Free things to do this week ft. Engels, Noise Orchestra + more

Engels Lecture at The Castle
19th Century thinker and communism’s stepfather Friedrich Engels has been receiving a lot of attention recently, following the unveiling of the newly-placed statue of the man in Tony Wilson Place. This free lecture, delivered by York College’s Sean Ledwith, aims to get to grips with the life of the man and the relevance of his work in a modern context. Looks to be a fascinating insight into an oft-discussed but misunderstood figure.
Tue 22 Aug, The Castle, 66 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LE. 6.45pm – 9pm, www.facebook.com

Romeo & Juliet Screening at The Blue Pig
The Northern Quarter’s Blue Pig continues its series of Pig-turehouse film screenings, with a showing of Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 adaptation of Romeo & Juliet. A youthful Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes breathe new life into Shakespeare’s words in this stylised take, which transplants the action from 16th Century Verona to modern-day California. As well as tucking into the Blue Pig’s movie-themed cocktails, they will also be offering free popcorn and hot dogs for your delectation on the night.
Tue 22 Aug, The Blue Pig, 69 High Street, Manchester, M4 1FS. 8pm – 11pm, www.facebook.com

First Invisible Histories Talk at WCML
A Living History performance about the Peterloo Massacre comes first in the Working Class Movement Library’s series of free talks. Having previously been staged at the People’s History Museum, the performance recounts the events of the day as told from the perspective of those who were there. See our full preview for more information on these talks.
Wed 23 Aug, Working Class Movement Library, 51 Crescent, Salford, M5 4WX. Tel: 0161 736 3601, 2pm, www.wcml.org.uk

Noise Orchestra Workshop at Eccles Library (pictured)
Sound artists Vicky Clarke and David Birchall use technical wizardry – turntables, analogue electronics and light sensors – to turn images and everyday objects into noise, and they perform under the name Noise Orchestra. This Thursday they’re taking over Eccles Library for a series of workshops: In the morning, you’ll get a chance to build your own mini synthesiser, and after lunch you can learn more about how these synthesisers work, and the principles behind what they call ‘graphical sound’. It’s a wholly unique event that could transform the way you look at sound.
Thu 24 Aug, Eccles Library, 28 Barton Lane, Eccles, Manchester, M30 0TU. 10.30am – 3.30pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk