Free things to do this week ft. Pauline Yao, Visceral Realism + more

Pauline Yao at The Whitworth
Esteemed writer, curator and academic Pauline Yao comes to The Whitworth this week as part of their Tuesday Talks series – where people involved in the creative industries are invited to talk about their work, influences and the art world at large. Yao will be presenting her research into spatial histories in Chinese contemporary art, as well as talking through a career that has taken her all the way from San Francisco to Beijing. Booking ahead is essential for these talks.
Tue 21 Feb, Whitworth Art Gallery, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER. 12.30pm – 2pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk

Memory Exhibition Launch at New Adelphi Building (pictured)
The University of Salford kicks off its Dear University project this week, a year-long programme of events to promote the appreciation of libraries and their impact on people’s lives. The first of these events is this exhibition launching Wednesday: Memory will display library-themed materials from the University’s archive, alongside three poems from the Salford’s writer-in-residence Jackie Kay specially commissioned for this project. Visitors can also leave their thoughts about libraries on the exhibition’s memory wall, which will be built up over the coming months
Wed 22 Feb, New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery, University of Salford, University Road West, Salford, M5 4BR. 3.30pm – 4.30pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk

Chris Geddes at Electrik
Belle & Sebastian keyboardist Chris Geddes takes over Electrik’s One-deck Wednesday this week. The concept of the night is simple: The guest DJ is given free reign over a single vinyl deck, with no mixes and no production tricks. See our full preview for more details.
Wed 22 Feb, Electrik, 559 Wilbraham Road, Manchester, M21 0AE. Tel: 0161 881 3315, 8pm – 12am, www.facebook.com

Visceral Realism Magazine Launch Party at 70 Oxford Street
Brand new creativity and criticism quarterly Visceral Realism launches this week, with a party at the former Cornerhouse cinema on Oxford Street. The aim of the magazine is to celebrate and promote the local creative scene, and so it’s apt that the three poetry guests invited to speak – Anna Percy, Dominic Berry and Danielle Matthews – are not just good writers, but are also ambassadors for the scene. Some free drinks will be provided on the night, and you won’t even have to dig deep to pick up a copy of the magazine, as they’ll also be handing out free copies on the night.
Thu 23 Feb, 70 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 5NH. 6pm – 8pm, www.facebook.com