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The capital’s best free events from Nov 18-24th
Dear {{ first name | Cheapskater }},
Apologies to those of you who can’t stand hearing the C-word before December hits, but we have a very quick question for you! Georgia and I are planning when our last Cheapskate email of the year will be, and we’re wondering how many of you will be hanging around the city as the month goes on.
As born-and-bred Londoners, neither of us are going anywhere… but we expect that many of you will be heading home (or possibly abroad?). So that we can plan ahead, it would be great if you could fill in this very brief poll:
Will you be in London over the festive period?
This week is a BUMPER one for free events. My highlights include the Auntie Freeze art show, a new exhibit about creativity in UK prisons and a very random parsnip day giveaway. Do let us know if you end up going to anything - just hit reply to this email or you can contact us directly here.
Hope you have a cosy week!
Kate x
PS. Congrats to our reader Mila, who won a pair of tickets to see Mystical Ecstasy, a show at The Playground Theatre (as featured in last week’s newsletter). Scroll down for another free-to-enter and very festive competition…
MONDAY
EXHIBIT 📚 Lambeth North, until Thurs
‘Women & their books’
There are just a few days left to check out Early modern women & their books, an exhibit at Lambeth Palace Library highlighting material owned, written, commissioned & translated by women from the late 15th century.
COMEDY 😂 Angel, 7.30-9.30pm
Laughter’s free
Start your week off with a laugh at Angel Comedy Raw (hosted by the Camden Head). See new acts try their best to become the stars of tomorrow & established comedians test out new material. Get there early to grab a seat.
TUESDAY
EXHIBIT 🏡 Hoxton, Tues until 12 Jan
The winter world
Discover the homes & traditions of winters past, present & future at the Museum of the Home, which has transformed its ‘rooms through time’ to show how seasonal celebrations have evolved throughout history.
TALK 🗣️ Holborn, from 6pm
Making work work better
From ending salary-history questions during recruitment to thinking creatively about benefits, how can we make workplaces work better for women? This LSE talk has an all-star panel (including Jane Garvey).
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WEDNESDAY
ART 🖼️ Pimlico, until Sun
Inclusive art show
Check out Cave Pimlico’s Auntie Freeze, an “inclusive & non-exclusive” art show which is returning for its 8th edition. The show features 37 artists & celebrates the uniqueness of creators of all levels, backgrounds & practices.
EXHIBIT ⚽️ Bond Street, Weds-Tues
Step into football history
Weds is the launch of a new Sotheby’s exhibit which will allow footie fans to stand among the lockers of football legends David Beckham & Cristiano Ronaldo in the hallowed Real Madrid changing room. Learn more.
Competition time! 👸
We’re giving away a pair of tickets to see Sleeping Beauty at the beautifully restored Broadway Theatre in Catford! The winner can pick a date of their choosing (subject to availability) from Dec 3-7.
This panto features an all-star cast & creative team, & has been described as a “wonderfully topical & modern twist on a classic fairytale”. Plus, more than 50% of the cast have a connection to the area, so community is front & centre of this exciting production.
To enter the draw, simply refer a friend 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, & then we’ll pick the winner’s name at random. Good luck! 🤞
THURSDAY
EXHIBIT 🖼️ Hoxton, until Dec 13
Creativity in UK prisons
Making Time - Every Prison a Creative Hub, an exhibit showcasing work from a series of creative sessions with prisoners at HMP Wandsworth & several other UK prisons, opens at Hoxtonian Gallery this Thurs.
PHOTOGRAPHY 📸 Vauxhall, 6-9pm
Exhibit launch night
Head to The Handbag Factory for the launch of 70:15:40, a creative project addressing the under-representation of women, trans & non-binary people working in photography & videography in the UK.
FRIDAY
WORKSHOP/CELEBRATION 🎶 Waterloo, 3-5pm
Move to the music
Kick off your weekend at the Royal Festival Hall’s Clore Ballroom, with a dance workshop specialising in joyous movement. This week only, there’ll also be live steel pans!
Kiduku Rhythms founder Silyvesta will take participants through a warm-up before teaching the moves of a simple routine. The session is part of the Southbank Centre’s inclusive Mix & Move dance workshop series.
FESTIVAL 📝 Whitechapel, Fri-Sun
Writeidea Festival
East London’s free writing festival is taking place at the Tower Hamlets Town Hall this Fri-Sun. There are a tonne of free events happening, from writing sessions to talks. Check out the full programme here.
MUSIC 🎹 Deptford, 7.30-8.30pm
Classical concert
Start your weekend off on a high note with a free classical piano concert at The Longshore Room at Pepys Community Hub. Expect “beautiful melodies & breathtaking performances. All ages are welcome.
WEEKEND
MUSIC 🎶 Moorgate, Sat from 8pm
A Jazzy Saturday
Guildhall Jazz Festival has teamed up with the EFG London Jazz Festival to host a “groundbreaking” tribute to Sun Ra & Afrofuturism, which debuted at Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here festival this summer.
FAIR 🎄 Dulwich, Sun 10am-3.30pm
Christmas fair
It’s the return of the volunteer-run Dulwich College Christmas Fair this Sun, where 120+ stalls will be selling diverse products in the iconic Barry Buildings, courtyards & cloisters. Around 2k visitors are expected!
And for dessert...
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🥕 Bit of a random one, but this Weds is Parsnip Day (?) & to celebrate, Market Place Vauxhall is giving away free James Gin Asian Parsnip & Tonics. All you need to do is bring a parsnip to the venue on Weds & trade it in at the bar. All collected parsnips will be donated to a local food bank.
⛲️ Every now & again, Hampton Court Gardens (which features 60 acres of formal gardens & 750 acres of historic parkland) opens its doors to the public for free. That’s the case this coming weekend.
🧑🎄 Fancy attending any free carol services at St. Paul’s this Chrimbo? The cathedral now has a free online ticket ballot to distribute tickets more fairly. Anyone can enter & if you’re successful, you will be given the opportunity to claim two tickets. The ballot closes at 9am this Weds - find out more here.
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🍗 Drake-backed US hot chicken chain Dave’s Hot Chicken is giving away free chicken sliders ahead of its launch from 5pm this Weds. The team will be based in a Shoreditch car park (opposite 5A Club Row, London E1 6JX - behind Rich Mix cinema). Get there early!
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