Free things to do in Manchester this weekend ft. major new Whitworth & Lowry shows + more

William Kentridge Exhibition at The Whitworth
Our first pick of free things to do in Manchester this weekend is the launch of this major new exhibition at The Whitworth. Thick Time is a touring exhibition from South African artist William Kentridge, featuring work that draws from politics, history and contemporary scientific theory. See our full preview for more details.
Fri 21 Sep – Sun 3 Mar 2019, The Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER, Tel: 0161 275 7450, 10am – 5pm, whitworth.manchester.ac.uk 

Launch Weekend at YES
Club promoters Now Wave finally launch their new Charles Street venue this weekend, and they’re offering three days of free parties at their new digs. As well as free entry, they will also be giving away thousands of drinks and food platters to lucky customers. Check out our extended preview for more information.
Fri 21 Sep – Sun 23 Sep, YES, 38 Charles Street, Manchester, M1 7DB, Tel: 0161 832 11112, www.yes-manchester.com

Norman Long Book Launch at Contemporary Six
Preston-based painter Norman Long launches his new book this Saturday at city-centre micro gallery Contemporary Six. The book – Oils: Techniques and Tutorials for the Complete Beginner – brings to bear his decades of experience as an artist. At this launch event, he will be unveiling 14 new paintings, all of which will be available for purchase, along with signed copies of the book.
Sat 22 Sep, Contemporary Six, 37 Princess Street, Manchester, M2 4FN, 12pm – 3pm, www.contemporarysix.co.uk

DJ Paulette Exhibition at The Lowry (pictured)
Another exhibition opening this weekend is this one at The Lowry. Legendary Manchester house DJ Paulette Constable presents this exhibition as part of the gallery’s Edit series. It features a collection of photographs and paraphernalia from the past thirty years of her career, including posters from notorious club nights and pictures of the women who inspire her. There will also be new works on display from illustrator and printmaker Stanley Chow and radical arts advisor Michael Barnes-Wynters. This exhibition runs until the middle of October.
Sat 22 Sep – Sun 14 Oct, The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ, 10am – 6pm, www.thelowry.com

Words to Our Daughters at Pankhurst Centre
On Sunday, The Pankhurst Centre hosts this event organised by feminist writers’ group The Wednesday Collective. Words to our Daughters is open to anyone of any age who identifies as female, and is a participatory event seeking to open up conversations about what it means to be a woman, using it as the basis to create a new piece of theatre. This piece will later tour as part of the Pankhurst centenary, and you’ll be able to see an early preview of it in its embryonic stage at this event.
Sun 23 Sep, The Pankhurst Centre, 60-62 Nelson Street, Manchester, M13 9WP, 11am – 4pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk