Plenty of fun to feast on for free this week with highlights including the incredible array of weird science events, screenings & adventures at the Art & Science festival (see our full preview here) as well as live music, art & food. As ever it’s veritable cultural a free-for-all, so dive right in.

Layla Tutt & Ryan Skidmore live at Yorks
Inventive singer songwriter and one third of The Phlox of Pink brings her ethereal melodies to the consistently excellent Monday night music showcase at the Yorks Bakery Cafe. Also performing is Ryan Skidmore who you may recognise from busking legends The Fidgets.
Mon 13 Mar 7pm at Yorks Bakery Cafe, 29 Stephenson Street, Birmingham B2 4BT www.facebook.com

Jean Painlevé Exhibition Opening & Talk at Ikon
The first solo UK exhibition of revered French filmmaker and surrealist darling Jean Painlevé. Specialising in underwater photography Painlevé directed over 200 science and nature films. Some of his imagery is instantly recognisable especially seminal film The Seahorse. Dr Kate Ince from Birmingham University is delivering a talk on the French filmmaker on Thurs as part of the Art & Science Festival (see above).
Wed 15 Mar 6pm at Ikon Gallery & talk Thu 6 Mar 6pm, IKON 1 Oozells Square Brindleyplace B1 2HS ikon-gallery.org

Tremble musical experiment at Centrala
Wildly creative experimental musical meanderings between Guy Dubious and Stuart Mugridge. Dubious specialises in the ‘queering’ of recording and Mugridge works with the malleability of language. Artist Jakub Ceglarz will then produce a response to this. We suggest you withhold any expectations…
Wed 15 Mar 6pm at Centrala, Unit 4, Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street,  Birmingham B5 5RT centrala-space.org.uk

The Big Bang Young Scientists Fair at the NEC
More weird science, but this time for the future of mad professors and experimental scientists as the kids get stuck in to everything that goes whizz, pop, bang with a hefty dose of gross for good measure. Virtual reality, medicine, marine biology, film and TV, space exploration, explosive chemistry, crime-solving, robots, computer coding, microscopic bugs, giant trucks and more. Register below for free entry.
Wed 15 Mar – Sat 18 Mar at Birmingham NEC, www.thebigbangfair.co.uk

Muzikstan March ft. Bonfire Radicals live
This month’s Muzikstan musical showcase is curated by local hero Katie Stevens with the theme being ‘new stuff’. Expect to hear fresh material from The Bonfire Radicals and their unique brand of folk jiggery pokery, the delightfully nostalgic swingers Kiriki Club and new boys The Strangest Feeling.
Thu 16 Mar 7pm at Ort Cafe 506 Moseley Road,  Birmingham B12 9AH www.facebook.com/

Fantasy and Fancies, classical guitar & coffee
Birmingham Conservatoire’s guitar department descends on 6/8 to mark the launch of two books edited by classically trained musician Myles Payne, one is a transcription of Jacobean and Elizabethan fantasies, the other features musical arrangements for them. Coffee, cake and classical music.
Thu 16 Mar 7.30pm at Six Eight Cafe, 6/8 Temple Row Birmingham B2 5HG www.facebook.com

Moor Culture live at Dark Horse
Birmingham’s Young Culture Sound return to the Dark Horse for another evening of wall shaking dub rhythms into the early hours. They will be joined by Bristol’s Evermoor Sound with MC Aisha Mae and DJ Shogun. Set vibe levels to chilled.
Fri 17 Mar 9pm at Dark Horse, 145 Alcester Road Moseley B13 8JP www.darkhorsemoseley.co.uk

Polish Cinema & food, The Cruise (dir: Marek Piwowski, 1970, cert n/a)
The Polish Expats Association is promising a series of screenings from the huge wealth of classic Polish cinema. That’s good news for Birmingham cinephiles. First up is The Cruise, an absurdist romp down the Vistula River shot in a documentary style and using non professional actors, it is an hilarious critique of the Communist Party as stowaway Stanisław Tym inveigles himself into dictator of the boat. Polish food will also be available. Bring on the sausage.
Fri 17 Mar 6.30pm at Erdington Welcome Centre, 109 High Street, Birmingham B23 6SA www.facebook.com

The Real Junk Food Project Takeover Ort with Julianne Bastock
TRJFP is an imaginative solution to food shortages and a very worthy cause, read more about it in our feature here. On Saturday afternoon they invade the cultural hotspot of the Ort Cafe for a musical dining takeover with the talented singer songwriter Julianne Bastock performing. Get fed, save the planet and relax.
Sat 18 Mar 12pm at Ort Cafe 506 Moseley Road,  Birmingham B12 9AH www.facebook.com