Free And Cheap Things To Do In London This Week: 20-26 November 2017

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Last Updated 17 November 2017

Free And Cheap Things To Do In London This Week: 20-26 November 2017

All week

The interactive installation at the Horniman Museum allows the public to see this breathtaking view as it is now, and as it could appear over the next 80 years.

BEING HUMAN: Lunchtime theatre, installations on lost London and refugee stories all feature in this week's London events, as part of the nationwide Being Human festival, which encourages the public to get involved in humanities research. See the full programme here. Until Saturday 25 November

30-30-30 A LONDON TALE: See 30 artworks, created in 30 days, in, you guessed it, 30 locations. A series of events accompany this exhibition, including live screen printing, film screenings and a lyrics masterclass with rapper Xidus Pain. Theatre Deli, free, just turn up, until 26 November

POINTS OF VIEW: See an installation created by immersive experience extraordinaires Bompas & Parr to mark 80 years of protected view legislation. The vistas aren't too shabby up here either. The Horniman Museum and Gardens, free, 8am-sunrise, until Sunday 26 November

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY: Let these stunning views from across Britain brighten up your commute. Waterloo station, free, just turn up, 20 November-4 February

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: Ever heard of Ayurveda? It's a branch of traditional medicine rooted in the Indian sub-continent — and there's a free exhibition all about it at the Wellcome Collection. Free, just turn up, 16 November-8 April

Monday 20 November

Clear out and update your wardrobe at this clothes swap.

CLOTHES SWAP: Get your fashion fix for less at this day of clothes swapping, style advice and making and mending workshops. Rocket Bar (Metropolitan University London), free, book ahead, 10am-4pm

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Wildlife photographer Tim Flach has snapped some of the world's most endangered species. He'll be discussing how he got these elusive creatures to pose alongside conservationists, who explain their important work on the ground. ZSL London Zoo, £5, book ahead, 6.30pm-8pm

OPEN MIC: Reckon you've got a voice that'll turn heads and melt hearts? Bring your voicebox to this open mic night for rising stars with West End Vocal Coach Leontine Hass and Director Michael Webborn. 100 Wardour Street, free, just turn up, 8pm-10pm

Tuesday 21 November

Learn about the great discoveries of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo in this astronomy talk. © Alister McGrath

ASTRONOMY TALK: Things get deep at this talk examining what our fascination with the night sky can tell us about the meaning of life. Museum of London, free, book ahead, 1pm-2pm

ORWELL AND WOMEN: You most likely have a copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four on a shelf somewhere, but how much do you know about the author and his complex relationship with women? Journo and author AL Kennedy discusses. Gustav Tuck Lecture Theatre (University College London), free, book ahead 6.30pm-7.30pm

FREE COMEDY: See the (possible) stars of tomorrow at Party Piece — a monthly coming together of new comedians. There's stand-up, there's sketch — there are moments of downright bizarreness, which will leave you slack-jawed. The Joker of Penton Street, free, 7.30pm

DOCUMENTARY: Imagine starting a pub crawl in 1984 and 33 years later you're still propping up the bar. That's what happened to Peter Hill and his mates, who plan to visit as many UK pubs as possible. Watch this short film capturing their journey and what we imagine is a very long hangover. Hen & Chickens Theatre, £5, book ahead, 18+ only,  9.30pm

Wednesday 22 November

RAT CHAT: Rats rarely get good press, probably because of their association in our mind with spreading disease, but you might leave this talk with a better appreciation of these furry rodents. Grant Museum of Zoology, free, book ahead, 1.30-2.30pm

SEXUAL VIOLENCE TALK: In this #MeToo era in which the daily news brings a string of fresh sexual assault allegations, this timely talk looks at what we know (and don’t know) about sexual violence from a global perspective. Museum of London, free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm

SEEN NOT HEARD: How often do you see London's homeless and how often do you hear their stories? Cardboard Citizens aims to reverse this situation through a workshop exploring the untold history of homelessness. Cardboard Citizens, 77A, £5, book ahead, 6.30pm-9.30pm

SHORTS ON TAP: Help film buffs Shorts on Tap celebrate their fourth birthday by settling in for screenings of the best docs from the last 12 months. 93 Feet East, £3/£4 on the door, book ahead, 7pm-11pm

WRITE TO THE POINT: Got a story to tell but need help telling it? Literary editor of the Spectator, Sam Leith, is sharing his pearls of writing wisdom for all sorts of publications, from books to blog posts. WeWork (Moorgate), free, book ahead, 8.30am

Thursday 23 November

This trendy cafe in a former public loo relaunches today by inviting you to write on its walls in exchange for free coffee.

VICTORIAN JOURNALISM: This illustrated talk harks back to a time when the word of newspaper reporters was gospel and the only way for people to find out about current events was through the printed page. British Library, free, book ahead, 6pm-8pm

JEWISH REFUGEE CRISIS: Brush up on your Holocaust history at this conference exposing the myths surrounding the Évian Conference of 1938 and the Jewish Refugee Crisis. The Wiener Library, free, 6.30pm-8pm

WRITE ON THE WALLS: Because scribbling on loo walls never gets old, the Attendant, a Victorian public toilet-turned-trendy cafe is relaunching by inviting you lot to express yourself in return for a free flat white. Sounds like a pretty good deal to us. Attendant (Foley Street), free, just turn up, 6.30pm-8.30pm

Friday 24 November

Things get pretty lively at this King's Cross karaoke night.

ISABELLA PLANTATION: Drink in the autumnal colours on this guided walk around a 40 acre woodland garden, which was planted in the 1830s. Richmond Park (meet inside the Garden by the gate from Broomfield Hill car park), free, just turn up, 11am-noon

ROCKAOKE: Karaoke-fiends: make your way to King's Cross for this high octane, laugh a minute night of rock and pop classics. The Star of King's Cross, £3, book ahead, 8pm-late

Saturday 25 November

ILLUMINATING INDIA: Zone out with a spot of meditation, get the whole family involved in a dance workshop, try your hand at life-size collage, sky map-making, and join a tour of the ambitious exhibition Illuminating India, which charts 5,000 years of history and innovations. Science Museum, free, just turn up, 25-26 November

RUIN AND REBUILD: Themes of dereliction, life in the suburbs nostalgia, home, abandonment, family and struggle are documented and explored in this interactive pop up event, as part of Being Human Festival. Birkbeck, free, just turn up, noon-5pm

ARTS AND CRAFTS: Get stuck into this crafty afternoon, making hand-made gifts using clay, aluminum and copper foils. William Morris Gallery, free, just turn up, 1pm-4pm

CRAFT SWISH: Got never used/half-finished craft projects lying around? Bring them to this craft swap and 'swish' them for something you will make time to do. St Alban's Church (Chiswick), £5 (includes mince pie and drink), just turn up, 2.30pm-4.30pm

LOST FILM SHOWS: Raid your grandparent's wardrobe for 1940s-inspired attire and step back into the past through films and documentaries on the war effort and home front, followed by tea and cake. Senate House, free, book ahead, 3pm-5pm

Sunday 26 November

WALK IN THE PARK: Enjoy the crunch of frosty marsh underfoot as you wander around Walthamstow Nature Reserve on this winter walk. Lee Valley Ice Centre, Free, Just turn up, 1pm-3pm

SUNDAY SHORTS: Film buffs can see eight short films and quiz the filmmakers after, plus vote for your fave. This is also one surefire way for budding filmmakers to get feedback on their scripts. The Montague Arms, Peckham, free, just turn up, 7pm-10pm