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CONTENTS 10
GAFFERS
Phil Turner (MD) phil@exposedmagazine.co.uk Nick Hallam (Sales Director) nick@exposedmagazine.co.uk
FINANCE
Lis Ellis (Accounts) accounts@exposedmagazine.co.uk 10. READ ALL ABOUT IT
As Off the Shelf turns 35, we look back with outgoing festival figurehead Vanessa Toulmin on almost a decade at the helm, while Sheffield Poet Laureate Beth Davies prepares to pass on the pen. Plus, the big names and local voices filling this year’s programme.
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24. IN GOOD SPIRITS
What happens when you mix a love of experimentation, 100 botanicals and the occasional splash of Henderson’s Relish? We head inside Locksley Distilling at Portland Works to meet the team behind the stills.
80. LIFE THROUGH A LENS
From sweat-soaked dancefloors to the frozen wastelands of Chernobyl, a new exhibition at Memory Dance turns the lens on the late Shaun Bloodworth – revealing the remarkable range of a photographer who captured far more than club culture.
Joe Food (Editor) joe@exposedmagazine.co.uk Ash Birch (Online Editor) ash@exposedmagazine.co.uk Lizzy Capps (Content Creator) lizzy@exposedmagazine.co.uk Marc Barker (Design Dogsbody)
GI’ US A HAND PLZ
Ruby Deakin, Heather Paterson, Isabel Butler
46. SEND IN THE BOYS
Twenty years on from Well Well Well, Milburn return to where it all began. Joe Carnall and Joe Green join us for a special Red Light Session to talk old tour chaos, revisiting the songs that made them and why this latest run of anniversary shows could be their last.
GRAFTERS
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THE BUSINESS STUFF
Exposed is published monthly by Blind Mice Media Ltd Unit 1b, 2 Kelham square Kelham Riverside Sheffield S3 8SD The views contained herein are not necessarily those of Blind Mice Media Ltd and while every effort is made to ensure information throughout Exposed is correct, changes prior to distribution may take place which can affect the accuracy of copy, therefore Blind Mice Media Ltd cannot take responsibility for contributors’ views or specific entertainment listings.
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O2 ACADEMY TO REOPEN One of Sheffield’s bestknown music venues is getting ready to turn the amps back on, with O2 Academy Sheffield set to reopen in February 2027 following a three-year hiatus.
Plans to turn the former Ski Village site into a major outdoor adventure destination were unveiled last month, with members of the public invited to have their say on the famously fire-prone area. New Zealand adventure tourism company Skyline Enterprises is behind the proposals, with a planning application for the wider masterplan expected later this year. First up would be Skyline Luge, a gravity-powered downhill karting track, served by a scenic chairlift offering views across Sheffield. The opening phase would also feature an indoor educational attraction, café and terrace overlooking the city centre, a free outdoor plaza, family playground and car park. And there could be plenty more to come. Later phases of the project could see a zipline and surf wave added to Parkwood Springs, while longer-term plans include bringing back dry ski slopes – a nod to the site’s former life as one of Sheffield’s bestknown leisure spots. The area’s existing walking and mountain bike trails wouldn’t disappear under the proposals, with plans to retain or relocate them where necessary.
The Arundel Gate venue has undergone a major refurb ahead of its return, including roof repairs, a new sound system and a fresh look inside. Its first currently announced show will see Oasis tribute act Definitely Mightbe take to the stage on Friday 5 March, followed by prog rockers The Pineapple Thief on Saturday 6 March as part of their 2027 European tour. The building’s musical history stretches back well beyond its O2 days. It first opened as the Top Rank Suite in 1968, going on to host some serious names over the years, including The Police, The Clash, Joy Division and David Bowie. From 1985, it became Roxy Disco – a name that will bring back plenty of memories for Sheffield clubbers – before eventually reopening as O2 Academy Sheffield in 2008. Reverend and the Makers did the honours that time, playing a sold-out launch show. John Hughes of Adlib, which has worked on the venue’s refurbishment, said the aim was to prepare the Academy ‘for the demands of today’s productions’ while improving the experience for artists, engineers and gig-goers. “Having welcomed legendary artists to the stage, it has a brilliant musical heritage that we’re helping to carry forward,” he added.
Plans can be viewed in more detail at skylinesheffieldproject.co.uk/haveyour-say.
Follow @o2academysheff for the latest updates
A PISTE OF THE ACTION
First-look images have revealed how Sheffield’s long-lost Ski Village could be given a new lease of life – complete with a downhill luge, scenic chairlift and, eventually, the return of skiing to Parkwood Springs.
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THE HOME STRETCH Almost two decades after plans were agreed to transform Sheffield’s Park Hill, the landmark estate’s long-running regeneration is approaching its final stages. It’s been nearly 20 years since Sheffield City Council signed a development agreement with Urban Splash to take on Park Hill – kicking off an ambitious and, at times, controversial attempt to breathe new life into one of the city’s most recognisable buildings. Now, the penultimate phase is nearing completion, adding another 125 homes to the Grade II*-listed estate. The first homes from the latest release go on sale on Saturday 12 September, with prices starting at £187,000. The latest phase follows a £6.4 million investment from government housing agency Homes England earlier this year. Designed by architect Mikhail Riches and delivered by GMI Construction, the homes range from two to four bedrooms, with private balconies and communal gardens. New green space, EV charging points and bike storage are also included. Guy Ackernley, managing director of development and residential at Urban Splash, said: “As we work through Park Hill’s final chapters, this is an opportunity to own a piece of architectural history. There aren’t many chances left to move here and the interest we’ve seen over the summer is strong.” Attention will then turn to the fifth 8 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
and final phase, for which planning permission was secured in September 2024. Focusing on the Talbot Street block, it is set to add a further 105 homes alongside new commercial space for independent businesses. Previous phases have transformed large parts of the former council estate, introducing new homes, businesses and student accommodation, including Béton House. With the final phase now in motion, Park Hill is moving closer to the conclusion of a regeneration project that has reshaped one of Sheffield’s most famous – and debated – landmarks. For more information on the Park Hill development, visit urbansplash. co.uk.
WARP LANDS WINSLET Prodigious Sheffield producers Warp Films has lined up Kate Winslet and Maxine Peake for its next Netflix series – and it sounds like things are going to get messy.wOscar-winner Winslet will make her first major Netflix drama appearance in The Unheard, starring alongside Peake as two sisters forced to go on the run when an act of vengeance goes badly wrong. The five-part drama comes from Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne, with Warp on production duties alongside Matriarch Productions and Plan B. Warp has been responsible for some of the most memorable British film and TV of the last two decades, including Shane Meadows’ This Is England, Four Lions and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Production on The Unheard is due to begin in 2027, although Netflix is keeping its cards close to its chest for now, with no filming locations or release date confirmed. So, could Winslet and Peake’s getaway bring them hurtling through the streets of Sheffield? We’ll be keeping an eye out for any film crews kicking around the city.
AUCTION Sunday 18 October Crucible Theatre Register to bid and get your tickets at prideofyorkshire.org
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COVER: OFF THE SHELF
Professor Vanessa Toulmin has been behind some of Sheffield’s most ambitious cultural projects, from Festival of the Mind to Phlegm’s Mausoleum of the Giants. But another significant part of her contribution to the city has been helping secure the future of Off the Shelf – a festival she is now preparing to step back from after almost a decade at the helm. The University of Sheffield took over the festival in 2016, at a point when its future was far from certain. Almost a decade later, as Professor Vanessa steps back from the role, we spoke to her about saving Off the Shelf, building a programme that reflects the city, the economics of running a literary festival and why she’s comfortable handing it over to a new generation.
Sir Bradley Wiggins, Marina Hyde, Lee Child and Chris Chibnall are among the names heading to Sheffield this autumn as Off the Shelf Festival of Words returns for its 35th edition. Running from 28 September to 25 October, the University of Sheffield festival will stage more than 50 live and online events featuring writers, comedians, politicians and figures from sport and science. Five-time Olympic gold medallist Wiggins will discuss his memoir The Chain, while Guardian columnist Marina Hyde brings her latest collection, What a Time to Be Alive! Scenes from a Strange Age, to the city. Crime fans can hear Lee Child and his brother Andrew discuss Chain Reaction, the latest Jack Reacher novel, while Doctor Who and Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall appears with his second crime thriller. Other guests include comedian Lucy Porter, Bradford West MP Naz Shah, Booker Prize winner Ben Okri, The Great Pottery Throw Down judge Keith Brymer Jones, forensic scientist Professor Lady Sue Black and neuroscientist Dr Hannah Critchlow. Sheffield features prominently in the programme. Journalist Daniel Dylan-Wray will explore the city’s musical history with Groovy, Laidback and Nasty, based on 150 interviews with figures ranging from Cabaret Voltaire to Self Esteem. Elsewhere, the city's Poet Laureate Beth Davies will premiere a new poem commissioned for the festival to mark the end of her tenure, before revealing her successor. A free Roots and Futures exhibition will also run at the Winter Gardens from 18–21 October. Ticket info and the full programme are available at offtheshelf. org.uk 10 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
How did the University of Sheffield end up taking on Off the Shelf? In 2016, I was chair of the Sheffield Culture Consortium. Through my role, I was talking to directors at the council and Off the Shelf was going basically to be cut because it wasn’t making money. The festival had been going since 1991, so it wasn’t even going to reach its 25th anniversary. We were already one of the sponsors, and ourselves and initially Sheffield Hallam put the money forward to keep it running. Was the initial goal simply to save it, or did you already have ideas about how it could change? We had a two-year transition where we subsidised it and worked with the team. I knew we could expand it, but I think it had lost direction a little. It had been overtaken by other festivals and the curatorial aspect, the expertise of the team, had been lost or forgotten. What I wanted to give them back was that authority. We put together a very rational business plan for the university, not just about money but about how it fitted with what a university does. For me, it was a no-brainer: the greatest fit for a literature festival is a university. It’s a natural fit. Having Sheffield Hallam’s support in those first years was really important too. It gave us time to shape it, change it, increase revenue and increase the box office, but also ask: what really works in Sheffield? Looking back, what are you proudest of? Widening the scope of people who come to it. I’m really proud of giving a voice to younger curators and people from diverse backgrounds. We’ve had local authors like Akeem Balogun, who started as a volunteer and ended up programming, then showcasing his own book at the festival. My plan from the very start was to increase the diversity of the audience, but also the speakers and presenters. Getting to around 35% diversity across different protected
OFF THE SHELF IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FESTIVALS IN THE COUNTRY AND HAS AN AMAZING REPUTATION WITH PUBLISHERS.” characteristics was really important to me. It had to be a festival that reflects Sheffield and we are a very diverse community. Then there’s SlamBarz, which is really important, and Hive Young Writers. We worked with [Lord Mayor] Majid when Sheffield’s first Poet Laureate was named and that role is now associated with the festival. One year we had Sheffield Poet Laureate Warda Yassin on the same platform as UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. How great is that? So I’m really proud of the opportunities created for young people and young artists in Sheffield. At the same time, you have your Lucy Worsleys, Marina Hydes and Chris Packhams regularly in attendance. How important are those bigger names? You need both. The big names are a business decision because they subsidise other things. But they also have to reflect Sheffield. You can’t programme a festival based only on what you personally like because what you like isn’t necessarily going to attract an audience. Chris Packham, for example, chose Sheffield because
he loves Sheffield. The likes of Lucy Worsley, Marina Hyde and Chris Packham are names people want to see and we’re proud of bringing them here too. Off the Shelf is one of the oldest festivals in the country and has an amazing reputation with publishers. One of the reasons Hachette came to Sheffield is because of Off the Shelf. I think we’d forgotten how important the festival was outside Sheffield and wanted to restore that pride. The way people consume books and engage with authors has changed enormously over the last decade. Have the principles behind Off the Shelf changed? The core principles are there, whatever changes. They are a love of books, a love of words, a love of literature and inclusivity in arts and the creative industries. The barriers are getting harder, though. Every year I try to keep the prices cheap. When Jeremy Deller was here with Jarvis Cocker, that event cost £15. When he was in Manchester on his own, it was £25. We try to keep it affordable for people, but it's a challenge. There’s also a particularly Sheffield flavour to parts of the programme. Is that deliberate? WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 11
COVER: OFF THE SHELF Definitely. How many other festivals would do a history of brass bands? That’s very Sheffield, isn’t it? The funny thing was that the publishers pitched that book to us, but they didn’t necessarily associate brass bands with Sheffield in the same way they would with West Yorkshire. But what about Brassed Off?! Those local threads are important. How does the programming process actually work? Are you looking at what’s topical and building from there? You work with the publishers. We go down to London and have three days with them where they pitch to us – then we pitch back. We go as a team and divide the publishers between us. You get the autumn catalogue, the winter catalogue, the spring catalogue, whatever is coming out, and they’ll say, ‘We’d like them at Off the Shelf because of X, Y and Z.’ It gives you an understanding of how much the publishers rate Off the Shelf. All the big publishers are involved. We also pay authors a fee. A lot of festivals don’t. So you'll try to do things differently. With somebody like Lucy Worsley, rather than getting the standard talk she might do elsewhere, we commissioned her to do something around Bolsover Castle because it’s local. Or there’s Susan Tomes, an international pianist who has written a book about sleep called Nocturnes. I said we’d choose her if she would come and play as part of it, because we’ve got a Steinway piano. You’ve produced countless cultural events in Sheffield over the years, but the ones you're perhaps most associated with are Off the Shelf, Festival of the Mind and Phlegm’s Mausoleum of the Giants. Is there a common thread between them? Yes, because I’m a producer and each of them is about letting the artist speak. With Festival of the Mind, let the academic speak. With Off the Shelf, give authors a platform where they are comfortable and in control, then produce it. I would never tell an academic or an artist what to say or do. I would just manage it. That’s my job as a producer. The other festival I was really proud of was the street art festival I worked on in 2016, Feature Walls, with Kid Acne and Florence Blanchard. Again, they were the artists. I was the one who worked with the lovely late Sarah Nulty to schlepp around all the paint and all the ladders. I’m particularly proud of that, because a lot of that street art is still here. Arts organisations have faced years of cuts and financial pressure. How do you keep a festival like Off the Shelf going? Ultimately, Off the Shelf is funded by tickets and the university. We’ve also got a great relationship with Sheffield City Council, which supports our diverse programming and work around Black History Month. But festivals are inherently vulnerable. Unless they’re huge multinational festivals, they need support. If you don’t support Off the Shelf, you will lose it. It also has to fit within the greater ecology of Sheffield rather than take over. We’ve got brilliant festivals in this city and Off the Shelf has to coexist with them. Being part of the festival network is something I’m really proud of too. I think that’s one of the best networks in Sheffield. You’re stepping back now. After putting so much into it, are there mixed emotions about handing it over? No, it’s not about one person; it’s about the structure you put
in place so you can walk away. It needs different voices and different people. The festival is strong enough now. The team is still the team and there’ll be new people joining, new people having ideas. The university will continue to support Off the Shelf, but it will be a different festival – not in a negative way, because it changes. It has to. There’ll be different authors and different things. But I don’t think Sheffield will ever stop wanting history, politics, conservation, the environment, climbing, walking and running. You know what Sheffield audiences are interested in. That’s a big part of what’s so great about it. What comes next once you’ve stepped away? I’ve got a whole year of study leave and about five books to write. But I’ve also got a theatre to finish. I’m chair of Morecambe Winter Gardens, which is a theatre I grew up around through the fairground. I’ve spent the last six years running it as a community theatre. We’ve won the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, have raised £5.2 million and we have 52 volunteers. It first opened in 1897 and we’re in the middle of a £3.2 million redevelopment. We’ve restored the ceiling, the foyer, stained glass and the payboxes. Last year we had 50,000 people through the building. I’m training young creatives there too. We’ve got 16 to 18-year-olds learning tech, sound and lighting who are now working with us. So that’s where a lot of my creativity is going now. I’ve been working on it between everything else for years. Now it’s time to do it. Catch Professor Vanessa's Tripping the Neon Fantastic on 25 October at Millenium Gallery, exploring the colourful, complicated history of neon – from Paris and LA to Sheffield and Wakefield. Tickets £12/£10. WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 13
COVER: OFF THE SHELF
A key part of my thinking around poetry is this idea that everything has potential for poetry, and so there is so much that’s distinctive about Sheffield, but in a way that maybe everywhere is distinctive. On a more personal note, my writing life, as well as my personal life, has always been rooted here. I value the sense of openness that I associate with the city and the opportunities I've had through various organisations connected with Sheffield. My debut pamphlet was also published by Poetry Business, which is a Sheffield-based press. So, in the way that everything seeps into poetry, Sheffield seeps into my poetry as well.
As Beth Davies prepares to pass on the title of Sheffield Poet Laureate, she speaks to Exposed about representing the city, the creative communities that shaped her and a special new poem celebrating 35 years of Off the Shelf. You're coming towards the end of your stint as Sheffield’s poet laureate. How have you found the experience? I think when I took it on, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and in some ways, it felt like quite a heavy mantle, following in the steps of my predecessors. Otis Mensah, Warda Yassin, Danaé Wellington – they're all fabulous poets. But it's been really interesting exploring the opportunities that have come up and feeling the honour of the role as well.
How does it work in terms of choosing your successor? This year, Culture Sheffield, the arm of the council that's involved in the poet laureate role, have introduced a more formal process, which I think is a great idea. I've nominated several candidates who I thought would all do a great job, who had a strong poetic voice and relevant skills and experience, and could bring different things to it. They were then asked if they wanted to apply. We had a meeting with representatives from Off the Shelf and Culture Sheffield to discuss selecting the next poet laureate – I can't say who it is because that's going to be revealed at the Off the Shelf event on 9 October. It was a really difficult decision. We talked about the idea of it being a role for someone who has had plenty of relevant experience but is still somewhat in an emerging stage, as opposed to being fully established.
What have the highlights been for you? I'd have to say performing at Off the Shelf a couple of years ago with Jackie Kay. She's an icon, and it was such a lovely, warm event. She was so positive about the Sheffield poet laureate role, and then Danaé handed over to me, and there was this really nice sense of the legacy in Sheffield poetry. I like that idea of passing the torch, as it were. Another of my highlights was competing in the One Mic Stand slam in Manchester last year, and it was really nice to have that sense of representing Sheffield. And in April, I did an event with Sheffield Libraries around queer poets, which gave me an opportunity to explore areas of my work that I've not massively platformed before.
You’ve been commissioned to write a special poem for the 35th edition of Off the Shelf and put a callout asking local people to share their experiences. Could you talk about the idea and process behind the piece? Off the Shelf were quite generous in giving me a flexible brief. They said they'd be interested if I could do something based around 2026 being the National Year of Reading. I thought, well, I could write something about my experiences around reading, my feelings and opinions. But with it being a commission for Off the Shelf and one of my final things as poet laureate, I wanted it to have a broader base and not just be my personal perspective. So that's where the idea came from of asking other people to share their experiences and perspectives around reading, so I can incorporate some of those into the poem. Obviously, it's still filtered through my voice, but I'm hoping it gives it a sense of being something communal and shared. It's been really nice reading people's responses to the survey and seeing the range there, but also the common things that come up.
Do you think there's something particularly distinctive about Sheffield as a place to write poetry? I think it’s an interesting question, and I'm not sure I have a solid answer because what initially came to mind are things that are distinct about Sheffield, but I don't know if they've played a role in my work. Obviously, the landscapes in the Peak District, for some poets, are such a key source of inspiration. However, I'm not a landscape poet, so that would maybe be a disingenuous answer from my perspective.
Is it more challenging working that way, drawing on other people's experiences rather than writing from your own? I think it's both more challenging and less challenging. I've got all of the ingredients already provided because normally in a poem, that's the first stage for me – gathering the ideas, phrases and concepts, then figuring out what to do with them. But there is a challenge to weaving those together because I don't want to misrepresent other people's
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THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN MOVE SOMEONE YOU DON’T KNOW WITH WRITING WAS – AND STILL IS – INCREDIBLY SPECIAL TO ME.” WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 15
New Henderson’s Relish Hand cooked Crisps!
COVER: JIM GHEDI
experiences or ideas. Of course, they're all anonymous and I don't know their life story. So, at first it was: where do I start with all of this? Picking out those common themes and ideas, and the images that stood out to me, has been a good starting point. I've really enjoyed the process. How important are festivals like Off the Shelf, both for audiences and in giving local and emerging writers the chance to appear alongside internationally established authors? I think it is really valuable to have spaces to celebrate different kinds and stages of writing, and to emphasise that there are so many amazing writers who come from Sheffield. I've been lucky enough to be part of a few Off the Shelf events both during my time as poet laureate and previously. It's always very special to be in that programme. But particularly with poetry, there's very much a place for the more grassroots side of things as well. A city needs all sides of it. It needs the regular open mics in the back room of a pub, and it needs the stuff that is more formally established and has those wider connections. I think this is a good point to mention that Susie Wilson also has a Sheffield poetry what's-on mailing list that I'd recommend to anyone wanting to engage with poetry in the city all year round. All ways that spaces can be made in Sheffield for writing, books and poetry are valuable and exciting.
A natural segue there into Hive, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and has been a big part of your development. What does Hive offer young and emerging writers, and how important is that support? Maybe I'll talk about the things that I've engaged with through Hive, because I think I've experienced every stage of what they offer, at least in terms of poetry. I went to Sheffield Young Writers for the first time when I was 16. This was before Hive was called Hive, but what became Hive ran that, and it played a key role in me beginning to take myself seriously as a writer. There are groups in Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley too, for young writers and teenagers writing different kinds of stories and poems. Hive provides a really valuable platform through events showcasing writers. Some of my first experiences performing poetry were through Hive. They’ve also produced various anthologies of people's work. They run projects on a theme too, which gave me some of my first experience of writing in a commission-type way. They did a wild poetry project around plants native to the UK, and it was really interesting to see all the different directions people went in. That's a really important part of a writer’s development, right? Most people begin by writing what's in their heads, and there's a freedom there. But it's a different ball game when somebody goes, ‘Right, here's what I'd
ALL WAYS THAT SPACES CAN BE MADE IN SHEFFIELD FOR WRITING, BOOKS AND POETRY ARE VALUABLE AND EXCITING. WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 17
COVER: OFF THE SHELF
like you to write about.’ Yeah, exactly. A couple of years ago, they did a project around Wentworth House. We all wrote things inspired by the history of the house, and it was really interesting to see all the different directions people went with it. In terms of my involvement with Hive now, there is the Sunday Poetry Collective, which is a video-call workshop programme for slightly older writers. People often graduate from that young writers context into something like the Sunday Poetry Collective, and those sessions are really lovely for coming together and writing. While we're on the theme of creative communities and support networks, I'd also want to mention The Writing Squad, which is another organisation that's played a really valuable role in my development as a writer. It's a programme or network that you can apply to when you're, I think, 16-22 and then you get mentoring, workshops and support, and lots of valuable opportunities, similar to what Hive offers. I definitely would not be the writer I am today without the creative communities that I've been lucky enough to have access to. Do you remember the first time you performed poetry in a live setting? I'm trying to remember. I used to go to a festival with my family, and I think they had an open mic there a few times. I do remember an open mic in the Winter Gardens that may have been connected to Hive. That could have been one of my first times performing in Sheffield. I have a very strong memory of a random person saying something nice about what I'd read afterwards, and that was so special to me. I was probably about 16. The idea that you can move someone you don't know with writing was – and still is – incredibly special to me. Any time I hear that someone's connected with my work, it’s special. So, once the poet laureate handover is done, what's next for you? That's something to figure out. I think it might be nice to take some time to play with some more personal stuff that I've not decided whether it's going to see the light of day. It's important to allow yourself that sense of experimentation and not always feel that everything you write has to go out there. Sometimes being in this role, I've felt that I ought to focus more on the stuff that is publicfacing. So it will be nice to have that space, but also hopefully continue to be involved in different creative opportunities in Sheffield and beyond. I'm hoping I can play a supportive role to the next laureate if that's something they would benefit from. And just see where the writing takes me, I suppose, and what that could spark in terms of future possibilities. What would you say to someone who wants to
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start writing but isn't sure how to take that first step? One thing I'd say is to seek creative communities where possible, whether that's an organised group or just a friend who also writes, which is something I've been very grateful to have. Something I found really valuable to learn – and maybe I'm still learning – is that everybody has imposter syndrome and sometimes has that feeling of, ‘Oh, am I writing enough? Am I writing the right stuff? Will I ever write a good poem again?’ I've had so many moments where I've looked at people and thought, well, they're incredibly impressive and talented, and obviously they're fully secure in their creative work. When I've actually got to know them more, they also have those moments of being unsure. Being afraid does not mean that you can't write. It doesn't mean that you can't be part of those creative spaces and communities. It certainly does not mean that what you're writing doesn't have value. Beth will premiere her newly commissioned poem alongside performances from fellow Hive poets Nathan Graham, Molly Knox and Safa Maryam at Firth Hall on Friday 9 October, from 7pm. The evening will also see Sheffield’s next poet laureate revealed. Tickets (£10/£12) available from offtheshelf.org.
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FOOD AND DRINK
THE OTHER HALF
WORDS: JOSEPH FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: MARC BARKER
For anyone who’s experienced the excellent Six and a Half in Dyson Place, you’ll know the deal: big flavours, great produce and pretty much everything given a lick of flame over the open wood fire. Now, chef-owner Leslie Buddington has taken that same approach into the city centre with The Other Half, a new spot inside Cambridge Street Collective. The idea is simple – take what people love about Six and a Half, loosen things up a bit and make it work for the walkin, grab-a-few-plates nature of a food hall. “I think it makes our cooking style a bit more accessible to everyone,” Leslie tells Exposed. “I think that’s what we really wanted to do here and really create something that is quite unique for Sheffield – there’s nobody cooking over fire in this way, especially in the food hall setting.” It’s a move that makes plenty of sense. Since opening at Dyson Place, Six and a Half has built a dedicated following around Leslie’s fire-led approach, with seasonal produce and sharing dishes at the centre of things. But it’s also naturally become a destination restaurant – somewhere people make plans to visit. The walk-in nature of Cambridge Street Collective changes that, opening Leslie’s cooking up to passersby who might fancy giving it a go on a more casual basis. “Hopefully both venues can play off each other. People could try a smaller bite at The Other Half, enjoy it, and book in at Six and a Half for their next occasion,” Leslie says. “Or fans of the restaurant can enjoy the same cooking but over a shorter lunch rather than a three-course meal.” 20 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
That doesn’t mean they’ve simply picked up the restaurant’s menu and carted it across town. The Other Half takes the same approach to cooking and adapts it to suit its new surroundings, simplifying dishes without ditching the ideas behind them. “The menu is completely different, but we’ve taken the style of cooking I do there and adapted it. For example, we have a popular jerk cauliflower dish on the menu at Six and a Half, so here we’ve made it into a cauliflower burger.” Alongside the burgers, you’ll find beef cheek roly poly, nduja-stuffed chicken wings, tempura cod, flame-grilled steak rolls and charred gochujang hispi cabbage – just some of the highlights from the smaller plates, with the roaring fire remaining at the heart of the operation. And the timing feels right. Cambridge Street Collective, billed as Europe’s largest purpose-built food hall, has become a major part of the Heart of the City regeneration, alongside neighbouring Leah’s Yard and Pound’s Park. The Other Half puts Leslie’s brand of fire-led cooking right in the middle of what’s quickly become one of the city’s foodie hotspots. “I just think it’s brilliant for Sheffield,” he says. “There’s a lot of footfall here and, as I’ve been setting this up over the last month, I’ve seen the amount of customers coming through and the interest we’re getting already. It’s fantastic. “I’m just really looking forward to starting cooking and feeding people, getting properly stuck in.” @theotherhalfsheffield
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FOOD & DRINK NEWS
ONE FOR THE BOOKS
PHOTOS: ELLIE GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY
We’re always happy to give Sheffield independents a shoutout, but we’ll admit we’ve got a little more skin in the game with this one. Our sister company Meze Publishing is celebrating one of the biggest successes in its 13-year history after Autumn, the new cookbook by Sam Nixon, became an instant Sunday Times bestseller. And that’s not all. The book has also landed the number one spot in The Bookseller’s Independent Bookshop Bestseller chart, as well as topping its Small Publisher Non-Fiction Bestseller chart. So, yeah, fair play to the lot of them. Founded in 2013 and reluctantly sharing office space with Exposed ever since, Meze specialises in food and drink publishing, working somewhere between the traditional publishing and self-publishing worlds. Over the years, the team have produced more than 150 titles, working with established chefs alongside first-time authors and people with ideas that might not necessarily get through the door at a larger publishing house. You might also recall the Little Book of Sheffield and the Sheffield Beer and Spirits Bible titles of recent years. Yep, that 22 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
was them too. For Autumn, Sam arrived at the office with a clear idea for the seasonal cookbook he wanted to make after, according to Meze’s Emma Toogood, other publishers had told him the concept wouldn’t work. “It has been a privilege to work with Sam after he got told by other publishers that this concept wouldn’t work!” she told us. “Getting number one with The Bookseller Independent Bookshop category feels extra special for an independent publisher, and shows local bookshops want to support indies and up-and-
Autumn BY S A M N I XO N
R E C I P E S F RO M T H E H E A RT, F O R A H E A RT WA RMING SEASON
coming authors! “I feel like this is the start of something exciting for Meze Publishing.” It’s another sizeable notch on the bookshelf for Meze, whose previous releases have picked up recognition from the Guild of Food Writers, André Simon Food & Drink Book Awards and Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Daniel Clifford’s Out of My Tree – Midsummer House also made The Guardian’s top 20 cookbooks of 2018. If you’re already thinking about autumnal cooking, darker evenings and making something considerably better than another beige oven tea, Autumn is out now. Go grab yourself a copy (available at mezepublishing.co.uk and Amazon) – and show a Sheffield independent publisher a bit of love while you’re at it.
THE
OTHER HALF GREAT PRODUCE. COOKED OVER FIRE
The Other Half is a new Sheffield kitchen from chef Leslie Buddington, built around a simple idea — quality ingredients, big flavours and cooking over fire. The menu brings together great British produce and flavours from around the world. Expect smoke, spice, char and plenty of fire, with dishes designed to order together, share and get stuck into. From slow-cooked beef cheek and steak rolls to fire-cooked vegetables and seafood, everything starts with flavour. Good produce. Proper cooking. No fuss. Find us at Cambridge Street Collective, Sheffield. THE OTHER HALF is brought to you by the lovely folk from SIX AND A HALF
FOOD AND DRINK
SPOTLIGHT ON:
CELEBRATING SHEFFIELD’S COOLEST INDEPENDENT VENUES, NEIGHBOURHOOD HANGOUTS AND HIDDEN GEMS.
Tucked away inside one of Sheffield’s most storied industrial buildings, Locksley Distilling has spent more than a decade experimenting with botanicals, booze and bold new flavours. We headed down to Portland Works to meet owners Cynthia King and John Cherry, take a peek behind the scenes and hear why making your own bottle is probably best attempted before your fourth G&T... Arriving at Portland Works on Randall Street, you’re greeted by a map that offers a neat snapshot of the building’s enduring Sheffield spirit. Spread around its courtyards and workshops are more than 30 craftspeople, artists, makers and small businesses, working across everything from metalwork and jewellery to woodwork and music. Built in the 1870s and now Grade II* listed, Portland Works is one of the city’s last surviving purpose-built integrated metal trades factories. It also has a hefty claim to some local history: in 1913, stainless steel was first used to manufacture cutlery here. Saved from residential conversion by a communityled campaign, the building was bought by more than 500 not-for-profit shareholders and remains a working home for independent makers today. And, among all that clanking, cutting, shaping and making, there’s some delicious gin being distilled and bottled. Locksley Distilling has called Portland Works home for much of its 13-year history. Founded by Sheffield-born John Cherry in 2013 after years spent working in hospitality in France and the drinks trade in New York, the business began life in considerably less glamorous surroundings: his parents’ attic. John and his wife, New Yorker Cynthia King, had returned to Sheffield at a time when the craft gin scene was still relatively sparse. Their breakthrough product was Sir Robin of Locksley, the gin that remains at the heart of the business today. When we arrive, Cynthia meets us in the tasting room just off the main courtyard. Small copper stills sit on tables while shelves behind them offer 24 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
a whistle-stop tour through Locksley’s back catalogue: the aforementioned Sir Robin stands proudly alongside more experimental concoctions ranging from Bloody Mary vodkas to raspberry, chocolate & fig negronis. It’s also the home of Locksley’s ginmaking school, which started in summer 2019, not long before Covid temporarily put the brakes on proceedings. Since returning, it’s attracted a pleasingly broad church of amateur distillers. “It’s a real range. We’ve had an 80-yearold man come to a cocktail class with his grandsons,” Cynthia tells us. “His grandsons brought him for his birthday and he had a incredible time!” From octogenarians to engaged couples who visit to create a gin together, then return to recreate the recipe for bottles on their wedding tables, it’s also indicative of how Locksley has changed over the years. While bottles remain the core product – they currently produce around 35,000 a year – getting people through the door has become an increasingly important part of the business. The gin-making session lasts around two and a half hours, with up to eight people generally taking a still each. Guests begin with a welcome G&T – it would be rude not to – before getting into recipe development. There’s a list of botanicals sent out beforehand for those who fancy doing their homework, though turning up and winging it is perfectly acceptable too. Which is probably reassuring when you’re confronted with a wall of around
GIN BASICALLY IS ALL ABOUT THE FLAVOUR.” 100 ingredients. “We pre-weigh five ingredients that go into a lot of our gins,” explains John. “They’re very traditional gin-type ingredients, so whether they add a little bit or a lot on top of that, they’re all going to go away with a decent bottle of gin.” Interestingly, the tour used to come before the gin-making. There was, however, a small problem.
“By the time we did a tour and got stuck into the gin-making, they were usually about four gin and tonics into it,” says John. “The quality of the finished gins now that we’ve done it the other way around has got substantially better.” Once recipes have started taking shape, guests head around the distillery, taking in the bottling room and production spaces before returning with the chance to tweak things further. The actual distillation takes only around 25 minutes, at the end of which everyone leaves with a full bottle of their own unique, self-made gin. Things get interesting when we head upstairs to the Co-Lab®, Locksley’s experimental playground. This is where some of the stranger ideas get thrown around and, crucially, where they work out how to make them taste good. On one side is the main 250-litre stainless steel still. Copper might be the more romantic image associated WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 25
FOOD AND DRINK
SPOTLIGHT ON:
LOCKSLEY DISTILLERY with traditional distilling, but there was a very Sheffield reason for choosing this particular bit of kit: in a Grade II* listed building, it was the one they could actually get through the door. Nearby, futuristic rotary evaporators – or rotovaps for the gin boffs – hypnotically turn glass flasks. Cynthia explains how they create a vacuum, lowering the atmospheric pressure and allowing alcohol to boil at close to room temperature. That means delicate ingredients can be distilled without cooking them for hours, preserving fresher flavours. It’s been central to Locksley’s Co-Lab® range, which officially began in 2018 and has seen them work with businesses and organisations to build spirits around specific ideas rather than simply sticking another logo on a bottle. During our visit, they’re working on a Sheffield Theatres’ gin, built around lemon, heather and bilberry. The latter two were chosen partly as Peak District botanicals and partly, Cynthia admits, because they’re purple and matched the project’s colour palette. There’s something reassuringly Locksley about developing a drink from the starting point of: well, these things are the right colour. On the same table, another batch of mulled wine with Barks Wine is in the works following two hugely popular previous runs. Then comes the experiment that really grabs our attention: Henderson’s Relish in a vodka. It’s a collaboration with Sharrow Vale booze merchants StarmoreBoss and, yes, we’re immediately given some to try. At this stage it’s an intensely concentrated distillate sitting somewhere around 80% ABV, so only a tiny dab hits the back of the hand before tasting. Somehow, through the blast of alcohol, unmistakable Hendo’s flavours emerge. Even though it sounds like something devised during a particularly ambitious pub conversation, it works. For Cynthia, that willingness to mess around with flavours is fundamental to gin itself. “Gin basically is all about the flavour. It’s made in a very similar way to vodka, but you put flavours into it. You’re taking alcohol that already exists and you’re redistilling it with flavours.” Locksley arrived early enough to watch the British gin landscape transform around them. The business was England’s 15th registered distillery, before the mid2010s boom sent that number soaring. They responded by expanding their 26 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
own range, creating products for other brands and leaning into collaborations and limited editions. These days there are around ten individual brands for which they contract distil alongside the core, collaborative and limited ranges. There are also, Cynthia teases, “a couple of top secret ones” in development, some of which could be “game-changing” for the company. But she’s giving nothing else away. Back downstairs, the other side of modern Locksley becomes clear. As retail habits changed, the distillery began putting more emphasis on experiences and selling directly to customers. Today there are tasting visits, gin-making sessions and monthly cocktail classes alongside the day-to-day business of producing and bottling spirits. The cocktail sessions are Cynthia’s domain. Groups of ten get a G&T on arrival before making three drinks, deliberately arranged in descending order of physical coordination: shaken first,
stirred next and finally something built directly in the glass. The tasting tours, meanwhile, last around 90 minutes, taking visitors through the building and production process with a G&T and six spirit samples along the way. Importantly, they’re intentionally not delivered from a rigid script that you might find at some of the bigger distilleries and brewhouses; certain points will be made but each member of staff taking the tour will apply their own slant. That looseness seems appropriate for an independent business where everyone chips in. Locksley currently has three full-time and five part-time staff, and John admits that “no two days are the same”. On the day of our visit, distilling and showing us around will be followed by bottling a large order ready to go out the next morning. We make our way out and leave them to it. What’s clear is that, like a well-chosen botanical, this friendly, family-run firm blends perfectly into its surroundings – a place built around small-scale industry and creative people making things. Locksley might swap steel for spirits, but the approach feels familiar: experimentation, specialist kit, hands-on production and a willingness to make something slightly unusual just to see if it works. With cosy gin season just around the corner, consider that your cue to pop in and see what they’re cooking up next. locksleydistilling.com @locksleydistilling Unit 20C-1, Portland Works Randall Street S2 4SJ
From the team behind Gills & Co. and The Gillmont, Gillson’s brings the spirit of the traditional brasserie to Ecclesall Road, serving classic dishes, quality ingredients, and warm hospitality from lunch through to the evening.
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Prix Fixe Lunch À La Carte Dinner Sunday Lunch
607-609 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, S11 8PT. Tel:0114 349 8004 Open Monday - Saturday 12pm - 11pm, Sunday 12pm - 9pm
COFFEE MATCHA BAKES BITES AND A LITTLE BIT OF INDIA... Two house Roasts Uji Kyoto matcha. Indian-inspired bakes & bites. And a menu that rarely sits still.
SURYA + CHANDRA House coffees
UJI, KYOTO Matcha
CHAI • MANGO • TIKKA • UBE Familiar things, done a little differently.
COME CURIOUS. 384 Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield S11 8ZP | 14 Terrace Road Buxton SK17 6DU
@rasakofee | Rasakofee.com
FOOD AND DRINK
NEWS
CORNERSTONE
Cornerstone is heading into Sheffield city centre, with brothers Richard and Michael Massarella preparing to open a new European-inspired coffee shop on Pinstone Street. The new site will take over the former Toni & Guy hairdressers unit on the recently pedestrianised street, opposite the Peace Gardens and right in the middle of ongoing city centre renovations. It will be Cornerstone’s fourth site, joining Dyson Place and its two venues at Yorkshire Wildlife Park – a coffee shop and gelateria. While Dyson Place is best known as a sit-down restaurant and bar, the Pinstone Street opening will be a dedicated café space with a more casual, drop-in feel. The focus will be on speciality coffee, freshly made food and a big counter loaded with cakes and pastries throughout the day. The idea is to create somewhere that works just as well for grabbing a coffee and something to eat on the move as it does for settling in over breakfast or lunch. Coffee will come from Yorkshirebased North Star Coffee Roasters, while the food offer will include focaccia sandwiches and salads made fresh every
morning. Richard and Michael also plan to fill the counter with a range of bakes made in-house, alongside treats sourced from handpicked independent bakers around Sheffield. The pair have spent plenty of time around European coffee culture – their family is originally from Italy, with their mum’s side hailing from Sardinia – and some of that influence will make its way into the new place. “We love that type of café culture,” Richard tells Exposed. “Bustling streets and social spaces where you can grab your coffee or a fresh pastry on the go. I think that’s why we’ve put the hatch in, so you get a bit of an element of that.” That aforementioned hatch will form part of a new-look frontage, allowing takeaway service directly from the window. A large food display will also be visible from the street, with Richard and Michael hoping to tempt in people passing through the increasingly high footfall area.
Sheffield-based interior design practice Studio Jim is handling the interior, with plans for light oak, sage green gloss tiles, mustard banquettes and globe lighting. There’ll be some outside seating too, making the most of a prime spot overlooking the Peace Gardens and Town Hall. The brothers have also applied for an alcohol licence, although they’re clear that this isn’t Cornerstone branching out into bar territory. “We might just do a couple of spritzes, you know, a red and a white, more for the summer months,” Richard says. Michael quickly adds: “We don’t want this to be a bar, though. This is a café spot first and foremost.” However, they do say that a licence will give them the option to experiment with occasional bistro evenings, collaborations and pop-ups once the new spot has found its feet. It comes five years after Cornerstone opened at Dyson Place. After a quick period of expansion during the business’s first couple of years, Michael says they deliberately slowed things down to make sure standards at the existing sites didn’t slip. “We didn’t want to go too far, too fast and forget about what we’ve got,” he says. “I think we needed to have that break to make sure we kept consistent, kept the quality and kept the standards in the current venues high before we could think about expanding. “We feel like we’ve got that solid base now where we can look at other opportunities for growth, and it’ll be great for us to have that Cornerstone presence here in the city centre.” An exact opening date is still dependent on planning approvals and work to the frontage, but the brothers are aiming to have the Pinstone Street Cornerstone open by winter. @cornerstonecoffeeuk
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IT’LL BE GREAT FOR US TO HAVE THAT CORNERSTONE PRESENCE HERE IN THE CITY CENTRE.”
WE ARE OPEN FOR LUNCH/ ® BRUNCH Ashoka Sheffield
FOOD & DRINK LONGBOW VENUES
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY Christmas get-togethers have a habit of becoming complicated. Someone wants a proper sit-down meal, someone else wants live music, someone’s planning to leave the car and, if kids are involved, Father Christmas might need to make an appearance too. Longbow Venues has six spots dotted around the Peak District, each doing Christmas slightly differently this year. From bigband nights and festive tasting menus to open fires and breakfast with Santa, here are five reasons to consider heading out of Sheffield and into the Peaks for this year’s celebrations. 1. THEY TAKE SANTA SERIOUSLY Anyone organising Christmas with kids knows a decent Santa appearance can be surprisingly difficult to find. Longbow reckons it has one of the best around – and given its Santa events tend to sell out quickly, booking ahead would be sensible. There are three different options this December. The Peacock at Owler Bar is hosting Breakfast with Santa on Sunday 6 and 13 December, 8–10am, while The Maynard in Grindleford has Afternoon Tea with Santa on the same dates from 12.30–2pm. New for this year, The Charleston in Bakewell is joining in with Brunch with Santa on Saturday 19 December, 9–11am. Tickets cost £25 for adults and £12.50 for children. 2. THERE’S SOMETHING FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERY GATHERING The office Christmas do and a catch-up with a few mates are two very different beasts, so having options helps. Private dining is available at The George, The Maynard, The Charleston and The Peacock at Rowsley, while those after something livelier can find nightly live music at The Charleston and weekly big-band nights at The Maynard. Saturdays at The Peacock at Rowsley take things in another direction with a festive tasting menu. Over at The Peacock Owler Bar, it’s more about cosy lunches, open fires and finding a corner to settle into. Then there’s The Ashford Arms, where you can combine lunch
or dinner with a winter wander around Ashford-in-the-Water – a pretty solid way to spend a December afternoon. 3. THE FOOD ISN’T AN AFTERTHOUGHT We’ve all encountered a Christmas menu that feels like the usual fare with a sprig of holly stuck on top. However, Longbow’s festive menus get the same attention as its year-round food. That means properly cooked turkey, crispy roast potatoes, plenty of gravy and, crucially, pigs in blankets worth arguing over. There are also plenty of gluten-free options available across the venues. And with six different places to choose from, there’s nothing stopping you doing the festive rounds more than once. 4. YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO HOME AFTERWARDS A Christmas party becomes considerably easier when nobody has to keep checking the time of the last train. Hotel rooms are available at Longbow’s venues apart from The Charleston and The Peacock Owler Bar, meaning groups celebrating at The Maynard, The George, The Peacock Rowsley or The Ashford Arms can turn dinner and drinks into an overnight stay. It also removes the dreaded designated-driver conversation from proceedings. 5. GREAT SERVICE FROM GREAT PEOPLE A Christmas do is only as good as the people keeping the food coming, the glasses full and the whole thing moving along. Across its venues, Longbow puts plenty of emphasis on the teams behind the bar, in the kitchen and out front – particularly during the December rush. There’s a nice detail to its approach, too. Every Longbow venue closes on Christmas Day, giving staff the day off to spend with family and friends after a month of Christmas lunches, parties and festive events. It means the people bringing the energy, personality and festive spirit throughout December get to enjoy a bit of Christmas themselves, too. And when you’re choosing somewhere for the annual get-together, having a team that genuinely wants to be there goes a long way. See what’s on offer and book your venue at longbowvenues. com
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Christmas at Longbow Venues Six ways to celebrate the festive season in the Peak District From cosy village pubs and countryside escapes to refined dining and Art Deco glamour, Christmas looks a little different at each Longbow venue.
Celebrate the season with festive menus available from 27th November, with two courses for £32.50 or three for £39*. From Monday to Thursday until 17th December, My Longbow members can enjoy three courses for the price of two. *Two courses for £48, three for £60 at The Peacock at Rowlsey
The Maynard
The George
The Ashford Arms
Grindleford, S32 2HE
Hathersage, S32 1BB
Ashford-in-the-Water, DE45 1QB
19 boutique bedrooms, festive feasts and a full calendar of Christmas events. Cosy lunches, Afternoon Tea with Santa, live music and New Year’s Eve make The Maynard a great base for the festive season.
A proper village Christmas in Hathersage, with cosy corners, crackling fires and 24 bedrooms. Settle in for locally sourced festive meals, afternoon tea and good company, then stay the night in comfort.
Stone fireplaces, 9 boutique bedrooms and a relaxed Christmas in one of the Peak District’s prettiest villages. Enjoy a festive meal, explore the countryside or nearby Bakewell, then retreat for the night.
the-maynard.com | 01433 424110
thegeorgehathersage.com | 01433 650436
theashfordarms.com | 01629 690490
The Peacock at Owler Bar
The Peacock at Rowsley Rowsley, DE4 2EB
The Charleston
Bakewell, DE45 1BT
Take in sweeping views of the Peak District while settling into the festive season. Breakfast with Santa, fireside drinks and relaxed Christmas meals make The Peacock at Owler Bar a welcoming place to celebrate.
Refined dining, festive menus and a little Christmas luxury in the Peak District. Try our £85pp Saturday tasting menu, join us for wreath making or celebrate New Year’s Eve with our £155pp tasting menu.
Art Deco glamour meets a little Roaring Twenties magic in the heart of Bakewell. Brunch with Santa, festive brunches, stylish dinners, live jazz and New Year’s Eve bring plenty of sparkle to the season.
peacockowlerbar.com | 0114 3037074
thepeacockatrowsley.com | 01629 733518
the-charleston.com | 01629 692892
Owler Bar, S17 3BQ
Wreath Making at The Peacock at Rowsley
Friday 4th December • Tickets £45 per person
Get into the festive spirit with a relaxed morning of wreath making on Friday 4th December, 10am–12pm. Make a morning of it by including a festive afternoon tea with a complimentary glass of fizz for £37pp.
RESERVE YOUR PLACE ONLINE
FOOD & DRINK NEWS
LOOKING ROSY
PHOTOGRAPHY: MARC BARKER
Glossop Road’s Restaurant Elm has picked up Three AA Rosettes little more than a year after opening its doors. The independent restaurant, founded by head chef Nathan Wall alongside Jon Daughtry and Nik Daughtry, opened in April 2025 and has quickly found itself on the radar of two of the UK’s biggest restaurant guides. Elm received Two AA Rosettes in February this year, before an inspection on 21 May saw it bumped up to Three – an accolade reserved for restaurants the AA considers worthy of national recognition. The latest award comes after another major nod for the young restaurant, which was added to the Michelin Guide in July. For a relatively small operation with no major backing behind it, it’s been a pretty rapid rise. “When we opened Restaurant Elm, we had a very clear idea of the restaurant we wanted to create, but we could not have imagined receiving this level of recognition so early,” the three founders said in a joint statement. “To have progressed from Two to Three AA Rosettes within months, and to have joined the Michelin Guide at such an
early stage in the life of Restaurant Elm, is something we are incredibly proud of. “Restaurant Elm has always been a shared project. This recognition belongs to the whole team who have helped build the restaurant with us, and to everyone who has supported us since we opened.” Despite the awards arriving thick and fast, the trio say they’re not planning on changing course. “The recognition is wonderful, but it does not change why we do this,” they said. “We want Restaurant Elm to be somewhere people genuinely enjoy being, where the food can be ambitious while the experience remains warm and personal. “We are still a very young restaurant and there is a great deal more we want to do. Receiving Three AA Rosettes at this stage gives us enormous confidence in what we are building together.” Not bad going for 17 months in, eh? Go see what all the fuss is about and get booked in at elmsheffield.co.uk.
WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 33
HAVE YOU VISITED PARK HILL’S HIDDEN GEM? South Street Kitchen is an award winning vegan and vegetarian licensed restaurant. We’re talking speciality coffee, fresh local ingredients and a seasonal weekend evening menu that you don’t want to miss. 19-20 South St, S2 5QX www.southstreetkitchen.org Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant 2024 & 2025* Exposed Magazine Awards
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THINGS TO DO: SPLASH ART REPUBLIC
nce is inviting e ri e p x e rt a ld elf A new Sheffie , express yours d n u ro a t in a p . you to throw someone else.. to p u n a le c e and leave th Fittingly based in Sheffield’s Cultural Industries Quarter, Splash Art Republic has opened the doors to its new Arundel Street home, inviting visitors to pour, spin, flick and generally make a glorious mess with paint. The family-run art experience, which already has sites in Nottingham and Birmingham, opened its third venue in Sheffield on 19 August. Taking over a former dance studio at 156 Arundel Street – previously home to The Holt café – husband-and-wife owners Nick and Jennifer have transformed the space into somewhere people can make art without worrying too much about staying inside the lines. Splash Art Republic currently revolves around a handful of different ways of getting stuck in. Splash Art sessions see visitors given their own booth, canvas, paints, squeezy bottles and tools, with
using pods where canvases are rotated with a crank while paint is poured or splashed onto the surface. Further down the line, there are plans to add a pedalpowered version using bikes, while UV sessions are also being explored for darker evenings. Despite the potential for chaos, there’s some serious artistic know-how behind the scenes. Splash Art Republic
tape and pencils available for anyone who wants to plan out a more considered design before the paint starts flying. The experience lasts around an hour, with protective gear and goggles provided – mercifully, they also handle the cleaning operation afterwards. “When we’re children, we’re encouraged to get stuck in,” says marketing manager Harriet Lockie. “As adults, we’re told to get a proper job and not make a mess. The best thing here is that we do the tidying up and the shackles are off for everyone else.” There’s also Pour Art, where fluid acrylics are poured over bear sculptures to produce one-off marbled designs. Visitors can upgrade to larger bears and use leftover paint on smaller add-ons, while completed pieces are collected once they’ve had time to dry. Spin Art is also being introduced soon, WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 35
THINGS TO DO: SPLASH ART REPUBLIC
has recruited eight local artists to its Sheffield team, including staff with fine art backgrounds, giving visitors access to people who know their way around the materials. That flexibility is central to the idea. Someone can arrive knowing precisely what they want on their canvas or simply see what happens once bottles are opened. Studio manager Nic points to one regular who had been searching for an art club but didn’t want the structured lessons involved. “Here, people can be artistic but without the boundaries or rules,” she says. Co-owner Nick Scott says that distinction matters. “It’s a lot of fun, but we are an arts venue. The activities aren’t an afterthought: everything is designed around the experience.” It slots in perfectly amongst its CIQ surroundings, an area already shaped by independent businesses, arts organisations and creative spaces. The team are keen for Splash Art to become part of that wider community rather than simply transplanting what has worked elsewhere. “Sheffield has such a strong arts and culture scene,” says Nic. “We want to bring the community in and become part of it.” Alongside individual bookings, the venue caters for children’s birthday parties, groups and corporate events, 36 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
with sections of the studio or the entire venue available for private hire. Groups can also rotate between activities, while a dedicated party room is planned as work on the building continues. Students get £5 off with valid student ID, while Wednesday and Thursday offpeak sessions are also £5 cheaper. The team have been speaking with Sheffield Students’ Union and see plenty of potential for shared pieces too, including duo canvases that friends, couples or housemates can work on together. There are plans to take the concept beyond the standard sessions. The team has already received enquiries from charities and home-education groups, while the team hopes to develop dedicated sensory sessions following a
trial at its Birmingham venue. The space itself remains a work in progress and exciting updates are in the pipeline. A dedicated Pour Art studio is under construction, Sip & Paint is set to join the line-up and several further seated activities are being kept under wraps. The team also intends to apply for an alcohol licence, with hopes of eventually turning part of the venue into an art bar, alongside a new shopfront. For now, the appeal is rather simpler: make something, make a mess and leave with the results. Splash Art sessions start from £25 per person, Pour Art entry starts at £5 with model options available to purchase from £15, and Spin Art starts at £60 per booth for up to two people. Everything needed to get started – canvas, paints, equipment and protective gear – is provided. And artistic ability is very much optional. “People who say they aren’t creative often come out with the best work,” says Nic. “Sometimes you just need that encouragement to make the first splash.” Web: splashartrepublic.co.uk Follow: @splashartrepublic Visit: Splash Art Republic 156 Arundel Street S1 4RE
6–15 November 2026 Various venues across Sheffield Step into a world of free interactive exhibitions, immersive art, live performances, and mindbending talks designed to spark your curiosity. sheffield.ac.uk/fotm festivalofthemind # FOTM2026
FASHION
THE COLOUR ROOM
PHOTOS: @MARCABARKERPHOTOGRAPHY
There’s no shortage of places to get your hair done in Sheffield, and Michelle Hudson knows the industry better than most. After 25 years in the business, she’s seen salons come and go and trends circle back around. So when the opportunity came to open a place of her own, she knew exactly what she wanted it be. “I wanted to create a salon that reflected exactly how I believe hairdressing should feel,” Michelle tells Exposed. “It was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.” The result is The Colour Room, which opened in Broomhill on 15 August. Run by Michelle alongside Creative Director James Wardley, it’s a small, specialist salon built around colour, experience and the kind of long-term client relationships that have become harder to maintain in bigger, busier spaces. For Michelle, opening her own place is the culmination of a career spent behind the chair. A Wella Master Colour Expert – the highest level of colour qualification within the brand’s education system – she specialises in everything from balayage and babylights to highlights, full-head colour and more complex colour correction. That expertise is important, of course, but The Colour Room isn’t interested in making the technical side of hairdressing feel intimidating. Consultation and honesty come first, particularly when someone arrives with an idea that might not work for their hair. “We’re not a commercial salon,” says James. “It’s welcoming and a proper service. We would strive to get the client exactly what they want and we’d be very truthful in what we can achieve and what we can’t achieve. We value everyone who comes in and it’s a personable experience.” James brings more than 20 years of experience himself, spanning cutting, colouring and barbering. Together, the pair have enough years behind the chair to have watched clients move through 38 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
different stages of their lives – and, in some cases, they’ve been doing their hair since the very beginning of their careers. “When you have a client, you build a relationship,” says Michelle. “I don’t think the hair is just what they’re coming for. Both James and myself have got clients that we’ve been working with since I was an assistant. They stay with you, so they become part of the family. They become part of the furniture.” That sense of familiarity feeds into the salon itself. With just Michelle and James working there, appointments don’t have the conveyor-belt feeling that can creep into larger spaces. The design follows the same thinking: warm, relaxed and deliberately removed from the industrial, clinical look associated with some contemporary salons. “People have literally said in the reviews it’s like having your hair cut in their living room,” says James. “Hopefully
that means they feel relaxed and comfortable in the space.” It’s an atmosphere they’ve been able to establish quickly. Since opening, Michelle says the response has been “absolutely brilliant”, with plenty of new faces coming through the door. The salon is now taking on new clients and, despite having an established customer base, both are keen to meet people beyond the circle they’ve built over two decades in the industry. The location of Broomhill has plenty of footfall without losing its friendly, neighbourhood feel and Michelle has been struck by how quickly nearby businesses and residents have welcomed them. Local customers have arrived bearing cakes and wine while the barbers next door have already extended an invitation for after-work drinks. “It’s nice to be part of the community here,” she says. “It’s just a nice, welcoming atmosphere and there’s a real buzz to it.” There’s also a sense that The Colour Room is Michelle’s chance to take everything she has picked up over 25 years – the good and the bad – and create something on her own terms. With two children now reaching a more grown-up age, the timing felt right to take a risk and open her own place. “It made sense me doing it now,” she says. “I’ve worked for a long period being part-time, but now it’s my business and I can take this in the direction I think best,
running it how I think a salon should be run.” That doesn’t mean the transition has been effortless. After decades spent concentrating on clients and hair, suddenly there are all the less glamorous realities of running a business to contend with. “Setting up your own business is not an easy ride,” she admits. “I’m fine with the hairdresser side of things, but the business side, you’re very much learning on the go!” Neither Michelle nor James has ambitions to turn the place into a sprawling operation. In fact, keeping it small and boutique-style is part of the appeal. “I think sometimes, the bigger a salon gets, the more clinical it can feel,” says James. “You lose that personal touch because it’s more about managing staff rather than looking after clients. I like to think we’re the opposite of that.” A few weeks in, the focus is instead on settling into life in Broomhill. Unsurprisingly, plenty of familiar faces have followed Michelle and James to The Colour Room, with new ones beginning to find them too. To book an appointment, head to thecolourroomsheffield.co.uk. @thecolourroomsheffield 142 Whitham Road Broomhill S10 2SR
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LIVE MUSIC | SCREENINGS | INSTALLATIONS
PLAID LIVE AV NIKNAK LIVE AV WARPVISION TURNTABLISM & TAPES & MUCH MORE
HEALTH & WELLBEING
CROSSFIT BRAZE/GONN CAFE
WORKOUT
PHOTOS: @ISAACLAWRENSONMEDIA.
CrossFit Braze has had a few homes since brothers Oli and James Copping founded it in 2022. After outgrowing two smaller units, the gym recently moved to a larger space on Ecclesall Road, giving its growing community more room to train, socialise and enjoy something beyond the usual gym set-up – including the Austrian-inspired Gönn Café, run by Oli’s partner, Vicki Reif-Breitwieser. The new home at 863 Ecclesall Road brings CrossFit Braze together with Gönn Café, a speciality coffee shop run by Vicki, alongside open gym facilities, an upstairs co-working space and plans for a physio room. The idea is to create somewhere people can train, eat, work and spend social time rather than arriving for a class and heading straight home afterwards. “The gym was growing, the community was getting bigger and it felt like the time to make the move across to the much nicer space that we’re in now,” Oli tells Exposed. Previously home to a Thai boxing gym, the building had been sitting empty before Braze moved in. Classes now run throughout the day, from early morning through to the evening, while the additional space means members often stick around before or after training. “People can come during the day, do some work, stay in the café for a coffee and spend their day with us,” says Vicki. “It’s making the experience more than just, ‘I’m going to rush to the gym and then quickly leave again.’” The timetable covers CrossFit, Hyrox, gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting and dedicated strength sessions, alongside open gym sessions for members who want to work independently. Classes are coach-led and groups are kept to a maximum of 14, allowing coaches to spend time with each person taking part. Oli explains that making coaching accessible to people with different levels of experience is important. “We have a complete range, from complete beginners to people that have been with 42 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
us for a good few years now. This isn't elitist; it's a welcoming community for anyone interested in getting involved.” Beginners can join through a monthly four-week course, which introduces fundamental movements, gymnastics and weightlifting before putting them into practice in workouts. Participants also receive class credits during their first month, allowing them to try the wider timetable. Alternatively, newcomers can book a one-to-one induction with a coach if they'd prefer. For those completely new to CrossFit, the beginners’ course is also a chance to get familiar with the terminology, equipment and coaching before settling into regular classes. There’s no expectation that people arrive already knowing the ropes. “You don’t have to be experienced to jump in,” Vicki says. “Everything is adaptable and scalable to your age, your fitness level, your experience. Everything is designed to be adapted to you so that you can partake and be part of that community no matter what.”
That community element runs through much of what Braze does. There are in-house competitions, an outof-gym social calendar and members travelling together to competitions around Sheffield and further afield. Gönn Café fits naturally into that approach while also reflecting Vicki’s own background. Growing up in Austria, her family worked in hospitality. After following an academic career herself, she found herself increasingly drawn back towards her passions for good food, coffee and baking. As such, the café combines speciality coffee with breakfasts including yoghurt bowls and overnight oats, with a preorder system helping to minimise food waste. There are also Austrian bakes reflecting her heritage. Its name comes from the German verb gönnen, which means “to treat yourself or to look after yourself and do something good for yourself ”. You don’t need to be heading for a workout to use the café, either. Walk-ins are welcome and, as the upstairs coworking area develops, the plan is for the wider space to become increasingly accessible to non-members too. For Vicki and Oli, the emphasis across the gym and café remains on creating a place where people feel part of something rather than simply turning up for a workout or squeezing on to packedout classes. “People are the priority,” says Oli. “We don’t want anyone to feel like they’re just another number. We know everyone by name, you get to know people properly, and that’s a big part of what makes the place what it is.”
CrossFit Braze and Gönn Café
can be found at 863 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, S11 8TJ. Gönn Café is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8am–3pm, and Saturday, 8.30am–12pm. Web: crossfitbraze.com Socials: @crossfitbraze / @gonn.cafe Email: crossfitbraze@gmail. com
Scan the QR on this page for a free trial class.
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A QUICKIE WITH… DELIVERY
Melbourne garage-rock quintet Delivery are heading back to Sheff for a fourth time, with a new single in tow and a third album on the horizon. Isabel Butler spoke to bassist Bec about Steel City connections, M&S foodhall inspo and how they’re partial to a lagerita or two.
First off, it would be great if you could introduce yourselves to the Exposed readers. We are Delivery – Bec, James, Scarlett, Jordy and Liam. A five-piece garage rock band from Melbourne. What specifically brings you back to Sheffield? Sheffield was where we played our first overseas show ever! As soon as we arrived at Delicious Clam it felt like we had landed in the right place and found a scene of like-minded people that was really similar to our music community at home. We’ve been back three times now, so this time will be our fourth. They can’t keep us away! We love the people, the energy and the lageritas. Any places you’re planning on hitting up while you’re here? For how many times we have been to Sheffield, we have definitely not seen enough of the city. We haven’t even seen the Arctic Monkeys AM elephant yet! Maybe that should be on the to-do list this time. Our guitarist Jordy also has some family history in Sheffield which we’ve been meaning to delve into as well – his great, great… great-grandfather John owned a pub called the Yellow Lion 44 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Inn, which is now known as the Norfolk Arms. A beer there seems fitting! How are you feeling ahead of the release of your third album? Super excited! I feel like we’ve put so much into the new album, so it will feel great to start sharing it with everyone. We’ve had a little break from playing while we’ve been working hard behind the scenes getting the album ready to go, so we’re all raring to get back out there and on the road a bunch again! What’s been the inspo for the latest tunes? We had a bit of an ‘inspo playlist’ going for this next record, which is the first time we’ve ever done that. A few choice selections from that are: ‘Tribulations’ – LCD Soundsystem ‘What’s That Got to Do With Loving You?’ – Los Microwaves ‘Lucid Dreams’ – Franz Ferdinand (complete with the four-minute electro outro) ‘Trotzstadt’ – Casey Mueller ‘West End Girls’ – Pet Shop Boys Make what you want of that! A general guiding idea was to try our hand at a ‘late-night album’.
You often get compared to bands such as Wet Leg and Parquet Courts, but if you were to choose two bands that Delivery is most like, who would you pick? We like both of those bands, so any comparison is always flattering, but probably most honestly, our biggest goal is making songs that sound like Delivery. But we could still be tempted to shoot a little closer to The Hives… maybe we could sound like Delivery with the fashion and charisma of The Hives, then? What would be your go-to, on-the-go tour snack? Delivery is quite a big ‘foodie’ band, so we’re always on the hunt for any local delicacy, but at the same time, touring always lends itself to some wacky eating habits. My favourite last tour was the M&S falafel wrap, but a close second would be just putting whatever leftover rider snacks we had from the night before into bread to form an interesting sandwich – always a good go-to in the van! Delivery play Delicious Clam on 4 November. Tickets available from deliciousclam.co.uk. Follow @ delivery_lyf for the latest updates.
WHAT’S ON AT PERFORMANCE VENUES: OCTOBER ONWARD OCT
M O N NOV‘26
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T U E OCT‘26
THE BEAT 8PM | OCTAGON CENTRE See the legendary 2-Tone group on tour with support from The Selecter and a special DJ set from Rhoda Dakar.
13 T U E OCT‘26
7PM | OCTAGON CENTRE Join the inimitable Guardian columnist with her new satirical book, What a Time to Be Alive! Scenes from a Strange Age. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
8PM | OCTAGON CENTRE Synth-pop pioneers Heaven 17 have announced an exciting new hometown show! Give into the TEMPTATION and book a ticket! VIP booking option available.
MARY 10 EDDI READER 19 THE WALLOPERS S A T OCT‘26
8PM | OCTAGON CENTRE
With her work in song, from the traditional to the contemporary, Eddi Reader extinguishes the preordained boundaries of genre, bringing joyous life to all forms.
M O N OCT‘26
8PM | OCTAGON CENTRE A hybrid of dance and drama. Driving choreography, fractured dialogue and relentless tension make The Panic Room a psychological thriller in motion. A World Premiere by PCK Dance.
MARINA HYDE IN CONVERSATION
6 18 HEAVEN 17 S U N OCT‘26
THE PANIC ROOM
18 MOTHER COMPUTER S U N NOV‘26
8PM | OCTAGON CENTRE Ancient folklore collides with imagined futures in this bold and visually captivating dance performance. This word explores how stories of womenhood are carried, inherited and reimagined.
8PM | OCTAGON CENTRE
Accused of being “too Irish”, The Mary Wallopers are turning an insult into a badge of honour on their latest album. Irish folk music magic, here at the Octagon.
Bongo’s Bingo is THE definitive bingo experience. It’s a wild shared social extravaganza. Expect big cash prizes, dance-offs, rave intervals and more all here at the Octagon Centre!
UPCOMING DATES
12 M O N OCT‘26
ORCHESTRA BAOBAB 8PM | OCTAGON CENTRE Founded in 1970 in Dakar, Orchestra Baobab is a cornerstone of African music. Expect a night of afro-cuban rhythms from these legends of Senegal.
5
T H U NOV‘26
MARIAM SINGS AMADOU & MARIAM 8PM | OCTAGON CENTRE Vibrant, Malian, worldbeat tunes from a legend of African music. Featuring music from the duo Amadou & Mariam, as well as new work by Mariam herself.
9 FO C TR ‘ 2 6I 6PM doors | 7:30PM last entry
31 O C T ‘ 2 6 S
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12PM doors | 1PM last entry
AND 6:30PM doors | 7:30PM last entry
SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR FULL LISTINGS THROUGH TO 2027: PERFORMANCEVENUES.GROUP.SHEF.AC.UK
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SHEFFIELD’S EXCITING LIVE MUSIC COLLAB POWERED BY EXPOSED AND JOE GREEN EACH MONTH, WE INVITE ARTISTS ALONG TO THE RED LIGHT SESSIONS TO LAY DOWN A LIVE PERFORMANCE. ONE TAKE. NO DO-OVERS. USUALLY, DRUMMER JOE GREEN IS ON OUR SIDE OF PROCEEDINGS – HELPING PUT THE SESSIONS TOGETHER, PLAYING WITH VISITING ARTISTS AND JOINING US BEHIND THE MIC AFTERWARDS. THIS MONTH, THOUGH, GREENY FINDS HIMSELF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE, AS WE WELCOME HIS OWN BAND, SHEFFIELD INDIE FAVOURITES MILBURN.
WORDS: ASH BIRCH // PHOTO: @PEDALO
Today he’s here in Hybrid 3 Studios, alongside Milburn frontman Joe Carnall to talk about 20-plus years of friendship and the anniversary gigs that have brought them back together. The session itself took place at The Foundry Studios, next door to where a teenage Milburn used to record at Steelworks. “It was really really weird meeting up at that point in town and then going through those doors,” says Carnall. “Like
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I don't know if it was the same door, but it was yards away from where we used to be, so that instantly took me back to being 16, which was bizarre.” After over two decades playing together, the one-take premise didn’t particularly faze them. “I think we've got to the point now where we'd rather do it in one than 17,” says Carnall. “Yeah, we'd much rather just get it done and obviously try and do it well.”
Greeny, having since heard the mix for Send in the Boys, goes further: “Personally, I think it's better than the album.” The session arrives as Milburn mark 20 years since debut album Well Well Well. Earlier this summer, they returned to Don Valley for Rock N Roll Circus, with anniversary dates in London, Newcastle, Leeds and Sheffield following this autumn. “It's 20 years since Well Well Well, and people like that record, believe it or not. We don't really understand why sometimes,” says Carnall. “We're not really an active band as such. We've not made a record for the best part of 10 years, so it's still nice to do gigs. And at the end of the day, we're musicians. That's what we do.” Talk of Rock N Roll Circus also prompts stories about the younger Greeny, who was rather more difficult to keep track of on tour. Carnall recalls one morning in Cologne when the drummer had disappeared entirely, only to stroll into breakfast wearing what looked like “a pilot, Spitfire pilot's coat” and announce: “I'm like a bouncy ball. You may throw me, but I will always come back.” There was also the tour bus alarm
that repeatedly blasted out a Kooks’ song while its owner remained unconscious. “Because he was like a comatose chuffing weasel,” laughs Carnall. “You'd never wake up, so you could just hear this alarm going on and on.” Greeny is, they both assure us, a reformed character. “Hangovers and small children just don't go hand in hand,” he admits. “I've learned that the hard way. So I've tried to like rein it in a little bit.” The Sheffield anniversary show carries particular significance. Milburn will play Electric Studios, formerly The Leadmill, returning to the same room where they played 20 years ago. The decision attracted some criticism, but for Greeny the reasoning was rooted in Milburn’s own history. “We played this gig 20 years ago in that very room, and in my head, that's where that music originated from – that's where we have all them memories and kind of like where it belongs.” “There's a lot of places, a lot of venues that have been bulldozed or are nonexistent, and we're quite fortunate in a way that we can relive that.” Carnall acknowledges that conversations were had before accepting the show.
“I suppose for this show, it was just the best place to do it. There were some conversations, but we're a band, and ultimately, we agreed on what’s right for that band. Moving forward, it doesn't mean we don't want the Leadmill Productions to do great things and support indie artists.” What happens after the anniversary dates is less certain. Carnall has previously suggested Milburn could be approaching the end, but he’s wary of declaring it definitively. “Milburn matters to people around here, and it matters to us. I mean, without Milburn, none of us as a four go on to do what we've done in our own personal careers.” For another record to happen, all four would need to find themselves in the same place creatively. Right now, that conversation hasn’t happened. “We're focused on doing these gigs, doing them well, and seeing what happens. It could very well be the last thing we do. I don't know. There's no exclusive to give because it's not just my opinion.” “There's no studio sessions booked. To put it that way.” Greeny, meanwhile, is still taking lessons, working with different
musicians and obsessing over his craft. “I fell in love with drumming again. Like it's weird.” “Sometimes, on tour, the gig was the worst bit. It's just because you wanted to go out and enjoy the night in a different city.” Practising and challenging himself has brought back some of the feeling he had as a teenager. There’s something similar when Milburn reconvene. Rehearsing old songs in a practice room when you’re pushing 40 can feel faintly ridiculous. Put them in front of a crowd and everything changes. “You get on stage and it completely makes sense for that hour,” says Carnall. “We know when we go on stage there'll be a great energy, and it'll remind us what that record means to people, and the gigs always have been incredible, really, really good.” For now, there are shows to play, an album turning 20 and one more chance to fill that old room with those songs. Beyond that, nobody is making any grand declarations. As Carnall puts it: “Just at the minute, wait and see.” Milburn play Electric Studios on 24 October. Tickets available at electricstudios.co.uk.
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MUSIC: CORPORATION
Photography: Christian Hopewell
CORPORATION HAS ADDED ANOTHER ROOM TO ITS SPRAWLING MILTON STREET HOME, TURNING A PREVIOUSLY CLUB NIGHT-ONLY SPACE INTO A DEDICATED LIVE MUSIC VENUE AIMED AT GRASSROOTS AND EMERGING ARTISTS. Corp’s fourth live room opened at the end of August, following work over the summer to upgrade the space with the production and infrastructure needed to operate as a fullyfledged gig room. For the venue, it means another option for putting on smaller shows and giving newer bands a chance to get onto the ladder, potentially progressing from early gigs to bigger support slots and headline shows elsewhere in the building. It also arrives at an important time for Sheffield’s grassroots music scene. Rising costs and increasing pressure on smaller venues have made spaces for new bands harder to sustain, while Corp – now 25 years into its tenure on Milton Street – finds itself in the position of being able to add one. David Savereux, managing director of Corporation, said of the move: “Enriching the cultural fabric of Sheffield is paramount in the work that we are doing at Corporation and the wider group. It’s never been more important to invest in the music scene, and we are in an incredible position to be able to provide that in Sheffield. “We hope that not only will this help local bands but also provide employment opportunities to those working in the live music industry and opportunities to those that are wanting to become a part of the industry.” While the room increases Corp’s overall live capacity, the idea isn’t simply to squeeze more gigs into the calendar. Having four spaces gives its booking team a little more freedom to put on local bills and smaller touring artists without needing them to fit comfortably into one of the venue’s existing rooms. For live music manager Jake Eckhardt, getting the space up and running has been an ambition for some time. “Opening a fourth live room at Corporation frees us up to be an alternative musical hub and
gives us flexibility for local and grassroots music like never before. It’s what I’ve wanted since I started at Corp. “From the minute I walked into the building five years ago, I’ve been excited to move this room into what it could really be. The room has been wasted and I’m so chuffed that this has actually happened. I’ve done my research and I know how we can run this room for the betterment of Sheffield’s music scene.” It’s another addition to a venue that has played a sizeable role in Sheffield’s alternative scene since moving to Milton Street in 2001. Bring Me The Horizon and While She Sleeps are among the local names to have played Corp over the years, alongside countless local bands finding their feet and touring acts passing through the city. Marketing and social media manager Philippa Revitt hopes the new room can strengthen that pathway. “There’s nothing more exciting than seeing music venues grow, especially in Sheffield. We’re in an incredible position to be able to grow as a venue, and we’ve always been incredibly passionate about ensuring that we’re a space where local bands can grow throughout every room in the building, from their first shows right through to headline events on the main stage. “This fourth room gives us the opportunity to take that even further. We can give emerging artists a proper venue experience while creating more opportunities for local talent to share a bill with touring artists and reach new audiences.” The room got its first outing on 29 August with Sheffield hardcore lot Rough Justice heading up the opening bill. Away from gigs, it’ll also operate as a flexible event space for cultural, creative and community events. See the full listings for this month’s gigs and events at corporation.org.uk.
COMING UP SOON Three acts playing the new room we reckon you should get your lugholes around – and get booked in for, sharpish. Broken Narrative
Sat 10 Oct £10 (+BF) Sheffield nu-rock outfit Broken Narrative bring their latest research into ‘The Change’ home, exploring its mirror, ‘Stasis’, through a mix of live music and storytelling. Expect a night built around moshing, twostepping, truth-seeking and daring to dream.
Rocketsuit Rogue
Thurs 5 Nov £12 (+BF) Former Zebrahead singer and guitarist Matty Lewis returns with Rocketsuit Rogue, his new guitar-driven punk outfit. Hook-heavy riffs, soaring melodies and huge choruses meet years of international touring experience in a set of suitably urgent, apocalyptic punk-rock anthems.
Doomsday Outlaw
Fri 27 Nov £12 (+BF) Doomsday Outlaw bring their trademark mix of heavy riffs, soaring vocals and foot-stomping rock ’n’ roll. Following Damaged Goods, the band revisited Suffer More and Hard Times with producer Dave Draper, breathing fresh life into their earlier material.
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NORTHERN NIGHTS @ MERCHANT’S HOUSE It’s already dark at 7pm and the rain is lashing down. As I head towards Kelham, I’m aware that autumn has arrived. Winter isn’t far behind.
WE ARE SCIENTISTS 3 OCT // ELECTRIC STUDIOS // £32.51 New York indie rock favourites – and old pals of the Arctic Monkeys – We Are Scientists head to Electric Studios with a catalogue stretching back to With Love and Squalor. Expect sharp hooks, onstage wisecracks and, hopefully, a chance to sing along to ‘After Hours’.
FAT DOG 5 OCT // FOUNDRY // £19 South London seven-piece Fat Dog are firm favourites in the Exposed office, so we’re pretty excited for the release of their second album, Cancel Me (I’m Tired). They’re bringing their riotous mix of electro-punk, rave, psychedelia and rock ’n’ roll to the Foundry for a big ol’ launch party – even if they reckon they’re knackered.
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: HAMISH YEWDALL
The Merchant’s House courtyard, however, is lit up by fairy lights. Sam Taylor, one of the promoters of Northern Nights and a seasoned songwriter himself, greets me with a warm grin and leads me into a small, candlelit room with cabaret-style seating and a cosy feel. At one table, the musicians discuss their final plans for the evening. For its inaugural event, Northern Nights has brought together a talented bunch of troubadours. Performing tonight are Michele Stodart, part of Mercury Prizenominated band The Magic Numbers; Robert Vincent, winner of the UK Americana Music Association’s Song of the Year award in 2025; and Ed Cosens, Sheffield songwriter, former Reverend and the Makers guitarist and the second half of the brains behind this gig series. Instead of each singer delivering their own set, the performers take turns to sing a song, often choosing what to play based on what has come before. If one songwriter shares something new, the others follow. Themes of mental health and our relationship with the natural world surface throughout the evening, each songwriter approaching them from a different perspective. While taking photographs, I realise I’m focusing on the interplay between the musicians: the intent listening followed by a nod of approval, the smiles and the laughs between songs. It gives the event a real intimacy; you feel as though you’re a
real part of the proceedings, sitting with three friends swapping stories and songs. It’s inevitable that the musicians will eventually play together. A guitarist can only sit still with a guitar for so long. Ed and Rob are invited to join Michele on a song and leap at the opportunity. Then Ed and Michele preview a new song, with the working title ‘We’re Alright’. The pair are due to record at Yellow Arch Studios on Sunday. Rob proclaims it the highlight of the evening – and I’d agree. I’m looking forward to hearing it again once it’s released. If I were to use one word to describe Northern Nights, it’d be hygge. The Danish word is used to describe that warm feeling you get when you’re relaxed, cosy and among friends. It can be commercialised, but it’s more than candles, fluffy cushions and hot chocolate. It’s a feeling of contentment and calm. As the rain lashes down outside and I listen to all this beautiful music, that’s exactly how I feel. On Monday 9 November, Northern Nights takes its curated acoustic nights to Bishops’ House for an evening of gothic folk in the old Tudor manor. Performing that evening are Sam Moss, all the way from Virginia, and The Greatest Endangered Thing. Keep an eye on @ northernnightsofficial for more events in the future.
RECØMPØSE PRESENTS WORKING MEN’S CLUB (DJ SET) AND MATTHEW HUM 17 OCT // SIDNEY & MATILDA // £13.80 The graveyard sessionists take their RECØMPØSE night out of the Samuel Worth Chapel and into Sidney & Matilda’s with a late-night set from Working Men’s Club’s Syd Minsky and Golden Lion Sounds’ Matthew Hum. Running from 11pm, it promises dark synths, new wave and hypnotic grooves from a crew whose chapel parties have built a devoted following.
CABARET VOLTAIRE 25 OCT // OCTAGON // £38.50 Sheffield electronic pioneers Cabaret Voltaire return to the Octagon more than 40 years after they last played there. Stephen ‘Mal’ Mallinder and Chris Watson will close their final UK tour with a set spanning the band’s influential career, joined by special guest Gazelle Twin.
PEARL RIVER BAND 31 OCT // YELLOW ARCH STUDIOS // £10 Sheffield’s Pearl River Band head to Yellow Arch for a Halloween hometown headline show. Drawing on the darker edges of psychedelic rock, they pair vintage sounds with an explosive live presence. If you’ve yet to catch one of the city’s most talked-about new bands, here’s your chance.
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Boundless Possibilities No Bounds returns to Sheffield and Rotherham from 9–11 October. Ahead of the award-winning festival, we asked founder Liam O’Shea which five acts he’s most looking forward to seeing. From dubstep pioneers to homegrown talent, here’s who he reckons you shouldn’t miss... MALA
A true architect of dubstep, Mala brings weight, space and spiritual intensity to No Bounds 2026. As one half of Digital Mystikz and founder of Deep Medi Musik, his influence runs through generations of bass culture in Britain. Unmatched. Expect a masterclass in sound-system pressure: deep, meditative, physical and absolutely foundational.
BLAWAN (LIVE)
Blawan’s new live show promises techno at its most raw, physical and unpredictable. The Barnsleyborn producer twists modular electronics, industrial pressure and unruly rhythm into something truly his own. Renowned for constantly reshaping his sound, he arrives at No Bounds 2026 ready to push our dancefloor into new regions of weirdness through beautifully twisted mind melters.
96 BACK (LIVE)
Sheffield’s own 96 Back steps into an exciting new chapter with a tantalising live show at No Bounds 2026. Known for emotionally charged electronics, intricate rhythms and vivid melodic detail, he turns club music inward and outward all at once, this time with a live drummer propelling his screaming vocals into new shards of emotional rain. This hometown performance offers an early glimpse of an artist evolving fast.
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OPPIDAN
One of UK garage’s most exciting new-generation producers, Oppidan combines razor-sharp swing, heavyweight bass and irresistible momentum. Her sets connect the genre’s deep foundations with a bright, restless future, moving freely across garage, breaks and bass. At No Bounds 2026, expect pure vibes as they headline the absolutely ridiculous Off Me Nut x Wub Club afters with Big Ang at Dryad.
MAX COOPER (3D/AV)
Max Cooper opens No Bounds 2026 by transforming Peddler Warehouse into a spectacular world of sound, light and dimensional imagery. His immersive 3D/AV performance, Feeling Is Structure, brings electronic music, science and visual art into breathtaking alignment. Expansive, emotional and technologically audacious, this is a true festival-scale opening statement. NOT to be missed under any circumstances!
EDITOR’S PICKS Our web editor Ash Birch has done a few laps of No Bounds over the years and these are the other names and happenings he reckons you should make room for in the diary. The Black Dog Sheffield electronic music pioneers bring a special, suitably earth-shaking version of Loud Ambient to the opening concert. KAVARI Abrasive textures meet ethereal soundscapes as one of the UK underground’s most exciting artists makes her Sheffield debut. Memory Dance Head to Chapel Walk for a free exhibition tracing seven decades of Sheffield music through photos, flyers, film and more. Charla Green The Sheffield DJ brings rolling jungle breaks and serious bass pressure to the Off Me Nut x Wub Club afterparty. WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 55
October brings LGBTQ+ socials, culture, club nights, quizzes and Halloween chaos. Whether you’re after a kickabout, a sweaty dancefloor, a bookish evening or somewhere calmer to meet people, there’s plenty happening across the city. The weekly fixtures keep things ticking along. Inclusive Football Sessions (every Monday) bring LGBTQ+ people and allies to Leisure United Woodbourn Road for a friendly kickabout from 6pm to 7pm, with equipment included. Rainbow Minds (every Wednesday) hosts its LGBTQ+ Café at the Wellbeing Centre on Sharrow Lane from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. It’s an informal space for adults who feel isolated, are living with mental health issues or simply want to meet new people. For a gentle introduction to the social calendar, Queer Women’s Pool Party (1 Oct) returns to Peaks Sports Bar. KWR Sheffield’s second pool night promises 10-minute games, random pairings and plenty of chances to mingle. No pool-shark credentials required. At Gut Level, Gut Pleasers: Communal Meal (7 Oct) brings people together over vegan and vegetarian food, with a gluten-free option. Breathe Easy (13 Oct) offers a more Covidconscious space for anyone cautious about crowded indoor venues, while Craft Social (14 Oct) welcomes craft, art and mending projects – or anyone who just fancies a
drink and a chat. Elsewhere, the Over 50s LGBTQ+ Group (8 Oct) meets at Weston Park Museum for dementia and neurodivergentfriendly peer support led by LGBT people. Rainbow Gamers (25 Oct) returns to Treehouse for a relaxed board-game social and a chance to meet people over a game or two. Gut Level’s PUB WORLD strand has two more dates for the diary. PUB WORLD: Folk Session (1 Oct), hosted by Lucy and Rosie Huzzard, centres women, marginalised genders and LGBTQ+ people while welcoming everyone to play, sing or listen. PUB WORLD: Pub Quiz with Church (15 Oct) mixes general knowledge and pop culture with daft challenges and silly prizes. There’s no need to sign up: bring a team before 7.30pm to compete. Fancy trying something new? FLAW Collective’s DJ workshop and social (6 Oct) at Gut Level welcomes LGBTQ+ people, women and marginalised genders at any experience level. Degenerate Art Club: Trans & Non-binary Life Drawing (21 Oct) runs from 6pm to 9pm at the
same venue. It’s £10 cash on the door, with no one turned away for lack of funds. Safe Ground Yoga (31 Oct) is a traumainformed class for self-identifying women and marginalised genders, led by Michelle Brown. Places are limited, so book ahead; payment is on a sliding scale. Pop fans can head to The Victoria for Juno Books’ Ultimate Kylie Minogue Quiz and Q&A with Michael Cragg (15 Oct). Cragg will discuss his book Can’t Get You Out of My Head: In Search of Kylie before the quiz puts your Light Years, Fever and Tension knowledge to the test. Grace Petrie (16–17 Oct) brings politically charged folk to Foundry for an all-seated show in two halves: an intimate solo set and a full-band retrospective spanning 16 years of songs. For something more atmospheric, We Are Building a Blazing World! Elspeth Ann and Jennifer Reid (4 Oct) at Gut Level is billed as a folk ritual. Inspired in part by Margaret Cavendish, it draws on traditional folk, songs about plants and oral histories to explore female power, queer justice and survival. You’ll be invited to switch off your phone and be present. On the dancefloor, Hard Ballet with Danielle (16 Oct) brings house, techno, electro and experimental club sounds to Gut Level. Danielle is joined by residents FM Arlo and Jacksa for moody bass and sideways euphoria. The venue’s QTIBPOC Cinema Club (20 Oct) offers a different kind of gathering: a monthly film night for queer, trans, intersex, Black people and people of colour. Bring-and-share food starts at 6pm, followed by a subtitled screening at 7pm and time to talk afterwards. Halloween brings a gloriously silly final stretch. Halloween Special Drag Queen Bingo (23 Oct) at Malin Bridge Inn promises a Hocus Pocus-themed room, the Saturnos drag duo, costumes, cabaret, prizes and an afterparty. Expect rude jokes and games far removed from traditional bingo. Disco Divas Sapphic Spooktacular (24 Oct) at CADS welcomes LGBTQ+ women and non-binary sapphics for disco pop, dance classics and floor-fillers from 7pm to midnight, with proceeds going to SAYiT and Steel City Sapphics. Yours truly will be on the decks. Finally, The Rocky Horror Night (30 Oct) takes over Malin Bridge Inn with a four-cast Rocky Horror tribute show, Halloween cabaret, themed cocktails, fancy dress and an afterparty until 1.30am. On the same night, Halloween Bingo (30 Oct) at OEC offers drag bingo, cheeky games, prizes, a disco and a late bar until 1am. For updates, check facebook.com/ sheffieldlgbtevents before heading out.
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CHARITY
Sheffield Hospitals Charity is inviting businesses and individuals to get closer to healthcare innovation through Sheffield Dragons, a new membership network supporting the charity’s Dragons’ Den Innovation Fund. Exposed spoke to Greg Van Heeswijk, Director of Fundraising, and Rosie Memory, Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager, about creating a community around innovation, giving NHS staff the freedom to test new ideas and how Sheffield’s business community can be part of the journey. INTERVIEW:JOE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: MARC BARKER
For anyone hearing about Sheffield Dragons for the first time, what is it? Greg: Sheffield Dragons is a membership network we’re setting up to engage Sheffield businesses and connect them with innovation in healthcare within the city. It has grown out of the Dragons’ Den Innovation Fund, which we’ve been running with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals for several years and which has been really successful. It was created to give people working within the hospitals an opportunity to develop ideas in an environment where innovation and testing might not otherwise get that chance. We’ve seen some amazing successes through the fund and we’ve reached a point where we want to give it a sustainable, long-term funding base. Sheffield Dragons allows us to connect businesses in the city with that work and enable them to see the impact their contribution can have. You describe Sheffield Dragons as a partnership rather than simply a way to donate. What does that mean in practice? Rosie: For us, it’s about developing a longer-term partnership and making people feel part of the whole journey. That could begin when projects first apply for funding and continue through to seeing them funded and then demonstrating their impact further down the line. Businesses and individuals can become involved 58 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
at three different levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold – but the principle behind all of them is that closer relationship. We want members to understand the projects and see what their involvement is helping to make possible. Greg: There are membership levels and benefits set out in the brochure, but we don’t want it to feel like an off-the-shelf package. We want to work with individual members to understand what would make that partnership valuable for them. If, for example, an organisation sees an opportunity to provide mentoring and there is a mutually beneficial way of doing that with the hospital, that is something we can explore. How does the Dragons’ Den Innovation Fund itself work? Greg: NHS staff from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (STH) are invited to pitch their innovative ideas to a panel of experts from the senior leadership team at STH as well as senior leaders from the charity. They are judged on what impact their ideas could have for patients, families or staff, and what different outcomes could be delivered for the Trust. We generally receive far more applications than we can take forward. This year there will be £150,000 available to support successful applicants with their projects. One of the important things about the fund is that it provides an opportunity to test an idea.
WHEN BUSINESSES INVEST IN BETTER HEALTHCARE IN SHEFFIELD, THEY’RE POTENTIALLY INVESTING IN SOMETHING THAT COULD BENEFIT THEIR OWN STAFF, COLLEAGUES AND FAMILIES.”
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CHARITY
Within an environment such as the NHS, there’s a base level of care that has to be provided and a budget available to deliver it. That means people aren’t necessarily going to have the time, money or opportunity to test something new, even when they can see that it might make a difference. The fund creates that opportunity. Where do those ideas come from? Greg: They come from people within Sheffield Teaching Hospitals who are seeing these challenges every day. They live and breathe their work and care deeply about it, so what better place is there for an idea to originate? It’s only right that people have an opportunity to influence the environment they’re working in and some of the processes they have to work with. There isn’t a narrow limitation on the type of innovation we can support, either. The projects can be very different. Of course, we want as many successful ideas as possible to progress and potentially be rolled out more widely, but testing is valuable in itself. Not every idea necessarily has to become something that is implemented on a huge scale for that process to have been worthwhile. Can you give us an example of an idea that has already received support? Rosie: One of my favourites is a woundmanagement app. A patient can download the app and, if they have a chronic wound, take a video of it while they’re at home. That creates a 3D image which allows their healthcare team to monitor its progress remotely. It means patients don’t necessarily have to come into hospital as frequently and clinicians can track how the wound is progressing more effectively. Around 2.2 million people across the UK live with chronic wounds, so innovations like that potentially have a much wider relevance. What I particularly like is that it came from somebody within the hospital having an idea and applying for the funding to develop it. Greg: The example I always come back to is Snore Safe because it’s really impressive while also being fairly straightforward. Some people undergoing an operation may have sleep apnoea, which can create complications that need to be considered. Previously, somebody who might be at risk could require further assessment, face a long wait for a test or need to stay in critical care following their operation. Snore Safe uses relatively inexpensive wearable technology to monitor oxygen levels and heart rate overnight. That can help identify whether sleep apnoea is an issue so the clinical team can make an informed decision about the treatment and monitoring that person needs. What I find so powerful about that example is the relationship between the relatively small initial investment and the potential saving. The grant we made through the Innovation Fund was around £7,000, but in the first seven months, the project has saved roughly £130,000 through the critical care bed capacity it has freed up. It’s around 12 to 60 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
14 critical care beds every month. When you consider the wider pressures on the NHS and the need to reduce waiting lists, you can see how an idea like that has an impact beyond an individual patient. That broader benefit is something we’re interested in when considering projects. So are you looking for innovations that could ultimately have an impact beyond Sheffield? Greg: We’d obviously love to take as many of these ideas forward as possible, and there are examples where we’re looking at ways they might have relevance to other hospitals. But I think we have to retain that willingness to test ideas. You don’t always get the opportunity to do that within the NHS because the immediate priority has to be delivering care. Some projects may become something much bigger. Others might demonstrate through testing that there are limitations. What matters is creating a space in which people are able to explore those ideas properly. You’re preparing to launch Sheffield Dragons. What can prospective members expect? Rosie: Members can expect our first launch event to take inspiration from TV's Dragons' Den, in an industrial style location in Sheffield. At the event, we want to look back at some of the things the Innovation Fund has supported previously, but also look forward to what could emerge from this year’s applications. Members will get to hear from senior staff at STH and have the opportunity to connect with like-minded people passionate about supporting health innovation in our region. How important is Sheffield’s wider business community to what you’re trying to achieve? Rosie: It’s really important. We want Sheffield Dragons to feel as though it belongs to the business community and to people across the region. It’s about showing that businesses and individuals are willing to invest in healthcare innovation here.
FROM IDEA TO IMPACT
Projects supported through the Dragons’ Den Innovation Fund i nclude: ⚫ Point-of-care ultrasound to provide faster assessment and diagnosis of cancer at Weston Park. ⚫ Portable medical-grade ECG monitors to help frail older people receive diagnosis and treatment closer to home. ⚫ Blue plates and crockery designed to help people living with dementia better engage with food and support healthy eating. ⚫ Handheld toe-pressure machines helping community teams identify poor blood flow and begin treatment sooner. ⚫ Wound-management technology allowing wounds to be monitored remotely, reducing hospital visits and admissions.
173-179 West Street, Sheffield S14EW Phone: 0114 405 5055
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CHARITY
There’s also a circularity to it. When businesses invest in better healthcare in Sheffield, they’re potentially investing in something that could benefit their own staff, colleagues and families. Better healthcare is something everybody in the city can ultimately benefit from. Greg: We were very conscious when we started designing Sheffield Dragons that we didn’t want to create it in isolation and then simply present it to businesses. We spoke to a number of businesses across the city and asked for their input about what would work for them. We had some really positive feedback, and that has helped shape what we’re developing. Rosie: Richard Stubbs, chief executive of Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, is also involved as our ambassador. He’s a real pioneer of health innovation and brings a huge amount of knowledge and credibility. Richard was one of the first people to emphasise that this should be seen as a partnership, not a donation. That has become really important to us because we want members to be involved and genuinely feel part of what’s happening. Is Sheffield Dragons primarily aimed at businesses? Greg: Businesses are naturally a major audience for us and we tend to talk about Sheffield Dragons from that perspective, but it certainly doesn’t have to stop there. There will be people who have had extremely positive experiences within Sheffield’s hospitals and want to find a meaningful way to support them. Sheffield Dragons could offer that. It could be a philanthropist, an investor or somebody with an angel-investor mindset who is particularly interested in innovation. Anybody who identifies with that should get in touch. It isn’t exclusively about organisations. What would success look like for Sheffield Dragons? Greg: For me, it’s about creating a genuine sense of community and bringing together a group of people who are committed to and passionate about healthcare in Sheffield. We’re not looking for a huge number of members. I’d rather see us create a relatively small, engaged community of people who are genuinely interested in the idea and want to be involved. Obviously, successfully funding the programme is important. But if we can build that community around it as well, that would represent real success for me. Where would you like Sheffield Dragons and the Innovation Fund to be in five years' time? Greg: It might sound ambitious, but I’d love us to double the fund. In the future, if we could commit £300,000 each year to the Dragons' Den Innovation Fund, that would be amazing. That would give us the ability to support more ideas and create more opportunities for
innovation within the hospitals. Rosie: That would be the dream. We know there is an appetite for innovation and there are always more ideas than it is possible to support. We’d also like Sheffield Dragons itself to build momentum year on year. As those relationships develop, there are other things we’d love to introduce, such as mentoring and different ways for members to contribute their expertise as well as their financial support. Finally, if a business or individual likes the idea, how easy is it to become a Sheffield Dragon? Rosie: Really easy. The starting point is simply to get in touch with me. We'll have a conversation about what level of involvement is right for them and what aligns with their own objectives. We can share more stories about projects that have received funding in the past and explain what their involvement would actually look like. It doesn’t need to begin with somebody knowing exactly what they want. The important thing is starting that conversation. Greg: Ultimately, we want each partnership to work for the member as well as for the charity and the hospitals. The membership structure gives us a starting point, but there’s scope to develop relationships beyond that. If we can bring together people from across the region who want to invest in the ideas coming directly from those working in our hospitals, we can give those ideas an opportunity to flourish. That’s what Sheffield Dragons is really about. For more information on Sheffield Dragons and how to sign up, head to sheffieldhospitalscharity.org.uk/ sheffield-dragons.
COULD YOU BE A DRAGON? There are three levels of Sheffield Dragons membership:
BRONZE – £1,000 Access to the Sheffield Dragons launch, regular project updates and recognition as a supporter during Dragons' Week and across programme materials.
SILVER – £3,000 All Bronze benefits, plus opportunities for closer engagement with the programme, including dedicated sessions offering greater insight into healthcare innovation.
GOLD – £10,000 The highest level of involvement, including opportunities to meet senior Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and charity leaders, hear directly from Dragons’ Den winners and receive more prominent recognition. Membership is open to businesses and individual supporters, with all Dragons getting closer to the people, ideas and projects shaping healthcare innovation in Sheffield.
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CULTURE: PREVIEW
Exposed’s Mark Perkins has been a devoted Sensoria-goer since the Sheffield festival first fired up its projectors and plugged in its synths almost 20 years ago. With another typically eclectic programme on the horizon this month, he picks through the latest mix of music, film, digital art and immersive experiences to find out what’s worth catching. As festivals go – and we do have a fair few here in Sheffield – Sensoria isn’t the largest by any means, but its approach always thrills me more than any other. When it comes to unusual and unique events, there’s nothing quite like it. Some remain in my head for months, even years, afterwards. And the great thing is, the most memorable are usually the hardest to predict. I’ll attempt to give you a flavour of what to expect this year and let you make up your own mind but, as ever, check the festival website and socials (listed at the bottom of this article) for the latest news. If you’re a fan of Warp Records, the independent label that grew out of Sheffield’s emerging electronic music scene at the end of the 80s, you’ll want to be at Warpvision on the opening night. It’s an audiovisual journey through the Warp archives, projected on the big screen with accompanying audio at the University Drama Studio. Before that, in a separate show, there’ll be an ambient music experience presented by Slow Wave Sounds, with
a soundtrack by Ince B depicting the impact of the Stanlow oil refinery on its surroundings. Fans of the manga classic Tekkonkinkreet will no doubt want to see the 20th-anniversary 4K restoration of this seminal animated film (featuring a score by Plaid) on 23 October. After that, it’ll be a dash across the city to Hangr Warehouse to catch Plaid playing a live AV show, with support from musical polymath NikNak and her DJ beats. 2026 sees the return of the everpopular SynthFest, which took a break
last year. Where else but Sheffield would you expect to see dazzling displays of the latest synths and electronic musicmaking kit? But if you’re like me, you’ll try to get into at least one of the hidden gems tucked away in the Upper Refectory. Here you’ll find lectures and talks to fascinate, educate and entertain throughout the day. Local author Daniel Dylan Wray will be chatting with Chris Watson and Stephen Mallinder about all things Cabaret Voltaire, plus there’s a talk on the history of synthesisers and even a synthesiser open mic session – again, you couldn’t get much more Steel City if you tried. In the Drama Studio on Saturday night there’s another double bill. Turntablism and Tapes brings a live mix of vinyl film scores from VHS cinema courtesy of Reel Steel and Zaron, while beforehand the Plantasia Collective
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CULTURE: PREVIEW will reimagine Mort Garson’s pioneering electronic works. It all sounds unusual and alternative, and it’s just the sort of fascinating event Sensoria is so good at curating – the kind that so often turns into an unexpected highlight of the festival. There’s a tempting selection of free stuff too. Air Giants: Hothouse will run for four days in the old John Lewis building, promising large interactive plant sculptures brought to life using Air Giants’ pioneering robotic technology. There will also be a free installation at the Samuel Worth Chapel called Intertwining, combining some of Sensoria’s calling cards: soundscapes, electronic music, film and photography. Appropriately for its setting, it explores how graves become enveloped by the flora and fauna of a nature reserve. The chapel will be open from 10.30am to 8pm, giving visitors a chance to see the work at twilight. One event you may well need to book early for also takes place in the old John Lewis building. In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is an interactive VR experience intended for groups of one to four people. You’ll be transported back to 1989 and tasked with tracking down an illegal warehouse party, caught between the police and a pirate radio broadcast.
YOU COULDN’T GET MUCH MORE STEEL CITY IF YOU TRIED”
PHOTO: BENJI WILSON
Sounds intriguing, to say the least, so get in there before the slots get taken up. The major event in the electronic and digital arts calendar is always ProDay at the Workstation. Top tip: the everpopular scoring contest, open to anyone wanting to try their hand at scoring a predetermined piece of film, is a session not to be missed. Local folk musician Jim Ghedi will be there this year too, telling the story of how he came to score recent Hollywood film The Death of Robin Hood. In a nutshell, you can expect another few days of unforgettable and unusual experiences, packaged and presented to you as only Sensoria can. Go check out the full programme and support one of the city’s most innovative and stimulating homegrown festivals. When: 22-25 October Tickets: sensoria.org.uk Socials: @sensoriafest
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PHOTOS: ALEX MOONEY / GEORGE BAGGALEY / LIANNE MELLOR / OWEN RICHARDSON / ROANNA WELLS / GEORGE BAGGALEY / MARK HOWE
Sheffield’s creative community is throwing open its doors on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, as Yorkshire Artspace’s annual Open Studios weekend returns. More than 100 artists and makers across Persistence Works and Exchange Place will welcome visitors in for a rare nosey around their studios, a look at works in progress and the chance to buy art direct from local artists. From jewellery and ceramics to painting, printmaking and contemporary art, it’s a weekend-long peek inside two of the country’s biggest creative hubs, right here in Sheffield. We spoke to artists Holly Clifford, Evelyn Albrow, Lianne Mellor and Roanna Wells about opening their workspaces and what visitors can expect behind the studio doors. What are you working on at the moment – and what might people see if they wander into your studio during Open Studios? HC: At the moment I am working on a very exciting piece for Festival of the Mind, depicting the north polar cap of Mars. I am also working on an array of bespoke topographical jewellery and wall piece commissions, including a map of the Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania) and Broomhead Reservoir (closer to home!). What does your studio look like on an average working day? Organised chaos, meticulously tidy or somewhere in between? LM: I'm a very visual person so there's lots of sketches, studies and inspiration pinned on the walls or scattered on the floor if I'm in the middle of a painting. However, I'm quite meticulous about all my brushes, paints and tools having a 'home' to live in. There's nothing worse than arriving at the studio ready to paint, then spending 45 minutes searching for my favourite paintbrush.
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Is there a part of your process that people are often surprised by? HC: People often assume that my wall maps are made from lots of separate layers of metal. However, they’re actually made from one single sheet – the contour lines are cut through the metal then beautifully fanned out into a three-dimensional representation of the landscape. In theory, each map could be flattened back down to that one sheet. Open Studios gives people access to spaces they’d normally never see. What do you think visitors get from seeing where and how work is actually made? EA: It's such a good chance to see what inspires artists and get a sense of who they are. Just to be nosey! I like looking at their books and seeing what's on their walls. It's always fascinating to see their tools and materials too – you get a true sense of their process and way of creating. It's a much more tactile experience.
What do you enjoy about meeting people face-to-face and talking about your work – and is there anything slightly strange about opening up what is usually a private working space? RW: I always find it encouraging meeting people and talking to them about my current work and process. Whether I’m in full motivation mode or feeling a bit stuck, the conversations that arise can either confirm direction or help to unlock creative blocks. I’m naturally an introvert so it can be a bit tiring allowing people into a space that is usually just my own, but it’s worth it. For someone coming to Open Studios who doesn’t normally visit galleries or buy art, what would you say to them? LM: Everyone is welcome at Open Studios. You don't need to be an expert or collector to appreciate things made by hand. Bring an open mind and curiosity to find out how the work is created – I love hearing more about the process behind the work and why things are done a certain way. Even if you don't see anything that resonates with you, at the very least you can stay out of the rain on a grey November weekend and treat yourself to a pastry in a pop-up cafe! Yorkshire Artspace Open Studios 2026 takes place Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, 11am–5pm, at Persistence Works and Exchange Place. Free entry. Head to yas.art/ whats-on for more info.
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28 Sep–25 Oct
CULTURE: PREVIEW
THE FINE PRINT
Around 60 of the UK’s leading printmakers are coming together for a new exhibition at Sheffield’s Millennium Gallery, curated by local artists James Green and Ed Bradbury – better known around these parts as Kid Acne. Running until Christmas Eve, New Editions: Contemporary Printmaking looks at the range of work being produced by printmakers across the country today, from bold graphic pieces and figurative work to landscapes, illustration and art influenced by DIY and street culture. For Ed and James, it’s also a chance to bring together artists they’ve encountered through their own longstanding involvement with printmaking. Both have spent decades working with the medium, though they arrived at it from different directions. James said of upcoming exhibition: “I discovered printmaking in the mid2000s, having had very little knowledge of the processes or history previously. I was really taken with the vibrancy you’re able to create with printmaking, and the magic of revealing the finished print. “I took up linocut and then screen print and have been entranced by both techniques. Over the years, I have come across so many talented printmaking artists, and this is such a
great opportunity to show some of them to the world.” For Ed, print has been part of his work since his teenage years. Screen printing has remained a fixture of his practice for more than three decades, with Kid Acne’s output running through DIY fanzines, street art and limitededition prints. In the exhibition announcement, he said: “I've been passionate about printmaking since I was a teenager. Screen printing in particular has been a mainstay in my studio practice for over 30 years, and has played a pivotal role in my creative development, from
DIY fanzines, to street art, and limitededition prints.” The pair’s different backgrounds have helped shape a broad selection. Sheffield and the surrounding region are well represented, with artists including Phlegm, Jonathan Wilkinson, Nick Deakin, Green and Kid Acne appearing alongside established names from contemporary British art and design. Among them are graphic artist Anthony Burrill, Stanley Donwood, Pete Fowler, Mr Bingo and Paul Insect, alongside work by the late punk artist Jamie Reid. Billy Childish, Charming Baker, David Shillinglaw and SHOK-1 also feature. The works demonstrate how varied contemporary printmaking can be, moving between figurative pieces, geometric compositions and landscapes, with influences from illustration, graphic design and street art running throughout. There’s also an opportunity to buy the work. Editions of every piece in the exhibition are available from the gallery shop while stocks last, with purchases supporting the participating artists and Sheffield Museums. New Editions: Contemporary Printmaking is at the Millennium Gallery until 24 December 2026. Entry is free, with a suggested £5 donation.
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CULTURE: TWELFTH NIGHT
With mistaken identities, mischievous schemes and unexpected romances, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is one of the most beloved comedies on stage. Director Jamie Glover and actor Matthew Horne, playing Malvolio, speak to Carrie Askew about the rehearsal process and what they are most looking forward to in staging this classic play. What excites you most about staging this at the Crucible specifically? MH: Well, the Crucible is a theatre that I’ve not played before and it’s a very prominent thrust stage, and that can make for a very different theatre experience, whatever play you’re putting on. Twelfth Night is largely a celebration: a celebration of love, being who you are and identity, and being on such a prominent thrust stage really brings the audience to the play rather than us taking the play to the audience. It’s an enormous, immersive experience actually. In the Crucible, you’re also at ground level when you’re performing, the same level as the audience, and there’s something really thrilling about that, 74 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
about bringing an audience into your world – whatever you’re creating. I think Twelfth Night is a world of love and magic and fantasy, so we can take the audience along with us much more easily in that Crucible environment. JG: I’m not just saying this because I’m working there, but I think the Crucible is genuinely one of the most exciting theatre spaces in Britain. Twelfth Night is, and has always been, my favourite play, so to do it here is perfect. It really is the most extraordinary space because it thrusts everyone into the heart of the action, and there’s so much going on in Twelfth Night that’s funny, sad and moving, the wraparound the Crucible brings is perfect for this play – perfect for most plays, actually – but perfect
TWELFTH NIGHT IS LARGELY A CELEBRATION: A CELEBRATION OF LOVE, BEING WHO YOU ARE AND IDENTITY”
for Twelfth Night. It couldn’t be a better venue as far as I’m concerned. Mathew, what is your relationship with Shakespeare? What inspiration have you drawn on to get into the mind of Malvolio? MH: My earliest memory of Shakespeare was probably studying and going to see Henry V at school. Shakespeare has been a huge part of my cultural and educational experience. He is so lauded in this country – quite rightly – that he is ubiquitous in popular culture and within the arts. So studying, watching and then being lucky enough to perform Shakespeare has meant it’s been part of my life from a very young age. Mat, you’re a hugely celebrated comedy actor. How different is working on a 400-year-old comedy as opposed to a modern one? Do you have to work in different ways to get the laughs? MH: I don’t think you do have to work in different ways, I certainly don’t approach it in a different way. For me, with any play or any piece of work, any script, any character, it’s about finding the truth of the situation and the circumstances with that character; what the reality is of this character’s world. We are all human beings at the end of the day, whether it’s 400 years ago
or yesterday. Finding that truth means there will be some commonality there and it’s my job to find that truth and bring it to the present. Expanding on that answer, what parallels do you see in the comedy of Shakespeare and the comedy of today? MH: Well, a lot of Shakespeare’s comedy is quite puerile and I think most people’s introduction to comedy, at school, in the playground, is generally quite puerile. Slapstick comedy and clowning, which is well over a hundred years old, was certainly part of my formative experience. I grew up with Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin – not that I was born in the 1920s – but that was my experience of it. I think it will always be part of comedy culture and I suppose the best modern example of that is Mr Bean. So they would be my two parallels. I’m not saying that Malvolio embodies either or both of those, but I would like to think that he does by the time I’ve got to the end of rehearsals! Finally, what are you both most looking forward to about this production, and what should audiences expect from the experience? MH: There’s a potential here at the Crucible, particularly with the school’s programme which is running in line
with this show, of bringing Shakespeare and Twelfth Night to a brand new audience and possibly creating somebody’s first ever experience of theatre. That to me is incredibly exciting. What is important to me when doing Shakespeare is finding the truth of a character and a story and making that accessible and applicable to the present day. You can do that in abundance when you’re performing plays that are on the curriculum or you know that you’ve got lots of students coming in to watch it and to learn – I find that really exciting. The main thing that I’m really looking forward to is bringing this play and Shakespeare to a modern audience and hopefully making it mean something to them – and above all of that, giving them an enjoyable night out. JG: I hope audiences will get a bit of everything – it is my favourite play and is so because there’s so much of the human experience in it. There’s how closely aligned grief and romantic love are and I think that happens with Olivia, the way that she’s grieving but then suddenly falls herself headlong in love. It’s very funny, painful, witty, and I think with Mathew Horne – who is in my opinion one of the finest comic actors – playing one of the finest comic roles, people are in for a treat. It sounds like a pretty good combination to me, and is proving so in the rehearsal room. I can’t wait to see him and this incredible company of actors, which some people will know from King Lear already. They’re really an extraordinarily strong ensemble and they are something to behold. I can’t wait for people to see it. Twelfth Night runs Sat 10–Sat 31 Oct at the Crucible. Tickets are available at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
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CULTURE: REVIEW
KING LEAR @ CRUCIBLE THEATRE Shakespeare’s mad monarch takes a darker turn on Sheffield’s Crucible stage
WORDS: ISOBEL O’MAHONY PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHAN PERSSON
TWELFTH NIGHT 10–31 OCT // CRUCIBLE // £15–£43 Mathew Horne plays Malvolio in Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night at the Crucible. Mistaken identities, mischievous schemes and unexpected romances collide when a shipwreck sets a tangle of love and deception in motion. With everyone pursuing someone, and nobody quite who they seem, expect mischief, music and plenty of crossed wires. SHEFFIELDTHEATRES.CO.UK
COME FROM AWAY 14–17 OCT // MONTGOMERY THEATRE // £21.50 On 11 September 2001, 38 planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, leaving thousands of travellers stranded. Come From Away tells how the town welcomed them, bridging language barriers and cultural differences with generosity and humour. This moving musical celebrates the friendships formed when a small community opened its doors to strangers.
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OFF-GRID Director Titas Halder has stripped Shakespeare’s classic tragedy down to its raw, dystopian core with his production of King Lear. Its September stint at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre tells the story of an ageing royal whose fateful decision to divide his kingdom among his three daughters triggers a devastating spiral of betrayal, violence and ruin. Tony and Olivier Award-winning actor Ian McDiarmid stuns in the title role, capturing Lear’s increasingly fractured speech and dwindling sanity. In an instant, McDiarmid can jump from red mist to satire, enthralling the audience like royal subjects. Max Revel’s physical performance as the Fool is equally compelling, bending around the language and the stage itself. In the second act especially, Fode Simbo as Edmund and Justina Kehinde as the middle sister, Regan, hold immense power on stage, and
their scene together sticks in the mind long after the show. The set is incredibly minimal: a circular stage sits in the middle of the room, encased in a wider circle of what appears to be dirt or sand, all before a worn grey backdrop. This approach gives the production endless versatility, transporting the audience through night and day and from castles to forests through the design and its lighting. High strings of screams and echoes sound throughout, maintaining the show’s darker tone and breaking only for small doses of comic relief. There is a careful balance between Shakespeare’s fundamentals and modern elements that brings the tragedy into the contemporary world. Familiar branding in the costumes – Adidas jackets and high-top Converse – feels deliberately jarring and emphasises the dystopia of the story. Bright lights contrast with live torches, with cool and warm tones fighting for dominance over the stage. The production is at its strongest when its performances and stark landscape work together. You are gripped from Lear’s divine-like introduction through his and his family’s heartbreaking fall. However tragic the story may be, this iteration is joyous in its success and a fitting transition into the colder months at the Crucible. 5/5
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15 OCT // PLAYHOUSE // £13–£15 Sam Danson’s comedy strands a man and his politically outspoken uncle on a camping trip in the Lancashire hills. With no phone signal, a disposable barbecue that refuses to light and years of resentment to unpack, they confront their differences. It’s a sharp look at generational divides and growing up online.
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NEW EDITIONS UNTIL 24 DEC // MILLENNIUM GALLERY // FREE Artists James Green and Ed Bradbury, also known as Kid Acne, bring together around 60 printmakers for New Editions. Their selection showcases the breadth of contemporary UK printmaking, including talent from the region. From different techniques to artistic voices, the exhibition celebrates the creative possibilities of putting pigment to paper. SHEFFIELDMUSEUMS.ORG.UK
THE MOUSETRAP 3–7 NOV // LYCEUM THEATRE // £15–£69 Seven strangers take refuge at a country guesthouse as news of a murder reaches them from London. Then a police sergeant arrives through the snow with a warning: the killer may be among them. Agatha Christie’s enduring whodunnit returns on its 75th anniversary tour, with Nicholas Bailey and Susan Penhaligon. SHEFFIELDTHEATRES.CO.UK
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CULTURE: EXHIBITION
There are some photos in Shaun Bloodworth’s work documenting underground club culture where you can really feel the room you’re looking at. Shadows and light, bodies caught mid-movement, gunfingers slicing through clouds of condensation – the skill of making a fraction of a second stand out amid hours of frenetic dancefloor action. WORDS: JOSEPH FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: MARC BARKER
It’s this side of the late Sheffield-based photographer’s work that many will know best. Bloodworth became closely associated with the UK’s electronic music scene, photographing figures including Skream, Benga, Mary Anne Hobbs, Toddla T, Skepta, Four Tet, Ben UFO and Flying Lotus, as well as documenting club culture at venues including London bass temple Plastic People. But a new exhibition at Memory Dance on Chapel Walk sets those images within a much wider career. Shaun Bloodworth: Photographs & Films & Things brings together around 40 prints alongside his film work and other material, tracing a photographic life that began in editorial work in 1989 and took him considerably further afield than Sheffield’s clubs and concrete. He also covered the after-effects of the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, war in the Balkans and landscapes from the Queen Charlotte Islands to the US West Coast. For Memory Dance founder and audio-visual archivist Alex Wilson, who had previously worked with Bloodworth, that range is an important part of the exhibition. His work shifted between landscape, portraiture and music photography while retaining a recognisable eye – particularly in his use of space, backgrounds and symmetry. In the nightlife photographs lining 78 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
one section of the wall, Alex sees something particularly difficult to replicate. “The way he captures the energy in the dance is something that’s really hard to do. You can kind of sense the sweat off the ceilings in those images. When he started going into the clubs and people saw the work, it was like, “Christ, this guy’s good.”’ That ability to place people within their surroundings runs throughout the show. A portrait of friend and regular collaborator Mary Anne Hobbs in the Peak District pushes its subject away from the centre of the frame. Other local
sights include Park Hill, Forgemasters and the mix of greenery and concrete familiar to anyone who has spent much time in South Yorkshire. Bloodworth’s relationship with sound fed into that visual language too. Alex points to the “abrasive and industrial” character of some of the music documented and the way those qualities reappear in the photographs – artists often surrounded by hard architecture and stark landscapes. At the other extreme are portraits taken of producers in Los Angeles, where the palette suddenly shifts into something much warmer. There’s another strand to the exhibition downstairs, where Bloodworth’s films are being screened. A selection of shorts captures little mesters crafting in near-hypnotic flow states, youthful reckless abandon in nightclubs heaving to dubstep and a chorus of songbirds slowly serenading a waking city. It’s a less familiar part of his output and one that was still developing at the time of his passing. Memory Dance itself is part record shop, part exhibition space (with a small subterranean cinema) and part archive project. This is its third exhibition, following shows exploring the history of Sheffield record shops and the shortlived 1970s local television experiment Sheffield Cablevision. This exhibition is available to view
until 4 October, forming part of a run planned at the space through to Christmas. Next up is a show connected to writer Daniel Dylan Wray’s chronicle of Steel City music culture, Groovy, Laidback and Nasty, before the festive season kicks off with Merry Folkin’ Christmas – an exhibition focused on pagan rituals, complete with hobby horses and Morris dancers. Alex has spent around 20 years working as an archivist across film, television and music collections and describes the space as a way of drawing on “characters, stories, platforms” rather than reaching for easy nostalgia. “You know, this is not going to be a space that’s just going to be cosy and nostalgic about Sheffield. That exists elsewhere,” he says. “Shaun was proudly Sheffield-based. He was keen on celebrating the grit and the grime and the music, supporting young photographers and I’m told he helped lots of people. But he was also internationalist, right? Of course, he spread far, both his work and the people who look up to him from all corners of the world. I think that’s really important to show.” Shaun Bloodworth: Photographs & Films & Things is on at Memory Dance, Chapel Walk until 4 October 2026. Follow @memorydance on socials for more information.
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STEPHEN CARLEY
From floating installations to surreal alter egos and subversive performance, Ruby Deakin meets the Sheffield artist who has spent decades pushing the boundaries of what his work can be. Stephen Carley has been making art that challenges audience expectations for decades. To call him a ‘multimedia artist’ is an understatement – the materials and modes in his portfolio range from double-exposed photography and soundscapes to found objects and clay artefacts, glitchy visual films and experimental live performances, with new techniques added to the list with every project. He’s even working on turning an old canal barge into a floating art installation that’ll pop up somewhere around Nottingham in the not-too-distant future. Based in Sheffield, Stephen’s art tackles and reflects on an ever-expanding pool of concepts and salient political issues. His socio-political commentary often confronts the ‘psychogeography’ of experiencing a sense of place in urban landscapes, inspired by the history and culture of the Steel City. “It’s this sense of how we connect with our immediate environment, very specifically the city, for me, whether that’s a symbiotic relationship or 82 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
something which is antagonistic,” he explained. “I tend to work in a number of different ways, so my practice is quite idiosyncratic. “By the time you’ve been doing this for so long, some things are just like autopilot. But I love putting myself in situations where I have no idea what is going to happen, and I love having to acquire new skills or levels of understanding.” Stephen’s unpredictable process leads him to new locations with his film camera, exploring the city’s evolving landscape by observing often-overlooked spaces. “It’s all analogue stuff – I’ll shoot a roll of film, maybe at a new block of flats going up, or I’ll go down the river and shoot things down there, or I’ll go to the general cemetery, and I’ll superimpose and double expose it. “It has to be a sunny day, because I’m looking for real stark contrasts between shadows and light, because everything gets burnt out in the process – I know I’ll lose some things and gain something, so you get these strange abstractions, which
I quite like because it’s like creating a weird utopia, a new double-vision world.” After moving to Sheffield in 1988, Stephen was confronted by the widespread effects of the fading steel industry on the city’s culture. The disconnect between the city’s declining industrial core and the rise of new developments has informed his work for decades. “There was the post-Thatcher stuff going on, the horrible policies she put in that basically wiped out places like Sheffield. And then there was this strange futuristic thing with projects like the World Student Games, and I was thinking, where’s this going?” he said. “[My work] connects these – stuff about memory and history and nostalgia, and this weird forward-looking thing with all these new buildings and ‘growth’.” Sheffield’s close-knit artistic community has been a lifeline for many of the city’s creatives, and Stephen has plenty more collaborative ideas up his sleeve. “I’ve grown up really identifying Sheffield as my spiritual home – it is and always has been a really unusual place,” he added. “There’s something about the creative community that works despite
some of the hardships. Over the years I’ve collaborated with people who have just absolutely backed me to the hilt, I’m not quite sure that happens in the same way elsewhere.” His latest project was a solo show at Abbeydale Road’s new pop-up gallery The Shop ‘Snow Blind / White Noise’ combined Stephen’s handcrafted artefacts, live performances, “good old fashioned” analogue photography, soundscapes and interactive pieces. A friend suggested he would be “regurgitating the contents of [his] studio” into the gallery space. His performance of ‘Bedtime Lullabies and Other Tall Stories’ was a bonkers, subversive display of what Stephen’s work is all about. Featuring his alter ego characters – including a silver foilwrapped robot, a classic two-holes-ina-sheet ghost and a lewd yet vulnerable
clown – the live show allowed audiences to get up close and personal with the unsettling nature of his work. “[The stories] are more like nightmares, to be honest. This series of alter egos are so rubbish that they’re brilliant. They allow me to behave in different ways, which I wouldn’t if it were just me, I would feel naked. It’s like putting another skin on. “A lot of the content has got quite strong commentary about global conflict, environment stuff and the socio-political context. At times, it sounds like either the work of a madman or somebody reading a children’s story. The audience don’t know whether to laugh or cry.” This month, Stephen is set to showcase his art at the Harley Foundation’s biennial open exhibition, which features work from an incredibly diverse range of
creative voices. “It’s quite a big deal, and I’m really chuffed to have got a piece in it,” he said. He’s also been shortlisted for this year’s Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize in London, considered the UK’s most prestigious open exhibition for drawing. The artistic medium is up for interpretation and, naturally, Stephen has opted to create a performance film that challenges traditional assumptions of what ‘drawing’ can mean. “It does feel very punk, it feels like I’m not playing by the rules, it feels like I’m setting my own standards. I’m asking people not to even accept it, just to let me do it.” To keep up to date with Stephen’s latest projects, check out his Instagram @ carley.stephen. WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 83
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CULTURE: PREVIEW
Twenty-five years after thousands of stranded passengers found refuge in a small Canadian town during 9/11, Ellesmere Musical Theatre Company is bringing their remarkable story of kindness and community to Sheffield. WORDS: ASH BIRCH
There is a reason why, on this late summer evening, we find ourselves sipping iced lattes in Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons at Drakehouse Retail Park. We’re here to discuss Come From Away, often described as the 9/11 musical, with members of the cast and production team. Early in the show, the mayor of Gander, Newfoundland, explains that everything starts and ends at Tim Hortons. It is where locals meet, exchange news and remain connected to their community. “It felt amiss not to do an interview about Come From Away at Tim Hortons in Sheffield,” says director Thomas FoxOwens. “You can’t get more fitting than that.” For cast member Phil Turner, who by some miracle of coincidence happens to be my gaffer, the visit settles a more fundamental point. “Phil thought it was a made-up place,” 86 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Thomas adds. “He genuinely thought it was something created for the story.” Coffee-shop confusion cleared up, we sit down to discuss Ellesmere’s production, coming to Sheffield’s Montgomery Theatre from 14–17 October. Written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away is based on the events immediately following the 9/11 attacks. When US airspace closed, 38 planes carrying almost 7,000 passengers were diverted to Gander, a remote Canadian town with a population of around 9,000. Over five days, residents opened schools, community centres and their homes to strangers from across the world. So, is it a musical about 9/11? “No,” replies Thomas. “It’s a really optimistic musical. It’s all about community and, at a time when the UK can feel a little divided, it’s quite nice to portray a piece about people putting aside
their differences and coming together to look after others in a time of need.” Cast member Bethan Griffiths, who plays trailblazing airline captain Beverley Bass and Gander local Annette, offers another interpretation. “They don’t call it a 9/11 musical,” she says. “They refer to it as a 9/12 musical because it’s about the aftermath and how people came together to recover from it.” That emotional balancing act has been central to Thomas’s approach. “You earn the highs by being truthful to the lows,” he says. “There’s no getting away from the fact that it was a horrific tragedy in world history. But because we acknowledge that, we can then show the camaraderie of the locals.” Despite its global scope, Come From Away is performed by just 12 actors switching between at least 36 roles. Ellesmere is the first Sheffield amateur company to stage the musical since performing rights became available and has resisted expanding the cast. “The characters play everyone, and that’s the point,” says musical director Gareth Lloyd. “At one moment, you might be playing someone from England, then Canada, the Middle East or Africa. We’re all human at the end of the day.” Phil plays Kevin T, one half of a gay couple whose plane is diverted, as well as Gander local Garth. Despite years confidently commanding meetings at Exposed Towers, this is his first full musical theatre production – and his first proper audition. “I’ve done one-night-only things, so this will definitely be the hardest thing I’ve done because I’ve got to perform it five times,” he says. “It’s emotionally and physically exhausting, but there’s a real high when you finish. “Because there are only 12 of us, nobody feels more or less important than anybody else. You feel very much like you’re all in it together, which fits the show.” Twenty-five years after the events in Gander, Thomas believes that sense of community remains pertinent. “This community set up schools as accommodation, turned one place of prayer into somewhere multiple faiths could use and brought in chefs to cater for as many dietary requirements as possible,” he says. “These things really happened. “Hopefully, people will walk away feeling happier and more connected to their own community.” Come From Away runs at the Montgomery Theatre from 14–17 October. Tickets (£21.50) are available now at sheffieldtheatres. co.uk.
Friday 16 Oct & Saturday 17 Oct 2026 Friday 2 Oct 2026
The Coral £30.00, Doors 7:30 pm Saturday 3 Oct 2026
Matilda Shakes £10.50, Doors 7:30 pm Monday 5 Oct 2026
Fat Dog Album launch show Wednesday 7 Oct 2026
Madra Salach £17.50, Doors 7:30 pm Friday 9 Oct 2026
Antarctic Monkeys £20.00, Doors 7:00 pm tuesday 13 october 2026
the lilacs album launch show Thursday 15 Oct 2026
The Wanted 2.0 £27.00, Doors 7:00 pm
Day Discos
Grace Petrie £21.00 / £18.00, Doors 7:30 pm
Trance Day Party
The Bracknall £20.00, Doors 7:00 pm
WEDSNESDAY 21 Oct 2026
basht ALBUM LAUNCH SHOW
Sunday 6 Dec 2026
Friday 23 Oct 2026
The Undertones £32.50, Doors 7:30 pm Thursday 5 Nov 2026
The Entitled Sons £16.00, Doors 7:00 pm Friday 6 Nov 2026
Craig Charles Funk & soul house party
Bleech 9:3 £17.00, Doors 7:30 pm Friday 11 Dec 2026
Connor Mclain £22.50, Doors 7:30 pm Saturday 12 Dec 2026
Indiepalooza Indie tribute festival £32.00, Doors 5:30 pm
£20.00, Doors 7:00 pm
Friday 18 Dec 2026 Rob Lamberti:
Thursday 12 Nov 2026
Perfectly George In Conversation: Mike Joyce & Stephen Street £31.00, Doors 7:00 pm £27.50, Doors 7:00 pm Saturday 23 Jan 2027
Friday 13 Nov 2026
The Tumbling Paddies £25.00, Doors 7:30 pm Saturday 21 Nov 2026
The Smyths £20.00, Doors 7:30 pm
BAD GIRLS OF COUNTRY £25.00, Doors 7:00 pm
Saturday 20 Mar 2027
Erasured £19.50, Doors 7:30 pm Friday 14 Mar 2027
£25.00, Doors 3:00 pm, 18+ Saturday 10 Oct 2026
Saturday 28 Nov 2026
Friday 27 Nov 2026
Northside £25.00, Doors 7:00 pm
Livewire ACDC tribute
£20.00, Doors 7:00 pm
Saturday 14 Nov 2026
Country Day Party Saturday 19 Dec 2026
80S Day Party
Saturday 7 Nov 2026 Friday 2 Oct 2026
Michael Spicer £22.00, Doors 7:00 pm Tuesday 20 Oct 2026
Christopher Hall-Pizazz £23.00, Doors 7:00 pm Friday 23 Oct 2026
Morgan Rees £21.00, Doors 7:30 pm
Hannah East £24.00, Doors 2:00 pm / 7:00 pm Saturday 7 Nov 2026
Amy Matthews £14.00, Doors 6:30 pm Wednesday 11 Nov 2026
The Dark Room £20.00, Doors 6:30 pm Friday 20 Nov 2026
Ginger Johnson £28.00, Doors 7:00 pm
Wednesday 25 Nov 2026
Mark Simmons
£20.00, Doors 6:30 pm
friday 5 december 2026
UNDR THE COSH (LIVE PODCAST) £35.00, doors 6pm saturday 10 april 2027
geoff norcott work in progress
£16.00, doors 19:00
Friday 6 Nov 2026
Stuart Goldsmith £15.00, Doors 7:00 pm All shows open to the public (14+ unless stated otherwise) Tickets available from foundrysu.com Box office: 0114 222 8777
Scan for tickets Foundry, Sheffield Students’ Union, Western Bank, S10 2TG foundrysu.com · foundry@sheffield.ac.uk · @foundrysheffield