Free things to do in Manchester this week ft. Spirit of Manchester + more

Spirit of Manchester Flower Festival at St. Ann’s Church (pictured)
For our first pick of free things to do in Manchester this week, we’ve got this three day festival running at St. Ann’s Church in the city centre. The festival was set up to commemorate the the one year anniversary of the Manchester Arena bombing, which the church played a key role in the aftermath of when over 250,000 tributs were laid out in the St. Ann’s Square. Central to the festival is a new exhibition of 40 paintings by artist Ghislaine Howard entitled ‘Embracing Manchester’, which depicts Muslim man Baktash Noori offering hugs to the people of Manchester. On Wednesday at 7pm, you can also catch the Songs of Hope and Inspiration choral performance.
Mon 21 May – Wed 23 May, St. Ann’s Church, St. Ann Street, Manchester, M2 7LF. 10am – 10pm, www.stannsmanchester.com

Bright Arcade at Manchester Science Park
The Bright Building in Manchester Science Park is being turned into the dream games arcade of your childhood this Thursday evening. Games console hire company Joypad will be bringing many classic titles back to button-mashing life, allowing you to relive the 8-bit and 16-bit eras without digging around on eBay for a second hand Mega Drive. In addition to these classic treats, you will also be able to take a look into the future as the Right Building will be laying on some VR experiences and brand new games that are in development right now.
Thu 24 May, Bright Building, Manchester Science Park, Pencroft Way, Manchester, M15 6GZ. 5.30pm – 9pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk

Dialogues in Sexuality and Longing at CFCCA
The Centre for Chinese Contemporary art hosts a free panel discussion this Thursday evening on the subjects of sexuality and longing. The panel includes video artist Shen Xin, whose exhibition Sliced Units is currently on display at the centre, LGBT performance artist Whiskey Chow and feminist activist Li Maizi, who’ll be talking about art as a means to explore sexuality, as well as talking about their personal projects.
Thu 24 May, Market Buildings, 13 Thomas St, Manchester, M4 1EU. 6pm – 8.30pm, www.facebook.com

The Art of Volunteering at The Whitworth
This Friday, The Whitworth launches its latest exhibition The Art of Volunteering – a unique exhibition curated not by stuffy academics or a competition panel, but by The Whitworth’s own army of volunteers. As well as featuring pieces from the gallery’s huge collection, the exhibition also aims to give an insight into the life f a volunteer, exploring both how they keep the gallery running, and how volunteering benefits them personally.
Fri 25 May – Sun 23 Sep, The Whitworth, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER. 10am – 5pm, whitworth.manchester.ac.uk