS: In 1794, the Flowing Hair Dollar was the first coin to be struck by the US mint. Now it's touring Europe, stopping off at the La Galleria this week. Free, just turn up, 10am-5pm, until 20 March

RECLAIM YOUR LUNCH BREAK: Make lunchtime your own again with Drink Shop Do. Join LoveKnitting and get creating plant pots, Easter bunnies and more. There'll also be goody bags and treats to eat. Free, prebook, 12pm-2pm

HYDROGEN TRANSPORT FAIR: City Hall hosts the Hydrogen Transport Fair — a chance for you to experience hydrogen-powered vehicles and join discussions with experts in hydrogen power. Free, prebook, 2pm-5pm

ARTIST WORKSHOP: Poet Cat Brogan has managed to juggle her creative career with a role as an educator, winning awards along the way. Tonight she shares her wisdom at The Platform Project. Free, prebook, 6pm

THE GET DOWN: The Book Club invites you to get down with the Dirty Dubsters this Friday. With reggae-inspired rhythms, let your hair down and enjoy hop, disco, funk and soul. Free (£5 after 9pm), just turn up, 8pm-2am

Saturday 19 March

TWITTER CHORUS: Hundreds of singers take to the stage at Southbank as part of Tamsyn Challenger's artwork, Twitter Chorus. From a fabric of tweets, she's orchestrated a celebration of our favouirte way to communicate in 140 characters. Free, just turn up, 5pm

LOOSE CONNECTIONS: Back at the Queen Of Hoxton for their first show of 2016, Loose Connections smashes into Saturday with sets from Klose One, Terror Danjah and some old school tunes. £5, prebook, 8pm-2am

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING: The RAF Museum partners with Techmaids to celebrate the history of women in engineering. Featuring code-breaking workshops, this is a full day event of pop up lectures from inspiring women. Free, prebook, 11am-4pm

Sunday 20 March

Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair

VINTAGE FAIR: Put your stylish feet forward for this month's Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair. Shop for timeless clothing with a unique edge. It's even 2 for 1 entry, so grab a friend and get shopping. £4, prebook, 11am

FUNDING EVENT: Have an idea that could benefit the community? Pivot Soup is an event for those seeking funding for their projects. Grab your team, come for some soup, pitch your idea and maybe get chosen as the winner of the day's donations to start off your funding. £3.50 (suggested donation), prebook, 4pm-8pm

FREE FILM AT BFI: BFI Southbank has a host of free films you can watch in its MediaTheque. Full length features, vintage adverts, children's TV — there's a wide selection from its archive. Head down there with your family for classic films togther. Free, prebook, 12pm-8pm

Last Updated 13 March 2016