Free things to do this weekend ft. Festa Italiana, Welcoming Party + more

Art of Recovery at Lowry Hotel
Bravo 22: The Art of Recovery is a new exhibition in the foyer of Salford’s Lowry Hotel, located on the banks of the Irwell. It’s a collection of sculptures created by 12 injured veterans, who are being rehabilitated through the Royal British Legion’s Bravo 22 arts programme. Though none of the participants have any formal arts training, they’ve created moving and deeply personal life-size sculptures, reflecting their life, their service and the hardships they’ve endured. This exhibition only runs for a couple of weeks, so get in while you can.
Thu 22 Jun – Tue 11 Jul, The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf, Manchester, M3 5LH. www.skiddle.com

Festa Italiana at Cathedral Gardens
For this weekend only, the Cathedral Gardens is transformed into a piazza for the Festa Italiana, a free festival of Italian food and culture. Several of the city’s restaurants, including the Corn Exchange’s Salvi’s and Didsbury’s Proove Pizza will be represented at the street market, alongside other producers offering everything from focaccia to Aperol Sprtiz sorbet. Over the weekend, you’ll also be able to catch live cookery demonstrations and traditional Italian music – with the musicians providing a neapolitan twist on some Manchester classics. And if that isn’t enough Italy for you, you can also head over to Oast House in Spinningfields, which has been transformed into an ‘immersive Italian experience’ for the duration of the weekend.
Fri 23 Jun – Sun 25 Jun, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG. 11am – 11pm, www.facebook.com

Welcoming Party HQ Fun Day at Z-arts
One of the highlights of the forthcoming Manchester International Festival is family theatre experience The Welcoming Party at MoSI. You can get an early look at this unique show, which blends puppetry, live music and dance, by dropping by this family fun day at Hulme’s Z-arts. The fun day includes activities such as banner-making and T-shirt screen printing: Everything little ones need to get creative.
Sat 24 Jun, Z-Arts, 335 Stretford Road, Manchester, M15 5ZA. 11am – 3pm, www.z-arts.org

The Dead, Live Preview at Klondyke Club (pictured)
The Dead, Live is a new play from writer Daniel Thackeray and director Alex Shepley, which is touring Greater Manchester over the next few weeks, with performances at The King’s Arms and Tribeca on Sackville Street, but you can catch a free early performance this Sunday at Levenshulme’s Klondyke Club. The play tells the story of a charlatan medium who’s suddenly gifted with genuine psychic powers, and whilst this preview is a work-in-progress ahead of the play’s official launch during the Greater Manchester Fringe, it’s already looking very promising.
Sun 25 Jun, The Klondyke Club, 1 Burnage Lane, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 2HQ. 7.30pm – 9.30pm, www.eventbrite.com