Writing about creative women is Lauryn Wilson’s speciality but anything cool, interesting and a bit arts and craftsy is sure to attract her attention. If Lauryn isn't here, there and everywhere on little adventures across the country, then she'll probably be behind the counter at Rough Trade taking full advantage of her staff discount to collect vinyls or go to local gigs.
Born and raised in Notts, Lauryn left home after the pandemic in 2021 to study a BA in English Literature at York St John University before returning to study at NTU, where she's just finished her MA in Magazine Journalism. Taking her first few steps into the world of writing, without any academic support, Lauryn can see a future full of creativity ahead of her.
Read Lauryn’s feature on what Nottingham's famous for on page 16 and her interview with street artist Anna Wheelhouse on page 42.
123 Learning, 35A Creative, Aaron Murray, Alan Underwood, Alex McFarlane, Alison Gove-Humphries, Alison Hedley, Alison Knox, Anamenti, Andrew Button, Ant Haywood, Audrey & Lizzy & Margot, BadGrammar MakesMeSic, Barbara Morgan, Ben Martin Saxophone, Ben Stewart, Big Bob McPlop, Cat Kearney, Cerys Gibson, Chris Jarvis, Chris Underwood, Claire Foss, Clare Foyle, Colin Tucker, Cyra Golijani-Moghaddam, Dan Hemmings, David Belbin, David Knight, Dominic Morrow, Donna Rowe-Merriman, Eden PR, Erika Diaz Petersen, Fallowed, F C and E Ledger, GC, Gemma Barfoot, Grant Butterworth, Grass Roots Garden Care, Graye Wilde, Half Moon Holistics, Harry Sutcliffe, Harry Turner, Hayley Howard, Heather Oliver, Holden Johnson, Holly's Merry Moggies, Ian Carroll, Ian Phillips, Ian Storey, Ian Yanson, Jack Moore, James Place, James Verran, Jane Dodge, Janine Lees, Jason Clifford, Jean Forsey, Jennifer Pearce, John Haslam, John Hess, John Holmes, John & Jackie Scruton, Jonathan Day, Joshua Heathcote, Julian Bower, Julian de Brés, Julian McDougall, Justyn Roberts, Kay Gilby, Kaye Brennan, Kayzi, Kiki Dee the Cat, Lawrence Poole, Laura Wilson, Leigh Woosey, Lilian Greenwood, Livi & Jacob Nieri, Louise Duffield, Louise Obuchowski, Luke Richardshon, Lyn, Marc Weaver, Mark, Mark Barratt, Mark Bond, Mark Dickson, Mark Gasson, Mark Jacobs, Mary, Matthew Riches & Justin Clark, MC, Mickey, Mike Carter, Miri Debah, Monica White, Nic, Nick Palmer, Nigel Cooke, Nigel King, NottingJam Orchestra, Paul, Paul Boast, Pearl Quick, Philip Renshaw, Rachel Ayrton, Rachel Morton, Raphael Achache, Richard Donovan, Richard Goodwin, Rob Arthur, Robert Wyles, Rose Harvey, Roy Manterfield, Russell Brown, Ruth Hoyland, Saara Maqbool, Sally Longford, Sam Fia, Sam Hudson, Sam Stiling, Sandra Pink, Sarah Colborne, Sarah Manton, Selectadisc, Simon Evans, The Sparrows’ Nest, Steve Benton, Steve Holland, Steve Lyon, Steve Wallace, Sue Barsby, The Edgar Family, Tom Huggon, Tony Shelley, Tracey Newton, Vanessa Shaw, Vibrant Ellz, Will Horton, Richard Donovan.
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These Streets are
We spotlight Nottingham’s hub for independent arts, culture, and entrepreneurship: Sneinton Market Avenues, and reflect on the value of exploring cities off the beaten path.
Locally-based documentary
shares his intriguing journey into the world of
art in Nottingham.
A Tale of Five Cities
For those unfamiliar with Nottingham culture, and those who need a reminder, we spotlight five things that make it great: literature, sports, rebels, innovation, and caves.
The Sound Sanctuary
We meet the founder community initiative The Sound Sanctuary to understand the importance of drug education and safe spaces in the rave scene.
Life in Light photographer Tracy Whitefoot sheds light on her career, her upcoming exhibition My Life in Light, and what’s next for her.
Whose Streets Are They Anyway?
Tracing the history of street art and graffiti from NYC to Notts, we speak to local graff legend Richie 'Pops' Baker.
Hello lovely people of Nottingham, welcome to September!
Another month has passed and here we have another lovely issue of LeftLion for youexcept this edition is something a bit different. Not only do we have a fabulous sixteen-page street art special within this mag, but at eighty pages this is the biggest issue of LeftLion to date! As I keep saying, there’s just too many fabulous happenings in our fair city to showcase - you all need to have a day off.
When wandering about this month, look out for paint being splashed across grey concrete walls as Art Fest takes over Notts city centre for its second year. 2024 saw several artists decorate the sad remnants of Broadmarsh Centre on Middle Hill with some spectacular murals, and this year with the noble ‘mission to put art at the heart of Nottingham’ they’re looking to brighten up areas including Glasshouse Street, Hockley, and Sneinton Market. Check out pages 31- 46 to read about the event, explore Nottingham’s history of street art, learn how murals are celebrating the communities in Hyson Green and Beeston, and go on a very interesting dive into the stories behind sticker culture. Elsewhere in
Greening the Streets
Local street artist Anna Wheelhouse talks to us on art's ability to improve our local neighborhoods and her experience working on large murals.
Beyond the Wall
We explore the street art and mural project, Beyond the Wall by NAE with CEO Saad Eddine Said and artist Laura Decorum.
Hive of Activity
Community organizer and musician Jeanie Barton chats to us about the inspiration, history, and community behind Beeston’s thriving street art scene.
Running it Back
Local actor and creative Charles Evans tells us about his plan to run a marathon backwards in aid of Autism East Midlands.
the mag, I enjoyed hearing about Movers, a groovy new place to chill, dance and catch live DJs in Hockley (p.54). Having been to a couple of festivals over the summer, I was also very interested to learn about the Sound Sanctuary - a group of passionate individuals who are making partying safer by providing first aid, support and drug education to ravers (p.24). And if you’re not the type for a tipple, never fear - writer Bee Green shares an inspiring account of sober life on p.18, which provides lots of fun 0% activities for staying active and social.
With the summer drawing to a close as I write, I still can’t shake the back-to-school feeling of September and the looming gloom of the colder months. Still, it’s an excellent excuse to treat yourself to some new stationery and start planning cosy activities. Last year I acquired a life-changing blanket which I’m looking forward to getting reacquainted with. Savouring the small things is what it's all about. I hope you enjoy this mammoth issue! Put your feet up, grab a beverage of your choice, and take a bit of time to absorb some Nottingham goodness. That’s an order.
Until next time,
Bringing Notts to the Nation
Creator of BBC TV show Sherwood, writer and local legend, James Graham delves into his new play Dear England, which later this month headlines Theatre Royal.
Ours
Stick ‘em up
filmmaker Matt Watts
sticker
Daudi Matsiko
"I don't want my ringpiece going viral!"
"Theporkpie incident?"
“NottsCounty?They stillgoing?"
Guy outside the bodega: "They call me the Morrissey of Mapperley"
Girl on tram, about Market Square Beach: “'Is this s'posed to be the Christmas market, just a bit early?”
“Do you think pigeons are government spies?”
Overheard at bus stop on Mansfield Road: "Can a survivevegetable the failure of definition?"
Pick Six
For this month’s Pick Six we turned to renowned Nottingham street artist Nathan Bainbridge, who goes by Kid30
“It's
a milti-mullion poundscrewup!”
“I'm
not in the Masons, nor shall I ever be”
“Acablecariseasilythe worstgetawayvehicle”
think“Goforaweeand abouttax”
Book: The Art of Rebellion by Christi Hundertmark
I bought this around 2002/2003 from Coverage (now Montana). It showcases a collection of artists driven to create new forms of what was becoming known as street art –things like paste-ups, flyers, stickers, and street design. Seeing these innovative works made me realize I could create whatever art I wanted, without feeling the need to conform to the trends of graffiti at the time.
Album: Brand New Second Hand by Roots Manuva British hip hop at its best. It was a great period in my life – I was involved quite a lot with Detonate events at the time, and they were running a great hip hop room at their nights. They put him on a few times, and he smashed it every time. If I could, I’d have all his albums as my favourite. Super legend.
A personal hero: Anthony from Bikes Love You, Haydn Road
I’ve picked him not only because he’s a good friend, but also because he runs a great community bike shop, along with ZigZag Tours, which promotes loads of interesting things the city has to offer – historical tours, cycling tours, trips away and, more recently, some street art tours. He’s always up for getting involved with any weird art project. Sign up for one of his tours at zigzag.tours or go get your bike fixed – legend!
The word ‘nun’ is just the letter ‘n’ doing a cartwheel
words: Dani Bacon
Computer game: Chuckie Egg
It was a platform game released in 1983 that featured a farmer and some very grumpy chickens, battling it out for farmyard supremacy. It came on a massive floppy disk for the BBC computer. It took so long to load and only worked about one in ten times. I’m not sure how much we actually played it – we more than likely gave up and went outside. Now I like playing Cuphead with my son Arthur (who always beats me), but I really like the graphics.
Meal: Tipoo Turkish Restaurant
Always buzzing, and it doesn’t matter if you go in high-viz covered in paint, or for a special occasion. The staff are always friendly and the tasty food is reasonably priced. I recommend the chicken shish – tasty.
Notts spot: Sneinton Market
Over the years it’s been really good for the Nottingham street art scene and has seen some great artwork from loads of local and national artists. It also has interesting and creative shops and businesses, from art supplies at Montana, to printing studio Dizzy Ink, to clothing design from OneBC, art gallery Surface, creative curiosities at Curious, and loads more. I used to be into skateboarding years ago, so it’s great to see the skate scene is really healthy in the square. Plus, LeftLion is based there. Big up!
TRUTH MYTH or
Think you know recycling?
“If it’s got this recycling symbol - - it can go in the recycling bin”
MYTH - The recycling symbol, or "mobius loop", just means that an item COULD be recycled - but isn't relevant to household collection services. The "on-pack recycling label" is more helpful - if it says "Recycle" then it can be recycled in Nottingham. If you're unsure about whether or not to recycle an item, use the Recyclopedia Search Tool.
“All plastics can be recycled”
MYTH - At home, only plastic bottles and packaging like tubs, trays, pots, and punnets can be recycled. There are many different types of plastics and some are more difficult to recycle than others. Recycling facilities focus on resin types like PET (water bottles), HDPE (cleaning bottles), and PP (butter tubs) - these are all commonly used in packaging and are easy to recycle into new items. Polystyrene and hard plastics like coat hangers are complicated to sort and recycle, so they're not collected for recycling from households
“Items
must be cleaned before recycling”
TRUTH - Since recycling is all mixed together and compacted on the collection vehicle, food residue, liquids, grease, and other products that make contact with the paper and card ruins it's chance of a new life. Containers don’t need to be spotless, but they should be rinsed enough to keep the card and paper clean when it's compacted together.
“It all ends up in a foreign landfill anyway”
MYTH - This is a great headline to sell a newspaper, but it's not true. Waste crime does occur, but it affects a tiny fraction of the material councils collect. On rare occasions there might be a need to use a different vehicle, or collect contaminated recycling as residual waste, but over 99% of the clean recycling collected at the kerbside is sorted at a local Materials Recovery Facility into separate streams and sent on for recycling.
“Recycling
is more important than reducing or reusing”
MYTH - Recycling is vital, but it’s the last step in the waste hierarchy after reducing and reusing, which save far more resources. Nottingham is one of the best cities in the UK for charity shopping, and there are dozens of online groups for selling or giving away unwanted items. Changing our consumer behaviour can have a huge impact on what we throw away - and often prevent things becoming waste for years to come.
“Shredded paper can't be recycled”
TRUTH(ish) - This is a tricky one - shredding shortens the paper fibres, reducing the quality of the paper for recycling, but the main issue is that it falls through the gaps in the sorting machinery. Recycling it inside a paper bag can help, but better yet use an ID protection roller stamp to cover sensitive material and recycle the whole piece of paper.
“If in doubt, recycle it and it will be sorted out later”
FALSE - Wishcycling (recycling something hoping it can be recycled) is one of the biggest causes of contamination - and high contamination costs the council a significant amount in penalty fines. You can search hundreds of items and learn how and where to recycle or dispose of them correctly using the Recyclopedia tool and clear up that household debate for good!
“If any contamination is found in a bin, the whole load is taken to landfill”
FALSE - This is another mass media favourite, but it's not quite right! The truth is, only significantly bad contamination leads to whole truckloads of recycling being rejected - like a full tin of paint, oil, or a bin full of rotten food waste - something that would really ruin everything around it. Once tipped out of the truck, problem areas of the load can be isolated and extracted, and the problem waste dealt with accordingly, but this is incredibly wasteful and costly. Some contaminants can also damage the inside of the vehicle.
“Electrical items can go in household bins”
FALSE - Electrical items can't be placed in either bin at home, due to the materials contained within them. They can actually be very dangerous - items containing lithium batteries like power banks, vapes, and e-scooters, can cause explosions and fires when mixed and crushed with other waste - commonly inside the collection vehicle - putting the crew and public at risk. Just this year up to July, Nottingham has had 4 vehicle fires caused by lithium in electrical items placed in bins. Instead, always take electricals to a dedicated electrical recycling point.
With the online Recyclopedia search tool you can look up hundreds of items and check how to dispose of or recycle them correctly - no more guesswork!
New to Notts?
The bin colours here might be different to what you’ve had elsewhere
Play the Binformation Game to test how much you already know about recycling right
Find these recycling tools and more information about Nottingham’s waste services at www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/bins or scan the QR code to go straight to the Recyclopedia search tool and Binformation game
Poets Corner
Northern Song
Unfiltered by a languid sun In the low rise tenements Well known amongst the lassies For loitering with intent.
His cloudy-cheeked demeanour
Charmed her away from Ray-Ban man So there was no need to slam back the shutters When she went.
Turned by the call of Bow Bells She shacked up with a diamond geezer; Some dodgy pastor From Cheapside Who wasn’t heaven sent
Seduced by dreams of America She flitted in Southern motels; Pitching Sales for Real Estate; Flipping condos for rent.
Paul Dexter
UNDERCOVER ARTIST
This month’s cover artist Emily Catherine talks about her work and how tea, fags and pizza keep her creative as an artist.
Tell us a bit about yourself…
nottinghampoetryfestival.com
I’m Emily Catherine and I’m an artist and illustrator based in Nottingham. Everything I do is hand drawn and painted and my work is heavily influenced by music, culture and redressing the balance of power. I’m very diverse in my practice: I paint murals, canvas portraits, album covers, doodle and even illustrate children's stories. I’m very lucky to have such diversity and autonomy in my work - I relish that and am very grateful for my job. I could survive anything as long as I have tea, fags and pizza.
What is the story behind the cover?
Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers on...
Street Art
If it’s done well, we don’t mind but if it's done badly it’s just horrible. Art is art though - we went to the Tate Modern and said ‘I’ve never seen so much junk in all my life’. If it’s just on empty buildings, do it tastefully. If it’s just vandalism it’s horrible. We’d like to know who does it all. You’ve got to be brave because it's all a bit close to the line isn’t it. When we have Sherwood Art Week you get all these knitted things popping up on postboxes. Make a jumper, by all means, but don’t knit something for a postbox.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
We went to see the Rocky Horror Show at the theatre recently. We had some friends from Yorkshire who wanted to go. We said, do you know what it’s about, and they said no - so we said where have you been all your life! But we’re convinced that the shouting from the audience is planted. A man said to us all you need to bring is a newspaper, a light, a Kit-Kat and a piece of toast. We said what’s the toast for? And he said well, halfway through they say, ‘Let’s have a toast!’ It was very, very good and we ended up going twice.
Nottingham venues
We said recently how amazing it is for Nottingham, as such a small city - we’ve got the Theatre Royal, the Concert Hall, the ice stadium, Rock City, and the Playhouse. It’s a lot of venues for a small city, and if there’s something on everywhere you can’t get a parking space for love nor money. The best thing about the theatre being built was that Market Street didn’t exist, and they built it so you’d look up from the Square and have a perfect view. It’s a marvellous theatre. When the Council took it over, they did a very good job.
I was honoured to be asked to create the cover for the street art and graffiti issue. I teach workshops on the origins of graffiti and street art — my own mural art is heavily influenced by hip hop culture and the protest art movement. This cover is hand painted using spray paint, an airbrush and gouache paints. Inspired by the colour palette of MF DOOM’s Mm..Food album cover, by Jeff Jank, this cover is an ode to our creative city. We have the goose from Goose Fair doing paste-ups and sticker bombing the council house, paintbrush lampposts, a cup of mushy peas grinding a skateboard down a railing, a pencil tagging slab square and, of course, the clock tower of the Council House as a spray can, complete with a LeftLion spray cap and our Lion King atop demanding the spray to cover the sky.
What inspires you as an artist?
People, really. Speaking truth to power. The struggle for equality. Music. The bitter sweetness of how beautiful everything can be. Comedy. The natural world and tea, fags and pizza.
Tell us about some things you’ve worked on in the past…
I’ve worked in the music industry for ten years and created album covers for artists like Pharoahe Monch, Tha God Fahim, Micall Parknsun, Juga-Naut and Your Old Droog. I’ve exhibited in the Design Museum London with i-D magazine, Brick Lane, and Rough Trade. I won the John E Wright prize at New Art Exchange Open in 2019, and had my debut solo exhibition at Richmond House curated by Alice Black at Art Ultra. I am also co-director for Beermat Doodles and co-writer and illustrator for Twilight Story Time.
Do you have any tricks for getting started and staying inspired as a creative?
Get your affairs in order before you announce your arrival. Hold yourself accountable, but don’t be too hard on yourself. Protect your peace and never invite chaos into your life as inspiration. Go outside more than you want. Be nice. Be polite. Inspiration is everywhere, but be original.
If you could sit down and chat with any artist in your field, who would it be and what would you talk about?
I’d resurrect Alice Neel, a portrait painter who painted people as she really saw them: vulnerable and perfectly imperfect. I’d ask her about her life and her blue line around everybody she painted and why she painted it. I’d ask if she fancied a brew, fag and slice of pizza.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers?
Thanks for reading this. I hope you enjoyed my cover for this issue. You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram under @Emilycatherineillustration, TikTok under @emily_ catherine_illo and I’m contactable via the info on my website.
emilycatherineillustration.com
Nadia on...
the curriculum review
words: Nadia Whittome photo: Lux Gagos
It’s September, which means it’s back to school for children and young people in Nottingham and across the country. But did you know that what pupils learn and how they are taught might soon be changing?
With fast development in AI, a worsening climate crisis, and a media landscape riddled with misinformation, our society is a vastly different place from what it was even a decade ago. In response to these shifts, the government is carrying out a comprehensive review of the national school curriculum. The goal is to ensure that what students learn and how they are assessed reflect the evolving demands of modern life. Crucially, the review also aims to make the curriculum more inclusive and representative of the diverse society in which we live, so that all young people feel seen, supported, and prepared.
An interim report on the curriculum review, published in March, makes it clear that we need a curriculum fit for the future, as “rapid social, environmental and technological change” requires a renewed focus on digital and media literacy, as well as a greater emphasis on sustainability and climate science.
I welcome these findings, especially as I led the UK Parliament’s first-ever debate on climate education in 2021 and have been long-campaigning with Teach The Future, a youth-led campaign to ensure that the climate emergency and ecological crisis receive the attention they deserve in the entire education system, even tabling draft legislation.
A new study this year revealed that four in five children (78%) under the age of 12 say they are worried about climate change, while teachers report facing challenges in tackling eco-anxiety at school. Updating the curriculum can help students feel more empowered, informed, and equipped to respond to the challenges the climate crisis brings.
The interim report has also found that persistent attainment gaps remain, where socio-economically disadvantaged young people and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are being left behind. One of this Labour government’s missions is to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of our young people, which is why we must make our education system engaging and accessible to all. We must also ensure that
young people are assessed fairly and are not overloaded with excessive work.
Every child, regardless of their needs or family’s financial situation, deserves access to high-quality education. Yet for far too long, working-class children and those with disabilities have been let down by previous governments. Rather than receiving the support they need, these young people have often been overlooked, while our education system has been chronically underfunded.
researCh by unison has shown that a pupiL who started sChooL in 2010 wiLL haVe Lost an aVerage oF £5,384 in Funded eduCation and support
Between 2010 and 2019, school spending per pupil fell by 9%. To put that in perspective, research by UNISON has shown that a pupil who started school in 2010 will have lost an average of £5,384 in funded education and support due to budget cuts. Furthermore, Tory austerity has resulted in hollowed-out support services and the shuttering of youth clubs – spaces that play a vital role in education beyond the classroom, offering mentoring and enrichment activities that catch young people vulnerable to falling through the cracks.
The interim review also recommends better representation in the curriculum, which is long overdue. Young people deserve to see themselves, their histories and their communities reflected in what they learn. A more inclusive curriculum makes education more engaging, fosters a sense of belonging, broadens perspectives and helps to combat ignorance and prejudice at a formative stage in young people’s lives. It’s deeply worrying that the far-right is targeting curriculum reform to push a nationalist, exclusionary agenda. Proposals like Reform UK’s “patriotic curriculum” would whitewash history and censor inclusive education, undermining both truth and young people’s rights.
But something that has been missing from the review thus far are young people’s perspectives. To help combat this, I recently hosted the Youth Shadow Panel
in Parliament, who have written their own report on curriculum and assessment. Co-produced by young people across the UK, this powerful report aims to ensure that youth voices are at the heart of shaping the future of education.
Among their key recommendations were calls for building skills and relevance to life, ending SATs in primary school, reducing the length and number of GCSE exams, improving mental health services, as well as introducing climate, sustainability, and citizenship education, and creating a more equitable and inclusive education system. The report also recommends that schools provide a minimum of eighty hours of enrichment opportunities across the academic year, a lack of which disproportionately affects young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
If this government is serious about building an education system for the future, then it must listen to young people and the Youth Shadow Panel’s proposals. I will do my part to ensure that young people’s voices are heard in Parliament.
However, curriculum reform is also only half the story, as we must also address the reality of delivery. Our schools are still struggling under the weight of over a decade of cuts.
While this Labour government is committed to rebuilding the foundations of our education system, schools urgently need increased investment. Crumbling buildings, outdated facilities, teacher shortages, and big class sizes all make it harder for schools to deliver highquality education. Schools cannot do more for less. A new curriculum won’t be effective if teachers don’t have the time, training, or resources to deliver it. Any serious attempt at reform must be backed by real funding that raises teacher pay, improves recruitment and retention, reduces workload, and ensures every child learns in a safe and inspiring environment. We have a once-ina-generation opportunity to build a curriculum that genuinely prepares young people for the world they’re inheriting. I’ll continue to advocate for a fairer, greener and more empowering system that lifts every child and leaves no one behind.
nadiawhittome.org
Class of the past
September is the month that our city welcomes back the students after the summer break. Around 50,000 university students live in Nottingham each year and many of them end up doing remarkable things during and after their time here. Here’s ten former students from each of our local universities whom you may have heard of or recognise for what they’ve done after they graduated…
University of Nottingham
Myles Smith (singer-songwriter)
Myles Smith is a British singer and songwriter best known for his 2024 singles Stargazing and Nice to . In 2025 he supported Ed Sheeran on his stadium tour, won a Brit Award and was named as one of the world’s most influential people in 2025 . He graduated in 2019 after studying a degree in Sociology & Social Policy and also spent a year working as Equal Opportunities and Welfare officer for the students union.
Theo James (actor)
Theo James is an English actor who studied a degree in Philosophy and graduated in 2007. A few years after graduating his TV and film career began in earnest and he had roles in Downton Abbey, The Inbetweeners Movie and Golden Boy
His big break came when he starred in Divergent, a 2014 film based on Veronica Roth's novel of the same name. Since then he’s had lead roles in major TV shows such as The White Lotus, The Time Traveler's Wife and Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen
Ruth Wilson (actor)
Ruth studied History, graduating in 2003 and got involved in acting at the New Nottingham Theatre. In 2006 she landed the lead role in a TV adaptation of Jane Eyre. From 2010-2013 she played Alice Morgan in the BBC psychological crime drama Luther. Then from 2014-2018 she played Alison Lockhart in the Showtime drama The Affair, a role for which she won a Golden Globe. She’s also won two Olivier awards for her roles on stage. Most recently she starred in His Dark Materials (201922), The Woman in the Wall (2023) and A Very Royal Scandal (2024).
Clive Tyldesley (sports commentator)
The television sports broadcaster was ITV's senior football commentator from 1998 until 2020. In that role he led the team at five World Cups, five European Championships and was the lead commentator on seventeen UEFA Champions League finals and nine FA Cup finals for ITV. He studied Industrial Economics at the University of Nottingham in the 1970s and even started his career at the now defunct Radio Trent, which led to a closeness between him and football legend Brian Clough.
Tim Martin (Wetherspoons founder)
He might not be everyone’s cup of tea (or £1.99 pint), but Wetherspoons founder Tim Martin studied a Law degree in 1970s Nottingham before he went on to create that well-known pub chain. In 2018 he told the Nottingham Post that while living in Beeston, he would visit local pubs and drink real ale. It was soon after this when he took over the lease of a pub in Muswell Hill, which became the very first Wetherspoons. Fast forward 45 years and there are now 800+ Wetherspoons pubs in the UK, including fifteen in Notts.
Nottingham Trent University
GK Barry (internet personality)
Grace Keeling, known professionally as GK Barry, is an English internet personality, social media influencer and TV presenter. She studied film and graduated from NTU in 2021. She found fame via Tiktok in 2020 and in 2022 she launched her weekly Saving Grace podcast, which has since toured UK theatres. These days she’s a regular panellist on ITV’s Loose Women and has appeared on various reality TV shows including 2024’s I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
Jack Saunders (radio DJ)
Jack studied Broadcast Journalism and graduated in 2014. While at uni he was station manager of the student’s union radio platform Fly FM and led them to winning seven national awards. After graduation he moved to Kerrang Radio and Radio X, before being taken on by BBC Radio 1 in 2018. In 2023 he was announced as the host of the Radio 1 flagship new music show. He’s also done various TV work including MTV, Top of the Pops and Glastonbury festival.
Bobby Friction (DJ)
Bobby Friction, aka Paramdeep Sehdev, is a DJ, television presenter and radio presenter. He studied Creative Arts at NTU in the 1990s, during which he made art from cages and ghetto blasters. After graduating he started to make various appearances as a nightclub DJ, before landing a regular slot on Radio 1 in 2001 alongside DJ Nihal. He moved over to the BBC Asian Network in 2005 and nowadays he makes TV documentaries.
Matt Berry (actor and comedian)
This funny bloke has appeared in classics such as What We Do In The Shadows, The Mighty Boosh and The IT Crowd, as well as winning a BAFTA for the title role in Toast of London. He studied a degree here in Contemporary Arts in the early 1990s. Perhaps most famous for his booming voice, recently he’s done voiceover parts in The SpongeBob Movie (2020), The Minecraft Movie (2024) and is set to voice the fish in the 2026 film adaptation of The Cat in The Hat
Paul Kaye (actor and comedian)
Paul graduated from Trent Polytechnic in 1987 with a first class degree in Theatre Design. He first found fame on screen in 1994 as the shock interviewer Dennis Pennis, pranking the likes of Hugh Grant, Robin Williams and Cindy Crawford on the red carpet. He later went on to a career as a serious actor, starring in dozens of films and TV shows including It’s All Gone Pete Tong, Dr Who, Game of Thrones, After Life and Pennyworth
words: Jared Wilson
A Tale of Five Cities
words: Lauryn Wilson
illustration: Kate Wand
It’s September, the start of the academic year – and with an increased number of student eyes on this magazine, we thought we’d highlight five qualities that make Nottingham culture special: literature, rebels, sport, innovation, and caves. Whether you’re new to Notts or a long-established resident, we hope that these historical tidbits remind you why it’s great.
City of Literature
This isn’t just a boast; Nottingham is one of 53 cities in the world to hold the title of an UNESCO City of Literature, and when you ponder the subject it’s easy to see why. Nottingham has been home to some of the world’s greatest writers, including Lord Byron, D.H. Lawrence, and Alan Sillitoe.
The poet Lord Byron – known for his Romantic literature and controversial lifestyle – spent a good deal of his life living in Nottingham, and at his family’s ancestral home Newstead Abbey, which is a 45 minute drive out of the city centre. Notably, his first speech in the House of Lords backed Nottingham's lacemakers who were struggling to make ends meet as the country entered the Industrial Revolution.
D.H. Lawrence was born into more humble beginnings in the mining town of Eastwood, where you can visit the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum. Lawrence won a scholarship to Nottingham High School before going on to have a successful and influential writing career. His most famous and scandalous book, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, took one of the first steps into changing society’s opinion on female sexuality and was heavily censored due to coarse language.
Alan Sillitoe was arguably Nottingham’s most famous post World War Two author. He was best known for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, which were both adapted into films in the sixties and drew on his experiences in Nottingham, including his working class upbringing and his job at the city’s Raleigh Bicycle Factory.
City of Rebels
When you think of Nottingham as the city of rebels, you automatically think of Robin Hood, but Nottingham’s history of rebellion goes far beyond the Disneyfied man-in-green.
Nottingham Castle itself is a historical site for rebellion.
In 1642, the English Civil War effectively began in Nottingham when King Charles I raised his royal standard in an attempt to form an army against an Irish rebellion, against Parliament’s wishes, just outside the castle walls. Ultimately, Nottingham was divided by loyalties and Charles left to find supporters elsewhere, leaving Nottingham to become a stronghold for Parliament during the remainder of the war.
In 1812, a group called the Luddites, named after their mythical leader Ned Ludd, emerged from Nottingham during the rise of
industrial machine technology in textile workplaces. Opposing the impact such machinery had on their livelihood, they broke into factories in the Lace Market to smash up the looms and stocking frames. Nowadays, the term Luddites is used to describe people who oppose advanced technology, but that isn’t an accurate reflection of the history behind it.
After World War Two Jamaican RAF veteran Eric Irons married a local woman and settled down in Nottingham. Irons was a wellknown campaigner for social justice and aided Nottingham City Council in addressing race riots that took place in 1958. In 1962 he was appointed as the first black magistrate in Britain, and in 1978 he was awarded an OBE for his work in social justice and racial equality.
City of Sport
Nottingham has a rich sporting history, being home to some of the world’s most famous athletic names. From football to boxing to ice hockey, the city has an abundance of sporting venues that have hosted some legendary names and faces.
Notts County F.C. is the oldest professional Football League team in the world - they were founded in 1862. In 1877, they competed in the FA Cup, and eleven years later, in 1888, they became one of the twelve founding member clubs of the Football League. Notts County settled in Meadow Lane in 1910, making it the club’s permanent residence.
In 1865 Nottingham Forest F.C., now residing at the City Ground, was formed at the Clinton Arms on Shakespeare Street. It was also here that the founding members decided to buy a dozen tasseled hats in ‘Garibaldi Red’, after the leader of the Italian ‘Redshirts’ freedom fighters, Giuseppe Garibaldi – officialising the teams signature colour.
Outside of football, Nottingham’s sports grounds include the National Ice Centre - which is made up of two ice rinks (including one Olympic-sized), Trent Bridge - which hosts Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, and Holme Pierrepont Country Park: home of the National Water Sports Centre - a world-class sports facility with the best white water course in the country.
City of Innovation
It’s thanks to Nottingham’s scientists that the inventions of revolutionary medical technology such as the MRI scanner, invented by Sir Peter Mansfield at the University of Nottingham, are readily available to the public today. But that’s not the only thing to have
come from Nottingham’s brilliant minds, and many of them are a part of everyday life worldwide.
Ibuprofen was developed by a team led by Dr Steward Adams at Boots (which was founded in Nottingham in 1849) as a safer alternative to aspirin. It was the first nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory over the counter medication. This invention earned Dr Adams an OBE.
John Peake Knight was a British Railway engineer from our city, and is credited for the invention of the traffic light back in 1868. Knight was a Nottingham Grammar School drop out but his love for trains garnered him a long and successful career further south in Brighton. It was in 1865 that he proposed an idea for the railway signalling system to be replicated on the streets of London and in December 1868, the world’s first traffic lights were installed in the borough of Westminster.
Sticking to the theme, the first road to ever be tarmacked was right here in the city, in the West Bridgford area back in 1902. It was Edgar Hooley who invented the method – inspired by a spilled barrel of tar that was hidden under gravel as an attempt to hide the accident. There are many other Nottingham inventions beyond those, including the first genetically modified tomato, the first high pressure water system, and HP Brown Sauce.
City of Caves
The city has more to offer than just what you can see above ground, Nottingham also has the largest network of caves in the UK with over eight hundred beneath our feet. These caves were used as beer cellars dating back to the 13th century, as well as medieval tanneries – the only underground tanneries in Britain.
Beneath the city centre is a whole network of these caves. Some were also known as ‘home’ to the poorest residents of the city, and during WWII the caves once again provided a safe space for Nottingham people during air raids; consequently, more were cut into sandstone during this time.
Over in Creswell, the caves known as the Creswell Crags have provided some of the biggest archaeological studies in England. At the site, archeologists discovered Britain’s only known Ice Age rock art in 2003. The walls of the caves are also scattered with the biggest concentration of witches’ marks in British caves.
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Life without Liquor
“What’s your drink of choice?” No, sadly I’m not Emma D’Arcy, instead a thirty-year-old who’s chosen to live alcohol-free for the past two years. So I’ll take a lime and soda, or a ginger beer if I’m feeling a little bit fancy. Truth be told, it’s one of the best things I’ve done; I feel far from the ‘boring one,’ in fact it’s the oppositethere’s such an abundance of alternative activities to do, right here in Nottingham, so grab a 0% brew and get comfy...
Let’s start off with something free, and accessible to mostnature. Now when I say nature, this doesn’t mean you have to venture out hundreds of miles to find your green sanctuaryyour garden, or even some house plants can fit the bill. However, we are blessed with a lot of beautiful spots in Nottingham.
Nestled in the city centre, right on the doorstep of Nottingham Trent University, is where you’ll find The Arboretum. The space itself is relatively small, so if a leisurely stroll or a coffee on the grass is more your bag, then there’s a great sun trap at the end of the park. For those of you that do want to take more in, you’ll find a variety of foliage and over 65 varieties of tree to admire. You can also stop and sit by the lake to meet some two-legged, webbed-feet friends.
Venturing out of the city, you will find the gem that is Wollaton Hall and Park. It has ample parking (with a fee) for those of you that can drive, or you can catch the number thirty bus from the city. A much larger option than The Arb, it means that those walkers amongst us can enjoy a decent stomp around the perimeter, extending it further into Highfields Park if they so wish. The grounds itself are bursting with beautiful sights to indulge in – there's plenty of tree hugging opportunities here! Plus, it’s home to both Red Deer and Fallow Deer, which are usually easy to spot (just be sure to keep your distance – they need their space).
After you’ve had a wander, you can explore the Hall’s curiosities, spot the Batman logo (yes, Wollaton Hall doubled up as Wayne Manor), or park up a pew at the cafe and catch up with friends. Omitting alcohol from your life can bring fears of loneliness, which is exactly why nature is your new best friend. In one study, people with “little social connectedness” reported that their emotional and mental wellbeing improves when they spend time in nature.
we LiVe in a soCiety that diVes into a beer garden at the First sign oF sun, and sees a party as inCompLete without the aid oF aLCohoLiC be Verages. i’m not here to judge, instead to remind you that there is a worLd out there more beneFiCiaL to our weLLbeing
El is sober and has spent a lot of their life in the Midlands; they said, “since quitting alcohol, my favourite pastime is being in nature, because it helps me feel grounded, connected, and free.”
Sadly, it’s often the social aspect that keeps people stuck in the cycle, even when they don’t want to be there. I’m here to tell you, after two-plus years of no alcohol, my social life is better than ever. How, you ask? I found my people! Granted, I still love my other friends, though I recognised that I need other circles to fulfil my more wholesome desires too.
Nottingham has a vast catalogue of groups, where you can meet new people. From
Queer Adventure Club, to D&D nights, film clubs, activism and charitable work, there’s something out there for everyone - have a Google! If you’re stuck, a good place to start is with exercise; studies have proven that regularly getting your heart pumping can have positive effects on addiction recovery. Exercise and drug and alcohol misuse both activate your reward pathway, triggering serotonin and dopamine: our feel-good chemicals.
I found my initial solace in the gym. I’ve always been strong and active, but had a desire to push myself further, and weightlifting was the answer. Don’t worry, if squatting heavy pieces of metal on your back sounds intimidating - there’s plenty of other options. Local run groups are situated across the city, with one of the biggest being Embankment Run Club, meeting every Wednesday for a run to suit all abilities. Unlike the gym, these offer more opportunities to socialise too, with many grabbing a bite to eat afterwards.
Or perhaps you want to take the plunge into some open water swimming (or paddling - we don’t judge). Whole Health Swim Club is based by the West Lake in Colwick Park, organised by two incredibly inclusive individuals. They run ‘safe, supported open water swim sessions’ for all levels. Prices vary depending on whether you’re a member or not, and they will provide you with a trusty tow float. Rachel, who has swam at the lake for around a year, described the group as “a really welcoming community of outdoorsy people –cold water therapy, followed by a coffee is a perfect sunny weekend vibe.” There’s something incredibly satisfying about that transition from the cold to the warm that leaves you feeling super content.
And who needs a bar crawl, when you can have a cafe crawl? In my humble opinion, if cute cafes, good coffee and tasty cakes are what you’re looking for, then Notts goes above and beyond. In fact, we have a dedicated sober space – Cafe Sobar; who host regular events, meet ups and offer tons of support for those wanting to stop or limit their intake. Otherwise, if you fancy yourself somewhat of a coffee connoisseur, check out the special menu at deluxe coffee house Effy in Hockley, which is sure to tantalise your tastebuds, or the cute little gem that is Dispatch for an iced matcha. You can then take the short walk over to Broadway Cinema, grab a prime people-watching seat out the front and sip on a raspberry lemonade in good company.
Ultimately it’s not about whether you choose to cut alcohol out entirely or not, rather it’s finding joy and connecting with people in different spaces, to soothe your soul. We live in a society that dives into a beer garden at the first sign of sun, and sees a party as incomplete without the aid of alcoholic beverages.
I’m not here to judge, instead to remind you that there is a world out there, (arguably) more fun, more wholesome, more genuine and most importantly, more beneficial to our wellbeing. It’s upon realising, although initially uncomfortable, you can be sober in other endeavours. So much so, you find the confidence to walk back into that pub in the middle of summer, surrounded by your mates' drinking pints, and happily order a soft drink without any second thought. Let’s face it, the satisfaction of waking up on Sunday morning, fresh, and free to do whatever you want without the headache (and regret) is unmatched.
words: Bee Green illustration: Zena Kay
NOTTS SHOTS
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Bringing Notts To The Nation
James Graham is one of British theatre’s most popular and prolific writers and also the creator of BBC TV drama Sherwood. He was born and brought up in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, in the 1980s -his first job was working the stage door at the Theatre Royal. Twenty years on, James returns to the city with the epic Dear England, a play about football manager Gareth Southgate, which headlines the theatre’s 160th birthday celebrations…
When did you first know you wanted to write a play about Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England manager?
It started during the 2018 Russia World Cup. I’ve always loved watching England, but going back a couple of years before that was the absolute low point of being an England fan for me. We exited tournaments early, it was the era of WAGs and tabloid scandals; the national feeling towards the team wasn’t healthy. But then a new breed of players like Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford and Marcus Rashford all started to emerge and they conducted themselves differently. I think that all came from the character and ethos of Gareth Southgate. The Shakespearean structure of his story also really delighted me. The idea that the guy who was most famous for missing a penalty in 1996, would come back twenty years later and lead them to winning again - and by doing so analyse his own trauma - it really appealed to me.
You spent some time with Gareth while writing the play. What was he like?
Yeah, we met a few times. He was very humble, and quite mortified about being in a play. But he was happy to help me research and understand him and I continue to be just a real fan of his, for both his personality and philosophy. Some people would label his approach as woke and liberal but it’s actually very traditionally English. He got all of his values and his identity from his granddad, who fought in the Second World War and installed in him a sense of goodness and fair play. Immediately when he took over he told his players they weren’t going to dive or use any dirty tactics. He then managed to combine this with a winning mentality and got the best results of any England manager in our lifetimes.
Do you support any of our local teams?
I’m a Forest fan. A couple of years back I got absolutely eviscerated when one of the actors on Sherwood referred to them as Notts Forest on the show. I had to make a public apology on breakfast radio the morning after, and rightly so. Growing up I also used to go and watch Mansfield Town a bit too. But there was something about watching England in those big tournaments that emotionally grabbed me more than club football. There’s a drama and a scale to it. Plus it’s just amazing how it unites football fans both across the city and the nation onto the same side.
words: Jared Wilson
photos: Johan Persson | BBC | Mark Brenner
You’re in New York as we speak, preparing for the launch of Punch On Broadway. It’s kind of weird that a play about an incident in Nottingham, written and directed by two guys from Nottingham can transfer over there too, right?
When the idea was first mooted, I kept checking with the producers. I was like “Are you absolutely sure you this show set in the Meadows council estate will resonate with American audiences?” Broadway is the home of shows like Wicked and Chicago after all. But they were very reassuring and felt that its themes of justice, grief and forgiveness were universal. The play is about the parents of James Hodgkinson, who was punched by Jacob Dunne on a Saturday night out in Nottingham. It was a single punch, but it killed him. The parents then went on an emotional journey with Dunne, the person who killed their son. They campaigned together against violence, which also helped to release themselves from their own grief.
At what point did you know as a young lad in Notts that you wanted to be a writer?
I suppose I was always creative. I used to enjoy writing stories and drawing comics. But, like most people, the idea of theatre and of being a playwright or writing scripts for TV wasn't really in my world. My mum worked at a warehouse in Annesley and my dad worked for the Council. But a lot of it was down to my school. I was so lucky I went to Ashfield Comprehensive. They had a working theatre in the building and an amazing drama teacher. Every summer and Christmas they would put on big productions. I guess I first got involved through that.
I’ve heard that your old school theatre is actually under threat at the moment, and that you are part of a campaign to save it? Yeah, it's insane. They're knocking down the old building from the sixties and rebuilding a new version of it on the site. The Department of Education said they were going to build it like for like, and just make it more modern, but for some reason the one building they are not going to replace is the theatre. They don't think a school like that needs it, which is incomprehensible to me. I'm going to do all that I can to support that campaign. It's only just getting started and I'm convinced that once the school year returns, we'll be able to make our case. Eton still has three theatres. Why can’t a comprehensive school in a working class area in the country have one? To me it shows that the government's belief in the value of creative expression and skills has dropped off the list.
I believe your first role working in a theatre was at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal. Can you tell us about that?
Yes, I was the stage door keeper from 2003 to 2004. It was a wonderful grounding in the industry. I was responsible for welcoming all the cast and crew from the shows. I got to see loads of shows and meet loads of interesting people. I was only twenty and I didn't have a clue about professional theatre. But one of my earliest weeks there was looking after Joan Collins, who was in a show called Full Circle She was very glamorous and every night I had to smuggle her out through a secret door to avoid her being hassled. Danny La Rue was the dame in the panto that year, and I helped him get his Christmas turkey from Marks and Spencer. It was also while working there that I began writing my first full-length play Albert’s Boy
That play was picked up by the Finborough Theatre in London, where you moved to in a role as playwright-in-residence. What can you tell us about that place?
It's a tiny and beautiful fifty-seat theatre above a pub. Growing up in Nottingham, I'd never heard of it. I also didn't understand how the model of theatre worked down in London, but that experience helped teach me. You've got the commercial sector in the West End and
you've got the big, publicly-subsidised theatres like the National Theatre, whose job is to find and encourage riskier work. Then you have something called the fringe, which Finborough was part of. London is full of these really small scale venues in warehouses and basements or above pubs that scrape money together to put on shows. I spent four or five years working in that small venue, working other jobs on the side in bars, warehouses, factories and telecoms, so that I could afford to live. I was staying on friends' sofas and sleeping on blow-up beds and, looking back, having the time of my life. I was also honing my voice and it was when people started writing about my shows in newspapers, and when I first got interest from agents. It all kind of all went from there.
no-one shouLd e Ver beCome a pL aywright For their ego as there’s so muCh rejeCtion inVoLVed and so muCh pain and VuLnerabiLity in sharing your worK it's not aLways going to go weLL, so you haVe to Keep yourseLF grounded
Your first major play was This House which ran at the National Theatre in 2012 and continued for another seven years. What was that about?
The National Theatre commissioned me to write after coming to see some of my smaller plays. It probably sounds boring to some, but it was about the Labour government in the late 1970s and specifically their party whips. It had a couple of great actors in it; Philip Glenister from Life on Mars and Phil Daniels from Quadrophenia. They were both brilliant. There was also a lot of punk and glam rock music from the period involved – Phil Daniels singing Bowie’s Five Years was a definite highlight.
After that in 2014 you ended up working alongside Take That’s Gary Barlow on the Finding Neverland stage show…
Yeah. Gosh, that's over ten years ago now. I'm not remotely musical; I can't sing a note. But I was part of a creative team that adapted the Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet movie about JM Barrie for the stage. I was bought in quite late and had to learn very quickly. I met Gary in his studio in North West London, having been a fan of Take That growing up. It was a very different way to work for me. Obviously, as a playwright most of what you do is a solo endeavor, but musicals are very collaborative and so you work with lyricists, composers and choreographers to build the show. It was definitely a learning curve.
Let’s fast forward to 2017. In that year alone you had four plays being performed around the country, which included Ink (the story of the Murdoch media empire) and Quiz (the story of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire coughing scandal). That must have been a great year for you personally?
Yeah, I was in my mid mid-thirties, feeling very settled and I was constantly getting work. That’s not something you can guarantee will happen in this industry, so I was very grateful. A particularly big moment came when I had two plays on at the same time in theatres next door to each other in the West End. Those were Ink and Labour of Love: a play that was set in the MPs office in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, starring the amazing actor Martin Freeman as the MP. I was told that hadn’t happened since the days of Oscar Wilde.
I remember walking down that street with my old drama school teacher from Ashfield School and knowing that was a bit special. It's important to check yourself in moments like
that, but also not be overwhelmed by it. However, no-one should ever become a playwright for their ego, as there’s so much rejection involved plus so much pain and vulnerability in sharing your work. It's not always going to go well, so you have to keep yourself grounded.
We’ve not even touched on your screenwriting career as of yet. I think the first thing I watched that you’d written was Brexit: The Uncivil War, a Channel 4 drama with Rory Kinnear and Benedict Cumberbatch…
I’d worked with plenty of actors I admired before them, but that was a point where I realised I was working with people who were not just brilliant, but also really famous. Rory Kinnear is just brilliant; one of the UK’s greatest stage and screen actors. Benedict had come straight from the set of Marvel where he’d just had a lead role as Dr Strange in Infinity War. His career in Hollywood was exploding, but he was happy to come and do a tiny independent Channel 4 film playing a balding and challenging man. I got to work closely with him as he always likes to work with the script and the writer. We had lots of conversations and we went to meet the challenging and controversial figure that is Dominic Cummings together several times.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Sherwood here too. What does it feel like to be the showrunner of a prime-time BBC drama, set in your hometown?
I’ve done a fair bit of TV, but it’s the first time I've ever done a big returning series. It means the world to have a big BBC drama set in my hometown, with the voices, characters and politics I grew up with. My brain sometimes doesn’t compute when we’ve got David Morrissey over here and Robert Lindsay over there and it’s all in locations I knew growing up. As well as the content, I'm also really happy that I can bring the business of this to local filming locations, restaurants and hotels. In typical Nottingham style though we do get a fair few complaints about the accents.
I thought some of the accents were pretty good to be honest. For example I felt the Sparrow family completely nailed the north Notts, Mansfield accent.
I think you've highlighted that the challenge we face is of differing perceptions. The accent varies wildly between the north and south of Nottinghamshire. Where I grew up in Ashfield, it’s got really strong Yorkshire tones to it. That's very different to the flat kind of Vicky McClure or Shane Meadow sounds that you get down the Meadows, or West Bridgford. I’ve also had people comment that ‘me duck’ is said too much in it, but where I come from it’s basically every other word. Anyway, these are small gripes. It’s very helpful that Nottingham has the Television Workshop as well. You’ve probably seen that a lot of our cast are from there like Perry Fitzpatrick, Bill Jones, Jorden Myrie, Oliver Huntingdon, and Aisling Loftus. I’m so pleased with that show, and delighted that the third series is now in production.
What’s left for you on your bucket list? Is there anyone you’ve not yet worked with that you’d like to?
Actor-wise, I won't rest until I get to work with Julie Walters. I keep offering her parts, and she's always busy. I recently got to work with Alan Bleasdale, who is basically the scouse Arthur Miller, and he worked with her a lot. I grew up watching those dramas like Jake's Progress, and there's something about what she represents as a British working class woman that I really admire. Hopefully we’ll get her one day.
Dear England, written by James Graham, plays at the Theatre Royal between Tuesday 23Saturday 27 September.
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Images (top to bottom): Brexit; The Uncivil War, Dear England, Sherwood, Quiz
A lover of music and the underground rave scene, Magda realised the parties they were attending were under-delivering on safety. In 2023, they began The Sound Sanctuary: a travelling stand, a bunch of supplies and a few passionate people providing first aid and drug education to help partiers feel safe in the rave…
“I wanted to create a little haven of safety in a place that can be scary and can be unpredictable” says Magda, a young University of Nottingham student who has been pouring their spare time and budget into this project for the last two years. “We have a gazebo or table and we provide water, food, vitamins, medicine, first aid - we’re fully first aid trained. We have volunteer nurses and paramedics as well, part of our team, who have experience at festivals.”
The team carry naloxone at all times – an opioid (and synthetic opioid) overdose reversal medication, that can be used in cases of emergency – and all the core members are trained to administer it. Magda says that luckily, they have never had to.
“We also give out a lot of leaflets, condoms, sanitary products, ear plugs and devices for safer use and disease control like clean supplies, disinfectant, sanitizer, or sniffing straws because using contaminated notes can cause transmission of Hep C and HIV,” says Magda. “And then we usually have an area where people can come sit and relax. One of our other lead members is a grade two counselor, so if someone just wants to have a chat because they're not having a good time, or they've lost their friends or something, they can sit down, have a breather, have some water. We also have a tent. If anyone needs to sleep, you can have a little nap.”
The Sound Sanctuary collective mainly operates within the illegal and underground rave scene, but Magda stresses this initiative is needed in legal events too: “you get welfare officers, stewards and security at clubs. But it's obviously very hush about the realities of the scene and how to pay attention to everyone,” Magda explains.
Denying that people take drugs at parties avoids taking the very first step towards understanding how to help them. “We’ve all been at a party where we’re witnessing someone who’s taken a bit of a turn for the worst and we’re not quite sure what to do with them,” says Cerys, another core Sound Sanctuary volunteer.
“Often on a night out, it isn't a question of emergency. If we need to refer to emergency services, we know exactly how to, but a lot of times, referring people in those states to emergency services is only going to make it worse, because it increases a lot of paranoia, rather than someone sitting there holding your hand and saying, ‘It's gonna be okay’”. Magda says, “Just having someone at the rave that you can lean on if you need it, it makes a massive difference.”
“I think that's why work like what we do can be so powerful,” says Cerys. “We make them feel comfortable.”
It’s not just drug use or bad trips that might lead people to needing a moment of calm. Raves are loud, immersive environments. “I'm neurodivergent myself, sometimes when I'm a little bit overwhelmed at an event, it would be lovely to have a little safe space to have a breather,” Magda says.
So that is what The Sound Sanctuary provides - a safe space for partiers to “chat to people whenever they need it.” Magda met Cerys through a passion for drug education in the rave scene, and she is now a crucial part of The Sound Sanctuary. A chemist by trade, Cerys does drug testing with assistance from an organisation called The Loop, based in Bristol. Drug testing identifies the presence of dangerous substances such as nitazenes, an extremely potent synthetic opioid which party drugs can be contaminated with.
we usuaLLy haVe an area where peopLe Can Come sit and reL ax. one oF our other Lead members is a grade two CounseLor, so iF someone just wants to haVe a Chat beCause they're not haVing a good time, or they' Ve Lost their Friends, they Can sit down and haVe a breather
“If someone gets to the point where they're a bit worried about what they have, they come to see us. I can do nitrogen testing, xylazine testing and some reagent testing, just to help them navigate what they have.”
Magda holds their finger and thumb up, leaving a tiny gap between. “Even that much of a contaminant like xylose or nitazine can cause an overdose death.”
Both Cerys and Magda tell stories of friends whose drug experiences inspired their passion. “I’ve lost people in my community through drug death that could have been preventable, had they known what was in their drugs, had they had access to naloxone when they needed it,” Cerys says.
The Sound Sanctuary originated from a gap Magda noticed for harm reduction within young people and the rave and club scene. They moved to Nottingham from Italy, which was
very harm reduction oriented. By comparison, Magda felt that within the UK scene this approach was completely absent.
“Harm reduction services in Nottingham at the minute - you have to go and find them,” Cerys says. Magda explains that you have to refer yourself and you don't know if you're going to be judged or accepted. The result is that younger people who take drugs at parties feel cut off from seeking support.
The Sound Sanctuary aims “to meet them where they are, which is at parties and at raves, then it opens more opportunities for them to learn about harm reduction as drug users,” says Cerys.
“If you go to an event, you're not having a great time, or you have a few questions about previous experiences you've had, and you see two young people sitting there who enjoy the music, who seem really approachable, it definitely changes the experience. It makes it a lot more welcoming,” Magda says. Though Magda learned about substance education with the University of Nottingham and trained with Nottingham Recovery Network, The Sound Sanctuary is currently funded out of their own pocket. They have launched a fundraiser to raise £600 for supplies, including more drug testing and a new gazebo after theirs was damaged by the wind. The more the collective grows, the more they need to replenish supplies, and costs quickly mount up.
Coming into colder weather, Magda wants to use some of the fundraiser to ‘winter-proof’ The Sound Sanctuary. “Raves still go on during the winter and that's the most dangerous time because you're now talking about drug induced hypothermia, things like that. A lot of supplies will help in the colder months - heaters and hot water tanks for teas and coffees will be fundamental.”
The Sound Sanctuary was borne ultimately out of a love for the scene - parties, music, dancing, and the desire to enable everyone attending to feel safe and have the best time they can.
“Drug use is a real fact, and it does happen every dayignoring it is not helping,” says Magda. “Some people are a bit unsure - are we promoting use?” says Cerys - but as she maintains: “it is just providing education and welfare, which doesn’t harm anyone.”
To follow the Sound Sanctuary or donate to the fundraiser head to their Instagram page below.
words: Caradoc Gayer
illustration: Bryony Loveridge
These Streets are Ours: Sneinton Market Avenues
For this instalment of These Streets are Ours we celebrate the creative hub of Sneinton Market Avenues…
When we explore Nottingham, it’s all-to-easy to stick to the beaten path. Often, we act like heat-seeking missiles while out-and-about: either going straight from work to home, visiting a very specific shop, or returning to a familiar food and drink spot.
This habit would often characterise my experience of Notts city centre for nearly three years of living here – never did I think to cross the intersection where Hockley meets Lower Parliament Street, until one day I did, and discovered a hub for independent arts and culture: Sneinton Market Avenues. For those unfamiliar, here’s the elevator pitch…
Where Nottingham city centre borders Sneinton, there’s over forty independent businesses housed in historic trading units. On setting foot in the Avenues most are immediately struck by the colourful sights and lively sounds: from the chatter of patrons to the Blend coffee shop often sitting outdoors, to the clatter of skateboarders on a nearby plaza, while vibrant colours characterize the shop fronts.
Sneinton Market’s history goes back to its hosting of Nottingham’s main wholesale market from the 1920s. After the 1970s, the area unfortunately fell into disrepair and dereliction, as UK retail started relying more on cheap goods and supermarkets than independent, family owned shops.
In 2014, Nottingham’s Creative Quarter set up their headquarters in Sneinton Market, and slowly but surely the area was given a new lease of life. Around 2016, the first two businesses to move in were design brand Art of Football and artist collective Curious, which is led by creative force of nature Sarah Manton.
“We had our own working spaces, but we also taught classes in different art forms. That became reassuring for other people to start moving in,” says Sarah. “It was quite a large number of women moving in – we realised that it could be what we dreamed of: a community of artists and like-minded people who share resources, tools, and products, while supporting each other. It’s an absolute delight to work with a real, proper community.”
“Some big events take place in city parks or the square,” continues Sarah. “They’re great, but restrictive. You’re surrounded by shops, or other businesses that have got rights to the space outside their businesses to carry on with what they’re doing,”
“We have a retail aspect, but tend to be much more flexible. So having big markets, and Pride here – we’ve managed to accommodate it beautifully. The Carousel and Montana are also organizing Art Fest on 20 September – they’ll be holding a big market too.”
When it comes to shops at Sneinton Market with a long history, Montana is a great example – the paint shop is pretty central to Nottingham street art. Another business linked to events in Sneinton Market is Circus Hub. Run by duo Kay and Ria, this friendly, aerial circus studio runs circus skill classes and performances.
“It’s really nice being part of the community – everyone helps each other out and helps promote ourselves,” says Kay, adding, “we just did Pride and had an amazing time performing in the Avenues. And if we’re not in the studio, we’re at Blend working: it’s a lovely inviting space with the best coffee!” Opposite Blend, the Avenues cafe is a favoured spot for local folks, providing delicious lunchtime cobs,
cooked breakfasts, and more. And when it comes to other food spots – visitors are pretty spoiled for choice. On Avenue A, Working Man’s Kitchen serves up excellent pizzas, plus their viral pizza dog, while on Avenue B Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates sells cocoa treats, handcrafted on-site.
Next-door to Luisa’s, Vietcentric runs popular cooking courses for Vietnamese food, while on Avenue C, Breadmill Bakery sells awardwinning baked goods. Next to Southwell Road, the Fox and Grapes Pub provides ale and scran, with Asian meals served at the GB Oriental Diner.
Sneinton Market continues to host artist studios. On Freckingham Street, couple Martin and Carly facilitate woodworking classes in their studio By Our Hands We Make Our Way, while neighbouring artists, sculptor Sarah Fiander and punk-meets-pop artist Herbie Hare, showcase their striking creations.
Further down, designer Craig Proud leads studio Dizzy Ink, while on Avenue B, vibrant twin shops Get Crooked and Megan Crook Textiles create handmade clothing and festival-wear. Take a left, and you’ll probably spot the bold, female-focused imagery of artist Emmy Smith, whose studio Emmy Lupin is on Avenue A.
Beyond the Sarah Manton-run shop Curious, other shopfronts include Wolf Wytch: an apothecary stocking handmade products in folkloric vein, alternative jewellery shop Bonearrow, pet-products-supplier Wiff Waff, custom clothing printers Splatt and OneBC, stationary store Rose Press, record store Running Circle, and analogue camera sellers Lens Fayre.
Elsewhere the Watered Garden gives wellcared-for house plants new homes, while Awn Surface Design casts resin and concrete surfaces. Meanwhile, piano showroom Sherwood Phoenix welcomes those with a penchant for the ivories.
There’s plenty more spots for the musically minded too. Renowned music studio Can’t Stop Won’t Stop borders cosy gigs venue The Grove, which last month celebrated its 1st anniversary. Further away Fast Forward Music provides music tech education, while next door the Brazilian Cultural Centre teaches dance, music and performance from the home of Samba.
For those needing a tipple, Stewarts Roastery distributes tasty coffee to Blend, and anyone who fancies taking some home, while nearby you’ll find Nottingham’s only gin maker and distillery: Redsmith’s. Elsewhere, the Neon Raptor Brewery produces beers which are loved across Nottingham.
Sneinton Market is a place where serving the community is prioritized. The Pretty Windows Nursery has done so since 1997, while the Nottingham Mill Co-op “puts food systems back in the hands of citizens.” Near to them, Minor Oak provides a welcoming space for remote workers and students, and elsewhere this very magazine you hold in your hands is produced monthly at the LeftLion office. Exhausted yet? I’ve barely touched on the events hosted in the area, believe it or not. That, however, is for you to discover – if you have a free hour, or so, on the weekend or on your lunch break, have a wander through this wonderful space and you might find one of your favourite new spots in the city.
life in light
words: Jared Wilson
Born and bred in Nottingham, Tracey Whitefoot has spent the last two decades as a freelance photographer. In that time she’s photographed a lot of famous faces, as well as capturing the amazing cityscapes she has become known for. We asked her about her work and her exhibition, My Life In Light, currently on show at Nottingham Central Library…
What are your earliest memories of taking photographs? Where did it all begin?
I grew up in Chilwell and I’ve taken photographs for as long as I can remember. I got my first SLR camera when I was a teenager and started to enjoy taking pictures of my family and friends. My first job out of school was at a photo processing lab as a machine printer, and it was there that I learned the fundamentals of photography, light and colour. Photography was always part of my life, but until 2006 it was always just a hobby. Getting my first digital camera in 2005 was a game changer and really ignited the spark in me to want to take it further.
What do you think it is that makes a good photo?
Light is the key ingredient to any landscape image and the right light transforms an ordinary scene into something magical. I love being out at sunrise, which is my absolute favourite time of the day. The advice I always give to people wanting to take more photographs is to enjoy it. With camera phones there has never been a better time to experiment with photography, because we all have one. For me the science and theory of it all came afterwards. When I started to look at images that I’d captured that didn’t quite work and I wanted to know why. I still think this is the bestway to learn. Fun and creativity first, the technical side later.
Tell us about your upcoming exhibition… I hadn’t done a solo exhibition of my work since 2013, so a couple of years ago I started looking around for the right space. I was over the moon when the library approached me, and offered me their new exhibition space to showcase my local images. It was a lot of work to put it together and I am immensely proud of it. I can honestly say I smile every time I look at it, and I’ve seen it a lot. There isn’t a single thing I would change, which is a big thing for me today because I’m very self critical. Every time I go in I photograph the Visitors Book, and I have pages and pages of lovely comments, something I can look back on for years to come.
What decisions did you make to decide what went in it?
It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I had thousands of photos from the last twenty years, so in the end I had to go with my heart and choose the images that meant the most to me. I’d never shared the stories behind the images before, and I made the decision to do that for this exhibition. In the end that decision helped as I chose images where I felt I had more to say.
Do you have any personal favourites from the exhibition?
I love all of the images in the exhibition, but the two that are blown up to 3.6m are the ones that I love the most. Goose Fair is the image I’m best known for and has a real wow factor as you walk into the exhibition, but Narnia on the opposite wall makes me smile inside every time I see it. It’s my favourite image of all time and to see it blown up so big makes me proud beyond anything I can put into words.
You’re doing a talk about the exhibition at the library on Saturday 20 September. What can people expect from that?
I am indeed, and I’m really looking forward to it. I won’t have time to talk about all of the images in the exhibition but I’ll select a few where I feel there was more I could have said in the captions but didn’t have space. I also want to touch on my journey as a landscape photographer over the last twenty years and to get across my absolute passion for photographing Nottinghamshire and what I love about it so much. It’s far more than photography for me, it’s about connecting with the places I love and seeing them in a different light (literally) to what most people see. I love to share that passion through my work.
As well as your work photographing landscapes, you do a good line in portraits too. Yes I do a lot of commissioned work in marketing, PR and events as part of my ‘day job’ as a freelance photographer. I’ve been fortunate to do some amazing jobs over the years and I’ve photographed a lot of famous people. What I’ve learned is that they are just ordinary people like us, and often they just want to talk about normal things. But it is hard not to get starstruck sometimes, as I did when I met David Hasselhoff at the Theatre Royal some years ago. I loved Knight Rider as a kid! I also photographed the Queen and Prince William and Kate when they came to Nottingham in 2012, and that job was anything but ordinary. I was the only photographer allowed into the Lord Mayor’s Parlour to photograph them signing the visitors book, and let's just say I have never felt the pressure quite like it.
Who else in the world of photography do you really admire?
There are lots of people I admire as photographers, none of them particularly famous or well known. I am drawn to the work of other photographers that capture extreme conditions or places off the beaten track, because that’s what I’d like to do more of. I have never been a particularly technical photographer, obsessed with ‘getting it right’, I’m more into following my heart and chasing the light when it comes to landscapes, so anyone that has a similar ethos is always going to catch my eye.
What’s next for you?
That’s a very interesting question as it’s one I’ve been asking myself a lot lately. I’ve booked another month away this December and January and I’m heading back to the USA and Canada. I book the flight and first nights accommodation, but don’t plan beyond that and opt to just go where the weather and mood takes me, so it’s going to be interesting to see where I end up this time. The wanderlust never goes away and I always just want to travel as much as I can.
But when I’m not doing that, I’ll keep capturing Nottinghamshire in the way I always have.
Tracey Whitefoot’s exhibition My Life In Light runs at Nottingham Central Library until November 2025.
whitefootphotography.com
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nottingham Street Art Special
You may have noticed that Nottingham’s street art scene has been thriving in recent years, with both the backstreets and more well-trodden urban trails treated to some gloriously diverse artwork on their walls.
Ahead of Art Fest this month - which is set to bring more colour and creative expression to the blank canvas of the city - the next fifteen pages take a deep dive into Nottingham’s burgeoning street art culture, from the history of graffiti and muralism, to brightening up Beeston and bringing art to the Hyson Green community.
So, have a read, get inspired, and get out and about to hunt down your favourite artworks...
artist: Boaster photo: Tom Morley
Art is the Heart
With its first year in 2024 bringing 34 new murals to Nottingham’s streets, Art Fest is back this month to splash more colour and creativity on walls throughout the city. Festival Director Benjamin Kay, who co-runs The Carousel in Hockley, tells us why he set up the festival and what to expect from this year…
How did Art Fest first come about, and what was your original vision for it?
I’ve been working with visual artists for over ten years, first as a printmaker, then through The Carousel, and now with Art Fest. For me, visual art is about making our everyday environments more interesting, and it’s a privilege to work with artists who do that. But it’s also an industry that is undervalued and often underfunded, so I’ve made it my mission to support artists wherever I can.
A year ago I was approached by It’s in Nottingham to coordinate more city centre murals, something we had been doing in the city for five years. I saw the chance to bring to Nottingham something that happens in so many other cities: a visual art festival that turns the streets into outdoor galleries. That’s how Art Fest was born.
Our first year brought together more than thirty artists and thousands of people showed up in support of the event. That initial vision has now grown into our mission to paint art into the heart of Nottingham and in our second year that's what we will be doing.
Where can people see murals from last year? And what locations are you excited about this year?
Last year we focused on the ‘Green Heart’ of the city centre, an area we’ve been working in with the council for several years. You can take a walk from the new Central Library, across Bridlesmith Gate, down Middle Hill by Nottingham Contemporary, and on to Sussex Street. Along the way you’ll see projects we’ve developed over the last six years, as well as the 34 murals created for last year’s festival.
This year we’re going bigger with some of the largest walls in the city. I’m excited to be working with major stakeholders like the Victoria Centre, where local artist Elroy will be painting for two weeks! Kim Thompson is creating a piece at Broadway Cinema as we speak. We will be painting Wax Bar, The Waterways, Discobowl, The Carousel and our favourite pub, The King Billy. Most of all, I’m thrilled that we’re bringing the ‘Creative Quarter’ back to Sneinton Market - in a grassroots way, with many artists based there and Midlands Makers hosting an art market in the Avenues.
How do you think public art affects people’s everyday relationship with the city? Cities are complex spaces, full of people moving for work,
leisure, and everything in between. Public art interrupts that routine, it catches your eye, brings moments of joy, and gives character to the streets.
In Nottingham we’re lucky to have so many individuals and organisations working to make the city a great place to live. Public art adds another layer to that. It creates opportunities for local artists to be paid for their craft, allows murals to reflect the communities and places we care about, and ultimately helps give Nottingham the identity and atmosphere it deserves.
Cities are Complex spaCes, full of people moving for work, leisure, and everything in between. publiC art interrupts that routine, it CatChes your eye, brings moments of joy, and gives CharaCter to the streets
How do you involve local residents, businesses, or young people in Art Fest?
Art Fest is built on collaboration. This year, we’re especially excited to be working with the businesses around Sneinton Market, which has always been a home for Nottingham’s creative energy.
On the festival day we’ll be running tours so people can explore the murals and hear the stories behind them. We’ll also be holding workshops to encourage young people to get hands-on with visual art, and to inspire the next generation of muralists.
What makes a mural truly ‘belong’ in Nottingham, in your view?
A mural belongs to the city when it’s embraced by its residents. That’s why Art Fest is about more than just painting walls, it’s about creating an event where people come out into the streets to experience art together.
It also matters that we work with local artists and collaborators. Many of the artists painting this year are from Nottingham, and the support we’ve had from local
businesses, organisations, and the press helps root the festival in the city. Most of all, when residents stop us to say they enjoy the work, that’s when a mural truly belongs here.
How do you go about curating the artists and selecting spaces around the city?
We put out an open call for artists, and I’m supported by an advisory board of local creatives who help shape the line-up. My role isn’t really that of a curator, it’s more about coordination, bringing together artists, communities, and organisations.
Finding walls is an ongoing process. It means constant conversations with developers, landlords, and businesses, negotiating permissions and figuring out what’s possible. The long-term dream is to keep adding to the city’s collection until Nottingham is filled with street art - if anyone out there can help with that let us know!
What are some of the most unusual or challenging locations you’ve painted?
Every wall comes with its own challenges, but one that stands out is a mural we created on Middle Hill in collaboration with My Town Vision. Because part of the wall was alongside the tram line, we could only paint between midnight and 6am with head torches to light our way. On the final day the sun came up and the tram passed to some new artwork for the city. It was tough, but also one of those unique experiences that makes this kind of work so memorable.
How can people get involved in Art Fest?
The best way is to come along on Saturday 20 September. We’ll have murals, tours, workshops, and an art market, plenty to get stuck into.
We’re also crowdfunding to help cover rising operational costs like equipment hire and licensing, which eat into the budget for workshops and tours. If you can support us through that, it makes a huge difference. And if you can’t be directly involved this year, keep an eye out, because we want Art Fest to grow and there will be more opportunities to take part in future years.
For a full list of Art Fest events, head to their website below, where you can also donate to their crowdfunding page. artfestnottingham.com
interview: Guy Hirst photo: Sam Tariq
MEET THE ARTISTS
As Art Fest comes around we speak to four prominent graffiti and street artists to hear how they got started, the influence it has had on their lives and what advice they would give to anyone starting out in the scene…
When did you start making art, why do you do it and what influence has it had on your life?
I was around twelve when I got my first can. I remember being in my dad’s car driving around Sneinton and seeing graffiti, and instantly being drawn to it. I can’t really explain it, I just knew I wanted to do that. So really, I’ve been painting for the majority of my life, which makes it difficult to imagine a life without it.
What does it mean to you for artwork to be on the street and not in a gallery?
I’ve been able to see my work in galleries and on the street. Nothing will ever beat driving round and seeing pieces though, I don’t know, maybe it’s the nostalgia of it.
What advice would you give to younger people who are interested in becoming artists… Practice is key. I know it’s cliched, but it’s true. It helps you develop your technique and find your style.
When did you start making art, why do you do it and what influence has it had on your life?
I've always loved drawing and creating. I went into graphic design through college and uni as I like the purposeful nature and ways of communicating through design and style. Being behind a screen however wasn’t for me. I began creating and painting the designs I was making on a-boards and walls, in studio, whilst having an itch for graffiti through its more raw approach to lettering. As people's trust grows I get to work on bigger and larger projects in bigger spaces and I'm in a place where I'm loving what I'm making.
What does it mean to you for artwork to be on the street and not in a gallery?
Whilst galleries are a great way for artists to celebrate their work there's something special about seeing your work on the street day to day. Working with various businesses around the city with individual personalities and style means there's so much variety in the projects I see around the city. There's a real skill in creating something that can communicate and capture attention in the time someone walks or drives passed a piece.
What advice would you give to younger people who are interested in becoming artists…
The advice I’d give to young people interested in arts would be to BE interested, in a world where we look for quick results more than ever it can take time to perfect your craft, you have to be obsessed.
When did you start making art, why do you do it and what influence has it had on your life?
As soon as I could get my hands on a paintbrush in the messy play area at nursery it was game on. My grandma always encouraged me from when I was young, it made me believe in myself and my creative abilities - thanks to that I am now an artist. It just feels right, in a world that champions the loudest, introverts need an output… creative pursuits allow access to a flow state which makes the process even more alluring - why wouldn’t you!
What does it mean to you for artwork to be on the street and not in a gallery? Massive, profound, challenging, rejuvenating.
What advice would you give to younger people who are interested in becoming artists… Do it, learn to overcome your fears and enjoy the process.
When did you start making art, why do you do it and what influence has it had on your life?
I’ve always drawn, but I started taking graffiti art seriously in the late 90s. A couple of friends, Chops and Poet, invited me into the T.A.J (The Aerosol Junkies) Crew. We had a studio in Radford and started doing commissions, exhibitions, workshops, festivals, etc. It’s gone on from there. Graffiti art has had a massive influence on my life, friends , fashion, music, and holiday destinations!
What does it mean to you for artwork to be on the street and not in a gallery?
I get a real buzz from creating public pieces of art, the whole process is a great adventure, you get a real sense of satisfaction seeing people enjoy your hard work. It’s power to the people. I feel the general public mostly struggle with gallery art, street art is all a lot simpler. No rules, feels more inclusive, and helping people to enjoy art in their environment means a lot.
What advice would you give to younger people who are interested in becoming artists…
Choose a craft to master, master that craft then become the artist. Have patience. Or hire some media wiz to make you famous for doing something really easy depending on what you want out of life.
interview: Benjamin Kay photos: Sam Tariq
Elroy
Talia
Whose streets are they anyway?
Graffiti, tags, murals, stenciling, paste-ups… street art is a diverse artform with many subcategories and styles. While some might deride the practice under the blanket term of vandalism, for proponents of the artform, taking art out of the gallery and into the streets is about civil disobedience, ownership of space, and creative expression outside of the mainstream. We dip into the origins of graffiti in NYC and speak to artist Richie ‘Pops’ Baker about how the medium came to Nottingham in the 1980s…
Nottingham is often referred to as ‘a city of rebels’, where writers, activists and outliers have gone against the grain, pushing against the boundaries set by the establishment. It could be said that leaving one’s mark, with a message of ‘we live here’, is a tradition that goes back millennia in Nottinghamshire.
At the tip of the county, Creswell Crags boasts the oldest verified cave art in northern Europe, discovered by archaeologists in 2003, and dating back 12,800 years, with depictions of red stags, birds and humans. Over eight hundred caves sit under the city centre and were hand carved into the sandstone, often by the poorer classes, altering the topography of the city and providing space in a crowded urban landscape. And, in the early 19th century, the Luddites took direct action against the machine industry by smashing the stocking frames which threatened their livelihoods. As such, is there a more fitting place than Nottingham for people to make themselves known through graffiti?
Well, perhaps before we get into all that, we should take a journey to New York, where the story of graffiti began. It’s the end of the 1960s; punk and hip hop are yet to emerge, Andy Warhol is challenging tradition by making mass-produced Pop Art about celebrity and consumerism. In the streets, subcultures are beginning to make their mark through fusing art, music and fashion.
In the city of Philadelphia, names begin appearing on walls scrawled in paint; Cornbread, Cool Earl, and Julio 204. These simple tags, often made with markers or car spray paint, gain notoriety, inspiring other young would-be artists. In 1971, the
phenomenon hits the mainstream with a New York Times article 'Taki 183' Spawns Pen Pals - a story about a seventeenyear-old from Washington Heights who marked his name (and street number) everywhere from New Jersey to Connecticut.
That same year, the first subway train was painted by Super Kool 223. Choosing a wider spray nozzle, he was not only able to make a more detailed tag in less time, but as his canvas travelled from district to district, the popularity of his work, and the artform in general, blew up. Writer crews formed in different neighborhoods, and a sense of competition grew to make larger, more stylised, and pictorial works. The artist had left the studio, and the street was where it was at.
the artist had LeF t the studio, and the street was where it was at
But there was more to the mischief and artistry of this early graffiti. The Civil Rights movement had ended in 1968, yet racism and inequality remained rampant, and bubbling beneath the letters and lifestyle, the politics of the time was steering young creative people to make their voices heard. Hip Hop as a cultural movement was emerging, mainly originating in the Bronx, with graffiti writing sitting alongside breakdancing, MCing, turntablism, and ‘knowledge of the self’ as one of its five pillars. Much more than a mere musical genre, Hip Hop provided a means to celebrate, understand, express and confront aspects of the world, notably from a Black perspective. As a form of protest channelled through art, it quickly became one of the coolest and most innovative
movements around – gradually getting picked up by more mainstream artists.
But how did this very localised subculture make its way from the cultural boiling pot of NYC to an East Midlands city hundreds of miles away? To find out, I spoke to Richie ‘Pops’ Baker, an influential artist in the early Nottingham street art scene who painted over three hundred pieces around the city between 1985 and 1992.
Born into a mixed-race family, Pops grew up in Clifton during the 1970s on the biggest council housing estate in Europe. He describes his experience of everyday racism as inspiring a “fertile field of potential service toward my fellow human family”, and choosing visual art as his medium, his body of work has evolved with a thread of love, empathy and positivity throughout the years. A significant piece that many may remember is the Stop Wars wall, which sat at the intersection of Goose Gate and Cranbrook street. A work by Pops which he has recreated several times, the concept was dreamt up by his partner, and was later evolved into a new work: Start Peace.
During the early 80s, Pops describes himself as a young Mod who was fully resisting “this thing called Hip Hop.” Although the graff scene had been blossoming over the pond for over a decade, the slow moving culture in the pre-digital world meant Pops and others in Notts were only “privy to the odd visual gem on our screens.” He recollects seeing the character Rembrandt in The Warriors painting a red ‘W’ on a wall, and an appearance by American artist Dondi spray-painting in the background of Malcolm McClaren’s Buffalo Girls on Top of the Pops in 1982.
words: Sophie Gargett photos: Courtesy of Richie ‘Pops’ Baker
However, it was the film Style Wars, a 1983 documentary focusing on graffiti art and breakdancing, that would truly change things. “It was totally game on,” Pops explains. “By 1985, [in Nottingham] we were all pretty much still at the humble beginnings of properly catching up as best we could according to our own unique set of inner and outer circumstances, in terms of making a real art and a lifestyle of it.”
“Post Style Wars, some of our first local Clifton ‘taggers’ emerged with names like Snake, Mr Flash, Slix, Fizz, Rike, Dooby D, Zoro, Skooby D, Zeroe, and me… Popsi P,” he explains. “And the first ‘writers’ we found from elsewhere in the city went by names like Tat2, Tiny T, Mad, Craze, Rip, Deze, Brains and Ribs, etc.”
But for Pops, one name stands out above the rest - the infamous ‘Artful Dodger’. “He notably neatly wrote his name in Old English italics on the front of Nottingham Station, on one of the pillars in the Market square, and on the insides of at least a couple of the buses,” says Pops. But it was not just the “dynamic and tragic Charles Dickens character where our own local outlaw got the name,” or the “carefully written traditional Olde English font reproduction,” that made the Artful Dodger’s work catch his eye. Even before Style Wars, as a pre-teen, Pops had caught sight of an advert Dodger had created for Weetabix - a most unusual collaboration for the time.
it was totaLLy game on. by 1985, we were aLL pretty muCh stiLL at the humbLe beginnings oF properLy CatChing up as best we CouLd aCCording to our own unique set oF inner and outer CirCumstanCes, in terms oF maKing a reaL art and a LiFestyLe oF it
“A big printed graffiti style billboard poster appeared on the wall in Broadie bus station. Legally, and signed ‘Artful’. But not in the usual old English font this time. So I was confused, and amazed, and somewhat inspired,” he recalls. “That was enough to get my curiosity cogs rapidly spinning.”
Over the years Pops’ relationship with street art has naturally ebbed and flowed. After eight arrests for vandalism he decided to quit in 1992, almost entirely due to concerns about the CFCs in the spray paint and their damaging effects on the ozone layer. “But it was also partly due to the criminal aspects of it and how that could also influence the younger generations being born and growing up around me,” he says. “And therefore about my own and other people’s mental, emotional and physical health in relation to the whole lifestyle we’d developed over those years.”
Now living in New Zealand with his family, he describes one of his favourite graffiti-related stories happening in 2004, while he was watching a TV show about Hip Hop on a new Māori channel. The introduction of a channel completely managed by Aotearoa/New Zealand’s indigenous culture was not lost on Pops: “Thirty or so years prior, lots of them were beaten in schools just for speaking their own language… The language of their own thoughts. So having their own channel to do whatever they wanted with now was very much a big deal.”
“Due to the strains of struggling as new parents, experiencing a lack of sleep, etc., I found myself experiencing a strong sense of ‘Come on life, I need a little self esteem boost… help me out here...’” he says. “They get onto talking specifically about graffiti, how it took off in New York on the trains and then spread around the world. When they mentioned it going to Europe, they actually showed a photo of my Popz 100 train - my 100th piece. The painting I got my name from that I’m largely known for on the graffiti scene. I was tripping! Here on the almost exact opposite side of the little/big planet and my prayer for an ego boost was synchronistically, miraculously, directly answered.”
Today much of our towns and cities are infiltrated by images and signs we have little say in; billboards blaring about things we should buy, drab signage warning about rule-breaking, or oligarch owned media telling us what we should think.
Of course, with graffiti, a little consideration for which wall, building or other piece of street furniture one paints on is vital - but as a lover of strange little messages placed around our streets, part of the attraction is the mystery, the synchronicity, and the sense of connection that comes with stumbling upon the mark of a stranger who has passed by, saying ‘I was here’. And somehow we begin to know their prints, like familiar faces.
There are a dozen tangents one could go down when talking about graffiti - the respect of unwritten rules within the culture, the names that pushed the movement forward, questions of legality, what is regarded as high versus low art, right down to the council’s cleaning costs - so take this article as a brief toe dip, with a much romanticised conclusion… But don’t forget to ask - whose streets are they anyway?
Flying Colours
A cornerstone of Nottingham’s creative scene, Montana has made a name for itself as not just a paints shop, but a hub for local artists of all kinds – thanks to partners Sylvia and Dilk behind the business. Whilst Dilk is a well-known local artist Sylvia’s recently been taking the lead on some exciting collaborative projects. We sat down with her to chat about the importance of the local creative community, and the shop’s international reach…
The UK’s flagship store, Montana Notts is an independent shop in collaboration with Montana Colors graffiti paints and markers. Though it is one of the very first in a series of worldwide stores in iconic cities such as Amsterdam, Tokyo, Bangkok, and more, it’s also deeply rooted in the local –shaped by Nottingham’s creative scene, and particularly the shop's location in Sneinton market.
Sylvia talks me through the shop’s long 23-year history, intertwined with her own arrival in Nottingham in 2003. The business was originally known as Coverage, run by Dilk in the West End Arcade. Sylvia, then recently arrived in the UK from her native Hong Kong, owned a shop opposite. The community in the arcade, she tells me, was how she got to know the graffiti scene, and put down roots in the city.
“I’d hang around with Dilk and his friends, and also some of my Hong Kong friends – we started painting. We used to have four or five girls in a group painting… but we weren’t good at it! It was just for fun,” – for Sylvia, painting has always been about relationships. “Painting for me is friendship. Go with a mate, have some food, have a laugh.”
It was thanks to Dilk’s friendship with Barcelona-based Montana Colors that he was offered the opportunity to rebrand Coverage as the UK’s flagship Montana store. In 2008 the shop moved to Hockley, selling exclusively Montana cans, and then on to Sneinton Market in 2017, where it expanded to include a wider range of products including markers, prints, clothing and magazines.
Montana Notts has carved out a name for itself as a signature shop in the city. The shop’s diverse clientele – often long-term regulars, including students from Confetti and Nottingham College – appreciate the advice and expertise that Sylvia and Dilk offer. “Now when people call me, I know exactly what paint they need... some people have just used the same colour for the past twenty years,” Sylvia laughs.
As well as offering a bigger, bright new space to set up in, Sylvia tells me that Sneinton has been such a good fit, thanks to its now flourishing creative community. Sylvia has led Montana’s collaborations with neighbouring businesses, like Neon Raptor and Working Man’s Kitchen.
The Newstand Project at Montana: a pop-up style kiosk and exhibition space hosted within the Montana shop, is another exciting collaborative project of Sylvia’s. Designed and built by long-term customer and now close friend JP
Artist, the Newstand is a brightly painted nod to kiosks found in European and Asian streets, complete with mock signs in playful font and a faux window hatch.
When I visit, it’s hosting an exhibition by artist FFWIH: a retrospective on his recent trip to Sri Lanka. Inside the kiosk are mounted drawings, paintings, and paraphernalia from his trip; outside, a limited number of zines are available for sale.
The kiosk was inspired by trips that Sylvia and Dilk took to places like Hong Kong and Japan. In Asian metropolises squeezed for space, kiosks offer businesses a way of getting their brand into the street and increasing their visibility.
now when peopLe CaLL me, i Know
exaCtLy what paint they need... some peopLe haVe just used the same CoLour For the past twenty years
The equivalent in iconic European cities, like Marseille, Toulouse, and Barcelona, comes in the form of ‘newsstands’: self-contained kiosks selling magazines and coffee in public spaces like parks and plazas; becoming hubs in peoples’ daily routine. The Newsstand Project plays on both these ideas: bringing artist brands, print media, and street culture literally inside the shop.
It’s a playful space – one that invites interaction – but also, importantly, provides artists with a platform and physical exhibition space, which are often formal and expensive. The opening night of each show is an opportunity to celebrate and bring creative people together.
The Newsstand Project is currently self-funded – which is both costly and takes significant effort – but it’s clear that for Sylvia, being able to support local artists is worth the investment. The current exhibition, which opened midAugust, is by another Confetti student, Wozza, who’s been coming into the shop for three years during his studies.
“Seeing artists build up their confidence, and work really hard, you want to show them what they can do,” Sylvia says to me earnestly.
Though the project has only been hosting exhibitions since May, Sylvia has big ideas for it. First focusing on supporting
local artists, she plans to next invite international names to come in and create exhibitions alongside them – enriching the creative scene here, bringing fresh perspectives into the city, but also helping “put Nottingham into the bigger picture for artists”.
“That’s my idea, with the kiosk, I want to have collaboration… so the international will boost our local artists, and local artists will get known by the outside.”
Montana’s reach looks both closely inwards, to the rich creative scene Nottingham has to offer, and broadly outwards, fostered by a plethora of international friendships in the graffiti world. In September, Sylvia will be a guest curator at the ALL CAPS Street Art Festival in Rotterdam. Impressed by the projects and collaborations Sylvia has led, the team selected her from an array of international women artists to curate an exhibition.
The exhibition, which will feature thirty artists, will be titled Drawing Back To Basics. It’s all about returning to fundamentals, Sylvia says. For her it’s as a response to the increasing digitalisation of art production and circulation. While platforms on social media, and technological tools can be useful, she thinks it's important not to “lose your touch with real pen and paper… you need to do the basics first. With graffiti – you go to the wall.”
Although two local artists will be participating in the exhibition, Sylvia’s disappointed that she can’t bring more. Both JP and Dilk will be showing work, along with a handful of other artists from the UK. “Hopefully if it goes well I can do a bit more curating… the next one I’d like to be a bit more in control of the artists. I want to look after my own people.”
As we wrap up our conversation, a few regulars have already dropped into the shop, to check out new prints and say hello. It’s clear that fostering a creative community – in Nottingham and beyond – is integral to running Montana Notts. Sylvia and Dilk’s commitment to collaborations has helped the shop function as a hub for all kinds of artists – connecting them to each other and opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise exist.
As always, new things are always on the horizon at Montana Notts - from their involvement in the upcoming Art Fest, to exhibitions at the Newstand Project.
Visit Montana at Unit 13 Avenue A, Sneinton Market Avenues.
words: Finnualla Brett photo: Benjamin Kay
Beyond The Wall
In recent years, the New Art Exchange gallery in Hyson Green has sought to firmly centre their ambitions in serving the local community – placing the cultural needs of the neighbourhood first. A big par t of that has been their street art and murals project: Beyond the Wall, which via lots of ambition and creativity has spanned both Hyson Green and Marrakesh, Morocco. We spoke about the project with NAE CEO Saad Eddine Said and artist Laura Decorum – whose work has been vital to Beyond the Wall…
Since street art culture emerged in the UK, it’s been perceived by the public in multi-faceted ways. Often those perceptions have fallen into a few camps – the knee-jerk, reactionary conservatism: ‘it’s vandalism’, and the opposing view, ‘it’s a necessary part of counterculture’, or, of course, the question of ‘how much money will this make for people, and the local area?’
But it’s not, of course, all about who is and isn't breaking the law, and who is and isn’t making money.
Take a 2021 study from Arts Council England, for example, which showed that 62% of UK adults (67% in the Midlands) feel pride in their local area due to cultural experiences on their high streets. Pride in the local community is an important quality, but one that’s often reduced in UK neighbourhoods –street art is certainly an effective way of increasing it, enabling local communities to see themselves, and their history, celebrated, in kaleidoscopic, spray can strokes.
Over at Hyson Green, the New Art Exchange gallery team are aware of this, and want street art to be one of the main ways that they foster local pride. And the name of this project?
Beyond The Wall
Eddine Said became the gallery’s new CEO and Artistic Director. For NAE, this was a good time to reassess their priorities as a business.
“One of the main provocations we gave ourselves was, ‘what role does NAE play in its neighbourhood?’, and ‘how can we push that agenda to be at the centre of what we deliver?’” Saad says. “It is through that conversation that Beyond the Wall displayed itself.”
one oF the main proVoCations we gaVe ourseLVes was, ‘what roLe does nae pL ay in its neighbourhood?’, and ‘how Can we push that agenda to be at the Centre oF what we deLiVer?’
During Saad’s tenure, NAE made some big decisions – they made themselves less of an inward looking business, and more so a place made for the local community’s needs – a ‘citizen assembly’ becoming central to more or less everything that they do.
When the idea emerged to start making street art, as such the community would inevitably be central. Their goal, Saad says, was to “change the walls of Hyson Green to become an open, contemporary art gallery that tells the story of people – the everyday heroes we have in our lives.”
Many local artists would get involved in this ambitious project. In Hyson Green Market, local creative Nate Coltrane and artist Pilth would create a mural focused on soundsystem culture in Notts.
Near to that, a towering image in violets, oranges, greens and reds, by collective Graffwerks celebrates Nottingham heritage.
Elsewhere, emblazoned on Hyson Green Youth Club, you’ll find the longest mural yet created by local artist Laura Decorum.
Laura says that the end result – a mural partly honouring the boxing gym behind the walls it graces – was one of a few designs that were in-the-running.
“I was asking the community what they’d like to see in the local area – how they’d like to be represented,” says Laura. “The overarching feeling was… I mean, I can’t believe some of the languages that are spoken in some of the Primary Schools –over 126 languages! So it was about expressing the fact that the
Back in October 2021, seasoned community organizer Saad
words: Caradoc Gayer
photos: Tom Morley & Saad Eddine Said
area is so diverse, and also giving nods to bits of history. It took a while to collate the information I was seeking, with historians locally to me, like Chris Weir. I probably designed three or four murals.”
Beyond the Wall – as it manifests in Hyson Green – is a constantly ongoing project, with more street art yet to come, Saad says.
The team weren’t however going to stop in the local area, and saw in the project a great chance to put Nottingham street art on a world stage. The candidates for this project?
Laura Decorum and Dreph Dsane, two local artists who are celebrated throughout the city.
“One of the things that came out from our assembly was, ‘how can NAE create more opportunities for artists from the global ethnic majority to connect internationally?’” says Saad.
“We were working with Laura and Dreph, at the time, and the opportunity to do something quite unique in Marrakesh, came up. It was a fantastic opportunity – full of challenges – taking us all outside of our comfort zone. Hopefully it’s one from which we all grew, and strengthened our leadership.”
Take a second, and imagine heading to Morocco, where your ambition is to paint UNESCO-protected walls in the Medina old town, which is the equivalent of painting a "section of Chatsworth House,” Laura tells me. Sounds easy? It certainly wasn't for the NAE team, weaving through lots of legal obstacles, and not knowing which wall exactly would be painted until Laura and Dreph landed.
For Laura and Dreph, it was a unique challenge, as street artists tend to be very familiar with the types of surface they’re planning to paint on, long before they actually start.
“It’s not typical at all,” Laura says. ”But sometimes you’ve got to roll with the punches – and when it comes to working with murals you often have things that don’t go how you expect them to.”
They say however that it’s always darkest before the dawn –and this couldn’t have been more applicable to the Marrakesh project, which by the end, Laura says, was one of her proudest moments Not only were they interviewed by a Moroccan TV station, once the mural was finished, but throughout they’d had a great chance to connect with a community that was a long way from Nottingham.
Just like in Hyson Green, however, the community’s pride in seeing their culture emblazoned in bright, blaring colours grew all-the-stronger, the more Laura and Dreph worked in their streets.
“The local shops were storing our ladders and paint for us, and coming out with Moroccan tea – offering us food. Everybody was so grateful that we’d come to make where they lived so much brighter,” says Laura.
“They did love the fact that we’ve worked so hard because it wasn’t the easiest surface to paint, and it wasn’t the easiest landscape really to navigate, because it’s the way that all the roads are so narrow. So I do feel like we represented NAE and did come away feeling very proud of what we’d done.”
The murals associated with Beyond the Wall are located around the Terrace Street and Hyson Green Market area. nae.org.uk
photos: Tom Morley | Sophie Gargett | Caradoc Gayer | Phoebe Davis
Greening the Streets
Anna Wheelhouse is one of Nottingham’s most well-known street artists, with her signature, verdant nature-themed murals enlivening buildings and walls around the city, from pubs to parks to back gardens. We talked to her about her lifelong passion for the arts, and the benefits of working on a larger canvas.
Hi Anna, how did you become an artist?
Ever since I was young, I was always drawing, painting and making things but I didn't want to go into an art career because my parents told me it wouldn’t make any money, so I went and studied social work, but I didn't like it. I was 29 when I decided to stop pursuing social care, go back to university, and do an art degree. My friends, Smallkid in particular, kept saying to me, “you need to paint bigger,” and I was always like, “no, no, no.” And then when I finished my degree, Nathan [Smallkid] took me to go and work in Kingsmill Hospital and did my first ever big community mural with him. Then, I became a community artist, and I was doing workshops everywhere.
But then when COVID hit you couldn't do any freelance artwork in schools, which is what I was specialising in. I started painting my friends’ walls because I was bored, and then it just took off. I’ve been really lucky that it’s blown up, and I’ve done six years full-time. I just think it’s who I am, art.
What does the process of creating a mural look like? I liken it to giving birth. Sometimes you’re thinking, ‘I haven’t got this, this is really bad.’ It’s really stressful, and there’s a pain in creating a mural. But then once it’s finished, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, that was amazing. I want to do it again,’ and then you do it again.
Usually, a client will contact me, and then I’ll do a series of mock-ups for them to choose what they like. Then, I’ll superimpose the image onto the wall for them, so they can see what it looks like. I generally work from photographs because I do a lot of nature stuff. If it’s not nature stuff then I’ll draw it on my iPad and send it to them.
When you start painting, the most important thing is your base, because if you mess that up the whole thing will peel off and you’ll end up with a patchwork mural. I did a project in Kimberley where I spent an entire week painting a building black, and the render was so far in that I had to go around every single brick – it was a massive building. It involves lots and lots of layering, and I use quite a few stencils, which I cut myself at home, to get the intricate
plant details; often with nature ones you find they don’t come out exactly how they were in the mock-up, because it depends on the space.
i LiKen it to giVing birth. sometimes you’re thinKing, ‘i haVen’t got this, this is reaLLy bad,’ it’s reaLLy stressFuL, and there’s a pain in Creating a muraL but then onCe it’s Finished, you’re LiKe, ‘oh my god, that was amazing. i want to do it again,’ and then you do it again
Do you have a favourite project?
Not particularly, but the bookcase in Beeston was fun because it’s my biggest one yet. It’s three stories and I couldn’t even tell you how many metres the front of it is. Every single book spine has got something Nottinghamrelated on it. It’s also got lots of people’s names on it: people who have died or people who were monumental in Nottingham. That was great because it was looking at the local people, and then putting it on the wall.
I think the thing that I really do enjoy is the community work. During one I did in Lenton, local children spent the entire time with me while I painted it – they were in my car picking out colours for me; it made it an interactive, community thing. I think when you can see the difference it makes to the environment that it’s in, you go ‘that was really worth it.’
Are there any health and safety risks?
Yeah, I’ve had to learn not to rush things. I ran an art studio called Bentinck Art Studios, and I had a team of girls who would come and help me paint the masonry. On the very last day I thought, ‘I’m not going to take anyone with me, I’m going to go on my own and varnish it.’ I climbed to the top of the scaffolding and put my big varnishing pots on the top.
It was really windy that day and the wind blew the gate shut. The gate ended up hitting the pots, and it could’ve taken my head off, to be honest. After that, I knew I would never, ever work up high on my own. You have to have someone with you; it’s just not worth the risk.
Could you tell me more about your other forms of art?
Right now, I do canvas work and I still work as a community artist, so I do workshops with kids where I teach street art. I also do a lot of recycled artwork. I’ll go and get a big army tent from Army Surplus, and we’ll make it into backdrops and paint it, or we’ll use inner tubes and make jewellery.
Glasswork was something that I was really into when I was at university, and I used to work with a glass blower in Matlock who taught me. So just before lockdown, I’d go and collect glass bottles, like nice vodka bottles, take the tops off, sandblast flowers onto them and then sell them as vases, because they’re beautiful pieces of art. In fact, in The Chapel upstairs in The Angel, I made that huge chandelier from an old trampoline frame and drums that you brew beer in. Then, I made loads of shades and put them all the way around it.
Do you think street art has a positive impact on communities?
Absolutely. I think it brings people together, in the sense that they talk about it, and discuss it with each other. I think in Beeston, in particular – when I started, there were quite a lot of alleys that had a lot of fly tipping and stuff, and people wouldn’t walk down there. Now, there’s a beautiful mural and no fly-tipping. I think it makes people respect the environment a little bit more, particularly if you do it with children. It gives them a sense of belonging, and that it’s there, they’ve done it, and then they want to look after it. It gives them a community spirit and uplifts them.
To meet Anna, head to see her painting a mural on Saturday 20 September at The King Billy for Art Fest 2025.
Q @anna_wheelhouse_artist
interview: Lauryn Wilson
photo: Sophie Gargett
Midnight Rodeo
SAT.20.SEP.25
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Magnum - A
Tribute To Tony Clarkin
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Black Country, New Road
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Fun Lovin’ Criminals
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The Burning Hell
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King 810
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The New Roses
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Gig Guide
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Lewis Capaldi
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SNAYX
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Palin
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jev.
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Dregs
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MagnumA Tribute To Tony Clarkin
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Dead Posey
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Low Island
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George Gadd + The Aftermath
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Hybrid Minds
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Paradise Lost
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THE BODEGA
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panic shack
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Wine Lips
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An Evening With Y&T
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King King
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mclusky THE
Heavy Lungs
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Somebody’s Child
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Better Lovers
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Grandmas House THE
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Hailaker
Stick ‘em up
Hidden amongst the barrage of commercial advertisements and billboards that dominate our city landscape, the more curious among us may be drawn to some unusual markings; the plethora of quirky stickers plastered on lampposts, signs and electrical boxes. Follow the Stickers is a short film by Nottingham-based documentary filmmaker Matt Watts. Here he shares his journey of tangents, discovering artists, events and more obscure messages of the underground sticker world, and telling us why we should keep an eye out for them too…
Do you ever look at stickers? They’re everywhere in Nottingham: on lampposts from Hucknall to Clifton, telephone boxes in the Lace Market, road signs by The Contemporary gallery, and every other piece of street furniture that decorates our city. Nottingham is one great big sticker album. If you haven’t been paying attention to them, I’m here to change that. While our bus stops are plastered in ads, entire trams are wrapped up like sponsored F1 cars, and the screens in front of the Victoria Centre blast commercial messages out, stickers are an unmediated form of self-expression. There’s no algorithm dictating which ones get seen, no legislation governing them, and no gallery-owner deciding which are worthy of display. All human life can be found in the sticker dimension; evangelists, dealers, artists, and protesters, all using the power of graphic design to literally put their stamp on the world. It’s hard to know which sticker first made me stop and pay attention. It’s like trying to work out when you first noticed that sunsets are pretty. Stickers are the tough little weeds that pop their flowers up between the cracks in the paving slabs... if some of those flowers had QR codes and the occasional OnlyFans link on them, that is.
There’s no algoriThm dicTaTing which ones geT seen, no legislaTion governing Them, and no galleryowner deciding which are worThy of display. all human life can be found in The sTicker dimension; evangelisTs, dealers, arTisTs, and proTesTers, all using The power of graphic design To liTerally puT Their sTamp on The world
As we cycle through the seasons, I walk around Nottingham and notice the new crop that’s sprung up. Last year, I was particularly taken by a procession of little black squares that resembled some PS1 gamebox art. Seeing an iconic design revived for the pure aesthetic joy of it scratches the nostalgia itch, without being scraped by the claws of reboot culture as it reaches for your wallet.
Then there are the rarer, unexpected finds: looking below the button on a pedestrian crossing to find a cartoon character from Nottingham’s Kid30, whose work is often found sprayed on the city’s walls. Deep in the centre of Colwick Woods, a signpost features a character photocopying his peachy bum, from a printing studio in Sneinton Market. Or, walking along Lower Parliament Street and stopping to read the resonant words of David Lynch, presented in the colours of the trans pride flag: ‘fix your hearts or die’.
Once you start paying attention to the waxing and waning of the stickers, the familiar ones become friendly faces that remind you of home. Each sticker has the potential to last for years, or it could be covered over the next day – another leaf quickly buried in a pile.
One that you’ll always see near the top of the pile is – Jangala. Presented in many different colours and designs, it’s ubiquitous across the city centre. As I started work on my stickers documentary: Follow the Stickers, Jangala was the first lead.
One January evening, as I cycled along Shakespeare Street, I saw a figure decorating a telephone box with the bubbly Jangala font. His name was Jim, and if he was surprised to be approached in the twilight by an overly curious cyclist, he didn’t show it. In fact, he agreed to give me his contact details so we could arrange an interview, which took place at one of the Jungle music events that Jangala runs across Notts.
This project made for a very interesting filming schedule: going from a conspiracy theorist rally, to an interview at the Arena Church in Hockley, to a Jungle night at Percy Picklebackers. Thankfully, not all on the same day. The stickers were an invitation to parts of Nottingham’s culture that I never would’ve otherwise experienced. Once the documentary was finished, I made my own stickers to promote it. Maybe you’ve seen them around town? They’re yellow and black, and one YouTube commenter mistook one for a conspiracy sticker and tore it down, but regretted it and was subsequently glad when the QR code took them to my film.
It’s been interesting watching them go through the life cycle of stickers: removed during the great cleansing of the ‘Furry Sticker Pole of Nottingham’ (a story for another time), covered up by a sticker referencing the indie film The People’s Joker, and gently receding into the city’s sticker patchwork.
Despite making this documentary, I’m no sticker expert. As many YouTube commenters are keen to point out, there’s so much more to discuss and discover. Every sticker is an invitation to be curious. It may lead you to the Instagram page of an artist you’d never have discovered within the filter bubbles of modern life. It may take you to an obscure musician’s Bandcamp and you spend the day listening to an album that would never have made it onto your Spotify playlist. You could discover the person who does your next tattoo. Or, as it happened to me just this week, a mysterious QR code simply labelled ‘Scan me’ could result in you, in 2025, being rick-rolled.
As I write this article, I’m in the sticker obsessed city of Berlin. But what do I see outside Berlin Cathedral, on a street sign? White text on solid black: 0115. The area code for Nottingham and perhaps the only sticker that can rival Jangala for dominance in Notts. A sticker can be a little slice of home, a wink of the eye, a reverse postcard sent to you from your home city.
So if there’s anything I want to say to you, it’s this: wherever you are, whether you’re in Beeston or Berlin, it’s worth keeping an eye on the stickers. Oh, and please watch my documentary.
Follow the Stickers is available to watch via YouTube and Matt’s website.
mattwattsmakesdocs.co.uk
words & photos: Matt Watts
Hive of Activity
Over the past ten years, the suburb south-west of Notts: Beeston, has become a hub for striking and inspiring street art, thanks to the efforts of the ever-industrious Beeston Civic Society. From tributes to Nottingham legends like Paul Smith and Richard Beckinsale, to an artistic interpretation of the butterflies that migrate from Africa to Attenborough Nature Reserve and Beeston Marina, take a stroll through Beeston and you’ll be treated to many visual treats lauding local culture. We asked Jeanie Barton, the person who set the Beeston street art wheels in motion, to tell us more about it.
How did this flourishing of street art come about in Beeston?
I grew up in Beeston and after many years of living in London returned with my husband and son in 2014. My husband, and indeed I, missed the vibrancy of our north London surroundings but we were both surprised and pleased to meet many creative people up here - writers, directors, musicians etcetera. We thought that Beeston didn’t look as arty as it actually is. In a discussion on the local Facebook group: Beeston Updated, I found many other residents felt exactly the same, so I created another group called Beeston Street Art with the aim of bringing street art to Beeston to showcase our creative character - it all grew from there.
Can you talk a bit about your role and what first inspired you to get involved?
I quickly met some people who were in the local Civic Society who told me there was an £8,000 art fund that Broxtowe Council had needed to be spent on art or returned to land development firm Henry Boot. We set our sights on finding permission for walls in the vicinity of where this ring-fenced fund must be used, and reached out to collect design offers from local artists via social media, in the Nottingham Post and on Nottingham BBC Radio. As a professional musician myself, I had a following and contacts that I could use to generate this, but this escapade was purely a hobby. Once we had connected with lots of artists we held a street art festival in 2018, which we crowdfunded for and also attracted sponsors to support it. I kind of became the event and project manager, which involved learning to drive lift equipment, and a lot of carrying pavement barriers and undercoating huge walls - certainly not a desk job (thanks to all those who helped me)!
What artists have you worked with and what are some of your favourite pieces so far?
We have over fifty artworks around Beeston now and it’s really difficult to say which if any are my favourite, as they are all so different! I’m fond of The Painted Lady by Jim Vision, as that is nearest my home and was a massive scoop for us, being entirely gifted; painted using leftover paints we had from artist Zabou’s chosen council commission on the precinct. I’ve met so many very generous people throughout this project. Local artists, whose outstanding work features here, include [this month’s cover artist] Emily Catherine, Onga, Anna Wheelhouse, Buber Nebz, Dubcat, Rubes, Nicholas Wright, Helen Stephenson, Kid30, RJ77 Stencils, and many many more.
i thinK it’s reaLLy giVen beeston a sense oF pL aCe and indiViduaLity, with some worKs CeLebrating the history oF beeston, or its peopLe, pLus our nature and heritage
How do you approach artists to feature?
We met a lot of local artists Sylvia and Dilk at Montana, who were then in Hockley and are now in Sneinton market - they were very helpful in introducing me to the scene. But we mainly connected originally by social media - more often than not artists approach me, the Facebook group, or Beeston Civic Society to ask if they can get involved.
What atmosphere and message do you wish to spread with these works of art?
I like the artists to have artistic freedom so any message is theirs, not mine! I think that minus any significant curating we
have a broad spectrum of themes and styles, which is what I like about this project - it keeps evolving on its own now, with little input from me. I just tend to matchmake building owners with artists.
From your perspective, what role does street art play in shaping a town's identity or culture? And how has it influenced Beeston specifically?
I think it’s really given Beeston a sense of place and individuality, with some works celebrating the history of Beeston, or its people, plus our nature and heritage. It now looks and feels more like the rather edgy place we moved to in 2014: not so run-of-the-mill suburbia, with outdated seventies utilitarian builds, which removed the previous character of the town when they were imposed on us. We’ve gained national and international press with our artworks, and three Light Nights have been born out of it too, so businesses have really benefitted and our high street is grateful of the new and evolving attractions, which clearly create and maintain a vibrant atmosphere.
How would you recommend people engage with the art in Beeston? Are there related events or a trail they can follow? There’s a Google map, and information about all the pieces around town, on our web page. We occasionally do tours, which you can keep up with via the website.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with LeftLion readers?
Just to thank them for looking in on Beeston - we also have a Blue Plaque trail and, soon-to-be announced, an Eco trail! We appreciate your support.
beestoncivicsociety.org.uk/beestonstreetart
interview: Neha Suraj Matthew photos: Dani Bacon & Tracey Whitefoot
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If you’re from Nottingham and want to get added to our list of music writers or get your tunes reviewed, hit us up at music@leftlion.co.uk
To listen to these tracks and more, check out our Notts Sounds playlist on Spotify
Richard Snow Governments Always Lie (Single)
Richard Snow has been on the Nottingham music scene for some time, more recently with his band The Inlaws, who released an album (Look Back In Manga) a few months ago. Richard’s music is heavily influenced by what he calls "The holy trinity of B’s", namely the Beatles, Beach Boys, and Byrds. Governments Always Lie is a non-album song which features a great YouTube video, filmed with Richard singing against a Bulwell High Street backdrop, interspersed with images relating to the lyrics. Richard dons his tinfoil hat and questions the validity of much of the dialogue that governments propagate as truth, including John Lennon’s death, 9/11 and COVID vaccines. He justifies this by stating that governments always lie and mess with our brains, so what are we supposed to believe? The song’s melody nods appreciatively to Richard’s guitar heroes such as George Harrison and Roger McGuinn, with some jangly, tuneful sounds from his cherished Rickenbacker 330/12, which gives a lot of his music that distinctive power pop sound. (Claire Spencer)
Emidora & Darling I Dreamt
Severed Ties 2.0 (Single)
A twisting, writhing burst of hyperpop goodness, Severed Ties 2.0 reworks an original track by Darling I Dreamt (formerly Jonah Michael) to incorporate local talent EMiDORA’s characterful blend of sensitive-yet-hyperactive self-expression. It’s assured, confident and imaginative: slams of bass reinforcing the emotional vulnerability found in the lyrics and melodies teased out of glitching electronica. The duo create a seamless pairing, EMiDORA’s verse contributing a perspective that makes the brief track feel like it’s maximising every second. Impeccably produced and a testament to the versatility of the current wave of SOPHIE-inspired hyperpop, the maximalism never feels forced or overwhelming, beautifully treading the dangerous line between dense and cluttered. (Kieran Lister)
Marvin's Revenge Scrape (Single)
The trio that are Marvin's Revenge waste no time here in launching themselves - and us - into a dark, brooding space filled with thickly layered guitars and vocals redolent of The Murder Capital. Scrape is a powerfully anthemic track, one of those no-holds-barred journeys that will fill your ears and brain to overflowing with sonic energy. But it's not noise for its own sake: there's plenty of melody here and some well-thought-out arrangement – the low and high guitar sounds complement the mix perfectly, and the vocals can be subtle when needed. An enjoyably explosive slice of sound. Scrape is the first single from the band's forthcoming EP Offer Of Love (Phil Taylor)
Torn Sail Steady Weather (Album)
Led by Huw Costin, who sings, plays guitar and writes the songs with invaluable help from a group of talented and skilful musicians, Torn Sail's music has been described as "influenced by space rock, jazz fusion, 1970s west coast virtuosity and classical English introspection... with the cinematic polish of Trevor Horn." The progressive nature of the music makes it worthy of several listens, and each time I find myself noticing new sounds and phrases – the deep and thought-provoking lyrics revealing further nuance. My favourite track is Mud People (Reprise), which is a lovely spaced-out reference to the second track on the album, with a gorgeous off-kilter riff. The production values are impressive; each musical element has its own distinct place in the mix. The vinyl (also available on CD or download) is well-presented in a classic gatefold and released by local imprint Delia Recordings. Overall, this is a great-sounding and thought-provoking album which is well worth a listen.
(Tim Hills)
Tallulah is the definitive summer song. Fresh off the back of their smash hit Demons, a striking and dark song in which the band bear all to their audience, Michael Vickers and The Bad Things latest single is bursting with colour and life. The positivity and fun simply pour out of the song – alongside the high energy and exciting instrumentation (which puts me in mind of pop-punk titans Green Day) – calls everyone to sing along. This is not to say the song requires our participation: lead singer Michael Vickers brings a spectacular vocal performance to this track, particularly within the final moments – a powerful crescendo of joy, life and summer. (Max Christian)
Michael Vickers and The Bad Thing Tallulah (Single)
LyV Fore Ver
interview: Karl Blakesley photo: Saskia Kovandzich
While the words ‘street art’ automatically make you think of colourful graffiti, Nottingham musician LYVIA creates hers in a unique and quite literal way. Thanks to a visionary videographer and a lucky twist of fate, her viral performances on the corner of Maid Marian Way have transformed her from ambitious local busker to national soul-rap sensation with a huge social media following. We sat down to get the story behind her rapid rise and her forthcoming new mixtape…
When thinking of a Notts musician that fit that ‘street artist’ tag, your name immediately sprung to mind. How did the idea of the Maid Marian Way performance videos come about?
Basically, my mum had given me a deadline to make something happen. I had been busking –that was my source of income when I was at uni, but then I graduated and I was still busking. I needed to figure something out. So, mum gave me six months to figure it out.
I called my friend Jamal (Sterrett, @jamalsterrett) who films my videos, and I was like “bro, you need to just meet me once a week, in town, and we’ll just go to a bunch of different places and we’ll film videos… ‘cause I need to go viral, I need something to happen!”
We tried a bunch of different places: Victoria café, bus stops, random streets, clothes shops – and then Jamal had the idea to film on the corner we film on now.
Then in lockdown, I used to do these things called Cup of Tea diaries. I used to sit on the step in my garden, just have a cup of tea and rap. So, I took the mug with me to the corner and was just like, “Shall I use it?” – you know, continue the whole thing. But, I just didn’t like the video. I didn’t like the clip on the corner, I didn’t like my outfit, so I decided I wouldn't post that one.
Then I went on a trip to Kenya and I was trying to be consistent with the posting. I eventually ran out of videos; the only one I had left was this one on the corner. I posted it, woke up, and saw it had like a million views – I was like, what the hell?! I then rang Jamal and said “bro, we need to film 100 videos on this spot!!”
So that’s how that whole thing was birthed. We wanted it to feel like busking –that was what I had been doing, but the spots I used to busk in weren’t very aesthetic.
And why did you choose Maid Marian Way in particular, was there any significance for that stretch of road or was it just that it was more aesthetic compared to those other busking spots?
I’ve got to give this one to Jamal, he’s got the most artistic eye that I’ve ever met. He was just walking through town and he saw the street. If you look at the corner – without the framing that Jamal does, it doesn’t look like anything. But he’d taken a picture on his phone and said, “we’ve got to film here, I think it will look really good!”
That’s one thing I’ve learned: trust Jamal. He’s so clever and so creative. We didn’t realise how prominent it (the Maid Marian Way spot) was going to become. Then obviously it became the name of my first project, purely just because of the videos.
And did you ever expect those clips to take off like they have done? Never! Honestly when I was posting the songs, they weren’t even songs. I couldn’t even play guitar at the time – I just recorded this random idea I had into my computer and liked the sound and cadence of it. But it was sixteen seconds: that’s all I had! No idea that it was going to do numbers – if I had an idea, I would’ve recorded it better!
You’ve just dropped some new music, and there’s a mixtape on the way too – tell us a bit about that project. Obviously themes of heartbreak are in the songs released so far – was that the catalyst for this collection of songs?
It’s kind of an accumulation of a bunch of different feelings – it transitions as the (EP) bundles go. The first one is super heartbreak-y – the second one is more about finding yourself and finding love. There’s also an apology song on there. I learned to take accountability in the last year for things that I might’ve done that haven’t been great. So, it’s not just about people that have broken my heart, it’s stuff that I’ve done too. It’s a lot of different feelings; the duality of me.
I’m super excited to get this music out into the world, because I’ve been sitting on it for like a year now and I’m really passionate about it – I think it’s my best music yet.
i didn’t reaLise i was writing the mixtape when i was writing it. it was a happy aCCident, but you
Know it means it’s just reaLLy honest and raw
And was there any noticeable difference in how you approached this project compared to Maid Marian Way?
I was way more honest in this one – way more ‘heart on my sleeve’. A lot of the songs on this project I didn’t intend to put out. I just walked into the sessions and needed to write about something because it was weighing on me, but thinking ‘no-one else can ever hear this’. Then, every time I walked into a session and said that, we left the studio and everyone was like “we have to put this song out!”
So, I didn’t realise I was writing the mixtape when I was writing it. It was a happy accident, but it means it’s just really honest and raw.
As well as the mixtape you have your tour coming up in October - your headline show at Rescue Rooms, last year, felt like a special night, and you’re heading back to do it all again. How was that homecoming for you?
I think the Nottingham show was my favourite of the whole tour, so I instantly was going to do that again for sure! I’m hoping to go out to Europe at some point as well. We just need to figure out where the fans are; it’s really important for me to be face-to-face with the people that are supporting my music.
It's also probably my favourite part: playing live. I’m very excited to play the new music because I’ve never really played it before. It’s going to be really fun – I’ve got my creative juices flowing already!
LYVIA will play Rescue Rooms on Friday 3 October 2025 – tickets available now Q @lyviamusic
Par ty Safer
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A free and confidential ser vice in Not tingham City Centre for 18-25-year-olds who use drugs or alcohol socially
Harm reduction advice, resources and information.
One-to-one structured inter ventions and ongoing suppor t.
Outreach work and information stalls at relevant events and venues.
Training about drugs, drug use and current trends.
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moVers and shaKers
words: Lewis Oxley photos: fotos.bydan
Bringing chilled afternoons of coffee and music that blend into evenings of DJ sets and dancing, Movers is the latest edition to Hockley’s hive of cultural activity. Since opening at the start of July, the multi-use venue has been making waves in the area as the hottest new bar in town. We spoke to director and founder Felix Coulton, also one of the minds behind Notts’ own Swing Dash Radio, to see how it's going so far and what they have coming up...
Located in a former Victorian butchers shop, Movers is the perfect example of how old can be transformed into new; the cream-coloured tiles at the entrance are a reminder of the building’s past, while inside the space has recently become something sleek and vibrant – aided especially by the minimalist white walls and daylight exceeding from the skylight above.
Operating as both a day and night venue, Felix believes the idea redefines what a venue might be: “We cannot open past midnight, partly down to licensing laws, but the day-to-night split concept is an interesting one,” he says. “People can chill in the daytime, have a coffee, listen to some tunes, and later, have a night time space to have a drink and be absorbed in dance music without an event going way past its peak.”
The emphasis on day and night living, and its links to Swing Dash Radio, makes Movers an interesting concept in comparison to traditional bricks-andmortar venues. Catering to a variety of needs, from the laid-back afternoon crowd who can drink coffee as they study, work or read, to those looking for a different vibe entirely – the energetic hustle and bustle of city centre life. This concept is sure to open a debate for the future of Nottingham nightlife and how spaces can be utilised to cater for audiences at any time of day.
“I think the overarching thing is that Notts has been crying out for a place like this,” says Felix. “We’ve had really good feedback - I think people are generally after a community space that they can get behind.”
Having only been open for a couple of months, Movers is growing one stage at a time, with the cafe, bar and DJ decks all set up. The multitude of yet-tobe-used space allows for further expansion for other projects to flourish.
Adding to the relaxed atmosphere and the shared community ethos that the space is trying to enhance, Hunt’s Emporia opened in Movers at the start of August and provides a vast array of quality vintage clothing. Ash, its founder and the cafe manager (while serving me up a nice frothy cappuccino) tells me of his appreciation for a space like this: “It is cool to see a space that allows other independent businesses to flourish. Which, in my opinion, is really good.” Felix comes from an artistic background – from
his collaborations with Swing Dash, he was able to create a hub for dance-music enthusiasts, as well as friends and creatives who were supportive of his efforts. There is a strong link between the venue and the various promoters who put different events on, exposing people to all kinds of music. As we chat, the sounds from the speakers ebb and flow from deep house music to Ethiopian jazz, and soft techno.
“While our main focus is on dance music, I want to bring people on board who put a focus on something else,” says Felix. “I want to show that dance music can be lots of different things. It can be jazz, it can be hip hop. We are a broad church and want to bring everyone together through music. There is too much division in society now, so it is good to have somewhere where people can meet and share an experience together.”
Catering to a Variety oF needs, From the L aid-baCK aF ternoon Crowd who Can drinK CoFFee as they study, worK or read, to those LooKing For a diFFerent Vibe entireLy - the energetiC hustLe and bustLe oF City Centre LiFe
Felix admits that acquiring the building was far from easy. He speaks of the annoyance of talking to solicitors about difficulties of acquiring commercial property, as well as the adequate funding to keep places like this afloat.
When it comes to commercial property, Felix admits that it can be a bit of a “wild west”, with time spent drawing up contracts with solicitors to make sure things adhere to regulations. “It is a very unregulated industry, with lots of hoops to jump through to get the contract.”
Opening a multi-purpose arts space is a brave venture in today's climate. Many venues and spaces face a daily struggle, with a plethora of obstacles: from licensing hours, to the issue of noise in an urban environment. According to data from the NTIA (Night Time Industries Association), in 2024, a total of 65 nightclubs and late night venues closed nationwide.
This worrying trend is only set to continue unless legislation is passed to help venues survive. In addition, changing social attitudes to nightlife have added to this struggle; fewer young people view late night clubbing as an all-positive experience with wariness around excessive drinking, spiking, and sexual harassment.
However, Felix is gradually finding ways to overcome some of these obstacles. After meeting someone from the same company that soundproofed nearby venue Metronome, he was struck by how adequately the venue worked, despite being below a huge residential area.
“It is an absolute benchmark for what we should be doing across the country. They have about 180 flats above their gig space, but they haven’t received a noise complaint, to my knowledge,” he explains, suggesting that government grant funding could be offered to soundproof nightlife spaces. “But you’re looking at thousands of pounds. If we had a fund to help soundproof our venue, then everyone wins, we win, the nighttime economy wins, the neighbours win.”
Venue spaces have been sacred temples for generations of music lovers. From passing through the foyer up to the dancefloor, this is usually a scene of pilgrimage for those seeking a good time. Every Friday and Saturday night, people pass through doors to make memories, forge friendships, and sometimes even spark love interests and relationships. To quote emprosario Tony Wilson on his experience of the Hacienda: “There is something totally epoch-making taking place. They’re applauding the DJ. Not the music, not the musician, not the creator – but the medium.”
This description of clubs and nightlife is just as relevant today. Nightclubs were once revered as cathedrals of youth culture – the DJ a saintly figure curing your ills and providing you with a good time. It’s been difficult for venues since. But fear not! One venue is trying to buck the trend. It is up to us to help it succeed.
Head down to Swing Dash: Celebrating Nottingham Dance Music on Fri 19 September at Movers. Find them at 15 Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1FH, open Tues - Wed 9:30 - 6pm and Thur - Sat 9:30 - midnight.
We’re feeling foxy Pelham Street, Nottingham.
Vegetarian, Vegan, Meaty and Gluten Free Friendly.
We try to cater for all you little foxes out there!
Sunday, the way it’s meant to be: proper plates, real people, no pretense. Neighbourhood dining at Piccalilli—crisp roasts, honest sides, cocktails worth a second round.
Every Sunday from 17th August, 12–3pm. Pull up a chair. Stay a while. Sunday lunch at Piccalilli. Some things are worth repeating.
There’s a new café in town serving Hong Kong classics. Our Food Co-Editor, Julia Head, AKA Nottingham Food Guide, met up with owner Johnny Tam to find out how he brought the flavours of Hong Kong to Nottingham with The Seafood Guy.
Castle Boulevard might not scream cosmopolitan Hong Kong at first glance, but wander a little further down and you’ll spot the bright yellow doors of The Seafood Guy – and there’s plenty to discover once you step inside.
The café hums with chatter as local Hong-Kongers tuck into nostalgic dishes. Specialising in fresh seafood, the menu also offers non-seafood options and includes a small store at the front where you can pick up your favourite Asian snacks and drinks to take home.
The forty-seater café is all the vision of Johnny Tam – a warm, high-energy entrepreneur and family man who moved to the UK with his wife and three children just over three years ago. He describes it as a ‘Cha Chaan Teng’ – a classic Hong Kong-style diner known for fast service, fuss-free food, and an East-meets-West blend of dishes.
While a Cha Chaan Teng is a cultural staple in Hong Kong, Johnny knows things move at a different pace here.
“In Hong Kong, people are always rushing so they just want to sit down, order a drink, eat something quickly and go,” he explains. “Here, we slow it down a bit so diners can take their time to enjoy their meal and socialise.
“Hong Kong is a very modern city. Every day there is a rush and running around, with lots of commercial buildings around. It’s very tense and you don’t have time to relax. We chose Nottingham because we wanted to move somewhere in the UK that was less busy, where we could get a nice garden and play with the kids,” he explains.
Johnny grew up surrounded by food. His father ran a frozen food wholesale business, supplying many of Hong Kong’s famed, top-tier restaurants, including some famous ones, and Johnny spent his childhood helping out at markets. Unlike most restaurant owners however, he didn’t train as a chef – his skills were honed in the family kitchen.
“At the beginning, cooking was very boring for me because it was a task,” he laughs. “But I had to find something interesting in it, so I started asking our suppliers how they made certain dishes, and the elders were always happy to pass on the skills to the younger generation.
“Kitchens are a very difficult industry for young people, because it’s hot, it’s tiring, there’s tension. So this is how I learned to make some of the dishes here at The Seafood Guy.”
Nottingham isn’t short of Chinese takeaways, but Johnny’s aiming for something different. With Hong Kong’s proximity to the harbour, seafood plays a central role –something that certainly shows when you visit. The Seafood Guy offers an eclectic menu: sizzling pots theatrically ignited at the table with a splash of Scottish whisky, leaving behind a bubbling, sticky sauce with bold, peppery depth; traditional steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli noodles; and one of their standout dishes – the oyster omelette.
What sets them apart isn’t just the menu, but the ingredients and method too.
“In Hong Kong, we don’t use MSG. We use something critical to our dishes, called chicken powder,” he explains. “We use this as a seasoning, so that’s probably the biggest difference between our style of food and Chinese food. So when you finish your dinner, you’re not so thirsty,” he adds, with a grin.
There’s no fast food here either, as dishes are carefully made to order. The fire chicken pot, for example, uses six sauces, each cooked separately before being stirred together at just the right moment.
the seaFood guy oFFers an eCLeCtiC menu: sizzLing pots
theatriCaLLy ignited at the tabLe with a spL ash oF sCottish whisKy, LeaVing behind a bubbLing, stiCKy sauCe with boLd, peppery depth; traditionaL steamed sCaLLops with garLiC and VermiCeLLi noodLes
Alongside the classic milk tea, the most popular item on the menu is the Hong Kongstyle French toast: soft white bread deep-fried until golden, oozing with molten custard, velvety chocolate, and salty peanut butter. While Hong Kong French toast is gaining popularity in the UK, Johnny’s version stands out – made using only egg yolk to ensure top crispiness, and dipped quickly to avoid a soggy centre.
His passion for Hong Kong culture is infectious. Located on the road leading to Nottingham Castle, the café has already built a local following, especially among nearby residents eager for something fresh and different.
When it comes to the community, Johnny says Nottingham has been nothing but welcoming. His fresh food suppliers have been especially curious, impressed by his unique way of preparing seafood. While Brits typically grill or pan-fry, Johnny steams his scallops the Hong Kong way with soy, garlic and vermicelli, allowing their natural sweetness to shine through.
So, what else makes The Seafood Guy different?
“It’s not just our dishes, but our presentation and the ceremony around it,” he says. “We want you to feel like what you are being offered here in Nottingham is exactly what you would be offered in Hong Kong, making it a really authentic experience to taste something special.
“A lot of people haven’t ever been to Asia, so when you come here you can see what we are doing, what we are eating. I just want to show people our culture and have them enjoy it.”
Find The Seafood Guy at 101 Castle Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 1FE. They’re open Thursday- Sunday, 12pm-9pm.
Open day Sat 13 September Free BBQ burger and sausage tasting!
Harvey’s Farm Shop is a traditional British butchers established in 1991. All produce is locally sourced. Specialities include homemade sausages and burgers, beef, pork, lamb, bacon, cooked meats, pork pies, cheeses and more.
When Nottingham’s beloved Hey! Chili suddenly and rather unexpectedly closed its doors in April, ramen enthusiasts across the city shed a small tear. Praised as one of the most authentic ramen spots outside Japan, it was sorely missed. Now, the team behind it has returned with Shobu, Nottingham’s newest ramen bar on Friar Lane – serving steaming bowls of ramen alongside gyoza and Japanese small plates.
That’s not to say it’s the only worthy contender in Nottingham. Hey! Danna has successfully taken over the former site on Heathcoat Street, offering the same impressive menu as before, while the ever-popular Everyday People continues to draw queues on Byard Lane. Nottingham is, in truth, spoiled for choice, with the city boasting a trio of high-quality, authentic Japanese food spots, making us pretty lucky in the ramen lottery.
At the risk of sounding cliché, stepping inside Shobu feels like being whisked off the streets of Japan and into a cosy, bustling ramen bar. The air is heavy with the smell of mouth-watering broth, the clatter of chopsticks, and the low hum of content diners, heads bent over steaming bowls of noodles. The best seats are at the ramen bar, overlooking the open kitchen – a front-row view of chefs at work, with a glass of sake in hand as you wait for your bowl to arrive.
I visited during a heatwave, and Shobu was packed to the rafters – a testament to its instant popularity, with plenty of die-hard ramen fans piling through the doors.
Beyond ramen, the menu features small plates such as juicy beef skewers, silky mushroom paté, pulled beef short rib gyoza, and cocktails to wash it all down – plus the all-important pint of Asahi.
But the ramen is, of course, the star. We tried the grilled chicken chashu with paitan, a broth whose name means ‘white soup’. Its creamy cloudiness comes from emulsified fat, creating a rich, velvety depth. The kombu shoyu with pork chashu and beef dripping offers a lighter alternative, with a clear soy-based broth and braised pork. The real focus at Shobu is on balance: broths that are complex and satisfying without relying too heavily on salt, and sometimes enriched with beef dripping to amplify that savoury umami hit.
I can only imagine that by winter, the windows will be steamed up, lanterns glowing, and the bar filled with the comforting sound of slurps and chatter. The perfect antidote to a cold Nottingham evening. It’s walk-in only, so arrive early to secure a seat.
Find Shobu at 39 Friar Lane, Nottingham NG1 6DD.
Q]@shoburamen
From the KitChen
with LuKe mattherson, at the pudding pantry
When did you first know you wanted to make food for a living?
In 2012 I began making handmade pasta and fell in love with Italian cuisine.
Which person has been the biggest influence on your cooking and why?
A wonderful lady called Anna. I learned quickly that recipes were a guide and that the finished product was what came from me.
Describe your venue in three words? Homemade, family, pancakes.
What's the best-selling item on your current menu and why?
I would say our Nduja Chorizo hash. It's simple and full of flavour.
What’s your personal favourite item on your current menu and why?
I would say our fried buttermilk chicken pancakes with maple sriracha. I love the combination!
What/where was the best meal you have ever cooked?
I worked at Jamie's Italian in 2015. We used to make a rabbit ragu, which was finished with mascarpone and lemon granata. It was sensational.
What/where was the best meal you have ever eaten? And who cooked it?
I finished work after a long day and my wife made a curry – still to this day I cannot replicate it. On a side note, Kushi-ya has a prawn toast that’s ridiculously good!
Other than your own place, where do you eat out most in Notts?
Despite my love for Italian food I mostly find myself eating Thai food. Coco Tang and Zaap Thai – they have good lunch offers.
Who are your five ideal dinner party guests, alive or dead? And what’s on the menu?
My wife, Jesus, Peter, Matthew and John. Bread and fish.
You can visit The Pudding Pantry in Sherwood, Beeston, or Nottingham City Centre. thepuddingpantry.co.uk
LiFe behind bars
with jaKe henson, bar staFF at the angeL miCrobrewery
Describe your bar in three words?
The Angel in three words... cosy, cool and unique for sure.
Tell us something interesting about your bar…
An interesting fact about The Angel is that the majority of beers brewed in-house are gluten free and vegan. And nearly every food item on the menu has a solid vegan alternative too.
What’s the best thing about your job?
The conversations and people you meet. Especially at The Angel - there’s always someone in the smokers’ area with a decent story.
What’s your best selling drink?
Mahou the house lager is a fan favourite, but Bill’s (our brewer) beers always sell well too, and are always changing.
What’s your most expensive drink?
I think the most expensive drink we do is either Hennessy XO or the Hibiki Whiskey, they’ll both have you double checking the card reader!
What’s your personal favourite tipple?
Honestly I love everything from beers to spirits. My favorite in-house beer would definitely be Ezekiel though – a nice, light, tropical pale.
Who’s the most famous person you’ve had drinking at your place?
I’m sure there have been plenty of celebrities in through the years but the one that jumps to mind is a Notts local – Window Kid tends to pop in every so often when he’s about town.
How would you persuade someone who’s never visited your bar to entice them in?
Well there’s just been a new roof terrace installed and that’s pretty cool. Everyone loves roof terraces, especially with the sun we’ve been having recently. But realistically, all anyone wants in a pub is good beer, good atmosphere and a bit of music. And The Angel's got all three!
Find the Angel Microbrewery at 7 Stoney Street, Hockley.
theangelmicrobrewery.co.uk
en V ironment
deadLy LiVe!
interview: Sam Harvey photo: Deadly Live!
If you've ever wondered what kind of person willingly dives headfirst into crocodile-infested waters, wrestles with giant anacondas, or casually points out how a tarantula could melt your face off — meet Steve Backshall Adventurer, presenter, author, and all-round animal maniac (the loveable kind), Steve has spent the last couple of decades getting way too cosy with the kind of animals most of us would sprint away from. We caught up with Steve ahead of his Deadly Live! show at Motorpoint Arena, to find out what thrills and spills audiences can expect from the show, how he handles those hairy moments (literally), and deep dive into some of Steve’s favourite animal experiences.
Best known for the BBC’s Deadly 60, where he travelled the globe to find the world’s most dangerous animals (and then made friends with them), Steve somehow makes the idea of being bitten, stung, or constricted look like great fun. He’s essentially the David Attenborough of the adrenaline junkie generation.
But don’t be fooled by the action-hero exterior. Behind the khaki shirts and ‘I just paddled through piranha territory’ energy, there’s a man with a genuine passion for conservation, education, and making science exciting for the next generation. Deadly Live is less Steve dangling from a helicopter (though we wouldn’t put it past him) and more an interactive, educational, and totally chaotic deep-dive into the animal kingdom. Expect big screens, bigger facts, and a fair few surprises.
Spoiler alert: he’s as down-to-earth as you’d hope, though he has been pooed on by more exotic creatures than anyone really needs to be. So whether you’re a hardcore wildlife buff, a parent of mini Deadly fans, or just curious about how one becomes a real-life action hero without starring in a Marvel film, you’re in for a treat. Just maybe leave your pet tarantula at home.
i' Ve just been abLe to Let my mind go Crazy and Come up with aLL sorts oF wiLd and weird stuFF, bLoopers, sL apstiCK, Craziness, and stage sCienCe, thinK a ted taLK meets a Christmas panto but on a massiVe sCaLe!
So Steve, what are you most excited about for this tour – and how will it compare to shows you’ve done in the past?
I'm most excited about the scale of this tour, the venues are really big and we have been given the opportunity to be really ambitious about what we try and achieve. I've just been able to let my mind go crazy and come up with all sorts of wild and weird stuff, bloopers, slapstick, craziness, and stage science, think a TED talk meets a Christmas panto but on a massive scale!
Besides the obvious - less extreme weather, a comfy hotel whilst touring and access to Deliveroo, what do you think a live show brings to the animal experience compared to a TV show?
I think that the TV show can sometimes feel quite removed, and sometimes impossibly exotic, it can make the wildlife experience feel like something that is beyond most people, and I need to make sure that it's not that. In an arena, I am there in front of people as a tangible entity, a real person just like them, and I can bring to them all the wonders of the wild world in a way that's super accessible and happening in three dimensions in front of them.
Have you learnt anything new whilst preparing for this tour?
I've been working in tandem with a team called Dinomania who are absolute geniuses and are creating many of the three-dimensional giant dinosaurs that will be encountered alongside our giant modern animals! These guys are so passionate about prehistory and palaeontology and have found a wonderful wild way of creating character in their movable dinos. It's been a joy working with them.
Health and safety regulations aside – which animals would you most want to bring on stage?
If I didn't really have to think about health and safety or reality… I'd bring a giganotosaurus on stage! Probably slightly bigger than a T-Rex, completely overwhelming and if I didn't have the audience's attention after that then I'd probably just have to give up and go home!
You’ve dealt with all sorts of camouflaged creatures and endangered wildlife. What was the hardest animal to find during Deadly 60?
The hardest animal to film in Deadly history has been the mountain lion. We've tried four times in the past and never succeeded. However, we're going back after the tour to Patagonia to try and film them. Patagonia is probably the best place in the world where we have the most chance of finding puma up close and we're all super excited.
We’re always blown away by the behind the scenes footage on wildlife showshunting down the perfect spot, and often waiting for hours for a creature to walk by! What is your favourite animal to observe in the wild?
I would say my favourite animal to see in the world is the orca. There is so much about their biology that is exciting, so much about the way they live, communicate, have creative strategies for catching their prey and work together as a unit. They are utterly fascinating.
Ok- we have to finish with the most obvious question! What is your favourite animal?
Other than the orca, my favourite animal is the wolf and for many of the same reasons. The wolf howl is the most bewitching sound in nature. It puts the hackles up on the back of your neck, and again the fact that these are team players that have to strategise and chat to each other in order to figure out how to take on animals that are bigger than they are, always blows my mind.
Deadly Live! Hosted by Steve Backshall comes to Nottingham on Saturday 25 October at 2pm.
motorpointarenanottingham.com
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en V ironment
waste nott want not
interview:
We may be used to the blaring brands and excess packaging of supermarkets, but in many neighbourhoods in Nottingham a more sustainable option exists for buying groceries in independent zero waste shops. We spoke to Liz Thomas, a director and volunteer at Sherwood’s Waste Nott, to learn how the small not-for-profit is making an impact by cutting down unnecessary packaging and waste.
Thank you, Liz for chatting to us at LeftLion! Could you please share your journey into Waste Nott and what initially motivated you to volunteer for the organisation?
A group of us sat down to talk about what can we do to help climate change, and we came up with an idea... “Let’s open a zero-waste shop!” I was a retired university lecturer in education, and we had quite a diverse group of people from different professions so we found a shop on Mansfield Road initially, and thought we’d give it a go as we had nothing to lose.
We opened in 2019. We’re open four days a week and we worked all the way through COVID. I’m passionate about environmental causes; I listen to the world news and get quite upset with climate anxiety, as a lot of us do. We have very supportive and loyal customers, and what’s exciting for me is that we’re getting a new generation of shoppers seeking us out. So that’s my journey from education to playing shop!
Waste Nott focuses on reducing waste and promoting sustainability within the community. Could you please explain Waste Nott's key actions and efforts in waste reduction, and how this makes an influential impact on the local community and the environment?
The principle of a zero-waste shop is to bring in and reuse your own containers. Customers will usually have a big bag of bottles, jars, bags that they’ll want to recycle, and then they’ll bring those in. We work with a company called Sesi for all our cleaning productsthey deliver in recyclable large plastic tubs. We sell the product from the plastic tub, and when they deliver for the next order, they take the empties away.
We've also been instrumental in talking to our manufacturer and asking them not to use plastic sacks to deliver pasta or rice. We encourage our customers to recycle their batteries with us, and their cartridges from printers. We’ve got someone who comes in once a fortnight, takes our cardboard boxes from our supplier, and uses them in their allotment for compost or covering ground.
What are some of the biggest challenges you encounter in promoting waste reduction and sustainability within the community? How does Waste Nott address them?
We have been to Nottingham College, talking to staff and students there, so we’re getting known in the wider city community. I think that’s where our concentration lies in the city of Nottingham. There are other zero-waste shops dotted around, but unfortunately not enough.
we’ Ve saVed 45,000 bottLes From L andFiLL. oKay, we’re one shop, but wouLdn’t it be niCe to thinK iF the big supermarKets CouLd do that too
Something we’re trying hard to change is [the idea that] because it’s a zero-waste shop, it’s going to be more expensive. People are surprised when they come in - we always compare our prices with Sainsbury’s. Most of the time we’re cheaper. Sometimes we’re not. But it’s usually the organic stuff that will be slightly more expensive. We stick to our ethos of trying to source locally. We recognise we could buy stock much more cheaply elsewhere. But we refuse to do that, and we explain that to our customers.
The beauty of our shop is that we have people come in to buy just enough for what they want - a 100g of something, rather than having to go into the supermarket, and buy a 500g bag and then have it sitting there (and probably going off by the time they’ve used it!)
Can you share a memorable experience from your time volunteering at Waste Nott?
We’ve won an environmental award for the shop in 2023! That was a biggie for us. And seeing customers return is always a delight. But I think one of the loveliest things that happened was a group of preschoolers coming into the shop to buy ingredients
they were taking back to the nursery to cook; I found that quite moving, to see and listen to them about how exciting shopping can be.
Looking ahead, what are some of the future goals/ projects Waste Nott has in the pipeline? How can community members get involved or support these initiatives to further promote sustainability and waste reduction?
We need to get better at our social media, that’s for sure! But we have a great website now, with videos explaining how to shop in the store; we have Instagram and Facebook, which we regularly post on. But we could do a lot more!
I think that’s going to be the main way, as people want to shop and interact, and we need to go with that to get the message across. Being present at festivals is also a good one. We were involved with Green Festival, and we’ll continue to work with Nottingham College and go into schools.
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to make more sustainable shopping choices and to improve their environmental impact?
If we shop differently, think ahead, save all our reusable plastics to date, people could push for more shops in their area and persuade supermarkets to do what they started to do for a while, like taking single-use plastics back. I don’t think things will change until that pressure is there. It’s too easy for us all (and I include myself) to just nip down to the local supermarket. Because we’re asking people to reuse plastics for their toiletries, and for their cleaning products, we’ve saved 45,000 bottles from landfill. Okay, we’re one shop, but wouldn’t it be nice if the big supermarkets could do that too! It’s down to the individuals to make the pressure.
You can visit Waste Nott at 69 Haydn Rd, Carrington, Nottingham NG5 2LA. They are open 10-4.30pm WedSat, with late night opening until 6pm on Thursdays. wastenott.com
Katherine Monk-Watts photos: Sophie Gargett
sport
running it baCK
interview: Reuben Moynihan-Case photos: Louis Greatorex
In an effort to raise money for Autism East Midlands, a local charity supporting autistic people and their families, Notts localCharles Evans - a creative, an actor, and autistic person himself takes on part challenge, part statement: a backwards marathon that’s as much about community and visibility as it is about proving that difference is strength. We spoke to Charles about his mission to celebrate neurodiversity and Out Of Order, a documentary being made about his training and self-discovery…
The day itself is a community event, Charles and the team are calling on the whole city to be there to support. “This marathon is not just about Charles or running a long way, it is about embracing who you are and doing things in a unique way, celebrating difference and neurodiversity,” said Stef White, a member of Charles’ team. “There is still a large stigma around neurodiversity and autism, this has been clear from everybody we interviewed whilst making the documentary, so we’re now saying it is not enough just to accept diversity, it needs to be actively celebrated.”
Co-produced by East Midlands-based filmmakers Stef White (Chicken Town) and Louis Greatorex (LAYLA, Masters of the Air), the documentary also features Nottingham’s own Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us, Game of Thrones) who has been open about their experience of being neurodiverse. “Charles running a marathon backwards is the perfect allegory for what it’s like to be neurodiverse,” said Bella. “We see things differently, sometimes do things differently, and sometimes in a way that other people would call weird. But that ‘weirdness’ is exactly what Charles is celebrating and championing for every neurodiverse person by achieving this incredible feat and sharing every backwards stride with us in the documentary.”
So how did this all come about? Charles spoke to us to share his story…
Why backwards? Where did the idea for running an entire marathon in reverse come from?
We’re making a film about celebrating neurodiversity. We wanted some kind of vehicle to hold the film together. It had to be a challenge and it had to be weird. I was talking to my Mum about it and she said, “I know you, you’re going to do something stupid like run backwards” and right then it was decided.
Backwards running is unconventional, disorienting, and demands a different kind of focus - was that intentional as a metaphor for how autistic people often navigate the world?
What started off as a silly idea has grown into something quite beautiful. There are lots of parallels. I think in a physical sense backwards running represents the extra struggles for neurodivergent people, but more than that it represents the delight in seeing things from a different perspective. You can do something in a wacky way and still achieve the same result. Perhaps even with more merit…
You’ve said this marathon is “part challenge, part statement.” Can you unpack that? What does it really mean to you?
I want to challenge normality. For me backwards
equals rebellion. As well as this being a journey of self-expression I think the world is too set in its ways and difference needs to be celebrated. I believe neurodiverse voices and the expression that comes with it is often muted and this is me not standing for it anymore.
hopeFuLLy peopLe may FeeL inspired to step away From ConFormity, and step away From seLFsuppression, or simpLy try something new. art is one oF the greatest Forms oF expression, and a worLd without neurodiVergent artists wouLd not be a pLeasant one to LiVe in
Tell us about the impact Autism East Midlands have in the community?
As well as outreach support, Autism East Midlands provides a number of different services including respite care for families with neurodiverse family members and access to Neuro-hubs. Neuro-hubs are spaces where anybody up to 25 years old can go to get support and also to engage in activities with likeminded people.
What kind of impact do you hope the funds raised will have for autistic people and their families locally?
The money raised will go towards supporting all services provided by Autism East Midlands. As well as the support already mentioned, this will cover day provision services, enriching the environment with sensory equipment such as swings, trikes, and trampolines. The money will go towards running parent workshops and also employment support for their autistic service users.
What message do you hope this sends to autistic people - especially younger people - in Nottingham and beyond?
You have a voice. You being autistic is what makes you, you. You’re unique and your differences make you stand out. Don’t hide them, let them out for all to see. Normal is overrated.
You’ve described this as about visibility and community. What kind of visibility do you feel is missing right now for neurodiverse people? Community is everything. Being around those who understand is important. The key to visibility lies
with listening and understanding. This is a world built for the neurotypical. Yet out-of-the-box thinking is desired. Through our differences we bring a lot to the table. Open your eyes, give us a platform - we’re interesting.
What does ‘celebrating neurodiversity’ look like to you in everyday life?
Leaving the mask at the door. Not being afraid to express myself however I want to, and to feel and be the way that I naturally am. Whether I’m stimming, dancing, being loud, being grumpy, being me, whoever that is in the moment. Just being unashamedly autistic.
Was there a moment in your life when you realised that ‘difference is strength’ was more than a saying - that it was something you wanted to live by?
Honestly during this process, I’ve always been a little bit okay with being a bit different but not until going full guns blazing with this project had I realised how much of me was suppressed.
Six months of training for a backwards marathon is not a small undertaking - what has surprised you most about preparing for something so niche and demanding?
How many times people have told me it’s good for my knees.
What do you hope the film achieves in terms of visibility for neurodiversity? And in terms of your background in film, what role do you think art, film, and storytelling play in celebrating neurodiversity? I would love for more people to realise that there is beauty in difference, neurodiverse or not. Hopefully people may feel inspired to step away from conformity, and step away from self-suppression, or simply try something new. Art is one of the greatest forms of expression, and a world without neurodivergent artists would not be a pleasant one to live in.
So far, the fundraising has been going well, with the team already at 58% of their goal. The target is £2424 (42 backwards) and they are currently sitting at £1404.
The backwards marathon will take place from 10am on Sunday 7 September at the Forest Recreation Ground. Follow Charles’ progress and donate to the GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Autism East Midlands via the Instagram page below.
F ashion
handbags and gL adrags
words: Addie Kenogbon-Harley illustration: Iulia Teodora Matei
In celebration of Second Hand September, fashion editor, Addie Kenogbon-Harley gives us the lowdown on how to grab a bargain, look after the planet and get your hands on the best thrifted treasures this month.
Over the years Nottingham has had many titles, including Queen of the Midlands and City of Caves. However, more recently, the city has earned itself the fresh title of the second best city in the UK for thrift shopping. And it’s no surprise, considering the city’s love for a bargain, and a thrift or vintage shop on seemingly every street corner. Or, more specifically, four charity or vintage shops per square mile and 127 citywide, as well as 43 regular car boot sales throughout the year.
If you’ve ever heard the phrase ‘one person’s trash is another person’s treasure’, it’s an ethos the people of Nottingham have adopted wholeheartedly when it comes to its clothes shopping scene, with the city boasting an array of preloved shops ranging from luxury retro designer pieces to budget charity shop bargains.
If you’re in the mood for an autumn wardrobe refresh, or are new to the city and aren’t familiar with the retail scene, here’s our pick of the best thrifty haunts to get your hands on a second-hand bargain this month.
White Rose
Starting off strong, could we really do a second-hand clothes shop round-up without mentioning charity shop powerhouse White Rose?
Boasting two shops in Beeston, one in West Bridgford, one in Newark and five in the city centre, these handpicked second-hand experts offer a charity shop experience that’s more reminiscent of traditional high-street shopping than regular charity shops. You won’t find any dusty or musty second-hand pieces here. Instead, each piece has been specially selected for its quality, with many men’s, women’s and kids’ highstreet and designer treats found in each store at bargain prices. All net profits from sales are donated to the Aegis Trust, a charity which works towards the prevention, prediction, and ultimately the elimination of genocide, meaning you can feel good that you’ve supported a great cause while you shop too.
Meanwhile, if you fancy venturing a little out of the city centre, the main high streets in Mapperley on Woodborough Road and Plains Road, and Sherwood on Mansfield Road, offer a treasure trail of thrifted treats, with a total of almost twenty charity shops to explore. Highlights include Mind, Children’s Society, Oxfam and the Nottinghamshire Hospice shop which also stocks an array of true vintage pieces dating as far back as the 1950s.
WILD Clothing
Did you know, Nottingham’s first love affair with vintage clothes shopping began back in the 1980s following the launch of WILD Clothing, the city’s very first vintage shop? Opening its doors to thrifty style hunters in 1983, you could say it paved the way for the city’s future vintage shops, pioneering the true vintage movement across the city.
Located in Hockley, just down from Broadway Cinema, today WILD Clothing offers two floors of men’s and womenswear vintage pieces ranging from the 1950s to the early ‘00s, with a kilo sale taking place downstairs each day from 1.30pm, allowing shoppers to pay for items by weight – similar to an old fashioned corner shop pick and mix.
COW
COW has been a staple of Notts’ vintage scene for almost twenty years now, and it’s easy to see why. Their main Nottingham store located in the heart of Hockley offers two floors of men’s and womenswear dating from the 1980s to the early 2000s, with shoppers often finding some rare treasures they won’t find elsewhere, including vintage designer pieces. Meanwhile, their reworked range offers a regularly changing collection of vintage pieces that have been redesigned and reimagined into new pieces.
With two shops on the main strip in Hockley, for those looking to get their hands on vintage pieces on a budget, COW Thrift has you covered. All items are colour coded, with each colour corresponding to a set price, starting at just £6. They also do a monthly kilo sale where items can be purchased by weight.
Argang
Launched two years ago, Argang is an independent, family run vintage store located in Hockley. The shop stocks a wide range of menswear and womenswear ranging from the 1980s through to the early 00s. From vintage denim jackets to retro sportswear, bright patterned ‘80s blouses to denim skirts, you’ll find them all in Argang’s glass-fronted shop on the corner of Pelham Street, just near the Bodega.
Glass Onion
New kids on the block Glass Onion launched in Notts earlier this year but they’re seasoned pros when it comes to vintage clothing, having been in the business for more than twenty years.
Here in Notts, you’ll find their store in the heart of the iconic Bridlesmith Gate, an area of Nottingham that
was once widely regarded as the city’s retail centre, boasting an array of boutiques and mainstream stores over the years.
Sporting Glass Onion’s iconic neon smiley face logo in the window, the store is hard to miss. Inside, it’s well stocked with vintage men’s and womenswear pieces from the ‘90s through to the ‘00s, in a range of sizes, as well as Re:Made pieces and rare one-off designer pieces for an extra special treat.
Their denim wall is not to be missed, with retro Levi’s, Lees and more, clearly categorised by size and cut for easy browsing. The shop also offers a generous points scheme at ten points per pound spent, which can be collected and exchanged in store for credit starting at 500 points for £5 off, allowing you to save even more on gems.
re_addressedfashion
Is there any better feeling than being able to brag about bagging a designer piece at a bargain price? Well, if you’re a lover of luxury clothing but not so much a lover of the price tag often associated with them, then re_addressedfashion could be for you.
Hidden away on Bridlesmith Walk, this blink and you’ll miss it boutique, is small but mighty. Stocking designer pre-loved and deadstock menswear, womenswear and accessories, it’s a must for flex appeal without breaking the bank.
Hopkinson
For lovers of undiscovered weird and wonderful treasures, Hopkinson, located on Station Street, is the perfect spot. Think flea market style rummaging, in a labyrinth of delights sprawling across four floors. Housed in an iconic building steeped in history dating back to the 1800s, Hopkinson has been wowing visitors with its world of curiosities for more than a decade.
Inside, rummagers will find anything from antique jewels and furniture, to vintage clothing, footwear, ornaments, art, collectables, trinkets and more, from more than a hundred traders. It also has a vintage barber and tattoo parlour for those looking for a more permanent upgrade to their look.
And, after a busy day of rummaging, Hopkinson offers the perfect way to unwind, with a slice of cake or a cocktail at its coffee shop and bar.
The Place For:
Silver Jewellery
Body Jewellery
Jewellery Piercing
Hippie and Alternative Clothing
Juggling/ Circus Skills
Magic/Adult Toys & Gifts
Incense
Wall Hangings
Smoking Paraphernalia
Vapes/CBD
Plus much more!
9-13 Goosegate, Hockley, Nottingham, NG1 1FE
Open: 10am - 5.30pm Mon - Sat and 11am - 4pm Sun
www.icenine.co.uk
words: Jared Wilson
illustration: Lily Faye
We look back on 160 years of Nottingham’s Theatre Royal and some of the famous productions and people it has brought to the city…
The Theatre Royal was originally commissioned in 1865 by Nottingham-born lace manufacturing brothers John and William Lambert. The Lambert brothers had inherited their family business and grown it by diversifying into fancy hosiery and lace. They both had a taste for the theatre and in planning documentation from the time, it was stated “Messrs. Lambert were actuated by a desire to elevate the popular taste, and erect a theatre worthy of their native town.”
The initial theatre build cost them £15,000 (about £2.5 million in today’s money) and designer and architect Charles J. Phipps was employed to make it happen. As you would expect the building has changed quite a lot over the last sixteen decades, but it was Phipps who designed the classic façade and Corinthian columns, which remain to this day as a major Nottingham landmark.
The opening night was Monday 25 September 1865 and the first show was The School for Scandal, a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The show was directed by US-born Walter Montgomery - starring a cast of well-known actors poached from other provincial theatres of the time. That year also saw the theatre’s first ever pantomime: The House That Jack Built. According to the Nottingham Journal, an audience surpassing 2000 watched it on Boxing Day. The Lambert brothers received “a perfect furore of applause, which both men graciously responded to by bowing their acknowledgements from the box.”
The theatre became a success and continued through new generations. From 1888 to 1927, a statue of local MP and philanthropist Samuel Morley stood directly outside the venue. However, as cars started to become popular the statue was deemed as a traffic hazard and plans were made to move it to the Arboretum. Unfortunately, it was broken in transit and a new one had to be commissionednow sitting on Waverley Street.
In 1897, the renowned architect Frank Matcham, now widely regarded as the greatest of all British theatre architects, was hired to refurbish the Theatre Royal. Over 16 weeks he installed electric lighting and increased the capacity to 3,000. He also removed Phipps’ original dressing rooms making way for a new theatre next door: the Empire, which stands in the space we now know as the Royal Concert Hall. Both theatres were part of the Moss Empires chain, who within a decade had around fifty different theatres around the country. The Empire opened in 1898 and early performers there included Houdini and WC Fields. A third venue, the Nottingham Hippodrome, also opened on the same block in 1908. With the presence of three major large venues all next door to each other, the area we now know as Theatre Square was born. In that era before cinema, radio and TV, live theatre was a great evening of entertainment for those who could afford it.
The Nottingham Hippodrome became a cinema in 1927, but The Empire and the Theatre Royal continued, surviving two World Wars. Performers at the Empire in the 1940s and 1950s included Arthur Askey, Tommy Trinder, Vera Lynn, Laurel & Hardy, Morecambe & Wise, Ken Dodd, and Des O'Connor. For two decades they brought in big names while the Theatre Royal concentrated on the more serious business of ballet, opera and drama. At one point in the Second World War, the Theatre Royal was used as an air raid shelter.
in 1978, prinCess anne Visited For its grand re-opening. soon aF ter this, pL ans began to buiLd a new spaCe next door where the empire had been. this beCame the royaL ConCert haLL, whiCh opened in noVember 1982 with a gig From none other than eLton john
On Monday 6 October 1952, a production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap premiered at the Theatre Royal starring Richard Attenborough. After its Nottingham-run, that play transferred to the West End, running until 16 March 2020, only stopping for the COVID-19 pandemic. The play resumed in May 2021, and has become by far the longest running play in the world, reaching its 30,000th performance in March 2025 - it all began in Notts.
In 1954, the Theatre Royal staged a production of South Pacific, which included Sean Connery in his first professional theatre role. In 1958, Moss Empires started to lose interest in live theatre due to the success of cinema and TV and the Empire Theatre was closed and left to stand empty for over a decade. In July 1964, the satirical revue show Beyond the Fringe, visited with its stars Peter Cooke, Dudley Moore, and Alan Bennett.
In March 1965, the Theatre Royal celebrated its centenary with performances from Albert Finney, Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, and Maggie Smith in Much Ado About Nothing and Peter O’Toole in Ride a Cock Horse. On 1 May 1967 a production of The Royal Hunt of the Sun was performed by a cast which included Anthony Hopkins and Derek Jacobi. Later that year on 3 December, a young American guitarist and singer called Jimi Hendrix played at the Theatrehis third and final gig in Nottingham.
However, despite beating off its rivals the theatre had at this point earned the dubious reputation as one of the worst theatres for backstage conditions in the country. In 1969, the city council bought it and the derelict Empire building next door was also
finally demolished. The future of the theatre looked unclear for several years, particularly as those whippersnappers at the Nottingham Playhouse theatre had launched in the old Nottingham Hippodrome building in 1948, before moving to their current site in 1963.
However, in 1977 the council finally took the plunge and green-lighted a major front and back of house renovation which is said to have cost £5.5 million and required the closure of the theatre for eleven months.
In 1978, Princess Anne visited for its grand re-opening. Soon after this, plans began to build a new space next door where the Empire had been. This became the Royal Concert Hall, which opened on 27 November 1982 with a gig from none other than Elton John. With its ground-breaking design and innovative acoustics, the Royal Concert Hall was believed to be the most high-tech UK music venue of its time. Performers who have played there since include U2 (1983), Tom Jones (1983), The Police (1983), The Smiths (1986), Duran Duran (1989), Kylie Minogue (1991), Victoria Wood (2001), Pet Shop Boys (2007), Billy Connolly (2007), and One Direction (2012).
Other major names who have performed in plays at the Theatre Royal over the years include Bela Lugosi (1951), Leslie Phillips (1971), Judi Dench (1982), Rowan Atkinson (1984), Les Dawson (1986), Mark Rylance (1988), Peter Ustinov (1994), Leslie Neilsen (2000), Penelope Keith (1997), Joan Collins (2004), Rosamund Pike (2010), and David Suchet (2015).
As mentioned the annual pantomime has been part of the fabric since it first opened. Well-known names who have been part of panto productions at the Theatre Royal include: Dick Emery (1947), Julie Andrews (1950), Tony Hancock (1950), Reg Varney (1964), John Inman (1978), Windsor Davies (1979), Barbara Windsor (1981), Su Pollard (1983), Bernard Bresslaw (1985), Frank Bruno (1990), Russ Abbot (1996), Lionel Blair (1999), Chuckle Brothers (2000), Cannon and Ball (2001), Leslie Grantham (2003), Christopher Biggins (2006), David Hasselhoff (2013), Les Dennis (2019), and Gok Wan (2024).
In 2015, as the theatre celebrated its 150th anniversary with a community production of The School For Scandal. A royal visit was also paid by HRH The Earl of Wessex Prince Edward. Now ten years on, it’s time for Notts-born writer and theatre royalty James Graham, who worked stage door for a year at the venue in 2003, to bring his epic production Dear England here for its 160th. Many happy returns to the Theatre Royal!
Much of the information in this article was gathered from the excellent Our Theatre Royal Archive website, which is available to view at ourtheatreroyal.org
While a couple of decades ago the word choir may have brought to mind stuffy scenes of Sunday’s Songs of Praise, in the past ten years group singing has had quite a reputation change. Not only does group singing increase wellbeing and happiness, it has also been shown to release neurochemicals that aid in pain-relief. With this in mind, as the autumn sets in, Frances Danylec went along to check out the Nottingham Harmonic Choir, and learn about their nearly 170 year history…
The cheery music director welcomes everyone to the Albert Hall on Derby Road, and opens with a line that sends a ripple of laughter across the room. Around me, people from all walks of life settle in with their wine or a hot drink. A beat of silence falls, before 160 voices burst into chorus accompanied by the vast orchestra. The room is instantly immersed. I’m here to experience one of the gems our city’s live performance scene has to offer: the Nottingham Harmonic Choir.
“I often forget they’re an amateur choir,” says regular audience member, Jamie Duff, of Sneinton. “Their standard of performance is so high.” Each member is auditioned (and re-auditioned every five years), and they perform alongside professional soloists and some of the UK’s top orchestras. Their impressive track record includes working with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hallé. They have even provided the backing choir in a concert with ELO.
The choir’s musical director is sought-after conductor and violinist Richard Laing, who regularly prepares choirs for the nation’s top orchestras and has collaborated with a diverse range of cross-over artists, including Alfie Boe and Tim Minchin. Richard’s passion and commitment is evident in the way he conducts and in the warm reception he offers the audience.
The music wordlessly connects me with everyone in the room, but also to Nottingham’s history. This opening sequence has been happening in much the same way for almost 170 years since the choir’s first performance in 1856. Yet it refuses to date; we enjoy it now just as much as we did then. I feel a world away from anything I could stream on my phone (now forgotten on silent in my bag) –being here is something else entirely.
Whilst many of us associate classical music with people from affluent backgrounds, this choir has its roots in the working class. “The foundations of it were to do with the Mechanics Institute, which were a big thing in the 19th century,” explains bass and Chair of the General Committee, Dave Pitt. “Some of what they were doing was to promote culture and education among working people. To this day, we have a proud record of operating as an educational charity.” Present day concerts maintain a down-to-earth vibe, with no audience dress code or expectation of prior knowledge of classical music. Everyone is welcome to just come and enjoy.
Having experienced the Harmonic as an audience member, I wonder what it’s like to perform with them? Dave recalls: “I remember the first time I rehearsed the Bach Mass in B Minor, a monumental work. To start with I thought, ‘I can’t cope with this. There’s just too many notes. This is really hard work.’ Until a few weeks into rehearsal, when suddenly it clicked and I began to understand it. From that point onwards, it just took off for me, as being one of the most wonderful things
I'd ever worked on. There’s an inner rhythm and energy in the music that isn’t immediately obvious. You’ve got to find it. And having found it as a performer, you’ve then got to project it to your audience, because obviously the audience might only hear it once.”
Anyone curious to capture this buzz for themselves is welcome. Join rehearsals for a few weeks and if it’s for you, you can audition. The process is friendly and feedback is supportive. No subscription fees are paid until after your audition, and membership is free for students. “When you’re performing, it’s a total body experience,” Dave explains. “It’s something that you do collectively, we’re all dependent on each other. There’s nowhere else really where you’re going to get those forces working together to create such dramatic power.”
when you’re perForming, it’s a totaL body experienCe. it’s something that you do CoLLeCtiVeLy, we’re aLL dependent on eaCh other. there’s nowhere eLse reaLLy where you’re going to get those ForCes worKing together to Create suCh dramatiC power
“We’re dedicated to giving audiences a memorable experience of live music. Creating an atmosphere, a mood, a feeling,” says Dave. “The whole range of emotions that you can experience with a well-crafted piece of choral music is huge.”
And it’s clear they achieve this, as Jamie describes: “Witnessing Nottingham Harmonic in full swing is unforgettable. Their shows are exhilarating and powerful - they’re a real tour de force. I feel extremely fortunate that a choir of their calibre is on my doorstep.”
Indeed, it’s rare, as there are few places in the UK that have choirs of this size and many choral works can only be performed on a large scale. It’s evident our rebel city boasts yet another true gem. A couple of hours have flown by and this mindful and absorbing evening has left me relaxed, replenished and inspired.
Upcoming performances by Nottingham Harmonic Choir include the thrilling and dramatic Mendelssohn’s Elijah on Saturday 15 Nov at the Albert Hall, Handel’s Messiah on Saturday 6 Dec and the Family Carol Concert with Thoresby Colliery Band on Saturday 20 Dec, both at the Royal Concert Hall.
nottinghamharmonic.org
Reasons to be Cheerful
words: Riya Pereira
The news is normally negative, but here’s some good things that have happened recently in Notts…
Wellness in Mind
The charity and non-profit organization Framework, alongside the NHS, introduces Wellness in Mind – a free mental health service for adults. Framework hopes to bridge the waiting period gap by making access to support easier with appointments over text, online, or drop-in sessions at their Hounds Gate facility. Currently, the service offers guided self-help, mindfulness and meditation, problem solving, coping strategies and peer support, all informed by cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
Reaching New Heights
Fifty years after she watched the presenters of the Blue Peter show, Notts local Mel Griffith achieved her childhood aspiration on 8 August of doing a wing walk. Mel isn’t new to extreme sports: she’s dabbled in parachute jumps and abseiling in hopes of inspiring her community as a blind woman. This time, Griffith – who has been supported by guide dogs since the age of 24 –dedicated her wingwalk to raising £5000 for the Guide Dog charity.
The Next Lit Thing
Vexed by the absence of a Nottingham journal for new creative writing, our very own Andrew Tucker Leavis has recently founded The New Nottingham Journal – a literary magazine featuring short stories, journalism and poetry from new and established writers. Backed by over 116 supporters, the magazine received £3249 in crowdfunding and is set to be published early November in partnership with LeftLion, UNESCO Cities of Literature network, Bad Betty Press, the University of Nottingham, and Nottingham Trent University. Keep an eye out from November to pick up a copy.
TRUTH
Unpicking Nottingham's urban myths
THE CASE OF SEVEN TO ONE
When it comes to myths and legends attached to cities and towns they often tend to come and go. Some stick around for the long run and become Hollywood cash cows (I am looking at you Mr. Hood), others fade and become the concern of myself and four other tinfoil hat enthusiasts within the local area, or Texas. While we try our very best to keep the myths and legends explored in this segment fresh and exciting, there is a Notts legend that has been looming over my shoulder since I took on the role as LeftLion’s chief keyboard warrior/ghostbuster. Now, that is of course the rumour of there being seven women for every man in the Nottingham area.
Whether it is acting as a mere marketing ploy to encourage the onslaught of stag dos that arrive within the city each year, or an unconventional careers advisor’s way of encouraging young men to attend a university in Nottingham, the rumour is synonymous with the city. Before arriving in Nottingham, I was well aware of this statistic, but unfortunately it has yet to translate over to any of the dating apps. It does force me to ponder upon the question: at what point am I the problem? But rather than oversharing my personal life, I think it may be best to investigate this myth even further.
Toliet Humour
Something made you laugh in the lavs?
Send your funniest quips to editorial@leftlion.co.uk
Guess the answer to this Notts themed riddle…
Did I exist, or am I a myth?
My first is a prince, last wish, or Smith, I can be free, good or ill, If that’s not clear, there’s more still…
My second is red, A colour of shame, Can you yet guess my name?
My band is merry, Though we may steal, Our leader is famed, but was I real?
So where did it come from, and who has lied to all these poor young men? Well, like any mystery, there isn’t a straight answer. One theory is that the city gained its reputation as a result of the once booming lace industry. During the 1860s it was reported that over 110,000 women were employed in the lace industry, proving to be one of the most popular industries amongst women in the UK. In addition to this, there was no ‘heavy’ industry in Nottingham and given that it was typical for men to work in these industries, most men would travel to work in mines, over in Wollaton, Gedling and Cotgrave.
The tobacco industry, and their rivals within pharmaceutical companies, would also hire a lot of women. I would then argue that this implied statistic is perhaps reflective of the ratio within the workforce, at one point in Nottingham’s industrial history. Therefore, it is not really a defining reason to commence a stag do with the goal of completing a pub crawl sprawling across twelve local public houses just to wind up in a chippy, with half of it down the stag’s 80s inspired outfit.
Having explored the possible explanations to this myth’s curation – is any of it even remotely true? Well. Yes. Technically, there are in fact more women in Nottingham than men. According to the Census held in 2021, there were in fact 15,200 more women in Nottingham than men. Interestingly, the only bracket where women significantly outweigh men is in the over 90s category. This, I can only assume to be the case because women tend to live longer than men and I can’t really say I’m surprised. Last time I checked, the cast of those films starring Jonny Knoxville featured an all-male cast. I have also never had a female friend challenge me to race down a flight of stairs on a ‘diverted traffic sign’, resulting in broken limbs and a huge increase in the chances of not receiving our rental deposit in full. Thankfully, the challenge was never fulfilled. Or, at least that is what my lawyer is telling me to say.
words: Matthew Blaney
30 Objects Representing Justice
When: Through September
Where: National Justice Museum
How much: Free
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, National Justice Museum, Nottingham presents 30 Objects Representing Justice, an exhibition that explores justice through a selection of thirty artefacts. The exhibition invites visitors to question and challenge the idea of justice that prevailed over 800 years, and how it was administered during those times. The exhibition is co-produced with Refuge Roots, Angolan Woman’s Voices, The Legacy Makers, Nottingham Women’s Centre, and Stone Soup.
Tom Grennan
When: Wed 10 September
Where: Motorpoint Arena
How much: From £42.50
Singer-songwriter Tom Grennan is coming to Notts to showcase his fourth studio album: Everywhere I Went Led Me to Where I Didn’t Want to Be Released last month, Grennan says this album takes a leaf out of the books of Prince, George Michael, and Freddie Mercury. This will definitely be a memorable one – an exciting chance to catch the Found What I’ve Been Looking For singer and one of Britain’s pop heavyweights in his prime.
The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse
When: Fri 5 - Sat 27 September
Where: Nottingham Playhouse
How much: From £14.50
This play by Caroline Bird is inspired by the life of the hardline, conservative campaigner who fought against social liberalism in British media during the 70s. Starring decorated actors Maxine Peake and Samuel Barnett, who plays no less than fifteen roles in total, this is set to be a night of inventive and intensely funny theatre, delving into the life of one of British history’s most idiosyncratic characters.
Next to Normal
When: Thur 11 & Sun 14
September
Where: Savoy Cinema
How much: £11 (£9 student rate)
This Pulitzer Prize winning musical featuring raw storytelling is set to take audiences on the emotional journey faced by the Goodman family. Following Diana Goodman: a suburban wife and a mother suffering from bipolar disorder, it features Grammy Award winning composer Tom Kitt and Tony Award winning lyricist Brian Yorkey composed the play’s dynamic, rock score. Definitely check this one out if you think a good story like this could do your mind and soul some good.
Sancho Panza
When: Sat 6 September
Where: The Bodega How much: £11
There’s nothing quite like a Sancho Panza show. Since 2018, these much loved local boys have become known for their mind-bending, Nile Rodgerstinged guitar skills and knack for a raucous show guaranteed to get folks dancing. This month, they’re launching a new single, Your Place or Mine?, joined by Soft Serve and Stone Black Witches. If you haven’t yet seen the local group cited as “the coolest guys in the city,” by the team at Rough Trade, now could be a good time.
RELIC: An immersive street art show by Kid30
When: Sat 13 - Sun 21
September
Where: 28 Broad Street
How much: Free
Street artist and local legend Kid30 (aka Smallkid) is holding an intriguing and imaginative art and design show in Hockley. Themed around a dystopian future, the exhibition will showcase a museum of found objects and artworks from after the years 2035-2055, along with a selection of work by other local artists. You don’t need to book for opening night on Saturday 13, but numbers might be restricted if things get busy.
How to Build a World of Your Own: with Ian C Douglas
When: Wed 10 September
Where: Nottingham Central Library
How much: £5.50
Ian C Douglas is a Nottinghambased writer - author of the Zeke Hailey sci-fi stories for kids, and plenty more works. He also coedits the stage section of some underground publication called LeftLion. This special workshop is for adults with an interest in writing sci-fi and fantasy and since we can vouch for Ian’s talent (and his loveliness as a person), we recommend any budding writers give this a try.
Nottingham Mela 2025
When: Sun 14 September
Where: Wollaton Park
How much: £2.35
This month Wollaton Park will host Nottingham Mela 2025, a celebration of South Asian culture, in collaboration with Nottingham Asian Arts Council, New Art Exchange, and Gemini Sounds. The Mela will be showcasing Bollywood artists and performers, with Navin Kundra headlining, plus diverse food stalls, like The Bengali Kitchen, who often serve food at the New Art Exchange’s Corner Cafe, and lots of interesting and enjoyable workshops. Early booking is recommended as it typically sells out fast.
Friends! The Musical Parody
When: Wed 17 - Sat 20
September
Where: Theatre Royal
How much: From £22 to £59.50
FRIENDS! The Musical Parody, condenses ten seasons of the beloved 90s TV show into one hour and fifty minutes. Delivering a sweet, enthralling treat for all fans of the original story – it’s been a big hit in Las Vegas and New York. If you missed rooting for Ross and Rachel, Chandler’s sarcasm, Joey’s ducks and chicks, and Monica's apartment, this will definitely take you on a humorous and nostalgic rollercoaster.
When: Sat 20 September
Where: The Nest
How much: £23.59
Emofest is an event that caters to everyone, regardless of age, who might be an emo at heart. A wide assortment of live performers and DJs will be delivering all the best 2000s emo anthems, with added confetti and more - making for an energetic and colourful festival experience. The Nottingham date this month will be part of a stacked, world tour that will see the event pop up through the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, and Portugal.
Jess Breame
When: Fri 19 September
Where: Fisher Gate Point
How much: £4.40
Jess Breame is a seasoned local artist, who defines herself as ‘new country’, and makes nuanced, stylistically diverse songs inspired by artists like The Beatles and Sinead Burges. This special show coming up at the Fisher Gate Point creative hub will see her play alongside a full band and live string players. Jess has previously played Glastonbury, YNOT, and Splendour. With the added intimate atmosphere that characterizes Fisher Gate Point, this definitely won’t be one to miss.
The Void - A Horror Story
When: Mon 22 - Tue 23
September
Where: Mansfield Palace
Theatre
How much: £19
When it comes to theatres thinking outside of the box, few have been doing it quite like Mansfield Palace Theatre.
A notable show coming up is a production by Yorkshire theatre company Thunder Road called The Void: A Horror Story, which will be touring the UK through Autumn 2025. With shades of classic horror stories like Alien and The Thing, this immersive, multimedia production follows an astronaut who discovers a stray research vessel in the grip of an evil force.
Day Fever
When: Sat 20 September
Where: Rock City How much: £12.10
It’s nearly been two years since Day Fever: the daytime disco started by Vicky McClure and targeted at over-thirties first saw the light of day. Since then, this is a party that has spread across major cities in the UK and Ireland. Beginning at 3pm, this is an unmissable event, perfect for anyone who still yearns to go clubbing and have a dance with friends, but would also like to get home early and wake up fresh the next morning.
Dear England
When: Tue 23 - Sat 27 September
Where: Theatre Royal How much: From £29.50
Dear England is a play written by Notts-born screenwriter James Graham, which follows the tenure of Gareth Southgate as manager of the England football team from 2016-2024.
Following the “Shakespearian” (Graham’s words, from our interview with him on page 22) story of Southgate’s efforts in recovering from past struggles to deliver some of England’s greatest successes in decades, this totally unique, dramatization of a gripping, real life story has earned an Olivier Award.
Selectors of House
When: Sat 20 September
Where: Lace Bar Nottingham
How much: From £8.50 to £11.25
When it’s curated right, a DJ night can stick in your mind for a long time after you attend it, and this month's Selectors of House event is set to serve all that up and more. The relatively new collective focusses on soulful electronica, deep house, and afrobeat. This month’s instalment will take place in the stylish and atmospheric surrounds of Lace Bar on high pavement, providing some truly soulful and transportative vibes.
Professor Elemental & Laurie Black
When: Wed 24 September
Where: The Chapel How much: £16
Fancy a grassroots gig that will be truly weird and wonderful in the best way? This one is likely to be right up your alley. Over at The Angel Microbrewery’s excellent upstairs venue The Chapel, catch ‘chap-hop’ rapper Professor Elemental’s upbeat brand of eccentric wit and lyrical whimsy, with songs about carboot sales, mad explorations and, of course, tea. He is joined by experimental electronica artist Laurie Black, who recently supported Adam Ant and has been compared to Gary Numan.
EmoFest
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD Find Support For Carers
DESIGN+PRINT//BRANDING//SIGNAGE// APPAREL//PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL//FOR THE ENVIRONMENT//COMMUNITIES// THE ARTS//CONSERVATION//SOCIAL JUSTICE//HEALTH AND WELLBEING// THE PLANET//DISABILITY RIGHTS// MENTAL HEALTH//GRASSROOTS// CRUELTY FREE//RENEWABLE ENERGY// MUSIC//THE OUTDOORS//THEATRE// THE THIRD SECTOR//DANCE// AND MORE
best oF the month
Republica
When: Thur 25 September
Where: Rescue Rooms
How much: £20
Long-established, “technopop punk rock outfit” Republica are hitting Rescue Rooms this month. Back in the 90s, they carved a special, vibrant, especially synthy and inclusive spot in the Brit pop landscape, making high powered blends of punk and electronic infused with the spirit of rave. With a powerhouse frontwoman in the form of Saffron Sprackling - who was the vocalist on The Prodigy's Fuel My Fire - this will definitely be a memorable show, transporting you back to a musical golden age.
Acoustickle Indian Summer
When: Fri 26 September
Where: New Art Exchange
How much: Free (booking required)
This will be particularly special – loved, local promoter and artist Parisa East has worked with her team to schedule a colourful and vibrant evening of Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African inspired poetry, themed decorations, music, food, and pop up stalls, with performances spanning jazz, RnB, and hip hop, all taking place at the ever-buzzing New Art Exchange. This will definitely put a shine on those dark, autumn evenings – if that’s what you’re looking for.
Music in the Round: The Lark Ascending
When: Thur 25 September
Where: Mansfield Palace Theatre
How much: £15
Ensemble 360 are a collective of classical performers who host a friendly and informative style of performance. Featuring The Lark Ascending: a legendary work by symphonist Vaughan Williams, before a string quartet written by Maurice Ravel, and the Fantasy for Horn Quintet by his teacher Charles Stansford, rounding things off with Williams’ Piano quintet. This special performance will feature Nottinghamshire violin player Benjamin Nabarro, who has performed across the world from North America to East Asia.
Rewind Friday
When: Fri 26 September
Where: The Beeston Social
How much: £3 - £6
The buzzing, energetic and multi-purpose Beeston Social does an excellent job at keeping Beeston nights enjoyably loud and exciting, and their regular Rewind Fridays has been a bit of a jewel in the team’s crown. Playing 90s, 00s, and R’n’B music, it takes place on the last Friday of every month, features all night DJs, £5 doubles, and a free drink with your ticket, plus the building’s wonderful atmosphere, of course. Grab a ticket to ensure entry!
When: From Thur 25 September - Thur 2 October
Where: Various venues
How much: Various prices
The annual poetry festival organised by Inspire Nottinghamshire and Nottinghamshire County Council is back again this year, featuring some very special events that any wordsmiths in Notts would be silly to miss. One highlight will see fairly legendary modern poet Imtiaz Dharker interviewed by Bromley House Library’s Clare Brown over at West Bridgford Library, talking about her latest book Shadow Reader. Beyond that there’ll be plenty more to check out via their online programme.
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih: Feels Strangely Good, Ya?
When: Sat 27 September
Where: Nottingham Contemporary
How much: Free
The playful work of late Balinese artist, I Gusti Ayu Kadek ‘Murni’ Murniasih explored the subconsciousness, dreams, the psyche, and female sexuality with lots of humour and absurdity. Exhibited until 11 January, the display will be an important step in transporting her legacy to a global audience. Now and again, we could all do with a healthy dose of the surreal and creative, so definitely check this out if you’re in that frame of mind.
Connor Selby
When: Fri 26 September
Where: Metronome
How much: £22
Connor Selby is a blues and folk troubadour from Essex, who has worked with Mark Knopfler. Well-traveled across the world and known for his rootsy, lyrically rich songs he’s been nominated three times for ‘Young Artist of the Year’ at the UK blues awards, and has also supported The Who at Wembley Stadium. Seeing him at Metronome this month will definitely be a good move – a show brimming with classic, no-nonsense guitar skills and songs.
My Life in Light: Photography Exhibition
When: Until 30 November
Where: Nottingham Central Library
How much: Free
When it comes to capturing Nottinghamshire in all its beauty, nobody’s done it quite like Tracey Whitefoot, who currently has an exhibition on display at Nottingham Central Library. Featured are 65 images from her wide array of landscape photography, depicting scenes and iconic landmarks from around Nottinghamshire, including Sherwood Forest, Newstead Abbey, Wollaton Hall, and Trent Bridge. Read our interview with Tracey on p.28.
