LeftLion Magazine - May 2022 - Issue 147

#147 May 2022 leftlion.co.uk/issue147

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Credits

Supporters These people #SupportLeftLion

Alan Gilby Mighty Alphrodite alan.gilby@leftlion.co.uk

George White Assistant Editor george.white@leftlion.co.uk

Ashley Carter Editor ashley.carter@leftlion.co.uk

Natalie Owen Head Designer natalie.owen@leftlion.co.uk

Adam Pickering Partnerships Manager adam.pickering@leftlion.co.uk

Addie Kenogbon Fashion Editor addie.kenogbon@leftlion.co.uk

Rebecca Buck Stage Co-Editor rebecca.buck@leftlion.co.uk

Daniela Loffreda Food Editor food@leftlion.co.uk

Cover Toby Anderton Marketing Assistant Thi Cordell Intern Marta Tavares Sub-Editor Lauren Carter-Cooke Editorial Illustrations Emily Catherine

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Jared Wilson Editor-in-Chief jared.wilson@leftlion.co.uk

Lizzy O’Riordan Editorial Assistant lizzy.oriordan@leftlion.co.uk

Curtis Powell Head of Video and Photography curtis.powell@leftlion.co.uk

Tom Errington Web Developer tom.errington@leftlion.co.uk

Alex Stubbs Art Editor alex.stubbs@leftlion.co.uk

Elliot Farnsworth Music Co-Editor elliot.farnsworth@leftlion.co.uk

Katie Lyle Music Co-Editor katie.lyle@leftlion.co.uk

Dom Henry Stage Co-Editor dom.henry@leftlion.co.uk

Fabrice Gagos Photography Co-Editor fabrice.gagos@leftlion.co.uk

Writers Dani Bacon Bassey LoveCeCe George Dunbar Rebecca Gregory INSTAR Sam Nahirny Georgianna Scurfield Yasmin Turner Nadia Whittome

Jamie Morris Screen Editor jamie.morris@leftlion.co.uk

Dan Turner Photography Co-Editor dan.turner@leftlion.co.uk

Photographers Alice Ashley Dani Bacon Marcus Brown Richard Erwin-Jones Tom Haslam Nigel King Nathan Langman Lu’s Art Factory Roman Manfredi Georgianna Scurfield Oliver Truelove

Illustrators Raphael Achache Abigail Burr Emily Catherine Fiona Carr Sophie Elizabeth INSTAR Tracey Meek Ricardo Mystra Rich Perrotta Kate Sharp

Al Draper, Alan Phelan, Alison Gove-Humphries, Alison Harviek, Alison Hedley, Alison Knox, Alison Wale, Anamenti, Andrew Cooper, Anne Jennings, Ankunda, Annie Rodgers, Ant Haywood, Anthony Blane, Ashley Cooper, Bad Squiddo Games, Barbara Morgan, Barrie the Lurcher, Ben & Jack, Ben Lester, Ben Lucas, Betty Rose Bakes, Bob Allison Âû, Bridgette Shilton, Caroline Le Sueur, Chloe Langley, Chris Rogers, Claire Henson, Claire Warren, Clare Foyle, D Lawson, Dan Lyons, David Dowling, David Knight, Diane Lane, Dick Watson, Donna Rowe-Merriman, Eddie, Eden PR, Ellen O'Hara, Emily Poxon, Erika Diaz Petersen, Felicity Whittle, Frances & Garry Bryan, Friday Club Presents, Hayley Howard, Heather Hodkinson, Heather Oliver, Helena Tyce, Ian Storey, Ian Yanson, In memory of Anna Novak (Bradford and Scoraig), In memory of Jenny Smith, Ivy House Environmental, James Medd, James Place, James Wright, Jane Dodge, Jayne Holmes, Jayne Paul William & Pirate Jack, Jed Southgate, Jenni Harding, John Haslam, John Hess, Jon Blyth, Joshua Heathcote, Julian Bower, Kate Newton, Kath Pyer, Kathleen Dunham, Kay Gilby, Kaye Brennan, Kiki Dee the Cat, Kemi, Livi & Jacob Nieri, Liz Knott, Lizzy and Margot, Luke and Flo, Marc Weaver, Mark, Mark Barratt, Mark Gasson, Martin, Matthew Riches, Matt Turpin, Matthew Riches, Matthew Wilson, Max Sherwin, Mighty Lightweights, MinorOak Coworking, Monica White, Nick G (real living wage rocks), Nicola Baumber, Nigel Cooke, Nigel King, Nikki Williams, NottingJam Orchestra, Oliver Ward, Paul Woodall, Rachel Ayrton, Rachel Hancorn, Rachel Hanemann, Rachel Morton, Raphael Achache, Richard Barclay, Richard Goodwin, roastinghouse.co.uk, Rob Arthur, Ron Mure, Ros Evans, Roy Manterfield, Ruth Parry, Sam Hudson, Sam Nahirny, Sarah Manton, Simon Evans, Siobhán Cannon-Brownlie, Spicer, Stephanie Larman, Steve Lyon, Steve Riordan, Steve Stickley Storyteller, Steve Wallace, Stuart Jones, Sue Barsby, Sue Reader, The Sultan, Tim Foster, Tom Markkanen, Tracey Newton, Tracey Underwood , Tracy Lowe, Wolfgang Buttress

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Featured Contributor George Dunbar George Dunbar is a graduate of Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University. He works at Nottingham Contemporary as a gallery assistant and enjoys being an active member of the arts scene in Nottingham, as well as a member of the art community at Surface Gallery. He plays Spanish guitar and has wide interests in history and culture. He has reviewed several art exhibitions in Nottingham for LeftLion.

You can read George’s review of Ancient Iraq: New Discoveries on page 41

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@leftlion

@leftlionmagazine

Contents 16

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The Notts Gods From the heady heights of Mount Hockley to the depraved depths of the Underworld at the other end of the A52, the Notts Gods have awoken…

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Hail, Caesars!

We catch up with the Nottingham Caesars to chat American Football, as well as how some hungry mice got them international press

Calling the Shots General Manager Julien Latil talks to us about the success of 400 Rabbits, and how they swerved lockdown rules by becoming a church

Nadia On… Regular columnist and Labour MP Nadia Whittome digs into a bit of Notts mythology with a look back at the Luddite movement

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Hammer Time If you thought the occupation of blacksmith died out with the Penny Farthing builder and witch burner, you couldn’t be more wrong

Life’s a Picnic Ahead of the release of its debut issue, we chat to Picnic founder Marcus Brown about the brand new culinary magazine

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Verse Out We chat to T.S. Eliot Prize-winning poet and author Joelle Taylor ahead of her performance at Nottingham Poetry Festival

Fantastic Beasts and Why We Need Them Notts art collective INSTAR dig into the role flora and fauna have played in our collective cultural past

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The Nottingham Poetry Hunt That clever gang of wordsmiths over at Nottingham Poetry Festival have created a poetry treasure map to celebrate this month’s festival

Side Hustle We chat to the Hustle Collective’s Christine Katerere about their new film movement: Hustle Cinematic

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Weighing it Up CrossFit athlete and coach Lucy Campbell tells us all about women in strength training and the camaraderie of group workouts

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Ancient Worlds, New Discoveries George Dunbar explores Ancient Iraq: New Discoveries, the Lakeside Arts exhibition shedding light on some of the world’s oldest cities The Curse of Tutankhamun’s Tomb Did you know that the excavation of King Tut’s tomb was funded by a Notts estate owner? Well, you do now…

Editorial I tend to make these magazines the way the Coen Brothers make films. Don’t misread that as some sort of comparison of artistic merit, ability or wit, but rather to their approach. They tend to make one film for the ‘studio’, followed by one film for themselves, with the latter generally being far more self-indulgent and likely to have a much narrower appeal. Well, you can consider yourself warned, because this issue of LeftLion is very much for me.

I’ve been obsessed with this idea since it first came up around a year ago. Rather than using the well-established and admittedly wonderful mythology Nottingham is associated with (I think we’ve given Mr Hood more than his fair share of ink over the years), the concept was to use ancient myths as a blueprint for modern day Notts to see if we could find our own list of god-like figures.

Before God went and got himself all monotheistic, people the world over worshipped an eclectic bunch of deities covering all walks of life. And, more often than not, they were less all-powerful, smiting, singing and dancing, and more exaggerations of human behaviours – representing the biggest and best that we were capable of. Myths tied people together, forming a communal bedrock in the same way customs or language did. They were created

to provide explanations to the unexplainable, lending some sort of structure and ultimately, I feel, giving people something to strive toward.

I think that’s part of the reason we were spoilt for choice when it came time to choosing our own mythological figures. Whether it was the Nottingham Caesars suffering their own Ides of March at the hands of some famished mice, Lucy Campbell demonstrating the strength of Atlas, blacksmith David Gill showcasing why he’s Notts’ answer to Thor, or 400 Rabbits deep-diving into Aztec mythology to bring Nottingham a truly unique drinking experience, we found that the blueprints for those old myths were alive and well everywhere we looked. At least, that was the plan. Either way, we had fun - and I think you’ll agree, that’s the most important thing.

Until the next one.

Ashley Carter, Editor ashley.carter@leftlion.co.uk

LeftLion Magazine is fully recyclable and compostable. Our paper is recycled or made with FSC® certified (C015932) sources, and printed using renewable energy.

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Going Underground Our mole on the ground isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to bring you the Notts stories you might have missed... illustrations: Kate Sharp First Degree Burger-lary Can you imagine how gutted you’d be if, after a good night’s work stealing cars, you went for a relaxing bite to eat in your local McDonald’s, only to have some random police officers notice you had gammy number plates on your nicked motor?

That’s exactly what happened to three blokes last month at a Maccies in Ollerton, who were all promptly arrested on suspicion of theft. Not such a Happy Meal after all… I’m sorry.

“How “Rea was you r ll can’t y nice m food?” a w can t ait to b te, I u aste it ag rp so I ain.”

Setting the Bar Low I’m a bit long in the snout for big nights out nowadays, and much prefer a quiet evening back at the hill - but from memory, Notts was always a decent place for a knees up.

Well, not according to a recent study I got the scoop on, which ranked us at 27th in the UK for night out experiences, lower than the likes of Telford, Ipswich and even Derby.

Fair enough we might not be up there with London or Manchester, but lower than that rammel? Behave.

o t me s ’t ill it ge on “But w ed that it w t ia r b ” e in ly? my wil affect

Book to Basics I understand that crime has changed since I was a pup, and cyber-crime is where it’s at today. But what I don’t get is why anyone would target The Works, which is what happened at the Long Row store recently, forcing them to go cash-only for the day. Now, if I happen to need a sloth water bottle holder, a pack of 18 paint brushes and a half-price copy of Ray Parlour’s autobiography, it’s my go-to, but surely there are better places to hit if you want to take more than £11.70.

Pick Six

This month we’ve tasked the University of Nottingham’s Dr Rebecca Gregory, author of Viking Nottinghamshire, to choose a few of her favourite things…

e you’v when e you s e ees etim “Som much ch bit of o e s l t d t li ha eed a ff.” just n to level o d a e r b

“Let’s and go into P I’l o som l get you undland ethin g nic e…”

“Hm m know m… wel l, were you I’d t if I didn’t hink cool you .”

st ! She ju “Mum me to my d the pushe ild on !” - Ch tattle death o ying t bus tr sibling ir e h on t

“I fee

l like

a Sim

.”

s

ma hrist like C n!” s a w “It tow vour in fla

“Ahhh, look at all those nice ducklings!”

“Most of them won’t survive the month.”

Book I wouldn’t say I have a ‘favourite’ book, but one that’s really stuck with me in recent years is Circe by Madeline Miller. Retellings of myths and legends are having a bit of a moment, and this is one of the best.

Holiday Destination A good holiday has to be dog-friendly, with plenty of walks. We recently went to the Northumberland coast, which was perfect to blow the cobwebs away: beautiful beaches, castles to explore, and (of course) a trip to Lindisfarne for some Vikings.

Song Oh, I’ll listen to just about anything! It really depends what mood I’m in. The last band I saw live was Fleetwood Mac, with my brother and sister, so their music brings back happy memories for me.

Meal I love a picnic – there’s something about being out and about that makes any food taste better, whether you’re halfway up a mountain with a squashed cheese cob from your rucksack, or with a basket full of posh goodies at a stately home.

Film I generally put on a film as a feel-good distraction, so I often re-watch the ones I loved as a kid. Disney’s Robin Hood is one of my favourites – you can’t go wrong with a Nottingham legend!

Notts Spot Tiffin Teahouse in West Bridgford serves the absolute best afternoon teas. If you sit in, it’s cosy and bright, and it’s a great place to have a classy catch-up with a friend or two… and some bloomin’ good cake.

@beccagregs leftlion.co.uk/issue147

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May Day - Saturday 7 May

11am - Assemble Radford Rec NG7 2BY 12 noon - Rally at Brian Clough Statue Featuring union and other speakers, plus music, poetry, campaign stalls and much more

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Save ou elcome w r planet s e e g u f ! e R Save our libraries!

Russia out o andards! f Ukraine!

Defend living st

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The Ancient Greek God Zeus used to disguise himself as animals in order to seduce women. So technically he’s the first ever furry.

Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers on...

Greek Mythology It’s no use to us. We only went to a comprehensive school and they just didn’t teach anything about this kind of thing. If we’d have gone to a grammar school it might all have been so different. We still believe the world is flat. When people say you can see the earth’s curves from space, that’s just a myth to us. There’s also a man in the moon - on a good clear day you can see his face!

The Queen’s Jubilee We’re very much looking forward to it, but it’s all on the wrong days for us. I think it’s very selfish of the Queen not thinking about those of us who have to work six days a week; we’re going to miss a lot more of it than we’d like. Aside from that, we’ll be glued to the TV, drinking high-end champagne and watching it all. We really hope they get the Red Arrows to fly over, that’s always one of the best bits. They should try and dig a Concorde out of storage for the occasion too.

words: Dani Bacon illustration: Fiona Carr

The Invictus Games We haven’t seen any of it for ages. What channel is it on?

Netflix? Oh well, we don’t have that. We’re not sure it’s worth even having these nowadays. The Paralympics is much broader and people can enter that even if they’re not ex-army.

It seems like it’s just Prince Harry’s plaything, but he’s not really a Royal anymore, is he? He’s just a famous bloke who lives in America.

City sTYLIN’

at the Cattle Market interview and photo: Georgianna Scurfield I’ve been coming to the Market since I could walk. It was always better when it was a lot busier, and I used to come with my dad when there were more people and stalls and stuff. My parents came to sell, but I come to buy things with Oakley. It’s a Saturday morning treasure. He’s a chihuahua-cross and is an old man now. I’ve had him for four-and-a-half years, but I think he’s eleven or twelve.

There are some characters down here that I’ve known for years and years, and you never quite meet that mix of people anywhere else in Nottingham. I like the fact that you never quite know what you’re going to find in the morning. I’ve always been into reusing second-hand items, so this is the best place to find them. My parents taught me that things other people don’t need might still have a use for you. You know, things that have been discarded can be recycled and I think that’s important – there’s no need to produce something new when you can get the same thing, if not better, second-hand. It just needs a bit of love. It’s made it quite difficult for me to buy new things.

I am from the old-school emo sort of era, and I suppose I’ve always had a punk side to me. I just dress how I feel and don’t really care how anyone else thinks. When I was in my twenties, someone told me that ‘shy kids don’t get sweets’ and that really stuck with me. If you don’t ask, there’s not much chance you’ll get. So just be cheeky and see what happens.

Kate Lever leftlion.co.uk/issue147

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Nadia on... the Luddites words: Nadia Whittome photo: Fabrice Gagos

With the theme of this LeftLion issue being mythology, I wanted to explore a part of Nottingham’s history that is steeped in legend of its own. No, it’s not Robin Hood - I’m talking about the Luddites.

Nowadays, we’re most likely to use “Luddite” to talk about someone who can’t work out how to mute themselves on a Zoom call, or who hates having to order through an app at the pub. But far from just a stand in for “technophobe”, it’s a word with a long, radical and local history.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, weavers and other textile workers in England were seeing the industrial revolution begin to drastically change their working lives and undercut their skills. In school we all learned about the spinning jenny, the stocking frame, and all the other inventions that brought about huge changes in how society and production was organised. I remember less discussion though about the workers who resisted these inventions, concerned about the loss of autonomy, craftsmanship and pay their introduction meant.

When I consider what the modern-day equivalent of the Luddites might be, I think about the incredible organising we have seen in Amazon warehouses, among Deliveroo riders and in other highly automated workplaces happening over the course of the pandemic The Luddite movement began in Nottingham and took its name from Ned Ludd, a fictional weaver who served as both figurehead and disguise - think “I’m Spartacus” but for nineteenth century mill workers - for these highly organised groups of activists.

In the years up to 1816, the Luddites launched a concerted campaign against mill and factory owners and the government officials who sought to protect them. They smashed machinery and, in letter writing campaigns, demanded higher wages and an end to child labour. Several

were killed in a gun battle in spring of 1812 and, after this, a crackdown by the authorities saw their actions taper off.

But the questions they grappled with remain relevant today: is the march of technological progress necessarily progressive? Should efficiency and production be prioritised where pay, jobs and working conditions are negatively affected?

When I consider what the modern-day equivalent of the Luddites might be, I think about the incredible organising we have seen in Amazon warehouses, among Deliveroo riders and in other highly automated workplaces happening over the course of the pandemic.

The Luddites were not opposed to technology itself - as skilled craftspeople, they operated complex machinery as part of their dayto-day work - but opposed, instead, to technology designed to exploit their labour and remove their agency.

Today, trade unionists are not opposed to technological progress but to the use of technology at the detriment of workers - from dystopian surveillance and monitoring at work; to technological unemployment with no alternative; to the excesses of the hyper wealthy few, which see billionaires engaged in personal space races while paying poverty wages.

The Luddites and other early labour movements and trade unionists - from the Tolpuddle Martyrs to the chartists - share something in common with the labour movement I am so proud to represent in Parliament today: they knew the value of their work, of their time, of their lives. They were clear-eyed about the ways in which the bosses sought to exploit them, and similarly clear-eyed in their opposition to exploitation.

When I see trade unionists taking action - whether on the picket lines at the University of Nottingham in recent weeks, or British Gas engineers resisting being fired and rehired on worse pay and conditions - I see people who know what they are worth.

I am enthusiastic about a world where technology frees up our time, means we work less, and enables people to lead happier, easier lives.

But that world will not be handed to us - we must fight for technology to be used for our benefit, not our detriment. The legacy of the Luddites continues to echo down the ages - even if Ned Ludd himself might have been more myth than reality. nadiawhittome.org

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Notts Shots

Gaia, Goddess of the Earth Dani Bacon - @danijuliette_

Mercury, God of Speed Tom Haslam - @thomas_haslam_

Want to have your work featured? Send your high-res photos from around the city, including your full name and best web link, to photography@leftlion.co.uk

Cronus, God of the Harvest Alice Ashley - aliceashley.co.uk

Eris, Goddess of Chaos Nigel King - @nigelbig 12

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Erebus, God of Darkness and Shadow Nigel King - @nigelbig

Poseidon, the Sea God Nathan Langman - @_meadowman2

Hermes, the Messenger God Tom Haslam - @thomas_haslam_

Hephaestus, God of Industry Richard Erwin-Jones - @erwinjones

Dionysus, God of Wine, Ecstasy and Ritual Chaos Nathan Langman - @_meadowman2

Helios, the Sun God Natalie Owen - @natalieowen91 leftlion.co.uk/issue147

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The Notts Gods illustrations: Rich Perrotta

n ltha a e St

Skateboar deus

s ring an b h t l a d Ste atic an ight, rr ed the n gh his e ummon f o God ar throu viour. S of drum fe eha ep call e rre b biza by the d bass. and only

The gnarlie st of the go ds, believed Skat eboardeus ca it is pain; legend n feel no ha nether region s it he once split his s on a metal bar with no more than a grimace.

Broadmarshia Cousin to Perses, Broadmarshia is the goddess of entropy and disre pair.

Once snubbed outside an H&M , areas of commerce are most likely to feel her fury.

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Do you feel the earth rumbling? Do you see the sky shaking? Are you prepared for the weeping and gnashing of teeth as the walls come tumbling down? The end is nigh and it’s time to repent.

Cry havoc! For the Ancient Gods of Nottingham have awoken…

Magpisis and

Forisis

The twin go ds of sporti ng fortune. has it that Legend one sibling other is at its lowest eb will rise once the b. The pige we inspecte on entrails d in Old M ar inconclusiv e as to whet ket Square were her that will be this season.

Darbes is nd all that erworld a t souls and d n U e th God of f cast-ou r ollector o atekeepe unholy. C broken dreams. G .

2 f 5 o A r e o y th e purv side of of the dark

Hoc kule s

Close admi ly relate d r of th es art, m to Apo e bo llo, usic Ho he a bribe mians, H nd poetr ckules o y. G d by c k u od le oat m ilk la s is easi ly ttes.

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interview: Ashley Carter photo: Curtis Powell illustration: Kate Sharp

Hail, Caesars!

It’s fair to say that the rise of American Football in the UK has been meteoric. From the NFL regularly playing games at Wembley Stadium, to viewing figures and Google searches rising year after year, the sport now has an estimated 27,000 active players in the country. And Nottingham is no exception. Established in 1984, the Nottingham Caesars are one of the oldest American Football clubs in the UK, playing in the BAFA National League NFC South. We caught up with Caesars’ defensive linesman and Gameday Co-Manager Jamie Gatley to talk about the past, present and future of the club, and how a group of hungry mice recently helped the club gain international press…

How much has the American Football scene improved in recent years?

It's definitely getting there, and is becoming much more noticeable as a sport. We played Manchester last year in a friendly. They're probably the number two or three ranked team in the country, and there were nearly 400 people watching. You've got livestreamed games every week - our game against Chester was the BAFA game of the week. Then you've got games like Tamworth Phoenix vs Manchester Titans being livestreamed on Easter Sunday. It's really good quality, too, with commentators, so it feels really legit. In that regard the sport is definitely moving in the right direction.

You still get the attitude, mostly from rugby players, that American Football is somehow easier or softer because you wear pads and a helmet. What are your thoughts on that?

I've played a bit of rugby and, for me, the main difference is that you've got that little part of your brain stopping you from doing anything too dangerous. It might not be conscious, but it just says 'don't do that' at the crucial moment. But when you've got pads and a helmet on, that goes and you can do whatever the hell you want.

Obviously, you're still worried, but a lot of the concerns about getting hurt are put aside. Rugby is very sideways, too. You've got sideways movement, two people hitting each other from a very short distance, whereas we might have a guy running forty yards to absolutely collide with you at full pelt. You get friends to come down and have a look on a Sunday and they might not know exactly what's going on, but they can see what it takes to play.

I’ve read the difference between the two sports as rugby being full-contact, but American Football being full-collision. Do you think that’s fair? And do you think that plays a part in the higher injury rates in football?

That's very true, but there are a lot of misconceptions about the dangers of the sport. If you look at Sunday League-type football, where you've got guys turning up still half-drunk from the night before, that just doesn't happen with American Football.

People come to play and are professional.

In the grand scheme of things there aren't a lot of teams compared to rugby or football, so the guys that do get into those teams are serious about playing. Our coaches are always on to us the night before a game, telling us to hydrate and eat right. It's a borderline professional approach.

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How does that professional approach transfer to the preparation before a game?

We get scouting reports and will have Zoom calls for hours going through every little detail before a match. Each game has cameras in the end zone and cameras at pitch side, so we'll go through as much footage as we can get before we play a team. We're looking at our technique, trying to pick up on anything we can to improve. You can't come into this game and try to wing it. You have to be absolutely all in.

We went to get our kit from storage and it had been absolutely ravaged by mice Most UK teams have at least one American player, and you can usually tell the difference straight away. Is that the case with the Caesars?

Absolutely. We've got a couple of Americans playing with us. One's an older guy - Mike Romano. He joined last season and just spent some time acclimatising to the team. He came in during one play and absolutely killed a player. We were all like, 'Who is this?' It was everything - his strength, technique, power.

You could just see that he's been playing the game since he was five. And he's not a big man, either. But he absolutely laid this guy out.

How much experience are players expected to have before joining?

At the start of the off-season in January we probably get twenty or thirty guys who have zero experience. They don't know where they want to play, they just like watching the NFL and want to give it a go. The coaches will watch them and mould them, and then, once they're in, it's about learning the playbook and knowing their coverages.

It sounds like the coaches are an integral part of the Caesars setup. How much experience do they tend to have?

They've all played the game for a long time at a decent level. Our Defensive Coordinator, Mike, has been coaching for ten or twelve years. We're lucky as the level of coaching at the Caesars is really high compared to other teams at a similar level. I've got friends playing for similarly-sized teams that don't have anything like that. A big part of it is having two universities in Nottingham that have really good teams, because you get that flow of players and coaches.

Can you tell us a little bit about the history of the club, and how and when you first got involved?

We used to be called The Hoods, and were known as the Dirty Rats back in the day. The club has been going for a really long time. I've been involved for about eighteen months - I just loved watching the NFL and decided to come down and get involved. There's no denying that the camaraderie and friendships you make here are a massive part of doing this. It's a big commitment and you can't be half in. You need to learn the plays and be able to adapt to all the different calls that come during a game - you have to know your position and your role, because if you don't there are guys here that will call you out on it, which is how it should be. Like everyone, I've got a really busy worklife and find spare time hard to come by. But I absolutely love coming down here. The mates you make here are mates for life.

And you recently made international news for a weird reason. Can you explain what happened?

We went to get our kit from storage and it had been absolutely ravaged by mice. I'd done a little bit of work with East Midlands Today with my work during COVID, so I gave them a call and explained what had happened and they decided to do a story. It was the week before the Super Bowl, and the response was huge. We put up a GoFundMe and it went nuts. It was the third most-read story on the BBC News website on Super Bowl Sunday. I got a new nickname, El Jugador, because a Costa Rican news article referred to me as that. I didn't realise it was just Spanish for player! It was all over the world and ended up raising nearly £10,000, which we used to get some really nice new kit. You know, we were in the right place at the right time, and spoke to the right people and the end result was great. Just goes to show that it's not what happens, it's what you do.

Are you actively encouraging people to come along and watch games, or get involved in playing?

Absolutely. We try to reach out to people on social media to let them know when and where we’re playing. In terms of recruiting, it's probably dropping off a bit now as we're mid-season and it's harder to bring people in. But during the off-season after Christmas, when loads of people are on a health kick, we'll get a lot of new people coming down. nottinghamcaesars.co.uk @CaesarsFootball

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Calling the

interview: Marta Tavares photo: Curtis Powell illustration: Ricardo Mystra

Shots 400 Rabbits - the bar where Aztec mythology, tequila and mezcal come together to provide a unique experience for visitors. We chat to general manager Julien Latil to find out more about the history of this iconic venue, the team’s lengthy campaign to offer Kiefer Sutherland a drink, and the social media story that won over people from around the world…

What was the inspiration behind 400 Rabbits?

It mainly came about because James Aspall, the owner, was always a tequila fan. He decided to bring to life the concept of a mezcaleria. The bar opened seven years ago now, and slowly started building this community of agave drinkers. It’s worked really well and we’re trying to present a range of different products, agaves and mezcal that you don’t find anywhere else in Nottingham. Now we’re quite well known and people come in and ask more about the drinks and mezcal and try something that’s outside of their normal drinking habits.

Tequila is a cure for everything, it’s a happy spirit. Everyone who drinks tequila is always smiley and in a good mood What’s the story behind the name?

400 Rabbits is related to Aztec mythology.

They used to believe in different gods and one of the gods was called Mayahuel, who was the god of fertility and alcohol - an odd combo. She had 400 children, her 400 rabbits, that were meant to run around the country and fertilise the agave plants to make them able to produce alcohol.

They were the guards of the alcohol, were meant to supervise it, but instead they drank it all and partied all night. So, in Mexico, if you see someone very drunk, you say they’re drunk like 400 conejos - which means 400 rabbits.

What makes the bar stand out from others in Nottingham?

The atmosphere. When you walk in, it’s different. Different colours, different music - everything feels different. That includes our selection of tequila and mezcal, and the fact that our menus and cocktails are more focused on agave. It gives people something different.

How would you describe the experience of visiting 400 Rabbits?

It depends on what time people come down. At the weekend, there is more of

a party vibe and everyone is more ‘400 rabbits’. Whereas on weekdays, we have more of a focus on the cocktails and customer service, and we get time for a chat with people.

Do you channel Aztec mythology into the bar itself?

Upstairs there is a full mirror with Aztec designs which have been drawn by one of our bartenders - he’s done an amazing job of it! The story of Mayahuel and her 400 rabbits is written on one of the walls.

We don’t have a massive mythological collection on the bar but we have little references and notes, names of cocktails, and pictures and designs around the building.

During the second lockdown, The Church of the 400 Rabbits was forged. How did it happen?

James and his wife, Jen, decided to make a joke of applying to become a church to still be open during lockdown. He posted an Instagram picture of the application, and thought, ‘Why not give it a try?’

Safe to say it blew up out of proportion! We ended up everywhere: The Sun, CNN, BBC, Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show. We waited and waited for an application, it took a really long time but we still kept the name of The Church of the 400 Rabbits. It’s been amazing, really.

How did people react to a church where you could drink mezcal?

We’re not allowed to actually be a church, but we have plenty of people who are not from Nottingham come here because they know about us and have heard about The Church of the 400 Rabbits. They know we’re a cocktail bar, and that we’re here for giggles and fun.

What is the Agave Bible?

I think it was Jennifer who wrote it. It’s something we always said, that we should have a book with all the agave we have served, even if we don’t have it in stock at the moment. One big menu with all of our tequilas, mezcal, all our different agave spirits, describing every section and type.

We have given it kind of a holy vibe.

“Para todo mal Mezcal. Para todo bien, también!” What does that mean?

That is a Mexican saying that’s on the first

page of our Agave Bible. It means that if everything is wrong, have some mezcal, but if everything is good have some mezcal as well. Tequila is a cure for everything, it’s a happy spirit. Everyone who drinks tequila is always smiley and in a good mood.

What is the Mezcal Bunny and its adventures?

Jen decided during lockdown - I think she was a bit bored - to make something to have fun and add some content to our social media. She created animated videos of a mini 400 Rabbit bar and our little mezcal bunny going around it on its adventures. You can find them on our social media or website. It’s just a laugh.

The bar opened seven years ago now, and slowly started building this community of agave drinkers How did the campaign to get Kiefer Sutherland to go to the bar come about?

We always had a poster of him behind the bar. When we knew that he was playing at Rock City, a month in advance we decided to try a campaign to get him to come here to the bar. We got a life-size cardboard cut-out of him and started taking pictures of fake Kiefer Sutherland everywhere in the building - behind the bar, having some drinks and partying with us. Everyone had a good joke, posting about it and sharing it around. When he did come to Nottingham he ended up going to a different bar, some of us were at that bar and realised that he was there and we asked him if he realised we tried to get him to go to our bar. He said no, that nothing was transferred to him, so we were obviously a bit disappointed. Then we decided to change his picture for Ed Sheeran instead.

What drink would you have served him?

I would have given him a Tommy’s Margarita, which is our favourite. It’s a classic margarita but you replace the triple sec for a bit of agave. And it’s a bit more on the sweet side. fourhundredrabbits.co.uk

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words: George White photo: Curtis Powell illustration: Natalie Owen

Hammer Time From forging the hammer of Thor, the Norse god of thunder himself, to creating the ploughs that drove the British Agricultural Revolution, blacksmiths have played a crucial role in human history for millenia. Yet now there are only around 600 left in the entirety of the UK. We chat to David Gill, one of the last remaining blacksmiths in Notts, about the importance of the practice, what drew him to his line of work, and why interest in the craft is on the rise…

Is there anything more impressive than blacksmithing? The old-school practice of forging metal has been instrumental in the evolution of humanity and the development of modern civilisation.

For millennia, specialists have crafted everything from weapons and armour to railings and furniture, in what is one of the most intense and high-risk forms of labour around.

‘Modern’ smithing stretches back to the Hittites in 1500 BC, who tempered iron into spearheads and arrows, providing them with the tools to build an empire that would last for centuries. Here in Europe, the very belief system of entire nations was influenced by the work of blacksmiths - most famously, of course, in Norse mythology. It was they, after all, who crafted the mighty Mjölnir, magical hammer of the Norse god of thunder himself, Thor. Believed to have been forged by the dwarves of Svartalfheim, the weapon was used to take down giants and summon lightning from the sky, protecting the Nordic people from threats both natural and supernatural.

Even closer to home, the humble blacksmith was heralded by those on our own soil during the medieval period, becoming a focal point of communities as their craft helped knights to win duels and armies to win battles. So important were they, in fact, that many would serve in leadership roles within their villages, providing crucial counsel as well as manual expertise. This was as much the case here in Nottinghamshire as anywhere else in the country, with our own blacksmiths falling under the protection of a certain Robin Hood, such was their value to local society.

With the Industrial Revolution and the rise of automated machinery, though, the art of smithing largely fell by the wayside. After an initial shift from making weaponry and armour during medieval times to mending wheelbarrows and shovels during the British Agricultural Revolution, the practice became far less common in the Victorian era, with this once-lauded process running the risk of being lost to time.

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Yet, even today, there are master craftspeople in our county who continue to adopt traditional techniques to create unique products and protect a vital element of history both in the UK and beyond. One of these is David Gill, who is a regular fixture at Papplewick Pumping Station and mans Aslockton Forge in east Notts, creating personalised, handcrafted gifts for customers to share with loved ones.

The dexterity involved in wielding a hammer is not infallible and missed strikes do occur - but experience tends to quickly move you out of that habit!

Like many of those still making a living from this line of work, David takes pride in continuing a culture that stretches back thousands of years. “Blacksmithing has its origins long before man extracted iron ore from this earth, as the first forged artefacts were created from meteorites - magical metals that fell from the sky,” he explains. “This rich history is definitely a fascinating lure towards the craft, and we all have a deep, inherent interest in the ancient art.

Flames, heat and the melding of metals conjures captivating images - it’s no wonder blacksmithing has its devout followers!”

As magical as the practice can be, however, it is still as dangerous as you’d expect any activity centred around scolding hot metal and heavy hammers to be. Burns, cuts and damaged fingers are “very common”, David admits, with even the most accomplished in the profession unable to avoid mistakes at all times. “Pain is almost an accepted part of the process,” he laughs. “Controlling and managing a coal or coke fire is a skill. The dexterity involved in wielding a hammer is not infallible and missed strikes do occur, sometimes breaking fingers - but experience tends to quickly move you out of that habit!”

Despite the risks involved, though, there is an indisputable elegance to the process. With each of David’s items hand-crafted and custom-made, every task involves converting what is in his “mind’s eye” into a tangible, cherishable gift - much like an artist turning an abstract idea into an actual painting.

Each product is “shaped by the individual process”, with every hammer blow and blazing hot ember helping to create a luxury, unique collectible for his customers.

Leaning into the flair and finesse of what was once at risk of becoming a dying art is the primary way to keep the tradition going, David believes, with the two original sources of income for blacksmiths - “manufacturing and repairs” - largely closed off in the modern world. The farrier admits that “earning a living is my greatest skill”, with his company relying largely on private orders. But by offering a service that machines can’t, he is still going strong.

“Today, if there is a need for something, the manufacturing industry can make it better and cheaper elsewhere - and that environment, in general, eliminates the need for the traditional ‘village blacksmith shop’. To stay in business, we need to reinvent ourselves, and that’s what I have done, taking my skills and forging them into memorable gifts. That way, I can keep doing what I enjoy.”

By adapting in this way, the future of blacksmithing is beginning to look brighter. As more people look for personalised presents for loved ones - rather than mass-produced, generic products - interest in the craft is back on the rise. David himself is helping to train the next generation of talent, passing on skills and knowledge to his assistant to ensure the tradition will remain a fixture of our county for a long time to come. And the number of blacksmiths throughout the UK is on the rise, with the country’s first blacksmithing apprenticeship set to launch this year. Like Thor on the battlefields of Midgard, there is still a lot of fight in this remarkable practice yet.

You can find David’s store at: etsy.com/uk/shop/AslocktonForge

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interview: Yasmin Turner photo: Roman Manfredi

Verse Out

Truth in the written word is an important aspect of our democratic lives, and it can be a powerful tool when writing creatively. And, with its ability to entertain, engage, enrage and speak truth to power, poetry is certainly no exception. So, with Nottingham Poetry Festival just around the corner, we caught up with award-winning poet and author Joelle Taylor to talk about her recent collections, what to expect from her performance at the festival and how she’s representing LGBT communities, women and the spoken scene…

To kick things off, can you tell me how you first got into poetry?

I fell into poetry much like the way people fall in love. It was listening to the lyrics of punk songs that hooked me, and that brought me closer to written poetry. As well as that, many of the punk bands I watched in the eighties had a performance poet supporting them - Joolz, John Cooper Clarke, Atilla the Stockbroker. I owe them for allowing me to dream that a workingclass kid could become a writer too.

It struck me that there is so little to read about butch women in the UK, certainly in mainstream culture. I wanted to try to change that Congratulations on your recent success, winning the T. S. Eliot Prize 2021 back in January for your collection C+nto & Othered Poems. This collection is also a New Statesman, Times Literary Supplement and White Review Book of the Year. What was your inspiration behind writing it?

C+nto is part-memoir, part-creative thinking based on real events. I was compelled, possibly by my age, to honour the extraordinary women who formed the dyke counterculture of the late eighties and nineties, which is when the book is set. And it struck me that there is so little to read about butch women in the UK, certainly in mainstream culture. I wanted to try to change that.

What is the significance of winning the T. S. Eliot Prize for the gendered topics C+nto & Othered Poems exposes?

I represent both LGBT communities and the spoken scene, and winning has had a profound impact on both. When one wins, we all win. It’s all about diversity of voice

and representation, about exploring and expounding new narratives.

You have published other collections of poetry, such as Songs My Enemy Taught Me in 2017. While writing Songs My Enemy Taught Me, you led a series of workshops across the UK to allow women to tell their stories. There is a particular section of Landays that stood out for me, written in one of your workshops by Afghan women refugees. Can you explain more about this workshop and what a Landay is?

I led masterclasses in poetry with 28 different groups of marginalised women and non-binary people, such as from the prison system, the care system, LGBT refugees and Paiwand, who are an organisation that support refugees from Afghanistan. The landay is a folk form often sung - indigenous to Afghanistan, that only women write, though women are now banned from writing at all in some Taliban-controlled areas. As such it’s a revolutionary form. Landays look at grief, belonging, exile, and love. To write of love when it is forbidden is an act of resistance and uprising, and women have been severely punished - even lost their lives - for creating them. And so, I wanted to dedicate a chapter of the book just to Afghan women writing landays about their experiences. It’s unusual to hand over a poem in a book to another group of writers, but I think it’s one of the ways we can use privilege effectively.

As this is the mythology issue, we're tying all of our interviewees in with mythological figures. For you, we've chosen Bragi, the Norse skaldic God of poetry, as skalds were both respected and feared for the impact their poems could have on a ruler’s reputation. Do you think poetry can still be used as a tool for speaking truth to power? And if so, how important is that sort of activism at this moment in time?

Poetry’s whole purpose is to uncover truth and to spread that understanding.

It’s a vital tool for activists, as is all literature. It’s how ideas are explored, and ideologies formed. Most importantly it is

an empathetic bridge between disparate peoples. The most valuable work is done in schools, allowing students to creatively critique their lives, culture and political situations - and that is very dangerous.

How would you encourage more people to start writing poetry or creative works to express social issues or their own personal experiences?

If you want to write, the first thing you need to do is read. Poetry is a conversation - join it, respond, become part of it.

Poetry’s whole purpose is to uncover truth and to spread that understanding. It’s a vital tool for activists, as is all literature What is your next project? Have you been working on anything recently?

I’ve been focussing on completing my debut novel The Night Alphabet. It’s poetic prose examining the life of a heavily tattooed woman, quantum physics and the idea of infinity, how that relates especially to women. I’m also working on the stage version of C+nto, bringing The Maryville dyke bar back to life.

You are performing at the Nottingham Poetry Festival on Friday 13 May. What can we expect from your set?

The hidden narrative of the butch dyke, and the journeys we each take to arrive at the identity. There will be poems about each of the characters in the book, plus chestpunching pieces.

You can see Joelle Taylor perform live at The Old Cold Store as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival on Friday 13 May. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the Nottingham Poetry Festival website. nottinghampoetryfestival.com joelletaylor.co.uk

Flip the page to find The Nottingham Poetry Hunt…

The clever-clogs at Nottingham Poetry Festival have stashed lockboxes in six locations all over the city. You can use the map to hunt down the treasures, using the clues to unlock the mysteries afoot. Expect poetry from local and national names, a chance to contribute your own work, and special prizes that will appear throughout the festival.

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poetry map

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poetry map

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Atlas [at-luhs] In Greek mythology, the Titan Atlas was strong enough to support the entire sky upon his shoulders.

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words: Lizzy O’Riordan photo: Curtis Powell illustration: Abigail Burr

weighing It up Combining strength training, gymnastics and high intensity workouts, Nottingham’s CrossFit box has attracted quite a cult following. We caught up with CrossFit athlete and coach Lucy Campbell to talk about women in strength training, the camaraderie of group workouts and letting go of weight-loss goals…

Harsh lights, mirrored walls, big men in small tops - a gym’s weight room can be intimidating to say the least.

Such is true for any gym newbie, but particularly so for the female population, often relegated to treadmills and other ellipticals, told that weight training isn’t for them. But with more women graduating from the cardio section every day, the tides seem to be changing and a new culture emerging, one which celebrates women embracing their strength.

Acting as a face for this movement is Lucy Campbell, previous swimmer and gymnast, and current CrossFit athlete at Nottingham’s CrossFit box. Lucy is an athlete who has nurtured a love of sport from a young age, being “in the gym from five years old, building up to twenty hours a week”, making regional champion as a gymnast before turning her energy to swimming as a teenager.

Here she swam for the National Squad for open water, being awarded fifth place at Junior Europeans and eighth at Junior World.

I love that I can outlift some of the men, and I love putting two fingers up to those stereotypes and those people who think I shouldn’t be able to do that But it wasn’t until she stepped into the CrossFit box that she finally found her true calling as an athlete. Having recently quit swimming and looking for something new, she was drawn to this new kind of movement which (as the name suggests) crosses over many areas of fitness, incorporating elements of gymnastics, high intensity training, weight lifting and plyometrics. And at which she has thrived, currently sitting

at number five in Europe, and training for the semi-finals of the CrossFit Games 2022.

So what does she love so much about CrossFit? “I love that I’m strong and I’m fit and that I can outlift some of the men,” she jokes, “and I love putting two fingers up to those stereotypes and those people who think I shouldn’t be able to do that.” But also, Crossfit offers a sense of camaraderie that she didn’t experience in her previous sports: “I enjoyed swimming but there was no social side because your head is always underwater. CrossFit has a communal feeling, because you talk to people and cheer each other on. You all do the workout together scaled to your ability level, so while workouts might feel grim sometimes, you know the person next to you is doing the same thing.” This atmosphere, she tells me, means that it’s easy to make friends at CrossFit, reporting a close-knit friendship among most of the athletes.

Being in a culture that celebrates female strength is also a major perk: “When I was a distance swimmer I always felt weirdly strong, and like I never fitted with the stereotype. But the thing I love about CrossFit is that you have to be strong and fit and move your own body.

And I’m surrounded by women who just look like complete badasses, which is cool. In our box, in particular, the best athletes are the women, and I think it’s created a culture where women have these people to look up to.”

The sport also places a massive emphasis on strength and enjoyment over weightloss goals - an ethos illustrated by the lack of mirrors found in the box. “We are so past the point of caring about weight loss,” Lucy says, a particularly powerful statement in a world that puts so much emphasis on the smallness of women’s bodies. “It's refreshing to see that there are more women in the box who care more about how they are training than how they look.” Even in her role as a personal trainer, she aims for her female clients to “enjoy the process of training and of getting stronger” above weight-

loss goals, noting, “There’s only so much weight loss that can be sustainable. It’s better to love the feeling of going to the gym, or hitting a personal best, or pushing yourself. I think there are so many things to be learned from training that are past the point of weight-loss.”

That’s not to say that all CrossFit athletes have a perfect relationship with their body. Even Lucy can feel selfconscious about her physique: “When I go out, I might feel really aware that I’m standing next to a guy and my arm is twice the size of his, or my leg is twice the size, and that does make me feel self-conscious. We all have those stereotypes ingrained in us that feminine doesn’t equal muscles, and I don’t believe that, but it can be hard to reframe.”

However, as she rightly notes, “It’s unrealistic to feel good about your body twenty-four seven.” There is no path to a perfect body image, and that’s all the more reason to focus on how exercise makes you feel.

There are so many things to be learned from training that are past the point of weight-loss To close up our chat, I ask Lucy how to get involved in strength training, her feelings of empowerment and excitement so distant from the brightly lit weights section that brings dread to so many: “I used to personal train at Pure Gym and for so many of my clients our sessions were the first time they’d stepped into the weights area. And it is scary. Likewise, when I did my first CrossFit session, I honestly felt sick with nerves. But I’m so grateful I stepped inside because it was the best choice I ever made. You just have to take that first step.”

A taster session at CrossFit Nottingham is free to book online @crossfitnottinghamltd @lucycampbell5 -

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interview: Lizzy O’Riordan photo: Oliver Truelove and Marcus Brown

FOOD AND DRINK

life’s a picnic

Founded by Ilkeston lad Marcus Brown, Picnic is the culture magazine celebrating all things culinary. In preparation for its first ever release we catch up with Marcus about food as a subculture, hanging out with chefs, and the Nottingham food scene…

Instagram chefs with cult followings, bagel shops with viral fame and restaurant lines that twist all the way down the street. Things are shifting when it comes to food. Gone are the days of uninspired dishes and stale predictable restaurants; food is exciting, coveted, cool. Food, Marcus Brown tells me, has become its own subculture. One that inspired him to found his own magazine, Picnic, a publication with food at its core, capturing and celebrating this emerging landscape.

Conceptualised by Ilkeston native Marcus Brown earlier this year, Picnic was born from a passion for food culture. After studying journalism at London College of Communication, Brown went on to work freelance, with a portfolio boasting the likes of Time Out, Mob Kitchen and London on the Inside. Yet even working his ‘dream job’ as a food writer, he craved the creative freedom of his own magazine, where he could experience “old school journalism, boots on the ground, talking to people, taking photographs. Work that makes me feel good about what I’m doing.”

From here Picnic was created, where “food is the central meeting point to all the characters we meet and interview.”

Marcus is keen to emphasise this isn’t a recipe magazine, though. “Food is the one thing that connects them all, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it even is a food magazine, it’s more a lifestyle and culture magazine. More about the people and their stories,” he tells me. It’s about the human element behind the cooking, the reasons chefs and restaurant owners love their work, and an exploration of how

food tells a story. “Food is a great communicator.

It’s a great way to pass on something about yourself.

People have so many different reasons for starting up these businesses - it could be that you want to discuss your heritage, your family, your tradition.

I think it goes beyond wanting to create something delicious.”

Anticipating the first edition, Marcus has already been inducted into the food world, meeting a whole host of his culinary heroes along the way. “The whole reason I started this magazine was as a vehicle to live out my fantasies, it’s an excuse to hang out with Drew at Kold Sauce and get drunk making hot sauce at midnight, or go into the studio with Hugo at Allday and make knives. It gives me an excuse to go to these places that I’m interested in,” Marcus says.

A lover of food, he tells me that the magazine was born naturally from his own interests: “I think there’s a whole group of people my age and older that would rather go out to a restaurant than go out to a rave.

And in that way it’s an extension of my own lifestyle.”

In that vein, the magazine is more interested in everyday food culture than pricey dishes or Michelin star chefs. “That’s an ethos of Picnic,” Marcus says, “it’s not about pretentiousness, it’s not about expensive or cheap. We could feature a McDonald’s apple pie or caviar, it doesn’t matter - if it’s good then it’s good.”

Picnic certainly taps into the younger generation of gastronomes, those who have endless restaurant lists on their notes app, and who scour through food-related geotags. Marcus notes that people “are

collecting restaurants almost like you might collect Pokémon cards”, comparing and contrasting them among friends. Alongside this, there’s a newfound interest in the chefs themselves, who have risen to celebrity status in many circles. “I think there used to be this invisible line between the kitchen and the dining area that you felt like you couldn’t cross,” Marcus says. “That’s blurring now, and in a symbolic sense you can see into the kitchen a bit more. There’s now a dialogue between chefs and diners, particularly through social media, and that didn’t exist before.”

Featuring chefs from all across the country, the first edition of Picnic will also showcase its fair share of Nottingham faces, notably Katharina and Joakim from Little Bricks and Pete Hewitt from Everyday People, who Marcus describes as “really lovely, great people”. Commenting on the Nottingham food scene, Marcus is complementary: “It’s definitely coming up.

It’s always had a bit of a scene, but more recently it’s coming into its own. There’s room for anyone who wants to do something and does it well.”

I’m curious as to the future of Picnic magazine, who are set to release their first edition in May. Will it always be about food as a subculture? “I think I’ve started relatively broad but then as I go on I'll refine it,” Marcus explains. “Each issue will represent a different focus. I’m not against doing a whole issue about butchery, a whole issue about foraging, a whole issue about vegetarianism.” But overall, it will always be for those who have an interest in “food and people, and knowing what drives them.”

To Nosh Gyros - Yamas

To Drink Latte - Blend

To Follow Fox Cafe

Packing flavour into a delicious, light wrap, each bite of these beauties is guaranteed to prove better than the last. And with pork, chicken and vegan options available, there’s something for everyone. @yamastapas

Grab one of the finest lattes this side of Rome with a trip to Blend.

Boasting venues in Sneinton Avenues, EastWest and the Contemporary, you can now find them in every corner of the city. @blendnottingham

Inspired by the humble fox, a key feature in Celtic mythology, this little cafe has become one of the most popular spots in town. Drop them a follow for pics of food, coffee and, yes, foxes. @foxcafe_nottingham

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food for thought

Issue one of Picnic will available at the end of May

@picnic.mag

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In fact, you need only look to the many popular fairy tales from childhood to see how central clothing was to those storylines.

Look at the Brothers Grimm’s tale of Red Riding Hood, with her iconic ruby toned cloak and the way the wicked wolf used her grandma’s clothing to conceal his identity. Or, perhaps it’s the way clothing was used as a vehicle for portraying wealth and status in Cinderella and the pivotal role the glass slippers played in the whole story.

Or even Hans Christian Andersen’s cautionary tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, which warns about the dangers of vanity and arrogance, as well as the delusion of crowds. And there are more too, not forgetting Little Mermaid, Snow White, Rumplestiltskin and Beauty and the Beast to name a few, that seem to centralise their story and message on one’s appearance or the clothes they wear.

What these tales prove is the everlasting power of fashion and the clothes we wear

Today, we may not be faced with the challenges of fighting real life wicked wolves or evil witches like many of the heroes and heroines in traditional fairy tales, but the clothes we wear can still act as a symbol of hope, strength and defiance against many of the everyday challenges we face in the real world.

words: Addie Kenogbon

Ahead of the event, we catch up with Amy Rowell from the Shop Kilo team to find out more about this exciting new way of sustainable shopping, and just why Nottingham is always top of their list for their events…

Sustainable fashion is a real hot topic right now, but what makes shopping at a kilo sale so special?

By shopping with Shop Kilo you're not only supporting a small independent business, but also helping us save tonnes of clothes from going to landfill. We aim to offer a fun shopping experience that is both sustainable and affordable.

For those who aren’t familiar with kilo sales, can you talk me through how the event works?

Our rails are stocked with all sizes for all genders and tastes, with everything from skirts and shirts to jumpers, jeans, hoodies, tees and more. When you’ve chosen what you want, just weigh your haul at our weigh stations to see exactly what you’ll be paying.

There’s no minimum spend, so you could grab a silk shirt for £3, a £10 pair of nineties Levi’s, or a gorgeous faux fur coat for £20.

We accept cash, card and Apple Pay. And, if it’s not payday yet, you can pre-buy an £18 per kilo voucher on our website (or even when waiting in the queue), and buy now, pay later with Klarna.

How long have Shop Kilo events been running?

Our Kilo sales have been running across the UK since 2006 and we’ve had events in cities and towns from the north to the south of the country and everywhere in between.

How many times has the event visited Nottingham and how are your events usually received here?

We try to visit Nottingham as often as possible throughout the year as our events here are always super successful. The last time we visited, in February, we brought over a thousand customers through the door.

What sorts of things can shoppers get their hands on during the event next month?

We've got everything to kick-start your spring wardrobe, including branded tees, dungarees, denim jackets, jazzy shirts and plenty more.

By shopping with Shop Kilo you’re not only supporting a small independent business, but also helping us save tonnes of clothes from going to landfill Can you share any further details about what will be happening during the event?

Our doors will open at 10.30am and the event will run until 4pm. Tickets are valid for the whole day and cost £3 for early bird or £2 for general admission, with free entry available for those who arrive after 3pm or children under twelve years old. Shoppers can also get their hands on tickets online to jump the queue, or pay on the door on the day if they don’t mind standing in line.

All of our rails get restocked throughout the day, so no matter what time you arrive, there'll be plenty to rummage through.

The Nottingham Kilo takes place on Saturday 14 May at the Nottingham Trent University Student Union Building. To get your hands on tickets or to find out more about the event visit their website or Instagram page fatsoma.com @shop_kilo

the look

And, it can be easy to chalk this all down to being simply superficial but I think what these tales prove is the everlasting power of fashion and the clothes we wear. The fact that, even centuries later, we can all still relate to these stories despite styles having come and gone, says a lot, doesn’t it? Even mentioned in passing, in these stories, clothes are used to create layered individuals creating a picture that drives emotion positive or otherwise - while highlighting the relevance fashion has in society, regardless of what year it is.

When you were a kid, not much could beat the excitement of a pick and mix, and Shop Kilo brings the same excitement to the world of vintage shopping through its nationwide kilo sale events. One of which is taking place here in Nottingham on Saturday 14 May.

To Follow Sustainable Bags and Fashion

To Wear SS ‘22 Collection (Mimm)

Featuring a wide range of colours and unique designs, these bags and accessories are reborn in the most sustainable way - with 100% recycled leather. Don’t follow the trend, follow the movement. @sustainablebagsandfashion

The Nottingham-based store where you can buy the very best original and sustainable streetwear, combining the worlds of art and music. Want to look stylish when you’re heading around the city?

These fashion icons are a must.

To Visit The Vintage Carnival leftlion.co.uk/issue147

This month’s issue is all about the world of mythology, and fashion has certainly had a big part to play in folklore, legend and mythology for centuries.

interview: Addie Kenogbon

fashion

worth the weight

The eighth edition of Vintage Carnival is back in Nottingham.

Travel back in time and be entertained with live music, carnival games, traditional rides, street food to die for, and much, much more.

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MICHAEL ROSEN

6-15 MAY 2022 JOELLE TAYLOR

NAFEESA HAMID

Nottingham Poetry Festival returns!

Join us for live and streamed performances, workshops, panel discussions and more.

Supported by Arts Council England, Castle Rock Brewery & Confetti Media Group.

Tickets and further info at www.nottinghampoetryfestival.com HENRY NORMAL

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JAH DIGGA

I am safe Ah, May. Longer evenings. Warmer days. Bliss.

Let’s discuss one of my favourite spiritual tools: Crystals.

They are my go-to for everyday protection, helping me to meditate or focus on the tasks at hand while wearing them as jewellery. Crystals are found all around the world and have been used throughout the ages by mankind.

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on earth until the 1500s, it was believed to be eternal ice sent by the gods The Egyptians buried their dead with quartz on their forehead, the Greeks would carve wine glasses out of amethyst and people in China were using crystal-tipped needles for acupuncture nearly 5,000 years ago.

Whatever change you’re wanting in life, there is a crystal to aid while you take action.

Smoky quartz, onyx and black obsidian are stones that help to create a safe environment for growth.

They are all grounding stones, which allow you to connect to the Earth and feel centred, less reactive, and able to make better decisions.

Black tourmaline is my personal favourite protection crystal. It doesn’t stop people from behaving negatively towards me, but it means I don’t engage in their anger and take on their energy.

words: Marta Tavares

The Nottingham Poetry Festival isn’t just a place to discover the finest wordsmiths in the city; with a range of wellbeing workshops and activities on offer, it also provides the perfect opportunity to switch off and unwind. We run through some of the highlights…

Over the last couple of years, nothing has been normal, and moments for reflection and relaxation have been hard to come by. Luckily, the Nottingham Poetry Festival is here to help.

Returning to the city with a wide variety of engaging workshops and activities between Friday 6 and Sunday 15 May, the team at NPF have devised a plan to help us all discover the connection between poetry and a zen mindstate - with some events even being held outdoors to put you in direct contact with nature.

It’s an opportunity for growth, exploration, developing your writing and engaging with thoughts and feelings you couldn’t do otherwise On Sunday 8, you can take part in wellbeing-focused workshop ‘A Moment in Time’, led by local poet Ella Burns Robbins and centred around embracing the comfort created by our positive memories.

“You’ll be able to encapsulate a memory that you can revisit and it’ll take you back to the place where there’s something good,” explains Nottingham-based Ella.

“I hope it’s a moment in the day where people can step away from the judgement around creativity and expectations, and step into connecting with themselves.”

The relationship between wellbeing and poetry is inherently intertwined, she claims, with the artform providing a way of dealing with human emotions, especially the challenging ones. “You can explain a feeling, a thought, a moment, without telling the whole story and keeping your vulnerability anonymous,” Ella says. “Poetry wrapped up in a word is: opportunity.

WELLBEING

all’s well that ends well

There’s so much depth to it, words are never stagnant, you can move from one place to another metaphorically and physically. It’s an opportunity for growth, exploration, developing your writing and engaging with thoughts and feelings you couldn’t do otherwise.”

Robbins’ workshop isn’t the only way to get your wellbeing fix though, with the festival’s packed schedule featuring plenty of ways to relax and unwind. If letting out your anger, fears or hopes onto a sheet of paper through zen writing and Japanese haikus is your cup of tea, Rich Goodson’s ‘World Jam: How to Write Zen’ workshop on Sunday 8 is perfect for you.

Sundays aren’t all about rage though, and if you’re more of a fresh air and chill vibes type of person, you can join poet Nicky Tullet on a walk around the two lakes of Colwick Country Park - where you can be inspired by her work between 4pm and 5pm.

The following weekend, on Saturday 14 May - the penultimate day of the festival - you can also join Caroline Stancer for ‘Poetry and Mindfulness’ from 10am-12pm in Middle Street Resource Centre, with her poems and guidance bound to open your eyes to the intensity of the most ordinary moments. And you can get yourself outside for a relaxing walk later in the day, as Gail Webb talks you through finding new and interesting ways to connect with nature at Lady Bay Arts Trail from 1pm to 3pm.

So, if you want to heal and connect with your innerself, meet other like-minded people, and express your feelings through writing poetry, don’t miss out on this amazing edition of the Nottingham Poetry Festival.

You can find the full Nottingham Poetry Festival schedule on their website nottinghampoetryfestival.com

If you look at most modern timepieces, you’ll find the word quartz. The vibration of clear quartz makes an excellent time keeper. With its pure frequency, it’s nicknamed the Master Crystal. It is one of the most abundant minerals on earth until the 1500s, it was believed to be eternal ice sent by the gods.

But anyway, it’s affirmation time…

I AM SAFE Because we can only thrive when we feel secure and protected.

Until next time, my loves.

Be Safe, No Fear and Stay Blessed. leftlion.co.uk/issue147

@lovecelestene lovecelestene.com

Love

CECE X 33

traceymeek.com

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a commons myth

Volunteering for charities, litter-picking, or joining in rewilding efforts are all forms of commoning It’s an idea that goes back a bit, and it’s rooted in land use. The Diggers, a seventeenth century agrarian socialist dissident movement linked to the Levellers, claimed in their manifesto that England had been mostly common land until the Norman conquest of 1066. Many people globally have relied, and still rely, upon these commons for their survival, and there remain around 9,000 areas of common land currently registered in the UK. But the most persistently-referenced modern depiction of commons is Garret Hardin’s 1968 essay The Tragedy of the Commons, which argues that humans are unavoidably greedy and self-serving, ready to blindly over-exploit any commonlyheld resource. It’s a myth that’s overdue busting; on the contrary, it’s the modern market economy that has most efficiently achieved environmental depletion.

Bollier rails against the logic of Hardin’s essay, pointing out that - far from being in a tragic state - we see growing use of commons approaches, in the internet-driven proliferation of opensource software and Creative Commons, in our relocalising of food systems and manufacturing, and in managing community gardens, parks, and nature reserves. His latest book, The Commoner’s Catalogue for Changemaking, advocates practices like collaborative finance, time banking, and gift economies, which are neither state or market-driven.

Volunteering for charities, litter picking, or joining in rewilding efforts are all forms of commoning, and show that we’re very capable of cooperatively nurturing resources. Bollier says the commons helps us build an identity beyond that of consumer or citizen; a more “immersive, participatory, community-minded way of being and knowing”.

We’re in a cultural moment that’s thirsty for new ideas, and the commons may hold some of the right answers.

words: Adam Pickering

words and illustration: INSTAR

From modern tales like The Princess and the Frog, through to ancient literature in the form of The Epic of Gilgamesh, humans have been fascinated by the wonders of mythical flora and fauna. Yet our natural world is perhaps more incredible than anything in a fairy tale…

Think back, as far as you can, to your first connections with the natural world. I don't mean the blackbird whose proud syrup song drizzled from the TV aerial outside your bedroom window, nor the riverine ant herds navigating the asphalt savannah, only to depart the above for the underneath, as they trickle between a curbside crack. I mean the creatures from the otherworld, the surreal and unsettling domain of skinwalkers, shapeshifting frogs and werewolves.

When we were children, animals affected us most profoundly when they pounced, flew and slithered from between the pages of a book - and it was here that these characters had the freedom to unfold further into our psyche. It might be a shadowy underwater wake from the passing leviathan, its cold breath wafting our toes, or the twig snap shudder panic from the stalking beast, slinking behind the vanta black curtain of a woodland night, or simply caution for the untrustworthy cunning of the fox and the bloodthirsty intentions of a ravenous wolf.

However, when a lot of these tales were established, wolves, bears and lynx were very much a part of our native fauna, and the creatures in these stories opened our eyes to some important natural lore.

The teachings drawn from the yarns of animal myth and fable unravel into our lives; we learn of risk, adventure and romance, danger and consequence, and probably, most importantly, we also discover alchemy in the narrative of these fantastic creatures. Magic fascinates and tickles our curiosity, in fairy tales and folklore, flying creatures, shapeshifters and resurrection are all enchanting and wondrous powers, yet in reality birds and bats, butterflies and beetles, hibernation and seasonal change are commonplace phenomena.

Immortality is a completely rational option for the jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii. In the case of the desert-

dwelling New Mexico whiptail lizard, virgin birth (parthenogenesis) is a routine method of reproduction.

It truly is a deliciously weird world that we live in.

The more we stray from the ancient path of sharing stories about wild things, then the further we distance ourselves from nature, its wisdoms and wonders One of the most beguiling fictional relationships that smudges the margins between animal and human cultures throughout the world is that of the shapeshifter, the bedevilled human caged within the tormented husk of some lowly or hideous beast. Werewolf and Lycan stories have a long and gruesome history. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, a 4,000-year-old poem which is widely considered to be the oldest known surviving work of literature, we witness, arguably, the first appearance of a werewolf.

In this tale the hero of the title shuns the advances of the goddess Ishtar after learning that she had turned an amorous shepherd into a wolf, who then meets his demise at the teeth of his own guard dogs.

In Navajo folklore those who can deviate between animal and human form are known as skinwalkers, or yee naaldlooshi, meaning, “With it, it goes on all fours.” These are murderous, malevolent witches that, once draped in a pelt, can disguise themselves as that very same creature, often mutating into huge coyotes, wolves or bears hell-bent on mayhem and destruction.

In European fairy tales, green-eyed spells of entrapment are often cast to hinder or elicit romantic liaisons. The most widely known tale being that of The Frog Prince, one of the many dark and bewitching

fables collected by the Brothers Grimm. Here, the frog turns back into a prince only after being touched by the lips of the princess.

However, in the oldest version, the transformation only occurs once the princess has thrown the frog against a wall!

Closer to home, in Celtic mythology, shapeshifters appear frequently. For example, there are many stories that feature Selkies - seals who, upon emerging from the surf, remove their pinniped skin to walk the earth as a human. And then there is the Puca, a ghost of Irish folklore, a mischievous white or black furred creature that can change into a wide range of forms, from hares to horses to humans, yet in this final form will always retain some vestige of animal features such as a nose or tail.

Alternatively, if we are not becoming a beast ourselves, then we are granting the more than human world our peculiar and often flawed human idiosyncrasies. Long after the Grimm and Aesop boom, tales featuring anthropocentric animals have become increasingly commonplace, from the quintessential watercolour tales of Beatrix Potter to the political farmyard banter of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, along with pretty much everything from the Disney staple. It appears that telling stories featuring animal protagonists is vital to our very being.

The more we stray from the ancient path of sharing stories about wild things, then the further we distance ourselves from nature, its wisdoms and wonders. If we no longer know the tales of the land and its multitude of curious creatures, then we lose our connection to them and our relationship will be forever broken. This is why it is now more important than ever that we keep telling those weird and whimsical stories - and keep those fantastic beasts alive. we-are-instar.co.uk

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Commons are spaces, resources, and practices (material or cultural) that are not owned or governed by a private entity or the state, but are shared or used by a wider community. David Bollier, leading Massachusetts-based thinker on the commons, described it to me as “a social system for collaboration and sharing that puts a priority on fairness, participation and inclusion in the managing of shared wealth”.

ENVIRONMENT

fantastic beasts and why we need them

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interview: George White photo: Lu’s Art Factory

SCREEN

side hustle

myth me with that

In recent years, the mythic fantasy sphere has (The Green Knight aside) largely been plagued by shabby remakes and shoddy reboots, including of The Mummy itself - with Tom Cruise and co. making arguably one of the worst big-budget movies of all time back in 2017. Where once these huge blockbusters were a major reason to fork out for cinema tickets, now many are barely worthy of a place on streaming platforms.

It’s vital that when genuinely unique, creative films are made, they’re seen by as many people as possible

So you know what to do. Take a risk.

See something different. Back brave creators that have interesting ideas.

If we do that, maybe the rest of Hollywood will follow. @LeftLionScreen

words: George White

What will Hustle Cinematic bring to Nottingham's Screen scene?

Hustle Cinematic is a screening and visual arts platform, incorporating multiple artforms to celebrate culture and community. Future programming will be driven by what the community tells us it needs. We want to showcase and have our audiences partake in narratives that help put us in each other’s shoes.

We believe in the transformative nature of film, of how offering insight into different perspectives can help shed divisive values You've mentioned that you see film as a potential vehicle for social change. How do you plan on using cinema in this way, and what sort of change are you hoping to achieve?

We believe in the transformative nature of film, of how offering insight into different perspectives can help shed divisive values. What we would like is to start conversations. Only through acknowledging situations and having dialogue can we come to collectively seek solutions that can better our community and honour our shared values. The arts are integral to this. It’s how we connect and grow.

Why did you feel that now was the right time to launch this project?

After a very challenging couple of years living under the spectre of the pandemic, in which we were all forced to be more insular and fearful, it felt more important than ever to bring people together to celebrate our similarities rather than our differences.

Our inaugural event, Black Speculative, took place last month and was about celebrating geekiness, otherness, possibilities and futurity. It featured an afro-futuristic themed screening of Afro Samurai, introduced by animator Jessica Ashman and including immersive visuals by artist Kim Thompson, as well as live music from DJs Where It’s Warm and NikNak. We aimed to create an inclusive space where the audience was encouraged to dress up as anything they wanted, or just be themselves. We said, "Come as you are or come as others. We welcome you."

We did this in collaboration with The Screen at Nottingham Contemporary and with the help of Film Hub Midlands, Funimation and Arts Council England, and it was inspired in part by the Contemporary’s Our Silver City 2094 exhibition, which ran from November 2021 until April 2022. This also influenced the timing of the event as thematically we wanted to be as close to this wonderful exhibition of possibility as we could, showing what a cohesive Nottingham might look like.

Have you taken any inspiration from any other local film groups or collectives, and can we expect any collaborations with these groups any time soon?

One inspiration for Hustle Cinematic was the late, great Sophia Ramcharan and her Fade II Black Film and Music Lounge. We hope to create events as meaningful as this - bringing audiences together to share time and care about each other, about the community, through this wonderful medium. At present we hope to work with everyone from the wider Hustle Collective, SheAfriq Collective, Mimm, Nottingham C.A.N, Broadway Cinema - but we are very much open to collaborating with anyone that can help us bring people together through the arts. facebook.com/hustlecinematic

Short reels

This is why it’s so vital that when genuinely unique, creative fantasy films like the upcoming Everything Everywhere All At Once are made, they’re seen by as many people as possible. As Empire magazine’s Chris Hewitt rightly pointed out, this was a film that was strangely not released for everybody everywhere all at once - meaning we have had to sit and watch as our friends over the pond soaked in what was described by one critic as “pure movie magic”. But when it does finally hit our screens on Friday 13 May, it’s crucial that plenty of bums hit seats. This movie is winning major plaudits for taking a swing when things were starting to become stale, injecting a tired genre with something fresh and exciting.

Yet if studios don’t witness a big return for smaller titles like this, then their typical model of reboots and remakes is destined to continue.

We chat to the Hustle Collective’s Christine Katerere about the group’s new film movement Hustle Cinematic, and how they’re hoping to encourage societal change through the immersive, boundary-smashing world of cinema…

To Do Seven Years in Tibet

To Remember Game of Thrones: The Last Watch

To Follow Tim Doubleday

You know what’s better than watching a film? Watching a film with food. And with Nonsuch Studios’ Food & Film screening of this Brad Pitt-starring drama, you can get a bit of both. Perfect.

Thurs 19 May, Nonsuch Studios

The final season of Game of Thrones might have been a bit of a dumpster fire, but there’s no doubting that Jeanie Finlay’s intimate documentary on its creation, The Last Watch, was an overwhelming success three years ago.

Director of the super enjoyable short film Hockley Types, Tim Doubleday is well worth a follow - with the filmmaker supplying cracking shots of nature, Notts and his movie-making journey. @tim_doubleday leftlion.co.uk/issue147

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Remember the good old days of quality fantasy films? Weird, exciting flicks like The Mummy and Pan's Labyrinth would (loosely) take cues from mythology to create new, breathtaking tales of action and adventure. Well, unfortunately, it feels like there aren’t as many of these being made at the moment.

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MUSIC

MUSIC Reviews Midnight Rodeo Now You’re Gone (Single) Midnight Rodeo are finally here with their dreamy debut psych-pop single Now You’re Gone. The six-piece describe themselves as a ‘musical spaghetti western’, and they couldn’t really have put it any better. Boasting the iridescently mysterious and captivating vocals of Maddy, paired with eclectic, fuzzy instrumentals, we can’t wait to see what this rodeo gets up to next after their sold out show at the Chameleon. Katie Lyle

The i Club’s Decades of Dancing

These days, with odd rounds of bingo and evenings for Irish dancers, its original charitable work is supportive of a smaller, predominantly elderly community The seventies brought a change of location, growth in size and a proper alcohol licence, and the dancing soon followed. Decades of early-morning discos, reggae nights, function events and any other kind of party grew the centre’s reputation as a weekend spot. Different crowds were attracted, people’s feet were grooving, and their hips never stopped swinging.

As the records spun and the years passed by, the club’s doors were open to an increasingly wider audience, including workers in the emergency services, who enjoyed the centre as a weekly get-together location.

These days, with odd rounds of bingo and evenings for Irish dancers, its original charitable work is supportive of a smaller, predominantly elderly community. As a music venue, now identified as The I Club, the space hosts any kind of festivities you can imagine – dubstep, bassline, northern soul, weddings, UKG, the lot – and its reputation remains for being one of our city’s stronghold venues. iclubnottingham.com

words: Elliot Farnsworth

Mighty Lightweights Object Permanence (Album) Nottingham duo Jem Woolley and Paul Greevy are the Mighty Lightweights and Object Permanence is their long overdue debut album. Available on CD and download, it's a mighty fine sound with ten tracks of a genre best described as alternative indie pop. A tight performance and great song-crafting that deserves your attention, a perfect blend of dreamy guitar riffs, and a really tight bass and understated vocals, along with keys and drums, provide a mighty heavy release.

Bassey

John Hardy Old Park Dreams (Album) John Hardy presents his second album Old Park Dreams and it's a must-listen for all the acoustic, low-key music lovers out there. Gentle vocals with strong messages are underpinned by a wash of calming melodies that are crafted into a fistful of catchy songs. It's not pure country and it's not pure pop, but it certainly uses both influences to great effect - and it promises to make Nottingham folks sway all day.

Bassey

If you’re from Nottingham and want to get added to our music writers list, or get your tunes reviewed, hit us up at music@leftlion.co.uk

NUSIC BOX

Your new Notts music tip sheet, as compiled by Nusic’s Sam Nahirny. Want more? Check out the fortnightly podcasts and live sessions on the Nusic website.

Swantje Over at the New Music Podcast, Kemet FM’s Jackie P picks one ‘yo, this is a song I’m really feeling at the mo’ track each month. The latest was from Swantje, and our ears kind of popped off our heads and gave Jackie a big ol’ hug, because it’s a silky smooth banger. Kinda nineties RnB with modern hip-hop sprinklings and one hell of a hook. Produced by the Notts mega dream team Andretheproducer and Chawe, it sounds like any RnB megastar could have released this - which means these next few years could be very exciting for Swantje. @swantjeeeeeee

The Hackney Attic Despite their name, these boys are NG based. And not only that, they’re making some of the quirkiest, catchiest indie this side of the decade. Nonchalant swagger from frontman Rudi, some absolutely gorgeous harmonies and a relaxed wall of sound that almost feels like a cosy jumper. They’re only two singles in and Radio 1’s Jack Saunders is already a fan. It won’t be long before they’re in attics all over the gaff, not just in Hackney. @thehackneyattic

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Serving local Irish folk since the early sixties, the Nottingham Irish Centre has been one of our city’s staple venues for a long bloody time. Originally, though, it didn’t have a licence to sell booze – which is what you might associate it with nowadays. Instead, it focused on providing a social community hub and now, nearly six decades later, it continues to do exactly that.

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ART

OVER AR R C TI E S D T N U

Ancient Worlds, New Discoveries

words: George Dunbar

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m a professional illustrator, designer and composer of music, and my clients range from education to commercial industries, private clients to registered charities.

What was the inspiration behind the cover?

The mythologies of Thor, Bragi, Hercules and, of course, the Aztec goddess Mayahuel and her 400 rabbits, drove the concept from sketching stage through to completion.

By the lakeside at the University of Nottingham, there is the aptly named Lakeside Arts Building, currently the home of Ancient Iraq: New Discoveries. The exhibition, which is being toured around various galleries in the UK, collects over eighty artefacts from some of the world’s earliest civilisations which existed in the region of southern Iraq between about 3500 and 2000 BC. It brings people in the East Midlands images of a hot, barren desert world with crumbling remains, giving the exhibition an intense and dramatic appearance. It shows the wear of time and the wear of war in a region often troubled by turmoil. It tells a story of lost civilisations and the fight to preserve their remains.

How does it compare with some other projects you’ve worked on?

Cover illustrations differ from my other illustration work as there are much fewer words. The words - well, title - are nevertheless important and in this instance gave me a clue of what to do with Hercules and his apt lion headdress.

Ancient Iraq, it appears, has a claim to the throne as the cradle of human civilisation

What was the biggest challenge that you faced in creating the piece?

Whether to add a border or not to the final piece, as I had originally planned. In the end, as it is quite visually busy, I opted not to. But part of me still wants to add the one planned.

I already know if I do that, I won't be able to make up my mind!

The exhibition is a chance to learn more about the cultural significance of Iraq and the challenges around protecting the archaeological treasures in the region. In the several thousand years of history that the exhibition presents, many empires changed and fell in this region, and the resulting cultural changes can be visibly seen in the artefacts. These stories of war and cultural clash continue into the present day in Iraq.

The exhibition deliberately draws this parallel to highlight the challenges of protecting Iraq's diverse cultural heritage following decades of conflict.

Tell us about some projects you’ve worked on in the past…

I started as an illustrator in the early nineties.

Since then my work has taken me into animation, composing soundtracks, interactive media, teaching, live performance work and the odd mural here and there. In between jobs, I'm working on a 20ft x 8ft mural on an allotment which I got involved with during lockdown.

What have you got planned for the future?

To finish the allotment mural. I would like to illustrate some more of my own sequential stories that I wrote scripts for a while ago and complete some more music work that had to be put on the back burner due to lockdown.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers?

You can check out my most recent professional illustration work on my instagram page. @andertontoby

Upon entering the exhibition, one is confronted by a large statue from the remains of a Sumerian temple complex dating back to c.3000–2000 BC. Carved in dark stone and with curious patterns drawn into it, the wide eyes stare forward at the viewer. Alongside, there is a stunning collection of artefacts from the ‘Royal Tombs’ that were in the ancient city of Ur. The intricate and very beautiful gold necklaces and jewellery from these tombs

show the cultural style and sophistication of the people, and the amazing lengths they would go to to honour their dead. Among the more amazing artefacts are a series of clay tablets with strange markings on them; these show the early writing system known as cuneiform. Cuneiform writing would be done by pressing small indents into clay tablets to create pictographic shapes that would symbolise the phonemes of words. On one of these tablets is a record of the ancient poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh. The age of these clay tablets is evidence that the ancient Iraqi people invented some of the earliest forms of writing. Along with writing, they also developed inventions such as the wheel and irrigation systems, and systems like schools and the division of time into units of sixty Ancient Iraq, it appears, has a claim to the throne as the cradle of human civilisation.

The exhibition has an ultimately positive message, highlighting the incredible stories of the past and offering a hopeful narrative that the past and present can be looked after and enjoyed in the future. It shows how the British Museum and modern archaeology have improved through the years, with efforts being made to make amends for heritage that was stolen or mistreated under archaeological practices of the past. Where once archaeological sites were left exposed to the elements, now with new cultural heritage initiatives, efforts are being made to preserve and protect them for the future.

This is ultimately a highly thought-provoking and serious presentation of a 5,000-year-old story through a present-day lens, with obvious parallels drawn between the conflict between empires such as the ancient Romans with modern day warring parties such as Islamic State. It is this presentation of the artefacts that shows how history lives with us in the present day and gives hope that the priceless history of the region can be preserved.

Ancient Iraq: New Discoveries is on view at Djanogly Gallery until Sunday 19 June

lakesidearts.org.uk

Interested in art? Got a few things to say?

We’re looking for writers to cover Nottingham’s exhibitions, events, artists, and art-related news for this section.

For more information contact Alex Stubbs (alex.stubbs@leftlion.co.uk)

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What do you call the man who created the gods themselves?

Well, we call him Toby Anderton, and he’s here to let you know how he created our epic mythology cover…

The British Museum touring exhibition, Ancient Iraq: New Discoveries, arrives in Nottingham at Djanogly Gallery. Unseen collections of Ancient Iraqi artefacts and treasures are finally on display. But, as the British Museum finds itself embroiled in accusations of appropriation and stolen collections, a huge question hangs over the exhibition: is this enough to repair the museum’s image?

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words: Ashley Carter illustration: Natalie Owen

There wasn’t anything particularly special about the reign of Tutankhamun. He held the throne for barely a decade, dying before the age of twenty after he succumbed to what has been speculated to be a leg fracture sustained during a chariot accident. So why, more than three millennia after his death, does his name remain arguably the most well-known (rivalled only by Cleopatra) from Ancient Egyptian history? The answer lies in an expedition, funded

by Nottingham estate owner Lord Carnarvon, to excavate his tomb in the twenties - an expedition that led to the mysterious deaths of many involved, including Carnarvon himself…

George Herbert was dying. As he lay sweating, feverish and writhing in agony in the Continental-Savoy Hotel in Cairo, Herbert, the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, must have wondered what he’d done to deserve such a fate.

Aged just 56, he was suffering from the effects of blood poisoning – the result of a severe mosquito bite that became infected by a razor cut. It was Thursday 5 April 1923 and, whether he knew it or not, he had only hours to live. And then darkness. All of Cairo was plunged into black, hit by a city-wide power cut. As Carnarvon’s life slipped away in the dark heat of that Cairo hotel room, he would have no idea that his demise would give birth to rumours of an ancient curse, and that he would be just the first of many mysterious, untimely deaths linked to the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, was an English peer and aristocrat whose estates included land in Bingham, Shelford and Gedling in Nottinghamshire. Marrying the illegitimate daughter of millionaire banker Alfred de Rothschild in 1895, he was granted a marriage settlement of £500,000 (over £60million in modern money), which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle and obsession with horse racing. After a near-fatal motoring accident in 1903, doctors advised Carnarvon to winter in warmer climates, and it was during a short spell convalescing in Egypt that he first developed his obsession with antiquity. Four years later, he was sponsoring the excavation of nobles’ tombs in Deir el-Bahri, marking the first in a long line of projects undertaken alongside noted Egyptologist Howard Carter.

Subsequent excavations led the pair to work together again, this time at the famed Valley of the Kings – an area located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes, and the site where, for nearly 500 years from the sixteenth to eleventh century BC, rock-cut tombs were constructed as the final resting places for the pharaohs and most powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt).

Following a First World War-shaped interlude, the pair began anew in 1917, with the mission of finding any and all tombs missed by previous excavations. But by 1922, little of any real significance had been discovered, causing Carnarvon to declare that the following year would be the last he was willing to fund.

But, on 4 November 1922, Carnarvon received a telegram at his London home. “At last we have made wonderful

discovery in Valley,” Carter wrote to his patron. “A magnificent tomb with seals intact; recovered same for your arrival; congratulations.” By the end of the month, Carnarvon was back in Egypt and present when the tomb was finally opened, over 3,000 years after its regal inhabitant had been sealed inside. Clearing the tomb’s stairway, they revealed a door marked by a cartouche – an Egyptian hieroglyph depicting a royal name: Tutankhamun. Breaking the seal and entering the rubble-filled corridor, Carter was able to prise open a tiny breach into the tomb itself – space just large enough for him to peer into by candlelight. “Can you see anything?”

Carnarvon asked. “Yes,” came Carter’s reply.

“Wonderful things.”

Prince Ali Kamel Fahmey Bey would be shot dead by his wife later that year, aged just 23; Sir Archibald Douglas Reid, supposedly the first man to x-ray the mummy, died mysteriously in 1924; Sir Lee Stack, the governor-general of the Sudan, was assassinated in Cairo the same year; Arthur Mace, another member of Carter’s excavation team, died of arsenic poisoning in 1928; Carter’s secretary Richard Bethell was smothered in his bed in 1929, supposedly killed by Satanist Alastair Crowley (the Nottingham Evening Post mused that “Bethell had come under the ‘curse’… when there was a series of mysterious fires at his home, where some of the priceless finds from Tutankhamun’s tomb were stored”), while Bethell’s father committed suicide in 1930.

The contents were staggering. Entire rooms filled with treasure, statues, gold jewellery, chariots, model boats, canopic jars, paintings and the greatest find of all: a perfectly preserved sarcophagus containing the mummified remains of Tutankhamun himself. It would become one of the largest and most important archaeological discoveries in history, bringing worldwide fame and notoriety to both Carter and Carnarvon. The finds were so extensive that Carter would spend the next decade of his life cataloguing the thousands of items discovered inside the tomb. But, just five months after he was present for the tomb’s opening, Lord Carnarvon would be dead.

The supposed curse didn’t end with those directly involved with the excavation, either. When Sir Bruce Ingham was gifted a mummified hand paperweight by his friend Howard Carter, his house burnt down. Then, when he tried to rebuild it, it was hit by a flood. Similarly, wealthy American businessman George Jay Gould visited the excavation site in 1923, before immediately falling sick and later dying of pneumonia. Hugh Evelyn-White, a British archaeologist who helped excavate the site, committed suicide in 1924, writing, allegedly in his own blood, “I have succumbed to a curse which forces me to disappear” as he did so. It was even said that, at the exact moment Carnarvon died in Cairo, his dog Susie let out a great howl and died back in their family home in England.

You can’t help but wonder whether some part of Lord Carnarvon regretted stirring up the wrath of those ancient, powerful gods No sooner was his body cold that Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle told the American press that “an evil elemental spirit” manifested by priests caused Carnarvon’s death, forewarned as it was by the citywide power cut. Rumours of a curse, inscribed at the tomb’s entrance and warning that “Death will slay with his wings whoever disturbs the peace of the Pharoah” began to circulate, and Carnarvon was far from being the first member of the expedition to meet an untimely end.

Now, we’re never ones to let the facts get in the way of a good story, but it is worth pointing out a few things.

Firstly, it has been widely proven that no curse was ever written above the entrance to Tutankhamun’s tomb – that came as a result of the work of best-selling novelist Marie Corelli’s speculations. Secondly, there were far more people involved with the expedition – including Carter himself – who lived to a ripe old age, undisturbed by the supposed curse. Thirdly, many of the incidents linked to the curse were either erroneously linked to the excavation, wildly exaggerated or the result of panicked speculation. Simply put, like all conspiracy theories, the curse existed because people wanted to believe it, and shoehorned in whatever evidence they could to support it. But, as the Nottingham estate owner lay dying of a blood infection in that dark, humid Cairo hotel, you can’t help but wonder whether some part of Lord Carnarvon regretted stirring up the wrath of those ancient, powerful gods.

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What’s on?

SUNDAY 1 MAY

WEDNESDAY 4 MAY

SATURDAY 7 MAY

SUNDAY 8 MAY

WEDNESDAY 11 MAY

🎵 House Band ft. Dennis Rollins Peggy’s Skylight £12, 12pm

🏫 Hunting Nottingham’s History: Bridges, Bells and Lions Malt Cross £12, 10.15am

📖 The Poetry Performance

📖 If Brave Spaces Make For Brave

📖 Our Voices, Our Stories

📖 ExLibris, the Masked Booksellers ExLibris Free, 10am - 6pm

🎵 Chineke! Chamber Ensemble

🎵Bumblin’ Bees

😂 Canalhouse Comedy Night

The Lion at Basford 1.30pm

🍴 Bread For All Malt Cross Free, 2pm

😂 Two Mr P’s In A Podcast : Live The Glee Club £20, 6.30pm

🎵 Sing for Ukraine St Paul’s Church £10, 7pm

🎥 Wild at Heart

Broadway Cinema £5, 7.15pm

🎵 DnB Allstars Bank Holiday Rock City £22.40, 10pm

MONDAY 2 MAY

🎥 South: Shackleton’s Glorious Epic of the Antarctic Bonington Theatre £6.50, 1.30pm

Canalhouse £2, 7.30pm

🍴 Vegan Market Hopkinson’s £1 - £2, 10am

👪 Sustainable Market & Big

THURSDAY 5 MAY

Style Swap Nonsuch Studios 11am

🎵 Let’s Eat Grandma + Signing

📖 The Poetry Takeaway

Rough Trade £12.50, 6pm

😂 Matt Forde The Glee Club £15, 6.30pm

🎵 Blondie + Johnny Marr

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £55 - £75, 6.30pm

📖 NPF: Welcome to the Festival with Speech Therapy Fox and Grapes Free, 7pm

🎵 The Delines Metronome £22, 7pm

🎵 Ahmed Mukhtar: The Music of Iraq Djanogly Recital Hall £16, 7.30pm

Sneinton Market Free, 11am

📖 Word Walk Zine Launch Waterstones Free, 12pm

👪 Poetry Portraits with Fabrice

TUESDAY 3 MAY

📖 Nott Another Poetry Night The Robin Hood Pub 7pm

🎵 Architects

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £43.88, 6.30pm

🎵 Brass Against Rescue Rooms £20, 6.30pm

🎵 Feeder

Rock City £29.25, 7pm

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Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £15.89 - £23.80, 4pm

Leather The Old Cold Store £5, 7pm

📖 Digital and Mathematical

📖 Vice Verses

Poetry Five Leaves Bookshop £3, 4.30pm

🎵 Bonobo

Rock City £26.50, 7pm

MONDAY 9 MAY

Nottingham Playhouse 7.30pm

📖 SMUT! The Verbal Burlesque The Playwright 38 £6, 7.30pm

THURSDAY 12 MAY

🏫 Hearing The Silence Of An

📖 Michael Rosen

🎵 Eadyth (Wales) + Mangka

🎵 Alt-J

🎥 The Bonington turns 40! King of Comedy Screening Bonington Theatre £4 - £6.50, 1.30pm

📖 Nottingham Poetry Society:

📖 PoGo: Spoken Word

🎵 Warpaint

📖 Skip, Skip, Skip & Denim and

🎵 Declan McKenna

Of Gudea Djanogly Art Gallery £3, 1pm

Rescue Rooms £12, 6.30pm

Rescue Rooms £22.50, 7.30pm

🚲 Team GB v Denmark

Rough Trade £13.50, 6pm

🎨 Portrait Of A Ruler: The Art

🎵 The K’s

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £35 - £55, 6.30pm

Primary Free, 3.30pm

🎵 Cousin Kula: Live + Signing

Old Mosul Djanogly Theatre £3, 1pm

🎵 Honeyglaze + Signing 🎵 Kristin Hersh Electric Trio

📖 World Jam: How to Write Zen

Nonsuch Studios Free, 11am

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £35.84 - £161.90, 6.30pm

FRIDAY 6 MAY

😂 Alan Partridge Live

Nottingham Contemporary £5, 11am

🎵 Little Mix

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £12, 6pm Rough Trade £12.50, 6pm

Poems, How Do We Get There?

Gagos

By Our Hands Free, 12pm

Canalhouse Slam Canalhouse £4 - £5, 2pm

🚲 Varsity Ice Hockey

leftlion.co.uk/issue147

University Hall £5 - £25, 7pm

Masterclass with Panya the Poet Nottingham Playhouse £5, 10am

Showcase & App Launch City Arts Free, 5.30pm

📖 Poets of the Fall Rock City £22.40, 6.30pm

Rock City 7pm

(India) Rough Trade Free, 7pm

📖 Midlands Mix-Up with Leanne Moden & Jamie Thrasivoulou

Antenna £5, 7pm

31K Bar Free, 7pm

📖 Write at the Front

Metronome £10 - £15, 5pm Rock City £32, 6.30pm

📖 Henry Normal: The Escape Plan Lakeside Arts £10.50 - £14.50, 7.30pm

📖 Amy Tollyfield

The Magic Garden Free, 8pm

FRIDAY 13 MAY

🎵 The Dear Hunter

📖 Poetry Pick & Mix

TUESDAY 10 MAY

📖 The Power of Poetry:

The Bodega £14, 7pm

Nottingham Writers’ Studio £5, 12pm

😂 Saturday Night Comedy

🎵 Sigrid

Metronome £18 - £35, 5pm

Panel Discussion with Jamie Thrasivoulou & Guests Nonsuch Studios Free, 2pm

Anniversary Screening Bonington Theatre £4 - £6.50, 7.30pm

🎵 Knucks: Live + Signing

😂 Guz Khan: Work in Progress

🎵 Miles Kane

🎵 Jerry Leger And The

👪 No Jobs in the Arts: Making

📖 Feminist Book Fortnight:

📖 Joelle Taylor: C+nto &

📖 Walking into the Wind:

📖 Full Moon: GOBS Collective

📖 Malika’s Poetry Kitchen

🎭 Funeral Flowers

Metronome £18 - £36, 7pm

🎥 The Godfather: 50th

Situation The Chapel £12.50, 7.30pm

Poetry, Recovery and Hope Sobar 6pm

The Glee Club £10.25 - £27.50, 6.45pm Rough Trade £12, 7pm

Connections at the Carousel The Carousel Free, 7pm Showcase Nonsuch Studios £5, 7pm

The Glee Club £24, 6pm

Launch Event Five Leaves Bookshop Free, 7pm Showcase Djanogly Theatre £10, 7pm

Rock City £22.50, 6.30pm Othered Poems The Old Cold Store £8 - £12, 7pm

Nottingham Playhouse £13, 8pm

FRIDAY 6TH SUNDAY 15TH MAY 2022

PER WO DEB

SATURDAY 14 MAY

TUESDAY 17 MAY

SATURDAY 21 MAY

THURSDAY 26 MAY

MONDAY 30 MAY

📖 Poets off the Endz

😂 Grace Petrie

🎵 The Amy Winehouse Band

🎵 Aaron West and The Roaring

🚲 Free Football and Cricket for

😂 Drag Bingo

🎵 Church of the Cosmic Skull

The Space, Nottingham Girls’ High School Free, 7pm

👪 Nonsuch Eurovision Viewing Party!

Nonsuch Studios £10 - £16, 7pm

📖 Georgina Wilding: Hag Stone Nonsuch Studios £12, 7.30pm

SUNDAY 15 MAY

📖 Improvising Poetry: An Introduction Angel Microbrewery £20 - £25, 12.30pm

📖 Dandelions. A Sunday Lunch

of Wild and Unexpected Poetry Fox and Grapes Free, 2pm

🎵 Sea Girls

The Glee Club £15, 7pm

Rescue Rooms £22.50, 6.30pm

Rough City Free, 8pm

The Level £12 - £15, 7pm

📖 Speculative Fiction and Feminism Five Leaves Bookshop £3, 7pm

😂 Bianca Del Rio: Unsanitized

SUNDAY 22 MAY

👪 Chinese Write Now: Water

🎭 Nobody

🎵 Pierce Brothers

FRIDAY 27 MAY

🎲 The Big Quiz

WEDNESDAY 18 MAY

🎵 Findlay : Live + Signing

🎥 Face/Off

Broadway Cinema £5, 7.15pm

🎭 Veronica’s Room

MONDAY 23 MAY

The Studio Theatre £6.50 - £8, 7.30pm

🎵 Years & Years

🎵 Manchester Collective: Neon Djanogly Theatre £20, 7.30pm

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £35.65 - £52.60, 6.30pm

🎥 The Silence of the Lambs

Rescue Rooms £20, 7pm

THURSDAY 19 MAY

Savoy Cinema £5 - £6.95, 8.30pm

🎵 LYR

🎵 DJing With DJ Denno The Old Bus Depot Free, 1pm

TUESDAY 24 MAY

Metronome £13 - £13, 7pm

MONDAY 16 MAY

🎵 Darwin Deez - 10Yearz

🎵 Blue Note Sessions Peggy’s Skylight £12, 8pm

🍴 The Great British Cheese

😂 Alan Mcgee: An Evening With...

The Glee Club £15, 7pm

🎭 A Tale of Two Cities

Nottingham Playhouse £18.50, 7.30pm

🎵 Bloc Party Rock City £30, 6.30pm

😂 Make Me Roar Malt Cross £8 - £10, 7pm

🎵 Kate Nash

Rescue Rooms £22.50, 7pm

SATURDAY 28 MAY

🏫 Community Reconciliation In Post-War Mosul’s Old Town University of Nottingham Museum Free

🎭 The King of Reggae: The Man,

Rescue Rooms £16.50, 6.30pm

FRIDAY 20 MAY

Nottingham Playhouse £12.50 - £18.50, 7.30pm

👪 Slow Reading Group:

🎵 Jessica Lynn The Bodega £15, 7pm

WEDNESDAY 25 MAY

The Music Nottingham Playhouse £24.50, 8pm

🎵 Baby Bushka: The Kate Bush

SUNDAY 29 MAY

The Climate of History in a Planetary Age Nottingham Contemporary Free, 6.30pm

🎥 Adaptation

Broadway Cinema £5, 8pm

🎭 Oti Mabuse - I Am Here Nottingham Theatre Royal £25 - £49.50, 7.30pm

🎵 Hemulen Sounds Malt Cross 8pm

8-15 year olds Nottingham University Samworth Academy Free, 6pm

Tasting Malt Cross £24, 6.45pm

Calligraphy Lakeside Arts Free, 1.15am

Rough Trade £12.50, 6pm

Twenties Rescue Rooms £13.50, 6.30pm

Experience Of Your Dreams The Glee Club £18, 7pm

🎭 All The Fun of the Fair -

Nottingham Theatre Royal £32 - £37.50, 7.30pm Rescue Rooms £13.50, 7.30pm Malt Cross 7.30pm

🎲 Quiz Night

Organ Grinder Free, 8pm

🎵 Cirque Du Soul Summer Showdown Rock City £8, 10pm

TUESDAY 31 MAY

🚲 Vitality Blast Cricket: Notts

Outlaws v Lancashire Lightning Trent Bridge £11 - £22, 6.30pm

🎵 Mayday Parade Rock City £22.50, 7pm

🎵 Bloodhound + Jonny Olley + Penny Moon Rough Trade Free, 7pm

👪 Em-Con 2022

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £9.41 - £48.20, 10am

🎵 Dot To Dot Festival 2022

FOR THE FULL RUNDOWN, VISIT LEFTLION.CO.UK/LISTINGS

🎭 DNA

🎨 Craig Fisher

🎨 IMARA Exhibition

🎭 Shrek - The Musical

🎭 The Gruffalo

TRCH £13 - £15 Mon 9 May - Wed 11 May

Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £23.50 - £58 Tue 17 May - Sat 28 May

🎭 First Touch

🎨 Charity Art Auction

🎭 A Murder is Announced

David Essex Musical Nottingham Arts Theatre £12 - £14, 7.30pm

Various Venues £20, 1pm

ONGOING EVENTS

🎨 Gabriella Davies | Blue Italian Primary Sat 23 Apr - Sat 7 May

📖 Editing DH Lawrence Weston Gallery Free Sat 23 Apr - Sun 29 May

📖 Start Your Novel with Emma Pass Online £120 Sun 1 May - Tue 31 May

🎨 Laura Knight & Caroline Walker: A Female Gaze Nottingham Castle Free , 10am - 5pm Until Sun 5 Jun

🎨 Ancient Iraq: New Discoveries Djanogly Art Gallery Free Until Sun 19 Jun

🎨 Ejaradini

Primary Free, Until Fri 30 Sep

TRCH £17.50 - £30.50 Tue 3 May - Sat 7 May

Nottingham Playhouse £8.50 - £32.50 Sat 7 May - Sat 21 May

Lakeside Arts Free , 10am - 4pm Sat 7 May - Sun 26 Jun

Nottingham Society of Artists Free , 10am - 5.30pm Mon 9 May - Sun 15 May

Nottingham Society of Artists Tue 10 May - Sun 15 May

🎭 Dreamgirls

TRCH £12.50 - £34.50 Tue 31 May - Sat 4 Jun

BOOK TICKETS AT nottinghampoetryfestival.com

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RFORMANCES ORKSHOP BATES

Lakeside Arts £11 - £15 , 7.30pm Tue 3 May - Fri 6 May

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BEST OF MAY A Literary Journey Through Nottinghamshire When: Thursday 5 May, 7.30pm Where: West Bridgford Library How much: Free

Nottingham Poetry Festival When: Friday 6 May - Sunday 15 May Where: Various How much: Various

From Sillitoe to Lawrence, Nottingham has a long-standing reputation as a literary hub. That’s precisely why John Baird decided to write a book about us, walking through the past (and present) of Nottingham’s writing scene. For a chance to meet the author and experience a Q&A event, head on over to West Bridgford Library for the official launch of Follow the Moon and Stars: A Literary Journey Through Nottinghamshire.

Shining a light on local talent, Nottingham Poetry Festival is back once again. Presenting poets from Notts and beyond, the festival is a great opportunity to soak up some culture and get inspired. With names including Henry Normal, Jah Digga and Michael Rosen, the festival promises to be packed full of great discussion - and poetry, of course. Events can be booked individually online, so get clicking.

Dreamgirls When: Thursday 17 May Saturday 28 May Where: Theatre Royal How much: From £23.50 Dreamgirls is just that - an absolute dream. Straight from the West End, this dazzling musical tells the story of Effie, Lorrell and Deena, three young singers trying to make their way through 1960s showbusiness. Full of glitz, glamour and a glimpse into the world of the famous, Dreamgirls is full of high stakes and fantastic music, including And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going, One Night Only and more.

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Years and Years When: Monday 23 May, 6.30pm Where: Motorpoint Arena How much: From £35.65 The UK fell in love with Olly Alexander for his leading role in Channel 4's miniseries It’s A Sin. But the young star also has a successful musical career, acting as the frontman for indie pop band Years and Years. With a sound sitting somewhere between synth and electro, we can count on them for feel-good vibes. Playing tunes from their new album Night Call, check out Years and Years when they take over the Motorpoint Arena.

Sustainable Market and Big Style Swap When: Saturday 7 May, 11am Where: Nonsuch Studios How much: Free market, £8.75 for style swap Every month Nonsuch Studios get together with a heap of local artists and makers to offer you fine folk of Nottingham the very best artisan goods in the city. This month, however, the event comes with a special twist - a size-inclusive style swap incorporated into the market.

Passionate about sustainable fashion for all bodies, Nonsuch encourages people of all sizes to take part. Now that’s what we call circular fashion.

The Great British Cheese Tasting When: Thursday 26 May, 6.30pm Where: Malt Cross How much: £24 This one really doesn’t need much spiel, in our opinion.

Inspired by all things cheese, Delilah Fine Foods are heading over to the Malt Cross to host a deliciously good tasting event.

You can join Nik Tooley as he runs through a curated selection of cheese from all over Britain, taking you behind the country's great dairy industry. Guaranteed to be both fun and factual, this night is one for the foodies among us.

Making Creative Connections When: Saturday 7 May, 7pm Where: The Carousel How much: Free Nottingham creative? Interested in an artistic career? If you answered yes then make sure to mosey on down to the Carousel this month for their creative connections gathering - the collaborative event featuring a mixture of drop-in style workshops. With aims of connecting the creative community and inspiring collaboration, all events will be run by early-career creatives, offering up a space to meet like-minded people. Plus, great food is available!

Dot to Dot When: Sunday 29 May Where: Various How much: £27 Filling the city with the best sounds, Dot to Dot music festival is back in Nottingham this month, featuring artists like Coach Party, Baby Queen, Squid and many more. Taking place over a single day, you can catch great tunes at a variety of Nottingham’s most iconic venues, all included in a single ticket purchase. Covering all genres, from punk to pop, indie to rap, there’s something for every music lover.

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