Free cinema screenings are a rare occurrence outside the summer months, so don’t miss this drama about Tourette syndrome, at cinemas including Genesis in Whitechapel, the Chiswick Cinema & the BFI.

It’s the first full week of the Royal Watercolour Society’s autumn exhibit, hosted by Bankside Gallery. Browse stunning works related to the theme ‘The Shapes of Water’ (no, not that 2017 fish-man film).

Taiwanese artist Val Lee’s work explores ideas of isolation, intimacy & hope. See her exhibit in the Hayward Gallery’s HENI Project Space, which showcases emerging international artists for free.

Everyone has a novel in them, but not everyone maps out their idea using cardboard boxes. You can do just that at this artist-led experimental visual storytelling workshop at SET Lewisham.

If you’re anything like me & don’t quite know what quantum physics is, this exhibit at the Science Gallery might help. Through two immersive installations, Quantum Untangled will explore how tiny ripples in space & time can change our world.

Are you feeling green-fingered? Join the Islington Gardeners for their autumn bonanza, ‘Right Plant / Right Place’, at St Mary’s Church on Upper Street. Everyone who attends will get a free bag of bulbs suitable for a window box.

Did you know that half of all the world’s languages are at risk of extinction in the next 75 years? Voiced: The Festival for Endangered Languages at the Barbican is shining a spotlight on this through talks, performances & workshops held by speakers of languages like Welsh, Canadian Inuktituk & Tamajaght.

One lucky Cheapskate reader will win a pair of festival tickets (worth £40 each). These tickets are valid for all three days of live performances, from Thurs Oct 16th-Sat 18th.

To be in with a chance of winning, get someone you know to subscribe to Cheapskate by sending them this link (it contains your personalised referral code): {{rp_refer_url}}. Once they’ve signed up, you’ll be entered into the draw.

For those who don’t win, free exhibits & The Endangered Voices Listening Trail are running until the end of the month.

The charity ActionAid UK is hosting a pop-up photography exhibit at the OXO Gallery. It will feature photos taken by women of women around the world who are resisting threats to their land, communities & futures.

Halloween has come early with this exhibit of Nordic noir at the British Museum. Explore how artists such as Edvard Munch & Olafur Eliasson have been inspired by the uniquely haunting landscapes around them.

There’s a rare opportunity to go to the ballet for free this Fri, at the Royal Opera House. The recital is part of City Lit’s varied Mental Wealth Festival, which features several great sounding free (& paid-for) events.

For the first time, British painter Peter Doig is integrating music into his work, transforming the Serpentine South gallery into a listening space. Catch this much-hyped new exhibit until Feb; booking recommended.

This powerful Black History Month dance performance is inspired by 19th-century studio portraits of black families living in London. There’ll be two performances on Sat afternoon in Hounslow’s Bell Square.

Celebrate sustainable fashion with this second hand catwalk show at St Margaret’s House. Afterwards, there’ll be a pop-up sale run by the charity boutique next door, Ayoka. Booking essential.

Given the current price of theatre tickets, it’s always great to find Pay What You Can shows. The New Diorama Theatre is offering just that with its new ecofeminist dance performance, Uprooted.

Spend a pleasant autumn day this weekend wandering Wandsworth, during the borough’s Artists Open House. We especially like the look of these bold, humorous takes on femininity by Isabelle Hayman.

It’s almost time for the Hindu & Sikh festival of light, so head to Trafalgar Square for Diwali on the Square. The festivities begin with a colourful dance show, followed by music & sari workshops, & vegan street food.

Shoreditch’s Arnold Circus will play host to an autumnal plant fair, where you can get a break from nearby Columbia Road crowds & get your hands on seeds from some of the UK’s leading nurseries.