Free things to do in Manchester this week ft. Museums at Night + more

Free Ping Pong at TwentyTwentyTwo
For our first pick of free things to do in Manchester this week, we’d recommend checking out this regular event at Northern Quarter basement bar TwentyTwentyTwo. Table tennis is easy to grasp, even if you’ve never played, and with all the warm weather you might appreciate the opportunity to duck into a cool cellar and bat around a ping pong ball. The bar also boasts a great range of ales and premium spirits, as well as a small cluster of vintage arcade cabinets.
Mon 14 May, TwentyTwentyTwo, 20 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 1EZ. 4pm – 12am, www.twentytwentytwo.co.uk

4×4 Talks at Burgess Foundation
The International Anthony Burgess Foundation continue their 4×4 talks – four talks from four different experts talking about one subject – and this time it’s all around the theme of ‘Resurrection’. Taking to the stage is architect Katie Tonkinson, Professor Ola Uduku, eco House pioneer Sue Flack and Executive Producer for Hull UK City of Culture 2017 Katy Fuller. This season of discussions have all fitted into the broader theme of ‘cities in a state of flux’, so expect fascinating discussions on regeneration, gentrification and other related concerns.
Wed 16 May, International Anthony burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester, M1 5BY. 5.15pm, www.anthonyburgess.org

‘Animating the Archives’ at Working Class Movement Library
On Wednesday 16 May, drop into the Working Class Movement Library any time from 2 to 5pm and join students from the University of Salford’s Performance and English directorate for an event celebrating the Library’s collections. There will be performance, readings and displays both of original material and of the students’ responses to these.
Wed 16 May, Working Class Movement Library, 51 Crescent, Salford M5 4WX.
Tel 0161 736 3601, www.wcml.org.uk

Museums at Night
Museums at Night returns to Manchester, with many museums, galleries and exhibition spaces staying open a little longer to host unique events and experiences. Many of these events cost money, but there’s a selection that won’t cost you anything at all. Manchester Art Gallery are hosting a Questioning the Gallery discussion and a free performance from Drag Artists Family Gorgeous. They’re also hosting a panel discussion entitled ‘Artists, curators and the public: who decides what goes on display?’, which is sold out at the time of writing, but with it being a free event, it’s always worth checking to see if extra tickets are released on the day. Continuing the drag theme, drag artist Lill will be performing at Portico Library to celebrate the launch of their Beautiful Monsters exhibition. Finally, you can see Indian dance group Upasana perform Colour Alive! at John Rylands Library, a piece inspired by the library’s new exhibition The Alchemy of Colour (pictured).
Thu 17 May, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL. 5pm – 8.30pm, www.manchesterartgallery.org
Portico Library, 57 Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HY. 6pm – 8pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk
John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH. 6pm – 8.30pm, www.facebook.com