Free things to do in Manchester this week ft. Celebrating Syria + more

Celebrating Syria Festival
This last weekend saw the opening of 2018’s Celebrating Syria festival, a week-long festival of Syrian art and culture organised by refugee support and community organisation Rethink Rebuild Society, taking place in venues across the city. If you’re looking to learn more about this troubled region and its vibrant, diverse culture, there’s plenty of free events to get stuck into this week. On Monday evening, you can attend the launch of a new Syrian cookbook at Rethink Rebuild Society’s headquarters in Longsight: Filmmaker Itab Azzam (pictured) has assembled a collection of authentic recipes from the region, and will be at the launch to talk about the stories behind the dishes. At HOME on Tuesday, you can catch a night of free Arab and Kurdish music, and on Thursday HOME hosts a panel discussion entitled ‘Women, Art and Revolution’, with contributions from artists and activists.
Sat 6 Oct – Sun 14 Oct, Various venues and times, www.celebratingsyria.org

FLIM Nite Does Nightmare on Elm Street at 3MT
On Monday night, 3MT’s regular film-themed spoken word night returns, and this month they’re tackling the 1985 horror film Nightmare on Elm Street. A group of comedians, musicians, poets and theatre bods will all get together to recreate scenes from the film and bask in the catharsis of seeing Johnny Depp get murdered. Confirmed for this show are the Pop-up Puppet Cinema, alongside comedians Jack Evans, Zoe Tomalin, Eleanor Morton and sketch duo The Delightful Sausage. This event is free to attend, but there’s a recommended donation of £3 on the door.
Mon 8 Oct, Afflecks Arcade, 35-39 Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JG, 7.30pm – 10pm, www.facebook.com

We Haunt While You Watch at MMU
MMU’s Centre for Research in Arts and Humanities invites visiting speaker Kristen Gallerneaux to the city this Tuesday evening for a unique talk and presentation. Gallerneaux is a curator and sonic instrument researcher at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, and studies the relationship between sound and culture. Here she will be talking about her work and her latest book High Static, Dead Lines: The Sonic Spectre and the Object Hereafter, before presenting a screening of new experimental film The Hum, which explores those that can hear the phenomena of the infrasound hum. The screening is followed by a Q&A.
Tue 9 Oct, MMU, Geoffrey Manton Building, Rosamond Street West, Manchester, M15 6EB, 5pm – 8pm, www.eventbrite.com

WASH Collective Magazine Launch at Pilcrow Pub
Photography collective WASH take over the Sadler’s Yard pub on Wednesday evening for the launch of their new zine. Check out our full preview for more details.
Wed 10 Oct, The Pilcrow Pub, Sadler’s Yard, Hanover Street, M60 0AB, Tel: 0161 8344989, 7pm – 9pm, www.facebook.com

Objectified at Manchester Art Gallery
Also on Wednesday, Manchester Art Gallery launches this temporary exhibit in conjunction with the Museum of Homelessness. The exhibition collects ordinary objects once owned by homeless people – from a nit comb to a bottle of milk – whose extraordinary stories are all brought to life through spoken word, exposing the prejudices and hardships facing the homeless community in 2018. Performances are at 11am, 12.30pm, 2.15pm and 3.45pm every day, and booking ahead is essential. The exhibition runs until Sunday.
Wed 10 Oct – Sun 14 Oct, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL, 11am/12.30pm/2.15pm/3.45pm, www.museumofhomeless.org