Watch..…Kuma. .the story of Ayse, a young Turkish woman, who leaves her village to join her husband and his family in his adopted country of Austria. But, as we watch Ayse arrive in Vienna, the story becomes more complicated and no-one, including her, is what they seem to be. The director, Umut Dag, is a Kurd born in Vienna, and in the film he explores many issues that affect women and men in the Turkish community in Europe. It is not just about the role of women and marriage but also the strains of trying to maintain one’s identity and family links, whilst seeking freedom. See it at Cornerhouse

Learn about,,, the Tolpuddle Martyrs in this new play WE WILL BE FREE. Set in 1834 the drama follows the extraordinary true story of George and Betsy Loveless. He was a Methodist preacher and the leader of the six Dorsetshire farm labourers who were tried, convicted and condemned to harsh transportation by an oppressive Government for having the temerity to swear a secret oath and form a union to fight against a succession of wage cuts inflicted by the local landowner. Sadly it is only being performed in two places in the northwest; Marsden and Bury. Further details see

Celebrate……the life and ideas of Wigan born and bred Gerrard Winstanley & the 17th Century “Diggers' (True Leveller) Movement at the Wigan Diggers Festival….Over the weekend of 7 September that marks 337 years since his death, the event promises a celebration: via the medium of poetry, music and song, film and a range of other activities, of the life and ideas of Wigan born and bred Gerrard Winstanley (1609-1676) and the 17th Century ‘Diggers’ movement he became the inspirational theorist and spokesperson of. The great thing about this event is the lack of the official trade union movement, no Francis O’Grady nor Billy Bragg, just many ordinary folk who are involved with a real mixture of campaigns, including the Keep Our NHS Public. Further details see

Challenge… your prejudices about body hair…I WISH I HAD A MOUSTACHE A solo poetic journey into the history of the female beauty regime. Written by Keisha Thompson, a poet, actress, feminist and musician.The show explores beauty, gender anxieties and the taboo of body hair. She says: I think considering the significant level of PCOS sufferers in UK, it is about time we challenge the taboo labels attached to some of the symptoms, such as female body hair. There are many vehicles for political change but the most engaging one for me is political theatre. Tuesday 10 Sept to Thursday 12 Sep 2013, 7.30pm, £6/3 Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6JA 0161 274 0600

Read… The Big Music by Kirsty Gunn. A novel set in the highlands of Scotland about family, music and identity. John Sutherland is dying and he wants to create a musical composition that will tell the story of his life. From the book we learn about the history of the clearances that drove many people off their land, the role of pipe music in their communities and the history of two generations of one family. Watch this clip where actor Brian Cox reads from the book and we catch a glimpse of the land that inspires the music and the story see