Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 1-7 October 2018

By Maire Rose Connor Last edited 66 months ago

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Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 1-7 October 2018

All week

An art installation that's out of this world

ART AND LAUGHS: Who says art exhibitions have to be so serious? Head to South London Gallery for a look at the lighter side of creative expression. Knock Knock explores the use of humour in contemporary art — from parodies to visual puns, and from one-liners to in-jokes. South London Gallery (Camberwell), free, just turn up, until 18 November

HARD TRUTHS: Bear witness to humanitarian crises, societal change, and breaking news from around the globe at this exhibition of prize-winning photography from The New York Times. Photojournalists have travelled to Venezuela, Iraq, Syria, the Philippines, Cuba and Iran to uncover the human stories behind the headlines. LSE (Houghton Street), free, just turn up, 1-26 October

SPACED OUT: Let artist Chris Levine transport you to a meditative realm using super sensory light fields and laser projection. Housed within a former Victorian riding school, his new installation, Inner[Deep]Space, combines audio, colour, geometry, and even an electro-plated meteorite for a somewhat trippy experience. Park Village Studios (Regent's Park), free, book ahead, 9pm-5.30pm, 2-9 October

TBC TV: Forget Netflix and tune in to TBC TV, the latest installation at Somerset House. The Lancaster Rooms have been transformed into a mock TV studio featuring rolling coverage of moving image from a carefully curated selection of artists. Somerset House, free, just turn up, 3-7 October

Monday 1  October

Sass up your succulent at Drink, Shop & Do

COFFEE AND CREATIVITY: Combine three of life's great pleasures  — friendship, poetry, and really good coffee — with the help of Viennese coffee roasters Julius Meinl. Bring a friend to one of their London coffee houses and get 2-for-1 java. But there's a catch: you must co-write a story or poem with your companion in order to claim your caffeine fix. What's more, the best ones will be turned into a song. See website to find your nearest branch, free, book ahead, 9am-6pm

SASS YOUR SUCCULENT: Make sure your houseplant stands out from the crowd by pimping its pot — you bring the succulent, they'll provide the makeover tools. Drink, Shop & Do (Kings Cross), £5, just turn up, from 6pm

Tuesday 2 October

Geek out over London with Lily Cole

LILY COLE'S LONDON: Model, actor and entrepreneur Lily Cole talks life in London, the importance of belonging, and the ever-evolving nature of our city with Second Home co-founder Rohan Silva. Join them at the Museum of London to explore notions of community in the urban metropolis. Museum of London (London Wall), £5, book ahead, 6.30pm-9pm

SHORT CUTS: The brilliant Alice Lowe chats about her career as an actor, writer and director (if you haven't seen Garth Marenghi's Dark Place, you're in for one hell of a ride). Alice will be helping to launch Short Cuts, a film competition for members of the indie filmmaker network, Shooting People. Rich Mix (Shoreditch), free, book ahead, 7pm-10pm

SEEKING THE ALMAS: Join London Fortean Society for a dive into the magical, mysterious, and mythological aspects of our world. This evening, cryptozoologist Richard Freeman introduces the study of mysterious animals and talk about his latest expedition tracking hominins in the mountains of Tajikistan. The Miller (London Bridge), £5, book ahead, 7.45pm

Wednesday 3 October

An urban photography exhibition that takes the city as its subject

UNVEILING THE MASK OF YOUTH: One of Britain's most eminent contemporary artists, Mat Collishaw, has created a piece in response to the famous Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I. Now, the time has come to reveal the fruits of his labour. See the grand unveiling of this new commission in the historic setting of Queen's House (Greenwich). Free, just turn up, 10am-5pm

CITY STORIES: From portraits of class to architectural images of gentrification, a single photograph can tell you a lot about a city. Discover the passengers of the Trans-Siberian Railway, explore Berlin's derelict nooks and crannies, and investigate notions public decency here in the UK at this urban photography exhibition. Four Corners (Bethnal Green), free, just turn up, until 6 October

RETRO GAMES NIGHT: Be a big kid at Theatre Deli's retro games night. The bar is well stocked with childhood games, from Crash Bandicoot to Cluedo, and there's a banging 90s playlist to boot. Theatre Deli (Broadgate), free, just turn up, 6pm

PSYCHED OUT: They may have a reputation for their adverse impact on mental health, but did you know that researchers are currently looking into the use of psychedelic drugs as antidepressants? Find out all about it over a pint with Luís Tojo, a grants adviser in neuroscience and mental health for the Wellcome Trust. The Old King's Head (Borough), free (donations welcome), book ahead, 6.30pm

Thursday 4 October

Buy school-grown veggies from the most adorable of market traders

NATIONAL POETRY DAY: You could always do with a bit more poetry in your life. Head to Southbank Centre for National Poetry Day Live, a day of radical rhymes from prize-winning poets responding to the theme of 'change'. Southbank Centre, free, just turn up, 10am-11pm

BOROUGH MARKET: There's a lot going on at London's most famous food market today. Get there for late morning and treat yourself to some school-grown fruit and veggies sold by local primary school students at their charity harvest sale. Then stick around for some cookery tips from Ed Smith, who shows off seasonal meaty recipes from the Borough Market cookbook. Borough Market, free, just turn up, 11am-1.30pm/1pm-2.30pm

RECLAIMING HOLLOWAY: After Holloway women's prison closed its doors for good in 2016, feminist direct action group Sisters Uncut reclaimed the space for local survivors of domestic violence. Hear how they did it and explore ways you can help create radical community spaces with their representatives. Islington Museum, free, book ahead, 6pm-8pm

WORKING GIRL: Huge shoulder pads, even bigger hair, and an absolute dream of a cast — must be 80s rom-com classic Working Girl. See Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver vie for power alongside Harrison Ford as part of this this film season dedicated to 80s yuppie flicks. This Time Next Year (Leyton), free, book ahead, 7pm-9.30pm

Friday 5 October

The Old Church in Stoke Newington will play host to arts, crafts, and live performances

SHAPES OF WATER: Inspired by Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa (Google it, you've seen it before), artist Hiroko Imada presents a series of water-themed print works that put a contemporary spin on traditional Japanese techniques. See them at this new exhibition. Sway Gallery (Barbican), free, just turn up, until 27 October

GLITTERATI PARTY: It's time to shine at Drink, Shop & Do. This sparkly party has drinks, dancing, and more glitter than you can shake a stick at. You'll be finding the stuff for weeks. Drink, Shop & Do (King's Cross), free entry before £10/£3 after, book ahead for priority entry, from 6pm

ALTERNATIVE ART FESTIVAL: Up for a dose of Friday night culture? Head to Stokey's stunning Old Church for an evening of live music, drawing sessions and performance art. The Old Church (Stoke Newington), free, just turn up, 7pm-11pm

Saturday 6 October

Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, with added stilts. Photo: Tomasz Ostrowski

HALF MOON FUN PALACE: Parents, rejoice! A whole day of free family fun is coming to the Half Moon Theatre. You can expect pop up storytelling, crafty workshops, and some green-fingered festivities in the theatre garden. Half Moon Theatre (Limehouse), free, just turn up, 10am-4pm

ART IN ST AUGUSTINE: This weekend's hottest hangout? A 300 year-old clock tower. The rarely accessible St Augustine Tower will be filled with inventive art works and pop up performances, including an orchestrated duet between the ancient clock and your very own timepiece. St Augustine Tower (Hackney), free, just turn up, 1pm-6pm/6pm-8pm, until 14 October

SEW FAR, SEW GOOD: Opening its doors for just one afternoon a month, this has got to be one of London's most obscure museums. Crafting enthusiasts can drool over a 600-strong collection of vintage sewing machines, including one once owned by Victoria, Princess Royal. Intrigued? Here's a preview from our recent visit. London Sewing Machine Museum (Balham), free (donations welcome), just turn up, 2pm-5pm

SHAKESPEARE ON STILTS: See The Winter's Tale performed like never before in an open air show of fire, music, and stilt-walking. This adaptation turns the Bard's text into a sequence of evocative images under the west London night sky. Bell Square (Hounslow High Street), free, just turn up, 8pm

Sunday 7 October

An a-peeling afternoon at Fulham Palace's Apple Day

APPLE DAY: They say one a day keeps the doctor away, so why not go crazy at Fulham Palace's annual apple festival? As well as beautiful autumnal fruit, there's bee-keeping, wood turning demonstrations, and a hotly-anticipated baking competition. Fulham Palace, free, just turn up, 11am-3pm

URBAN TREE TALK: For all the talk of grime and smog, London is home to an abundance of beautiful urban trees. Learn how you can get involved with making your neighbourhood a greener place with the producers of London's inaugural Urban Tree Festival. The Place (Bloomsbury), suggested £5 donation, book ahead, 2.30pm

DIED BLONDES: One is Hollywood's ultimate icon. The other is banged up in Holloway Prison. But soon, both Marilyn Monroe and murderess Ruth Ellis will meet their makers. Before that, though, they will finally find their own voices in this electrifying production from award-winning writer Joan Ellis. Bread & Roses Theatre (Clapham), £5, book ahead, 9pm-10pm

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Last Updated 28 September 2018