Interesting and unusual things to do for a fiver or less this week. For more ideas have a look at our Free London map.
Sensory rooms design exhibition – part of Inside Out Festival
All Week
BLACK HISTORY: October is Black History Month, featuring a packed programme of events and activities celebrating the contribution of African and Caribbean people to the richness of British life, as well as championing and promoting knowledge of the history and cultures of black and ethnic minorities. Many of the events are under £5, check website for full schedule or follow our suggestions.
ART EXHIBITIONS: Feeling arty this month? There’s plenty to choose from in London. Take a look at our October art listing: this month includes Damien Hirst, Sebastiao Salgado and Sigmar Polke. Most of the exhibitions listed are free.
FREE FILM FESTIVAL: London Fields Film Free Festival is on right now. Totally run by volunteers and completely free, this film festival brings a variety of screenings to different locations around the area. Check website for full schedule. Free, until 26 October
KING’S COLLEGE: This year’s Arts and Humanity Festival at King’s College focuses on underground London. Check out our suggestions and choose your favourite event, it will be deeper than you expect. Most of the events are free and booking is suggested for most of them. Until 24 October
INSIDE OUT FESTIVAL: This week, Inside Out Festival celebrates the contribution of London universities to the capital’s cultural life. There are more than 50 events to choose from, which include talks, masterclasses, guided walks and exhibitions — most of them are free. See website for full programme. Until 26 October
Monday 20 October
SKATING COMPETITION: Head to the Lee Valley Centre in Leyton and watch a synchronised skating competition taking place throughout the day. Free, just turn up, 9am-5pm
BRITISH LIBRARY: Connected to its current exhibition Terror and Wonder, the British Library shares untold stories of people’s lives found in its archives. Writer Jamie Rhodes hosts an evening of Gothic horror-themed readings from his collection of short tales inspired by the people found in the library collections. £5/£3, prebook, 6pm
FREE LECTURE: Professor Peter Kopelman talks about Type 1 Diabetes at St George’s University of London. Get an insight into new treatment developments for diabetes and some tips for an healthier life. Free, prebook by email, 6.30pm
MUSIC TALK: Putney Leisure Centre hosts a music talk organised by Putney Music: broadcaster Sue MacGregor interviews her friends and colleagues, the pianist Imogen Cooper and conductor Jane Glover. £5, just turn up, 8pm
COMEDY: The Loft Tickler Free Comedy Night takes place at The Loft in Clapham. Tonight’s acts are Alfie Brown, Mark Cram, Alexis Wieroniey, James Shakeshaft and Tom Holmes. Free, just turn up, 8pm
Tuesday 21 October
OLD SPITAFIELDS: London Jewish Cultural Centre launches today a photographic exhibition dedicated to Spitafields, displaying historical shots by C.A. Mathew. He captured the daily life around Spitalfields Market back in 1912. Free, prebook, until 18 December
FOOD ASSEMBLY: Join the launch party of Stoke Newington Food Assembly at The Prince pub. This initiative aims to create a place for the community to buy local food products directly from farmers and food producers. During the launch party you can sample local food and drink; there will be music as well. Free, prebook, 6pm
THEATRE PLATFORM: Theatre director Richard Eyre is at the National Gallery talking about his new book, What Do I Know?, in which he puts together his life’s work and personal experiences. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm
CYCLING CINEMA: Take part in a Green City Cycle Cinema event, where you can hop on the bicycle to power the cinema’s screen and sound. The event takes place at City University London’s Great Hall. On screen it’ll be Wayne’s World. Free, prebook, 6.30pm
HERITAGE TALK: John Harvard Library in Borough hosts a talk focusing on the Cuming Museum collections. Heritage Manager Judy Aitken and conservators from Plowden and Smith talk about the collection and its contribution to the history of the borough. Free, just turn up, 6.30pm
Join an art talk today at ICA. Details below
Wednesday 22 October
LUNCH BREAK: Grant Museum of Zoology hosts its periodical event Show’n'Tell, where PhD student Antonia Ford introduces and talks about one of the objects from the museum’s collection. Free, just turn up, 1pm
ART TALK: Join the Institute of Contemporary Arts Student Forum in a series of free reading groups that respond to the ICA’s programme of exhibitions and events. Today’s event focuses on Etan Ilfeld’s Contemporary Art and Cybernetics book and takes place at the ICA. £1, prebook, 6.30pm
SYRIA AT CROSSROADS: Rooted in a turbulent history and struggling with a troubled present, Syria stands at the crossroads. In this evening’s talk at Waterstones Piccadilly, John McHugo, author of Syria: From the Great War to Civil War and Diana Darke, author of My House in Damascus: An Inside View of the Syrian Revolution, combine forces to offer an insight into Syria past, present and future. Free, prebook, 7pm
CHEAP GIG: Veta Records’s live events kicks off its autumn season at Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston with live music from Hawk, The Old Silent and Lewis McTie. £3, prebook, 7.30pm
STANZA BONANZA: The Woking poetry team take on Barnes at the Poetry Cafe tonight. From Barnes: Dennis Tomlinson, Lara Charles, Dino Mahoney, Cathra Kelliher, Michael Weightman and Nayna Kumari. Woking names to follow. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm
Thursday 23 October
SHORT FILM FESTIVAL: The Imperial War Museum launches a Short Films Festival today. See films inspired by the museum’s collection, exploring the Second World War contrasting with a focus on Vietnam, Syria and Afghanistan and Ukraine. All film screenings are free, browse website for full programme. Until 10 November
LUNCH BREAK: The Royal College of Nursing hosts a free talk about Superbugs and Society, which focuses on common autumn diseases and public health. The event is free and you can prebook your place by emailing eventsreg@rcn.org.uk. Free, prebook, 1.30pm
LIBRARY LATE: Greenwich’s National Maritime Museum hosts an evening talk about the quadrant, a wooden device used by astronomers, surveyors, navigators and timekeepers in the centuries before the quest for longitude. The talk is held by Royal Observatory Curator Louise Devoy. £5/£4, prebook, 6.15pm
FREE GIG: Morley Chamber Orchestra performs a free gig today at the Emma Cons Hall in Westminster. They will perform works by Cecil Coles, Brahms and Maxwell Davies. Free, just turn up, 7.45pm
Friday 24 October
LUNCH BREAK: Head to Bishopsgate Institute for a free lunchtime concert by the Royal College of Music’s String Band. The band performs works by Strauss, Berio and Elgar. Free, just turn up, 1.05pm
MUSIC AND WORDS: Daniel Evans and Sian Thomas read a selection of writing by the late poet Dylan Thomas and his wife Caitlin, to mark his centenary. They will be accompanied by new music from wind and string quintet The Kane Players. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm
UNIVERSITY TALK: For Black History Month, Birkbeck University in Stratford hosts a talk about the Black Experience in World War One. Free, prebook, 6.30pm
Saturday 25 October
FLYING STORIES: The RAF Museum in Colindale hosts special storytelling sessions about Alan Cobham‘s amazing life and adventures in flight, aimed at 4-11 year olds and their families. Free, just turn up, 11.15am and 3.25pm, until 28 October
Sunday 26 October
APPLE DAY: Borough Market’s annual Apple Day family festival takes place in the Green Market. To mark Borough Market’s millennium year, 1,000 varieties of apples will be displayed, including the oldest known variety — Court Pendu Plat. Try your hand at traditional games and entertainment including our famous apple peeling competition, apple bobbing and Morris dancing, plus there’s music and storytelling. Free, just turn up, 12pm-4pm