Free things to do in London this weekend

Hang out after-hours and discover art, film, music talks and workshops at this regular late-night arty party at Tate Modern. This month sees a celebration of women in the arts with panel talks, vagina embroidery, and feminist zine making. 

London's clubbing scene has been hit hard in recent years what with stricter licensing and increased rents, but what of the LGBTQ dancefloors? Often seen as a utopian space to express identities and desires, this panel will discuss whether they are being defended properly and what can be done to reinvent the scene.

Pick your way through more than 50 vintage stalls at the Big London Flea, held at the newly refurbished EartH. Market traders will set up shop alongside locals clearing out their attic to sell pre-loved clothes, kitchenware, oddities and accessories. You might find a designer dress, a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture or just a stack of old Bunty comics. It all depends on how sharp your eyes are.

This offshoot of the City of London’s Culture Mile returns in 2019 injecting creativity into the Square Mile. This year the festival will be exploring what it means to be British through the work of artists who’ve created performances, shows and interactive elements for the one-day event. Highlights include brand new work from contemporary dance group Boy Blue and Ivor Novello award winner, Nitin Sawhney accompanied by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

Hosted in The View in Epping Forest, this interactive exhibition combines bird-inspired artwork by local artists with eggs and taxidermy from the museum's collection. Visitors are also able to make their own feathered friends-inspired piece, which is then added to the display. Sufferers of ornithophobia should probably stay away.

Deptford is hosting its third annual community festival, with this year's events focusing on the life of civil rights activist Kath Duncan. As well as talks and history-based walks, there will also be a short run of a new play called Liberty, which tells the story of Duncan's life.

Today, one in nine people around the world still don’t have water close to home. While one in three has no toilet. WaterAid is raising awareness of this crisis with their photo-exhibition ‘The Water Effect’, a display of portraits focusing on people whose lives are directly impacted by the global water crisis. See Joey Lawrence's photos focusing on the people of Tombohuaun, a remote community in Sierra Leone who had no water and Guilhem Alandry's celebrating a troupe of travelling performers in Segou, Mali who promote good hygiene. 

Hackney's Kingsland Market is back. Originally opened in 1880 as a ‘waste’ market for people to trade their unwanted goods, it was once the place to go for spare parts, second hand goods and odds and ends, but in 2015 trading had dwindled down to just one stall. The new market will be open weekly on Saturdays between 9am-5pm. In keeping with 138 years of tradition, there'll be stalls selling second hand bargains, vintage goods and collectables, antiques, and will also have the occaisional ‘waste’ trader. Long live Kingsland Market. 

A weekly vintage and makers market with heaps of antiques, clothing, homeware, books, bikes and cameras to search through.