Free things to do this week ft. Pond, Field Music + more

Short Story Book Launch at Burgess Foundation
This is one of the events that made it into our round-up of excellent stuff to check out at the Burgess Foundation this Autumn. This is the launch of Pond, a short story collection from Irish writer Claire Louise-Bennet. She’s attracted a lot of positive press over recent years and favourable comparisons to other experimental writers. This is definitely one for seasoned bookworms.
Tue 6 Oct, International Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge Street, M1 5BY, 6.30pm, www.anthonyburgess.org

Field Music Masterclass at Band on the Wall (pictured)
Sunderland indie faves Field Music are running this special one-off masterclass in music making. It’s part of Band on the Wall’s Sing City Writes project, which aims to get young people involved in music. So, sorry guys: This class is limited to young musos aged 13-18. If you fit in that bracket though, this is an excellent opportunity to learn from the masters.
Wed 7 Oct, Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, The Northern Quarter, M4 5JZ, 6pm, www.bandonthewall.org

Kinokophonography at The Whitworth
This strange and beautiful event is taking place in the renewed grandeur of The Whitworth. Kinokophonagraphy is described as ‘sound cinema’: It’s a collection of recorded sounds designed to provoke thought, convey meaning and even tell a story. Presented by the Kinokophone collective – from the Japanese word for mushroom, and the Ancient Greek for sound – this looks like an offbeat treat. Check out our full preview for further details.
Thu 8 Oct, The Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M15 6ER, www.kinokophone.com

Toucan Hammocks Launch Night at The Wonder Inn
Toucan Hammocks is a project that takes people off the street in Nicaragua and puts them to work making hammocks. If that sounds an obscure solution to Central-American homelessness, you can’t argue with the results. Finely-crafted hammocks, tote bags and many other products are being showcased at this launch night in Shudehill. It’s free to swing by and check out their lines, but you have to register via Eventbrite first. Worth it to land the hammock of your dreams and you may just help some vulnerable people on the way.
Thu 8 Oct, The Wonder Inn, 29 Shudehill, M4 2AF, 6pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk

Thirties Fashion at Gallery of Costume
The boom of the twenties and the bust of the thirties had a huge impact not just on the politics of the time, but also on the aesthetic. Opening this week, Platt Field’s gallery of costume takes a look at the clothing of this period and the turbulent times that brought them into being. Tickled your fancy? Well take a look at this extended preview.
Thu 8 Oct – Sun 9 Oct 2016, Gallery of Costume, Platt Hall, Platt Fields Park, Rusholme, M14 5LL, www.manchesterartgallery.org