NOV 2021
HOPE WORKS
THE BELOVED RAVE SHRINE TURNS NINE
INSIDE: JO PEEL // LIZZIE BISCUITS // KAT EATON LAUREN HOUSLEY // TUESDAY CLUB // YELLOW ARCH
cubanatapasbar.co.uk
free! TA PAS
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THE Bottomless BIG SWING IS 10! NEW!! Cubana Brunch EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT Every FRIDAY, Saturday & Sunday, morning & afternoon & & Created by Turkkub from the Noun Project
FREE Swing Dance Class from 8.30pm. Live music starts from 9pm.
Swing & Jazz DJ sets from 11pm
THE BIG SWING IS AN EXCITING NIGHT OF UPBEAT AND SWING FROM T A P AJAZZ S RES TAU R ANT C U B A8.30pm N BAR IN THE CUBANA DOWNSTAIRS LOUNGE BAR. TA PAS
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BRUNCH @
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BIG SWING 10TH BIRTHDAY! THIS IS IT, THE BIG ONE! We can’t believe it’s been 10 years! Time to roll up for the biggest musical showcase we have ever had the pleasure of curating. Please check our socials for line up announcements but expect big things. So much amazing music, dance classes and performances. Hold onto your hats!
R E STAU R A N T
Tomboc by Jenie Project Created the Noun from
10
WEDNESDAY
&
BOTTOMLESS
We wanted to raise the bar with our unique BB WEDNESDAY offering and provide a package which includes NICOLA FARNON a substantial and wide selection of topacclaimed vocalist and Queen of Swing! Internationally double bassist Nicola Farnon is joined quality food. Our talented chefs have put by her very own ‘Kings of Swing’ Piero Tucci on keyboards/tenor sax and together a delicious combination of Spanish and Phil Johnson on drums for a thoroughly entertaining NOVEMBER Latin brunch dishes for you all to enjoy alongside the evening of true Swing, Jazz & Funk. usual on tap supply of Prosecco, Sangria, premium cocktails and more.
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Tomboc by Jenie Created Noun Project from the
Choose twoTESSA dishesSMITH from our mouth watering brunch menu AND THE APPLEJACKS AND We’ll keep the drinks flowing…
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WEDNESDAY
Leeds Vocalist Tessa and her Applejacks are entertaining and captivating. With a strong Lindy Hop background Tessa knows how to play for dancers and does so regularly all over the UK. Their music choice has a variety of flavours and will stretch your dancing to its optimum.
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Created by @w@n !cons from the Noun Project
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WEDNESDAY
SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY BIG BAND
Bookings & INFO
The University’s exciting ensemble organised and led entirely by current SU students. a variety of SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFOThey ORplay FOR BOOKINGS, PLEASE COMPLETE THE great music to the highest standard in a fun, and NOVEMBER www.cubanatapasbar.co.uk/request.php ONLINE ENQUIRY FORM AT: inclusive environment. A serious amount of brass.
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CONTENTS 21
18
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38
FEATURES 21: LIVING IN HOPE
Celebrating nine years since Sheffield’s iconic underground clubbing institution Hope Works first opened its doors we spoke to founder and co-curator Liam O’Shea about the memorable journey so far.
35: MADE IN SHEFFIELD
We meets the modern-day makers plying their trades in the Steel City. Spread across art, music, film, theatre, clothing, photography and more – we find out what makes these local creatives tick.
60: YELLOW ARCH
One of our favourite Kelham Island venues The Bar at Yellow Arch Studios has undergone a few changes over the past year, so we popped round for a natter with new Ops Director Stephen Myerthall and Events Director Russell Frisby to find out what they’ve done with the old place.
74: LAUREN HOUSLEY
We caught up with Sheffieldbased musician Lauren Housley, who will be bringing her critically acclaimed third album to the stage at Yellow Arch Studios next month.
90: IT’S BEGINNIG TO LOOK A LOT LIKE... Check out our roundup of Christmas events (No, it’s not too early!)
REGULARS
59: FOOD & DRINK 86: NIGHTLIFE 89: MUSIC 89: COMEDY 98: FILM 106: CULTURE
Welcome, pals, to the November issue of Exposed Magazine, your lovingly compiled roundup of news, events, cultural happenings and owt else worth knowing about in Sheff this month. It’s been a busy few weeks for us here at HQ. We recently partnered with our sister company Meze Publishing to produce ‘The Sheffield Beer & Spirits Bible’, a book celebrating the city’s vibrant craft drinks scene: breweries, distilleries, cideries (yep, we’ve get one of those now), independent retailers, real ale pubs, craft beer and cocktail bars – the full shebang. That’s finally back from the printers now and the perfect size for a stocking filler, just in case you’re poking around any local book shops this month… Shameless plug aside, it’s been encouraging to have a few openings to attend lately. Orchard Square is starting to live up to its potential and has improved its offering in recent years – local artist Will Rea bagged a World Illustration Award for his mural adorning the space only last month – so the addition of bustling food hall Sheffield Plate is sure to complement fellow independent businesses like Terrace Goods (banging cocktails) and Macpot (equally banging mac and cheese). I’d suggest giving all three a whirl if you haven’t already. Just around the corner, famed indie bar and cocktail joint MOJO opened its doors in the old NUM building by the City Hall, providing another strong option for late-night boogies in the city centre. And if you’re looking for a cosy winter boozer to plot up in, we enjoyed some highquality potting courtesy of latest Kelham addition Alder Bar, based on Percy Street in the old Sheffield Brewery unit (they now serve as the in-house brewery and provide some top-notch tap beers). There are plenty more new places to read about over once you’ve turned the page, but I suppose this issue is mostly about Sheffield’s knack for innovation and art. We’ve been a city of makers since the little mesters of yesteryear, and that spirit of creativity is still very much living on in events like No Bounds Festival (interview with founder Lo Shea on page 21), venues like Hope Works (also covered with owner Lo Shea, man of many talents) and modern-day artists and creatives who we celebrate in our Made in Sheffield feature beginning on page 35. And yes, sorry, we’ve got the ball rolling with some wholesome Christmas content. Don’t get all Ebeneezer abaht it, eh? Have a good’un! JF x
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GI’ US A HAND PLZ Heather Paterson, Cal Reid, Mark Perkins, Jules Gray and Emily Duff
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COVER
PHOTO CREDIT: FRANKIE CASILLO ARTIST: HELENA HAUFF The views contained herein are not necessarily those of Blind Mice Media Ltd and while every effort is made to ensure information throughout Exposed is correct, changes prior to distribution may take place which can affect the accuracy of copy, therefore Blind Mice Media Ltd cannot take responsibility for contributors’ views or specific entertainment listings.
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Photo: Bradley Wood
UP FRONT
JARV IN NUMBERS
DIFFERENT CLASS The bespectacled prodigal son returns. Jarvis Cocker is back in the Steel City this month for a sold-out show at The Foundry, bringing his solo project Jarv Is and last year’s critically acclaimed debut album Beyond the Pale to the stage, a record hailed by many as the musician’s best work since Pulp’s 1998 album This Is Hardcore.
1978
WHEN PULP FIRST FORMED IN SHEFFIELD ORIGINALLY UNDER THE NAME ARABICUS, THEN ARABICUS PULP, THEN SHORTENED TO JUST PULP.
1978
THE BAND’S FIRST GIG, TAKING PLACE AT ROTHERHAM ARTS CENTRE AND PLAYING UNBILLED SUPPORT TO THE NAUGHTIEST GIRL WAS A MONITOR.
6
WEEKS JARVIS SPENT IN THE HALLAMSHIRE AFTER CLIMBING OUT OF A DIVISION STREET FLAT WHILE DOING A SPIDERMAN IMPRESSION.
WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 9
UPFRONT / NEWS
HAIL TO THE ALE Annual Art in the Gardens event is back in the Botanical Gardens
Sheffield truly is one of the nation’s leading contenders in the world of beer and we had the privilege of speaking to just a fraction of those breweries and pubs to bring you The Sheffield Beer and Spirits Bible, published by our sister company Meze Publishing. This in-depth guide to Sheffield’s beer scene contains the accounts of honest, diligent businesses, including traditional pubs, breweries, tap houses, modern bars, public events, specialist beer shops and more. All of them have helped build this thriving community into the success it is today. Dive in, read their stories, and hear how each one has poured their hearts and souls into the creations of this noteworthy selection of businesses. “It’s been a pleasure speaking to a good chunk of the wonderful brewers, traders and creatives who combine to make the Steel City craft drinks scene so exciting.” Says Exposed Magazine editor Joseph Food, behind it.” The Sheffield Beer and Spirits Bible andis available to purchase now.
SHEFIELD BLACK FOUNDATION Local Foundation helping young Black people access further education Five local community members have launched a Foundation aimed to increase the number of young people accessing further education. The Sheffield Black Foundation uses donations from £1, either as a one-off donation or a regular standing order, to create a fund which will be awarded to young men and women from the Black community. Awards will be available to those aged 16 - 25, who are experiencing financial hardship whilst trying to access college, undergraduate studies at university, or training courses. The awards which range from £200 - £500, will be made to qualifying members of the Black community following an application and selection 10 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
process. The Foundation’s transparent quarterly communications will show the amounts raised and any awards made. “The idea was born from a discussion with a friend last year,” said Shane Spence, Chair of the Foundation. “We discussed what we could do locally at a grass roots level to support and raise aspirations throughout our community. “Looking at the disadvantages and underrepresentation of Black people in further education, I came up with the idea of a selfmanaged fund, taking inspiration from the Sheffield 500 Together project. I voiced it to friends and family, who all agreed it was a great idea and were keen to help.” For further information on the Sheffield Black Foundation, visit www. sheffieldblackfoundation.com
UPFRONT / NEWS
SISTER ACT
The Forum has welcomed Savage Sister, a unique vintage pop-up A vintage clothing pop-up specialising in unique pieces, and off-runway rarities has opened in the Forum just in time to get your Christmas wardrobe on point. Savage Sister is set to wow Forum customers for the next three months (open until 26 December) with the very best of a truly exclusive collection of men’s and women’s high fashion pieces that owner Lucy has been cultivating for the past ten years. The rails and walls are full of pieces from brands like Moschino, Versace and Gucci, with prices that range from a very reasonable £20, right up to £500 a piece. “There isn’t anything like this in Sheffield,” says Lucy, “especially as some of the things that we sell are quite niche, so we’ve got Moschino, Versace and Iceberg from the Garage era and we also sell pieces for people that might
have different or unusual tastes. “Some of the stuff that we’ve got in here is runway, so it’s been on the catwalk, and some of it is really, really rare stuff that you won’t find online, but we’ve got it in store, and you can try it on.” As well as selling haute couture, she is also welcoming people down to sell their designer pieces in exchange for cash or store credit. She is also offering 10 per cent discount to students and in the short time she’s been open, she has already proved a big success. Lucy said: “I’ve got people coming down from Manchester and Leeds to have a look, which is nice because there isn’t really a shop like this in Yorkshire.” For more details, and to have a nosey, head over their socials, and make sure to head down to the Forum before they move on. instagram.com/thesavagesister
POWER OF MUSIC...
The Sarah Nulty: Power of Music Foundation held its official launch night at Church – Temple of Fun last month, in the process raising over £5,000 with their help of their auctioneer Big Shaun raffling off art works from some incredible Sheffield artists.
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We’ve got it covered! Capacity from 10 to 500
Sheffield’s exciting events and conferencing venue The OEC is perfectly located for conferences in Yorkshire, boasting excellent road, rail and air links plus ample parking with over 400 free spaces. We have a range of very impressive, multi-purpose suites, catering for up to 500 delegates.
festive fun at The OEC PA RT Y N I G H T S
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VIEW ALL OUR FESTIVE EVENTS & BOOK ONLINE!
Love brought me to Sheffield. And love keeps me here. After growing up in a small Devon town, I spent ten years as a Covent Garden Street Performer. A joyous, but ultimately unhealthy, and unsustainable lifestyle. I was stuck not wanting a return to my roots, but also feeling the strange need to escape from much more than my strait jacket. With age, my ego was starting to diminish, and therefore so were my audiences. I ran away to Australia, and there I fell in love/ lust/infatuation with someone from Sheffield, a place I knew nothing about, that conjured only images of middle-aged men keeping their hats on. Sheffield seemed the perfect place. Because she lived there. And she was all that mattered. My first few hours here were spent in the Lescar, where I waited for my future wife to finish work in Café Rouge. There was a comedy club in the back room called the Last Laugh, the open spot didn’t turn up. I went on, pissed, with no material. I still can’t tell you what I said. I have no recollection. But it went well. The audience was lovely. It felt like a friendly small-town
BY STEVE FAULKNER
“SHEFFIELD... A PLACE I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT, THAT CONJURED ONLY IMAGES OF MIDDLE-AGED MEN KEEPING THEIR HATS ON.”
audience who had been bussed into a big city. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was how Sheffield would always feel. A perfect mix of the familiarity of a Devon town with the optional anonymity of a capital city. I could engage or I could hide. This was exactly what I needed. Unfortunately, I focused too much on the latter. And after kids, marriage and divorce, I felt stuck in a place that didn’t feel like home. This is when this city slowly revealed itself to me. It’s people soothed and comforted me, and it’s surrounding beauty healed me. Slowly. Audiences and ‘contacts’ became friends and breadcake started sounding better than bread roll. There was so much more to this city than I had realised. I started to dread the London gigs, then the anywhere but here gigs. For the first time I didn’t need to go anywhere else. Age had a bit to do with that, place a lot more. Nearly twenty years in, the Sheffield that’s outside of my house now feels like home. I’ve finally found somewhere I don’t want to leave, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful.
TO SIGN UP TO ONE OF STEVE’S MAGIC COURSES HEAD TO STEVEFAULKNER.COM/LEARN OR CARDMAGICCOURSE.COM. WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 13
THE BEGINNING
After the huge success of their first Christmas light show in 2019 (pictured), Sheffield Cathedral will be welcoming back projection art specialists Luxumuralis for festive spectacular ‘The Beginning’. Taking place 30 November – 5 December, visitors will be able to witness the historic building’s façade being transformed on the outside before heading inside to enjoy a stunning sensory experience of light and sound describing the story of the Nativity. Perfect for families, first entry slot is 5pm each day and the last at 8pm. Prices are £7.50 adults, £6 children aged 3-15 (under-3s free) and £3 carers (contact Sheffield Cathedral for purchase. Tickets can be purchased at sheffieldcathedral.org or in person from the Cathedral Gift Shop. Use the ‘Exposed’ promo code for a special 10% discount online. SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL CHURCH STREET SHEFFIELD, S1 1HA 0114 275 3434
14 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
GIVE IT A GO
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SHEFF LIFE
FIVE THINGS YOU ONLY KNOW IF YOU’RE... A CERTIFIED WINE SOMMELIER IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT TASTING Delivery day can be quite a workout! Most of the deliveries come on the same day, so when you have a few hundred bottles to put into the cellar, then distribute to the right place for the restaurant service, you can work up quite a sweat. Lots of people say they would love my job – but not on delivery day! WINE IS ALL ABOUT GEOGRAPHY I was terrible at geography until I found a love of wine; I couldn’t point out anywhere on a world map before that. Now, if a country makes wine, I know exactly where it is and the soil types found there. However, if it doesn’t make wine, sorry, but I still have no idea where it is. If only you could have studied wine at school, I might have done a bit better…
of the exams with the Court of Master Sommeliers you have to know all about about spirts, production and provenance. You also have to know how to make a vast repertoire of classic cocktails. “THE MYSTICAL ART” OF FOOD AND WINE PAIRING Lots of guests are amazed and ask, “How do you know how to do that?” The first thing is to know what wines will taste like and their character profiles – each grape has a typicity which gives me a starting point to work from. We think of wine pairing as a seasoning to the food: like how chefs know what food ingredients work with each other, sommeliers have a knowledge of wine and some basic rules to follow for the best. Occasionally we like to break this to find a surprise success.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE WINE WE DON’T ALWAYS DRINK FANCY The word sommelier to most people WINE will mean wine expert; however, as part In fact, a lot of the time I drink beer.
Expensive wine has its place and time, but truth be told, midweek I am as happy as the next person to crack open a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon... and more than occasionally a beer. You can’t take Sheffield out of the boy… Alistair Myers is co-owner and manager at Sheffield culinary institution Rafters Restaurant, situated at 220 Oakbrook Road. Experience the venue’s famed food and hospitality for yourself by booking at raftersrestaurant.co.uk or calling 0114 2304819.
Have some interesting tales from your trade or know someone who does? Drop a line to joe@exposedmagazine.co.uk and we’ll feature them in an upcoming issue.
WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 17
JOIN THE
TUESDAY 23RD NOVEMBER MALL GRAB
CLUB After a long, unwelcome slumber Sheffield’s giant of underground electronic music The Tuesday Club is now fully back in the dance and packing out the Foundry with the cutting edge in hip-hop, house, garage, drum & bass and beyond! They’ve already set the bar high this season with huge sets from Floating Points, D Double E and A.M.C & Phantom. But you ain’t seen nothin’ yet, as the final two months of 2021 will see TTC bowing out in some mad style. Just take a look at what they’ve got in store for all your winter ravers…
Innovative Australian sample-house producer Mall Grab heads up the bill with one of his trademark good vibes sets. Joining him will be up-and-coming dance prodigy Effy, bringing a selection of driving house and techno sounds to the Foundry main room. Room 1: Mall Grab Effy S.C.D.D Hazmat Team
FRIDAY 19TH NOVEMBER TTC X TNS: ANNIE MAC, SALLY C, DANCE SYSTEM, STEVIE COX
Internationally renowned DJ, broadcaster and longstanding friend of The Tuesday Club, Annie Mac comes to Foundry with some very special guests including genre-mashing DJ Sally C, ghetto house purveyors Dance System and emerging house, techno and breaks expert Stevie Cox. Room 1: Annie Mac, Sally C, Dance System, Stevie Cox Room 2: Hosted By Guilty Pleasures, Dr Cryptic, Gilly, Dudz, Shinobi (DJ Set) 18 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
TUESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER DIMENSION, AMA AND ANDY H
Picture: Giles Smith
Critically acclaimed drum and bass producer Dimension takes to the decks for the last Tuesday Club party of 2021. Joining for the spectacle will be drum & bass/jungle selector Ama and TTC royalty Andy H.
TUESDAY 7TH DECEMBER EATS EVERYTHING
Few producers in the history of dance music have made such a rapid and far-reaching impact on the electronic music scene as Eats Everything aka Daniel Pearce. The globetrotting DJ, accomplished producer, prolific remixer, label owner, radio host and mastermind behind a collection of popular party brands will channel his broad musical palette into a guaranteed classic TTC instalment. (Support TBA)
TUESDAY 14TH DECEMBER MUNGO’S HIFI, PARLY B & SINAI SOUND SYSTEM
Pioneering modern reggae and dub outfit Mungo’s bring their big sound and seismic productions to Sheff. Also performing are versatile MC/artist Parly B (AKA The Yorkshire Raggamuffin) and Sheffield’s big green dub machine, Sinai Sound System.
WHAT IS THE TUESDAY CLUB?
Nothing less than a certified Sheffield nightlife institution, that’s what. Over the past two decades TTC has earned a reputation for bringing the best in underground electronic music to Sheffield, and generations of students have danced away the midweek blues at the famous club night, enjoying memorable sets from some of the hottest DJs and producers on the scene. Past guests include Annie Mac, Disclosure, Rudimental, Skream, Nero, DJ Fresh, SBTRK, Jamie XX, Chase & Status, Eats Everything, Redlight, Bonobo, Andy C, Clean Bandit, Sub Focus, Four Tet and Roots Manuva. WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 19
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SAT.27.NOV Hope Works 9th Birthday
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1 ASON — 202 AUTUMN SE
ORK4 S #HOPEShW effield S 7YQ
tickets / info — www.hope-works.co.uk
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FRI.29.OCT
HOPE WORKS SPOOKY HALLOWEEN SPECIAL Alex.Aubyn Dj Wanderlei Gracie T B2B Diessa Groundwork Lo Shea Magnetic North Skari & Zeki Steel Selektions STEPHANIE Tekkers ft — Skillz B2B Cardiac DMK B2B Cargo YT Records ———————————————
SAT.06.NOV Tekkers
hanwaring.co design — www.jonat
BURGABOY BOODA FREDDO
More Fool U Airmax Brent Kilner +many more ————————————————
FRI.12.NOV Sinai Sessions #4
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MAASAI WARRIOR SOUNDSYSTEM meets
SINAI SOUNDSYSTEM
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SAT.13.NOV La Rumba
SHANTI CELESTE
(EXTENDED SET)
Daebak Kudan ————————————————
FRI.19.NOV ALMOST SOLD OUT Wub Club 5th Birthday
MIKEY B PHATWORLD Oppidan Jack Junior Frenetic Deadbeat UK +many more ————————————————
SAT.20.NOV Manilla
DJ SEINFELD & ECLAIR FIFI
+ residents ————————————————
FRI.26.NOV 25 Years of Drum & Bass Arena
DILLINJA RANDALL BRYAN GEE Kyrist Dj Storm Displace MC’s TBA
PALMS TRAX BRADLEY ZERO
+ Residents and Sheffield heroes TBA ————————————————
FRI.10.DEC Hope Works presents
HAAI X LSDXOXO
+ more TBA ————————————————
FRI.17.DEC Tekkers
BIG ANG BEN SUFF DONK JUNGLIST ALLIANCE
Palize Dr Cryptic Skillz & Cardiac +many more ————————————————
SAT.18.DEC HW x Steel Selektions Christmas Party
LTJ BUKEM & DIGITAL Charla Green Mc Ruthless + Residents ————————————————
FRI.31.DEC Hope Works Presents
NEW YEARS EVE ??????? ?????????? ( TBA )
COVER
It’s been nine years since Sheffield’s iconic underground clubbing institution Hope Works first opened its doors. In that time they’ve seen some of the finest names in electronic music grace the decks, cultivated a vast array of up-and-coming artistic talent, set up their own innovative, boundarysmashing festival, and not to mention weathered a global pandemic that threatened to bulldoze the city’s cultural landscape. Following the most successful No Bounds event to date and with a birthday celebration featuring Palms Trax and Bradley Zero just around the corner, we spoke to founder and co-curator Liam O’Shea about the memorable journey so far. Let’s start with the huge success of the returning No Bounds Festival – more rave reviews (if you forgive the pun) and an already high bar surpassed. First of all, how was your experience this year? It was such a big success this year. In the scale of festivals, it’s still relatively small, more of a boutique festival really. But the impact has been increasing year on year. We received the five star review in the Guardian this year, one star up from last year, and that was incredible to see. It spoke nicely about how No Bounds is mixing art with the diverse community that we have here. We’re joining the international conversation in terms of world class, multidisciplinary arts events, but doing it in an authentic Sheffield way, which is precisely what I set out to do. How important is that authentic Sheffield aspect to the event? It’s massive. I mean everyone’s just kind of sharing the world as they see it, aren’t they? The community that you’re part of and where you’re from informs the lens that you look at everything through. There was a line in the Guardian review, ‘Sheffield’s electro-industrial heart is still beating.’ That sums it up. It feels more significant with the unfortunate passing of Richard Kirk this year, a figure of huge importance to electronic music worldwide, and it does feel like we’re helping to carry on that tradition of underground culture and innovative music in warehouse spaces. As you were saying, Sheffield is joining that international conversation again, but it helped lay foundations in underground electronic music a long time ago. Yeah, Cabaret Voltaire were there right at the start of that form of music and that goes right on to spawning huge international bands like Human League and Heaven 17. This is all part of our heritage. We’re primarily concerned with that electronic underbelly and how that interfaces with other things – music, art and technology in particular.
BACK IN THE DANCE Photography: Alex Morgan & Frankie Casillo
What about the germination process for No Bounds growing into what it is today? When were those initial seeds planted in your head? It feels like my life’s work to date, the culmination of a life in the music industry. I’ve been making music since the late-80s, initially as a guitarist. I came to Sheffield in ‘91 and it was always like I had one foot in the rave, one foot in bands. So I’m naturally interested in the whole hybrid nature of music and art, which eventually led to a project in 2009 called ‘Mixed in Sheffield’ – remixing a wide selection of Sheffield artists with a focus on electronic music. It was one way of connecting disparate crews that I’d met on my journeys through the Sheffield underground. I kind of wanted to build on that, so when I opened Hope Works in 2012 it was immediately covered in graph and art by Sheffield artists. I invited the community in from day one, and from there I was really able to find my voice as a promoter; it’s taken me years since to build up the confidence, connections and friendships to launch something genuinely collaborative like No Bounds. In light of its constant growth, just how big do you think the potential is for No Bounds Festival? It’s in the title: no bounds. Given the right circumstances, support, energy and bit of luck, there are no limits to where it can go. It’s something that could be built up to permeate all of city, showcasing so many art forms, bringing so many venues into the fold. It’s a recognised fixture on the calendar now and we’re looking to take it forward once again in 2022. Hope Works heads towards its 9th birthday following an incredibly uncertain period for nightlife and events venues in general. The last 18 months must have been a scary ride. How do you reflect on that period? First and foremost, we had our first child the week before lockdown, so it was a case of having some time with my family. Then of course there was a sense of genuine worry – really thinking, on a human level, that this could be it. Following the initial shock it was a case of trying to dig out of that hole, looking for alternative ways of making a living while also applying for funding grants. We then did the Crowdfunder, which was incredibly successful and so cathartic to receive the love and support we did from our audience and community. I needed that from a psychological perspective. As well as the Crowdfunder, we were also lucky enough to receive a CRF (Culture Recovery Fund) grant, which helped to stabilise things and enabled me to work through it, and also enabled the whole ecosystem of freelancers we work with to work through it. We kept the wheel turning and came out in good shape; it means we can carry on creating events like No Bounds and to keep on providing culture for people.
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COVER COVER
Next year will mark 10 years of Hope Works in Sheffield. How do you feel it has grown since starting out? We started from an all-Sheffield line-up in 2012, a multi-genre ‘Mixed in Sheffield’ mashup, and then we did an end of the world party with DVS1 (if you remember that stuff with The Mayans). From that I just went straight into a load of shows like Blawan and Pangea, Theo Parrish and Maurice Fulton, Ben Klock, Motor City Drum Ensemble… we started with a run of shows like that, straight in with huge underground names. From then to now Hope Works has continued to host some of the biggest worldwide artists in electronic music: Jeff Mills, Robert Hood, Helena Hauff, Ben UFO, Honey Dijon, Nina Kravitz, The Blessed Madonna, Skream, Mall Grab. Not bad for a little warehouse in Darnall, is it? That’s not to mention the up-and-coming talent that’s been cultivated behind the decks… We’ve always prided ourselves in spotting talent. We want to help bring new artists through, and our residency programme helps us to do just that. We started that in 2019 and currently we’ve got Gracie T, 96 Back, Diessa, Nkisi, Porter Brook, Rumbi Tauro, Rian Treanor, Alex McLean (as well as myself Lo Shea and Chris Duckenfield) – all part of the Hope Works family residency. We want to support and help platform new artists, give them opportunities and invest time in them. We’ve made a name for ourselves as being a space where chances are taken, a place you can come and find artists you’ve never heard of before, but at the same time ones you’re quite likely to hear more of in the future. You’ve already alluded to plenty of memorable events, but what seminal moments stand out for you over the last 9 years? When I was stood there watching Jeff Mills play in 2014 – the master of techno playing Hope Works. That was monumental. Then this year’s No Bounds was incredibly special, and it felt like such an amazing way to come back after the pandemic. So many people said so many lovely things. It was definitely a lump in the throat time for us, to see such a diverse line-up and audience attend over the weekend. What role would you like Hope Works to 22 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
play moving forward as the city continues to dust itself down from the pandemic? A few things I suppose. We want to continue offering a progressive space where diversity and differences are celebrated and championed. We want people to feel free to be themselves. I still want it to be a steadfast bastion of quality too. I would love for people to be able to trust and rely on us to be there for them. We’ve been there through the pandemic, we’ve kept the business and the freelancers we work with getting paid. We’ve made things happen. Even No Bounds 2020, the hybrid virtual festival that took place in the middle of the pandemic, we still actually made that happen. I just hope that reaffirms to people of our hard-working and passionate approach to things. We always strive to be better but fundamentally we want to continue to be run a family-run, little independent with a team of music lovers who put the music and art first.
Hope Works 9th Birthday ft. Palms Trax, Bradley Zero + more takes place on Sat 27th November. Tickets are on sale now at Resident Advisor.
“I wanted to celebrate this year with a real feelgood party – just a fun, warm uplifting party. Palms Trax and Bradley Zero is a great combination to achieve just that. There have been plenty of dark times recently, so this night’s gonna be all about unashamedly enjoying some good times. That’s precisely what we want our 9th birthday on 27th November to be about.”
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COVER
Review: No Bounds 2021 Niall O’Donoghue reflects on a special weekend of music, art, technology and dancing at No Bounds Festival. Photography: Frankie Casillo During a year more difficult than any other for live acts and music festivals, No Bounds 2020 pressed on through pandemic depths to keep the community alive and humming with new forays into sonic VR livestreams and socially distanced event Now, in 2021, No Bounds has unleashed its full potential, stepping eagerly into new niches opening across the city of Sheffield and throwing down an incredible weekend of events as the days begin to shorten. The festival has always been a nightbird; it’s a signal fire for visual artists, live-coding aficionados and bassheads to gather and warm their hearts amongst the shadows of Sheffield’s industrial past. This year was no different, but an everincreasing diversity of daytime installations, seminars and live acts alongside pounding club nights offer something for every sleep pattern. No Bounds has cemented itself amongst European festivals, comfortably plotting an orbit at the outermost edge of summer and proving the boundless resilience of the electronic arts community. It was well into an evening of contemplative AV experiences at the festival’s opening concert when Lorenzo Senni bursts in to close off events in Kelham Island’s cavernous upper gallery – immediately ratcheting the crowd up a gear with a trademark riot of arpeggiated trance stabs, ornate strings and 8-bit synths. His infectious joy shone through as, with extreme hip action and flying jump kicks on every drop, he served up an utterly euphoric live set comprising of most of his 2020 album Scacco Matto plus a few choice favourites. A short way across the industrial landscape of northern Sheffield beckoned Hope Works, a spiritual home and birthplace of dance music mania for many in attendance. The site continues to flourish, with an expansion into the street to house the new Kuiper Belt Stage and outdoors bars really adding to that festival atmosphere.
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COVER Fresh off the back of her 2021 album release Reflection, Loraine James took to the star-studded Courtyard Anomaly stage to deliver a live set that casts an expert, glitchy net over the elusive ‘club’ genre. The warm, hypnotic drill of ‘Black Ting’ sets the crowd grooving to edgeless, compulsive 808 basslines and tight bars before soaring up for the punchy, ethereal pop of ‘Running Like That’. Salvos of scattered, thumping drums lay the perfect stage for Hyperdub colleagues Kode9 and RP Boo to accelerate into the night. With fertile ground laid by Joy Orbison, Ben UFO once again affirmed his place on the top shelf with a phenomenal 90-minute set to close off the Mothership Main Room. Launching in early floor-destroyers like Pearson Sounds’ ‘Alien Mode’, he goes harder delivers as much discombobulating bass and thunderous drums as the powerful main room soundsystem can take. The energy doesn’t drop for a single second, but instead carries our exhausted bodies right to the finish through a world of sounds ranging from the erratic madness of Borai & Denham Audio’s ‘Skrrrt’ to otherworldly dub and jungle tracks built on obliterating sub-frequencies. No Bounds offers a wealth of engaging daytime activities across Saturday and Sunday for the early bird or sleep deprived, ranging across audio-visual art installations at multiple sites, live coding classes, DJ workshops and immersive experiences. Festivalgoers could wander through the reconstructed alleyways of Sheffield’s old Mesters – craftspeople of previous generations – to see The Machinery, a strikingly juxtaposed AV exploration of the industrialist worker’s subsequent dehumanisation. Flanking the Kelham museum’s upper gallery were exhibition rooms offering the chance to journey into the geometric Light & Sound Bath or watch Practical Electronica, an engrossing documentary charting the life and works of DIY electronic music visionary Fred Judd. People stream in from across town for the evening’s events, whether from a Resident Advisor DJ workshop in Hope Works’ main room or the hauntingly beautiful Maltby Miners’ Welfare Band occupying Sheffield’s bus interchange. Later that evening came the duo Space Afrika, delivering gritty ambient tones interspersed with dirge-like drums to the visual backdrop of monochrome loops round Manchester streets. Sheffield originators 96 Back and The Black Dog followed, forming the perfect conclusion to the museum’s focus on ruminative, introspective techno and electronica acts. Aurora Halal and Batu dominate the Hope Works main room later that night, each delivering a pummelling in turn while Anz takes charge of the courtyard stage. The Manchester-based artist brings a sparkle to her set to match the glittering roof as she refreshes our ears with garage bangers, bouncing us on into the night and further destruction from techno legend Helena Hauff. No Bounds 2021 has proved beyond a doubt that Sheffield continues to be a source of incredible innovation, passion, and excitement for electronic music. It certainly feels that the challenges of 2020 provided some strict limitations which, far from dampening the spirit of the event and its community, has instead charged them with new creative flair – and a determination to send every audience member away reeling from their experience. It is a festival superbly attuned to its surroundings and primed for a bright future amongst these darker months.
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SENSORIA Sensoria was a little less ambitious this year, with fewer events than in pre-pandemic times, but even though it had to be organised and planned under less than ideal conditions, it was another triumphant year for Sheffield's homegrown festival of film, music and digital art. Words: Mark Perkins I had to miss the opening events, so my first event was a double-bill of cutting edge films with live accompaniment in the University Drama Studio. Daud was a short film about a boy and his father, attempting to complete a seemingly impossible task, and featured some haunting and beautiful soundtrack music from Adi Anande, with Laura and Rob Skeet playing in the venue itself. The music perfectly added to the tension and emotion of the film, despite being conceived under difficult restrictions, with the musicians not able to meet in person. The same problem hampered the following film, That Long Moonless Chase, where the musical collaborators Helen Papaioannou and Noriko Okaku, had only met in person, in Sheffield, the previous day. The film was a mix of two mythical stories, one from Sheffield's past, the other from Kyoto's. What was unique was that the film didn't actually exist until the night, something I've never come across before - a real time, live, animated film. Another first for Sensoria, and an excellent evening of entertainment. The film Bait won many plaudits in 2019, despite a very limited cinema run, but Sensoria provided an opportunity to see it once again, and this time with added live music. Gwenno Saunders, created a new live score, to Mark Jenkin's already unusual film. It was filmed on 16mm black and white film, so the soundtrack which had to be entirely added in postproduction. This in itself gave the viewer a feeling of being somehow removed from the action, so adding another layer of sound, blending vocals, guitar and electronic sounds, worked perfectly. If the idea of finding out more about the processes behind creating films and their soundtrack fascinates you, I'd recommend getting a ticket for the Sensoria Pro-day. Professionals and amateurs from the industry have a day when they get together during every Sensoria festival, and this year it was held at the Showroom. The opening session was a fascinating discussion with the production team behind the film of Everyone's Talking About Jamie, talking about how it went from a two-week run on the nearby Crucible stage, to being a feature film. It was one of several fascinating sessions, and concluded with the results of the ever popular scoring contest. The final event of the festival took place in the S1 Artspace, which is a venue everyone needs to be aware of, and is set in the heart of the new Park Hill redevelopment. Johny Pitts, a Sheffield writer, journalist and photographer who has written a fascinating book, Afropean - Notes From Black Europe. In it, he draws on his early days growing up in the black community here in Sheffield. As an adult, he traveled across Europe, in search of an 'Afropean'
REVIEW: SENSORIA FESTIVAL
identity, and examined the lives of other black communities in other cities. Tonight, he's here with Chris Morris and Darren Campbell, to preview a short film he made in France which tries to capture some of the tone of the book. Prior to that, was an initial glimpse of another fascinating project, documenting Johny's feelings about the disappearance of the buildings which surrounded him as he grew up. Spirit Of Dead Buildings gave an insight into what Park Hill flats and its surroundings were like when they were first built. The evening of music, spoken word and images was the perfect end to this year's Sensoria, and they couldn't have chosen a more appropriate setting. So, there we have it. Against the odds, Sensoria pulled their digital rabbit out of the Covid-restricted hat.
Just a quick mention for two future events. The collab between Sister Wives and Rafael Rozendaal is postponed until November 20, and at some stage they intend to show the film Studio Electronique, Head to sensoriafestival.org for more. WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 29
LA MAMA IS TURNING 12! This year La Mama is 12 years old and what a journey it has been!
Open for lunch Saturdays from 12 noon and serving Bottomless Brunch
NOW TAKING CHRISTMAS BOOKINGS FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS @ LAMAMATAPASBAR 238 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1FL Tel: 0114 327 9597 www.lamamalatin.co.uk
How to win at Christmas shopping while keepin’ it local…
Plantology.
Everybody knows someone who is obsessed with plants and flowers. Planetology on Division Street is a great go to for you to find a perfect gift for your green-fingered pal. Their best sellers include a Bulbasaur planter which you can pre-order online and the unique Fishtail cactus. Plantology also offers delivery. 70 Division St, S1 4GF
Moonko.
Moonko stocks homeware, cards, prints, plants and ceramic pots. It’s fab for little gifts and is the best place if you know somebody who’s just moved into a new home and needs some nice things to settle in. 89 Division St, S1 4GE
La Biblioteka.
kelham Island books and music
Castle House, Kommune, S3 8LN
284 Shalesmoor, S3 8UL
This little shop, housed in Kommune Castlehouse is filled with independent publications, books and magazines. They also pack their own homeware and stationary section, making them the perfect spot of unique, little gifts for that person in your life who loves reading.
Once upon a time, Kelham Island Books and Music was Books on the Park, so named as it stood overlooking Endcliffe Park. Now in its new home in Kelham Island, it continues to have high levels of quality control and is a perfect place to treat the book worm in your family this Christmas.
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Record Junkee.
Site Gallery Shop.
7 Earl St, S1 3FP
1 Brown St, S1 2BS
This independent venue, bar and shop is a great place to go to for a friend who loves collecting records. Their collection is extensive and huge, carrying various genres of music.
The shop in the Site Gallery is full of great bits and bobs. You can find books, cards, stationary, gift-wrap and homeware, such as handmade mugs and tote bags.
APG Works.
A unique print from a local artist is a great gift and APG Works offers a range of frames and prints. The shop is full to the brim with brilliant art as well as offering a framing service so your prints look beautiful and professional whilst on the wall. 16-20 Sidney St, S1 4RH
The Nichols Building.
Record Collector.
Record Collector opened its doors in 1978 and houses Sheffield’s largest collection of records, which stands at about 50,000 disks, they even hosted Public Enemy for a signing in 2015. It’s full of new and old records and is great for a browse. 233 Fulwood Rd, S10 3BA
The Dram Shop.
For thirty years the Dram Shop has sold bottles of beers, wines, ciders and whiskeys to the people of Sheffield. Head on over here to pick up bottles from a rage of breweries, both local and national, making a perfect gift for someone who loves a good beer or a quality drink. 21 Commonside, S10 1GA
Turners Tap and Bottle
if it’s gifts you need then look no further than Turner’s Bottle and Tap. Don’t be fooled by the name, they are more than just beer! Passionate about supporting local, they stock local makers featuring produce from Sheffield Breweries, Yorkshire Candle Company, Just Preserves, Hendersons Relish, Luke Horton Art, Renishaw Wine and local gin distillers to name but a few. They of course also have gift packs of beers available to grab and go or you can choose your own personalised selection. Their refillable Growler bottles make the perfect gift, filled full of delicious beer, drink, fill, repeat, it’s the gift that keeps on giving! Can’t decide, then why not gift someone a subscription to one of their monthly beer box deliveries or a gift voucher to spend instore Pop over to turnersbottleandtap.co.uk and visit the online shop or pop down and see them! 298 Abbeydale Road S7 1FL
Shalesmoor, S3 8UJ
Gravel Pit.
This Abbeydale Road store is all about promoting the Holy Trinity of things in life: music, art and wellbeing. It’s also one of the finest places to pick up rare, affordable plants from peperomias to polka dot begonias – as well as range of quirky artworks and vinyls. 392 Abbeydale Road, S7 1FS
Moor Market
Always good for a festive bargain or two, Sheffield’s popular indoor market is packed with indie traders selling everything from clothing to craft beer. As well as gifts, you can get your Christmas cards here, visit the butchers for a turkey, pick up some decorations, or grab some tasty sweet treats. Also, if you’re working in the city centre, online Christmas shopping can be delivered directly to their Amazon lockers . 32 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Situated over a 3-story Victorian warehouse, the Nichols Building is jam-packed with a bunch of vintage clothing, retro homeware, records and antiques. It is the best place for an afternoon of rummaging so you can find the perfect, high-quality vintage gift.
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MADE IN SHEFFIELD Exposed meets the modern - day makers plying their trades in the Steel City. Spread across art, music, film, theatre, clothing, photography and more - we find out what makes these local creatives tick.
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Joe Peel shot by Danni Maibaum
MAKERS
JO PEEL Jo Peel is a Sheffieldbased artist who spends her time observing documenting moments of change in urban environments around the world.
Could you tell us a bit about your path to becoming an artist? I’ve been working as an artist for about 15 years now. Before that I was an interior designer down in Cornwall, where I went to university. I’ve always worked creatively and for myself really, so when I moved to London I was working on interior design projects but also drawing and painting in my spare time. People saw the work I was doing and encouraged me to put it in exhibitions, which I eventually did, and bits started selling. It was a bit weird because I’d had work in a lot of exhibitions in Cornwall, but nobody really engaged with it as much. Why do you think that was? I think it’s because a lot of my work has always been about regeneration, gentrification and urban environments. I suppose that’s always going to resonate a bit more in East London than in a more rural setting. Did you find that moving to an urban environment stoked the fire a bit creatively too? Yeah, at that time the inspiration was everywhere and the things happening just outside was very relevant to my work: the building you’re living in is getting gentrified, there are cranes and redevelopments everywhere - it just brought my work alive. It also gave me more opportunities to show it. How nailed down was your style in those early exhibitions? Has it morphed much as you’ve moved around the country? It’s not changed much style-wise. I spent a long time trying to find a unique style. I spent a lot of time not looking at other people’s work and tried to find my own voice in terms of the line and the style. My subject matter has always been the same. I didn’t go to Cornwall and suddenly start drawing the beaches.
So, then it was moving back to Sheffield from London another melting pot of gentrification, industrialisation and urban/rural settings. Yeah. It all makes sense where it comes from - Sheffield is my work. It was quite interesting coming back and seeing how similar bits of the city are to East London, with all the old factories and the changing look of certain areas. Why did you make the decision to come back to Sheffield? Everywhere I lived was being renovated and doubled in price, so it just became a choice of continuing to make the work I wanted to make or moving onto more commercial projects. It didn’t seem feasible to be an artist and not take on big advertising jobs in London, so I thought I’d give another place a go. Does inspiration come from literally walking around a certain area of the city? Or is it all bit more fragmented than that? Some days it’s more visceral than others; I’ll just be walking down the street and suddenly I’m obsessed with the details of some mesh wrapped around a building or some scaffolding. Have you always had this intrigue in urban settings and narratives - even when you were young? Yeah, I was always interested in the cracks in the pavement rather than finished things. I like the idiosyncrasies I guess. I’m always intrigued in how in a manmade world we’re constantly trying to make everything look perfect... but always failing.
You recently released ‘Gravity’, a short film combining live action and animation. Can you tell us a bit about the seeds of that project? It came from a classic lockdown story of rifling through old stuff. I found something I’d written as a teenager in an English lesson. I’d held onto it because I felt it had something to it. I rediscovered it in lockdown and it really struck a chord; it felt like an opening to the rest of my work. It’s about a girl who loses her house and about how personal identity is so tied into where you live. There’s a lot in there: gentrification and displacement, but also renewal and positive change. What else have you have you got coming up? I’ve got an art fair in London this month. It’s like a show within a show, a big immersive experience, so I’ve created a few new artworks for that. I’ll be at the upcoming Hedgerow Market in Sheffield, which I’m really looking forward to. I’m also writing a new film too… Oh, interesting. What can you tell us about that?
It’s still a bit under wraps at the moment, so I can’t say too much. It’ll be set in a café… We’ll keep an eye out for it. Final question: why do you think Sheffield is a good city for creatives? I think the space itself is great and the fact that it’s relatively cheap to live here. That massively helps. Because if your rent is low, you can afford to take risks. Making art is all about being able to take risks. Jo Peel’s short film ‘Gravity’ is available to view at jopeel.com
j@jo_peel WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 37
MAKERS Lizzie Biscuits shot by Fake Trash. Hair Florenica’s Wigs Face Anna Phylactic
LIZZIE BISCUITS “I get to make people feel beautiful and powerful… three or four months down the line when a photoshoot emerges, or when someone posts a video talking about how happy or how good they feel in it, that’s the most rewarding thing.” Lizzie Biscuits makes frocks and costumes for peacocks, turning imagination into reality in the process. Her opulent designs have been showcased by some of the best-known Drag Queens in the country and spotted in films, magazines and on TV.
Lizziena Phylactic shot by Meggo Photo Hair Wigs by David Derby
How did you first start making costumes? When I was a kid, I used to spend all day drawing frocks. I would say I was writing a comic book, but really, I was just inventing fifty different villains so I could put them all in outfits. I always made clothes for myself, I never wanted to look like everybody else - and making your own clothes is a good way to avoid that. I grew up with not a lot of money and when I was 18, there were no affordable places that did interesting or original stuff. So, it was a case of going to charity shops, buying some curtains and making myself a dress - that sort of thing. But it wasn’t something I thought I’d do as a job. When did that begin to change? I’ve been thinking about this a while... I suppose I internalised this idea that loving fashion/costumes/etc. is very shallow. If you want to be in a band, that’s “cool”. But if you want to make frocks, that’s very shallow. If you’re a woman, there’s an idea that being interested in appearance and glamour is somehow at odds with feminism. As I got older, I realised that’s all nonsense. There were a few points where connections were made that set me on the road to where I am now. My friend Audrey Hepkat launched Burly Q and in the beginning each show had a different theme, so I’d make a special outfit to DJ in. That kind of reawakened a certain part of my brain. It brought back that love of finding a theme and creating something from it. Then I got into cosplay in quite a big way. I’ve always been a bit of a nerd, but I started going to conventions and making costumes. And it’s more fun to be a Tudor Wonder Woman, for example, than just a regular ten-a-penny Wonder Woman right? While this was happening, I was simultaneously being introduced to Manchester and modern drag culture through friends. Going to Manchester and seeing places like Cha Cha Boudoir and witnessing this creative and artistic scene; it was about transformation, art and politics. I found it really interesting and stimulating.
So, when did you make the step to your own studio space and starting up as a business? My friend Sophie Cooke (Imogen’s Imagination) had a studio in Exchange Place and me and my husband decided to get a studio space there, initially was just as a workshop for our own costume making but it’s amazing how my work became elevated just by having that dedicated space. It focused my mind (and made tidying up easier). Ever since I was 15 and making 60s minidresses out of curtains people would tell me I should sell them, but I was under no illusions about the quality of my output. Having the studio, that dedicated space, and the time to do it, it just made me realise this is what I wanted to do: it was my thing. I was in my mid-30s and at a point where I didn’t care what people thought anymore. I enjoyed making frocks, so I just thought: why don’t I just make frocks?
3 Anna Phylactic shot by Neil Kendall Hair Florenica’s Wigs
Who was your first client? I started by making stuff for a friend, Penny Slotz, basically for nothing, just to test the water really. Then at party in Manchester, I was talking to Anna Phylactic, and I told her I’d just started making frocks for other people and would love to make her something. So yeah, I went up to one of the most famous drag queens in Manchester and asked if I could make them a frock, which I did. That was about six years ago now, and that was the moment where my working relationship with Anna started. She’s my bestest, my muse.
Anna Phylactic shot by Chris Saunders
Narcissa Nightshade shot by Meggo Photo Hair by Miss Blair
What advice would you give to other makers in your field of work? Everything I make, I’m pushing my practice and never stopping learning. I’m never satisfied with anything I take it very seriously. You’re never going to improve if your already think you’re perfect, right? And keep any drama off social media. It’s neither clever nor classy. How does the creative process work when a client comes to you? Occasionally somebody has a really specific idea of what they want and will ask me if I can make it. The other way, which is slightly more common, stems from how I have a reputation for certain style of work: historically themed, detail-oriented and opulent. So, folks who know they want something in that vein come to me with a concept and we take it from there. What are the most difficult aspects of what you do? Fitting. In a normal situation, I’d meet them, take their measurements, make up a toile, fit that. No two bodies are the same and no two Drag Queen/King bodies are precisely the same twice in a row. It’s hard enough getting it done properly in real life! I’ve come to the conclusion that doing a remote fitting is basically impossible. During the pandemic doing such things over Zoom or whatever was not the one. Seven toiles for one outfit and it still doesn’t fit. Nightmare. What is the most satisfying thing about what you do? I get to make people feel beautiful and powerful. I’m rarely satisfied with my work, but three or four months down the line when a photoshoot emerges, or when someone posts a video talking about how happy or how good they feel in it, that’s the most rewarding thing. I want to make people happy.
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Is that the next step? I don’t know but I think about this often. It is this kind of monolith of drag culture. It is a bit of a double-edge sword. Personally, I’m not someone who would ever be snippy about someone else’s work, as I just think you do what you do and if you’re having a good time that’s what matters but Drag Race is a competition, and part of that competition is the critique aspect, which sometimes is very harsh. Imagine there was a Queen wearing something I made, which we both liked and then it gets read for filth on national television… When that happens I immediately think about the talented person who made it. It’s got to be such a kick in the teeth, hasn’t it? But yeah, come through Season 4… *fingers crossed*
Pretentious Dross shot by Neil Kendall Hair Florenica’s Wigs
With the rising popularity of drag culture in the modern day media via platforms like Ru Paul’s Drag Race and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, have you noticed more of a younger audience getting involved? Some of my costumes were used to dress the set in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie! I would say a lot of my audience are young on social media, who I assume are drag fans rather than fans of a 41-year-old redhead with a Ferrero Rocher addiction, but they aren’t often my clients. The thing with being a Baby Queen is the money side of things. In the drag world, even during the pandemic, there is a constant need for new content. That’s expensive and time-consuming. It’s expensive having stuff made and not everybody can afford it. I do an annual competition where I make a costume for free, which is my way of giving back to the community I’m lucky enough to work in. I have started attracting some names - still yet to get anything on Drag Race itself though!
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Pretentious Dross shot by Neil Kendall Hair Florenica’s Wigs
lizziebiscuits.com / @lizziebiscuits
MAKERS
FRANZVON
Sheffield-based musical innovator, afro-fusion artist and emcee Franz Von fuses reggae, hip-hop, roots and rap sounds in his work, regularly collaborating with artists in the Steel City and across the UK. What were your early creative inspirations? I soaked up a lot of different styles of music from a young age growing up in Jamaica. Music is a big part of the country’s culture. Living there you can actually feel how important it is - not just for entertainment, but to give people hope and strength. Sometimes certain artists are the only voice to speak for the people. I was a big reggae dancehall fan. I was influenced by artists like Ninja Man, Beenie Man, Buju Banton. That said, I kinda lost the connection for a while and fell in love with hip hop when I moved to the UK. But this also meant that by the time I started writing I had a wide range of inspirational artists to draw from, a lot of the classic artists like Nas, Wu Tang, Biggie, but then mixed with UK artists like Rodney P, Melanin 9, Klashnekoff, Roots Manuva. Throw in the general life experience of moving from Jamaica to the UK and looking at life in an almost completely different way… that’s some mad creative inspiration right there. When did you first start making music? The first bit of music I made and put out was a 23/24 track mixtape called Sunday Dinner Raps. I recorded that at a studio in All Saints Community Centre in Ellesmere, and sadly, like so many other much-needed community centres, that’s been closed down now. At the time I was just writing and rapping to myself or anyone that would listen, just because I enjoyed it so much. I would download beats from YouTube, record my vocals, get a decent mix, and - boom! That was the process. How has that creative process changed over time? I’ve always really loved writing and challenging myself to write better, so I now take more time to think about what I want to say, how I want it to be received by the listener, how I capture a feeling or set the mood and translate that into something interesting or entertaining. I love to be in a studio session with a producer and working on different ideas, meticulously building 42 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
the track.Most times I’ll be jotting down ideas for lyrics and different rhyming patterns to match the beat, or we create the beat to fit with my lyrics. I have many songs written so we just jam ideas around it, everybody adds something creatively. I then use the opportunity to play some new ideas at gigs and see how it’s received, what I can change or maybe just scrap it and start something fresh. What are the most challenging aspects of what you do? Keeping up with social media and online activity. I do this full-time so the admin side of things can be really boring and sometimes challenging. I might be in a creative zone ready to write or work on some music, but then I might have to sort out some paperwork or respond to emails, etc, and my concentration is somewhere else and it slows down the whole process. Arranging and organising a band can also be a challenge: the travel logistics and scheduling for busy musicians who play all over the country can be mad sometimes. What about the most rewarding aspects? One of the most rewarding things is playing live, performing. Sometimes it happens when you’re just in the moment, enjoying it, and you can see the audience enjoying it, it just feels like you’re connected and there’s this mad energy. I love it. How important is to be part of a creative community in a city like Sheffield? The support alone is so valuable, especially now. I’ve seen more and more people affected by mental health illness. Just the uncertainty of how things have been has had a massive impact on me personally, so I’m really grateful to be part of a creative community - around people having similar experiences that I can talk to, bounce ideas off and help inspire each other to keep creating.We can celebrate that we are still here. We need each other; humans need humans. @franzvon_zongo /Franz Von plays Dorothy Pax with Smiling Ivy on Friday 26th November. Tickets are £9+bf and available from eventbrite. co.uk.
SAVANAH FORTE “I love the fact that every commission portrait I do is personal for the customer. The photos of their loved ones are immortalised in a piece of art.”
Savanah Forte is a 25-year-old Fine Art graduate from Leeds Arts University. Now based in Sheffield, Savanah specialises in photorealistic images of people and pets created using a variety of mediums, mainly Copic markers and Prismacolour pencils. As often is the case, it wasn’t a straightforward journey from higher education into dream creative job after leaving uni. “I’ve always loved to draw,” she says. “However, a lack of money and the urge to go travelling landed me in a call centre. This was meant to be short term, but two years later I was still there. I had people constantly telling me I was wasting my talent, yet the thought of leaving a reliable steady income held me back.” For many creatives, the myriad effects of lockdown – getting furloughed from day jobs, the removal of wider life distractions, an increase in personal time and space – despite the clear and obvious challenges posed, also provided a welcome period of reflection and the space to recharge the batteries somewhat. Looking to fill the newfound spare time in a productive manner, Savanah began to do a few portraits for friends using biro and pencil, which eventually led to some commission work. Things quickly escalated and the orders began to multiply as the months passed, a period of success that left the artist with a decision to make once furlough came to an end: return to the repetitive daily grind, or build on recent accomplishments and start up her own art business? Deciding that life is too short, Savanah chose the latter. Today, just over a year down the line, the artist has her own studio with Yorkshire Artspace and tells us she is relishing every minute. “I am lucky enough to be my own boss and create illustrations for a living; I go to the studio where I’m able to experiment and create in my own little world. I’m so grateful that at a time where life was so dark, I managed to turn it into something positive and life-changing.” @savanahforteart WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 43
MAKERS
JULIET FORREST “I started off by having a bit of a play, then it just sort of took off from there. I got my own kiln so I could start doing the traditional painting techniques… and I eventually just fell in love with glass.” Juliet Forrest is a stained and fused glass artist specialising in detailed hand-painted, kiln-fired works made from her studio in Walkley. Earlier this year she was awarded first prize by the Glazier’s Company - one of the ancient Livery Companies of the City of London - in the coveted Stevens Competition, which saw up-and-coming glass artists from across the country
submit designs for a commissioned architectural glass screen. It serves as a cherished landmark in what Juliet admits has been something of a random career path to becoming a glass artist. From studying zoology at university to starting up her own handmade greeting card company post-graduation, followed by a stint in occupational therapy and later delivering courses for mental health charity Sheffield Mind, it’s fair to say it’s not been the most linear path into the art business. “Around the time I was working with Sheffield Mind I started doing a lot of painting,” Juliet tells us. “I’ve always made bits and bobs throughout my life, so I eventually started putting things in exhibitions - and to my amazement people were starting to buy things. It was my friend’s mum who lent me a book on glass painting; I’ve always enjoyed playing about with materials and it sounded like it’d be a fun hobby.” However, after being enamoured by the versatility of the material and the working processes involved, it didn’t take long for Juliet to swap canvas for glass as her main artistic output. “I just completely fell in love with it,” she says. “I started off by having a bit of a play, then it just sort of took off from there. I got my own kiln so I could start doing the traditional painting techniques… and I eventually just fell in love with glass. All my painting after that was done on glass.” Head to Juliet’s Etsy page and you’ll find example of the versatile creations that sparked her passion - from sparkling 3D fused glass light catchers to exquisite stained glass panels made using techniques passed down through the centuries. Over on the website (which she explains is overdue an update) and social media pages you’ll see examples of more large-scale commission pieces from celestial door panels to display panels picturing teeming coral environments. “When I was painting on canvas, I’d always go through a stage where there was a huge amount of angst and I’d basically hate what I’d made so far. But with glass it’s different. You know what you need to do to get to the end point, so it’s kind of planned and you have the steps to work through: cutting, grinding, paint, putting it together. It’s therapeutic and I like how every day is different.” @juliet_forrest_glass / etsy.com/JulietForrestGlass 44 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Craft Beer Bar & Bottle Shop Leadmill Rd, S1 4SE
Venue available for hire. Follow us on @industryhophouse
@industryhophouse
21 Rotating Craft Keg Lines // Wines Spirits & Non-Alcoholic Beers Venue Available for Hire 85 Sidney Street, Sheffield, S1 4RG // 0114 303 9390 Follow us @industrytapsheffield
MAKERS
DAN SCAPES Dan is an award-winning photographer based in Sheffield, capturing landscapes, journeys and details that bottle up the feeling of the outdoors both close to home and environments further afield. Tell us a bit about what you do… The majority of my work is landscape and nature photography. A lot of it’s been inspired by the Peak District being on the doorstep here. And that’s where I kind of started, you know, going out on hikes and walks there with a camera. When did you first start out taking pictures outdoors?
That was probably around about 10/11 years ago, as in when I really sort of started to get into photography quite seriously. Since then, it’s kind of taken me to lots of different places: Scotland, Italy, Iceland, Nepal, the Alps, Dolomites. I’ve been lucky enough to shoot in some great places.
How did this go from hobby to occupation in that respect? I guess it starts with the interest in being out outdoors. As a kid I went to the Lake District a lot, climbing mountains up there and those sorts of things. And then once I finished uni and had a bit more kind of time on my hands, when I was working and looking for something to do on weekends, I started going out to the Peak District more. It kind of came through that in terms of wanting to take better pictures of where I was, so I started reading about photography, and it was something that just seemed easy to stay interested in. Very much self-taught then? Yeah, you kind of get those things every now and again, where it doesn’t feel like you have to force yourself to learn about it and you just go out and do it more. I just kept on upgrading the camera, went out more and more, and I’d say it took three or four years to get to that stage of feeling like I knew what I was doing. In 2014, about four years after I started, I picked up an award in landscape photography for a picture of the Arts Tower in Sheffield, so that was kind of a motivation to start taking it a bit more seriously selling prints of my work. What would you say are the most challenging aspects of landscape photography? I think it’s tricky for me doing it alongside my day job. It’s tough because it involves travel, and it’s finding that time to get to new places and explore; it’s not as easy to just turn up somewhere for an hour as you’re very much working with the conditions, which means ideally you want to go somewhere for a week, or at least a few days, to be able to try and get some good weather. The other challenge is just often the best time of day is first thing in the morning and it can be difficult to get out of bed for those early bird shots. If I could switch that switch, then I’d probably be 10 times more productive.
What sort of things do you mostly aim to capture in your photography?
I think the main thing with landscape is light. You can be anywhere really and if you can get the right light and some dramatic conditions, it’s going to look good. Stormy days tend to be much better than nice, sunny days because you just get that changeability with the cloud and light, maybe a bit of rain, then maybe a rainbow appear, etc. I think that’s why sometimes it’s really rewarding to get photos in and around Sheffield and places locally: it’s easier to find the right conditions and the right light. Do you have a favourite place to shoot? Or maybe a series that you’ve worked on? It’s difficult as it does change from time to time. As far as like a collection of images, the ones from Nepal are probably a favourite, just because it’s somewhere that I’ve read about a lot, I’d read all the mountain stories and climbing stories, so to spend three weeks there and take pictures every day was really enjoyable. And in terms of kind of the more local side of it, I really enjoy Surprise View in the Peak District. Padley Gorge and Bole Hill Quarry are other local areas that I like to go to, especially now with the Autumn colours coming on. What really ignites the passion for what you do? For me, it’s mostly just being in and capturing the outdoors. I think that’s the thing with all photography: it’s interesting to learn, but you’ve got to apply it to something else that you’re passionate about and genuinely interested in. You need that initial passion and then the photography aspect allows you to explore it a bit deeper.
jordancarrollfilm.com / @jordancarroll_film
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MAKERS
JORDAN CARROLL Jordan Carroll is an award-winning film director, cinematographer and editor based in Sheffield, operating nationwide and specialising in documentary and promotional videos as well as music content for TV, cinema and social media platforms. Over
the years he’s worked on a range of projects promoting the Steel City creative scene including videos for iconic venues, exhibitions and artists. Away from work Jordan can often be found enjoying the city’s outdoors culture, traversing the Peak District camera in hand, continuing to capture those vibrant images and moments in life.
How did you first start making films a? Early on I was really into MTV and skate culture. I really liked the DIY nature of the sport and how they filmed themselves with VHS tapes and fisheye lenses. MTV tapped into this style in the early days and was very rough and ready with most of its content. I was given the opportunity by my high school to drop a week of work experience to take part in a music video competition called ‘MTV Boom’. I was given a one-minute track by Graham Coxon and had to make a video with a small team. We ended up filming me three times to play all the members of the band and then glued it all together into one shot. We got to go to London on a school trip as some of our videos were shortlisted, and ultimately our team won the competition. Some of the judges worked for big agencies and I was given work experience down in Soho at 15/16, living out of a hostel one summer. How my school allowed it I’ll never know. But those early on-set experiences on big label music videos really sparked my interest. What inspired to continue down that path? I think working in a creative field as a job seemed like a whole new world. I was from a working-class part of Hull and everybody ended up in the same kind of labour/service jobs. I knew that wasn’t for me. I felt out of place by the way I dressed, how I behaved, and now what I wanted to be when I was older. I knew I had to leave Hull back then, and film production was that escape for me.I do what I do now because it gives me immense freedom. The freedom to pick my own hours, take time off when I want and go on holiday when I feel the time is right. I also really like diversity and everyday is different. I like the challenge of getting out there into the world and making a name for yourself. Could you talk us through your creative process today? Film and video can be quite formulaic, which is both good and bad. It’s good because you follow a pattern and get very good at it, but it’s bad because if you’re not careful you can fall into a trap of
making the same content and getting bored. Most promos I make take a day to film and two to edit. So it becomes quite straightforward when advising quotes and timescales. You also have a set way of telling a story and how you show it. However, when I work in a more traditional cinema setting, that all goes out the window. I usually stick to the camera department, working long days overcoming different challenges in new environments. I like fluttering back and forth between my promo work and film. They both offer different challenges but the great thing about film is that I’m surrounded by a team who all specialise in their own area, and together we make art. What spaces or sources to you tend to turn to for creative kicks? I really love spaces in the real world. In film you can get stuck on a set, behind a camera or behind a laptop. But I really like to travel, swim and exercise. With all these things it’s about getting back into the real world and seeing what’s around. The Peaks are an obvious place to escape and feel inspired, but I also like to travel further afield to places like Wales and the Lakes. If that fails, a gentle stroll through town can be fun, too. Even just to take a break from work and grab a coffee. My office is towards the canal area of Sheffield, and I really like the old world feeling around there. The Five Weirs Walk is full of character and takes you back in time a bit. Any chance to get a breath of fresh air, maybe with a camera in hand, can spark all sorts of ideas for future projects. Do you have specific ethos when it comes to your work? As work has become more stable in recent years, I’ve started to prioritise myself over chasing the money. I’ve realised that my job is great, but it shouldn’t be my whole identity. I need to pursue
things away from that space and look after myself. I am very lucky to work as a freelancer and don’t take it for granted. But if I worked a standard 9-5, 5 days a week doing it then I might as well have a full-time job somewhere else. So when it’s a little quieter I embrace it and go rock climbing or have a lazy day. Because sometimes it gets very intense, and I work 14 hour days for weeks on end with no days off in sight. How important is it for you to be part of a thriving creative community? How has Sheffield inspired what you do? Sheffield is great because of its size. And being a filmmaker is great because you meet so many people to be in your films. I’ve really learnt a lot about the amazing creatives in this city by documenting them and collaborating with them. It creates a reverb effect for me because their work inspires me and new ideas come from that. Early on in Sheffield I was very into urban exploration and the city was awash with old factories and spaces you could explore and that informed my work. Now that it is regenerating and those places don’t exist as much, I’ve explored further afield to the edges of the city and the canals. Buildings have a profound effect on me; I love finding new locations to film in and create a world within. What pieces of work are you most proud of and why? The films I love the most are usually the small ones that feel honest and organic; those films have less pressure and you can call more of the shots. A couple years ago I made a poetry film with Nadia Emam called To My Father, which we shot at sunrise in Winnats Pass one summer. It was just the two of us and we had so much fun filming it and editing it. It all came together so nicely and I think we ended up with a beautiful little piece. That film opened up so many doors for me in the narrative film space as a cinematographer and furthered my career. It just goes to show what passion projects can do for you. jordancarrollfilm.com / @jordancarroll_film WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 49
MAKERS
BLACK BRIGHT THEATRE Black Bright Theatre is a new theatre company based in Sheffield producing dark, femaleled writing. We spoke to writer/ artistic director Madeleine Farnhill and company manager/ producer Helen Denning heard about the processes behind creating live theatre. How did Black Bright Theatre first come about? In a word, boredom. The core team consists of Madeleine Farnhill and Helen Denning. Knowing each other from our university theatre society, the two of us came together during the March 2020 lockdown to discuss producing a play Maddie was writing. Initially, we didn’t think further than this single production. We wanted to bring together a group of independent artists to collaborate on a project. We’re lucky enough to be friends with some incredibly talented technicians, graphic designers, performers and musicians and wanted to give as many of them a chance to get back to doing what they do best – live theatre. The result of this was The Hunger. We started off as co-directors, with Maddie as the show’s writer and Helen as the show’s producer. After a sell-out run of well received performances at DINA venues, we made the decision to establish a theatre company. Maddie became the artistic director and writer, and Helen became the company manager and producer. That was the beginning of Black Bright Theatre. Is there a specific ethos behind what you create? Black Bright is a Yorkshire phrase meaning filthy or very dirty (Maddie’s mum often uses it to describe their family dog after a walk). We felt the griminess evoked by this expression, and the fact that Maddie is a Yorkshire lass, lent ‘Black Bright’ as an ideal name for our company and the work we produce. We had a desire to create female-led, story-driven theatre with complex female characters at the forefront, that offer authentic and unique representation of underrepresented regions in theatre, whilst also tackling dark subject matters. You’ll notice our emphasis on the ‘female experience’. Both of us have seen a lot of work churned out which solely posits female characters as victims or plot devices for the male leads, rather than existing in their own right. To counter this, we want to champion female voices in theatre making, and offer complex and thoughtful representa tions of women to female actors of varying ages.
What were you doing before setting up the company? Helen was working a full-time job at Northern General Hospital after graduating from her Philosophy and Religion degree in the 2020 lockdown. There weren’t many theatre jobs available, so admin in the liver department was the next best thing! Maddie was completing her third year of her English and Theatre degree during the 2020/21 lockdowns. Suffice to say, we were both desperate for a creative outlet that had been taken away so abruptly due to the pandemic and restrictions on in person collaborations. What sort of things might people not know about when it comes to pulling together an independent production? A lot of admin is involved in putting on a production – most of the preparation processes were done behind a screen! It’s a lot of ‘who you know’, and luckily, we were fortunate enough to have a pool of creatives already from our university theatre company, who’d gone on to do freelance work, that we could contact and work with. It also requires casting the net wide in terms of venue, set sourcing and auditions etc, if you don’t ask you don’t get! Fortunately, most people are wanting to help you, as people are generally keen to support small artists. Finally, we cannot overstate the importance of social media when it comes to publicising our own show. We set up the pages ourselves, garnered a following ourselves, and used it every chance we could to create hype and spread word about the show. We also used it to find our two wonderful actors who responded to our open casting call. In short, we have been very fortunate to know the talented people we do to put this production together!
Could you talk us through your respective roles within the company and what they consist of? Helen Denning is our Company Manager and Show Producer, meaning she is chiefly responsible for publicity, organising social events, managing our social media pages, handling financial matters, correspondence between venues and our technical team, and putting together a dedicated production team. Maddie is the Artistic Director and Writer. As our resident playwright, she writes and directs all of our productions, co-directing The Hunger with show producer Helen. She is in charge of the overall artistic vision for the company and the work we produce, having the final say in the content of our performances. Maddie’s passion for stories that represent women and underrepresented regions in Britain forms the basis of the work that we produce. Ultimately, we see Black Bright as a partnership project and work together very closely on all elements of Black Bright. We believe communication between creatives is the most important part of any endeavour, and share this ethos with everybody we work with on shows. Do you have any new productions in the pipeline? As well as reworking The Hunger for its tour, Maddie is also working on another script that we aim to debut over the next couple of years. Like The Hunger, the play has an all-female cast and is set in rural Britain, yet swaps the dramatic landscape of North Yorkshire to the dense forests of North Wales. Farnhill wanted to write a play that actively engages with the fact that it’s characters are female, rather than them just happening to be the tellers of the story, tapping into folklore and psychological horror to externalise the experiences of being a woman, and being watched. However, our main focus and priority currently is our 2022 Tour of The Hunger! We shall be touring our original production The Hunger in unique, independent Northern venues in York, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, and – of course – Sheffield. Keep your eyes peeled for the set up of our social media and publicity, launching soon! @thehungertheatre WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 51
GIN EXPERIENCE:
Make your
own Gin
Gin
EXPERIENCE MAKE YOUR OWN GIN
Join us for Sheffield’s premier hands-on gin making experience using mini stills and real botanicals. Here at Locksley Distilling we are thrilled that we can share our distillery with the world, welcoming you to witness, taste and immerse yourself in all of our magic! We’d love for you to visit us in the heart of Sheffield at Portland Works, a grade 2* listed building, and the birthplace of stainless steel. Here our small yet dedicated team have been creating, producing, and inspiring since 2014. Although we know we are never going to be the biggest distillery, we always aspire to be the best and love nothing more than sharing our passion with our fellow artisan drinks enthusiasts!
Scan to book
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK ON THE LOCKSLEY DISTILLING GIN EXPERIENCE PLEASE VISIT:
www.locksleydistilling.com/shop/gin-experience-make-your-own-gin/
MAKERS
KAYE STANTON Pippins Denim owner Kaye Stanton founded her Sheffield-based sustainable childrenswear brand back in 2018, originally making denim staples for kids from the offcuts of old jeans. These days, their denim is made in Italy by Candiani Denim, recognised as the most sustainable denim mill in the world and her range of jeans, coats and shorts have been stocked in both Selfridges’ London store and online. Sheffield is at the heart of Kaye’s operation and after the denim leaves Italy and arrives in the UK, everything is cut and sewn in small batches in Kaye’s studio, a former city-centre cutlery works. This allows them to have full control over waste, which they save to repurpose, making sure they’re never overproducing. Kaye, who comes from a long line of seamstresses, said: “I try to have a considered approach to design and make a conscious effort to have as minimal impact on people and the planet as possible. “If you asked me why I do what I do, I think the truth is I just can’t help it. I’m a self-confessed denim obsessive. It was actually after struggling to find any good quality and simple denim pieces for my own daughter that the idea for the brand started to come to life. “I was working in the vintage industry at the time and after seeing firsthand the amount of denim ending up as waste, I saw an opportunity to make something which could help solve that problem alongside my own frustrations. Few people can say their brand started from the legs of old jeans!” Kaye, who is originally from Telford, moved to Sheffield for university and almost immediately fell in love with the city’s architecture and manufacturing heritage. She now lives and works in Sheffield with her husband, two daughters and brand mascot, Morris the dog, and is keen to emphasise the important
role Sheffield has on her work. She said: “Sheffield has such a rich history rooted in making and manufacturing, so to keep that connection alive as part of a new wave of independents, artisans and makers that can be found throughout the city is really important to me. “The city also inspires me with its design and architecture. My heart belongs to concrete and old council estates. Park Hill, a Brutalist housing estate in Sheffield never fails to inspire me, I would love to see the lives and stories that went on behind the concrete. I think it echoes the reasons why I also love denim; the minimalist construction which allows the materials, the structure and the design to speak for itself. “The most rewarding thing about making my pieces is seeing them then being worn and loved by kids and their parents all over the world. I find designing a very personal thing - whether I like it or not - so it always feels like I’m putting a little bit of myself out there each time I make something. To know that a piece goes beyond fulfilling its functional purpose to actually adding joy and value to lives makes it all worthwhile.”
“Sheffield has such a rich history rooted in making and manufacturing, so to keep that connection alive as part of a new wave of independents, artisans and makers that can be found throughout the city is really important to me.” Pippins Denim / www.pippinsdenim.com / Instagram: @pippinsdenim WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 53
at
Christmas set menu available throughout December
Lunch 3 courses £30 Dinner 3 courses £40
Large groups welcome Perfect for works parties or family gatherings Private dining room available
a taste of Yorkshire 0114 270 6160 silversmiths-restaurant.com 111 Arundel St, Sheffield S1 2NT
FOOD AND DRINK
A NEW ERA BEGINS The operators of one of Sheffield’s hottest new food and drink destinations have announced they are set to welcome two new bars and several new restaurants to the square in the coming months. Elegant Japanese restaurant Doki Kagoshima will open next month at the £70m New Era Square development at St Mary’s Gate and has strong ambitions to become the number one, flagship Japanese restaurant in Sheffield. As well as the Asian fine dining, visitors will also be treat to a modern sports bar, as well as an elegant and sophisticated wine and cocktail bar called La Belle Vie, set to open its doors in time for the festive period. Operators are remaining tightlipped about their plans for the bars, but New Era’s Managing Director, Jerry Cheung, revealed how the bars will form key cornerstones of his visionary development. “In the months since covid restrictions began to be lifted, we’ve worked incredibly hard to finalise deals and bring some of the most exciting independent food and drink retailers in the UK to Sheffield. These two bars will act as important anchors to the whole development. They will significantly contribute to both the day and evening local economy – supporting several of the other businesses within the scheme. I’m sure the new sports bar will also prove popular with
the city’s football fans on matchdays. It will be a modern, stylish sports venue with amazing food and drink.” New Era Square currently features restaurants, street food kiosks, the city’s largest oriental supermarket and shops – all located around a modern public square with iconic panda art installations. The award-winning 430,000 sq ft development, which businessman Jerry Cheung first envisioned more than 15 years ago, also includes 650 student residences, apartments and penthouses, plus a Grade A office building and gym. “It was always my dream to create a bustling destination for visitors looking to discover somewhere new and exciting to socialise with friends and family,” says Jerry. “The whole site is now buzzing with restaurants and street food outlets and over the next few months we’ve got several more high-quality openings planned.” OISOI Gathering at New Era Square is now open, while another new addition, Yum Yum
Bites, is serving up Taiwanese street food. Lykke, a cool Scandinavian-styled café, specialises in Nordic and north European cuisine, proving popular with both city centre and London Road foodies. Three new restaurants will open in January. These include an authentic Indian restaurant with tasting menu, Naco Brazilian Steak House, a Portuguese restaurant offering delicious barbecue meats and limitless salad and a new vegetarian/ vegan restaurant which promises sensational Chinese cooking techniques and a perfect fusion of Western flavours. newerasquare.co.uk
SQUARED AWAY
Sheffield’s new £70m New Era Square development burts onto the city’s food and drink scene as restrictions were eased earlier this year. New Era Square at St Mary’s Gate features restaurants, street food kiosks, the city’s largest oriental supermarket and shops – all located around a modern public square with impressive panda art installations. The Square also includes over 650 student residences, apartments and penthouses. “New Era Square blends the dynamism and energy of modern China and South East Asia with the best of Western culture,” explained Sheffield businessman Jerry.
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FOOD AND DRINK
RACE TO THE FINISH Vegan doner kebab specialists set up shop at 92 Burton Road
True North Brew Co. has announced the opening of its newest venue, The Horse & Jockey. Offering a cosy local at the heart of Wadsley, just up the road from Hillsborough, the friendly pub is set to open on Friday 5 November. The Horse and Jockey embodies True North’s reputation for renovating and reinvesting in historic buildings to create new jobs for the hospitality industry, with 15 jobs being generated for this grand re-opening. Led by architect Tracy- Jane Neal, the design and interiors are inspired by 1930’s art deco to complement the original building. The first floor has been transformed into a 34-seater private function room and is the perfect area for private dining, baby showers, engagements, and birthday parties. Guests are invited to indulge in homemade food from Sunday roasts, sharing platters, pizzas, pies, and small plates. Alongside cocktails, gin, cask ales, lagers, ciders, and guest beers. Amplifying the S6 pub scene, the opening will also unveil the installation of an outdoor rum bar and two heated areas available to hire with a capacity of up to 90 people, aptly named the Paddock and Stable yard. The Horse & Jockey General Manager, 56 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Hannah Beddow has worked in the industry for 16 years and when asked about the opening said: “Following six months of the Horse & Jockey being closed for renovation, we’re delighted to be welcoming guests back to the pub with such an exciting new opening, and especially in time for the festive season. “We aim to be a friendly, local pub with a safe, welcoming, and warm environment. “For those who are True North Rewards cardholders, we’re loading a voucher onto your account to give you 20% off food during our opening weekend, Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th November and we look forward to seeing some familiar faces.” The True North Rewards scheme gives cardholders access to special offers, 5% money back on everything you spend and exclusive promotions throughout the year in all True North venues. Sign up before 4th November to redeem the Horse & Jockey opening offer via truenorthbrewco. uk/rewards. The venue is taking food table and function room bookings from 15th November via their website www.thehorsejockey.co.uk and in the meantime will be open daily for walk-ins between 12pm 11pm. For all their latest news and updates, follow them on social media, or head to thehorsejockey.co.uk.
FOOD AND DRINK
RESPECT YOUR ALDERS A new ale house has opened inside Kelham’s Sheffield Brewery Co.
A brand-new bar serving cask, keg and a selection of spirits has opened in Kelham Island’s Sheffield Brewery Co. Alder, which takes its name from the Alder tree, opened last month in the former Victorian-era Polish Factory and is set up as a multi-functional space with the bar and brewery upstairs, function room next door and a cellar for live music as well as extra seating downstairs. The bar is being opened by Sheffield resident and student, Joe Spriggs, who has previously worked for the brewery. He said: “I had worked for the Sheffield Brewery for two years prior, and I loved running the bar. When the opportunity arose for me to take it on myself, it was a no brainer. “After school I did an engineering apprenticeship, some sales jobs, and then began volunteering at the Sheffield Brewery until being employed. I am now in my second year of a BSc in Economics and Accounting, and now own and run Alder. “We chose the name Alder out of our love for nature and what the alder tree represents. Follow our socials for more on Alder.” @alder_bar_sheff
WAZ GOING ON
A new Kashmiri-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar has opened in Wazwān restaurant and its sister cocktail bar Hungāma opened in Leopold Square in October. The bar and restaurant has been created by Yorkshire brother and sister team Yousef and Hibah Mahmood, who hail from a long line of culinary experts. Their grandfather and grandmother, Mohammed Sabir MBE and Fazilat Sabir, founded the award-winning Aagrah restaurant group in 1977, and Fazilat still works with the Wazwān chefs on the creation of new food dishes, with her time-honoured recipes available on the menu. Wazwān and Hungāma will be housed in the former Aagrah restaurant in Leopold Square.
A spokesperson for the venues said they will seek to ‘take guests on a journey of discovery into rich Kashmiri culture and its tastes and customs, balancing time-honoured tradition with up-to-the-minute culinary and cocktail innovation’. They promise to combine authentic cuisine from the Indian subcontinent with the best Yorkshire produce and traditional Kashmiri hospitality. Signature cocktails include the Qahwa Martini, made with an aromatic Kahsmiri spice blend, and black & gold, a long tipple brimming with complex flavours and made with vodka, ginger, honey and Kashmiri tea leaves. wazwan-lsq.com
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FOOD AND DRINK
ORCHARD SQUARE
HISTORY Orchard Square opened in 1987 on the former site of John Brown and Co. Steel Works. Since purchasing Orchard Square in 1999 LAP (London and Associated Properties) have redeveloped the site to now include retail, food and beverage and office space. Tenants include TK Maxx, Fat Face, The Body Shop, Waterstones, Costa, Subway, Blue Banana, Clarks, Scrivens, The Perfume Shop, Virgin Money, Metro Bank and Sheffield independents; La Coup Salon, Leo’s Barbers, Michael Spencer Jewellers, Beauty Jewels, War Games Emporium, Northern Menswear, Mirage, Q Tatoo, Mancave, Terrace Goods.
Orchard Square’s food offer is going from strength to strength and as the festive season approaches there’s lots going on in this little pocket of deliciousness in the heart of Sheffield city centre. Two food destinations that opened just before lockdown and are now in great demand are Terrace Goods and Macpot based on the Terrace in Orchard Square. They are set within the mural Workings of Sheffield, by Will Rea - a 50 foot largescale piece of public art for the external wall overlooking the courtyard that has just won the World Illustration Awards (WIA) 2021 beating 5,280 entries from 82 countries. These two independent food operators opened just before the first lockdown but after some stop start openings over the last 18 months are now experiencing some deserved success following the release of restrictions and visitors being attracted by the tasty menus on offer and being able to eat and drink on the terrace. Terrace Goods owner Richard Ledger says: “Our ethos is about positivity and creating good vibes. We are also proud to have one of the UK’s top 100 bar tenders on our team - Uken Ryan Taylor-Dixon on our team.” Food on offer at Terrace Goods includes Nashville Hot Chicken, Poutine (Canadian chips and gravy) a full deli sandwich counter and Pizza served by the slice. Served on responsibly sourced recyclable plates and trays. All day cocktail menu and beer wall. 58 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Macpot is owned by sisters Hatty and Emily Webster: “It’s Mac & Cheese but not as you remember it!” Sheffield’s first Mac & Cheese joint; Macpot is a fast casual dining space where you can enjoy your nostalgic favourite food, brought bang up to date with different tasty toppings. The menu includes best sellers like the BBQ pulled pork loaded Macpot and new flavours such as Mac & Cheese with buffalo chicken wings. Vegans and GF dietary needs are all catered for too. Both Terrace Goods and Macpot can each accommodate 38 people in their outside eating areas with outdoor heaters. Their inside spaces are comfortable and easy locations to have lunch or dinner. Terrace Goods opening times are Wed/Thurs 4-10.30pm and Fri/Sat noon to 11pm Macpot opening times Tuesday 12:30-8pm, Friday-Saturday 12:30-10pm and Sunday 12:30-5pm www.terracegoods.co.uk www.macpot.co.uk www.orchardsquare.co.uk
SUNDAY-THURSDAY ALL DAY
For Blue Light and Student ID card holders.
FIREit up! FOOD SERVED DAILY UNTIL 10PM Burgers
Wings
Loaded Fries
Nachos
Extra Time Sports Bar
60 Brown St, Sheffield, S1 2BS
T&C - Card must be in date shown at the time of purchase and 1 card covers maximum of 4 people.
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BEER REVERE
One of our favourite bottle shops and bars turns eight this month and our resident beer expert and Hop Hideout owner takes us on a trip down memory lane, as well as letting us in on the deets for this year’s celebrations I can hardly believe it’s been eight years of Hop Hideout. Genuinely, I question myself – where’s the time gone?! When we started the little pop-up beer shop on Abbeydale Road, there was the longstanding Abbeydale Brewery, plus The Broadfield and The Cremorne pubs in the neighbourhood pouring good independent beer. Picture House Social opened up a few years after, and then as we moved to the city centre in early 2019, Abbeydale was transforming into a beer and foodie destination. Looking back over our five years there, it’s wonderful to remember the good times. From monthly meet the brewer events featuring the like of Deya, Siren, Brooklyn Brewery and more, to beer writer hosted tastings with Melissa Cole and Matt Curtis, to our infamous birthday parties. Remember our Bill Murray-themed fancy dress extravaganza with collaboration beers? Steve Yuzu, a yuzu brut pale ale, has to be one of the best collab beers we’ve had the pleasure to be involved with – a huge thanks to Manchester’s Blackjack for going all out on that idea with us. We’ve proudly been involved in many beer collabs over the years. To name a few favs – Endless Toil, an orangey pale ale, with Saint Mars of the Desert and Tom J Newell, which launched alongside Tom’s art exhibition including a bespoke designed glass; Neptune Brewery and the Girls Who Grind Coffee, a big coffee imperial stout, which showcased an all-female talent from coffee producers and roasters all the way through to the brewery and Hop Hideout. Plus the many collabs we’ve done with beery friends Torrside, Elusive Brewing,
Mad Hatter, Black Iris, Lost Industry and Turning Point Brew Co. There’s been lots of beer and food pairing evenings (and even a bit of wine and cider) over the years: barbecue, beer and music collabs, New Zealand beers and Chaat Cart South Indian food pairings, and we can’t forget Mor Mor’s infusion of Middle Eastern influenced cuisine paired with Cloudwater beers. 2020 threw a huge curve ball, as you all know, and in November of that year we celebrated our 7th birthday virtually, putting on an online morning yoga session, Saint Mars of the Desert brewery tour, beer branding talk with writer Pete Brown and finally ending on a Zoom quiz (as most of the pandemic year seemed to entail). This year we’re thankfully back to in-person events, so keep Friday 12 to Sunday 14 November 2021 free. We’ll be working with beer writer, podcaster and virtual beer school host Natalya Watson to curate our tap list, and you can expect a host of classic beer styles to enjoy, revisiting those that often started many of us on our first beer discovery journeys. On Saturday November 13 there’ll be a Hop Hideout social, starting at our space in Kommune foodhall before heading up to Saint Mars of the Desert for a real-life brewery tour (instead of our virtual one last year). Tickets are available online (limited places!) and include a third on arrival at Hop Hideout, plus a snazzy Kev Grey beer cat designed patch:
BY JULES GRAY
HOPPY BIRTHDAY!
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NIGHTLIFE One of our favourite Kelham Island venues The Bar at Yellow Arch Studios has undergone a few changes over the past year, so we popped round for a natter with new Ops Director Stephen Myerthall and Events Diector Russell Frisby to find out what they’ve done with the old place… Words: Ashley Birch In the early noughties I happened to be one of a crowd of local musicians who spent an awful lot of time in what was at that time Sheffield’s red light district, and it was all thanks to one building. The lure of Kelham Island for upstart musicians back in those predevelopment days was mostly down to Yellow Arch Studios. Back then, for a few untroubled hours, you and your band could rehearse in suitably DIY conditions for the very reasonable price of a fiver(ish) each. In those heady days it wasn’t unheard of for you to find Arctic Monkeys in the big room, Milburn rehearsing down the corridor and Reverend and the Makers jamming downstairs. For me, it’s a place packed with memories so when they converted another part of the building into a live venue in 2015, and it competition happened to coincide with my wedding, there was no other venue for our reception. Since then, the space has been home to a ton of epic gigs and became a part of the city’s rave culture. However, during the first lockdown Yellow Arch’s long-time owners had a bit of soul search and decided to hand the bar’s reigns over to fresh operators. One half of the new team are Stephen Myerthall and Russell Frisby who together form Reyt Bluesy Ltd and have been steadily building the community vibe of the venue, while retaining its gig and rave credentials. Stephen said: “We just wanted to go back to the original ethos and tap back into that venue that it was six years ago. We wanted to make sure that it was still a real neighbourhood hangout for the community of Kelham Island and Sheffield, where you can visit even if you don’t have a ticket for a show and still enjoy the atmosphere and have a
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A TRIP TO THE GOLDEN ARCHES
NIGHTLIFE
TOP PICKS THE TUESDAY CLUB: MALL GRAB FRI/SAT ALL MONTH // ROFL // £12 The first event of the new season's dropped and it's a big one! After two previous sell-out shows, we welcome Mall Grab back. Line-up includes Mall Grab, Effy and S.C.D.D. HAZMAT TEAM foundrysu.com
great time. Russell added: “We’re trying to model it on a Brudenell Social Club kinda vibe. You’ve got the venue room, but then you've got the bar, and then there’s the great space outside It’s a place where you can come down on a Friday night and, if it's not sold out, get a ticket on the door. If not, you can just sit and have a pint. “We're still doing a few rave nights and we’re still the home of Planet Zogg, and it’s important that we carry that on, but also that we have a real emphasis on live music, and our ethos is built around that. “I'm a musician, and I know Networks reopening and there’s Sidney and Matilda, but 12 months ago you could probably count on one hand how many venues there were in town, and there’s very few small independent venues” “We wanted to create somewhere that was a small venue that fill that gap in the market and makes space for up and coming acts. I’ve been coming here rehearsing and recording for the last fifteen years, so it's close to my heart as well.” Thanks to the restrictions, it’s taken slightly longer than they first anticipated and the grand re opening lasted just three days, before the country was plunged back into Tier 4 restrictions, forcing them to close once again. But the new team used the time wisely and now feel it’s made the venue even stronger. “It was a benefit really”, says Stephen,
“because it gave us six months to focus on the operations of the business, putting in the right products, finding the right style; we put a lot of focus on the outside courtyard improving the space with two brand new pergolas, brand new seating and making the vibe right in the courtyard. It’s a place where you can come anytime, enjoy the sunshine or stay until two o'clock, three o'clock in the morning. It’s a nice place to sit now. People love it. “We always had a plan in our heads of what we wanted to do and with the closure, it actually gave us time to develop and do what we needed to do. We've seen it go on in leaps and bounds. “There’s a lot of heritage here and we want to carry that heritage on. We fully appreciate what Andy and Colin and Yellow Arch Ltd have done for this business, and for Kelham Island, and we want to carry their dreams on. “It’s a place where grassroot music comes from, where you can put on an up-and-coming band from Sheffield. You remember 10 years ago there was bands everywhere.” Russell added: “The most important thing is that we’re not really changing anything. We’re continuing the vibe, but just trying to offer a broader spectrum of music and events. That's the main difference.” With that in mind, as well as a whole host of gigs coming up through November, they also have a bonfire night spectacular on Friday 5 November, featuring a bonfire in the courtyard, an epic fireworks display, food by Flavour and Flame, hot drinks and of course toffee apples. The evening will also feature live music from Handsome Dan & the Mavericks, Slim Wilson & the Swamp Brothers and DJ sets from Babs.
DIAL UP – THE ULTIMATE 90S PARTY 11 NOV // LEADMILL // £6 Due venue will be transporting you all back to relive all of the best bits of the 90s at Dial Up! Join them as they revel in nostalgia from an era in which most of you weren’t even born, at your new absolute favourite club night. Plus with drinks starting at only 90p and the majority of others costing less than £2 you really will feel like you’ve taken a trip back in history. leadmill.co.uk MAASAI WARRIOR SOUNDSYSTEM SINAI SOUNDSYSTEM 12 NOV // HOPE WORKS // £1O After 18 months since Sinai Sessions last proper dance with Iration Steppas, they’re back for part four at Hope Works. This time they welcome for their Sheffield debut Maasai Warrior Soundsystem. hope-works.co.uk
Kids are welcome until 10pm and early bird tickets are priced £5 and are available here. yellowarch.com/event/yellow-arch-bonfire-party WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 63
WHAT’S GOING ON?
NEIGHBOURHOOD VOICES, BEFORE BREAKFAST, AMY MAY ELLIS 18 DECEMBER Neighbourhood Voices and Before Breakfast present an evening of festive and not so festive music at the cosy, atmospheric Upper Chapel in Sheffield city centre. Since it’s in a church setting be prepared for lyric sheets and audience participation... Doors are at 6.30pm FOR 7pm start. eventbrite.co.uk
SOME OF THE BIG XMAS EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN SHEFFIELD
SHEEFIELD’S CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL OF MUSIC 2021 10 - 11 DECEMBER The Christmas Festival of music in Sheffield has over the last ten years become the outstanding celebration to kick start the Yuletide spirit. Fronted by Singer Songwriter John Reilly and Musical Director Lewis Nitikman who together with Stannington Brass Band, Sheffield Community Choir and operatic Tenor and Soprano Gareth Lloyd and Emily Robinson, perform a spine tingling, emotional concert filled with festive favourites and wondrous musical arrangements, On both evening they will be raising money for the charity ASSIST. artmusicltd.com VILLAGE SCREEN DRIVE IN CINEMA 23 – 28 JUNE 2022 Have yourself a merry little Christmas… and join The Village Screen at their festive Drive In Cinema this December at Gulliver’s Valley Resort. Enjoy all the Christmas classics from the comfort of your own car with some yummy street food Their Drive In events are kept deliberately small and intimate to ensure everyone attending has a fantastic experience and a great view of the screen. Early Bird tickets are nearly sold out so head to our website to grab your tickets. thevillagescreen.com 64 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
KATE RUSBY AT CHRISTMAS IN SHEFFIELD // 15 DEC Famously down to earth, for over twenty years Kate’s engaging personality and sharp Yorkshire wit have further endeared her to concert goers everywhere and it is in her special Christmas concerts that all these elements combine to exquisite effect. Joined by her band including the very best musicians and of course, the ‘Brass Boys’. A Kate Rusby Christmas Concert perpetuates the tradition of Yorkshire carols, Specific carols sung in the crowded pubs of South Yorkshire. Kate sat in the corner of those crowded pubs as a child, so the songs she brings to these shows are in her bones. sheffieldcityhall.co.uk
SHEFFIELD CHRISTMAS MARKETS 12 NOV – 24 DEC This market has grown from a handful of cabins on the main shopping area of Sheffield to an entire Christmas experience of 50 cabins. Santa’s Grotto is at the heart of the event with an exciting bar and the traditional German Sausage grill. The Christmas cabins cover Fargate, Town Hall Square and Peace Gardens with fantastic Christmas gifts, and lots of seasonal food and drink. Santa’s Grotto guarantees a meeting with the big man himself with a photo opportunity and top quality gifts for every child sheffieldchristmasmarkets.co.uk
XMAS LIGHTS SWITCH ON // 15 NOV The Sheffield Christmas Lights Switch On event takes place across the city centre. The 2021 event will include choirs, Santa’s grotto, carolling, panto, street entertainment, Christmas markets, children’s tv and film characters, Christmas craft activities and fairground rides too. There is plenty for everyone to enjoy and get into the festive spirit. Heart Yorkshire presenters will host the stage programme with a mix of Christmas music, entertainment and interviews. The special headline switch on guests will be announced when the big day draws nearer
VICTORIAN XMAS MARKET 4 DEC Gather under the gaslamps and celebrate the start of the festive season as the much-loved Victorian Christmas Market returns! With over 80 market stalls selling an array of Sheffield made wares, quality gifts and seasonal goods, you’ll find the perfect presents and stocking fillers for your loved ones.Enjoy food and drink, from traditional hog roast to wood fired pizza. Relax in the Millowners Arms or warm up with a mulled wine.You’ll be spoilt for choice with Christmassy crafts in Santa’s Workshop, miniature engine rides on the Kelham Flyer, the return of the Selfie Sleigh plus meet the main man himself in Santa’s Grotto - don’t forget to bring your wish list! simt.co.uk CHRISTMAS CAROL @ SHEFF CATHEDRAL 14 DECEMBER Charles Dickens’ classic ghost story is brought alive in this wonderfully traditional production, complete with beautiful period costume, song, dance, and a magnificent original musical score.Join critically acclaimed Chapterhouse Theatre Company for this family treat, as Scrooge’s frozen heart begins to melt, and he finally embraces the festive spirit in the most Christmassy of Christmas takes.There will be a bar open pre-performance and during the interval. .sheffieldcathedral
ALSO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR... CHATSWORTH CHRISTMAS MARKET PLANTOLOGY CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP SWING INTO CHRISTMAS: SYMPHONIC POP CONCERT SECRET GARDEN EARLY YULETIDE ‘THE BEGINNING’ AT SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL
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MUSIC
REVIEW: LOSTBOY Lostboy are an indie rock band composed of four secondary school friends: Max Clutterbuck (singer/songwriter), Jack Berry (lead guitar), Henry Robinson (bass) and Ethan Reeves (drums). Laura Mills caught their recent homecoming gig at Sidney & Matilda. Words: Laura Mills Sidney & Matilda were the host of Lostboy’s longawaited gig in Sheffield last month. The band graced the stage with a sense of something to prove, and that they did. Frontman Max showed sheer enthusiasm the moment he took to the stage waving his hands and shouting to the adoring crowd. His interactions with the audience began the moment our eyes met his. He addressed the crowd comically, bellowing “We all survived Covid!”, evoking laughter from the crowd. The set list for this show was chosen carefully but effectively, giving fans Lostboy’s classics as well as teasing us by playing three new singles which are to be released in the new year. One of the classics in question is ‘Fool’. By far one of my favourite songs played during this gig, the band launched into this track with sheer passion and energy, kicking off the weekend in full swing for the punters of Sidney & Matilda. The guitar’s united together creating a perfect sound, the bass rumbling under electric riffs, backed by heavy beats from the drums. As the bridge kicked in, the frontman had the crowd hanging on his every word while they chanted the lyrics back to him and the band went crazy with their instruments until the very last seconds. Another one of the bands well-loved songs that sent the crowd into carnage was of course, ‘Lita’s Place’. A song that screams everything early Catfish and The Bottlemen, Max transformed into Van McCann before the crowds very eyes through his intense, energised vocals and the instrumental throughout this track didn’t falter. ‘Selfish’, which one of the new unreleased singles, definitely managed to create enormous amounts of anticipation for its release. Every note felt like dream, starting with a slow build up and a faint guitar riff, emerging into this electric chorus, and the crowd couldn’t get enough! Perfect and popular, ‘Bad News’ was undoubtedly the most special part of the evening. There wasn’t a mouth in the venue closed as fans sang every word along with the band. The rapport between the crowd and Lostboy was the strongest during this track and I believe every single person in Sidney and Matilda on this night will remember just how amazing the atmosphere was. Lostboy whatever your mission was for Sheffield, you f**king smashed it! 66 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Pics: Rebecca Wood
14-16 matilda st, s1 4qd
NOW OPEN opening october 2021
MUSIC
PLUGGING THE GAP The former Plug nightclub building has reopened as a ‘fully independent’ live music venue. The once mighty Plug nightclub, which has lain dormant since before the pandemic, has been reborn as an all-new live music venue and nightclub. Owners of popular city-centre record shop Record Junkee revived their short-lived Network venue in the citycentre space in October and have been hosting huge parties in The Matilda Street venue, opposite the record shop. Network was formerly part of the DINA venue, before its recent move to Fitzalan Square, after making way for the Heart of the City II development. The new space accommodates 80 – 1500 capacity gigs in the fully independent venue. Announcing the news, founders said: “Record Junkee is delighted to announce the rebirth of its Network venue at its new location, the former Plug venue and nightclub on Matilda Street,
Sheffield, located directly opposite Record Junkee. “We are building a fully independent live music quarter across our two venues. “We will be operating four rooms as event spaces, live music stages and club nights with capacities ranging from 80 – 1500.” Prior to its closure, Plug suffered numerous setbacks and gained a
PLUG MEMORIES
reputation for a less than stellar sound system. Network have already taken steps to rectify this, realing: “Network will offer a fully rigged venue for touring and in house productions, with a freshly installed speaker system and lighting rig in each room.” More parties and gigs are being added every week and for updates, head over to Network’s socials.
2017 Primal Scream review, by Leo Burrell
facebook.com/networksheffield NETWORK 14 -16 MATILDA ST, SHEFFIELD, S1 4QD
“An atmosphere of disbelief buzzed through Plug on December 10, as Bobby Gillespie prepared to wow Sheffield in one of its biggest venues, which suddenly seemed miniscule, being packed to the rafters with fans of the Scream.The overwhelming presence of Gillespie towered over the crowd, glitzy blazer silhouetted against an impressive array of strip lights. The magic of 1991 album Screamadelica comes first through the subtle ‘Higher than the Sun’. The gig closed out in spectacular fashion, the techno of ‘Swastika Eyes’ firing up the crowd, before five hits worthy of a Glastonbury headline slot tore the roof clean off.”
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KAT EATON THE FIRST RECORD I BOUGHT New Woman 1999 compilation CD, which sounds outrageously sexist now! But it had some classic tearjerkers on: ‘Still The One’ by Shania Twain, ‘All Women’ by Lisa Stansfield, ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ by Tina Turner. So many great female singers and great songs. I remember being 12 or 13 and literally walking around my room in a circle attempting to sing every single lick and pressing rewind 1000 times ‘til I nailed them. Sounds a bit like I was possessed looking back! I guess I kinda was! MY FIRST GIG Battle of the Bands at Silverdale School in Sheffield! A shy 16-year-old guitarist called Nick Atkinson asked me to be in his band so we could compete. We called ourselves Badge and we played 2 original songs written by Nick and ‘Sunshine of Your Love’by Cream and miraculously we won! The prize was studio time at Yellow Arch Studios (where we’ve just had the Album Launch!) and we made an EP. Many moons later Nick and I are married and we’re about to go on tour supporting Jools Holland. THE FIRST SONG I PERFORMED I sang ‘The Dark End of The Street’ by James Carr at a school concert when I was 14. It was a duet with a girl called Catherine and we ware both so nervous. I was a really shy girl and I could barely talk let alone sing to a room full of people! I knew the only way I would be able to push through my shyness was to sing, because talking was waaaay to scary. Seems crazy to me now to think that I was more comfortable singing infront of 100s of people than talk to 1 person! I remember taking a big shaky breath before I was about to sing my verse and the moment when the first note came out the kids in my year on the back row gasped! Ha! I guess they were just shocked that I had a voice at all having never spoken to them before. A SONG I WISH I’D WROTE ‘Into There are so many but ‘A Case Of You’ by Joni Mitchell springs to mind. The chords, the lyrics, the melody, the different versions she’s recorded… all flawless. Man, that songs kills me. She’s a genius!
FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH MUSIC Watching Frank White singing on stage at Victoria Quays Fest when I was 11. I was in a choir singing some twee little songs that weren’t my cuppa tea and then he came on stage after us with this beast of a voice, playing music I’d never heard before. He played and sang with so much emotion it was just oozing out of him. I knew at that moment that I wanted to be a singer and to make people feel the same way I felt watching him on that stage. A RECORD WHICH REMINDS ME OF A SPECIFIC TIME AND PLACE … ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’ by Crosby Stills and Nash. I remember being 18 and whacking up the volume while Nick drove us out to Redmires in his Astra with the windows down
and the breeze coming in. It was the summer just after our A levels and we’d often meet up for a campfire in the peak district with our friends and play music till the sun went down. Those were the days! Whenever I hear this song I can feel the golden reeds from the side of the road tapping my outstretched hand hanging out the car window. A SONG I CAN’T GET OUT OF MY HEAD AT THE MINUTE … Fireman Sam’ the original soundtrack! Ha! And I’m NOT ashamed! Kat’s debut album Talk to Me is out now. Kateaton.com @kateaton
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A quickie with... JAWS Having performed at the Virgin Money Arena in Newcastle in 2020, the first covid-friendly venue, how did that experience feel and how did it differ from the usual live experience? Weird but good. We supported The Hunna who were great live and super-friendly. It wasn’t your standard show though. People being in small pens was bizarre. And they organised it weirdly which meant that you can get to the front even if you turned up last because the number was just assigned regardless of the time you arrive. Is there anything you’d recommend to your crowds to do to put your mind at ease playing these venues? Think for yourself. Crowds can do what they want - there’s no shame in wearing a mask at all. And also with our fans if they don’t feel comfortable about going to the gig then don’t feel like you have to. As much as we want loads of people to come, the main thing is enjoying yourself. Staying safe is cool as well. Use common sense - these days you need to just use your head. Our shows also tend to get a bit mad, so bare that in mind. Jaws will still be doing their thing. Your last album, The Ceiling, was released in 2019. After a 2-year gap, does this tour mean we should expect another soon? No talk of an album yet. All that we know is we’re focused on the tour right now but we always have songs in our catalogue ready to be worked on. There are songs that have been there for years that we’ve still not come back to along with stuff we’ve written 72 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
more recently. With albums we don’t tend to formulate a plan but instead take things one step at a time. Our main focus now is the tour. Next step is definitely to record new music though. I’m dying to get into the studio. We have lots of bangers that I just want to get out there. Finally, how has your music and style of performing changed since your last album, especially with lockdown giving artists such a long period to focus on their sound? I wish I could say that we knuckled down but what we really did over lockdown was Zoom calls and pub quizzes. We used to get pissed (not Connor) and do games and whatever. I really wish I had a cool answer. A lot of bands put loads of work in and came out with basically three years’ worth of content ready to go. That’s great but we don’t like to spend time contemplating things because I think it does stunt the art - it is supposed to be off the cuff.
TOP PICKS
Little Man Tate @ O2 Academy Sheffield Words and photography: Scott Antcliffe After a 12-year hiatus, indie music icons, Little Man Tate performed two superb sell-out shows at Sheffield’s 02 Academy, to the delight of the 4,200 revellers who packed out the city-centre venue. The Sheffield four-piece had only intended to play just one gig (originally planned for Friday 18 September 2020), but such was the demand for tickets the venue asked them to play an extra night. There were four great support acts over the two nights, including Haig, a band from Blackburn, who performed a great set, with superb single ‘Never Enough’ attracting rave reviews, and three local bands: Risky Heroes, Harry Lyon (formerly of Red Faces) and Small Print, a brilliant Sheffield five piece, whose single ‘More Than Friends’ looks set to be a hit thanks to its catchy lyrics. Frontman Jon Windle led the lads out on stage to a rousing reception from joyous fans clamouring for a live music fix – the first in the last 19 months for many, myself included. On the Friday evening, the crowd must have needed to quench their thirst as the venue recorded their fourth highest ever bar takings (behind
Joe Carnall & friends and the Everly Pregnant Brothers – twice!) and demonstrating that Yorkshire folk truly like a party when cheering on their own. The band opened up with the classic ‘Man I Hate Your Band’, swiftly followed by ‘European Lover’, a sure-fire way to inject an instant nostalgic boost into the vociferous crowd. Other crowd pleasers included ‘This Must Be Love’, ‘The Agent’, ‘Sexy in Latin’ and a new song, ‘Cheap Stolen Kisses’, potentially signalling a sign of things to come with more singles on the way after the band had recently been back in the recording studios with Sheffield producer Alan Smyth, who previously produced their early demos as well as their second album, Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy. A four-song encore featured an intimate rendition of ‘You & Me’, with Windle climbing the photography pit to interact with the crowd. The lads well and truly finished on a high with classic anthem ‘House Party at Boothy’s’ lifting the roof off the O2, ensuring a memorable night for all crammed into the Steel City venue.
SHAME LEADMILL 17 NOV // £15 London post-punks Shame finally hit the road and visit The Leadmill in support of their latest incredible record Drunk Tank Pink. “When you’re exposed to all of that for the first time you think you’re fucking indestructible,” he notes. “After a few years you reach a point where you realise everyone needs a bath and a good night’s sleep sometimes.” An intense bout of waking fever-dreams convinced Steen that self medicating his demons wasn’t a very healthy plan of action and it was probably time to stop and take a look inward. leadmill.co.uk ED COSENS ABBEYDALE PICTURE HOUSE 9 NOV // £13.25 Reverend’s right-hand man and chief Maker, Ed Cosens, has announced his debut headline gig as a solo artist and plays Abbeydale Picture House in Sheffield on Friday 19th November. His debut album Fortunes Favour was released earlier in 2021 and lead single ‘If ’ received huge critical acclaim. Ed describes the song, and wider album, as a reflection on the journey of growing up, one he hopes will be relatable to a lot of people. theabbeydalepicturehouse.com BILLY BRAGG SHEFFIELD CITY HALL 21 NOV // £35.70 Described by The Times as a ‘National Treasure’, Billy Bragg’s brand of socially and politically aware punk-folk has made a remarkable dent in the British conscience and made his name as one of Britain’s most popular and out-spoken singer/songwriters. Drawing on the folk tradition of protest song, and the punk sensibilities of direct action, Billy Bragg has made a name for himself as an accomplished and inspirational musician, and as a charged and pro-active activist. At their best, Billy’s songs present ‘the perfect Venn diagram between the political and the personal’ (the Guardian) sheffieldcityhall.co.uk
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GIRL FROM THE NORTH We caught up with Sheffield-based musician Lauren Housley, who will be bringing her critically acclaimed third album to the stage at Yellow Arch Studios next month. First of all, could you introduce yourself to the Exposed readership? Hello! I’m Lauren Housley, Yorkshire lass born and bred. I grew up in Rotherham and now live in Sheffield. I’ve recently self-released an album called Girl From The North.
recorded some great stuff with some great musicians. But, that said, I just felt like I needed a change and naturally felt drawn to home. Coming back lead to a lot of reflection – different memories and experiences bubbled to the surface. I drew a lot from that experience.
An album that’s had a great response too, charting high in the Americana, Folk and Country charts respectively. How did lockdown impact the making of the record? We literally just finished recording the album on the week of lockdown, which I suppose is pretty lucky timing. There were still a few backing vocals to do, but we just ended up doing those from our onebedroom flat we were living it at the time during lockdown, all the while I was pregnant and expecting my first child. It was pretty crazy.
It must be strange having to sit on the songs for so long before you can go tour them live? You must be itching to get on a stage! Absolutely. The tour starts in November but we’ve already done a couple of dates, which included a first gig back on the BBC Introducing Stage at Tramlines. That was pretty epic.
What sort of themes would you say run through the album? Times were a bit weird for me as I was making it, actually. I’d moved from Manchester back to Rotherham after seven years. I loved my time there and 74 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Americana and country music are big influences on your sound. Did that start from a young age or did it develop a bit later in your music career? I think it was always there without me really realising it. My dad was a massive Elvis fan, which was a massive early influence – the country sounds and twangy guitars. There were other influences which came a little later on. The album Slipstream by Bonnie Raitt, which was produced by Joe Henry, I caught a BBC Live Performance of that
whole album live and it just blew my mind. Also in there are Lukas Nelson, Lucius and a lot of John Smith. You’ll be playing another homecoming gig at Yellow Arch Studios next month. For those not yet in the know, what can they expect from a Lauren Housley live show? Feelgood vibes. I think we all need a bit of those at the moment. We want to connect with people and really celebrate that sense of interaction again. I remember going to my first proper gig back in a venue. The acoustics started and I could feel my brain literally expanding, like something had been dormant for so long. And I thought to myself: yes, this is exactly why we do it. @laurenhousley Lauren plays Yellow Arch Studios on Friday 10th December. Tickets (£12) are available from wegottickets.com and fatsoma.com. Girl from the North is out now.
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SINGER & SONGWRITER AND HER AWARD WINNING BAND
“EFFORTLESSLY CLASSY SOULFUL BLUES FROM GOD’S COUNTRY.... LAUREN HOUSLEY IS OUTSTANDING!" - NO DEPRESSION “AN AMERICANA-TINGED SINGER-SONGWRITER WITH A BONNIE RAITT-STYLE TWANG, A WINNING WAY WITH A YEARNING LYRIC. HOUSLEY IS HER OWN WOMAN..SHE’S AS CONVINCING AS THEY COME" - Q "I'M A HUGE FAN...I REALLY LOVE HER MUSIC" - BOB HARRIS
DEC 10 7:00 PM £12.00
WWW.LAURENHOUSLEY.COM/LIVE 30-36 BURTON ROAD, SHEFFIELD, S3 8BX
LGBTQ+ WELCOME FRIENDS, OLD AND NEW!
WINTER WARMERS
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Photo: Ndrika Anyika
Photo: Ben Hargreaves
The dark nights are here, and the winter chill is setting in but it’s far from doom and gloom as the city this month is awash with queer events and activities. In over six years of writing this column, we have the most events this month outside of a Pride or LGBT History Month and I’m totally here for the rainbow takeover. First up, bringing us some queer joy are Andro and Eve with their Joyful Noise Zine Launch at Birdhouse Tea Bar (Thu 4 Nov), serving up a selection of delicious vegan street food, an intimate performance from drag King Christian Adore, plus some zine-making activities for the crafty queers among us. For those of you who may still not be comfortable with IRL events, they will also be hosting an online Queer Craft Social (Thu 11 Nov) for those who want to gather with your LGBTQ+ community and spend time on your latest craft project. If you want more drag, then head to the Forum for their Scran Drag Brunch (Sun 7 Nov) for a bottomless brunch accompanied by performances from Sheffield’s best drag acts. Also, back to face-to-face meetings, we have Open Sheffield with their Open Communion at St Marks Church (Sun 14 Nov), with an inclusive service for LGBTQ+ people and their families who may have previously felt excluded from church services or communion. Trans Active, who offer regular group meetups for sports, fitness and physical activities for trans and non-binary people are adding a new session to their calendar with four beginner powerlifting sessions with PT Sairy Notman at Steel Physique gym (Sun 7/14/21/28). This is a great opportunity if you’d like to learn how to lift or gain confidence with weights in a small, trans-focussed group. There will be private use of the whole gym and gender-neutral toilets and changing rooms. For more sporting activity, head to Sheffield Tigers RUFC to see Sheffield Vulcans inclusive rugby team take on the Hull Roundheads (Sat
LGBTQ+
Photo: Ndrika Anyika
ANDRO & EVE: Thu 4 Nov: Joyful Noise Zine Launch Birdhouse Tea Bar & Kitchen Thu 11 Nov: Queer Craft Social androandeve.com DINA: Fri 5 Nov: CYB3R PARTY Thu 18 Nov: The Oozes, DUCK & Gum Disease dinavenue.com O2 ACADEMY FRI 1 OCT: 13 Nov: Heaven 17 24 Nov: Girli o2academysheffield.co.uk
20 Nov). Vulcans’ training sessions are open to all those who are interested in trying the sport so if watching the game inspires you to give it a go yourself just drop them a message. There is no shortage of live music this month, everything from intimate gigs to stadium tours. Three years after they staged the UK’s most successful comeback of the decade, enduring pop legends Steps return once again with a sure-to-be epic, What The Future Holds 2021 Tour at Fly DSA Arena (Tue 2 Nov). Shaking off the shackles of her indie band past to become the unapologetic pop star she always wanted to be, Self Esteem will be taking to the stage at Leadmill (Fri 12 Nov). Sheffield’s O2 Academy will be hosting synth-pop duo Heaven 17 for their 40th Anniversary Greatest Hits Tour (Sat 13 Nov) and bisexual icon and pop-punk star Girli’s Damsel in Distress Tour (Wed 24 Nov) joined by total badasses Sizzy Rocket, July Jones, ĠENN and Kelsy Karter. Plenty Fuss who support and promote women and non-binary artists, placing them at the forefront of the DIY music scene are back at Hatch (Fri 5 Nov) with electronica avant-pop from Rosie Tee and dark folk and blues from Alys Rain with post-gig DJ sets by Kalter and DJ Blue Raspberry. If queer punk is more your vibe, then Fightmilk will be playing at Shakespeares (Sat 27 Nov) alongside queer-emo band Slash Fiction and indie-pop storytellers Precious Metals. And if that’s not enough, there will be a full evening of queer punk over at DINA from The Oozes
(Thu 18 Nov) with support from Duck and Gum Disease. DINA is also launching their new night CYB3R PARTY this month (Fri 5 Nov), a night of hyperpop and PC music hosted by Cherish Lee with DJ sets from Poor Spice, Bambi Smith and Gnarkill. Queer-led DIY event space and collective, Gut Level have MLE & The Se7en Peppers playing (Fri 5 Nov). Expect noise-abatement notice techno, crackpot chatter garage, pintspiller hardcore and tickly cough pop edits from the farthest corners of Bandcamp. All the proceeds for this event will be forwarded to LASS (Lesbian Asylum Support Sheffield). LGBT Sheffield return to Spirit of Sheffield for their newly revamped disco night, LIPS (Sat 6 Nov) open to all women and nonbinary people and this month will be DJed by yours truly, so expect a healthy dose of camp and cheesy pop. There’s another instalment of CuckooBox mayhem at Sidney and Matilda (Sat 13 Nov) for CuckooBox presents Fever with DJs Rich Williams, Steve Hodson, Daz Wilkes, Steve Elliott, Dave Needham, Cheryl Wright, Kyle Robertson, Kirsty Tonner, Sam Nausy, and DJ Couture playing all aspects of the house music genre. And last but by no means least, Signal are bringing house and disco aficionados Horse Meat Disco back to the Steel City for an extended three-hour workout in their recently upgraded basement (Fri 19 Nov) plus a special three hour warm up from Mike O’Mara and Solid State, all in memory of late Sheffield great Dan J Wootton.
LIVE MUSIC: Tue 2 Nov: Steps @ Fly DSA Arena flydsaarena.co.uk Fri 5 Nov: Rosie Tee/Alys Rain @ Hatch facebook.com/plentyfuss Fri 5 Nov: MLE & The Se7en Peppers gutlevel.co.uk Fri 12 Nov: Self Esteem @ Leadmill leadmill.co.uk Sat 27 Nov: Fightmilk + Slash Fiction @ Shakespeares facebook.com/ShakespearesShf CLUB NIGHTS: Sat 6 Nov: LIPS @ Spirit of Sheffield facebook.com/LGBTSheffield Sat 13 Nov: CuckooBox presents Fever @ Sidney & Matilda facebook.com/CuckooBoxUK Fri 19 Nov: Horsemeat Disco @ Signal facebook.com/signalsheff SPORTS & FITNESS: Sun 7/14/21/28: Trans Active Powerlifting Steel Physique trans-active.co.uk Sat 20 Nov: SHEFFIELD VULCANS 2XV V HULL ROUNDHEADS Sheffield Tigers RUFC sheffieldvulcans.com OTHER: Sun 7 Nov: Scran Drag Brunch Forum Kitchen + Bar forumsheffield.co.uk Sun 14 Nov: Open Communion St Mark’s Church, Broomhill facebook.com/OpenSheffield
That’s your lot for this month – keep an eye on facebook.com/sheffieldlgbtevents for updates and announcements on the latest events and news.
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CINEMA OF NOSTALGIA | BOLLYWOOD 23 NOV Join Theatre Deli for the third of their themed film nights, this time featuring a Bollywood classic and live performance (TBC). Cinema of Nostalgia is a monthly film night reviving the late night movie tradition with a live twist from talks to perfomances. BOOKING AVAILABLE IN COMING WEEKS
LOOKING DELI-GHTFUL Sheffield’s favourite fringe venue Theatre Deli has another smorgasbord of cultural delights for you to sample over for the remainder of 2021
THERE IS NO PLANET B PRESENTED BY HASSUN EL-ZAFAR 1 DEC A father-daughter relationship in a postindustrial town facing evacuation due to climate catastrophe. Don’t miss the latest work by celebrated local writer, producer and director Hassun El-Zafar (‘My Name is Rachel Corrie’) 7.30PM // £15.43 (£13.31) // 12+
MIXED BILL 4 NOV Prepare to change your perception of what theatre can be, as five artists use physical theatre, dance and mime, to tell very different stories. From performances about veganism right through to issues that centre around homelessness, MIXED BILL will feature artists from a range of performance disciplines, telling emotive stories through dynamic movement forms.Don’t miss the first evening of performance in our Pop Up Programme, curated by Artistic Directors Nathan Geering and Ryan Harston, offering a flavour of whats to come in Theatre Deli’s future programming. 7.30PM // £10 (£8) // 14+ D GAME OVER (GUY VR) PRESENTED BY LEO&HYDE | LGBTQIA VIRTUAL REALITY 6 NOV Guy is gay. Guy is a gamer. And Guy is looking for love. In this VR companion piece to leo&hyde’s electronic musical GUY, you are invited to take part in a 40-minute VR theatre experience. One-moment heartwarming, the next heart-racing, Guy himself will introduce you to the world of VR, immersing you in his story, surrounding you in his designs, and teaching you his favourite new GUY-inspired VR game. 7.30PM // PAY WHAT YOU FEEL
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JOYGERNAUT PRESENTED BY ANDY CRAVEN-GRIFFITHS 26 NOV Joygernaut is the story of one man chasing success at increasing cost to his mental health, told through spoken word, comedy, physical theatre and bad dancing. It explores the complexities of kindness and self-interest: Can you be kind and still win? How long do kindness and cruelty echo? When does pretend become real? This show will make you laugh, break your heart, and leave you feeling hopeful. 7.30PM // £14 (£12) // 15+
CULTURE
TOP PICKS THE ADDAMS FAMILY Tue 23 – Sat 27 Nov // LYCEUM // Fron £15 Everyone's favourite kooky family are coming back on stage in this spectacular musical comedy from the writers of multi awardwinning hit musical Jersey Boys, with music and lyrics by Tony Award nominated Andrew Lippa and starring Joanne Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing and The Rocky Horror Show) as Morticia. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
TYPICAL GIRLS @ CRUCIBLE Billed as part-gig, part-play, going in I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from the Crucible Theatre’s world premiere of Typical Girls. What I got was an absolute barn stormer of punk fuelled gig-theatre with bags and bags of heart. Written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Emilia) and co-produced by the wonderful Clean Break in conjunction with Sheffield Theatres, the action is centred around a group of women in a female prison who embark on weekly music therapy sessions under the tutelage of Marie, a committed tutor who’s own ‘outside world’ complexities are hinted at in snippets, before coming to the fore in the epic closing scenes. This production has been in the works for over a year and the actors, some of whom are members* of Clean Break, look like they’ve been champing at the bit to unleash it, judging by the high-octane perfor-
mances on show, artfully complimented by the music of The Slits, which the cast expertly perform live. A particularly raw rendition of Typical Girls, which gives the musical its title, helps set the tone and gets the hairs on your arms standing to attention. This is followed by the interspersing of live performances, which help catalogue the women’s journey. They each take turns to be centre stage, without it ever feeling formulaic, each finding a means of expression via punk, inspired largely by The Slits songs and their characters newfound instruments. Alison Fitzjohn, as Mouth, steals the show with a fantastic performance in role that could quite easily have been a peripheral and merely played for laughs. She adds depth along with the humour, which is mirrored by the quirky Jane character, played by Helen Cripps, who beats the hell out of the drums in between her characters prim and proper outbursts. Whether it’s a play, a musical or even a gig, it’s far from typical and it left us brimming with defiant, angsty punk sentiment as we piled out of the auditorium into the Sheffield night.
*Clean Break’s Members programme is available to women aged 18+ and offers a foundation of learning and skills in theatre performance, creativity and well-being, and opportunities to engage in professional, public facing performance projects. All workshops are underpinned by their comprehensive, trauma-informed approach to support women to reach their full potential. For more info on Clean Break, head to cleanbreak.org.uk
THINKING BIGLY: HOW WE DIE (SCRATCH) Fri 26 November // THEATRE DELI // £5.98 What’s the best way for Ben to die? Help Ben figure out his death admin. Shape his story. Plan his funeral. Learn how we used to die and where best to die. An interactive performance show where you help Ben have his best death. Join Ben at Theatre Deli Studios, or tune in for the Pay What You Can livestream. The livestream will be available for 7 days after the show for all ticket holders, with subtitles available the day following the show onwards. theatredeli.co.uk/ FIRST TIME Fri 19 – Sat 20 Nov // STUDIO THEATRE // From £13 Can you remember your first time? Nathaniel can’t seem to forget his. To be fair, he has had it playing on repeat for the last 15 years. Now the party is over, the balloons have all burst and he’s left living his best queer life: brunching on pills and Googling kangaroo vaginas, ancient condoms and human cesspits on a weekday morning... or is he? sheffieldtheatres.co.uk WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 79
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ORA GALLERY Ora Gallery has been a muchloved presence within the Sharrow Vale shopping area for over 30 years and for the last seven years has been owned, managed and loved by Marika Puglisi. Marika came to UK from her native Italy in 1998, settled in Sheffield and acquired Ora Gallery in 2014. Marika recalls: “Ora was my favourite shop in Sheffield and when I heard it was for sale I thought why not? And since that day I have never looked back!” Mid-pandemic, in the summer of 2020, Marika moved the store from Sharrow Vale Road across to Hickmott Road. “It was a difficult decision to move to smaller premises, but the greater visibility and lovely new neighbouring shops was what the business needed at such challenging times.” Ora maintains its eclectic mix of unique gift items and stylish designer jewellery, making it one of the few stores in Sheffield that can genuinely offer something special for almost everyone. Marika searches for quality items from UK and Europe, with a particular emphasis on local makers. Hathersagebased Si Homfrey was one of the first new designers Marika introduced to Ora: his unique and colourful interpretation of Peak District locations on fine bone china mugs, kitchenware and wall art has made Si’s products incredibly popular. When Jabar & Nafeesa started producing Shifa Aromas luxury home fragrances in Sheffield, they chose Ora as one of their first stockists, who are very proud to have worked closely with them in developing local appreciation for the beautiful handmade products that make the shop smell amazing. Marika’s commitment to the environment and sustainability has always been reflected in many of the collections Ora has to offer. “One of the most popular new introductions has been ROKA London, with their beautiful bags manufactured from recycled plastics bottles in UK,” says Marika. “An amazing range of colours and
designs are always available and continue to be a huge hit with all our customers.” For many, Ora is the ‘go-to’ place for beautiful contemporary jewellery from local, national and international designers of note. The latest ranges from Kit Heath, Jennie Gill, Coeur de Leon and many other beautiful brands are always available to view and try on. New for 2021 is a thoughtfully selected collection of gifts for men, including stunning jewellery from Uniqe&Co, Chrono Bike watches from Festina and and a range of UK-made, vegan-inspired shaving and beard products from Norse. “Sharrow Vale is a real destination shopping area in Sheffield,” Marika tells us. “Our small and independent shops are often family-run. Very few of us would have survived the terrible last two years without the very special people who shop here, so a big thank you and please come and visit us again soon!” Ora Gallery WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 81
ALL DUN
Much like the River Don, this piece of writing has travelled a meandering journey from its source. First intended as a podcast in February 2020, it ran dry when the pandemic hit, only to find a fresh flow when it somehow trickled its way into this article… Word: Loz Harvey Behold the story of Dun Works, now dun and dusted, 18 months on. It’s a story about a name and forging a new identity for a forgotten factory complex in the heart of Kelham. “I’ve always loved the name River Don,” says social media expert and innovator Justine Gaubert, drinking out of a mug inscribed with the words All Dun, Nearly Dun and Not Dun. The woman behind the Academy of Dangerous Dreamers, a Sheffield-based creative agency, is sitting in one of the new bedrooms at Dun Works, South Yorkshire Housing Association’s social housing development on the site of Williams Brothers, a factory that made rivets, sockets and screws in the 19th and 20th centuries. South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA) has always been looking for new areas to build beautiful and affordable homes. It struck up a partnership with Cheyne Capital Management’s Social Property Impact Fund to develop Dun Works in Kelham Island, the first deal of its kind for a housing association. Now it’s built more than 200 apartments, with a third of these available to rent at ‘sub-market’ level. The third and final phase of Dun Works completed earlier this year. To celebrate Kelham Island’s 82 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
renowned heritage, community and creativity, SYHA commissioned a piece of public art on the exterior of Dun Works. Owen Waterhouse, a local Sheffield artist, has used stainless steel spheres to illustrate the true path of the River Don. And Justine was brought in to shape the narrative and identity of the new homes — based on her love of language and the river itself, which courses nearby. “It always strikes me as something solid,” Justine says of the river, which gave the development its name. “Don. It’s like it’s your dad, or something,” she tells me over a brew in Dun Works in February 2020. Eighteen months later, with the final phase at Dun Works completed and part of a Kelham that continues to change and develop, Justine explains the way words, poetry and language, as well as the Don itself, have influenced a key city centre development. Justine takes up the story of how she became involved in Dun Works. “I’ve always been drawn to the area,” she says. “I was having a few beers with a neighbour, and on the back of a Richard Hawley album she’d brought along, we saw a mention of The Gardener’s Rest. “And we set off to find it. I sat in the beer garden all afternoon and fell in love with it. When I left the agency to set up my
TALES FROM A HARD CITY
LOOKING UP SHEFFIELD
social enterprise, Silent Cities, I made an office on Burton Road, just down the road from The Gardeners, where Yellow Arch is now. “I used to come down to the Gardeners after workshops for a pint and to cadge a roll-up from someone, and lean out over the Don. “And the sense of peace it’s always given me, restores my balance. You can breathe out, you feel like you’ve come home. “And then from nowhere, there’s a flash of blue out of the corner of your eye and it’s a kingfisher! And it reveals itself to you as a gift. Something to soothe your eyes, you know?” Justine was approached by SYHA to create a visual identity for the new flats, complete with a public art installation that resembled the broad sweep of the river, visible from Green Lane. SYHA and its partner Cheyne are the driving force behind Dun Works — a different offer for people, an offer that’s affordable for people who risk being priced out of the market, the kind of people who made Kelham a great place to live. And that’s where Justine, fresh from a TED talk that talked about her experiences of autism and the creative sector, came in. “As I said, the name Don always made me smile,” she says. “Because it’s a real Sheffield dad’s name innit! Go and speak to Don — he’ll sort yer art!” “So to have a river called ‘DON’ has always just made me smile. AND it got me wondering about the origins of the name Don. “In my loo I’ve got a book called the History of Sheffield by David Hey and he says that the names of Britain’s major rivers are amongst the oldest words in our lexicon. “He reckoned that the Don was actually pronounced and spelt Dun. The name is pre-celtic in origin, and goes far back into the prehistoric period. “This led me to a guy called Albert Huw Smith and his book ‘The Place Names of the West Riding of Yorkshire’. He said the origin of the name was Brittonic,
the ancient celtic language that eventually broke off into Celtic languages like Welsh and Cornish. In Brittonic, Don probably comes from: Dānā from a root dān-, meaning “water” or “river”. “I guess from that it went from Dan, to Dun, to Don. But I’m sure there are other people out there with doctorates in etymology and local history who could tell us more about the evolution of the name. “So I was really excited when I was asked to come up with a brand for this new development that they were doing on a road in Kelham that was called Dun Fields Road.” And then things got metaphysical, as Justine recalls. “I started to think about John Donne and how ‘No man is an island’, she says. “It reminded me of a letter he’d written, that had ended with the phrase…John Donne. Anne Donne Undonne. “And that led me back to the Don and my love of Sheffield rivers. And my love of real ale, forged over many years in the Gardeners. “I thought about the floodlines that are painted on the side of the Fat Cat pub in Kelham Island, which show the water levels when the River Dun broke its banks in the Great Sheffield Flood. “And that was it. I’d got the whole campaign sorted in my mind before I got off the tram. “I knew we’d call it Dun Works and that on the hoardings around the building site, we’d have Not Dun, Nearly Dun and Almost Dun. And these mugs we’re drinking out of are of course a continuation of that theme too.” Circular and yet ever-changing. Drawing inspiration from the loo and metaphysical poetry in equal measure. That’s the Don. And that’s Dun Works too. To hear more about the quirkier side of Sheffield and stories of the cities hidden gems, download Looking Up Sheffield on your podcast app of choice. WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 83
PARK HILL
AT YOUR CONVENIENCE The award-winning redevelopment and joint venture between Urban Splash and Places for People of Park Hill welcomes its first convenience store, Park Hill Provisions, which opened its doors at the historic site last month. The long-awaited shop is a much needed amenity for residents and locals alike. Park Hill Provisions is based on the site of the Parkway Tavern, one of the four original pubs at Park Hill. The double-fronted 1,890 sq ft store is within Béton House, Phase 3 of the redevelopment, completed by student housing specialists Alumno Developments in September 2020 and now occupied. Building work is ongoing and resident access from other phases of Park Hill will open up over the coming weeks. The 1,000+ Park Hill community will grow when new residents and businesses move into Phase 2. The new store is a much-needed amenity on site and somewhere for the wider community – a place for essentials and luxuries within a few minutes from their door. Zak Malook runs Park Hill Provisions, providing “a one-stop shop” that includes a booze cave, dessert bar, American sweets, Tango Ice Blast, slush drinks, general groceries including free-from foods, a range of chilled and frozen food, coffee and hot food. So, all in all just what you need and more from the local shop around the corner. Zak has appointed Mijit Najib as store manager who is looking forward to being part of this exciting venture. Zak said of the opening: “I was born and brought up in Sheffield and know the area of Park Hill as I already run a store nearby, and my current customers were old residents of the place. I was the first person to make enquiries about the unit when I saw it was available. It’s great to finally be able to open and I hope the mix of food, drink and general groceries available will make our store a regular place to pop in, have a chat and enjoy some of the additional extras we have worked hard to provide.” Nicky Harries on behalf of the joint venture said: “We 84 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
are delighted to welcome Zak, Mijit and their team at Park Hill Provisions. We know there is the demand and could accommodate more retail and amenities as well as businesses in Phase 2. These along with Zak’s shop will become a real asset to Park Hill and the local communities adding to the successful café, South Street Kitchen, based in Phase 1.” Having a convenience store and café base at Park Hill supports the on-site community and provides great facilities for locals. When South Street Kitchen opened in March 2018 it was a leap for faith for the owners Rachel Cornish and Tim Jenkins who had been planning their café venture for some time. Rachel told us: “There were not as many people around three and a half years ago but we just saw this fantastic brutalist building and how it was being renovated giving it this new lease of life. Up here you are virtually traffic-free and you get a fantastic view over the city and on a good day can see right out into the Peak District. It has fantastic light during the day and in the evening some amazing sunsets. “The community is growing and developing. It did take time initially, but we have regular residents who come by. It’s more than just Park Hill residents, as we offer something different for the communities around Park Hill. It’s so good to welcome such a wide variety of people.” South Street Kitchen has become a destination for people who live all over Sheffield and is open seven days a week as a cafe and Friday and Saturday evenings as a licensed restaurant. During the day South Street Kitchen serves Middle Eastern-inspired vegetarian and vegan cuisine and specialty coffee. In the evenings the restaurant serves a small plates menu which changes regularly as well special events, such as the tasting menu on 12 and 13 November.
PARK HILL
“I was born and brought up in Sheffield and know the area of Park Hill as I already run a store nearby, and my current customers were old residents of the place.”
There’s always something new happening at Park Hill In the last 6 years Park Hill has had an award-winning musical written about it called Standing at the Sky’s Edge, written by Chris Bush with music by Sheffield music royalty Richard Hawley. It was developed and produced by Sheffield Theatres and first performed in their Crucible Theatre in 2018 to 5-star reviews. It has also hosted an outdoor Film Night, Urban Cycling competitions, Student Colour Runs, Bike Repair sessions, Parkour events plus numerous film, TV and photography shoots including being the storyline for the series that introduced the first female Dr Who, with location shoots that included filming on site with the cast at Park Hill alongside the Tardis! S1 Artspace has been a revelation and attracted plenty of culture vultures for exhibitions such as the critically acclaimed Love Among the Ruins: A Romance of the Near Future that presented the work of two social documentary photographers Roger Mayne and Bill Stephenson, who documented the first residents of Park Hill from 1961-65 and the last remaining residents of Park Hill’s sister building Hyde Park in 1988, The Brutalist Playground by Turner Prizewinning architecture collective Assemble and artist Simon Terrill. Another special event was the Kid Acne Exhibition who returned with his first Sheffield solo exhibition in five years, HAVE A WORD, which focused on his iconic text-based slogan pieces and for the first time, aimed to connect the dots between his art and music through the exploration of lyrics and typography. With such a rich cultural offering, it’s no surprise that the 20,000 sq ft of new mixed-use commercial space available within Phase 2 has proved an attractive proposition with nearly 60% of the work, leisure and retail spaces already allocated. Park Hill commercial enquires: 0333 666 0000. Park Hill residential Sales office enquiries: 0333 666 9999. Register details at urbansplash.co.uk/park-hill to view homes through the online viewing platform.
One to three bedroom homes from £160,000 Get in touch to find out more 0114 303 0375 davidlewus@urbansplash.co.uk urbansplash.co.uk/park-hill
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THE BEGINNING 30 NOVEMBER – 5 DECEMBER
An incredible light and sound spectacular for the whole family to enjoy.
Tickets on sale NOW!
It’s not just about a haircut. It’s about being recognised, feeling comfortable and chilling out with a complimentary beer if the mood takes you. Now featuring Paul from Green Room Massage Therapy offering sports and soft tissue massages. 161 Gibraltar St, S3 8UA
The Magic of Christmas starts at Sheffield Cathedral After a sensational debut in 2019 with The Angels are Coming, the cathedral’s Christmas light spectacular returns with The Beginning. Starting on 30 November, and running through to 5 December, The Beginning will captivate visitors through awe inspiring illuminations projected across the exterior facade of the Cathedral. Inside you will be entranced by an immersive multi-sensory experience with music and lights inspired by the cathedral’s stained-glass windows and more than 30 beautifully decorated Christmas trees. Tickets for The Beginning are on sale NOW from www.sheffield-cathedral.org or in person from the Cathedral Gift Shop. Adults: £7.50 Children aged 3-15 (under 3s free): £6 Carers: £3 (contact Sheffield Cathedral to purchase)
Created by Luxmuralis
COMEDY
TOP PICKS
PLANET LOL What do you do when you find out your planet is on the edge of extinction? Set on the Planet LOL, this theatre show comedy focuses on a whole society living on a planet made of solid gold, where the climate is idyllic, and the inhabitants seem happy. Females are the dominant sex, earning more than males for the same work; speed is measured at the speed of smell; buildings are made of gold and the sun is a goddess called Yumoogah. What can possibly go wrong? Melita Dennett speaks to Paul Hodson, awardwinning director and member of ‘The Future is Unwritten’, a theatre company powered by punk values of honesty, integrity, inclusion and the spirit of DIY intervention.
are struggling to makes ends meet, even being a bit beyond the law, some live in luxury. But there the similarities end, as LOL is made of gold, is ruled over a goddess, and time is measured at the speed of smell. Two female actors playing over 20 characters – that’s a big ask. On LOL females are in charge, but there is a token male in the play. Fortunately the actors are brilliant and have fun with lots of speedy character changes.
So, Paul, a sci-fi comedy about climate change. Set the scene for me… About four years ago I became gripped by the climate crisis, but everything I saw about it – films, plays, books – was very serious and seemed to be preaching to the converted. I wanted to make something that wasn’t those things. So we’ve ended up on Planet LOL, which is going through a cataclysmic crisis similar to ours but not the same. It’s at an alienated distance from our climate issues, so that we can laugh at ourselves.
COP26 is coming up, is it going to be another talking shop or is real change going to happen? We planned to have the play around right now, to help raise awareness. Governments need to get on with it. Only one country in the world is on target for the Paris Accord.
What’s life on LOL like for its inhabitants? In some ways much like life on earth. Some people
What do you want people to go away and think or do? I hope they will think about the issues as they affect them, realise the scale of the problem and ask if they are doing enough. Our lives have to be altered to save ourselves. @tfiunwritten
PLANET LOL COMES TO THEATRE DELI 28 OCTOBER. TICKETS AND MORE INFO AVAILABLE AT THEATREDELI.CO.UK.
HARRIET DYER, SEAN HEYDON, CLAYTON JONES & ANDY ASKINS 19 & 20 NOVEMBER // ROFL // £12 Regular ROFL compere Harriet Dyer is joined by three top-of-the-bill comedians to bring laughter, music and magic to Sheffield for the weekend. Guitarist Andy Askins has an expertly crafted routine littered with an eclectic mix of offbeat comic songs and parodies, while Clayton Jones’ observational comedy performances won him "Last Minute Comedy Comedian of the Year 2016/17”. Fans of Britain’s Got Talent will also recognise magician Sean Heydon. roflcomedy.com THE HORNE SECTION NOV // SHEFFIELD CITY HALL // £30.10 They’ve had their own TV special at the London Palladium, they have an iTunes-chart-topping podcast and now they’re coming to Sheffield, The Horne Section, headed up by Taskmaster’s Alex Horne are a comedic delight. Five outstanding musicians, one non-musical stand up, there’ll be comedy, songs, enthusiastic dancing and a lot of mucking about. sheffieldcityhall.co.uk LAST LAUGH COMEDY CLUB 12 & 13 NOV // SHEFFIELD CITY HALL // £18 & £10 (NUS) Sheffield’s legendary comedy club is back in full swing, with another belting line up for the middle of the month. Award-winning stand-up Mark Nelson, stand-up, presenter, writer and actor Quincy and Lou Conran is both filthy and fabulous. sheffieldcityhall.co.uk
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THE HARDER THE FALL Words: Cal Reid A bizarre love letter to Spaghetti Westerns and Blaxploitation films, The Harder They Fall is a stylish – albeit vacuous – adventure. If you can imagine that Sergio Corbucci, Gordon Parks Jr. and Quentin Tarantino made a film together, this is what you’d get. The plot could apply to literally hundreds of other Westerns. An outlaw named Nat Love, now the leader of a gang that robs other gangs, learns the man that killed his parents is soon to be released. Love gathers up his gang to track down and seek vengeance against Rufus Buck and his homicidal heavies. Each character from both rival gangs has some flashy idiosyncrasy to make them seem memorable. The only character, however, that you come away impressed with is Idris Elba’s Rufus Buck. This is largely thanks to the actor’s tremendous physical presence and the effortless charisma he emanates whenever on screen. Everyone else you can pretty much take or leave. Nobody is irritating and each have sporadic moments of excellence, but not enough that you come away having any strong feelings towards them. Each character is little more than a cardboard cutout through a series of violent and stylish set-pieces that nod back to films like Unforgiven, The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly, and Once Upon a Time in the West. Elba’s character is essentially an African American version of Henry Fonda’s Frank from Leone’s Once Upon a Time. Its defining virtue is its depiction of a predominantly African American West. The violence, too, is great fun and unnecessarily brutal, which explodes in all its glory during the final shootout. The action sequences and the anachronistic soundtrack marginally makeup for the fact that 90 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK
the film is about 40 minutes too long. There are prolonged Leone-like sequences which serve little more than to display director Jeymes Samuel’s knowledge of the genre. Ultimately, it’s a perfectly fun experience, if a little long. Whilst on it will hold your attention, but thinking about it afterwards, it seems nothing more than a well-dressed hollow shell. 2.5/5 Get more news and reviews from the Exposed film writer’s podcast ‘Reid’s Reel’ – available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
NO TIME TO DIE (REVISITED) I initially reviewed the film fresh out of a midnight screening in the early hours of September 30th. I have seen Daniel Craig’s final Bond adventure twice more, and in the weeks since its release the film has largely remained a success critically and commercially, including its bold creative decisions which have been a first in the Bond franchise to say the least. What I admire greatly about the film is how much its rattled the cages of many a Bond fan and average cinemagoer. I must admit, I had to think very hard about it on the walk home: I thoroughly enjoyed No Time to Die, but I still wasn’t sure how I felt about it immediately after walking out of the screening room. It has to be said that whilst it is by no means the best of the Bonds, it does feature some of the best elements of the entire franchise and the greatest portrayal of Ian Fleming’s spy – without a doubt. This is down to Craig as an actor, but also No Time to Die builds upon the personal exploration from his previous entries. Each member of the supporting cast does a great job, especially Ana de Armas and Lashana Lynch as Paloma and Nomi respectively. As I rule, I tend to loathe spin-offs, but I would welcome a show or a film starring those two wholeheartedly. I want to take a minute to speak in defence of Rami Malek’s Safin. Whilst I’ll concede he does not totally live up to his jaw-dropping
FILM
NOVEMBER RELEASES
Eternals An all-star cast leads this epic scaled MCU adventure. Early reviews have been lukewarm, but this latest superhero adventure promises a unique story which expands upon an already extensive universe. Ghostbusters: Afterlife From Jason Reitman comes this nostalgic sequel to the original Ghostbusters films which, thank God, ignores the ghastly 2016 film. House of Gucci Ridley Scott’s crime biopic features an array of talent (and Jared Leto), focusing on the murder of Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) by Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga). The Power of the Dog Benedict Cumberbatch stars as a domineering rancher that turns his oppressive power upon his brother’s new wife in this adaptation of Thomas Savage’s novel. and frankly terrifying introduction, he is unique in that the threat he presents is aimed at Bond on a personal level, with his virus plan taking an intended backseat. The world-ending plot is just an excuse to drive the narrative and reference classic Bond material from both the films and the books, but Safin’s over-the-top presence and obsession with Madeline Swann is what’s really important. And when considered properly, it works. Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack might be the best score for a Bond film, featuring tracks reminiscent of his work in The Dark Knight trilogy, complementing the tone of the film perfectly. I do still have reservations about David’s Dencik’s evil scientist, which seems very lazy and quite jarring even in the film’s more humorous moments. Others have taken his character as a throwback to the more two-dimensional henchmen of the 1960s and 70s Bonds, but I found it unwelcome on each occasion. It’s a minor quibble, and whilst I don’t think No Time to Die achieves the same heights as either Skyfall or Casino Royale it is certainly one of the strongest Bond adventures and provides a bittersweet end to the Craig era. 4/5
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WHAT'S ON THIS WINTER MIXED BILL Physical theatre | Dance | 14+ 4/11
6/11
1-3/12 GAME OVER (Guy in VR) leo&hyde LGBTQIA | VR musical | 15+
17-18/12
The Star Bazaar’s Christmas Double Ding-Dong Festive cabaret | 18+
20-21/12
The Elves and Shoemakers Motley-Minded Cobblers Family festive show
Cinema of Nostalgia | Bollywood Film screening and live performance 24/11
26/11
There is No Planet B Hassun El-Zafar Workshop | 12+
Joygernaut Andy Craven Griffths Comedy | 15+
Artist Jam Times vary | Pay what you feel Check website for dates
sheffield's newest hip hop club night THEATRE DELI'S UMBRELLA FACTORY IS BACK PRESENTING DJ KYLA LIVE CIRCUS AND HIP HOP DANCERS PRODUCED BY THEATRE DELI'S CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS NEXT DATES: 20/11 AND 11/12 202 EYRE STREET, S1 4QZ
BOOK NOW!
THEATREDELI.CO.UK/SHEFFIELD
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Every Wednesday
www.jazzatthelescar.com
OCT. 06 NICOLA FARNON QUARTET 13 UNFURL FRI. 15 BALO + POWER OUT at Theatre Deli 20 ANDRE CANNIERE QUINTET 27 ARQ. NOV. 03 GREG ABATE QUARTET 10 TOM OLLENDORFF TRIO 17 MOTHERBOARD PINBALL 24 WEBB CITY THU. 25 THE MAGIC LANTERN at Yellow Arch Studios
Doors open 8.15pm. Music starts 8.45pm
£10+ / £5+ NUS
The Lescar 303 Sharrow Vale Rd. Sheffield, S11 8ZF
CULTURE / ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
ED SYDER Exposed caught up with Sheffieldbased illustrator Marc Barker to talk artistic inspiration, anthropomorphism and pesky new algorithms. Hi Ed, these days you’re an honorary Sheffielder, but where did you grow up and what brought you to the Steel City? I grew up in Cornwall and then went to University in Liverpool. After that I lived in Manchester for 10 years and then London for about five years. We wanted to ‘settle down’ and couldn’t afford to do that in London so took a punt on Sheffield as we had friends here or thereabouts. How did you get into illustration? I started doing posters for bands and club nights when I lived in Manchester, and that led to some paid work for skateboard companies, and some editorial commissions. I’ve always done it as a side-line until about five years ago when I sacked off being a primary school teacher and went freelance as an illustrator. How would you describe your style? Black lines! I started out drawing with just black pens and printer paper through necessity as that was all that I could afford after graduating from Liverpool. Not much has changed over the years except that my materials cost a little bit more now. I was influenced by the skateboard graphics and record covers that I obsessed over when I was younger but these days, I draw inspiration from work that really doesn’t look anything like my stuff.
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There’s a lot of music references in your work. Is music a big influence on you and your art? Absolutely. Music and records and pop videos and magazines and everything that along goes with it have always been a huge part of my life ever since I used to sit up late at night recording the John Peel show on blank cassettes. I’m more inspired by obscure music videos or record covers then anything that’s in an art gallery. What projects are you working on and what do you have lined up? I’m drawing portraits of bands for a second set of playing cards (I produced a pack of ‘Indie Rock Playing Cards’ earlier this year). These portraits are of the bands that I loved back when I was a teenager (Pixies, Nirvana, Blur etc). Other than that I have lots of stuff in the works for some skateboard companies over in the states. I’m also working on a couple of skate zines for release early next year. Check out more of Ed’s work in Insta @edsyder
WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 95
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