Free things to do in Manchester this week FT Trackie McLeod, Manchester Poetry Library & more

Playfully exploring nostalgia, class, identity, gentrification and the changing landscapes of Glasgow and Manchester, this brand-new installation raises a glass to the places that shaped us.

Created by artist Trackie McLeod with Factory International’s Young Curators, UTOPIA revives the warmth of the working men’s clubs McLeod grew up in in Glasgow – by building a working pub inside Factory International’s Warehouse space.

Returning once again to help Ramona celebrate its birthday, the venue welcomes Galgish back to Manchester.

The Paris-born and bass-driven DJ will be headlining Part 3 of this year’s birthday celebrations, treating attendees to an extended three-hour set. Expect UK-inspired productions across a range of genres, fusing breaks, jazzy chords, and deep low-end rhythms into something uniquely his own.

Start your weekend with a Manchester Poetry Library workshop combining visual art and writing based on the theme of spoken language and dialect.

Led by writer and photographer Lydia Hounat, attendees can look forward to creating a brand new work of art using fragments of tiles, ceramics and mirrors. Your own writing will be central to this new ceramic self-portrait which you will take with you at the end of the workshop.

Take some time out of your Saturday for a bass-fuelled blend of yoga, somatic movement and sound system soul at CUPRA, led by Eirian Collenge, this weekend.

The annual Illuminate Light Night festival is set to return to Oldham Town Centre this weekend, promising attendees a free evening of spectacular light installations, performances and community celebration.

Illuminate Light Night invites visitors to explore a trail of glowing artworks, exhibitions and live performances created by local, national and international light artists across multiple town centre venues.