Free things to do this weekend ft. Andy Burnham, Ordsall Hall + more

Hilary O’Mahony at 3Space
Running for this weekend only is this exhibition at charity-run city-centre space 3Space. Taking its inspiration from the humble scratchcard, artist Hilary O’Mahony takes aim at the whole lottery industry and its place within our common culture. See our full preview for further details
Fri 15 Jul – Sun 17 Jul, 3space, Mount Street, Manchester, M2 3NN, Fri 7-9pm, Sat – Sun 10am – 6pm, www.facebook.com

Andy Burnham at The Old Monkey
The presumed future mayor of Manchester will be making a personal appearance at the Old Monkey pub on Portland Street this weekend, as part of his push to stride the engine block of the northern powerhouse. This afternoon event gives you the opportunity to meet Andy Burnham in person and listen to his plans for development, healthcare and democracy across the region.
Sat 16 Jul, The Old Monkey, 90 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 4GX. 12pm – 1.30pm, www.eventbrite.co.uk

Oliver East at Manchester Museum
Artist Oliver East went on a journey earlier this year, when he walked over 220 miles from Edinburgh to Belle Vue, tracking the path taken in 1872 by Maharajah, a 425 stone circus elephant. He’s documented his journey in a forthcoming graphic novel (pictured), and he’s appearing at the Manchester Museum this Saturday to discuss how he made the book and a little about his fantastic journey. The backdrop for this talk? East’s muse: The preserved skeleton of Maharajah.
Sat 16 Jul, Manchester Museum, The University Of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL. Tel: 0161 275 2634, 2pm – 4pm, www.eventbrite.com

Broken Dance Show at MediaCityUK
For one night only dance troupe Motion House are performing their critically acclaimed show Broken on the piazza outside the Lowry Theatre. The show’s been specially adapted for outdoor performance, and requires no booking to enjoy – you just need to turn up. Our full preview has more details on what to expect.
Sat 16 Jul, The Piazza, MediaCityUK, Salford, M50 3AZ. 9.30pm, www.quaysculture.com

Ordsall Hall Garden Party
Ordsall Hall in Salford hosts its annual garden party this weekend, with a packed programme of family-friendly events. Performances, face painting, raffles, a bouncy castle, fairground rides and birds of prey demonstrations make up this packed day of fun. For the older crowd, there’s also the opportunity to explore the Tudor manor itself, one of the area’s true hidden gems, and partake in holistic treatments at the City Spirit Marquee.
Sun 17 Jul, Ordsall Hall, 322 Ordsall Lane, Salford, M5 3AN. Tel: 0161 872 0251, 12pm – 4pm, www.facebook.com