Free things to do this week ft. Malcolm X, Maeve Brennan + more

Malcolm X Talk at Castle Hotel
Manchester Counterfire are taking over The Castle’s gig room this Tuesday for a talk on a well-known, oft-misunderstood and eternally-relevant figure in civil rights history: Malcolm X. The discussion will be led by campaigner Shabbir Lakha – recently seen at the Tory conference butting heads with politician and Victorian schoolboy Jacob Rees-Mogg – who’ll be talking through the finer points of Malcolm X’s career, and shedding some light on what he can teach us about political campaigning today. This event is free to attend, but they encourage generous donations to help cover costs.
Tue 7 Nov, The Castle Hotel, 66 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LE. 6.45pm – 9pm, www.facebook.com

Maeve Brennan at The Whitworth (pictured)
The Whitworth hosts another of their free Wednesday talks this week, this time featuring video artist Maeve Brennan. Brennan, who splits her working life between London and Beirut, will be talking about her latest commission for the Oxford Road gallery – a film called The Drift, which was shot on location in Lebanon using both documentary footage and staged scenes to tell a story about the preservation of sites of historical importance. She’ll also be talking a little about her career from Goldsmiths student to international artist.
Wed 8 Nov, Whitworth Art Gallery, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER. 12.30pm – 2pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk

Two Destination Language at The Lowry
Declining Solo is the name of a new piece by theatre duo Two Destination Language and it’s the first in The Lowry’s WTF Wednesdays series – a new outlet for contemporary theatre. The performance encompasses music, dance, video and features a set fashioned from paper. This event is pay-what-you-want, so you’re encouraged to dig deep. See our full preview for more details.
Wed 8 Nov, The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ. Tel: 0843 208 6000, 8pm, www.thelowry.com

David Guillén Exhibition at Instituto Cervantes
A new exhibition from Spanish photographer David Guillén goes on display at the Instituto Cervantes language school this Thursday. A Tale on the Mile is a collection of photograph’s taken on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, which stretches from Edinburgh Castle, through the old town all the way down to the Scottish Parliament building. The exhibition was previously on display at the Museum of Edinburgh. Guillén will be speaking at the event, talking though the exhibition’s themes of society in motion, and talking about how he sought to represent the city’s past, present and future. Advance registration through Eventbrite is essential if you’re looking to attend this event.
Thu 9 Nov, Instituto Cervantes, 326-330 Deansgate, Campfield Avenue Arcade, Manchester, M3 4FN. 6.30pm – 9pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk