Ten fantastic ways to make the most of Manchester this week

With a packed live music week ahead, from big names at big venues to local bands in local pubs, there's still space to fit in a good laugh at The Lowry, stories for kids, getting creative in Withington and the democratisation of education. Now that's a varied week by the standards of any city! People of Manchester, here's your week ahead.

The Leisure Society, The Deaf Institute, Mon Apr 20, £15
Back in the old days when computers first started doing the jobs of people, the future was going to be one of less work and we would become a society of leisure. Instead of that utopia we have this month's release of The Leisure Society fourth album, 'The Fine Art of Hanging On', seeing the UK folksters taking to the tour circuit, stopping off at Deaf Institute where the space should suit their ethereal sounds and jangly guitars beautifully. A great start to your week, even if it isn't a two-day working one...

Ruby Turner, The Lowry, Wed Apr 22, £20
Here's a chance to see a great, great singer in a small setting, as the Quays Theatre, holding less than 500 people but with great acoustics, provides the perfect setting for a woman who has sung with some of the best known performers in music. Here she gets the chance to shine all on her own.

Tim Vine, The Lowry, Thu Apri 23 - Fri Apr 24, £24
The title of the show, 'Tim Timinee Tim Timinee Tim Tim To You', suggests the form that Vine's show will take - a mix of clever one liners with a witty play on words and quick fire jokes. In 2014 he won big in Edinburgh with the best joke of the Festival, getting 20% of the audience vote with "I've decided to sell my Hoover … well, it was just collecting dust." If that tickles your funny bone, there are two nights at The Lowry waiting for you to get more of it.

Hallé Tea Dances, Hallé St. Peter’s, Fri Apr 24, £7.50
When it comes to glamour is there anything more-so than ballroom dancing? Manchesterdance have teamed up with The Hallé for a series of tea dances inside their beautiful rehearsal space, the former church at St Peter's (it's where Kenneth Branagh did his 'Macbeth' at Manchester International Festival in 2013), where the emphasis will be on, well, tea and dancing! Darren Hulme leads the hot footing and, if you go in wanting to dance with somebody, then you'll learn from the best.

Live music at Eagle Inn, Salford
In amongst the big names on the music circuit this week are two local bands playing at Salford's Eagle Inn. Catch The Watchmakers on Fri Apr 24 and Shield Patterns on Sat Apr 25.

Marc Almond, Bridgewater Hall, Sat Apr 25, £21.50-£39.50
With songs old and new, including from the current album, 'The Velvet Trail', one of the UK's most electric live performers gets a the full on benefit of a proper concert hall to fill with that magnificent voice.

Ren Harvieu, The Deaf Institute, Sat Apr 25, £17.50
Impossible here to write about her without the words 'Salford's own', Salford's own Ren Harvieu has been compared to the likes of Dusty Springfield and Ella Fitzgerald. Such comparisons are lofty indeed, but her voice warrants them. Her tragic back story and triumph over adversity are worthy of a slot on The X Factor but she didn't need it to win any prizes or get ahead - she's way better than that.

Print Fair, Fuel, Sat Apr 25, free
Head to the top floor of the Withington bar for a day of creative print making with some of the city's finest designers, photographers, illustrators and print makers. Plus there will be prints, T-shirts and more available.

Free Education MCR, Manchester Academy, Sat Apr 25, free
This group of people and organisations holding the common belief that free education should be a right and is key to a better society are coming together for a day of debate, workshops and creativity. You don't need a degree to see that that makes sense!

Storytelling with Sarah Jane Lee, Royal Exchange, Sun Apr 26, £3
For children aged 5 to 8 and their families, these afternoon story sessions take classic works like 'The Tempest' and create more child friendly versions of parts of the stories. It's interactive too so there's music, participation and lot of fun.