Free things to do this week ft. Doodlebots, Bowie Exhibition + more

Dan Hett and Donald Hanson at Texture
This is part of a series of special talks hosted by Test Card, Texture’s weekly AV meetup club, and this particular talk features coders/visual artists Dan Hett and Donald Hanson. Hett uses livecoding to create improvised visuals for concerts and he’ll be talking about the software and techniques he uses to make the magic happen on the road. Hanson will be skypeing in from America to talk AV enthusiasts through Gifslap, his innovative VJ program.
Tue 5 Apr, Texture, 67 Lever Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M1 1FL, 7pm, www.eventbrite.com

Doodlebots at Manchester Art Gallery
Tech heads! Make your way to Manchester Art Gallery, where you’re invited to help build robots that doodle on a big canvas. Whilst it’s certainly not the first time Doodlebots have come to Manchester, it is the first outing for Re-dock, a more intelligent robot backed by a more refined AI. So if you’re interested in engineering, programming or just curious to see what kind of stuff a robot might draw, this is definitely the evening for you.
Thu 7 Apr, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL, 6pm – 8pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk

Sound & Vision Preview at PAPER Gallery
This exhibition at weekend-only gallery PAPER opens on Thursday with an evening preview. It’s inspired by the life and work of the late, great David Bowie and features work from several different artists working in a range of mediums. If you can’t catch the preview, the exhibition proper is open every Saturday between now and 14th May, 11am – 5pm. See our full preview for more details.
Thu 7 Apr, PAPER Gallery, Mirabel Street, Manchester, M3 1PJ, 6pm – 9pm, www.paper-gallery.co.uk

Historic Printing Press Demonstration at John Rylands Library (pictured)
It’s 400 years since the death of Shakespeare, so you’re bound to see all kinds of literary and Shakespeare-themed events cropping up around the city. The John Rylands Library is grabbing a slice of the action with these demonstrations of a traditional printing press, accompanied by a talk on how presses like this one helped bring literature to the masses. There’s two sessions running – 11.30am and 2.30pm – and no need to book, just swing by.
Fri 8 Apr, John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3EH, 11.30am + 2.30pm, events.manchester.ac.uk