Shamazon Time

Shamazon Time takes over The Rising Sun Arts Centre on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November, billed as 'The Buy Nothing Festival'. It's a weekend designed as a safe space away from the Black Friday rush and high-street consumerism, where the idea is to buy nothing and spend only time. The Rising Sun is running it in partnership with AdFree Cities, and entry is free thanks to funding from them.

The programme is deliberately quiet. Friday evening, from 5pm to 10pm, brings interactive arts activities downstairs and a cabaret upstairs, with folk music and a campfire singsong to close the night. Saturday, from 11am to 10:30pm, fills the Main Hall downstairs, and there are no market stalls or advertising allowed. The whole weekend forms part of the venue's ongoing 'Billboards' project.

For context, The Rising Sun Arts Centre is an essential charity and community hub serving many service users, and this event sits within that work. It's a two-day affair rather than a single night, so you can drop in for a few hours or stay for the whole thing.

Entry is completely free, but you'll need to book in advance through WeGotTickets because capacity is limited. Friday runs 5pm to 10pm; Saturday 11am to 10:30pm. The Rising Sun is at 30 Silver Street, Reading, RG1 2ST.