Free things to do in Manchester this week ft Spoken Word and Textiles

G’day. Strewth. Sheila. Shrimp on the barbie. These are all things we associate with the great nation of Australia, celebrating its very own day on Monday 26 January. Many Manchester bars and clubs are jumping on this holiday with boozy relish: Notably The Walkabout, Bierkeller and Fifth Ave. If, however, you don’t wish to pickle your liver in solidarity with our antipodean cousins this week, you might want to try one of our free recommendations. And not a cork hat in sight.

Verbose  at Fallow Café
Spoken word’s been enjoying a bit of a local renaissance lately, with Gulliver’s night The Real Story debuting only last week. Now Fallowfield jewel The Fallow Café is celebrating the return of its own spoken-word platform Verbose. Compered by local writer Sarah-Clare Conlon and featuring the work of David Gaffney, Elizabeth Baines and Sian Cummins, this night also has a few open mic slots, so arrive early if you want one.
Mon 26 Jan, Fallow Café, 2A Landcross Road, Fallowfield, M14 6NA, 7.30pm, www.verbosemcr.wordpress.com

Rachel Howard textiles at Waterside Arts
This week is the last chance to catch ‘Red Work’ at Waterside Arts in Sale. It’s an exhibition of the textile work of Rachel Howard, a veteran artist who who uses a multitude of techniques including screen printing and embroidery to create patchwork quilts depicting the trials and tribulations of everyday living. Catch the show before it’s folded away into the linen cupboard.
Sat 11 Oct – 31 Jan 2015, Waterside Arts Centre, 1 Waterside Plaza, Sale, M33 7ZF, Tel: 0161 912 5616, 2.30pm, www.watersideartscentre.co.uk

One Side To The Other at The Lowry (pictured)
Another exhibition closing this weekend is Akram Khan’s One Side to the The Other, one of a series of specially-curated exhibitions that started with Alison Goldfrapp back in October. Khan, a dancer and choreographer by trade, brings together a collection of pieces that have inspired his own work. Features work by Nadav Kander, Anish Kapoor, Serena Smith and Antony Gormley – best known for the Angle of the North.
Sat 15 Nov 2014 – Sun 1 Feb 2015, The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ, 11am – 5pm, www.thelowry.com