Free things to do this week ft. Yard & Coop chicken, documentaries + more

Free Chicken for students at Yard & Coop (pictured)
It’s rare that we get to feature free food events, but this is a great little one. Students can swing by the dystopian-chic fry shack on Edge Street to pick up a free plate of their famed buttermilk fried chicken. It’s first come, first serve to those with student ID, so it’s worth arriving early for an artery-clogging early lunch. If you miss out, don’t worry as students get 10% off. Not a student? Well then you’re out of (c)luck.
Wed 14 Oct, 37 Edge Street, M4 1HW. Tel: 0161 710 2570, 12pm – 12am, FREE with student ID www.yardandcoop.com

Slavery & Suffrage at People’s History Museum
It’s Black History Month, so you’ll be seeing plenty of interesting and exciting events popping up around the city. This from the People’s History Museum gives visitors the opportunity to delve into the life of William Cuffay, the 19th Century chartist and mixed-race son of a freed slave. A militant, a great orator and a vital campaigner both in Britain and Tasmania, he’s one of the Victorian era’s great unsung heroes.
Thu 15 Oct, People’s History Museum, Left Bank, M3 3ER. Tel: 0161 838 9190, 1pm – 2pm, FREE, www.phm.org.uk 

World-wide documentary Showcase at Z-Arts
The latest crop of Manchester University’s visual anthropologists show their work to an audience for the first time. There’s not just documentary presented, but all kinds of media, including photography and soundscapes that are all designed to provide a window into different cultures. There’s a main exhibition, which features this range of work and runs into the weekend, but if you want to catch the full roster of 17 documentaries produced by these recent graduates, you’ll have to drop by at the various screening sessions on Thursday and Friday. Check the website for the full schedule
Thu 15 Oct – Sat 17 Oct, Z-Arts, 335 Stretford Road, Hulme, M15 5ZA. Tel: 0161 226 1912 www.criccrac.org

Free Art Friday city-wide
This is running throughout Manchester all through the day. Local artists and craftspeople are encouraged to hide their wares all over the city, leaving instructions on how to get at the creative booty on Twitter and Facebook. Plucky treasure hunters can get hold of this free art simply by picking up the trail. This event is run by the crafty collective The Manchester Craft Mafia, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their Twitter for hints.
Fri 6 Oct, various venues, Manchester city centre, 7am – 6pm, www.facebook.com